Examples of How Modern Film is Awesome (1 Viewer)

[Vic Pardo]

This is not really about movies. It's about human nature. Young people, as a rule, insist that only new movies, music, literature, etc. are worth their time.

Old people, as a rule, believe that only new works have merit. "Things were so much better when I was your age!"

When I was growing up, my siblings and friends and I loved old movies and saw as many as we could. We loved old music, too, whether jazz, show tunes, classical, movie scores, etc.

As for your second point, I think you meant to say "only OLD works have merit." Otherwise, it doesn't make any sense.

 

[Walter Kittel]

Well, I viewed Hostiles today and I need to re-watch The Proposition to really perform a more thorough comparison of the two features. I guess I'll spoilerize this for those folks who haven't seen Hostiles...

Spoiler

Strictly on the surface there are similarities - in the time periods, the leads being forced into undertaking tasks that are not to their liking, and most notably the unrelenting violence and cruelty of the worlds on display in both films. I would also agree that The Proposition is a bit more 'art-house' in terms of its symbology, imagery, and levels of abstraction whereas Hostiles is more straightforward in its narrative.

Some of the sequences with Wes Studi near the end of Hostiles were about as 'arty' as the film got; his visage set against the mountains was very reminiscent of his last moments in Last of the Mohicans.

The Proposition as I recall is a bit more open ended with its finale; calling into question where the characters go forward. Hostiles has a more certain ending; the future is still uncertain but the boundaries are much better defined.

One other important similarity between the films involves the notion of sanctioned atrocity. Characters in both films perform horrific acts and in some cases these are considered criminal acts and in other circumstances these same (or worse) actions carry the weight of law and official approval by the powers that be. It is an interesting premise when one considers the types of violence carried out by nation states that would otherwise be considered criminal.

Despite the violence on display in Hostiles it actually is the more hopeful of the two films - arguing that shared sacrifice and experience can bridge the divides between mortal enemies. It is an optimistic premise which I am not certain I fully found credible. Perhaps that is colored by the polarized nature of discourse in the U.S. as it stands today.

I enjoyed Hostiles quite a bit and thought the performances were very strong. I picked this up on Blu-Ray as a blind purchase (big fan of Westerns here) and I will be revisiting this film again. Maybe after re-watching The Proposition.

- Walter.

 

[Walter Kittel]

Writing about Westerns reminds me of another film. I am not sure if it stands as an example of Awesome Modern Filmmaking, but as a Western it was pretty entertaining.

2014's The Salvation starring Mads Mikkelsen. Worth a look if you are in the mood for a Western. The story isn't terribly original, but the imagery is well conceived and contributes to the overall experience of the film.

- Walter.

 

[JohnRice]

Walter, there's another similarity I found interesting, though maybe the word "similarity" doesn't quite fit.

Spoiler

Both main characters end up willingly doing what they were initially being pressured to do. In Hostiles, his perspective changes, and in The Proposition he finally gets so fed up with his brother, he figures his only option is to kill him.

 

[JohnRice]

I did the spoiler wrong at first, but it's fixed now