Sight and Sound (2002) Greatest Films Club - Page 3

Lew,
The films showed as part of a Dovzhenko retrospective spearheaded by some of the quite large Ukranian community in Manitoba. However, I think Kino recently restored the picture (it looked good for a movie four times my age), so it should turn up eventually in the larger markets (of which I think Dallas counts; certainly more-so than Winnipeg).

Thanks Tim, though I’m not too sure of the size of our Ukranian community.

124 with "Don't Look Now" and rewatching Do the Right Thing.

Sutherland and Christie's love scene is great. The editing of the film is extrodinary; I think it will reveal more to myself when I see it a second time. The mood captured is genuine, and the way Venice and its people become a nightmare recalls The Third Man. Roeg's direction makes much of the film composed through Sutherland's point of view, making the payoff at the end satisfying. However, I am unsure if this is a great film. The unexplained supernatural elements suggest two things: 1) Sutherland does indeed have "second sight" but denies his ability, or 2) that the demons Sutherland face essentially come from his own grief. Now, are these two reconciable to each other? Maybe. But when the demon/grief takes physical form at the end, I don't know if that is a bold move or overstated case by Roeg. The sinister feeling that all people give off in the film also don't seem to fit after the finale realized.

Rewatched Do The Right Thing because I wanted more perspective on Lee after seeing a few more of his pictures. DTRT was the first Spike Lee joint that I had seen, and it left a very strong impression. What I tried this time was to gather a few people to watch the film with me, so it was partially to see how I react to the film now, and how others as well. The verdict: it's still a masterpiece, but not to some of my friends. To two of them, the movie is Lee at his worst, ranting and signaling "black power" to an irrational degree. The way I see it, every side of each character is mirrored by the end quotes of the film, one advocating non-violence, and the other advocating violence when necessary. Conflict is in every corner, and the way Lee develops his themes is dialectical. We see one side, then another, and then we understand that the combination of the two is what makes racial tension so incrediably difficult to escape from. Even to my friends who did not think well of the film, it stirred a conversation.

Count me in the "Do the Right Thing is racist group". I despise the message I see coming out of this film. It may indeed spark conversation, but I think a book club reading Mein Kampf would spark conversation. That doesn't mean that Mein Kampf isn't racist. And, no, I'm not suggesting that Spike Lee = Adolph Hitler, just that both of them have racist creations. Did I mention how much I despise Do the Right Thing?

I watched Mother (1926) on Saturday -- my first Pudovkin -- and was very pleasantly surprised. It has the striking imagery that I've come to expect from the early Soviet films, but it's a much more human film that, say, Eisenstein's, which have always felt a bit like intellectual exercises to me.

Edit: Oops. Turns out Mother isn't on the S&S list. Never mind. Still a great film, though.

And I’m in the ‘it is about race and racial issues, but is not racist’ camp. I’m going to start a thread on this film next week when I return from a trip, as the film has come up in at least one other thread recently.

Rashoman

I saw this in a 35mm print which was a great treat, even if it was a very soft very dirty print that looked to my very untrained eyes to be from a fourth or later generation nitrate dupe negative and has been in use for forty years (tons of consistent projector wear on the print as well as consistenly appearing hairs and other annoying bits that detracted from the overall theatrical experience).

The film itself was an absolute marvel. Kurasawa's use of black and white was extremely expressive, the four perspectives on the same scene never bored and always remained fascinating. What I found most disturbing was the treatment of the woman, ALL of the male perspectives assumed that since she was raped she somehow consented and be looked down on because she was raped. Including the rapist in one perspective! Her own perspective is so traumatized that the only thing I'm sure of is an enormous sense of anger and despair when her husband blamed her for being raped that emanated from her in her perspective. alternating from the extremes of the Bandits to the Woodcutters versions of the fights at the beginning and end was quite wonderous. I think the actual fight was somewhere in between, the prowess was not what the bandit displayed, but it was not as farcical (though probalby just as frantic) as the woodcutter saw. I think the woodcutters perspective of the battle was jaded by the fact that he seemed to be a very timid and slinking person, and probably hid his eyes whenever the battle looked frantic, so he just filled in the bits that he didn't see with silliness. Since the samurai didn't claim a great battle occured it seems that one, he's ashamed he was defeated, and two he doesn't want to lie more than necessary and describing the battle would be too much lieing because it was not a glorious thing, closer to the woodcutters version than the bandit's in my opinion.

A phenomenal film that I'm still digesting, well deserving of its place on this list.

Adam

ahh that's what's been bothering me but I couldn't put my finger on, the actual death of the samurai! I'd forgotten to try to decide who exactly killed him. You've given me something even more to ponder... thanks!

Adam

RE Rashomon: do you think the ending solidifies its status as a great film or is it an easy out?

In Akutagawa's story, the ending scene revolving around the baby is non-existent. It was Kurosawa's addition. Donald Richie on the Criterion DVD argues that the film is a full demonstration of Kurosawa's humanist spirit in the face of man's inability of knowing truth that makes the film a masterpiece, but I've also known that some view this as a all too happy, sentimental end to what was a completely challenging film beforehand.

I just got Jules and Jim in. Once I watch it I will come back with my full count of films seen/needed to be seen. Just watched 400 Blows a few weeks ago too.

My first entry is Abbas Kiarostami's Taste Of Cherry

A powerful story of man's search for a reason to live that I'm still grappling with and will be for some time. The film is deceptively simple while it's merits are difficult for me to articulate.

Most meaningful to me, was the position of vulnerability Mr. Baddi (the protagonist) has to place himself in. He is contemplating suicide and is trying to recruit someone who will visit his resting place after the deed is finished. They are to call his name, if he responds, they are to pull him out of the grave. If he does not, they are to bury him. That is an enormous amount of trust to place in a total stranger. It is little wonder he does not reveal the reasons for his despair. He is already emotionally spent.

As he drives across the desolate countryside looking for assistance and explaining his position, the men he chooses to ask for aid represent the cycle of life, youth to 30ish to aged and within these men the spark and purpose of life can be seen, protecting, nurturing, learning, teaching, empathy, friendship, love, but is this enough? See the film and decide for yourself.

There is an ending coda though that I'm not sure I agree with. Even if I accept critic Jonathan Rosenbaum's explanation for its existence, I'm not sure of its necessity.

I could very well be adding this to my collection. Just in writing these few words my appreciation for it has grown.

After some delays and a shipping problem with Written on the Wind, my next one will be Wages of Fear which is on the way.

McCabe and Mrs. Miller is Altman at his peak -- a terrific ensemble cast pulled together for a genre picture that breaks all of the genre's conventions. This is an anti-western western, like M*A*S*H is an anti-war movie war movie and Nashville is an anti-musical musical. After just one viewing, I don't think M&MM is quite as strong as the others, but that might be because of personal biases.

Here's an odd thought that occured to me as I was watching the film. If it were made today, Brad Pitt would make a great McCabe. I kind of like that comparison: Pitt now to Beatty in the late-1960s and early-70s.

Vertigo needs no additional commentary. A superb film by Hitchcock at the height of his powers.

I watched this again thanks to Netflix. The commentary on the restoration was quite interesting. Thanks to Robert Harris and co. for their efforts, and to the studio for funding the effort.

I've been meaning to join for a while. The thing that was holding me up was how to count the films seen. This weekend I came up with a number I like that leaves a lot of films I've seen but I need to revisit uncounted.

My initital count is 83 Films Seen

Immediately add the following films to the list:
Trouble in Paradise very well written film that I liked quite a bit.

Rome, Open City
Paisan
Germany Year Zero
I enjoyed all of these Rossellini but Paisan was my favorite of the three. The use of the multiple short stories was quite affecting.

Watched Wages of Fear which I liked but it wasn't the white-knuckle thriller I'd read about. There were a few "sit up straight in your chair" moments, but overall, I wasn't invested enough in the characters to get really wrapped up in the film. The ending also seemed unnecessary and made the whole subplot with the girl seem almost irrelevant and distasteful.

I have Written on the Wind to watch tonight.

Move me up to 133.

Trouble in Paradise - This film started out somewhat disjointed in my mind. I really couldn't tell who was who and what was what, and the initial scene between the two thiefs wasn't as funny as it should have been cause I was confused. However, rewatched the beginning again, and it's much funnier now that I could relax and enjoy their banter.
In any case, once the film got underway, it was great Lubitsch. Definitely thumbs up.

The Navigator - I appreciate this film, though I can't really give it a thumbs up. I've seen a lot of Keaton's films, but have never seen one that I want to see again, even though they all have very good stunts. The stories just don't keep my interest. I like Chaplin, Lloyd and Laurel & Hardy better. Oddly enough there are 3 films with Keaton in it that I do love and are keepers, but none are Keaton films: In the Good Old Summertime, It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World, and A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum. I'll also say that there was a short on the Navigator dvd (The Boat) with a funny pre-code joke (Damned if I know ) that I liked a lot.

Saw Strike for the first time. Very powerful movie. Eisenstein's use of montage isn't as aggressive as in Potemkin, and he uses a lot of dissolves here, sometimes to comic/satirical effect when showing the spys. There are still many brilliant intercutting of images throughout the movie. The two films also share some many similarities. No central character, people are used to represent classes instead of individuals; the ideology is clear, but even from today's perspective, I do not find it overbearing. Put aside the editing, the compositions and the staging of actions are both evident of a master filmmaker, too. I look forward to seeing October.

George, I agree with Brook that The Navigator is one of the lesser Keatons.

Watched All About Eve for the first time in many years. I’d sort of forgotten how good it really is.

It is tempting to compare this unfavorably to Sunset Boulevard and while I don’t rate it quite so highly, I find Bette Davis’ performance to be very fine indeed. The plot does seem a little forced as the second act ends, Warning: Spoiler! (Click to show)

But other than that it is a well crafted story, even if uneven.

For those who have not seen this, look for Marilyn Monroe in a minor part. She just lights up the screen for the few minutes of screen time allotted to her part.

Strike! is my favorite Eisenstein film and for me, contains his most moving and human sequence - that of the father playing delightfully with his son and then later in the film that same father despondent and miserable as the son bangs his empty food bowl on the floor.

Surprised you feel that way about Keaton, George. I could watch films like Steamboat Bill Jr., Sherlock Jr., Convict 13, and Our Hospitality over and over again; though like Kirk said, The Navigator is the only Keaton film I really haven't liked that much.


I now understand why Douglas Sirk is revered among directors like Fassbinder and Scorsese. Written On The Wind is a fabulous work of filmmaking. I would agree with virtually every positive review written that talk about the beautiful cinematography that meshes with the amazing score to lift a soap opera story into a moving and meaningful film about human need and human weakness. I'll likely be adding this to my collection, it was wonderful. And the Criterion DVD looks great and has one of their excellent text/still filmography's on Sirk.

I also need to rewatch and re-evaluate Imitation of Life which I found unsatisfying when I saw it a year or so ago. All That Heaven Allows is on its way from Netflix and I can't wait for it to arrive.

Glad to see you join in with all of us revisionists, Brook.

I was too young and callow, when I first saw Sirk to think that he made anything other than three-hanky matinee movies.

I’ve since revised my opinion, as well.

BTW, have you seen Todd Haynes’ homage, Far From Heaven? Stunning cinematography as well as a couple of very fine performances.

Man Vertigo is such a wonderful film. I remember going to the Castro Theater(San Francisco) with my dad when it was re-released and seeing it; to say the least it was a wonderful experience.

We are sitting there chatting and the lights start to dim...All of a sudden this intense organ music starts playing, and a platform rises from the ground to the bottom of the screen and you see this guy playing the organ and then the chase scene at the beginning starts... completely awesome.

Yes I have Lew, I thought Far From Heaven was excellent and it remains one of my favorites of the year. Julianne Moore should get the Oscar, but I'm sure she'll lose out to Chicago or something. I also think Elmer Bernstein should win for the score, but again, I doubt he will.

I recently watched Sunset Blvd. and all the extras and the one on the music has Elmer Bernstein discussing Franz Waxman and studio recording in the early 50's. The restoration's also a big step up from the damaged print I saw in the theater a year or two ago.

I think I'd better keep my opinions about Written on the Wind to myself. Let's just say that I think the critics had it right the first time.

Sherlock Jr. - spoilers ahead

Seeing a new Keaton movie is always a treat, and it was a delight to see this film today. At times it felt overly long like a stretched out short feature, but by the end I was wishing it had been a full length feature. Fairly standard stuff up until Keaton jumps into the movie screen, at that moment the film moves from above average to enchanting. I am now convinced that Tex Avery, Chuck Jones and the rest of the Looney aniimators took comedy lessons from Buster.



Adam