 I don't know - John Wayne wears a cool hat? Director: Michael Curtiz; uncredited John Wayne Writer: James Edward Grant and Clair Huffaker; based on The Comancheros by Paul I. Wellman Cinematographer: William H. Clothier Producer: George Sherman by Jon Cvack Every time I think I’m at the end of the line for what’s available from Michael Curtiz, Netflix adds another few films and his position in the Master List continues to grow. At this point I’m somewhere around a dozen films deep and I’m still not particularly aware of a Curtiz style. It’s an interesting aspect of the classical era of cinema, in which directors would have contracts with studios and while incredibly talented, weren’t so particular with their filmographies. They had to make a certain number of films, some of them were great, many were good, and a few were bad. Michael Curtiz is a chameleon, seeming to adapt this craft to the quality of the story. The Comancheros is one of the classic era westerns that remind me of how boring they can be. I’ve been on a role these last few years when turning back - The Sons of Katie Elder (1966), Nevada Smith (1966), El Dorado (1966). Especially for the ones who’ve been remastered. They look absolutely wonderful; as though they were shot today with that old school technique. It made me wonder if maybe the reason I didn’t like old westerns is because they have worn out, cropped transfers; typically repeating a very specific set of actions. The Comancheros opens on a duel where gambler Paul Regret (Stuart Whitman) shoots and accidentally kills his opponent. He’s sentenced to death and flees, soon ending up on a river boat where he meets the wild and wealthy Pillar Graile (Ina Balin). Just as the two seem about to enter into some bizarre love affair, Texas Ranger Jake Cutter (John Wayne) barges in to take him back to prison. Paul then escapes again and heads to a bar where the classic bar fight takes place. They return back home where a gang of Comancheros, led by a former Military officer, has been raiding the community while smuggling guns and alcohol. They attack Regret and his neighbors, and as Paul Regret seems to escape once again, he returns with some Texas Rangers. He’s awarded an act of valor and joins Cutter on a type of spy mission where they act as gun smugglers bringing in the latest shipment. It takes us to the film’s more interesting moments, as we discover a type of self-sufficient commune, run with the profits and the tyrannical control of the former officer Graile (Nehemiah Persoff) who’s turns out to be Pillar’s father. I’m not sure what shifts from there, but even though the commune seems relatively harmless and provides benefit to the community, Regret and Cutter destroy both them and a band of Comanches who storm the place. It’s the type of film that makes me want to watch more westerns in order to best understand what makes these work against such limitations. Recently I read Thomas Schatz Hollywood Genres (1981), examining westerns as the myth of the American Manifest Destiny and the free market ethos. In nearly every action western, there is the law abiding sheriff battling against either the “wild” and lawless Natives or against actual outlaws who often steal, rob, pursue women, and drink. There is often a beautiful woman who’s an archetype of innocence or, in more modern versions, an empowered gun-wielding female (such as The Furies (1950)); sometimes one and the same. There are bar fights, duels, and wandering the town before the gun fight. There’s the burgeoning town, the nascent railroad, log cabins, livestock, and individuals doing their best to survive. There’s more, but these basic elements have produced great cinema throughout the last 80 years, in each and every decade. Somehow within these strict confines, cinema continues to pump out great additions. The Comancheros fails to blend these elements. At its core, it’s about an uninteresting gambler fighting against John Wayne who plays the same character he always does, without much of a plot to thread the story. It bookends great - opening with a man who kills a judge’s son in a duel, but then meanders as he gets caught, escapes, gets caught, finds himself in some rural community and attacked by Native Americans, then recruited to become a Ranger and finds himself in another battle against a pre-Hippie commune. It’s and-then storytelling, switching from one moment to the next without focusing at all on the characters. However, given that it was Michael Curtiz's last film, and John Wayne assumed directing it due to his demise, maybe that's the reason it has no spark. BELOW: Trailer. It's all YT's got Like what you read? Support the site on Patreon Please report any spelling, grammar, or factual errors or corrections on the contact page
0 Comments
 A feminist icon Director: Carl Theodor Dreyer Writer: Carl Theodor Dreyer and Grethe Risbjerg Thomsen (poems); based on Gertrud by Hjalmar Söderberg Cinematographer: Henning Bendtsen Producer: Jørgen Nielsen by Jon Cvack The last two Dreyer films I’d watched were Vampyr (1932) and Day of Wrath (1943); both watched during Scary Movie Month in 2012, which I remember fondly though can’t recall a single detail. Before that it was The Passion of Joan of Arc (1929) the year before; serving as one of those classic art films I finally made it to and enjoyed, but kind of fell into the Not-So-Sure-When-I’ll-Revisit category of classic cinema. Netflix DVD synopsis mentions that Gertrud is composed of only 89 shots, which at just shy of two hours, is pretty impressive. And yet Dreyer somehow makes it impressive by never making it seem like he’s shooting in a bunch of oners. The story starts with a moderate take in the beginning, introducing a middle aged woman as the title character played by Nina Pens Rode who’s married to the career obsessed and ambitious Gustav Kanning (Bendt Rothe). Gertrud explains that his work obsession has caused her to meet another man who she’s fallen in love with and plans to pursue; asking Gustav for a divorce. In two behind the scenes interviews, actors Baard Owe as Getrud’s lover Erland Jansson and Axel Strøbye as Axel Nygren, Gertrud’s old friend who’s been in love with her for a lifetime, both mention how they received little to no direction. Dreyer would simply have them do it again and again until he eventually got what they wanted. Owe specifically mentioned how stilted and “archaic” he thought the dialogue was. Dreyer told him it’s a film about words. It reminds me of David Mamet’s “invent nothing/deny nothing” mantra. Aside from Gertrud’s initial scene with Owe, rarely does Gertrud ever lose the somber look on her face; which per the Kuleshov Effect, makes her response to each scene all the more fascinating. Around her husband it shows indifference, around Axel it shows longing and fondness, and around Owe it shows heartbreak and disappointment. We follow Gertrud as she pursues Owe, making love to him after visiting the park, to then head back home and to a banquet dedicated to honoring Dutch poet Gabriel Lidman (Ebbe Rode) who offers his views on love, which I wish I wrote down as I can’t recall the details and seems significant; other than the crumbs of it being cold, dry, and painfully honest. We learn that Lidman was once involved with Gertrud, and most of his ruminations on love are all based on that relationship. He’s never let her go. Later at the party, Lidman tells Gertrud that Jansson had told everyone at a party how he had sex with her; going so far as to call her a whore. Gertrud confronts Jansson the next day and demands he choose between being with her or not. Jansson then admits he’s gotten another woman pregnant. Lidman then pursues Gertrud, but as he too was focused on his career, Gertrud knows it couldn’t work. Her husband makes one last attempt, saying she could even keep her lover if she stayed with him; we’re unsure whether to preserve his image amongst his friends or colleagues, or because he actually realized how much he loved her. Years later, Gertrud is now old and still single. She’s greeted by Axel who’s in town, and she admits that her greatest mistake was searching for the perfect love; with Axel holding his hands and expressing how he feels about her once again and still it goes unrequited. Owe mentioned that few had high hopes for Gertrud, and once released, it was an extremely popular film amongst women. The film captures the alienation a woman could feel within a particular world. Divorce was entirely the man’s decision, leaving women to either risk adultery, or attempt honesty and hope for the best. To think divorce is only a recent right granted to women, and that they could be entirely trapped in a loveless - or worse - unfaithful or abusive marriage is an idea few consider; serving as a form of enslavement. It seems women flocked to the film because it portrayed such a taboo; showing what a strong and honest woman could do. An American version would have had her end up with one of the men; likely her lifelong friend Axel. Instead we see a woman with complex thoughts on love and purpose; believing the idealism of love and discovering the dangers of holding too firm for perfection. It’s a strong character not just for choosing to live her life, but for learning the tragic consequences of what absolute freedom can lead to. The film seems very much about the hope of what freedom can provide versus the reality. Some will achieve great things - whether with love or career, others will discover disappointment, and Gertrud appreciates each and every moment. BELOW: A taste of Dreyer's modest singles Like what you read? Support the site on Patreon Please report any spelling, grammar, or factual errors or corrections on the contact page  I don't know - something about Cubans and Communists Director: Alfred Hitchcock Writer: Samuel A. Taylor; based on Topaz (1967) by Leon Uris Cinematographer: Jack Hildyard Producer: Alfred Hitchcock by Jon Cvack After watching Shadow of a Doubt (1943) and Saboteur (1942), I was ready to go headlong into revisiting the entire Hitchcock Masterpiece DVD Collection (I’m currently waiting for the Bluray version I just ordered), but with knowing that his last four films (Topaz, Torn Curtain (1966), Marnie (1964), and Family Plot (1976)) are his worst (post-silent era), I figured I’d dig into those first; starting with Topaz. Each disc in the collection comes with a special feature, and I was surprised to see that on Topaz, it was a thirty minute documentary hosted by Leonard Maltin who breaks down the film and defends it as good, not great Hitchcock; placing it into the second tier. Although I haven’t gotten to the other films, I’m pretty sure I found this the worst of Hitchcock’s color pictures, and more along the lines of third tier; one level above the silent films. For those who don’t know or remember, this is Hitchcock’s closest thing to doing a spy drama per the likes of Melville; the type of film where someone would watch it and then get the idea for James Bond. The plot is far from clear to me, and at just under two and a half hours, I couldn’t tell you much more than it involves a British Spy, some double agents, and tangents the Bay of Pigs as Russia moves in to help arm Cuba. Maltin says it’s Hitchcock’s most experimental movie and I might agree in that Hitchcock nearly abandons his use of camera to create tension and tell a story through images, instead opting to show nearly nonstop dialogues between the characters; failing to compose images that are pretty enough to look at (such as Melville) or to at least make the listening experience enjoyable. As a result of telling and not showing, with so many details ranting on, it’s near impossible to figure it out; playing like a John Le Carre novel without the excitement. In saying that, I had nearly forgotten that it includes one of my favorite shots in all of Hitchcock, as a woman in purple dress is killed, falls upon the ground, the purple fabric flows out like blood. I’m not joking when I say that literally no other shot sticks in mind from the movie; making me suspect it might’ve been all the more impressive simply because the first two hours were so boring. Malton gave the film three out of four stars, and I just don’t know how he gets there. There over twenty other Hitchcock films I’d watch before this; a number so high I can’t even think of another director who’d come close to matching that level of quality. It’s not a bad movie, it’s just boring, and what it offers can be found in so many far better films from the period. BELOW: Only cool scene from the movie; one of Hitch's best shots Like what you read? Support the site on Patreon Please report any spelling, grammar, or factual errors or corrections on the contact page  Sexy and thrilling with that Truffaut touch Director: François Truffaut Writer: Jean-Louis Richard and François Truffaut Cinematographer: Raoul Coutard Producer: Marcel Berbert, António da Cunha Telles, and François Truffaut by Jon Cvack Previous to this I watched The Man Who Loved Women (1977), finding it a poorly aged misogynistic film with little going for it. The Soft Skin’s synopsis was another film following another middle aged man who’s drawn to a young beautiful woman. Yet instead of a shitty man on the conquest for as many partners as possible, The Soft Skin provided a David Lean/Woody Allen hybrid-like exploration of desire and the meaning of love, or even meaning. Counter to the last half dozen or so movies I’ve seen from Truffaut (mostly the Antoine Doinel series and a few others), this was an exceptionally crafted film; with gorgeous and meticulous photography that paid attention to the smallest details and moments. The story is that of an esteemed writer Pierre Lachenay (Jean Desailly) who while flying to Lisbon meets a stewardess, Nicole (Françoise Dorléac). Pierre is enamored and after giving a talk at a conference, comes across Nicole in the elevator. The two get out on the same floor and he discovers her room number and calls her later that night for a drink. After an initial rejection, she calls him back, they go to the bar, and have sex. Pierre flies back home where his wife Franca Lachenay (Nelly Benedetti) greets him with their daughter. Franca clearly loves Pierre, and while since having a kid they’ve yet to have a trip alone, she enjoys the life they have. The odd thing is that Franca is so much more beautiful than Nicole; confident, sexy, and curvy. While I’d like to think in certain moments, Truffaut and DP Raoul Coutard failed to properly light her in scenes, given how well crafted the film is, it seems more deliberate that in certain moment she looks a bit rugose and tired, with heavy bags under her eyes, as though worn from travel or the search for someone to love and love her; then shifting in a complete 180, suddenly beautiful and vibrant. Another great subtle detail is Franca who first says they haven’t been alone in four years, later shifting that number to five years, making you wonder if it might have been only a few years, or even one, and that their downfall was more recent than either would lead on. Pierre meets Nicole aboard his next day flight back to Paris where she gives him a matchbook with her phone number written across the top. We see Pierre stuff it into his pocket, and provides brilliant tension throughout the next third of the film as we wonder if, or when, Franca will discover the note. Pierre soon calls Nicole and the two begin seeing each other near the airport at night whenever Nicole flies in. From my recollection, it seems as though, at this moment, Truffaut shot Nicole much softer, allowing her full beauty to flourish and making us understand Pierre’s obsession. Pierre gets invited to present a screening in Reims of a documentary about the famous French author André Gide (not a real documentary, but a real person). He invites Nicole, but when he’s bombarded with fellow intectuals and fans, Pierre knows he can’t be seen with her; dropping her off at the room and telling her to buy some tickets from the theater as he doesn’t have any extras. He attends the screening, and having just happened to have watched Saboteur (1942) just before this, bears a striking resemblance to Hitchcock’s movie theater scene at Radio City Music Hall. Pierre gives a speech, hoping to then dip out and join with Nicole, but gets stopped by an obnoxious colleague who demands they get a drink. Intercut is a restless Nicole who soon tires of the wait, heads out, where she then finds Pierre in the bar. They catch eyes, and while the friend speaks, we - through Pierre’s POV - watch as Nicole then approaches other men on the street, making Pierre crazed with jealousy. He excuses himself and leaves, saying that he wants to go back home to Paris. The colleague agrees, requesting a ride, leaving Pierre only seconds to go visit Nicole, where he apologizes before the two drive off, leaving the colleague all alone. The pair spend the night and the next day Pierre calls Franca who announces her suspicions (though never having found the match book). Nicole and Pierre take pictures of each other, wandering around in the idyllic woods. Pierre then returns home the next day and so begins one of the all time great Cheating-Spouse-Confrontation scenes I can recall; as the two struggle between retaining what they’ve developed, and what they love. It’s during this scene that we see a photograph in the foreground of a shot; of Nicole and Pierre holding a pair of hunting rifles. Pierre leaves and sleeps at his office. The next day, Franca calls him and says she’s getting a divorce. Pierre calls Nicole who says she can’t see him as her father’s visiting. When Pierre heads over regardless, he finds another middle-aged man walking down the steps. He returns home and Franca and him have another epic fight as Franca doesn’t want to let Pierre go, knowing that she needs to, and Pierre doesn’t want to risk losing his family, should Nicole fail to work out. The two end up making love one last time. After which, in a devastating moment, Pierre prepares to leave, Franca asks if he’s coming back and Pierre says it could never work out; as though he wanted to test her sexuality one last time before making his final decision. Franca spirals into a depression, while Pierre attempts to start his life with Nicole. As with any film of the sort (Crimes and Misdemeanors (1989) first comes to mind), Pierre notices Nicole’s first flaw as she talks loud in the restaurant, offending Nicole once again. They return to her apartment and she ends things; as we learn that Pierre is likely far from the first and soon to be the last man Nicole wants to explore, and we see that her life of travel is far more about adventure than settling down. After Franca finds some photos from their time together in Reims, she heads home, enters a closet, and grabs the hunting rifle and finds Pierre in a cafe where she shoots him dead. It was while watching the Criterion Special Features (provided on a stunning BluRay print), that I noticed a peculiar documentary about Truffaut’s interview with Hitchcock for his book Truffaut/Hitchcock. It’s a thirty minute behind the scenes documentary portraying the way the interview came about, what was discussed, and Truffaut’s passion for Hitchcock. It was either in this or in the video essay that The Soft Skin was compared to Hitchcock. It didn’t go into many of the details, but it was while writing this that I grasped the comparison and how masterful this story is. Rather than focusing on the wrongfully accused or confused identity plot, it was applying suspense to a story of infidelity; capturing the thrill of lust and secrecy and demonstrating the terrifying consequences of its pursuit. It’s very much a moral tale, of choosing the darker path in the quest for greater pleasure.* The note, the photographs of Nicole and Pierre, the photo of Franca and Pierre, the friend who disrupts Pierre’s plan to ditch the conference, to the matchbook that contains the number. All of these elements add up to provide tension to the story. For some reason I never added them up to the consequence, and yet it’s the perfect ending; making you want to revisit the film and look for all the subtle details which foreshadow its conclusion. It’s not Truffaut’s attempt to take all he learned from Hitchcock and merge it with his own style. It’s one of his best films. BELOW: Not much on YouTube so here's the trailer Like what you read? Support the site on Patreon Please report any spelling, grammar, or factual errors or corrections on the contact page  In Wilder's case - go anamorphic for comedy Director: Billy Wilder Writer: I. A. L. Diamond and Billy Wilder Cinematographer: Daniel L. Fapp Producer: Billy Wilder by Jon Cvack I somehow once started this film awhile back, though for whatever reason I never finished it. I’m not entirely sure why that was. I recalled the oddity in having the film integrate the actual Coca-Cola brand in such a politically charged satire, and that it was the perfect type of role for James Cagney. As I round Billy Wilder’s filmography, I’m left in awe of the range the man had - up there with Kubrick and Spielberg in exploring close to the full genre spectrum, with Wilder returning most to comedy the way that Spielberg did with action-adventure. One, Two, Three is about a Coca-Cola executive C.R. "Mac" MacNamara (James Cagney), hungry to become the head of the Western European division, though currently serving in West Berlin, hundreds of feet away from the divide. Mac’s assisted by Schlemmer (Hanns Lothar), who can’t seem to shake snapping his boots together like his former Nazi self after every single delegation, and his gorgeous secretary/paramour Fräulein Ingeborg (Liselotte Pulver) who’s character and purpose provides some of the film’s most cringey moments. This all goes on while Mac’s wife Phyllis (Arlene Francis) cares for the two children, hoping that Mac could take a transfer back to Atlanta, even if it means giving up his climb up the ladder. Feeling a promotion is around the corner, Mac’s boss W.P. Hazeltine (Howard St. John) calls to let Mac know that his 17 year old daughter Scarlett (Pamela Tiffin) is coming to town and will need a bit of supervision. Mac reluctantly agrees, greets her at the airport, and more or less forgets about the task as he tries to close a deal with some Russian officials, knowing how much business a deal with the Soviet Union could bring in. Mac’s negligence soon leads Scarlett to go missing for two weeks, returning married to a dreamy firebrand socialist Otto Ludwig Piffl (Horst Buchholz) who’s in love with Scarlett as much as overthrowing capitalism and scolding Mac’s ethics. The couple is now determined to return to Moscow and start a family. Sure enough, H.P. then calls to reveal that he’s coming to town the next day to visit Scarlett and check on business. Thus begins a comedy of errors as Mac attempts to preserve the deal with Russia while getting them to hand over Otto, who Mac then tries to turn into a capitalist in rushed time, making him over and providing him with an executive position; all while Mac’s wife decides to take the kids and return back to the states. This was the third film Wilder made after Some Like It Hot (1959) and his second after The Apartment (1960). It’s a good film, but what feels like a story that’s going to ascend into some grand political thrilling comedy, levels out with fierce, though entertaining, banter between the socialist and capitalist. In a couple of behind the scene videos extras included on the disc, Wilder mentioned how he never wanted to make anything overtly political throughout his career. I’m not positive whether he thought this film was exempt from that philosophy, but even if it was one could argue it’s simply an outsider’s look at politics, rather than promoting any particular point of view. Throughout the film, the socialist seems just as selfish and narrow minded as the capitalist. Even the ending, in which we see Mac successfully pull off the gag of Otto’s descent from royalty and that Otto learns to love the fruits and power of wealth, Wilder goes one step further, having H.P. offer Otto the Head of Western Division Header Quarters; leaving Mac nothing more to do than return to his wife and kids, which seems like a healthy thing to do, but then you’re wondering if Otto wasn’t provided the position, whether Mac would’ve just as easily let them go back to Georgia. Such is the genius of Billy Wilder. Looking through his filmography, it’s astonishing how much range he had. It makes little sense to me how Frank Capra and John Ford hold such distinction in American cinema’s history. Billy Wilder is amongst the greatest in world cinema from the period - joining the ranks of Ozu, Kurosawa, Bergman, and Fellini - and arguably one of the top ten greatest filmmakers in all of cinematic history (a list I’ll have to actually make). One, Two, Three begins a slow fade out as Wilder never returned to his peak of cinematic prowess. Or in other words, instead of making timeless perfect films he goes on to make just some very good movies. One, Two, Three’s worth it for the performances and photography, which creates ultra wide images for an otherwise simple setting; demonstrating Wilder’s leverage when today’s world would never call for such extravagant design. There isn’t a particular morality to the story, and while I want to say it’s cynical, it plays more like warning against taking oneself too seriously. We’ve satirized our politicians in every way possible over the last few decades - from the idealism of "The West Wing" to the farce of "Veep" - but it’s long past due to take a look at the firebrands who elect the candidates and how silly some ideas can be. BELOW: Meeting some commies Like what you read? Support the site on Patreon Please report any spelling, grammar, or factual errors or corrections on the contact page  Tragically underrated Director: Satyajit Ray Writer: Satyajit Ray Cinematographer: Subrata Mitra Producer: R. D. Banshal and Sharankumari Bansal by Jon Cvack Every time I arrive at a Satyajit Ray film, I’m expecting it to provide that traditional art house experience in which you find yourself saying it’s good, but will probably never watch it again and then it finishes and I’m blown away by the picture. Similar to Ramin Bahrani, the plots often sound so simple, in this case a movie star on a long train ride interviews an attractive journalist, recounting his rise to fame while surrounded by a unique and thrilling supporting cast, including a slimy Bollywood producer; a frail young girl with tuberculosis who shares the train compartment with the movie star; and the journalist’s colleagues who’re hungry for the juicy details. The first films that come to mind is 8 ½ (1963) and Stardust Memories (1980); both which examine the artist’s personal struggle with success. The further along I get in my career, the more I’m in awe that anyone my age could achieve vast success with storytelling as it remains such an elusive and seeming impossible feat, leaving me to wonder how success would affect my ego; whether I’d further isolate myself, forever fearful of the impostor syndrome, or attempt to navigate the upper echelons in order to see how much further the career could go. Actors have an additional complication in that the very nature of their pursuit is a desire for the audience and their praise and/or the unwavering desire to imagine and play (perhaps similar to writers). Screen star Arindam Mukherjee (Uttam Kumar) is invited to Delhi to accept a prestigious award for his achievements in acting, but with all flights booked, he is forced to take the train. There he meets a young and attractive journalist Aditi Sengupta (Sharmila Tagore) who conjoles him into an interview where Arindam opens up about his rise, insecurity, and personal corruption. Arindom’s career began by ignoring his mentor’s caution against entering into film acting in which the performer is forced to abandon the very connection they form with the audience. The theater allows the performer to embody the role rather than shooting it in fragments. Arindom arrives on his first to big film set to find his idol and one of Bollywood’s finest actors excoriate his performance in front of the entire cast and crew; castigating him for delivering the lines improperly and forcing Arindom to question his decision to enter film. Soon the Bollywood star’s career dries up and he becomes an alcoholic, leaving him broke, alone, and depressed. Meanwhile, Arindom has increasingly turned to drugs, alcohol, and women as the fame increasingly smothers him. Throughout the few days' train ride, he has nightmares, including one dream with an incredible set piece in which Arindom wanders around giant hills of cash money, soon chased by hands that reach up to grab him. Throughout the story, Ray provides us with one of the more memorable insights into fame and its corrupting potential. If one is alone on the way up, there are few to turn to and trust; everyone has a project or need, the pressure mounts, the temptation to take uninspired, well paid roles expands, and soon the fulfillment that art provided evaporates; in which the performer serves as nothing more than product. Nayak is another film that demonstrates the inherent bigotry of western cinema and its history. Recently, I read Edward Said’s The Question of Palestine (1979), where Said discusses the long history of how westerners regard all things eastern - whether culture, politics, or religion - as inferior; creating a blatantly racist outlook, or at best, an indifference or apathy. Compared to his predominantly white peers, aside from the Apu trilogy, Satyajit Ray’s work has received little attention; reserved for the most obscure of cinephile lists. I was particularly to have never heard of this film, given how many “movies about movies” I’ve come across. It’s a story up there with the best of them in providing an honest portrait about the industry; not speaking in esoteric terms, but allowing the viewer to observe the performance from either side, whether as Arindom’s and the bitterness he’s developed or the curiosity of an outsider like Aditi. Somehow avoiding sentimentality, we believe that Arindom could’ve been happier with more modest life with Aditi, and he gets off the train; in a brilliant shot, as the fans gather at the stop, pounding on the glass while Arindom continues their conversation, to later get off, back into a world completely devoid of anonymity, surrounded by people who want little beyond a chance to say they met or talked to someone famous; no matter whether it was him or his old washed up colleague from yesteryear. BELOW: A fantastic dream sequence Like what you read? Support the site on Patreon Please report any spelling, grammar, or factual errors or corrections on the contact page  Not sure what really happened, but it sure was fun to look at Director: Akira Kurosawa Writer: Hideo Oguni, Eijirō Hisaita, Akira Kurosawa, Ryūzō Kikushima, and Shinobu Hashimoto Cinematographer: Yuzuru Aizawa Producer: Akira Kurosawa and Tomoyuki Tanaka by Jon Cvack This is one of the few times I’ve watched a movie twice in a row in order to grasp its details. I was on a week of early call time production, putting this on at 5am when my mind just couldn’t possibly follow the details. Watching it again, I was less than certain of how the puzzle all fit together. Due to work, it then took me about two weeks to get to writing about this so I’ll be leaning on Wikipedia more than a bit. The story is a corporate espionage thriller, opening at a Godfather style wedding; in which mega corporation Public Corpo’s* Vice President Iwabuchi’s (Masayuki Mori) crippled and average daughter Yoshiki (Kyōko Kagawa) is getting married to the President’s handsome secretary Kōichi Nishi(Toshiro Mifune). Recently, one of their co-workers Assistant Chief Furuya had allegedly committed suicide by jumping out the top floor window; that, or maybe he was pushed. Either way, given the recent tragedy, it doesn’t seem exactly aboveboard. The most memorable part of these scenes are the News Reporters who follow the action while narrating what’s going on. It reminds of Shakespeare without any specific play in mind; making me think it was Kurosawa simply taking influence and creating his own way of immersing us within the story. I thought of how else the situation could be explained without long draining conversations that talked in circles in order to convey details; that or a title card that simply threw us in. I struggle to think of another film that has done something this interesting; in which we follow a band of characters as they narrate the set up to the film. The wedding ends when a mysterious cake in the shape of the building and the man who fell rolls out. Speeches are given by both various men; with Yoshiki’s brother declaring that if Nishi’s intentions are anything short of honorable he’s going to kill him. The News Men provide just enough humor to prevent the situation from becoming too heavy. The police then arrive and arrest a middle management corporate assistant officer Wada (Kamatari Fujiwara) for bribery; learning that word of the suicide put to rest rumors about the company’s finances. Why did Chief Furuya kill himself, or was he murdered? I’m still unclear, though I know it’s in there. Days after the wedding the police talk to one of the accountants at Public Corp name Miuna who’s so spooked out by the consequences that he throws himself in front of a car. Wada then heads to a Volcano in order to end his own life; shot in a dystopic scene where smoke billows from jagged crevices. In the wonderful series included on most Criterion Kurosawa films “Isn’t it Wonderful to Create!” - which is essentially a fifty minute documentary on the making of most of his major films - they mention how Kurosawa demanded they add as much smoke as possible; even though there was already actual volcano smoke rising up; going through hundreds of barrels of smoke in order to enhance the effect. He’s stopped by Nishi (the recent groom), who demands Wada stay alive in order to gain revenge on the company; learning that while the men like Minua and Furuyua killed themselves out of their own volition, it was also due to feeling unwavering commitment to the company’s welfare. They were loyal bureaucrats who had lost all sense of self; serving entirely for the company that views them as dispensable. Nishi then turns to the contract officer Shirai (Ko Nishimura), setting him up to look like a thief to both Iwabuchi and Moriyama. Later Shirai reveals that he was the illegitimate son of Furuya and is determined to avenge his father’s death. Intimidated by Nishi and his besmirching antics, Shirai slowly unwinds before going completely insane. Moriyama soon suspects that someone connected to Furuyua is operating behind the scenes to manipulate Shira and others; telling Iwabuchi (again, the brother of the recent bride Yoshiki) that he’s going to avenge his sister’s honor, attempting to kill Nishi. As the double dealing and manipulation spiral out of control, I quickly got lost in the web; partially due to Kurosawa’s gorgeous framing techniques. One scene involves Nishi and Shirai in the car, utilizing what Kurosawa described as Deep Focus to maintain all of the elements of the frame. What’s odd is that to achieve such a thing typically requires a wide lens that make the subjects in the foreground smaller and yet someone the shot looks like a medium and yet it preserves the focus; making me think Kurosawa moved the subjects closer to the car and place the camera as closely as possible to the subjects. Added was that it was supposed to be raining and, again, the art director had to explain that he couldn’t achieve Kurosawa’s vision; never an easy conversation to have as I’ve heard in most of these docs. If I remember correctly, it actually was a lighting problem, as they couldn’t get enough light to get the outside subjects in focus; which then exceeds my understanding of photography. Reading the remaining synopsis, I realize I’d be left simply reciting the Wikipedia page, as the plot grows so complex that I’m more in awe of how the script was written. Essentially, Nishi soon mentioned in the documentary was the team of a half dozen or so writers who would essentially divide up the labor; often butting heads with Kurosawa who demanded the story go in a different direction. As a result, the complexity diminishes the story, as it’s so confusing that you essentially have to avoid being in awe of Kurosawa’s gorgeous imagery and the cast’s phenomenal performances all distracted me from properly following the narrative; even after a back to back viewing. It’s this exact style that embodies the world it’s portraying. The film was based on some big business corruption taking place in Japan around the same time; something I imagine wouldn’t make national headlines in our own country. The story explores the dangers of committing loyalty to causes that reciprocates nothing. As of writing this, Trump’s former senior campaign chairman Paul Manafort has agreed to “fully cooperate” with the Mueller investigation. His connections include being present at the Trump tower meeting; changing the official RNC platform against arming Ukraine with weapons to fight against Russia; and connections to both the Russian oligarchy, intelligence officers, and potentially mafia members. Listening to Meet the Press on the way up to a drop off, one of the guests mentions that Trump’s biggest downfall could very well be his demand of full loyalty from those closest to him while providing none in return. The idea is Shakespearean in nature; an idea I’m sure would fascinate Kurosawa; demonstrating that powerful people being fully corrupted knows no particular age or time. It will remain with humanity forever. The Bad Sleep Well explores a similar idea; in which company bureaucrats devote themselves entirely to a cause, going so far as to die for it, when the business views them as nothing more than replaceables cogs. The nebulous titles indicate such - administrative officer, contract officer, accountant; titles that aren’t just meaningless in name but sound absolutely banal; as though the only meaning these individuals received in life was to commit themselves to a cause. Each documentary on the Criterion discs open with Kurosawa signing a photo at the bottom, writing, “Isn’t it fun to create!” As demanding as he might have been, everyone interviewed appears to fully comprehend that the art they created is some of the best in cinematic history; respecting and honoring the man who pushed them to best of their abilities.The saddest part about The Bad Sleep Well is that none of the characters appear to feel anywhere close to that sense of accomplishment or creation. *For some reason Wikipedia has this as Unexploited Land Development Corporation; while Criterion had it translated as Public Corp. I prefer the latter, but I wonder where the Wikipedia person heard the phrase BELOW: You don't realize how awesome this scene is until you're in a movie theater with hundreds of others Like what you read? Support the site on Patreon Please report any spelling, grammar, or factual errors or corrections on the contact page  Surrealism done right Director: John Frankenheimer Writer: Lewis John Carlino; based on the book Seconds by David Ely Cinematographer: James Wong Howe Producer: Edward Lewis by Jon Cvack I’ve had this movie in my queue for at least six years now; one of those films that sounded fascinating but would always get bumped down, until suddenly it was next in line and nothing was deserving enough to replace it. The film is a black and white art house sci-fi film made by John Frankenheimer; who while providing a barrage of fantastic movie (the suspense thriller The Manchurian Candidate (1962), one of the best WWII epic action adventures The Train (1964), and 1998’s Ronin with Robert de Niro) but never ventured quite so close into the art house. Most comparable to The Game (1997), the story involves Arthur Hamilton (John Randolph) who’s banal life comes to a crossroads when he’s contacted by a strange organization called “The Company” which promises to decrease his age by half and make him into an attractive and successful artist. Arthur agrees, abandoning his wife and all the life they created in order to start anew. It provides the most heartbreaking scene of the film as his wife and Arthur sit in their bedroom after Arthur gets home from work. They sit in separate beds, not speaking, with cinematographer James Wong Howe using a fish eye wide positioned at the top of the room, making the relationship feel all the more empty. The awkwardness enhanced when the wife tries to seduce Arthur who no longer finds her attractive. The story opens with the operation, in which Frankenheimer films an actual nasal plastic surgery. We watch strings and needles enter into and out of a person’s nose as they get sewn up; allegedly so grotesque that some of the audience at Cannes walked out. Later Arthur goes in for his operation, meeting the mayor from Jaws (1975), Charlie (Murray Hamilton), who guides Arthur through an incredible surrealistic* scene as he undergoes the transformation; resurrecting as painter Antiochus “Tony” Wilson (Rock Hudson) whose house is on the Malibu coast where an Old Man (Will Geer) operates as both butler and his liaison to The Company. Tony has all the skills of a successful painter, along with the wealth and charm to host large parties and attract beautiful women. He meets the mysterious Nora Marcus (Salome Jens) on the beach who takes him up to a hippie commune up in Santa Barbara where the members mash grapes and have sex. Later at a party, Antiochus drinks too much and embarrasses himself, fighting with his guests and Nora. He requests that the Old Man demand The Company return him to his prior life. He again meets Charlie who tells him he too is being reborn once again, however, instead of Tony being reborn, he’s killed in order to provide another empty shell for Charlie. Middle Class Angst Films were some of the most effective in piquing my initial interest in film. Movies like American Beauty (1999), The Chumscrubber (2005), The Ice Storm (1997), In the Bedroom (2001), SubUrbia (1996), and others are some of the earliest moments I recall of connecting art to my own experiences. There’s a strange bell curve in that you initially feel alienated in your home town, which then becomes part of the mainstream fringe, as its the same feeling that brought everyone out here - the way Hot Topic caters to this alienated fringe while being part of the mainstream consumer culture. The process then weeds people out, as some grow out of the feeling, others fail to escape, and few make the move to do something about it. I recall the foolish pride I had in telling people I was studying film when in college; as so many others were doing such boring things. Nearly a decade later, I’m left thinking of a quote I read in Movie Maker in that you better love film with all of your heart to have any success, because it’s that passion which drives the competition. I love it with all my heart and am miles from where I hope to be at the time of writing this; feeling the gradual progress, literally what feels like a nail’s rate of growth. But it is advancing. To think of how easy it would have been for me to stay back and pursue Construction Management (a random major I selected after discovering my mind was incompatible with the math/science rigors of engineering); have a great house, maybe live in the city, have an interesting and pretty wife (these adjectives are deliberately generic), and perhaps, by now, a child. Given that I’m not perfectly content now, I often wonder if - discontent being omniscient - whether it might have been worth the annoying struggle. When I go home, it’s seeing the forest for the trees. Which means the discontent is therefore inevitable and it’s better to at least be making inch by inch strides toward what you hope to achieve. Tony wanted it all without the effort and heart; that is, the idea of what provides a meaningful life rather than locating that meaning himself. On The Ezra Klein Show's "Is Modern Society Making Us Depressed?" - Ezra debated with a psychologist Johann Hari who believes that it’s the market driven system itself that makes people depressed; as there are few indications that it’s entirely or a dominantly chemical imbalance.The man gave the example of the ubiquitous problem of everyone believing that buying more stuff provides happiness, giving the example of a man who hated his job, but wanted a new garage so bad that he put off switching careers for another few years to save up. The extreme example is being so overridden with car payments, mortgages, children, and all the other expenses that escapes becomes next to impossible. Ezra had a different perspective - wondering if it’s within our genetics to always want more than we can have, and that this desire drives us toward progress. While I side more with the guest, it does make me wonder - is it culture and social media specifically, in which everyone is sharing the best version of their lives making the viewer feel inadequate; that’s driving record levels of depression, anxiety, and suicide; growing inequality and job insecurity, or is it simply genetic? I’m sure it’s a combination of all three. Arthur/Tony deals with the perpetual dissatisfaction; gaining first hand experience in the grass always being greener. Look up Antiochus on Wikipedia, I see the name means “God Manifest”, stemming from Antiochus IV Epiphanes who was a Greek King around 175 B.C.; gaining the nickname “The Mad One” for his weird behavior. I’m not a big fan of dissecting names and trying to learn what it means, but this one’s peculiar enough, and clear enough to understand. Arthur’s life in many ways mirrored a king, dominating the marketplace and creating a good life; willing to abandon it all in order to buy himself an alternative and allegedly more satisfying life. Ultimately, it’s the same money that kills him; in that I can only surmise that Charlie was so envious of Tony, that he was willing to buy the boy at the cost of a man’s life. That’s how much these individuals are determined to transform their lives. To think they have enough money for anything they want, they then decide to spend it on destroying the life that allowed them to make such a purchase. That’s the great madness; something we all might face, if we all could achieve our dreams or have endless time to do so. *For anyone wondering about other thoughts on surrealism, when done well - like in this film or The Sopranos - it can offer incredible sequences. BELOW: The infamous opening that caused walk outs at the 1966 Cannes Film Festival Like what you read? Support the site on Patreon Please report any spelling, grammar, or factual errors or corrections on the contact page  Proving Jean-Pierre Léaud didn't always look like an asshole Director: François Truffaut Writer: François Truffaut Cinematographer: Raoul Coutard Producer: Pierre Roustang by Jon Cvack This rounds out the Antoine Doinel series for me. Here’s the ranking:
Antoine and Colette is a thirty minute short film, shot three years after The 400 Blows. For those who don’t remember (as I didn’t), The 400 Blows finishes with a freeze frame of Antoine on the beach after having escaped the boys home where his parents left him. In Antoine and Colette, he’s back on the Paris streets, now working at record store and living on his own. At a concert, he sets eyes on a student Colette (Marie-France Pisier) and falls in love, attempting to court her. When she invites Antoine back home to her parent’s house, Antoine discovers a loving family who accept him as though a second child much to Colette’s disagreement who was hoping for a more rebellious dynamic and preventing the relationship from going any further. Antoine refuses to give up, going so far as to move across the street, which pleases the parents, but further alienates Colette. In the end, her parents invite Antoine over once again for dinner and television. As dinner wraps, Antoine’s friend arrives to take Colette out (he also appeared in The 400 Blows; who helped coordinate the typewriter theft). Contrary to the three sequels following, Antoine and Colette maintains the gritty realism with just a dollop of quirkiness which defined the first film. The series would go on to flip the formula, playing as Wes Anderson-lite for Bed and Board, Stolen Kisses, culminating in a clip show for Love on the Run (though exploring some interesting ideas about memory). Rooted in reality, Antoine and Colette captures early infatuations, in which there’s no basis for love beyond the physical; not that anyone’s ever aware until long after it’s past. Additionally, counter to the other four films of the series Antoine is actually a pretty decent person in this film, as though the calm before the storm before he’d go on to develop his complete selfish desire. I’m not a big fan of short films, as they often either play far too slow, or rely far too heavily a twist (either superficial or moral), but this film is one of the better ones. It offers a slice of life; giving us a taste of authentic 1960s Parisian streets; providing what any great film captures in documenting a specific place at a specific time. It’s the perfect length; explored in ways memories pass; serving as nothing more than fragments which race by. I think I’d consider a film like this a feature; containing all the heart of a similar story three times its length. BELOW: A new wave cringe Like what you read? Support the site on Patreon Please report any spelling, grammar, or factual errors or corrections on the contact page  Director: Ken Annakin Writer: Bernard Gordon, John Melson, Milton Sperling, and Philip Yordan Cinematographer: Jack Hildyard Producer: Sidney Harmon, Milton Sperling, Philip Yordan, and Dino De Laurentiis by Jon Cvack Similar to good popular 90s films, I’ve coming to the bottom of the bucket in terms of the Epic World War 2 action films produced from the 50s through the 70s. A Bridge Too Far (1945), The Longest Day (1962), Van Ryan’s Express (1965), The Guns of Navarone (1961), and Kelly’s Heroes (1970) all utilized grand set pieces, with countless numbers of tanks, planes, and soldiers packed into every scene. Where Eagles Dare (1968) was the last one I watched, and while not perfect, the closing sequence is one of the most incredible action scenes ever created. It’s watching these films that you realize how inferior modern VFX are by comparison, and why a film like Dunkirk (2017) is a far more powerful cinematic experience than cramming each action sequence in with as much computer graphics as possible. Battle of the Bulge is directed by the same Ken Annakin who gave us The Longest Day; with this one in color (I was expecting black and white) and one of the few films from the sub-genre I’ve seen on Blu-Ray. Not knowing a thing about the film (beyond the obvious), an Overture kicks off and the credits begin to roll. In grand cinemascope, flying above the skies of the Ardennes Forest, we meet Lt. Colonel Daniel Kiley (Henry Fonda) and his pilot on a reconnaissance mission, eventually flying overhead of who would become Kiley’s primary villain, Nazi Colonel Martin Hessler (Robert Shaw). At the time, Allied forces had assumed the worst was behind them, and that Nazi Germany would fall in a matter of months. Kiley is convinced otherwise; believing that a massive force was hiding in the Ardennes; the place where Hessler is headed. There he meets his superior, General Kohler (Werner Peters), who walks him through an incredible series of corridors and rooms, showing everything from a mini-cooper sized Panzer tank model, to a war room with an ornate switchboard, helping them to coordinate their every move while walking us through the story. One of the best description for movies such as Volcano (1997), Twister (1996), 2012 (2009), San Andreas (2015), etc. is Disaster Porn. While I’ll stick to Epic World War 2 Action Movies, you could easily call this War Porn, as the film glorifies all manner of machines, vehicles, and guns. As a kid, this is the type of action film that’d make me jump from my seat, grab my toy weapons cache, and go play war in the backyard for a couple hours until I tired myself out and needed another dose of inspiration. Kiley admonishes his superiors officers of the suspected attack, including an old friend Gen. Grey (Robert Ryan) who while wanting to believe him, just can’t take the risk rolling out such a significant number of troops in preparation. Kiley remains committed, heading to the Siegfried Line front where he meets a battle hardened crew watching the Germans not more than a quarter mile away, led by Major Wolenski (Charles Bronson). Back in the German barracks, Hessler is put in command of a Panzer division; however, with Germany having taken on such large casualties, he’s left with only young boys fresh from the academy with little to no battle experience, determined to demonstrate their courage. Kiley then takes another reconnaissance flight, flying beneath the fog to discover the Panzer division which then shoots Kiley and his pilot down, though before he forwards the message. To complicate matters, German Command has sent in American-sounding GI’s to help sabotage the response. The tanks open at the Schnee Eifel, obliterating American forces, and forcing them into retreat. So begins the battle that defines any Epic World War 2 film in which hundreds of war machines and soldiers fight for the remaining hour, culminating in one of the most impressive final sequences I’ve seen from the genre (and any action film overall) in which dozens upon dozens of full scale tanks battle across the fields; duking it out across acres and acres of land, using trenches to gain advantage. Soon it ends up at a fuel station where hundreds and hundreds of 50-gallon drums of gas are stacked high in all directions, which you know is going to be the end Hessler. Once again you’re left desiring a return to this type of filmmaking, in which what you’re seeing - from the characters to the machinery - is entirely real. The closing sequence was so awesome in the truest sense of the word that you grow saddened by the thought that the thought that the visual arts have actually devolved. The Battle of the Bulge is not the best from the subgenre, but like Where Eagles Dare, the action and characters more than make up for it. Robert Shaw, Peter Fonda, and Charles Bronson are all fantastic; with Shaw serving as the star of the show, as even though Jaws is my favorite movie of all time, I neither knew he was English or ever played a German Nazi. While there’s not as much snow as you expect, it’s a fun film. BELOW: Robert Shaw plays one heck of a Nazi Like what you read? Support the site on Patreon Please report any spelling, grammar, or factual errors or corrections on the contact page |
Categories
All
© Jonathan Cvack and Yellow Barrel, 2015 - 2020. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this site’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Jon Cvack and Yellow Barrel with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.
|
RSS Feed