Mario Gauci

02/19/06: CLASH BY NIGHT (Fritz Lang, 1952) ***

Despite several of the genre's quintessential elements (director Fritz Lang, director of photography Nicholas Musuraca, Barbara Stanwyck and Robert Ryan), this is not a film noir in the strict sense of the word and, in fact, as was the case with DILLINGER (1945), it made for a rather baffling choice to be included in Warners' "Film Noir Collection Vol. 2"! Actually, it's one of Lang's least typical films, though his beloved theme of Man being unable to escape his Fate does in fact play a major part in the proceedings.

In any case, CLASH BY NIGHT remains full of interest throughout and the melodramatic flourishes of the (familiar) 'love triangle' plot - adapted from a stage play by Clifford Odets (hence the tendency to overstate its points from time to time) - seem to have inspired the cast and crew to give it their all: one simply can't ignore the excellent performances (including a wonderfully disarming turn from Marilyn Monroe, not yet a star) and the typically great, hard-boiled (if often, necessarily, theatrical) dialogue (my favorites are two lines delivered, in his uniquely contemptible fashion, by Ryan - having had enough of a tediously uneventful night-out at the local tavern, he exclaims: "Excuse me while I shake this dump upside down!"; and describing the failed relationship with his estranged wife with the delicious "Sometimes I'd like to stick her full of pins...just to see if blood runs out!"). Still, when all is said and done, perhaps the film's mostly notable for its remarkable documentary-style depiction of the fishing community (Monterey, California) in which it is set.


02/20/06: DER TIGER VON ESCHNAPUR ((Fritz Lang, 1959) **1/2
02/20/06: DAS INDISCHE GRABMAL (Fritz Lang, 1959) **1/2

I was wary of purchasing Fantoma's 2-Disc Set of "Fritz Lang's Indian Epic" after being somewhat let down by the 1921 Silent original (co-scripted by Lang himself) and also its less-than-stellar reputation. For this reason, when the second part of the saga turned up on Italian TV a couple of years ago, I decided to check it out just the same so as to get an inkling of what to expect! I recall thinking it pretty kitschy and unworthy of Lang's enormous talent, but Fantoma's sale (through their website) of their entire DVD catalog a few months back made it an irresistible acquisition!

Well, having now watched the entire saga (with dialogue and in color, as opposed to the rather static Silent version directed by Joe May - although hearing the Indian-garbed characters talking in German took some getting used to), I was pleasantly surprised by how genuinely engaging and sheerly enjoyable it all was! Though it was sold as an epic production (to the point of concluding ESCHNAPUR with the promise that Part II would feature greater thrills and even more spectacle) at a time when such films were all the rage, the saga was actually a pretty modest undertaking by eclectic (and prolific) German producer Artur Brauner. Despite the two films' exotic, handsome look (not least in the provocative dances of Debra Paget), the budgetary constraints were painfully obvious in the special effects department, especially the hilarious appearance of a 'ropey' cobra which is intended to 'test' (the scantily-clad) Miss Paget's faithfulness to the Maharajah!! All in all, even if these films hardly constitute Lang's greatest work (though he harbored an evident affection throughout his life for this particular tale, which was originally conceived by his former wife Thea von Harbou), they have great - and enduring - appeal for aficionados of old-fashioned, serial-like adventure stories tinged with romance and mysticism.

Even so, while I don't subscribe to that school of thought myself, there are some film critics (Tom Gunning, Jean Douchet and Pierre Rissient among them) who think very highly of Lang's Indian diptych - the first considering it one of Lang's towering achievements and the last two numbering it among the ten greatest films of all time!!

IMDB Reviews

Joe Karlosi

Curly Top (1935)
This was only my second Shirley Temple film and therefore I don't have much to compare it with, but I have to say it was pretty good and it's very obvious why little Shirley was such a hit with audiences way back in the 1930's. Full of sweetness, charm, charisma, and sometimes even a hint of darling incorrigibility, Miss Temple gets to shine brightly in this picture.

Shirley stars as Elizabeth Blair (later dubbed "Curly"), a little girl residing at an orphanage with her much older sister Mary (Rochelle Hudson). It's an awfully tough place to live in, as Shirley gets into all sorts of trouble for doing things like allowing her little pony to sleep in her bed and daring to sing her popular song "Animal Crackers In My Soup" during mealtime with all her friends in the lunchroom. Enter the rich trustee of the orphanage, Edward Morgan (John Boles; I've always wondered what happened to him after FRANKENSTEIN), who instantly takes a special interest in little Elizabeth and then can't stop thinking about her; alone in his living room he plays the piano and sings (yucch) as he sees the little girl's cherubic face in the wall paintings he gazes at. He ultimately convinces his old aunt to let him adopt the child as well as her grown-up sister Mary.

In their new ritzy environment, both sisters are very adoring of the handsome Edward, and Mary begins to fall in love with him. But there is another man who is also longing for Mary's hand, so it's up to Curly Top to try and bring Edward and Mary together. I can't let this review go by without mentioning at this point that it occasionally struck me as a little peculiar that Mr. Morgan seemed more interested in little Elizabeth than he was in her older sister. I'm sure it was innocent enough in its day, but it just came off as odd sometimes.

Well -- enough of that. This is, after all, a Shirley Temple showcase and she gets to sing another song, "When I Grow Up," during a sequence where she stages a benefit show for all her less fortunate friends back at the orphanage, and changes costumes and dances. Watching her sing and dance her way into our hearts, it's clear that she was a highly talented performer who could completely carry a film.

Haggai

Mario, I basically agree with your take on Clash By Night. Good stuff from the actors and Lang's direction, although the story isn't all that strong.

Have you seen Now Voyager, or at least, are you familiar with the bit of business it introduced with the cigarettes, where Paul Henried lights two at once and then gives one to Bette Davis? There's a witty and acerbic variation on it in Clash By Night, when Ryan and Stanwyck are on the outdoor terrace of the restaurant: Ryan lights two cigarettes and gives one to her, but she throws it over the ledge of the balcony, and then lights one of her own!

Films watched in 2007 | 2006 | 2005

Mario Gauci

Haggai,


I agree with you about that cigarette lighting scene in CLASH BY NIGHT (1952) which I also found very funny. Of course, that famous scene in NOW, VOYAGER (1942) was memorably spoofed by Mel Brooks in YOUNG FRANKENSTEIN (1974).

Another instance in the Lang film which never fails to crack me up is when Ryan offensively retorts in broken English to Silvio Minciotti's reprimands about his drunkeness, "No, I no lika work!"; J. Carrol Naish is also amusing as the Iago-like no-good uncle.


Joe,


It's good to see that you've gotten another fine Hitchcock film under your belt; needless to say, DIAL "M" FOR MURDER (1954) is one of 25(!) Hitchcock titles on DVD which I currently have on my "To Watch" list...although, naturally, I've watched it a couple of times in the past already (***).

Furthermore, incredible as it may seem, I haven't watched that many Shirley Temple films myself, although I agree that CURLY TOP (1935) is a good vehicle; three more good ones are THE LITTLE COLONEL (1935), THE LITTLE PRINCESS (1939) and, best of all, THE BLUE BIRD (1940), a film made to rival MGM's current production of THE WIZARD OF OZ (1939) and which, most surprisingly, bombed at the box office despite being (arguably) practically the equal of that cinematic milestone! Could this be one of the reasons why we've had 3(!) DVD editions of the OZ so far but none of BLUE BIRD's?

By the way, I see that you've watched BEN-HUR (1959) for the nth time but there's still no sign of a first viewing of the superior 1925 Silent original from your end...

IMDB Reviews

Joe Karlosi

Of course I saw the 11-Academy-Award-Winning BEN-HUR (1959) again. Haven't you seen the thread about the Ziegfeld theatre screenings in New York? I may have seen this many times, but I've never seen it on the BIG SCREEN in my entire life (until last Monday, that is!) The Greatest Film Ever Made!

Oh, yeah - and I'll get around to that 'other' version too before the year is out.

Mario Gauci

Quote (originally posted by Joe Karlosi):

"Of course I saw the 11-Academy-Award-Winning BEN-HUR (1959) again. Haven't you seen the thread about the Ziegfeld theatre screenings in New York? I may have seen this many times, but I've never seen it on the BIG SCREEN in my entire life (until last Monday, that is!) The Greatest Film Ever Made!"

Oops - I'd forgotten you'd told me about that Ziegfeld theater showing! I'm glad you've managed to catch your No. 1 film on the big screen...

Besides the fact that I've yet to add Warners' 4-Disc Set of BEN-HUR (1959) to my collection, I'm also excited about the upcoming DVD releases of the Silent version of THE TEN COMMANDMENTS (1923) and "The Cecil B. De Mille Franchise Collection" which includes, among others, THE CRUSADES (1935) - neither of which I've ever watched.

While we're on the topic of big-sceen epics, it just dawned on me earlier this week that three such titles - THE CARDINAL (1963), IT'S A MAD, MAD, MAD, MAD WORLD (1963) and THE GREATEST STORY EVER TOLD (1965) - have had their Special Edition DVDs replaced by a no-frills version and it's proving problematic for me to get hold of them!! Anybody here has any reliable sources from where I can purchase them?

IMDB Reviews

Mario Gauci

Double Post

IMDB Reviews

Mario Gauci

02/18/06: PARFAIT AMOUR! (Catherine Breillat, 1996) ***

Another frank depiction of sexual obsession from Breillat which, despite several instances of full frontal nudity, is not particularly graphic until a short orgy sequence in the film's latter stages. While the film is rather long and talky, it is also surprisingly compelling, aided considerably by its two excellent central performances, particularly Isabelle Renauld's; its semi-documentary/flashback framework, then, leads to a shocking, inevitable finale. Having a relationship with a beautiful, mature woman is every young man's dream and, for a while, Francis Renaud lives it but before long, his unwillingness to let go of his chauvinistic male friends (who are prone to graphically describe their sexual prowess in front of his female companion) and seriously commit to his relationship is too heavy a burden for them both; ironically, it is Renaud's attempt at taking on the role of father-figure (by taking an interest in Renauld's teenage girl) which triggers off the differences between them and which keep escalating as the film goes along. Out of the three films I've watched so far from this interesting and controversial French film-maker, this is certainly the best so far and I'm looking forward to catching more of her work in the future. Luckily, I've managed to convince my pal at the local DVD rental store to add the Criterion DVD edition of Breillat's A` MA SOEUR! (2001) to his already impressive library...


02/19/06: 36 FILLETTE (Catherine Breillat, 1988) **1/2

This earlier film from Breillat is a typically truthful look at a foul-mouthed teenager's quest to lose her virginity; this time, the film's restraint in what it shows is understandable because it is dealing with an underaged character but the Lolita-esque aspects of the story (particularly apparent in the girl's love-hate relationship with her older brother's mature friend) are still effectively rendered. The film does not shrink from honing in on what the main character is truly after and ends just a few moments after she succeeds in reaching her goal. It also takes time to show that her parents are helplessly ineffective in containing their reckless daughter and distracting her from her single-minded quest to blossom into a woman before her time.


02/21/06: THE RIVER (Jean Renoir, 1951) ***

India has, through the years, fascinated many a major film-maker, including Robert Flaherty, Fritz Lang, Louis Malle, Michael Powell, Roberto Rossellini and Jean Renoir. Renoir's film, based on a novel by English novelist Rumer Godden of BLACK NARCISSUS (1947) fame, is as gorgeously shot (in ravishing Technicolor) as can be expected from a master film-maker and the son of a famous French impressionist painter; however, the narrative itself is rather disappointingly thin to support its 99-minute running time. Having said that, the coming-of-age story of two English girls living in India and loving the same young officer wounded in WWII, is appealingly performed by Nora Swinburne, Esmond Knight, Arthur Shields and Adrienne Corri. The central character, played winningly by newcomer Patricia Walters (whose only film this turned out to be) is a stand-in for Godden herself, whose considerable writing talent was not encouraged by her stern family. The film offers Renoir another chance to show his humanist side dwelling as it does on the strange (to Western eyes) social and religious customs of the Indian people; even so, when all is said and done, there is just too much local color in the film. However, as Renoir is not only one of my favorite film directors but arguably the greatest of all French film-makers, I am confident that a second viewing of THE RIVER will elevate significantly my estimation of it, as it is probably too rich an experience to savor all at one go.

Among the copious supplements on the Criterion DVD, there is a typically enthusiastic interview with Martin Scorsese (who also helped in funding the film's restoration) who waxes lyrically on the effect the film had on him as a 9 year-old filmgoer; surprisingly for me, he also confesses that the appeal of Renoir's masterpiece, LA REGLE DU JEU (1939), an automatic candidate for the title of the greatest film of all time, escapes him!!


02/21/06: DER KRIEGER UND DIE KAISERIN (Tom Tykwer, 2000) ***

Having loved Tykwer's impressively energetic RUN, LOLA, RUN (1998), I was really looking forward to watching his follow-up feature but, somehow, I never managed it until now (I did get to watch his subsequent film, HEAVEN [2002]). Thankfully, it was worth the wait and the result is almost as good. While the film is long and often rambles on rather aimlessly, it is never boring and, at times, disarmingly inventive and emotional; the leading players, especially the enchanting Franka Potente, have a lot to do with the latter quality. THE PRINCESS AND THE WARRIOR's main themes are matters of chance and fate but it also features an elaborate bank robbery and a long stretch of it takes place in an insane asylum (where Potente practices some unorthodox therapy on a couple of her patients) which is not too far removed from the one seen in ONE FLEW OVER THE CUCKOO'S NEST (1975).


02/22/06: RUMER GODDEN: AN INDIAN AFFAIR (TV) (Sharon Maguire, 1995) **1/2

A fascinating if not particularly thorough look at the formidably individualistic British novelist behind BLACK NARCISSUS (1947), ENCHANTMENT (1948), THE RIVER (1951) and INNOCENT SINNERS (1958). This BBC documentary shows Godden return to the site of her traumatic formative years in India after 50 years. While only those films (and novels) specifically set in India are dealt with, surprisingly her collaboration with master French film-maker Jean Renoir on bringing THE RIVER to the screen is not mentioned at all, nor are any sequences taken from it shown in the documentary; luckily, this was not the case with BLACK NARCISSUS.


02/22/06: THE ENEMY BELOW (Dick Powell, 1957) ***

Dick Powell, the likeable crooner from the Busby Berkeley musicals of the 1930s surprised a lot of people when he toughened up his image in a series of excellent film noirs in the mid-40s and early 50s, including MURDER, MY SWEET (1944) and CORNERED (1945). In the 50s, he changed track once again by stepping behind the camera to helm five unassuming genre films: a good noir-ish thriller, SPLIT SECOND (1953), the infamous John Wayne turkey, THE CONQUEROR (1956), an innocuous remake of the Frank Capra classic, IT HAPPENED ONE NIGHT (1934) entitled YOU CAN'T RUN AWAY FROM IT (1956) and two Robert Mitchum war movies, THE HUNTERS (1958) and, best of all, THE ENEMY BELOW.

While I'm usually wary of war films set inside a submarine (mostly because the incessant surfeit of technical jargon gets on my nerves pretty quickly), I can't deny that I've sat through some pretty good ones through the years, like CRASH DIVE (1943), DESTINATION TOKYO (1943), WE DIVE AT DAWN (1943), HELL AND HIGH WATER (1954), RUN SILENT, RUN DEEP (1958), TORPEDO RUN (1958), ON THE BEACH (1959), ICE STATION ZEBRA (1968), DAS BOOT (1981) and THE HUNT FOR RED OCTOBER (1990). Now I can safely add another one to that not unimpressive list: THE ENEMY BELOW.

Robert Mitchum and Curd Jurgens are suitably sturdy as the two sea captains on opposite sides of this exciting cat-and-mouse WWII chase story. The climax of the film (featuring the bulk of the special effects which won an Academy Award) is an intensely suspenseful and nail-biting one, capably sustained by the director and the cast (including David Hedison and Theodore Bikel as each ship's respective second-in-command).

IMDB Reviews

Haggai

Early Summer (1951) 9/10
Another one of Ozu's domestic dramas, where simple issues of marriage and family end up being much more involving than one would usually expect. The precision of the framing, the economy in building up a multi-dimensional portrayal of many of the characters, and the occasional museum-worthy nature shots all add up to a deceptively powerful combination.

In comparison with Tokyo Story, filmed just two years later, Ozu's lack of concern for which actors could portray which type of age range becomes very clear, maybe most prominently with two of his regulars, Chishu Ryu and Haruko Sugimura. In this movie, they play Setsuko Hara's brother and her prospective mother-in-law, but two years later, they played her father and her sister; i.e., the two actors both swapped generations. And yet it works just fine in both movies!

Glengarry Glen Ross (1992) 8/10
I'd never gotten around to seeing this frequently quoted theater adaptation, which does have a great cast, and some very quotable scenes. The Alec Baldwin part that everyone always references is justifiably well-remembered, and Pacino gets some fun stuff as well. The direction didn't seem to add too much, but the dialogue and the actors are enough to make it a lot of fun to watch.

Exodus (1960) 7/10
The extensive location shooting comes across beautifully in this movie, especially seeing it in a theater, although the direction in the first half is fairly dull and static. Otto Preminger usually liked long takes with minimal cutting, and some of it works OK in the second half, but not so much in the first. There are some good action scenes in the second half, and some strong stuff for the supporting characters, but the main relationship between Paul Newman and Eva Marie-Saint isn't all that convincing. The characters also occasionally change their minds about something important with little or no reason beyond plot convenience.

And for someone (like yours truly) who knows this particular time and place in history very well, the shuffling of personalities and events reaches amusing extremes of fictionalization. The three major historical events portrayed in the second half of the movie actually took place over the span of a year and a half, with many months separating each of them, but they all seem to happen within one single week in the movie; the last two even happen within one day of each other! Although it's more just a source of some chuckles for me than it is a criticism of the film itself; one of those time-warped historical events, a major prison break, ends up being the most exciting scene in the movie, so the specific facts surrounding it aren't too important.

Adam's Rib (1949) 9/10
Hepburn and Tracy get a great supporting cast of colorful characters in this one, with Judy Holliday, Tom Ewell, and Jean Hagen all giving hilarious interpretations of lower middle class New York City shlubs. The surprisingly touching climax between Tracy and Hepburn, after they've already seemed to have split irreconcilably, adds a great level of emotion to the witty script. The imaginary cross-dressing scene in the courtroom is another really funny high point.

Oliver Twist (1948) 10/10
David Lean's expressionistic/noirish version of the Dickens novel is a stunning visual achievement, one of the most brilliantly filmed movies I've ever seen. The first six minutes or so, with a young woman struggling to get out of a thunderstorm, seems to have jumped straight out of a '20s German silent film (also because there's no dialogue). It's an amazing way to set the tone for the rest of the film, which almost never lets up the rest of the way through.

The other movie that I was specifically thinking about, from the very first scene all the way through to the end, was Citizen Kane. All the shadows, the lighting, a lot of deep focus, intense visual stylization in tons of different ways...its whole look is closer to Kane than anything else I've seen. Everybody's been trying to match Kane to one degree or another ever since it was first released, but this is probably the only movie I've seen that could be interpreted as going for it and actually pulling it off.

Films watched in 2007 | 2006 | 2005