AFI 100 Years Series Discussion & Challenges, vol. 2 - Page 15

Re: AFI 100 Years Series Discussion & Challenges, vol. 2

The Hustler - 10 of 10
sports List

last week, I spent about thirty minutes trying to write something akin to this, and it all came across as rather trite, Lew found a great way to say it though. A tremendous masterpiece in every respect.

The Thief of Bagdad - 7 of 10
Fantasy list

the main way this is superior to the Michael Powell version is Douglas Fairbanks' ebullient performance. Like Mary Pickford he took my breath away (this is the first I've seen of his iconic silent vehicles iirc) in his ability to own the screen. The effects are well done and interesting, the camera is often static and confined by the proscenium arch style of shooting (seems a bit old fashioned for 1924) but there is one interesting bit of camera movement when the nefarious asian lord/suitor arrives by boat seeking his treasure, the camera is on the boat as it floats into the dock. Raoul Walsh directed and I wonder if the staticness of the camera was necessitated by the many effects shots. If they were accomplished by successive exposure of the same negative that would go a long way to explaining the limitations and I think that's how much of this was accomplished--in camera. There is some patronizing moralizing bookends that open and close the film, I suppose to better excuse the carefree attitude of Fairbanks' thefts and chicanery in the first half of the picture. the picture is very long though, and often it was a chore to sit through, though it was generally rewarding with some new charm every ten or fifteen minutes. Anna May Wong is also quite good in a supporting role.

The Unknown - 8 of 10
stars list - Joan Crawford

This is technically a revisit, but I think I wasn't paying close attention, or dozed during parts of the film last time I saw it, I knew it hadn't gotten a fair shake so I gave it another go as I'm winding down the list to the last one or two and damned if it isn't an impressive, if occassionally silly (the climatic two horses act) display of filmmaking and acting, both from Crawford (I didn't dislike her in this which is always a plus) and the amazing Lon Chaney. The point where Lon realizes he's cut away his arms for nothing is one of the finest pieces of silent acting (or acting in general) ever done. superb use of his face, an amazing performer.

A Cry in the Dark - 9 of 10
Courtroom Drama list

I was skeptical about this film, it seemed ridiculous and over the top from what was shown in the special, but it's one of the most superb courtroom drama's I've seen, incredibly compelling presentation of how an animal attack is conflated into infanticide in the court of public opinion and the unfortunate mother is forced to prove her innocence (rather than the prosecution proving her guilt). What is remarkable is how beautifully the film incorporates the varied public opinions and reactions, the police work, the courtroom scenes of prosecution and defense and the impact of the fourth estate. Not to mention the ever more compelling family drama as we grow to know and love and sympathize with them. I'd never heard of this case before, but often much of the film gave me a sensation of deja-vu. I'd seen all this before in real life, in 1994 watching the furor, and endless press coverage of the OJ Simpson trial. How debated and argued over every conflicting point of evidence was so reminescent of that time and trial. Superbly made film, and I think this is perhaps my favorite Meryl Streep performance, she really disappeared into this role for me and showed such magnificent range and depth to her characterization. an incredibly fine film that very much deserves it's place on the list.

That finishes off the ten top tens lists for me.

Re: AFI 100 Years Series Discussion & Challenges, vol. 2

Flesh and the Devil - 4 of 10
stars list Greta Garbo

another revisit of a film I felt I didn't give a full chance, turns out I wasn't wrong, and if anything the film has gone down in my estimation. Very tedious to sit through. Garbo is okay, and Gilbert is adequete, I think I liked the actress playing Hertha best. The actor playing the best friend was also pretty good. but ultimately a boring and turgid film. The direction was solid and the photography very good, story wise it was not interesting until the final twenty minutes when Garbo and Gilbert decide to run off and then Gilbert and his best friend decide to duel.

Re: AFI 100 Years Series Discussion & Challenges, vol. 2

I have the last movie of the challenge (for me) in hand, so I'll finally be finishing this sometime this weekend.

Re: AFI 100 Years Series Discussion & Challenges, vol. 2

The Scarlet Letter - 6 of 10
stars list - Lilian Gish

I think I found one of the only copies of this in all of los angeles, and the video transfer is not pretty to look at. It's comparable to the bad version of Vampyr except every face is blown out except for when it's fading out or fading in from a scene. Blown out to the point that unless it's a close up or a medium close up you can't really even distinguish features, heads are just white blobs. The film is strong enough that I would watch it again if only to see it in a better version, hopefully one will come along eventually.

I managed to get through my education without ever having to read the notorious text itself. I do remember it as being the only classic text universally disliked by the kids I knew that read Twain, Dickens, Hugo, Cooper and Austen for fun. Naturally it was also disliked by everyone I knew who didn't like reading the classics. Other than knowing that the titular letter is a red A (for adultury) I didn't really know anything about the story.

Lilian Gish is quite good (from what I could tell, see problems with the transfer) and Frances Marion's screenplay compacts things into a fairly brisk 85 minutes (though I was still waiting for the film to end). Seastrom's direction seems excellent and it appears to be a beautifully designed and shot film, I just wish everything weren't so frustratingly awful to look at. The opening thirty minutes are quite brisk and nice, the middle section where Hester is condemned by the community gets tiresome very very quickly but the film picks up again and much to my relief there was more to the story than interminable misery and punishment heaped upon the poor woman, so as the climax played out I remained quite interested. A solid but not great film, one I would very much like to revisit in a better form.

FIN

Re: AFI 100 Years Series Discussion & Challenges, vol. 2

no I think it's one of those late 1970s/early 1980s PD releases that came from a variety of catalog houses and were poorly done telecines of heavily used 16mm prints. I've seen similar tapes of Blood of a Poet, Vampyr, and L'Atalante off the top of my head. There have been good ones from these same companies, such as Earth, Osaka Elegy and others.

I wasn't able to find the restoration available on video anywhere in north america on vhs or dvd.

Re: AFI 100 Years Series Discussion & Challenges, vol. 2

it's a very old tape.