AFI 100 Years Series Discussion & Challenges, vol. 2 - Page 4

I burned myself out on movies over the summer and took the semester to focus on school, photography, and food and a bit of free time and the occasional chance to relax.

That said I caught up with one AFI film last night as I was working on a digital photo montage project.

Holiday Inn -
Songs list - White Christmas
11/29/2005
OARVHS

I didn't pay too close visual attention to the movie (except when Fred was dancing, that drunken dance was magnificent by the way), but the script was quite nice to listen to and all of Bing's singing was just wonderful (in fact it was kindof a shame when Fred attempted a weak belt out). I like the story, I like Fred being a cad, I like Bing being reluctant and burned too often, overall the film just worked for me as a good story and good entertainment in a way that's better than just about all the Fred and Ginger films except maybe Shall We Dance.

It's also interesting for having one of the most forgivable black face numbers of the era, since it's reluctantly black face as dictated by the plot (though how they planned to not do it in blackface with those ridiculous costumes I've not yet figured out).

I also rewatched Christmas Vacation last night, and it definitely should be on the comedies list, few movies can make me laugh as hard or as often.

"My cousin Eddie here... well his heart is bigger than his brain."
"I 'ppreciate that, Clark."

I also rewatched the first half of It's a Wonderful Life, which is an undeniably wonderful and perfect movie.

Adam

The Sting -
HTF revote addition

rewatched Lady and the Tramp tonight. Gorgeous to finally see it in 2.55 and a stunning transfer. Not really a passions movie, it's a movie about maturation, trust, and family, but I suppose it deserves a spot for the dinner scene at Tony's.

the songs in here are pretty few, but those that are, are golden, We are Siamese, Bella Notte, He's a Tramp.

On the other hand, the Siamese cats are really just a set piece, no more different than a chase-and-boom sequence in a Michael Bay film. They add a great moment, but it really does feel somewhat out of place in terms of the overall storytelling.

Still a brilliant, brilliant movie, I'm so happy to finally have it on DVD, one of Disney's absolute best films.

My jaw just kept dropping in astonishment at all the character touches, and little elements, the fantastic incredible animation of everything in the film. It's among Disney's most effective even if it's not the most arty (Sleeping Beauty).

Judgement at Nuremberg -
OARDVD
3/29/2006
Stars List - Spencer Tracy
Stars List - Burt Lancaster
Stars List - Marlene Dietrich
Stars List - Judy Garland

What difference does it make if a few political extremists lose their rights? What difference does it make if a few racial minorities lose their rights? It is only a passing phase. It is only a stage we are going through. It will be discarded sooner or later. Hitler himself will be discarded... sooner or later. The country is in danger. We will march out of the shadows. We will go forward. Forward is the great password. And history tells how well we succeeded, your honor. We succeeded beyond our wildest dreams.


Superb film, slightly dated by the use of zooms.

There was only one moment I disliked in the film, and that was the cut away to the marshall while they were discussing hangings, naturally the marshall was black.

Performances were astonishing and superb, I think the single best moment of the film was when Burt Lancaster (Ernst Janning) just looked at Emil Hahn and brutally bared Hahn's soul, spat on it and dismissed it with that one look. That was the scene when the defendents are at dinner after the footage of the camps and Hahn goes off on how it was 'impossible'.

It was a bit odd seeing stars like Clift and Garland in their roles, but Garland was wonderful and I really liked Clift, even if it was a showy part. So many gorgeous long takes in the film with a floating crane camera that slowly moves about the courtroom, beautifully directed and my compliments to the camera team for a terrific job.

The chemistry between Tracy and Dietrich was superb, Dietrich is perhaps the most gorgeous woman aged 59-60 (when this was shot) that there ever was, wow. And such an utterly superb actress, she and Lancaster were in a completely different league than every one else, acting circles around them all.

Spencer Tracy was wonderful, as always, but he was just a tad over the top, he has the incredible sincerity to pull off the role, but I still always see Tracy, I couldn't tell you his name in the movie, he was just Tracy. Whereas Dietrich was always Mrs Berthart. And I didn't ever think of Janning as anyone but Janning, the performance was so great.

The awarded performance by Maximillian Schnell of lawyer for the defense Hans Rolfe was a delicious and showy part. It's easy to see why he was nominated and awarded for the role. I find him way over the top though, I always knew he was acting and really enjoying the acting too, in his case, I was most aware that there was 'a performance.'

A powerful film, and like anything from World War II or the Civil War, is still relevant today because they are questions of what our civilization chooses as its most deep and fundamental definitions of morality and the distinction of what is and is not human--and without those in place, with only cold, convincing logic, there is no meaning or definition to our society or the principles we choose to call laws--be they labeled natural, divine, international, states, national etc--at the fundamental level there has to be a conscious distinguishment between right and wrong, and the hard willingness to stand by those despite the pressures of individual circumstance or affiliations. And Spencer Tracy makes the right, and terribly difficult (and unpopular) decision, and he says the right line to end the movie on. Superb, through and through.

Damn near flawless.

I caught Harold Lloyds teh Freshman way back in November but never posted on it.

Very good film, entertaining, not wild about it though, a bit bored in parts.

It's late, I've been on set all day so I hope I dont' get any of these too wrong:


Depends who you're asking, there are a variety of stereotypes for black characters, the stepinfetchit, the pickaninny, the mammie, the black buck, the succabus, the uncle tom, coons etc. A lot of these are vaudevillian-type portrayals with big EYES, gaping/vacant expression and "y's massa, no massa" type dialogue, typical expressions of these characters are as simpletons, or ignoramuses--so completely helpless and 'lesser' that they're dependent on the kind generousity and understanding of white folks to survive.

A couple of these are 'negative' in the sense that the black buck is supposed to be a violent ignorant man bent on killing white men and raping white women as his only obsessions--several characters in birth of a Nation for instance.

Then the succabus is basically the same for a woman. usually stunningly beautiful but also incredibly lustful and desirous of much sex with white men, which naturally causes those poor christian men to sin, but it was her fault, she really wanted it, really she did, but she's evil, evil, she'll have a dark end she will! King Vidor's Hallelujah! uses a succabus, who destroys a black man's life and family with her appetites for sex and money and power.

The pickaninny can be pretty bad, innocently its a child who can't talk but can raise his eyebrows and make big eyes, it's a derogative and demeaning term to say the least.

Coons are like unrepentent thiefs, shiftless and untrustworthy. Again really derogatory, also a general term like 'niggar' but not quite as extreem

The 'positive' stereotypes like the Mammie are generally found offensive. The mammie is always enormously fat. Usually she's full of earthy wisdom and sayings. She's usually a cook and a nanny. Like most other black stereotypes she's usually given a subhuman intelligence/emotional capacity. She's also a safe way to contain the sexuality of the 'other' (culturally created by the dominant culture) that is seen in the succabus figure. Usually this is contained into an educational faculty, often in a wholesome and humurous way. Gone with the Wind is a relatively harmless Mammie, the 1930s Imitation of Life has one of the worst, with the character literally saying, "I'm so dumb I don't want any money I earned (or that you owe me) because I'm just too dumb I don't know anything about money so it's much better if you keep all the money yourself you good and kind whitefolks and please please just let me continue to be your servent, I love being a servent (who wouldn't), you're white and wonderful and I"m just a black fool and I love being a servent!" (the character creates a national brand of pancake syrup that is immensely succussful and makes a mint).

Stepnfetchit=Barney Fife but black and much much more dumb and completely unable to follow a line of reasoning (A causes B and B was bad so avoid A), which even a dog can successfully manage. Usually gets into good natured, friendly trouble and is rescued by a white man who is equally good natured. Very innocent fellow everyone likes.

Uncle Tom's are black men that apparently liked slavery, because it was such a good thing. They're usually old men. The common varient on this was the uncle Remus character who told black stories or sang black songs, might be a preacher, usually full of advice and widsom.

There is also the 'mystical, magical minority' which broadly also applies to Native Americans and Aborigenes and other 'uncivilized' cultures who display a power or capability non-human, Usually they're too stupid to know how to control, properly utilize, or exploit their talent in their own best interests. For example, although I don't think it was intended to hit this stereotype so cleanly, the main character in The Green Mile, is a pitch perfect example of this one.

Roman Holiday -
Passions List
Stars List - Gregory Peck
Stars List - Audrey Hepburn
04/13/2006
OARDVD

An excellent film I loved the deilberate pace and beautiful control of the comedy and drama and storytelling, a superb balance of all those qualities and the technical is top notch too. Probably my second favorite William Wyler film after Best Years of Our Lives.

Wonderful, Audrey Hepburn was incredibly stunning with one of the all time great performances, so open yet nuanced and layered, just superb, her first film too!


Adam