Sight and Sound (2002) Greatest Films Club - Page 58

glen_esq · 04-16-2004, 12:28 AM

#300 Lacombe Lucien (Malle, 1974)

Great film depicting the collaboration of Frenchman with the Gestapo during WWII. More specifically, character studies of a young, boorish bully and the sophisticated, Jewish family he bullies.

The casual manner in which the French secret police dole out their brutual justice, and the degrees of acceptance by the population was quite a fascinating study of human
nature.

The film also features some very nice photography of the French countryside in summer.

Malle based the movie on his experiences as a Frenchman during the war.

I've enjoyed every movie from Malle I have seen. Malle seen/ranked:
1. Lacombe Lucien
2. Atlantic City
3. Au Revoir les Enfants
4. Damage
5. Vanya on 42nd Street
6. Elevator to the Gallows
7. Alamo Bay
8. The Fire Within
9. Zazie dans le Metro
10. My Dinner with Andre

A Touch of Zen (Hu, 1969)

Someone correct me if I'm wrong, but I think this is the only martial arts film in the 2002 S&S List.

At over 3 hours, the longest martial arts film I've seen.

Some great cinematography using nature as a backdrop , foggy woods and bamboo groves, huge boulders along mountain streams.

I dug the mystical abbot monk (Mr. Zen I guess you'd call him).

The fight choreography / stunts seem a bit tame by today's standards, and loses some points for obvious use of trampolines to have stunt men bouncing about on the screen.

Still, fairly entertaining.

Baby Doll (Kazan, 1956)

½
Had a lot of fun with this, surprising for a Kazan film, which for me have always been thoroughly serious film experiences. Carol Baker, Karl Malden, and especially Eli Wallach are just great to watch. According to imdb, was Wallach's first film - at age 41.

Steamy Tenessee Williams screenplay about jealousy, selfishness, and southern eccentricity.

Kazan seen/ranked, liked every one of these, too:
1. On the Waterfront
2. A Streetcar Named Desire
3. Baby Doll
4. East of Eden
5. Splendor in the Grass
5. A Tree Grows in Brooklyn
6. Viva Zapata!
7. A Face in the Crowd
8. Gentleman's Agreement

glen_esq · 04-16-2004, 01:00 AM

Adam - American neo-realist film - how about On the Waterfront?

glen_esq · 04-16-2004, 01:04 AM

Hotel Terminus (Ophuls, 1988)

½
I found this very interesting, despite its 4 hour length. Entertaining parade of characters presented to us in this documentary, with the truth of Nazi thug Klaus Barbie's life almost stranger than fiction.

Good film to pair with Lacombe Lucien.

The Crime of Monsieur Lange (Renoir, 1936)

½
I like Renoir's sardonic dialogue here, very adult in his approach to the way the characters interact, and the situations he presents.

A story told in one long flashback, Renoir's film is of greed, longing, and how even the meekest among us can be pushed too far.

Renoir seen/ranked:
1. The Rules of the Game
2. The Crime of Monsieur Lange
3. The Southerner
4. The Grande Illusion
5. La Marseillaise
6. A Day in the Country

Lew Crippen · 04-16-2004, 09:57 AM

You are on a roll Glen—some of my favorite directors—and some films that while they may be appreciated, seem to be very much overlooked. Atlantic City, your #2 Malle film is an excellent example. It has perhaps Bert Lancaster’s finest performance.

Lew Crippen · 04-16-2004, 10:01 AM

We've become a race of Peeping Toms. What people ought to do is get outside their own house and look in for a change. Yes sir. How's that for a bit of homespun philosophy?

Rear Window is very much a film about Peeping Toms (all of us) and structured deliberately to make the audience uncomfortable with our role as voyagers. Jimmy Stewart, the man of action is trapped in his own apartment, reduced to the role of an impotent observer—it never seems clear to him (as it does to the audience) that he is in fact watching various aspects of his own life in the apartments across the courtyard.

A brilliant film that reveals more to me each time I watch it.

Brook K · 04-16-2004, 11:32 AM

Quote:

audience uncomfortable with our role as voyagers

I've always been comfortable with my role as a voyager.

King Hu is the critical favorite of 60's-70's Hong Kong directors. His Come Drink With Me is also considered a genre classic. I have one of his last films, Painted Skin, shipping today from Netflix and should be seeing A Touch of Zen next week after this weekend's Brian DePalma mini-fest.

glen_esq · 04-16-2004, 06:49 PM

Lew - I agree Lancaster's performance in Atlantic City was very good, a great role, and he made the most of it.

His best performance, there's something to ponder. Interesting to contrast the dignified old gent he portrays in Atlantic City, with his confident exhuberance lighting up the screen in Elmer Gantry or The Rainmaker.

His other top two performances for me would be From Here to Eternity, and the his first film, The Killers.

Rick Salt · 04-17-2004, 09:14 AM

This might sound strange but for me a great comedy has to MAKE ME LAUGH

I think instead of over analyzing and looking for social commentary you have missed the point of a comedy. As far as i'm concerned movies like caddyshack, dumb and dumber, and holy grail are great because not only did i laugh my a$$ off i also liked and cared about the characters. If the acting was bad i wouldn't have laughed or cared.
Loosen up guys sometimes you don't have to take things so seriously

Seth Paxton · 04-18-2004, 02:03 AM

My 155th film was My Darling Clementine which is a strong character piece by Ford. It's interesting to see Ford in this period where he is still working with black and white heroes and villans, yet is also playing with "European" endings, ie not totally happy.

Here we have an ending that is somehow more satisfying because it represents final choices that match the initial character motivations rather than bending to the will of the audience and their need for a totally happy ending.

Plus Ford is able to provide a bit more motivations for his antagonists beyond just being pure evil. Things build and get out of control in a more complex way than they do in the black hat/white hat westerns.

It's not Searchers in paradoxical character traits, but it is an interesting mix of real flaws and motivations with archtype characters.

I also really enjoy Ford's day for night scenes, its just a good look to me.