Well Brook, I have 507 movies on my to rent list, but my viewing order is pretty much determined by what is broadcast (and hence recorded on my tivo), or what is available in my greencine (my alternative to netflix) list. Hopefully some more of the S&S films will show up soon.
However, just to take the heat off of Jim (who is spot on in his take on The Seventh Seal and 2 1/2 stars too generous to Cries & Whispers
), I read an interesting review of The Searchers the other day. Just so there's no mistake, this review is entirely a positive one as can be seen in the closing paragraph "In 1992, The Searchers was voted the fifth greatest movie of all time in a poll of international film critics held by Sight & Sound magazine. That's quite an accolade, but Ford's picture lives up to it."
However, what struck me was the following, "The true genius of The Searchers is in its being able to keep the audience's sympathy for Ethan, despite the evident fact that his is a murderous racist."
I obviously disagree with this review. But I found it striking that at least this reviewer and I were seeing something the same, though interpreting it differently. What he views as the true genius of the movie, is to me the fatal flaw of the movie. It is the very fact that the movie makes a murderous racist sympathetic that leads me to label this movie as racist itself. I have no problem with depictions of racist behavior, and even complex characterizations of racists, but I don't like seeing them made the hero or protagonist of a film.