Films Worth Viewing

[zymurg]

"The Bitter Tea of General Yen"-Frank Capra-1933

I just watched this film again for this commentary. I had pulled it about a month ago, but I chose to discuss quite a few other films first. I saw this film first on TCM at least a decade ago. This film defies expectations in a number of ways. While setting the film in China can't be considered typical, it should be noted that "The Good Earth' was a huge success in this period. Dietrich made a memorable film set in China, and even American capitalism had a moment with "Oil for the Lamps of China." The opening scene shows a full scale riot in Shanghai. Meanwhile inside the cantonment area we see the preparations for a wedding. A young American woman coming directly from the states is going to marry an American missionary doctor. The guests are seemingly unconcerned with the events in the city.

Megan Davis (Barbara Stanwyck) is coming by rickshaw from the railroad station to her wedding. The rickshaw is hit and the driver killed by a limo . Davis tries to aid the rickshaw man to no avail; she is angry that no one is interested in trying to help, She approaches the limo and accosts the principal passenger. He is a well dressed Chinese (Nils Asther). They have a short combative exchange. Megan is picked up by another rickshaw and taken to the wedding site.

Asther was a Danish born Swedish actor who had moderate success in Hollywood after working in Europe with some top directors. He played his part in "yellow face" quite common in Hollywood. Think Fu Manchu and Charlie Chan in addition to such films as "The Good Earth." This is a stunningly good performance; General Yen is a great screen character, multi faceted, serious, humorous, threatening, considerate, callous, and most of all human.

The wedding is postponed when Doctor Bob arrives he says he must leave for Chingu to rescue children from an imperiled orphanage. He needs to get a safe conduct pass from a Chinese general to protect the
children. He has learned that General Yen has secretly come to Shanghai. Yen shows his disdain for missionaries when he cruelly writes a mocking note instead of a safe conduct. Bob Strike couldn't write or read Chinese. Megan insists on accompanying Dr. Bob on the rescue mission. There are only six children and a mission official to take back to Shanghai. While they are readying the children, the car is stolen. They elect to leave the mission and to try and reach the railway station first on foot and then by rickshaw. This doesn't work out well, Megan is knocked out and separated from the group. She ends up in the summer palace of General Yin.

to be continued

 

[zymurg]

What makes this film extraordinary is its depiction of pretty overt racism by even some of missionaries. It is not clear that all the wedding guests are missionaries. The wedding is taking place in the cantonment (a European only area in the city). Typically social events drew from a diverse population in the cantonment. If you were a European in business, diplomacy, or missionary work you met socially on a regular basis. The bond was skin color even more than nationality or profession. The conversations we are directed to by the script show the negative attitudes, but clearly they don't encompass all the Europeans. Doctor Bob and Megan for example show by their actions that they regard Chinese as humans. Jones, General Yen's financial adviser, has a line:"How's the missionary racket?" He believes that everyone has an angle. Self interest and money are everything. General Yen is deeply suspicious of missionaries; he regards them as hypocrites. Wanting to help and even helping, doesn't remove the possibility of believing in the inferiority of other races or cultures. Think of Kipling's "White Man's Burden." It is the duty of the superior whites to help the downtrodden other races.
It is better than "Human life is cheap," but it doesn't clear the racism barrier.

In the reveletory dream sequence Megan is pursued by a Fu Manchu racial stereotype only to be rescued by a masked man. When the mask is removed, General Yen is revealed. This film was made before the Hays Office. When Colombia tried to re-issue it in 1950 it was denied a license. The implication of even the possibility of love between the races was considered immoral. Historians and film analysts report that this film was Capra's bid for an Oscar. The studio reportedly spent $200,000 on Chinese artifacts to decorate the set. The film was booked to open Radio City Music Hall as a major film venue. There are elements of German expressionism in the filming. The action sequences are particularly brutal for the era. The ending is certainly not happily ever after. It was a financial failure, and it received no major nominations for any film awards. The Chinese Embassy complained, and women's groups across the country advocated boycotts. This perplexes me, why would Capra and Colombia make this film the way they did? One other question I can't answer is why Anna Mae Wong wasn't cast as Mah-Li. She was actually the closest thing to an Oriental movie star in the world. This was a much better part than she usually had to take.

It isn't surprising that this film vanished from view for about 70 years. Recently it has been picked up by several free streaming services. I won't disclose the final third of the film; this is a must view. Given its era and the fact that it was shot in Colombia's back lot; this is wonderful film making. Mah-Li (Toshia Mori) and Mr. Jones (Walter Connolly) are excellent characterizations. The use of light for dramatic effect really works.
I know it's fiction, but the dialogue is credible. Moral questions are raised and not given easy answers. Stanwyck was a Capra favorite, reportedly they had an affair. The Megan Davis role is extraordinarily tough.
She has to show a variety of emotions, confront her own prejudices and values, and engage in a forbidden love affair. It is never consummated, but there can be no doubt that Yen and Davis love each other consequences be damned. Still the best performance in the film is by Nils Asther, he is great, he is mesmerizing. I hope I didn't oversell this film. I thought it was important to put it social and historical context, but the film can and does stand on its own .

 

[dbmill]

What makes this film extraordinary is its depiction of pretty overt racism by even some of missionaries. It is not clear that all the wedding guests are missionaries. The wedding is taking place in the cantonment (a European only area in the city). Typically social events drew from a diverse population in the cantonment. If you were a European in business, diplomacy, or missionary work you met socially on a regular basis. The bond was skin color even more than nationality or profession. The conversations we are directed to by the script show the negative attitudes, but clearly they don't encompass all the Europeans. Doctor Bob and Megan for example show by their actions that they regard Chinese as humans. Jones, General Yen's financial adviser, has a line:"How's the missionary racket?" He believes that everyone has an angle. Self interest and money are everything. General Yen is deeply suspicious of missionaries; he regards them as hypocrites. Wanting to help and even helping, doesn't remove the possibility of believing in the inferiority of other races or cultures. Think of Kipling's "White Man's Burden." It is the duty of the superior whites to help the downtrodden other races.
It is better than "Human life is cheap," but it doesn't clear the racism barrier.

In the reveletory dream sequence Megan is pursued by a Manchu racial stereotype only to be rescued by a masked man. When the mask is removed, General Yen is revealed. This film was made before the Hays Office. When Colombia tried to re-issue it in 1950 it was denied a license. The implication of even the possibility of love between the races was considered immoral. Historians and film analysts report that this film was Capra's bid for an Oscar. The studio reportedly spent $200,000 on Chinese artifacts to decorate the set. The film was booked to open Radio City Music Hall as a major film venue. There are elements of German expressionism in the filming. The action sequences are particularly brutal for the era. The ending is certainly not happily ever after. It was a financial failure, and it received no major nominations for any film awards. The Chinese Embassy complained, and women's groups across the country advocated boycotts. This perplexes me, why would Capra and Colombia make this film the way they did? One other question I can't answer is why Anna Mae Wong wasn't cast as Mah-Li. She was actually the closest thing to an Oriental movie star in the world. This was a much better part than she usually had to take.

It isn't surprising that this film vanished from view for about 70 years. Recently it has been picked up by several free streaming services. I won't disclose the final third of the film; this is a must view. Given its era and the fact that it was shot in Colombia's back lot; this is wonderful film making. Mah-Li (Toshia Mori) and Mr. Jones (Walter Connolly) are excellent characterizations. The use of light for dramatic effect really works.
I know it's fiction, but the dialogue is credible. Moral questions are raised and not given easy answers. Stanwyck was a Capra favorite, reportedly they had an affair. The Megan Davis role is extraordinarily tough.
She has to show a variety of emotions, confront her own prejudices and values, and engage in a forbidden love affair. It is never consummated, but there can be no doubt that Yen and Davis love each other consequences be damned. Still the best performance in the film is by Nils Asther, he is great, he is mesmerizing. I hope I didn't oversell this film. I thought it was important to put it social and historical context, but the film can and does stand on its own .

TCM shows "Bitter Tea" periodically, and I made a point of watching it recently for the first time, primarily because of the involvement of Frank Capra and Barbara Stanwyck. Capra became a superstar director not long after this when he made "It Happened One Night". A solidly directed film, and it is certainly watchable. Still, it is not a film that I plan on watching again and again like I do with many of my favorites.

 

[zymurg]

Somehow my commentary on "Bloody Sunday" vanished. I will redo it tomorrow. Next after "Bloody Sunday" is "Amelie."

 

[Mano]

Somehow my commentary on "Bloody Sunday" vanished. I will redo it tomorrow. Next after "Bloody Sunday" is "Amelie."

Ahem...

Great Bands From the '90s

Still discovering great bands from the 90's. I just started getting into Porcupine Tree. Their album Fear of a Blank Planet is a perfect blend of prog rock and heavy 90's guitar tones.

the-boneyard.com

 

[zymurg]

Thank you very much . If you are interested in my opinions about "Bloody Sunday;" please read the Great Bands from the 90's third page.

 

[zymurg]

"Amelie"-Jean-Pierre Jeunet-2001i

When I picked "Bloody Sunday"and "Amelie" I knew that it would be difficult to find two films which differ more in conception and treatment of reality. "Bloody Sunday" is an attempt to re-create the past as accurately as possible; "Amelie" is heightened reality. Jeunet began collecting stories in the mid seventies which he tried to get a handle on. He wanted to tie them together around a central organizing idea. He found that one of his stories: the life of a shy girl, was the ideal starting point. It became among other things the only use of a suicidal gold fish in films.

As a child Amelie had distant parents. Her mother was killed by a jumping Canadian tourist. Her doctor father misinterpreted her elevated heart rate during monthly examinations as a sign of a weak heart. She was kept out of school. Now in her mid twenties she has a job as a waitress at Cafe des 2 Moulins. She is still shy, but at least she has contact with some people. On the day Princess Di died, she drops the top of her perfume bottle. This leads to the discovery of a box which contains the treasures of a boy's childhood. She makes a promise to herself that she will find this man and return this box of memories. She hopes that this will change his life for the better.

Jeunet creates a special world for Amelie. It is the real Paris, but it is heightened reality. The colors are brighter and more vibrant, there is beguiling music in the background, the streets of Monmarte are always clean, there isn't a huge amount of traffic, and we have time to make discoveries. The cinematography (Bruno Delbonnel)
and the production design (Aline Benutto) gently but firmly place us in a slightly enhanced reality. We accept this and have an experience, or we don't and become frustrated. It is better if we don't ask a lot of questions; focus on Amelie Poulin as she attempts to connect. We meet marvelous characters, a painter with a disease which makes his bones brittle. He has painted the same Renoir masterpiece once a year every year for over 20 years. Then there is the young man with the strange hobby of reconstructing torn photos from a photo kisok in the Metro and creating albums. Another character is a failed writer who perhaps does have ideas and talent. Then we meet the customers and the staff of Amelie's workplace. There is the grocery store where she shops, the visits to her father, and the residents of her apartment all elements of Amelie's
world and if we observe this something happens. The viewer becomes involved; you have an experience. This is not a problem to be solved. Let your analytical faculties rest for two hours, and you will laugh and smile and have a very warm feeling. I want you all to have this experience.

Audrey Tautou is marvelous in the main role. Jeunet is a master craftsman in this movie. The extras on the DVD are really worth your time. We have talked about what each of us bring to a film. This is a great film for those who are open to its experience.

 

[zymurg]

"Grave of the Fireflies"-Isao Takahata-1988

This film's source is a short story of the same name published in 1967. Akyuki Nosaka had several feelers about making this semi autobiographical account into a film. He held back because he didn't believe that Japanese child actors could portray the characters, and he didn't see how the devastation in the landscape could be portrayed. The solution of making an animated feature was a novel one. I am not at all versed in anime, but from what I have seen anime doesn't present it characters realistically.

I want to set the background of the film. It is set in the closing days of WWII and the immediate aftermath. In 1945 the US began a saturation fire bombing campaign of both civilian and military targets in major Japanese cities. A fire bombing attack of Tokyo reportedly killed 100,000 people. Kobe was a major city, the 6th largest in Japan. There were several important factories in the city, they were bombed with conventional ordinance, but the city had two major firebombing attacks. The first on March 16-17 destroyed 21% of the wooden structures in the city. The second on June 15th was larger and covered about 30% of the city. The film doesn't
identify which of the fire bombing attacks drives our key characters from their homes. My best guess is that it was the March attack.

The film opens with the line: "September 21, 1945 that was the night I died." Seita is a 14 year old boy who lives with his Mother, and his 4 year old sister Setsuko. Their father is an officer in the Imperial Japanese Navy.
When the film opens we are in a train station (I believe); Seita is discovered dead by a janitor, another of the "sleepers" is also dead. When the body is searched, a metal box which contained fruit candy is discovered. The box is thrown away. It pops open and Setsuko's ashes come out. Her ghost emerges and meets Seita's ghost.

The scene is shifted to the firebombing. Seita is charged with hiding food in a hole in the ground and with taking his sister to the bomb shelter. Their mother who suffers from a heart condition will follow. Seita and Setsuko try to get to the shelter. Seita carries his sister on his back; fires are popping up everywhere. They never reach the shelter, but they eventually reach a local school where survivors are assembled. Seita's mother has been fatally burned; she dies in the school. Seita doesn't tell his little sister. They will go to an aunt's house in a neighboring town. Seita vows to nurture and protect his sister. Despite Seita's efforts to materially help the aunt, he brings a substantial quantity of food he had hidden and allows his mother's kimono's to be sold, she resents their presence and complains they do nothing to support the household. The situation continues to deteriorate Seita and Setsuko find a deserted shelter and make a new home.

The two children have some pleasant experiences, but when the fireflies they brought inside to give they light in the dark die overnight; Seita realizes how desperate their situation is as he watches Setsuko bury the fireflies. Food has become virtually impossible to find and/or buy. Seita steals and is caught, but he is released with no punishment. Setsuko is very malnourished, and a visit to the doctor provides no real help.
Seita goes to the bank and closes out his mother's account; he had previously drawn out over half to keep them going. He uses this money to buy food. He feeds some water melon to Setsuko; her last words were:"Seita, thank you. She never wakes up. Seita arranges to cremate her himself. He puts some of her ashes in the candy box. He never returns to the shelter/home. He believes that he has failed to protect and
save his sister. He loses his will to live. He dies a little over a month later.

"Grave of the Fireflies" was first exhibited as part of a double bill with "My Neighbor Totouro." Much of the audience exited before "Grave..." This is a difficult film to write about; it is moving, but there are reasons why it was declared the 6th most depressing film of all time. When you start with a ghost telling his life story; you have a very strong inference based on his condition at his death, that this is not going to be a happy hour and a half. The story is told realistically despite it being anime. This is an experience film; what inferences you draw and what intellectual constructs you make, will be your own. I was drawn to the history of the period and the story's genesis. I'm not sure if I rate this as truly great; many if not most of the top critics do find it an all time great. It's certainly at least on the border of great and near great. I'd be interested in your reactions.

I'm unsure about what's up next; I"m considering several options.

 

[dbmill]

"Amelie"-Jean-Pierre Jeunet-2001i

When I picked "Bloody Sunday"and "Amelie" I knew that it would be difficult to find two films which differ more in conception and treatment of reality. "Bloody Sunday" is an attempt to re-create the past as accurately as possible; "Amelie" is heightened reality. Jeunet began collecting stories in the mid seventies which he tried to get a handle on. He wanted to tie them together around a central organizing idea. He found that one of his stories: the life of a shy girl, was the ideal starting point. It became among other things the only use of a suicidal gold fish in films.

As a child Amelie had distant parents. Her mother was killed by a jumping Canadian tourist. Her doctor father misinterpreted her elevated heart rate during monthly examinations as a sign of a weak heart. She was kept out of school. Now in her mid twenties she has a job as a waitress at Cafe des 2 Moulins. She is still shy, but at least she has contact with some people. On the day Princess Di died, she drops the top of her perfume bottle. This leads to the discovery of a box which contains the treasures of a boy's childhood. She makes a promise to herself that she will find this man and return this box of memories. She hopes that this will change his life for the better.

Jeunet creates a special world for Amelie. It is the real Paris, but it is heightened reality. The colors are brighter and more vibrant, there is beguiling music in the background, the streets of Monmarte are always clean, there isn't a huge amount of traffic, and we have time to make discoveries. The cinematography (Bruno Delbonnel)
and the production design (Aline Benutto) gently but firmly place us in a slightly enhanced reality. We accept this and have an experience, or we don't and become frustrated. It is better if we don't ask a lot of questions; focus on Amelie Poulin as she attempts to connect. We meet marvelous characters, a painter with a disease which makes his bones brittle. He has painted the same Renoir masterpiece once a year every year for over 20 years. Then there is the young man with the strange hobby of reconstructing torn photos from a photo kisok in the Metro and creating albums. Another character is a failed writer who perhaps does have ideas and talent. Then we meet the customers and the staff of Amelie's workplace. There is the grocery store where she shops, the visits to her father, and the residents of her apartment all elements of Amelie's
world and if we observe this something happens. The viewer becomes involved; you have an experience. This is not a problem to be solved. Let your analytical faculties rest for two hours, and you will laugh and smile and have a very warm feeling. I want you all to have this experience.

Audrey Tautou is marvelous in the main role. Jeunet is a master craftsman in this movie. The extras on the DVD are really worth your time. We have talked about what each of us bring to a film. This is a great film for those who are open to its experience.

Hmm…A review of Amelie, and no mention of garden gnomes? I didn’t think that was possible. Regardless, I totally concur with the above review of Amelie. It is a bright, over the top film that is full of great charm, whimsy, and imagination. It is a great and unique movie that creates its own little universe.

My wife doesn’t watch too many foreign movies these days as she has lots of problems reading subtitles (due to eye problems she is a slow reader). Still, she absolutely adores Amelie. We haven’t seen Amelie in several years, but my wife will still make the occasional odd out of the blue reference to this movie. Once seen, this film is hard to forget, and I mean that in a good way.

 

[Waquoit]

"Amelie"-Jean-Pierre Jeunet-2001

I remember when this movie came to the Hartford-area. Cinestudio was packed.

 

[Mano]

"Amelie"-Jean-Pierre Jeunet-2001i

When I picked "Bloody Sunday"and "Amelie" I knew that it would be difficult to find two films which differ more in conception and treatment of reality. "Bloody Sunday" is an attempt to re-create the past as accurately as possible; "Amelie" is heightened reality. Jeunet began collecting stories in the mid seventies which he tried to get a handle on. He wanted to tie them together around a central organizing idea. He found that one of his stories: the life of a shy girl, was the ideal starting point. It became among other things the only use of a suicidal gold fish in films.

As a child Amelie had distant parents. Her mother was killed by a jumping Canadian tourist. Her doctor father misinterpreted her elevated heart rate during monthly examinations as a sign of a weak heart. She was kept out of school. Now in her mid twenties she has a job as a waitress at Cafe des 2 Moulins. She is still shy, but at least she has contact with some people. On the day Princess Di died, she drops the top of her perfume bottle. This leads to the discovery of a box which contains the treasures of a boy's childhood. She makes a promise to herself that she will find this man and return this box of memories. She hopes that this will change his life for the better.

Jeunet creates a special world for Amelie. It is the real Paris, but it is heightened reality. The colors are brighter and more vibrant, there is beguiling music in the background, the streets of Monmarte are always clean, there isn't a huge amount of traffic, and we have time to make discoveries. The cinematography (Bruno Delbonnel)
and the production design (Aline Benutto) gently but firmly place us in a slightly enhanced reality. We accept this and have an experience, or we don't and become frustrated. It is better if we don't ask a lot of questions; focus on Amelie Poulin as she attempts to connect. We meet marvelous characters, a painter with a disease which makes his bones brittle. He has painted the same Renoir masterpiece once a year every year for over 20 years. Then there is the young man with the strange hobby of reconstructing torn photos from a photo kisok in the Metro and creating albums. Another character is a failed writer who perhaps does have ideas and talent. Then we meet the customers and the staff of Amelie's workplace. There is the grocery store where she shops, the visits to her father, and the residents of her apartment all elements of Amelie's
world and if we observe this something happens. The viewer becomes involved; you have an experience. This is not a problem to be solved. Let your analytical faculties rest for two hours, and you will laugh and smile and have a very warm feeling. I want you all to have this experience.

Audrey Tautou is marvelous in the main role. Jeunet is a master craftsman in this movie. The extras on the DVD are really worth your time. We have talked about what each of us bring to a film. This is a great film for those who are open to its experience.

"Grave of the Fireflies"-Isao Takahata-1988

This film's source is a short story of the same name published in 1967. Akyuki Nosaka had several feelers about making this semi autobiographical account into a film. He held back because he didn't believe that Japanese child actors could portray the characters, and he didn't see how the devastation in the landscape could be portrayed. The solution of making an animated feature was a novel one. I am not at all versed in anime, but from what I have seen anime doesn't present it characters realistically.

I want to set the background of the film. It is set in the closing days of WWII and the immediate aftermath. In 1945 the US began a saturation fire bombing campaign of both civilian and military targets in major Japanese cities. A fire bombing attack of Tokyo reportedly killed 100,000 people. Kobe was a major city, the 6th largest in Japan. There were several important factories in the city, they were bombed with conventional ordinance, but the city had two major firebombing attacks. The first on March 16-17 destroyed 21% of the wooden structures in the city. The second on June 15th was larger and covered about 30% of the city. The film doesn't
identify which of the fire bombing attacks drives our key characters from their homes. My best guess is that it was the March attack.

The film opens with the line: "September 21, 1945 that was the night I died." Seita is a 14 year old boy who lives with his Mother, and his 4 year old sister Setsuko. Their father is an officer in the Imperial Japanese Navy.
When the film opens we are in a train station (I believe); Seita is discovered dead by a janitor, another of the "sleepers" is also dead. When the body is searched, a metal box which contained fruit candy is discovered. The box is thrown away. It pops open and Setsuko's ashes come out. Her ghost emerges and meets Seita's ghost.

The scene is shifted to the firebombing. Seita is charged with hiding food in a hole in the ground and with taking his sister to the bomb shelter. Their mother who suffers from a heart condition will follow. Seita and Setsuko try to get to the shelter. Seita carries his sister on his back; fires are popping up everywhere. They never reach the shelter, but they eventually reach a local school where survivors are assembled. Seita's mother has been fatally burned; she dies in the school. Seita doesn't tell his little sister. They will go to an aunt's house in a neighboring town. Seita vows to nurture and protect his sister. Despite Seita's efforts to materially help the aunt, he brings a substantial quantity of food he had hidden and allows his mother's kimono's to be sold, she resents their presence and complains they do nothing to support the household. The situation continues to deteriorate Seita and Setsuko find a deserted shelter and make a new home.

The two children have some pleasant experiences, but when the fireflies they brought inside to give they light in the dark die overnight; Seita realizes how desperate their situation is as he watches Setsuko bury the fireflies. Food has become virtually impossible to find and/or buy. Seita steals and is caught, but he is released with no punishment. Setsuko is very malnourished, and a visit to the doctor provides no real help.
Seita goes to the bank and closes out his mother's account; he had previously drawn out over half to keep them going. He uses this money to buy food. He feeds some water melon to Setsuko; her last words were:"Seita, thank you. She never wakes up. Seita arranges to cremate her himself. He puts some of her ashes in the candy box. He never returns to the shelter/home. He believes that he has failed to protect and
save his sister. He loses his will to live. He dies a little over a month later.

"Grave of the Fireflies" was first exhibited as part of a double bill with "My Neighbor Totouro." Much of the audience exited before "Grave..." This is a difficult film to write about; it is moving, but there are reasons why it was declared the 6th most depressing film of all time. When you start with a ghost telling his life story; you have a very strong inference based on his condition at his death, that this is not going to be a happy hour and a half. The story is told realistically despite it being anime. This is an experience film; what inferences you draw and what intellectual constructs you make, will be your own. I was drawn to the history of the period and the story's genesis. I'm not sure if I rate this as truly great; many if not most of the top critics do find it an all time great. It's certainly at least on the border of great and near great. I'd be interested in your reactions.

I'm unsure about what's up next; I"m considering several options.

You made a fine choice in the way of contrast with these last two movies. There is a beautiful joy that watching Amélie imparts upon the viewer and a striking and profound sadness that envelops you throughout Fireflies. Both movies made a great impression on me and I think of them fondly. Tautou is a great actress, instant crush for me.

I love anime, always have loved illustration as an art form. Grave is among the very best of the medium/genre. It's just achingly sad. The real life backdrop makes it even sadder. I think I last saw it nearly 10 years ago now, it still sticks with you.

 

[zymurg]

The Desert Fox"-Henry Hathaway-1951

This is a bio-pic of Frwin Rommel. Rommel is probably the most famous German general in WWII. The film focuses on the last few years of his life. It is reasonably historically accurate. The central issue of the film is Rommel's involvement in the plot to kill Hitler. Critics both professional and amateur often fault the film for not revealing why Rommel was known as the Desert Fox. They blithely ignore the source material of the movie. Brigadier General Desmond Young began his biography with the purpose of discovering what really happened
at the end of his life. There were rumors that despite the State funeral Rommel didn't die of his wounds. Young confirmed this early on; he was given full access to Rommel's papers by his wife and son. In 2018 additional materials came to light which confirm Rommel's involvement in the plot. Rommel's wife was a technical adviser for this film and "The Longest Day." When this film was made the Cold War was in its infancy, and NATO was just beginning. Germany was a key component in NATO, and a film casting a famous general in a positive light could be useful in helping to smooth the way for German re-armament. This wasn't the only film which could be seen in this light; "The Big Lift" comes to mind.

James Mason's portrayal of Rommel is considered to be a quality effort. The script by Nunnally Johnson is solid. Henry Hathaway is a quality studio director. Most of the film was shot in the US; the desert scenes around Yuma, Arizona. Lucie Rommel contributed props for the interior set in the Rommel house. Documentary film footage is cut into the film. The cast is top rate: Jessica Tandy as Lucie Rommel, Leo G. Carroll as Von Runstedt, Luther Adler as Hitler, and Cedric Hardwicke as Dr. Karl Strolin. This is an enjoyable and solid film, and it is way more accurate than most Hollywood bio-pics. BTW I just watched "Sophie Scholl: The Final Days" and this film is at least as accurate as the Scholl film made over 60 years later.

I generally offer a list of films for viewing on patriotic holidays. I'm late but, I'm going to try and get in a few suggestions. One final note about "Grave of the Fireflies" the 2012 release has both an English and a Japanese soundtrack. Check your local library.

 

[zymurg]

I watched one new film for this group of recommendations: "Hollywoodism: Jews, Movies, and the American Dream." This documentary details the efforts of the Jews who founded the early studios. Their belief in an American Dream is bound up with their desire to be truly Americans, and not hyphenated Americans. This documentary raises some interesting questions about their visions of inclusion, their visits to the Death Camps (they made no public statements, and their buckling under during HUAC investigations. Worth watching although for me tying Universal monster films to a Jewish sense of being the other is more than flimsy.

Interestingly, there has been a group of films recently like "Brooklyn" and "Immigrant" dealing with the immigrant experience. Of course there are others like Kazan's "America, America" a fictionalized account of his Uncle's experiences in reaching America. Another interesting film is John Ford's "The Last Hurrah" which stars Spencer Tracey as an Irish American politician. Jim Sheridan's "In America" is a very good film depicting interactions among ethnically different immigrants. One of the most moving events is attending a naturalization ceremony; it is fitting to remember that our ancestors were all immigrants. On my mother's side we go back to the Pilgrims, John Alden in particular; on my father's side Irish fleeing the potato famine. Refugees all, so I like to celebrate the country by remembering this heritage

 

[zymurg]

"Andrei Rublev:-Andrei Tarkovsky-1966 or 1969

Mnn, you can't even settle on a release date; this does not bode well for a commentary. The 1966 date is the date when the film was completed and edited. There were one or more showings to party officials. Then the cuts began. The 205 minute version which I viewed was not seen until 1999. The 1969 date refers to its appearance at the 1969 Cannes Festival in a 186 minute version. This version was shown in Paris; later Tarkovsky accepted this version publically. The 205 minute version was supposedly hidden under a bed, or perhaps it was smuggled out by Martin Scorcese.

Who was Andrei Rublev? He was a very famous painter of icons and frescoes in the 15th century, Roughly a hundred years after his death, the Orthodox Church proclaimed his work as the standard for religious painting.
In 1988 he was sanctified by the Russian Orthodox Church. Unfortunately, there is only one single painting that has been identified as his and his alone.

Very little is known about his life. This is a bio-pic where one doesn't have to worry about being contradicted by facts. The film opens with an attempt by a peasant to construct and fly a balloon. It gets of the ground, and the peasant has a short flight. This has nothing to do with Rublev's life. It is supposed to be a metaphor for life and particularly the artist's life. Supposedly it is about taking chances and accepting failure.

The film is divided into seven episodes: the Jester, Theophanes, the Holiday, the Last Judgement, the Raid, the Charity, and the Bell. The political and social background is chaotic; we see battles, slaughter, torture, and the plague. Rublev is a monk and he is tempted in the Holiday by a pagan love cult. He dreams of a passion play and his meetings with Theophanes, his mentor and great painter, In the Raid he kills a man to save a life. He believes he must do penance; he gives up painting and refuses to speak. In the Bell the success of casting a bell and more importantly giving pleasure to people convinces him to speak and to begin painting again.

The film is a spiritual and artistic journey. Tarkowsky believes that you must experience things to know them and yourself. This of course begs the question what is he doing as a film maker. "Andrei Rublev" is an experience. Tarkowsky has created this using scenes from the life of an artist. Art can increase spititual capacities. It can provide a glimpse of perfection. He is also big on solitude; knowing yourself is key.
He is dismissive of popular success and merchandising, but he gleefully reports of 2.8 million tickets sold in
Russia with no advertising when the film was finally released in 1973. Bergman said: "Tarkovsky is for me the greatest, the one who invented a new language, true to the nature of film, as it captures life as a reflection, life as a dream."

This one of those experiential films. It is technically proficient, and because of its subject matter timeless. I can see why critics and film historians rate it so highly, still it isn't really in my wheelhouse. This isn't easy to find.

 

[zymurg]

"The Ghost Writer"-Roman Polaanski-2010

Considering the legal difficulties Polanski had; it is surprising that this film was made. Despite being set in a thinly disguised Martha's Vineyard; it had to be filmed in Germany. It is based on a book "Ghost" by Robert Harris. Adam Lang is a thinly disguised Tony Blair, the former British PM. Harris and Polanski collaborated on the screen play. Lang is living in America writing his memoirs. The publisher paid Lang $15 million up front, and with the mysterious death of his longtime aide who was writing the memoir, a new ghost is urgently required. The job goes to Ewan McGregor identified only as the ghost. Leaving the meeting with a manuscript, not the memoir, Ghost is mugged and the manuscript is stolen.

Ghost arrives at the temporary home of Adam Lang (Pierce Brosnan) and goes through a full security shakedown. The manuscript is secured, and Ghost has six hours to read it before meeting with Lang to begin work on revising the manuscript. Almost as soon as Lang returns, he becomes front page news when his former Foreign Secretary testifies before the International Court that Lang was involved in the rendition of
British citizens as part of the war on terror. The island is flooded with newspeople, and the Ghost leaves the inn to stay with the Lang entourage. The upheaval is so great that Ghost crafts a public statement; Lang flies to Washington where he meets with Congressional leaders and the Secretary of State. Lang's assistant (Kim Cattral) accompanies him. Left behind the Ghost beds the wife, and while hurriedly packing discovers incriminating pictures. They lead to questions about Lang's years at Cambridge. The Ghost becomes the outsider suddenly involved in a mystery; I'm hardly the first person to notice the Hitchcock lurking in the background.

This is well done classic suspense. The script and Polanski team to make the action credible. The acting is first rate, and the twists and turns keep everything moving right to the end. Well worth viewing; this is available on Amazon Prime.

Next up: "The Accountant" the Oscar winning short, and "Gold" our first Bollywood film.

 

[zymurg]

I'm breaking protocol and I'm reviewing "Dr. Zhivago"-David Lean-1965. It is of course based on Boris Pasternak's novel. Just some background on Pasternak, he was best known as a poet in Russia. Pasternak was a dissident/near dissident his poetry came under criticism from Soviet authorities throughout the Stalinist period and beyond. Pasternak came from a Jewish family with major cultural clout; he converted to Russian Orthodoxy as a young man. He had three wives and a mistress/collaborator for many years. Dr. Zhivago's personal life mirrors somewhat that of Pasternak. Pasternak's third wife knew of his mistress and received a promise not to divorce her. Many of Pasternak's friends were exiles, like Zhivago Pasternak refused to leave Russia. Pasternak's and Zhivago's funerals were both attended by masses of poetry lovers.

The CIA was involved in promoting the candidacy of Pasternak for a Noble Prize in Literature. The documents supporting this came out as a response from a FOIA. The Soviet government made Pasternak refuse the award. The novel was smuggled out of Russia and published abroad. It was a worldwide sensation. Pasternak died of cancer in 1960. He had not seen his mistress since 1954, again a parallel with Zhivago.

Carlo Ponti purchased the film rights and David Lean was tapped to be the director. Lean was a difficult and demanding man. He and Freddie Young didn't work together for 15 years; Young was the cinematographer for
"Lawrence of Arabia" and was an Oscar winner. Alec Guiness fought frequently with Lean, and Zhivago was his last film with Lean for almost 20 years. MGM needed this film to be a big moneymaker; the studio was badly mismanaged in the early sixties, and they depended too much upon the big epic to finance other productions.
Instead of being filmed in 70MM for financial reasons it was filmed in 35mm.

TBC

 

[zymurg]

Obviously "Zhivago" couldn't be filmed in the Soviet Union. Most of the film was shot in Spain; the winter railway sequences were shot in Finland and Canada. The basic sets were constructed in Spain. The film was budgeted at$5 million originally. The final cost was between $11 and $15 million; film cost figures are notoriously unreliable. The US box office was in excess of $111 million. The film was not reviewed well by the major critics, and early audiences were small, but the success of the score by Maurice Jarre, particularly the "Lara" theme drew audiences. This was a cinema event; 3+ hours not counting the overture and the intermission. I believe many critics disdained epics; they looked to the French New Wave and other modern treatments. The epics were conceived as an answer to TV; today we have action/ adventure/ superhero films running longer than two hours as the primary draws to the cinemas.

This is a stunning film visually; the historical set pieces are magnificent; even the most critical of the critics (see Bosley Crother's "Times" review) acknowledged this. They didn't like the adaptation of the novel; they wanted more history, they wanted to see/hear the poems; they thought watching a poet writing a poem was boring; they couldn't accept Sonia's (Geraldine Chaplin) acceptance of the affair; Zhivago (Omar Sharif) was too passive; this is a sampling of some of the most common criticisms. I think this is a great film. I think Robert Bolt did a superb job adapting the novel. It was almost 600 pages long; Bolt's screen play was under 250 pages. Lean was familiar with adapting long source works for the screen; I've discussed "Great Expectations", but this was nothing compared with T.S. Lawrence's auto biography which runs 800+ pages. We see the events
of historical consequence primarily through Zhivago's eyes, and Zhivago's is assessed by his General brother who also provides some historical commentary: "By the 2nd winter of the war, the boots were wearing out..."
Alec Guiness begins and ends the film as a narrator; The General is searching for the child of Lara (Julie Christie) and Doctor Zhivago. He tried to find her years before. Bolt won his second Oscar for a Lean screenplay.

I will introduce two important characters without detailing the whole plot. Komerovski (Rod Steiger) seduces and rapes Lara as a 17 year old. There is the memorable red dress scene, and the scene of dining and dancing of the privileged while outside is the demonstration/protest of the poor and the workers. The carriage containing Komerovski and Lara passing a group of Cossacks who then attack the demonstrators.
We don't actually see the attack; we are focused on Dr. Zhivago's reaction. When Zhivago attempts to come to the aid of the wounded. He first sees bloodstained snow; this blood represents both the carnage in the square, and the loss of virginity of a 17 year old girl. Komerovski (a great Performance) represents the ultimate man of no or shifting principles. He knows how to make himself useful to whatever the ruling group needs.

Pasha/Strelnikov is the young revolutionary in love with Lara. He is not a Bolshevik, but he is still a revolutionary. He is wounded in the attack on the marchers. He no longer believes in peaceful protest; the coming revolution will be violent. He disappears during the war. The movie provides no explanation, the book provides an explanation. He was captured by the Germans and released to cause chaos and to get Russia out of the war. The Germans got Lenin back in to Russia as a part of the same policy. Pasha, who married Lara, is dead and Strelnikov is born. The film doesn't discuss his ideology, but it is likely that he is a Trotskite. Pasha is Tom Courtenay in another outstanding performance.

It is not that Dr. Zhivago has no ideals/beliefs; He is both a poet and a doctor; like Pasternak; he is an intellectual and a humanist. Pasternak's family was close to Leo Tolstoy. General Zhivago respects and honors his brother, and he is a survivor. He wants to help his niece survive. She walks away with a young engineer, balaika over her shoulder. She has taught herself to play, as the General puts it she has the gift, just as Dr. Zhivago's mother did. I like to think that the General will continue to keep a watchful eye on his niece.

My highest recommendation. Films like this are no longer even considered as potential projects.

 

[Steelerone]

For great acting, great script, great filming, Mississippi Burning.

 

[Jaker]

"Blade Runner- The Final Cut"-Ridley Scott-2007

This came out originally in 1982. Unlike most of the films I preview here, I haven't seen this in a theater. There is a virtual industry trying to decide if Deckard(Harrison Ford) is/is not a replicant. What is a replicant? R's are androids with the ability to learn and form relationships. The newer models have internal programming which will cause massive system breakdowns and death in four years. Androids is probably an incorrect term, as they are flesh and blood. They are virtually indistinguishable from humans; they do have a weird eye turning red thing. Generally they can be detected using a mental test. The newest models are unaware that they are not human. They can be given false memories.

Deckard is called back into service in the police force. He has a very specialized job; he hunts down and kills wayward replicants. He left the force, no reason is given. He is called back to deal with a particular problem;
six waywards have escaped seized a spaceship, killing many, and they have returned to earth. It is not generally known that replicants can become wayward. Two of the group have already been killed by an electric field inside Tyrell industries. It is up to Deckard to hunt and kill the remaining. The remaining four are trying to find a way to avoid their death sentences.

Deckard is a Blade Runner; that is the designation for cops whose job is replicant termination. A Blade Runner was killed by a wayward during an evaluation/questioning. This incident was the immediate predicate necessitating Deckards recall. Deckard traces one of the four to a sleezy nightclub where the replicant performs as a snake dancer. Deckard chases her and kills her. Deckard is called to see the genius founder of Tyrell Industries, Dr. Edmund Tyrell. Tyrell wants to observe Deckard's technique in mentally testing for replicant status. Deckard is led to believe that his initial interviewee was human. Phyllis, Sean Young, is supposedly Tyrell's niece. Deckard discovers after prolonged questioning that she is a replicant. Phyllis is not aware of this; false memories have been implanted so that she believes herself to be a particular human.

This preview is growing like topsy. The film is based on a Philip K. Dick story. Ridley Scott assembled a great technical team, and the film was very well cast. It is set in 2019 Los Angeles; this is a very distopian setting. It is overcrowded and decaying. The population is very diverse; It seems to have a majority of what we call minorities. Scott believed that "Blade Runner" was a neo-film noir. It is worth noting that this film set standards for much of SciFi film and television over the past 35+years. What is human is one common thread; giant corporations dominating the economy and government is another. Over population and technology are other referents.

There were many problems with the 1982 version of this film. It was taken from Scot's control during editing. The film shown in previews was confusing, so a voice over narrative by Harrison Ford was added.
The film has had several debuts; the latest one coinciding with the version I am previewing. It was cleaned up, and certain scenes were restored, most notably the unicorn sequence. Sound was upgraded, and the entire picture was brighter. There was no CGI used. The work done on this film is more akin to a restoration, supervised by the director, than a new film. The critics generally found this version much more satisfying than the 1982 version.

I am not going to go into more detail about the plot except to say that many commentators believe that Rutger Hauer as Roy, the specialized replicant warrior steals the picture. Ford gives a very solid performance as Deckard, He is an excellent detective; he isn't overly emotional, and he is a loner. That isn't unusual for noir protagonists. Writing this preview has forced me to become aware of plot questions/problems. While watching the film I wasnt aware of them. I consider this a very good film, but not a great one. Still this is a film well worth viewing.

Blade Runner 2049 is one of the best Sci Fi's ever made IMO, the original was great too

 

[zymurg]

"The Accountant"-Ray McKinnon-2001

This film won the Oscar in 2001. It is short, less than 40 minutes, and it has only 3 characters. A family farm in Georgia is in deep trouble financially. The Accountant (McKinnon) comes to go over the book sand to find a way to save the farm for future generations. McKinnon drives up in a beyond vintage truck. He meets with two brothers O'Dell, David (Eddie King) who runs the farm, and Tommy (Walton Goggins) his more modern thinking brother. The accountant drinks a lot of beer, eats some pickled eggs and determines that the debt is well over $200,000. He does this without using even a calculator. It is his remedies which involve burning down structures, destroying equipment, and even losing various limbs which are unusual. Tommy is sent off for a beer refill while the really serious solutions are considered.

An accidental death is the only way to really settle the debt. The Accountant offers up the wife who is having an affair. The other alternative not directly spoken about is the husband. The husband does the right thing and commits suicide staged to look like an accidental death. It turns out that Tommy has been having an affair
with his brother's wife. The accountant leaves asking only nominal payment, an amount exactly equal to an expenditure related to the affair.

This is a very funny film, and it is filled with social commentary on the plight of the Southern Family Farm. You can find this on several streaming services. This is definitely worth viewing.

 

[zymurg]

"Gold"-Reema Kagti-2018


India produces more films than any other country. The center of much of the production is Mumbai (Bombay), and the films are in Hindi. Many popular films are dubbed in one or very occasionally more of the more than 200 languages spoken in India. These films feature singing and dancing whatever the basic plot. There is a worldwide distribution network for Bollywood films. There are tens of millions of overseas Indians throughout South and Southeast Asia, and of course in Great Britain, Canada, and the US. In addition to Bollywood there are films industries producing films in Bengali, Tamil, and Telegu among others.

This film tells the story of the first gold medal for independent India at the Olympics. In 1948 after a 12 year break due to WWII the Olympics were held in London. In addition to the long hiatus; India faced the problem of Partition. India was divided into two independent nations, India and Pakistan. In three Olympics a field hockey team representing British India won gold medals. The film opens at the Berlin Olympics in 1936. Many Americans are aware of these Olympics because of Jesse Owens probably the greatest track and field athlete of all time. For India the Berlin Olympics involved protests with a national flag.

The film is basically accurate about the 1936 Olympics, but the team members were fictionalized. The lead up to the 1948 Olympics participation of the Indian field hockey grows further and further from the truth. I won't even try to enumerate the many examples of deviation from historical fact. The actors were schooled in field hockey for months much like American actors were schooled to play baseball in films like "8 Men Out." The film was shot primarily in England. A rugby stadium stood in for Wembley, the classic venue for soccer (football) in the UK. The partition riots and the forming of two teams India and Pakistan where there had been one pre-partition are covered. For film purposes the 1948 final between India and England was changed from a 4-0 beat down to a 5-4 come from behind Indian victory. What mystified me was that the Indian National Anthem played in the film during the medal ceremony bore no relation to the national anthem I know. I spent more than two years in India in the Peace Corps, and I literally sang the National Anthem on dozens of occasions.

Still this is well shot, well acted, and well directed in the Bollywood tradition. It has the requisite song and dance numbers and stylized performances. It was hugely popular. I went through a Bollywood period more than a decade ago, but this was the first Bollywood film I've watched in at least five years. It is definitely worth viewing if you have any interest Indian films. It is available to stream on Amazon Prime for free if you are a member.

 

[zymurg]

"Ninotchka"-Ernst Lubitsch-1939

Based on a script by Charles Brackett and Billy Wilder, Ernst Lubitsch directed a classic comedy in a year which many consider the best year ever for films in the classic Hollywood studio era 1939. The posters proclaimed "Garbo Laughs' a play upon the posters for her first talkie "Anna Christie" which proclaimed Garbo Speaks.
The story begins with a three person delegation from the Soviet Union sent to Paris to sell the jewels of Grand Duchess Swanna (Ina Claire) which were legally confiscated by the state. There is truth to the basic premise in the mid to late 30's the Soviets were desperate for western currency. So delegations were sent abroad to sell a variety of goodies. The Grand Duchess was informed that her jewels were in Paris, in order to get them back; she would have to sue in court. On of the many problems that presented was that France recognized the Soviet Union as the legal government of what was once Russian. Her lover, Count Leon D'Algout (Melvin Douglas) has a plan to negotiate with the Russian trade delegation to gain a split of the sale value. Leon charms the Soviet delegation Ivanoff (Sig Ruman), Lepinski, and Kopalski and they are only too delighted to continue living the high life in Paris while they await instructions from their government.

The Commissar sends Garbo (Ninotchka) with full powers to Paris to get all the money from the sale of the Jewels. Garbo is wonderful in her early scenes. She shows proper proletarian disdain for the high life of Paris, including women's fashions , particularly hats. She doesn't crack a smile, and her interest in the Eiffel Tower is in its engineering. Count Leon is immediately smitten, and he buys a guide book which gives him the abilty to answer her many detailed questions. Thus begins an unlikely courtship, Ninotchka becomes a woman; her surrender is marked by the purchase of the same frivolous hat she first disdained. This hat was designed to Garbo's specifications.

A disaster occurs, Ninotchka gets drunk and the jewels are stolen from her room. The Grand Duchess Swana offers to let the Soviet Government have to jewels to sell, but Ninotchka has to give up Count Leon. She agrees, and we see her next marching in a May Day parade. Meanwhile the three fools have become friends with Ninotchka, they batch together so that they can have an omelette for dinner in her room. They are sent to Istanbul to sell Soviet furs. They naturally foul up; the Commissar (Bela Lugosi) insists that Ninotchka go to Turkey and make things right. A funny happy ending follows.

Lubitsch was a great director of comedies; this is one. The dialogue is snappy and quick, the staging and movement from scene to scene is done with clockwork precision. Most of the humor isn't dated because it is character driven. If you relax and give in this is still a super engaging comedy. Highly recommended.

 

[dbmill]

"Ninotchka"-Ernst Lubitsch-1939

Based on a script by Charles Brackett and Billy Wilder, Ernst Lubitsch directed a classic comedy in a year which many consider the best year ever for films in the classic Hollywood studio era 1939. The posters proclaimed "Garbo Laughs' a play upon the posters for her first talkie "Anna Christie" which proclaimed Garbo Speaks.
The story begins with a three person delegation from the Soviet Union sent to Paris to sell the jewels of Grand Duchess Swanna (Ina Claire) which were legally confiscated by the state. There is truth to the basic premise in the mid to late 30's the Soviets were desperate for western currency. So delegations were sent abroad to sell a variety of goodies. The Grand Duchess was informed that her jewels were in Paris, in order to get them back; she would have to sue in court. On of the many problems that presented was that France recognized the Soviet Union as the legal government of what was once Russian. Her lover, Count Leon D'Algout (Melvin Douglas) has a plan to negotiate with the Russian trade delegation to gain a split of the sale value. Leon charms the Soviet delegation Ivanoff (Sig Ruman), Lepinski, and Kopalski and they are only too delighted to continue living the high life in Paris while they await instructions from their government.

The Commissar sends Garbo (Ninotchka) with full powers to Paris to get all the money from the sale of the Jewels. Garbo is wonderful in her early scenes. She shows proper proletarian disdain for the high life of Paris, including women's fashions , particularly hats. She doesn't crack a smile, and her interest in the Eiffel Tower is in its engineering. Count Leon is immediately smitten, and he buys a guide book which gives him the abilty to answer her many detailed questions. Thus begins an unlikely courtship, Ninotchka becomes a woman; her surrender is marked by the purchase of the same frivolous hat she first disdained. This hat was designed to Garbo's specifications.

A disaster occurs, Ninotchka gets drunk and the jewels are stolen from her room. The Grand Duchess Swana offers to let the Soviet Government have to jewels to sell, but Ninotchka has to give up Count Leon. She agrees, and we see her next marching in a May Day parade. Meanwhile the three fools have become friends with Ninotchka, they batch together so that they can have an omelette for dinner in her room. They are sent to Istanbul to sell Soviet furs. They naturally foul up; the Commissar (Bela Lugosi) insists that Ninotchka go to Turkey and make things right. A funny happy ending follows.

Lubitsch was a great director of comedies; this is one. The dialogue is snappy and quick, the staging and movement from scene to scene is done with clockwork precision. Most of the humor isn't dated because it is character driven. If you relax and give in this is still a super engaging comedy. Highly recommended.

I saw Ninotchka for the first time a couple of years ago. Amazing it took me so long to get around to this one. Great stuff, and well worth seeing, but that is the way it is with a bunch of Lubitsch movies. Yes, Ninotchka is one that I can probably see over and over again, as is being discussed in another thread. By the way, at this point my favorite Lubitsch comedy is "To Be Or Not To Be".

 

[zymurg]

"Denial"-Mick Jackson-2016

This is a film which was largely ignored when it came out. I think it is quite well done, but many critics felt it lacked heart or soul. It is based on the published account by Deborah Lipstadt, a Jewish Holocaust historian teaching at Emory, of her libel trial with David Irving a British Holocaust denier. In British law if you are accused of libel you must show not only that your statements are true, but that the plaintiff is acting in bad faith. It is basically the opposite of how libel cases proceed in the US. Irving brought the case in England against Lipstadt and her Publisher, Penguin Books. These cases in England are most often settled in favor of the plaintiff without a trial.

The film opens at a lecture book signing by Lipstadt where Irving appears offering $1000 to anyone who can show that Hitler ordered the final solution. Lipstadt had previously refused to debate deniers; the Holocaust is a fact. Irving sues Lipstadt for libel in 1996. The trial doesn't happen until 2000. It takes place in front of a judge and not a jury. Lipstadt's defense team decide to keep her silent and not to call any Holocaust survivors.
She strongly objects, and early during the trial she meets with an Auschwitz survivor and promises that the voices of those who died and those still living will be heard.

Well known British playwright adapted Lipstadt's book for the screen. He used the discussions of the Lipstadt legal team and the court transcript to structure the screenplay. In other words the movie is about a libel trial and not about the Holocaust per se. Critics have commented unfavorably on this choice. In the film Tom Wilkinson who plays Richard Rampton, the lead barrister in the case, discusses the role of conscience in the case. He posits that conscience sometimes is not a valid guide. A public display of her views might make her feel better, but it wouldn't help the case. The case is going to be decided on the facts and the law, not on beliefs. Lipstadt agrees to allow the defense to be her conscience. So instead of the Holocaust as truth being front and center; Irving's falsifying of history, and his racism and anti-Semitism is front and center.

Somehow the critics thought this was an easy court case to win; it wasn't, and today on the internet it is relatively easy to circulate lies and deception, and difficult to combat them. I should mention the principal
actors: Rachael Weisz as Lipstadt, Timothy Spall as David Irving, Wilkinson as Richard Rampton, and Andrew Scott as Anthony Julius the lead solicitor; they are uniformly excellent. This is a fine and underrated film. I'm not surprised that it didn't make money, the subject and the treatment aren't showy. I haven't dislosed much of the plot, but I have given away the ending;this is a case where the journey is more important than the ending. Although, I must leave you with a cautionary note David Irving is better known and more successful than ever.

 

[zymurg]

"Jaws"Stephen Spielberg-1975

This film invented the summer blockbuster. 67 million tickets were sold that summer. This is Spielberg's first big blockbuster. 40+ years later he still is making major motion pictures. That in itself is remarkable, but even more surprising may be that the film still works. The reviews from 2015 and 2019 are better than the original reviews. There was very limited CGI in 1975; the shark is primitive by the animatronics even in "Jurassic Park."

The fictional island of Amity provides the setting for Peter Benchley's book and the movie. It is of course Martha's Vineyard. The film was scheduled for 55 days shooting; it took 159 days to shoot. The shark(s) was a problem; it hadn't been properly tested, and it had major performance limitations. Three sharks were built, and they were named Bruce. Casting wasn't easy; big names were avoided, but serious professionals were needed.
Roy Scheider was an early choice to play Chief Brody. Richard Dreyfus came on board after witnessing the rushes of a film shot in Canada. Robert Shaw was an even later choice. Shaw had both a major drinking problem and major tax problems. He was whisked away to Canada when not shooting to avoid arrest. Shaw and Dreyfus loathed each other. That made the scenes between Hooper (Dreyfus) and Shaw(Quint) work even better.

Peter Benchley wrote 3 scripts, non of which worked. Carl Gotleib was brought for revisions and reconstructions. All the sub-plots were eliminated, and the action was focused on the three men in the Orca, Quint, the veteran shark hunter, Brody, the island's sheriff, and Hooper, the scientist. The plot is simple, a great white shark surfaces off shore of Amity. The deaths begin, but the local government doesn't want to close the beaches. The deaths continue and Quint is hired to kill the shark. Brody and Hooper are the crew. When the shark first appears, Brody remarks: "You're gonna need a bigger boat."

John William's score won a well deserved Oscar. The ominous sound associated with the Great White was produced by a tuba. The film won Oscars for editing (Verna Fields) and sound. It didn't win for Best Picture.
I hadn't watched this film in years; I was really surprised by its overall excellence. This is terrific film making,
the tension builds, and the scary parts still work, and the ending evokes Moby Dick and all subsequent monsters. My highest recommendation.

 

[dbmill]

"Jaws"Stephen Spielberg-1975

This film invented the summer blockbuster. 67 million tickets were sold that summer. This is Spielberg's first big blockbuster. 40+ years later he still is making major motion pictures. That in itself is remarkable, but even more surprising may be that the film still works. The reviews from 2015 and 2019 are better than the original reviews. There was very limited CGI in 1975; the shark is primitive by the animatronics even in "Jurassic Park."

The fictional island of Amity provides the setting for Peter Benchley's book and the movie. It is of course Martha's Vineyard. The film was scheduled for 55 days shooting; it took 159 days to shoot. The shark(s) was a problem; it hadn't been properly tested, and it had major performance limitations. Three sharks were built, and they were named Bruce. Casting wasn't easy; big names were avoided, but serious professionals were needed.
Roy Scheider was an early choice to play Chief Brody. Richard Dreyfus came on board after witnessing the rushes of a film shot in Canada. Robert Shaw was an even later choice. Shaw had both a major drinking problem and major tax problems. He was whisked away to Canada when not shooting to avoid arrest. Shaw and Dreyfus loathed each other. That made the scenes between Hooper (Dreyfus) and Shaw(Quint) work even better.

Peter Benchley wrote 3 scripts, non of which worked. Carl Gotleib was brought for revisions and reconstructions. All the sub-plots were eliminated, and the action was focused on the three men in the Orca, Quint, the veteran shark hunter, Brody, the island's sheriff, and Hooper, the scientist. The plot is simple, a great white shark surfaces off shore of Amity. The deaths begin, but the local government doesn't want to close the beaches. The deaths continue and Quint is hired to kill the shark. Brody and Hooper are the crew. When the shark first appears, Brody remarks: "You're gonna need a bigger boat."

John William's score won a well deserved Oscar. The ominous sound associated with the Great White was produced by a tuba. The film won Oscars for editing (Verna Fields) and sound. It didn't win for Best Picture.
I hadn't watched this film in years; I was really surprised by its overall excellence. This is terrific film making,
the tension builds, and the scary parts still work, and the ending evokes Moby Dick and all subsequent monsters. My highest recommendation.

I was a teenager when Jaws was originally released. Still, I did not see it for the first time until a friend gave us the DVD as a gift about 10 years ago. I can get a bit contrarian with the movies I see, and sometimes this shows up in me refusing to see hugely popular entertainments. Jaws was one such movie with me. It quickly became a cultural touchstone after it was released, and I had it figured as a sensationalistic story about gory shark attacks. After my wife (who had also never seen it) and I watched the DVD for the first time, I found out how wrong I was. Absolutely terrific movie, especially in the second half once Brody, Quint, and Hooper get together on the boat to go shark hunting. Great interplay with that trio. And there is a lot more going on here besides some gore caused by Bruce. It quickly became one of those movies that I am quite content to watch over and over again when I come across it on television.

 

[zymurg]

I was a teenager when Jaws was originally released. Still, I did not see it for the first time until a friend gave us the DVD as a gift about 10 years ago. I can get a bit contrarian with the movies I see, and sometimes this shows up in me refusing to see hugely popular entertainments. Jaws was one such movie with me. It quickly became a cultural touchstone after it was released, and I had it figured as a sensationalistic story about gory shark attacks. After my wife (who had also never seen it) and I watched the DVD for the first time, I found out how wrong I was. Absolutely terrific movie, especially in the second half once Brody, Quint, and Hooper get together on the boat to go shark hunting. Great interplay with that trio. And there is a lot more going on here besides some gore caused by Bruce. It quickly became one of those movies that I am quite content to watch over and over again when I come across it on television.

This was much the same reaction that I had. I had seen it in a theater when it came out, and then once or twice since then.. I recently purchased: Steven Spielberg: The Director's Collection at a pretty amazing price, under $20. It contains the following: The Duel, The Sugarland Express, Jaws, 1941, E.T. The Extra-terrestrial, Always, Jurassic Park. and Lost World:Jurassic Park. The Duel a made for TV movie is really hard to find. So I watched a bunch of movies over 4th of July holiday. Jaws was the single most impressive viewing. Even back then, Spielberg really knew how to make movies. I love Spielberg's diversity and the fact that he is very prolific; he is involved in so many projects besides those he directs. Thank you, dmill and thank you Steven Spielberg.

 

[zymurg]

"Nosferatu"-Werner Herzog-1979

This is going to be a difficult piece to write. I watched a bunch of films recently, and I almost previewed "Gorillas in the Mist;" it's a pretty good film. I'm not sorry I watched it, but the standard for recommendations should be higher. Unfortunately, to do justice to this film entailed quite a bit of research. Bram Stoker, a transplanted Irishman working in the London theater, wrote the novel in the 1890's; publishing dates vary, but 1897 seems to be the agreed date. The novel was a success critically and commercially. Stoker wrote a play based on the novel which ran for a single performance. In 1922 W.W. Murnau made a silent film titled "Nosferatu". He instructed the film writer to make significant changes to avoid copyright problems. Character names were changed and the period and the country were changed. 1840's Germany was substituted for 1890's England This didn't stop Stoker's widow from suing for copyright violation. She won and many copies of the film were destroyed, but the studio was broke. She recovered only costs. The film resurfaced; today it is considered a silent masterpiece; the performance of Max Schrenk is memorable.

Werner Herzog decided to make "Nosferatu-The Vampyre" using the W.W. Murnau template; the copyright protection for Stoker's "Dracula" had run out. Herzog is considered a genius; "Fitzcaraldo" is one of my all time favorite films. Where there is Herzog; there is almost always Klaus Kinski. The relationship between director and star was beyond tempestuous. In this film Herzog drove Kinski into a rage; this tired him sufficiently so that he wouldn't overplay Count Dracula. The Dracula look in this film makes him a monster; he has claws for fingers, two fangs in the center of his mouth, and bat like ears. The facial make-up took over four hours a day; fortunately Kinski liked Reiko Kruck, the Japanese make-up artist. Herzog is notorious for being controlling and working with a very small crew, 16 in this case. German and English versions were filmed simultaneously using the same actors. Herzog considers the German version the artistic version; good luck trying to find it.

Visually this film is stunning, from the opening views of a mausoleum in Mexico featuring a mosaic of skulls and corpses to the closing shots of Jonathan Harker (Bruno Ganz) now a vampire riding away on horseback along a deserted beach racing to inflict new horrors. I suggest you read Roger Ebert's review (Ebert.com) to help you understand the film visually. The plot is simple. Harker is given the task by his boss, Reinfield, of selling a piece of property in Wismar, a fictional coastal city in Germany, to Count Dracula. Dracula doesn't appear until 30+ minutes into the film. The Count is bewitched by a miniature of Lucy (Isabelle Adjani) Harker's wife. He quickly signs the contract, feeds off Harker, and takes off with multiple coffins for a journey by river then sea to Wismar. Harker becomes ill, but he wants to save Lucy. He travels by land trying to beat
Dracula to Wismar. By the time he arrives in Wismar; he has lost his memories of everyone including Lucy,and Dracula has brought the plague to Wismar. Lucy has been suffering from dreams/hallucinations, and Dr. Von Helsing (Walter Ladngast) is brought in to treat her. In this version of the Dracula story, Von Helsing is an educated idiot refusing to believe Lucy's belief that Count Dracula is a vampire. Lucy is left on her own to kill Dracula. Her method involves her own death. Von Helsing puts a steak through the heart of the Count to "make assurance double sure." He is arrested for murder.

If you are interested in classic horror or vampires; this is a must see. The performances except those of Ganz and Kinski are a little stilted, perhaps becuase of their unfamiliarity with English. Still the film has grown in critical and audience reception over the last 40 years. My highest recommendation.

 

[zymurg]

"Fitzcarraldo"-Werner Herzog-1982

This is a strange film, but I believe a great one. Herzog has a propensity for filming in remote dangerous places. The story has something of a foundation in history. An Irish American married a Peruvian woman. Their son Carlos Formin Fitzcarrald did actually move a steamer over land from one river to another, but he disassembled the steamer prior to moving it. In Herzog's mind that wasn't enough; he had to move the whole steamer intact from one river to another. For those of you who want to fully engage Herzog's creative madness, I recommend "The Burden of Dreams" directed by Les Blank which documents the making of Fitzcarraldo. Herzog began shooting with Jason Robards and Mick Jagger in lead roles. Robards had amoebic dysentery and had to return to the US; Jagger had tour and recording contracts which the delay and re-shoot couldn't accommodate. So enter Klaus Kinski.

The film opens with Fitzcarraldo(Kinski) desperately paddling a launch with a failed motor to Manaus to see a gala performance featuring Enrico Caruso. He is accompanied by Molly (Claudia Cardinale) madame of the leading brothel in Iquitos, the city which has grown up during the rubber boom. They are late, but they manage to see the final act. Fitzcarraldo's dream is to build an opera house in Iquitos and have Enrico Caruso sing at the opening. Unfortunately, he is broke; he backed building a railroad into the interior of Brazil which failed. As the film begins his latest project is making ice. He changes to rubber plantation development, rubber processing, and transporting the finished product to market. He leases land in the interior of Peru for rubber extraction. He buys and re-builds a steamer which is christened Molly. He assembles a motley crew and sets off into the interior.

 

[dbmill]

"Nosferatu"-Werner Herzog-1979

This is going to be a difficult piece to write. I watched a bunch of films recently, and I almost previewed "Gorillas in the Mist;" it's a pretty good film. I'm not sorry I watched it, but the standard for recommendations should be higher. Unfortunately, to do justice to this film entailed quite a bit of research. Bram Stoker, a transplanted Irishman working in the London theater, wrote the novel in the 1890's; publishing dates vary, but 1897 seems to be the agreed date. The novel was a success critically and commercially. Stoker wrote a play based on the novel which ran for a single performance. In 1922 W.W. Murnau made a silent film titled "Nosferatu". He instructed the film writer to make significant changes to avoid copyright problems. Character names were changed and the period and the country were changed. 1840's Germany was substituted for 1890's England This didn't stop Stoker's widow from suing for copyright violation. She won and many copies of the film were destroyed, but the studio was broke. She recovered only costs. The film resurfaced; today it is considered a silent masterpiece; the performance of Max Schrenk is memorable.

Werner Herzog decided to make "Nosferatu-The Vampyre" using the W.W. Murnau template; the copyright protection for Stoker's "Dracula" had run out. Herzog is considered a genius; "Fitzcaraldo" is one of my all time favorite films. Where there is Herzog; there is almost always Klaus Kinski. The relationship between director and star was beyond tempestuous. In this film Herzog drove Kinski into a rage; this tired him sufficiently so that he wouldn't overplay Count Dracula. The Dracula look in this film makes him a monster; he has claws for fingers, two fangs in the center of his mouth, and bat like ears. The facial make-up took over four hours a day; fortunately Kinski liked Reiko Kruck, the Japanese make-up artist. Herzog is notorious for being controlling and working with a very small crew, 16 in this case. German and English versions were filmed simultaneously using the same actors. Herzog considers the German version the artistic version; good luck trying to find it.

Visually this film is stunning, from the opening views of a mausoleum in Mexico featuring a mosaic of skulls and corpses to the closing shots of Jonathan Harker (Bruno Ganz) now a vampire riding away on horseback along a deserted beach racing to inflict new horrors. I suggest you read Roger Ebert's review (Ebert.com) to help you understand the film visually. The plot is simple. Harker is given the task by his boss, Reinfield, of selling a piece of property in Wismar, a fictional coastal city in Germany, to Count Dracula. Dracula doesn't appear until 30+ minutes into the film. The Count is bewitched by a miniature of Lucy (Isabelle Adjani) Harker's wife. He quickly signs the contract, feeds off Harker, and takes off with multiple coffins for a journey by river then sea to Wismar. Harker becomes ill, but he wants to save Lucy. He travels by land trying to beat
Dracula to Wismar. By the time he arrives in Wismar; he has lost his memories of everyone including Lucy,and Dracula has brought the plague to Wismar. Lucy has been suffering from dreams/hallucinations, and Dr. Von Helsing (Walter Ladngast) is brought in to treat her. In this version of the Dracula story, Von Helsing is an educated idiot refusing to believe Lucy's belief that Count Dracula is a vampire. Lucy is left on her own to kill Dracula. Her method involves her own death. Von Helsing puts a steak through the heart of the Count to "make assurance double sure." He is arrested for murder.

If you are interested in classic horror or vampires; this is a must see. The performances except those of Ganz and Kinski are a little stilted, perhaps becuase of their unfamiliarity with English. Still the film has grown in critical and audience reception over the last 40 years. My highest recommendation.

I haven't watched Herzog's Nosferatu or Fitzcarraldo in quite some time, but from what I can remember, both are somewhere in the range from good to amazing. Sooner or later I'll have to get back to both.

Another Herzog-Kinski collaboration that we saw about ten years ago is "Aguirre, Wrath of God". That one is another wonderful piece of movie making.