"Oh Gregory! You have a little pot belly just like my Daddy!" - Harper Lee
The movie is based on the Pulitzer Prize winning novel of the same name by Harper Lee. Lee wanted to be the Jane Austen of southern Alabama, and while not as prolific, she most certainly had a great effect on the south. Some scholars argue Mockingbird was a substantial influence in the Civil Rights Movement of the 60's.
During filming for the scene where Jem, Scout and Dill meet Atticus Finch and walk back towards their house while discussing the day, Gregory Peck noticed Harper Lee watching from off camera. She had what seemed to be a glistening or dampness on her cheek. When a rather puffed up Peck inquired about the effect of the scene on the author, that was the quote. Dill was based on Lee's friend Truman Capote. Capote was rumored to be a major contributor in the writing of Mockingbird but that has since been disproven.
1962 was a great year. Most importantly, yours truly arrived kicking and screaming into this world. I guess some of the other notable happenings in the movies should be mentioned as well. Number 7 on the AFI list, "Lawrence of Arabia" was the big winner at the Oscars (10 nominations and 7 wins), followed by "To Kill a Mockingbird" with 8 nominations and 3 wins (Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Art Direction, Black & White - , and the best Actor). Gregory Peck won Best Actor in a Leading Role against Burt Lancaster, Jack Lemmon, Peter O'Toole and Marcello Mastrioianni. You probably recognize at least the first three names on that list. This was after a drought for Peck. He was nominated for Best Actor at the 18th ("The Keys to the Kingdom"), 19th ("The Yearling"), 20th ("Gentleman's Agreement") and 22nd ("Twelve O'Clock High") Oscars but didn't win. He then starred in a string of films for 13 years or so. Nothing special, just films such as Moby Dick, The Snows of Kilimanjaro and such.
Peck's favorite movie and favorite role is forever associated with him and affected his life greatly. He formed a friendship with Scout (Mary Badham) that lasted the rest of his life. His grandson was named Harper Daniel Peck. He cherished the pocket watch of Harper Lee's father that was given to him and he remained in touch with Harper for his lifetime. The role transformed Peck as it did countless lives. In a 1999 documentary by his daughter Cecilia Peck, a man asks for Gregory to autograph an original movie poster from Mockingbird. The movie didn't affect the man much at all. He only saw it at 13 and decided to become a lawyer. Then, as he said, the movie was important to him not only because it led him to become a lawyer but more importantly because it taught him about being a father. So much so that he named his first son Atticus.
I wish I had seen this movie once a month while my son was growing up. Every father should be required to watch this movie many, many times. If only once a month I could have shown the patience of Atticus Finch rather than having shown my own impatience, I would look back at my parenting experience more fondly and I'd imagine my son would as well. Sorry, son.
"Miss Jean Louise stand up! Your father is passing." - Reverend Sykes
Peck's performance as the Lawyer Atticus Finch is astounding. The timing is impeccable and gives a weight to the dialog that is jaw dropping. Peck later said he struggled to not go over the top with the performance. He said he needed to reign in the emotion to keep it believable. I don't have a lot of experience in courtrooms, but I certainly bought it. The performance of the cast was spot on in the courtroom. Brock Peters plays the defendant with subtlety and a sense of almost quiet desperation. James Anderson played Robert E. Lee 'Bob' Ewell so well you can almost feel the malevolence. His daughter Mayella (Collin Wilcox Patton) is believable and powerful.
Another small confession to make. At the time of this writing I'm 48 years old. Every time I see/hear that quote above in the movie I tear up. EVERY time.
The scene when Bob Ewell spits on Atticus is amazing. The interplay between the two actors. The indignation and fury of Finch. The fear of Ewell. Awesome.
"Thank you for my children" - Atticus Finch
Arthur 'Boo' Radley (Robert Duvall) has no lines in the movie but still manages significant emotion with only his eyes and body language. This was Duvall's debut in feature films. He only followed that up with appearances in 4 more of the top 100 on AFI's list (M.A.S.H., Network, Godfather (I and II)).
I wish I'd seen this movie years ago. I knew the basic story. I'd seen the movie in pieces over the years but never actually watched the whole thing.
I wouldn't be surprised to see this movie on "the list" for longer than I'm around. But if I'm not around, how would I know? Doesn't matter much.
Saturday, February 12, 2011
Saturday, February 5, 2011
Winter's Bone - Sleeper?
There's almost no chance I would have sought out "Winter's Bone" if not for the Academy giving out the nomination for best picture. "An unflinching Ozark Mountain girl hacks through dangerous social terrain as she hunts down her drug-dealing father while trying to keep her family intact." (shamelessly stolen straight from IMDB) Wait..no guns, violence, scantily clad nubile women??
Well. It's a great movie and might well walk away with the Oscar in 22 days or so. Jennifer Lawrence has a shot at best actress as well, I suspect, but she would be awfully young to get the nod. Her performance is much different then Portman's but it is compelling. Rather than the tug between good and evil with the vulnerability Portman had to portray, Lawrence plays Ree Dolly and shows great tenacity and courage. She doesn't carry the movie but she more than holds her own.
She needs to provide and protect her family of two sibling children and a mother who's sick, and will continue to be. Her uncle Teardrop (John Hawkes) can't or won't help. Everyone is telling her she has to stop looking, but that means no house for the family. With limited choices, she presses on grimly. The poverty of the film is almost violent. I've never been to the Ozarks and, while I hope there isn't this sort of poverty, I'm shaken to think there probably is.
This film is finely crafted with great pace and feel, as well as fine performances that seem completely believable (well at least to me who's never been within two thousand miles of that world.) There is a realism throughout and the film doesn't seem to embellish much. When someone gets beat up you don't see the acts you just see the results. The story is told without the need for slow motion action sequences.
Wonderful film and well worth seeking out.
Well. It's a great movie and might well walk away with the Oscar in 22 days or so. Jennifer Lawrence has a shot at best actress as well, I suspect, but she would be awfully young to get the nod. Her performance is much different then Portman's but it is compelling. Rather than the tug between good and evil with the vulnerability Portman had to portray, Lawrence plays Ree Dolly and shows great tenacity and courage. She doesn't carry the movie but she more than holds her own.
She needs to provide and protect her family of two sibling children and a mother who's sick, and will continue to be. Her uncle Teardrop (John Hawkes) can't or won't help. Everyone is telling her she has to stop looking, but that means no house for the family. With limited choices, she presses on grimly. The poverty of the film is almost violent. I've never been to the Ozarks and, while I hope there isn't this sort of poverty, I'm shaken to think there probably is.
This film is finely crafted with great pace and feel, as well as fine performances that seem completely believable (well at least to me who's never been within two thousand miles of that world.) There is a realism throughout and the film doesn't seem to embellish much. When someone gets beat up you don't see the acts you just see the results. The story is told without the need for slow motion action sequences.
Wonderful film and well worth seeking out.
Friday, February 4, 2011
The Kids Are All Right - but is the Movie?
After seven years in the making, "The Kids Are All Right" was screened and extremely well received at the Sundance Film Festival. This is a tale about a long term and loving, but flawed and perhaps fading marriage. Nic, the Doctor and breadwinner (Annette Benning), and the "housewife" Jules (Julianne Moore) are the parents of one child each from the same sperm donor. When the eldest child Joni (Mia Wasikowska) turns 18 she's able to inquire on the identity of her father at the request of the younger brother, Laser (Josh Hutcherson) who is 15. They meet the father and the story follows the cast for the summer.
First I need to say that Laser is a stupid name for a kid. Just plain dumb. I enjoy the performance of Mark Ruffalo who plays the father Paul...but how could he manage to keep a straight face when telling a 15 year old "cool name" when the kid is introduced as Laser. I mean c'mon.
"Hi my name is Laser"
"Oh. Cool my name is Transistor"
"Sweet I think to make me they need to use some of you"
"I think my sister Saser makes too much noise" (a saser is like an ultrasonic rather than light based laser)
OR
"Honey I'm not sure if our son is going to be tormented enough in school. He will be in a minority as the child of Lesbian parents but do you think that's enough?"
"OH! Let's give him a name like Laser. That'll help!"
"Can we give him that 'Kick Me' T-Shirt when he's older?"
Anyway...we move on. Critics LOVED this movie. Rotten Tomatoes gives it a 95% based on 200 reviews. So about 7% greater than "The Black Swan" or on par with "True Grit (2010)" or 9% higher than "Inception". I'm glad I'm writing a blog about more than just trying to be a critic. NO WAY is this movie that good. Sorry.
Years ago I went to see "Kiss of the Spider Woman" in the theaters when it was in full release. I went to see it based on critical acclaim. To this day I don't really trust critics. Horrible movie.
"The Kids Are All Right" was entertaining, to a point. A little more comedy would have helped, for me at least. The charming Ruffalo and his relationships with the family could have provided more grist for the humor mill. Instead the comedy is almost like meat in a borderline stew (sorry to any vegetarians) - just enough to keep you interested.
If this wins the Oscar the TV might not survive.
First I need to say that Laser is a stupid name for a kid. Just plain dumb. I enjoy the performance of Mark Ruffalo who plays the father Paul...but how could he manage to keep a straight face when telling a 15 year old "cool name" when the kid is introduced as Laser. I mean c'mon.
"Hi my name is Laser"
"Oh. Cool my name is Transistor"
"Sweet I think to make me they need to use some of you"
"I think my sister Saser makes too much noise" (a saser is like an ultrasonic rather than light based laser)
OR
"Honey I'm not sure if our son is going to be tormented enough in school. He will be in a minority as the child of Lesbian parents but do you think that's enough?"
"OH! Let's give him a name like Laser. That'll help!"
"Can we give him that 'Kick Me' T-Shirt when he's older?"
Anyway...we move on. Critics LOVED this movie. Rotten Tomatoes gives it a 95% based on 200 reviews. So about 7% greater than "The Black Swan" or on par with "True Grit (2010)" or 9% higher than "Inception". I'm glad I'm writing a blog about more than just trying to be a critic. NO WAY is this movie that good. Sorry.
Years ago I went to see "Kiss of the Spider Woman" in the theaters when it was in full release. I went to see it based on critical acclaim. To this day I don't really trust critics. Horrible movie.
"The Kids Are All Right" was entertaining, to a point. A little more comedy would have helped, for me at least. The charming Ruffalo and his relationships with the family could have provided more grist for the humor mill. Instead the comedy is almost like meat in a borderline stew (sorry to any vegetarians) - just enough to keep you interested.
If this wins the Oscar the TV might not survive.
Thursday, February 3, 2011
Black Swan - Cool Ballet?
To understand "Black Swan", it helps to know the previous work of the director Darren Aronofsky. I didn't while watching the movie but I wish I would have. The movie is very well done and draws more than a few parallels with "The Wrestler". I think both movies speak to the dedication and commitment of performers but obviously from different ends of the "High Brow" spectrum. Just as Aronofsky built a level of compassion to the broken down and out Mickey Rourke, he builds empathy with (Nina Sayers) Portman as she struggles with a quest, not only for perfection but also while discovering a darker side she must include in her dance.
Everything I know about ballet could be written on a really small piece of paper with a rather large crayon. I've seen "Swan Lake" but I was a kid and didn't enjoy it even a little bit. I did see a presentation by the local company in elementary school and it was sorta cool...but that's about it. I mean let's remember this was invented by the French. The French know how to cook and surrender. Anything else is a stretch.
Thank goodness for the "Interwebz". Swan Lake was written by Tchaikovsky and the music is superb. Turns out the most common version shown today is based on a "revival" with minor changes to the score and staging. I won't do the story much justice but, just in case you don't know the outline, the plot summary is:
The movie follows a dancer who is obsessed with perfection and is given the lead in Swan Lake. As she goes deeper and deeper into the part of the Black Swan, and as she discovers more of her darker side, the movie turns into a psychological thriller of sorts. The lines between reality and fantasy start to blur for Sayers. She is overly controlled by her mother, overly threatened by another dancer, overly challenged by an Artistic Director (Vincent Cassel). Does she give the perfect performance?
Very solid performances by Portman, Hershey, Cassel and Kunis. I think Portman will win the Oscar for this one. She's grown into a powerful actress and she's certainly showing that. She shows subtlety and finesse which is a far cry from her stiff work on the Star Wars episodes. If my math is right, she's coming up on 30 years old and I believe we'll see some spectacular roles for her in the future.
For the non technical categories the film got nominations for Actress in a Leading Role (Natalie Portman), Cinematography (Matthew Libatique), Directing (Darren Aronofsky), and finally, best picture. The film is a money maker with a budget in the range of 10-12 million and a box office that will top 100 million.
I have no idea on the Cinematography or Editing awards, so I won't comment. I predict no joy on Best Picture or Directing with a walk up the stairs for Portman as best actress.
In another somewhat surprising rating this is also "R"
Everything I know about ballet could be written on a really small piece of paper with a rather large crayon. I've seen "Swan Lake" but I was a kid and didn't enjoy it even a little bit. I did see a presentation by the local company in elementary school and it was sorta cool...but that's about it. I mean let's remember this was invented by the French. The French know how to cook and surrender. Anything else is a stretch.
Thank goodness for the "Interwebz". Swan Lake was written by Tchaikovsky and the music is superb. Turns out the most common version shown today is based on a "revival" with minor changes to the score and staging. I won't do the story much justice but, just in case you don't know the outline, the plot summary is:
- Woman turned to white swan by curse
- Woman can be saved by the true love of a Prince
- Prince is fooled by the black swan
- White Swan dies because foolish Prince got fooled
The movie follows a dancer who is obsessed with perfection and is given the lead in Swan Lake. As she goes deeper and deeper into the part of the Black Swan, and as she discovers more of her darker side, the movie turns into a psychological thriller of sorts. The lines between reality and fantasy start to blur for Sayers. She is overly controlled by her mother, overly threatened by another dancer, overly challenged by an Artistic Director (Vincent Cassel). Does she give the perfect performance?
Very solid performances by Portman, Hershey, Cassel and Kunis. I think Portman will win the Oscar for this one. She's grown into a powerful actress and she's certainly showing that. She shows subtlety and finesse which is a far cry from her stiff work on the Star Wars episodes. If my math is right, she's coming up on 30 years old and I believe we'll see some spectacular roles for her in the future.
For the non technical categories the film got nominations for Actress in a Leading Role (Natalie Portman), Cinematography (Matthew Libatique), Directing (Darren Aronofsky), and finally, best picture. The film is a money maker with a budget in the range of 10-12 million and a box office that will top 100 million.
I have no idea on the Cinematography or Editing awards, so I won't comment. I predict no joy on Best Picture or Directing with a walk up the stairs for Portman as best actress.
In another somewhat surprising rating this is also "R"
Monday, January 31, 2011
Academy Award Nominees
Yep. My bad. I haven't posted in nine days but I do have a good excuse. I've been watching and reading about some/most of the Academy Award best picture nominees. If for no other reason so I can "Pooh Pooh" the choices made with some knowledge of the movie.
The Nominees are:
Before the nominations were made, I'd seen a measly three of the ten. That's part of the reason I took a short hiatus from the AFI list. I thought "Inception" would be there. It was a great movie with enough plot twists to keep you engaged and it was very enjoyable. I still rave about the movie to many of my friends. I was surprised "The Social Network" made the list. ANYONE saying something like "this is a great movie and will be relevant 20 or 30 years from now!" as they watch it? I mean if you were...then...sheesh. The story is good and the acting is good. It follows the book closely and tells a very interesting story, but didn't really add much. It shouldn't be nominated for best picture. "Toy Story 3" is great. Fine movie and Pixar has made nothing but great movies.
The movies I hadn't seen when the nomination list came out, but have since, are "The King's Speech", "127 Hours" and "The Fighter". First, "The King's Speech". Colin Firth got a nomination for best actor and it was well deserved. He does a great job and for my money plays a difficult part very well. He nailed the stammer and cadence of George VI (listen to a recording of the monarch's speech). Geoffrey Rush was very entertaining and the rest of the cast at least solid and in some cases marvelous. Rush has always been a favorite way back to Elizabeth in 1998. Whether or not the movie should have been nominated for as many Oscars as it was...is a topic for further discussion. Do yourself a favour and at least read the story of George V and his sons The Duke of York (George) and the Duke of Windsor (Edward). It will make the movie more enjoyable. Don't worry much about the R rating. It's for a couple. well a few, F Bombs dropped by Firth as part of the speech therapy. It's incomprehensible this film got an R rating.
Danny Boyle's direction of "127 Hours" is great and the movie is solid, but I think a 16mm black and white student-done version of this tale would still be solid. The story is so compelling it would be a challenge to mess it up, I think. Think of how you could make a poor movie of that story. There is a great style to the film and you can see the touch of the man who made Trainspotting with some quick cuts and unique camera angles.
Christian Bale and Mark Wahlberg are both very believable in "The Fighter". I wasn't aware of the story so I didn't catch the many departures from life in the film. The fight scenes are OK at best but, to be fair, since I recently watched "Raging Bull" any fight scenes are going to pale in comparison. The film is gritty in its portrayal of the poor residents of Lowell MA and Melissa Leo is great. I would say that Amy Adams did a remarkable job as well. But the contrast in character from Charlie Wilson's War might have something to do with that.
I'll either watch another of the Oscar Nominees or back to the AFI list in the next couple days.
The Nominees are:
- "Black Swan" Mike Medavoy, Brian Oliver and Scott Franklin, Producers
- "The Fighter" David Hoberman, Todd Lieberman and Mark Wahlberg, Producers
- "Inception" Emma Thomas and Christopher Nolan, Producers
- "The Kids Are All Right" Gary Gilbert, Jeffrey Levy-Hinte and Celine Rattray, Producers
- "The King's Speech" Iain Canning, Emile Sherman and Gareth Unwin,Producers
- "127 Hours" Christian Colson, Danny Boyle and John Smithson, Producers
- "The Social Network" Scott Rudin, Dana Brunetti, Michael De Luca and Ceán Chaffin, Producers
- "Toy Story 3" Darla K. Anderson, Producer
- "True Grit" Scott Rudin, Ethan Coen and Joel Coen, Producers
- "Winter's Bone" Anne Rosellini and Alix Madigan-Yorkin, Producers
Before the nominations were made, I'd seen a measly three of the ten. That's part of the reason I took a short hiatus from the AFI list. I thought "Inception" would be there. It was a great movie with enough plot twists to keep you engaged and it was very enjoyable. I still rave about the movie to many of my friends. I was surprised "The Social Network" made the list. ANYONE saying something like "this is a great movie and will be relevant 20 or 30 years from now!" as they watch it? I mean if you were...then...sheesh. The story is good and the acting is good. It follows the book closely and tells a very interesting story, but didn't really add much. It shouldn't be nominated for best picture. "Toy Story 3" is great. Fine movie and Pixar has made nothing but great movies.
The movies I hadn't seen when the nomination list came out, but have since, are "The King's Speech", "127 Hours" and "The Fighter". First, "The King's Speech". Colin Firth got a nomination for best actor and it was well deserved. He does a great job and for my money plays a difficult part very well. He nailed the stammer and cadence of George VI (listen to a recording of the monarch's speech). Geoffrey Rush was very entertaining and the rest of the cast at least solid and in some cases marvelous. Rush has always been a favorite way back to Elizabeth in 1998. Whether or not the movie should have been nominated for as many Oscars as it was...is a topic for further discussion. Do yourself a favour and at least read the story of George V and his sons The Duke of York (George) and the Duke of Windsor (Edward). It will make the movie more enjoyable. Don't worry much about the R rating. It's for a couple. well a few, F Bombs dropped by Firth as part of the speech therapy. It's incomprehensible this film got an R rating.
Danny Boyle's direction of "127 Hours" is great and the movie is solid, but I think a 16mm black and white student-done version of this tale would still be solid. The story is so compelling it would be a challenge to mess it up, I think. Think of how you could make a poor movie of that story. There is a great style to the film and you can see the touch of the man who made Trainspotting with some quick cuts and unique camera angles.
Christian Bale and Mark Wahlberg are both very believable in "The Fighter". I wasn't aware of the story so I didn't catch the many departures from life in the film. The fight scenes are OK at best but, to be fair, since I recently watched "Raging Bull" any fight scenes are going to pale in comparison. The film is gritty in its portrayal of the poor residents of Lowell MA and Melissa Leo is great. I would say that Amy Adams did a remarkable job as well. But the contrast in character from Charlie Wilson's War might have something to do with that.
I'll either watch another of the Oscar Nominees or back to the AFI list in the next couple days.
Saturday, January 22, 2011
Vertigo (1958) #9
When Vertigo premiered on AFI's list. it was at number 61. Its climb of 52 spots between the two lists is eclipsed by only "City Lights" (1931) which climbed 65, and "The Searchers" (1956), which climbed 84. Alfred Hitchcock was a <insert your superlative of choice here> director. Consider he has #9 (Vertigo), #14 (Psycho), #48 (Rear Window) and finally #55 (North by Northwest) in the tenth Anniversary Edition of the AFI list. All the movies were on the first list and it was a split (2 up and 2 down) in the rankings for the second. It would be close to, if not completely impossible, to find any meaningful list of the top 5 or 10 directors of all time that wouldn't contain Hitchcock.
Vertigo is an example of him at his prime. Four years previous to Vertigo he directed "Rear Window". He followed that up with To Catch a Thief (1955), The Trouble with Harry (1955), The Man Who Knew Too Much (1956) and finally The Wrong Man (1956). Not bad, right? His next 3 were Vertigo (1958), North by Northwest (1959) and then he capped it off with Psycho (1960). Simply astounding. Hitchcock finds another blond for the female lead in Kim Novak (remember he worked with Grace Kelly, Tippy Hedron, Eva Marie Saint, Janet Leigh) ... He liked his blonds. On a side note I do have to say that Grace Kelly was simply stunning. I certainly wasn't around when she was a big star, but holy smokes. I mean she was stunning in "High Noon", she was stunning in "Rear Window" and she was stunning in every photo I've ever seen of her. But since my wife is already crabby at me for going on about Grace, I'd better shut up now.
The film follows the relationship between John 'Scottie' Ferguson (James Stewart) and Madelaine Elster (Kim Novak), the wife of a college buddy of Ferguson. Since Ferguson has just retired from the police force due to acrophobia (fear of heights), Gavin Elster asks him to follow his wife because she's acting strangely. In fact, his wife is acting so strangely that Elster believes she's been possessed by the spirit of a long dead woman named Carlotta Valdez (no relation to Juan the guy with the mule and coffee). Stewart and Novak fall in love but sadly Novak succumbs to the darkness of Carlotta and jumps out of a bell tower which sends Scottie into a spiral of melancholia. Miss Ellie from Dallas (Barbara Bel Geddes) helps to nurse him back to his feet.
About a year later he meets...well in today's terms stalks and then meets, a woman who looks amazingly like the dead Madelaine. The resemblance is so striking he remakes the woman into Madelaine's image using hair, clothes and makeup. It's really creepy and I think both Stewart and Novak do a remarkable job. What Stewart doesn't know is he's been the victim of a hoax and Kim Novak was one of the set pieces used in the deception. I'm not doing it justice by any means.
As is the case with all of Hitchcock's work the film is very meticulous. The camera angles and shot compositions are remarkable with the use of low camera angles to keep you thinking of height. Gently reminding you they are always there...tall buildings and towers and and and. Very subtle and effective.
A must see and worth the time, effort and money to get and slump in the Lazy-Boy and watch.
Vertigo is an example of him at his prime. Four years previous to Vertigo he directed "Rear Window". He followed that up with To Catch a Thief (1955), The Trouble with Harry (1955), The Man Who Knew Too Much (1956) and finally The Wrong Man (1956). Not bad, right? His next 3 were Vertigo (1958), North by Northwest (1959) and then he capped it off with Psycho (1960). Simply astounding. Hitchcock finds another blond for the female lead in Kim Novak (remember he worked with Grace Kelly, Tippy Hedron, Eva Marie Saint, Janet Leigh) ... He liked his blonds. On a side note I do have to say that Grace Kelly was simply stunning. I certainly wasn't around when she was a big star, but holy smokes. I mean she was stunning in "High Noon", she was stunning in "Rear Window" and she was stunning in every photo I've ever seen of her. But since my wife is already crabby at me for going on about Grace, I'd better shut up now.
The film follows the relationship between John 'Scottie' Ferguson (James Stewart) and Madelaine Elster (Kim Novak), the wife of a college buddy of Ferguson. Since Ferguson has just retired from the police force due to acrophobia (fear of heights), Gavin Elster asks him to follow his wife because she's acting strangely. In fact, his wife is acting so strangely that Elster believes she's been possessed by the spirit of a long dead woman named Carlotta Valdez (no relation to Juan the guy with the mule and coffee). Stewart and Novak fall in love but sadly Novak succumbs to the darkness of Carlotta and jumps out of a bell tower which sends Scottie into a spiral of melancholia. Miss Ellie from Dallas (Barbara Bel Geddes) helps to nurse him back to his feet.
About a year later he meets...well in today's terms stalks and then meets, a woman who looks amazingly like the dead Madelaine. The resemblance is so striking he remakes the woman into Madelaine's image using hair, clothes and makeup. It's really creepy and I think both Stewart and Novak do a remarkable job. What Stewart doesn't know is he's been the victim of a hoax and Kim Novak was one of the set pieces used in the deception. I'm not doing it justice by any means.
As is the case with all of Hitchcock's work the film is very meticulous. The camera angles and shot compositions are remarkable with the use of low camera angles to keep you thinking of height. Gently reminding you they are always there...tall buildings and towers and and and. Very subtle and effective.
A must see and worth the time, effort and money to get and slump in the Lazy-Boy and watch.
Friday, January 21, 2011
The Wild Bunch (1969) #79
For my money, this is the best work of director "Bloody Sam" (Sam Peckinpah). The violence is raw and visceral as are the characters. Peckinpah was a pioneer of the revisionist genre and "The Wild Bunch" is one of the seminal works of the genre. The Production Code was no more and that freedom allowed Pekinpah to present a film with innovative depictions of violence as well as portraying anti-heroes. Pike Bishop (William Holden) is the central character but his shooting of a comrade early in the film solidifies his position as an anti-hero and prepares the viewer for a film that will challenge some of the conceptions of the Western Genre.
Set against the early teens of the 1900's, the story follows aging outlaws whose time is coming to an end. The automobile makes an appearance in the film and the initial gunfight includes actual sidewalks and park benches. This places the film at the end of, rather than the beginning or prime of an era. No longer is all the shooting with Colt revolvers and Winchester rifles, but with Semi-Automatic Pistols, Springfield Rifles and a Browning Machine Gun. The outlaws are dirty and you can almost smell them as you see them on screen. Strother Martin plays a despicable bounty hunter aptly described as "gutter trash" by Deke Thornton (Robert Ryan). The Wild Bunch have to shoot their way out of town with the haul of "steel holes" and lose a significant number. The gunfight is almost climactic in feel and would usually be seen at the end, rather than the beginning, of a movie.
Attempting to make one "big score", they take on the US Army now to steal weapons for Mexican General Mapache (Emilio Fernández). Note that one of his henchmen was Lt. Herrera played by Alfonso Arau, who moved up the ranks of Mexican banditry and by 1986 was El Guapo in "Three Amigos" with Steve Martin, Chevy Chase and Martin Short. No, I don't know why Three Amigos isn't on the AFI list either. It really is a travesty! OK. Yes I'm kidding but I did have to do the research after I realized I'd seen Arau in other movies. The robbery goes off and they get paid their gold by Mapache. But, then Bishop gets noble and attempts to save one of their own, Angel (Jaime Sánchez). A lot of slow motion and blood would be one way to describe the fight sequence and it is very well done. It's raw just as intended.
The movie runs just under 2 1/2 hours and did move slowly at times. The influence from "Seven Samurai" is then passed on to Tarantino in "Reservoir Dogs" and other movies. Film makers John Woo, Martin Scorsese and others directly attribute influence from "Bloody Sam". Another film on the list, "Unforgiven", is heavily influenced by the Wild Bunch and portrayal of the anti-hero. Later Spaghetti Westerns were certainly influenced as were other movies with Clint Eastwood. The cast is great and includes Ernest Borgnine, Warren Oates and Ben Johnson, all of which you'd recognize from other works. The screenplay was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay up against "Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid", "Bob and Carol & Ted & Alice", "The Damned" and "Easy Rider". Losing to Butch Cassidy et. al. had to take some of the sting out of it.
Peckinpah's work influenced a generation of film makers. His hard drinking and drug abuse are legendary as well as his combative personality. Anyone who is mentioned alongside "The Duke, John Cassavetes, Lee Marvin" with a case of whiskey by Denis Leary had to have done something wrong/right.
Certainly should be on the list. It's a seminal work of a genre. Great Movie.
Set against the early teens of the 1900's, the story follows aging outlaws whose time is coming to an end. The automobile makes an appearance in the film and the initial gunfight includes actual sidewalks and park benches. This places the film at the end of, rather than the beginning or prime of an era. No longer is all the shooting with Colt revolvers and Winchester rifles, but with Semi-Automatic Pistols, Springfield Rifles and a Browning Machine Gun. The outlaws are dirty and you can almost smell them as you see them on screen. Strother Martin plays a despicable bounty hunter aptly described as "gutter trash" by Deke Thornton (Robert Ryan). The Wild Bunch have to shoot their way out of town with the haul of "steel holes" and lose a significant number. The gunfight is almost climactic in feel and would usually be seen at the end, rather than the beginning, of a movie.
Attempting to make one "big score", they take on the US Army now to steal weapons for Mexican General Mapache (Emilio Fernández). Note that one of his henchmen was Lt. Herrera played by Alfonso Arau, who moved up the ranks of Mexican banditry and by 1986 was El Guapo in "Three Amigos" with Steve Martin, Chevy Chase and Martin Short. No, I don't know why Three Amigos isn't on the AFI list either. It really is a travesty! OK. Yes I'm kidding but I did have to do the research after I realized I'd seen Arau in other movies. The robbery goes off and they get paid their gold by Mapache. But, then Bishop gets noble and attempts to save one of their own, Angel (Jaime Sánchez). A lot of slow motion and blood would be one way to describe the fight sequence and it is very well done. It's raw just as intended.
The movie runs just under 2 1/2 hours and did move slowly at times. The influence from "Seven Samurai" is then passed on to Tarantino in "Reservoir Dogs" and other movies. Film makers John Woo, Martin Scorsese and others directly attribute influence from "Bloody Sam". Another film on the list, "Unforgiven", is heavily influenced by the Wild Bunch and portrayal of the anti-hero. Later Spaghetti Westerns were certainly influenced as were other movies with Clint Eastwood. The cast is great and includes Ernest Borgnine, Warren Oates and Ben Johnson, all of which you'd recognize from other works. The screenplay was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay up against "Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid", "Bob and Carol & Ted & Alice", "The Damned" and "Easy Rider". Losing to Butch Cassidy et. al. had to take some of the sting out of it.
Peckinpah's work influenced a generation of film makers. His hard drinking and drug abuse are legendary as well as his combative personality. Anyone who is mentioned alongside "The Duke, John Cassavetes, Lee Marvin" with a case of whiskey by Denis Leary had to have done something wrong/right.
Certainly should be on the list. It's a seminal work of a genre. Great Movie.
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