The Great March HTF Historical Drama/Epic Challenge - Page 2

Lew Crippen · 03-02-2008, 02:55 PM

This is 1806 for Heaven's sake!

But in this film adaptation of Jane Austin’s Mansfield Park (new), much of the sense and some of the sensibilities are closer to our time than anything that she intended. For example, Austin’s heroine, Fanny Brice is (even for Austin) an unassuming, quiet girl filled with modesty. But in this movie she very much a modern, liberated feminist, who not only does not bow to the wishes and commands of others, but defies them forthrightly and openly (in a manner not at all in the Austin protagonist style).

Even so, the movie and screenplay retain much of Austin’s wit and style. Well worth seeing.

JohnRice · 03-02-2008, 03:01 PM

Hey Lew, which Mansfield Park is that?

Lew Crippen · 03-02-2008, 08:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JohnRice

Hey Lew, which Mansfield Park is that?

1999 directed by Patricia Rozema.

Lew Crippen · 03-02-2008, 08:15 PM

I'd kiss you, but I'm not sure it'd come out right.

So it goes with Dorothy Parker in Mrs. Parker and the Vicious Circle (new) an unsatisfying view of the wits and wastrels who gathered daily for lunch, booze and bon mots at the Algonquin. Satisfyingly, if one does not know the luminaries of the 20s (George S. Kaufman, Robert Sherwod, Robert Benchly, Edna Ferber, et. al.) there is no time wasted in explanation.

On the flip side, even Parker’s wit, affairs and huge alcohol consumption don’t sustain the 2+ hours run time.

JohnRice · 03-02-2008, 08:17 PM

Lew, are you saying Austen is known for quiet, unassuming heroines?

Lew Crippen · 03-02-2008, 08:46 PM

In their style, not in their substance—perhaps I did not phrase this correctly, but the portrayal of Fanny in the movie is very modern American, in-your-face feminism (something I’m OK with). Of all of Austin’s heroines, I find Fanny Brice to be the most unassuming.

JohnRice · 03-02-2008, 09:45 PM

Well, I plan on watching that adaptation myself. Of course, all of Austen's heroines are feminist, at least in their 200 year old culture. Still, I have found I like the more bold representations such as Joe Wright's Lizzy as well as the more polite ones like the Emma Thompson/Ang Lee Dashwood sisters

Mario Gauci · 03-03-2008, 12:07 AM

I had decided to dedicate this March to Epic film viewing long ago but have only just now stumbled across this official HTF thread. So here is my list:

03/01/08: HERR ARNES PENGAR aka SIR ARNE'S TREASURE (Mauritz Stiller, 1919) - DVD {First Viewing}
03/01/08: DUE NOTTI CON CLEOPATRA aka TWO NIGHTS WITH CLEOPATRA (Mario Mattoli, 1953) - TV {First Viewing}
03/01/08: MIO FIGLIO NERONE aka NERO'S MISTRESS and O.K. NERO and NERO'S WEEKEND (Steno, 1956) - TV {First Viewing}

03/02/08: FRATELLO HOMO, SORELLA BONA (NEL BOCCACCIO SUPERPROIBITO) aka ROMAN SCANDALS '73 and GET THEE TO A NUNNERY (Mario Sequi, 1972) - TV {First Viewing}
03/02/08: ETTORE LO FUSTO aka HECTOR THE MIGHTY (Enzo G. Castellari, 1972) - VHS {First Viewing}
03/02/08: MONDO CANDIDO (Gualtiero Jacopetti And Franco Propseri, 1975) - VHS {First Viewing}

03/03/08: THE CRUSADES (Cecil B. De Mille, 1935) - DVD-R {First Viewing}

03/04/08: KING RICHARD AND THE CRUSADERS (David Butler, 1954)

- TV [Dubbed In Italian] {Second Viewing}
03/04/08: LE SETTE FOLGORI DI ASSUR aka WAR GODS OF BABYLON and SEVENTH THUNDERBOLT (Silvio Amadio, 1962) - TV {First Viewing}

03/05/08: IL MASSACRO DELLA FORESTA NERA [Italian-Language Version Of HERMANN DER CHERUSKER - DIE SCHLACHT IM TEUTOBURGER WALD] aka MASSACRE IN THE BLACK FOREST and ARMINIUS THE TERRIBLE (Ferdinando Baldi and, uncredited, Rudolf Nussgruberg, 1967) - TV {First Viewing}
03/05/08: GLI ULTIMI GIORNI DI POMPEII [Edited U.S. Version] aka THE LAST DAYS OF POMPEII (Carmine Gallone and Amleto Palermi, 1926) - DVD-R [English Narration] {First Viewing}

03/06/08: BLUEBEARD (Edward Dmytryk and Luciano Sacripanti, 1972) - DVD-R {First Viewing}

03/08/08: FAMILY THEATER: HILL NUMBER ONE (TV) (Arthur Pierson, 1951) - DVD Rental {First Viewing}
03/08/08: FAMILY THEATER: I BEHELD HIS GLORY (TV) (John T. Coyle, 1953) - DVD Rental {First Viewing}
03/08/08: THE POWER OF THE RESURRECTION aka THE PASSION AND THE POWER OF THE CHRIST (Harold D. Schuster, 1958) - DVD Rental {First Viewing}
03/08/08: MARKETA LAZAROVA (Frantisek Vlacil, 1967) - DVD {First Viewing}
03/08/08: THE GREAT COMMANDMENT (Irving Pichel, 1939) - DVD Rental {First Viewing}

03/10/08: MARTIN LUTHER (Irving Pichel, 1953) - DVD Rental {First Viewing}

03/11/08: BITKA NA NERETVI aka THE BATTLE OF NERETVA and THE BATTLE OF THE RIVER NERETVA (Veljko Bulajic, 1969) - TV [Dubbed In Italian] {First Viewing}

03/13/08: GIUSEPPE VENDUTO DAI FRATELLI aka JOSEPH AND HIS BRETHREN and THE STORY OF JOSEPH AND HIS BRETHREN and SOLD INTO EGYPT (Irving Rapper and Luciano Ricci, 1960) - DVD Rental [Dubbed In English] {First Viewing}

03/15/08: SAUL E DAVID aka SAUL AND DAVID and SIBLING RIVALRY (Marcello Baldi, 1964) - DVD Rental [Dubbed In English] {First Viewing}

03/17/08: ATTI DEGLI APOSTOLI aka ACTS OF THE APOSTLES [Episode 1] (TV) (Roberto Rossellini, 1969) N/A - VHS {First Viewing}

03/18/08: ATTI DEGLI APOSTOLI aka ACTS OF THE APOSTLES [Episode 2] (TV) (Roberto Rossellini, 1969) N/A - VHS {First Viewing}

03/19/08: CALIGOLA aka CALIGULA [Unrated Edition] (Tinto Brass, Giancarlo Lui and Bob Guccione, 1979)

- DVD Rental {Second Viewing; First In This Guise}
03/19/08: ATTI DEGLI APOSTOLI aka ACTS OF THE APOSTLES [Episode 3] (TV) (Roberto Rossellini, 1969) N/A - VHS {First Viewing}
03/19/08: JOHANNA (Kornel Mundruczo`, 2005) - DVD Rental {First Viewing}

03/20/08: ATTI DEGLI APOSTOLI aka ACTS OF THE APOSTLES [Episode 4] (TV) (Roberto Rossellini, 1969) N/A - VHS {First Viewing}

03/21/08: ATTI DEGLI APOSTOLI aka ACTS OF THE APOSTLES [Episode 5] (TV) (Roberto Rossellini, 1969) - VHS {First Viewing}
03/21/08: SZEGENYLEGENYEK aka THE ROUND-UP (Miklos Jancso`, 1965) - DVD {First Viewing}
03/21/08: LE FATICHE DI ERCOLE aka HERCULES (Pietro Francisci, 1958)

- DVD Rental [Dubbed In English] {Second Viewing}
03/21/08: ERCOLE E LA REGINA DI LIDIA aka HERCULES UNCHAINED (Pietro Francisci, 1959)

- DVD Rental [Dubbed In English] {Second Viewing}

03/22/08: FRINE, CORTIGIANA D' ORIENTE (Mario Bonnard, 1953) - TV {First Viewing}
03/22/08: LA TECNICA E IL RITO aka TECHNIQUE AND RITE (TV) (Miklos Jancso`, 1971) - VHS {First Viewing}
03/22/08: SECONDO PONZIO PILATO (Luigi Magni, 1987) - TV {First Viewing}

03/23/08: ROMA RIVUOLE CESARE aka ROME WANTS ANOTHER CAESAR (Miklos Jancso`, 1974) - VHS {First Viewing}
03/23/08: IL MESSIA aka THE MESSIAH (Roberto Rossellini, 1975) - VHS {First Viewing}

03/25/08: FIRE OVER ENGLAND (William K. Howard, 1937) - DivX {First Viewing}
03/25/08: LE GRAND JEU aka FLESH AND THE WOMAN and CARD OF FATE (Robert Siodmak, 1954) - TV [Dubbed In Italian] {First Viewing}

03/26/08: VENUS IMPERIALE aka VENERE IMPERIALE and IMPERIAL VENUS (Jean Delannoy, 1963) - TV [Dubbed In Italian] {First Viewing}

03/27/08: L' AVVENTURIERO aka THE ROVER (Terence Young, 1967) - TV {First Viewing}
03/27/08: LA CINTURA DI CASTITA` aka THE CHASTITY BELT and ON MY WAY TO THE CRUSADES, I MET A GIRL WHO… (Pasquale Festa Campanile, 1967) - TV {First Viewing}

03/28/08: THE BLACK KNIGHT (Tay Garnett, 1954) - DivX {First Viewing}

03/29/08: THE BLACK SHIELD OF FALWORTH (Rudolph Mate`, 1954)

- DivX {Second Viewing}
03/29/08: AGAINST ALL FLAGS (George Sherman, 1952)

- DivX {Third Viewing}

03/30/08: ROYAL FLASH (Richard Lester, 1975) - DVD {First Viewing}
03/30/08: THE SPANISH MAIN (Frank Borzage, 1945) - DivX {First Viewing}

03/31/08: FRENCHMAN'S CREEK (Mitchell Leisen, 1944) - DivX {First Viewing}
03/31/08: SINBAD THE SAILOR (Richard Wallace, 1947)

- DivX {Second Viewing}

Totals for March 2008: 44 Films Watched; 37 First Viewings

Best First Viewing: THE ROUND-UP
Best Revisit: THE BLACK SHIELD OF FALWORTH