The Great March HTF Historical Drama/Epic Challenge (1 Viewer)

[JohnRice]

The challenge is now officially open!!


We're on the downswing of February and I figured it was time to send out the warning for the March Historical Drama/Epic Challenge.

The idea is similar to other challenges. Watch at least 13 qualifying films, preferably with at least 7 first time viewings, then come here and post your opinions/ratings.


There are two qualifiers...

1) The "Historical Drama" Qualification - Films which take place in an accurate historical setting, at least 50 years prior to the date the film was produced. These do not have to be actual, historical stories. Just set in a realistic time period.

or

2) The "Epic" Qualification - Films with a running time of at least 160 minutes.


Examples...

The Magnificent Ambersons - NO, since the primary time period is only 20+ years prior to the production of the film.

Shakespeare in Love - Yes

Titus - NO, under the Historical qualification (not realistic time period) but YES under the Epic qualification.

A Room with a View - Yes.

LOTR movies - Oh, if you have to (under the Epic qualification), but the idea is to branch out.


In the spirit of the Historical Drama concept, I'd like to encourage participants to make a particular effort to seek out literary adaptations and stretch beyond their ordinary viewing habits. Everyone on earth has seen Lawrence of Arabia, so instead, venture into Doctor Zhivago or Ryan's Daughter. Pick a certain author and have a mini festival. You get the idea.


The challenge will run the month of March. Admission is limited (not really), so sign up early, subscribe to this thread and visit often.



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My List - First time viewings in blue. Ratings out of
Perceptions are interesting. I read over and over how this film still glorifies James, though less than previous ones, and what a sleazy scumbag Ford is. To me, James comes across as the charismatic, repugnant individual he most likely was, and the type of person I have learned to avoid like the plague. Little more than a bullying, intimidating punk who not only believes he is entitled to commit the crimes he does, but that others should admire him for them. Ford is just someone who gets pushed around alot and has delusions of grandeur.

I admire the deliberate nature of this film, but in the end I think it is just too long. It really doesn't need almost 160 minutes to get the story and mood across. I also tend to think people take the full film title too literally. I sense more than a slight irony to it.

 

[SteveGon]

The Assassination of Jesse James By the Coward Robert Ford (2007)

Viewed 3/11/2008 (first viewing)

Stark account of Jesse James' relationship with and murder by Robert Ford, as well as its aftermath. As usual, James is ultimately glorified - I guess this is something filmmakers can't resist - but it's all impeccably staged and acted.

:star: :star: :star: out of :star: :star: :star: :star:

 

[PatW]

Immortal Beloved (1994) :star: :star: :star: :star:

Played brilliantly by Gary Oldman, the movie is about the mystery surrounding a letter addressed to My Immortal Beloved, found among his papers after his death. Schlinder who was a secretary of sorts to Beethoven, feels compelled to search out the identity of Beethoven's secret love. The movie takes place across a number of years and examines his relationship with various women of his acquintance. It also examines the relationship he had with his nephew Carl, a young boy with particular significance to his life.

This is quite a touching movie, a biography of a very difficult and unsympathetic man. The movie offers an explanation for his behaviour, his deafness which humanizes the man somewhat. Of course much of what is presented can't be believed, but that music, that glorious music.

 

[Malcolm R]

BEING JULIA :star::star::star::star:

Who would've known that a $3 blind buy at Big Lots would turn out to be one of the most enjoyable films I've watched this year?

Annette Bening is Julia Lambert, an aging stage actress in 1930's London, who is becoming frustrated and bored by the rut her life is in. "I just wish something would happen," she sighs. The "something" is a young American admirer, Tom Fennell (Shaun Evans), with whom she begins an affair. Eventually, she realizes their relationship is limited to a few trysts and that Tom has bigger plans in which she is merely a stepping stone. But not one to be casually used then thrown aside, Julia plots his comeuppance which is brilliantly executed, if a bit heavily foreshadowed.

Additional cast includes Jeremy Irons as Julia's husband, Miriam Margolyes as the theater-owner and friend to Julia, and Michael Gambon as the "spirit muse" of her former mentor. Wonderful performances all around. Bening was nominated for multiple awards, including an Academy Award, for her performance. I'm still especially amazed by the vocal acting, as Bening is American playing British and Evans is British playing American but each seemed to have perfected their accents, at least to my ears. I never suspected Evans was English until I watched some of the extras and he was interviewed.

Based on a story by W. Somerset Maugham. Best $3 I've spent in ages.

 

[PatW]

You know, I've heard so much about this movie but it's not easy to find in my small community. I was hoping they would show it on TCM sometime. It's one I've been anxious to watch for awhile.

 

[SteveGon]

Yep, Aguirre isn't something you're likely to find at your local small town video store. If a blind buy isn't out of the question, go for it - the DVD isn't that expensive and the movie is a must-see.


Mansfield Park (1999)

Viewed 3/12/2008 (first viewing)

Pleasing version of the Jane Austen novel with Frances O'Connor as Fanny Price.

:star: :star: :star: out of :star: :star: :star: :star:

 

[Lew Crippen]

Agreeing with Steve—not everyone likes (or even admires) this movie, but it is an absolute must for anyone interested in movies.

 

[Lew Crippen]

How can you do this to a fellow Russian?


Andrei Rublev, Tarkovsky’s first great movie, is ostensibly a biography of Russia’s greatest icon painter (and so iconic that what he did and how he did it are now the codification of iconography). But in fact most of Rublev’s life as it appears on screen was created out of whole cloth. In some ways this is a somewhat easier Tarkovsky to watch, as it is (mostly) linear, but in others, very difficult, as the title character seems sometimes beside the point—and often missing (not only from individual scenes, but from whole acts).

It is pretty clear that they young bell maker of the last act is an alter ego for the director, but I now think that so too is Rublev. But regardless of individual interpretation of any aspect of this movie, it is both a stunning visual achievement, and for me, a compelling examination of men and their impact upon one another (even if widely separated by time and location).

 

[Lew Crippen]

It is accomplished!


So ends The Last Temptation of Christ, Martin Scorsese’s 1988 adaptation of Nikos Kazantszkis’ then controversial novel of Jesus as a man, who is conflicted as to his struggle with God and his appointed place in the world.

The title refers to Christ being finally tempted to abandon his divine role and experience life as a simple man, that temptation being even more seductive than earthly power or riches. Setting aside any controversy, one can today view the movie as one of Scorsese’s better, but not among his best. Fine performances abound and neither the director nor screenwriter Paul Schrader panders to our baser sensibilities (although there is plenty of opportunity).

A must-see, even if only to contrast Scorsese’s religiosity in seemingly secular films to one that is entirely concerned with religion.

 

[JohnRice]

16) The Heart of Me (2002) - :star::star:1/2
Curious little early 20th century Indie melodrama about Madeleine (Olivia Williams), her wild child sister Dinah (Helena Bonham Carter) and husband Rickie (Paul Bettany) and their little opera of betrayal, infidelity and so on. Nice looking and good cast, but it seems like something is missing.

 

[Malcolm R]

Hmmmm...I believe I have it in my collection somewhere. I'll have to look for it.

 

[JohnRice]

17) La Vie en Rose (aka: La Môme 2007) - :star::star::star:
Uneven biopic about early 20th Century French Pop singer Edith Piaf may have caught me off guard. It's possible I missed what it did, but I was left a bit flat. Still, there is no doubt Marion Cotillard burned the place up, and Richard Roper has once again proven he is a complete idiot with his figurative "boycott" of her Oscar. I especially commend Cotillard for expressly NOT setting out to carbon-copy Piaf, as so many viewers (and critics) have mistakenly come to believe is the pinnacle of acting. Imitation is easy folks, and there is very little creative about it.

18) The Whole Wide World (1996) - :star::star::star::star:
Admirable and surprising biopic about Depression-Era, troubled pulp author Robert E Howard (creator of Conan, played by Vincent D'Onofrio) and his friendship/romance with school teacher and aspiring author Novalyne Price (Renee Zellweger). Probably the strongest part of the film is the two charismatic lead actors and a story (based on Price's memoir) that manages to get the audience invested with a minimum of melodrama. This virtually unknown little indie is worth seeking out.

 

[Ruz-El]

nice to see the praise for "The Whole Wide World". I caught it last year and really liked it. The budget made a bit of it seem a little "Movie Of The Week" to me, but the performances more then made up for it. Made me pick up a bunch of Howards story collections, which ended up being pretty fine purchases.

 

[JohnRice]

There is no doubt The Whole Wide World was made on a miniscule budget, and in fact was nearly never completed for multiple reasons. By the sounds of it, things constantly worked out just right to keep it going, including D'Onofrio (who was a producer) performing some impressive spin to keeps the money from stopping. Still, the scope is very small, with virtually every scene including only two characters, so there was not that much need for much budget, aside from the cars shown. In all, it is a very nice looking film and I was constantly reminded of how captivating both D'Onofrio and Zellweger can be.

 

[PatW]

The Colossus of Rhodes (1961) :star: :star: :star:

I can remember loving movies like Hercules etc. when I was a little girl. This movie is in the same ilk, only missing the fantasy-like elements.
This has the distinction of being the first credited movie directed by Sergio Leone and it was a good first effort if missing the style he's become famous for. This is probably one of the better movies of it's type that came out in the 50's-60's. I wonder about the casting of Rory Calhoun in the lead but perhaps they thought his name would bring in a wider audience. The screenplay and especially the dialogue could have been improved. I don't know if it's a translation issue but perhaps the movie was better in Italian. Still the movie had great sets and costumes and I was entertained.

 

[SteveGon]

Yes, it is indeed an overlooked little gem.

 

[PatW]

Amistad (1997) :star: :star: :star: 1/2

This movie is probably filled with historical inaccuracies but it remains an engrossing tale of man's desire for freedom.

Directed by Steven Spielberg, the events of the movie take place in 1839 and concern a group of Africans that revolted on the Spanish ship Amistad. The ship was seized by salvagers who brought the Africans to the US where they stood trial to determine their status. The abolitionists hire a lawyer to speak on behalf of the Africans who ably represents them in court. The President unwilling to accept the court's decision overrules the decision and has this case sent to the supreme court where it becomes known as the Battle of the Two Presidents.

I don't want to debate the history around these facts because I'm not knowledgable about American history especially during that period of time.
What remains is an interesting story if highly suspect. Though some of the actors were bland in their roles that is not the case for Anthony Hopkins and Djimon Hounsou who play John Quincy Adams and Cinque, the leader of the African slaves. These are two outstanding actors playing vastly different parts. We know Anthony Hopkins and he never fails to disappoint but Hounsou was new to me at that time and in movies since, he's proven to be quite a talented actor. The events aboard the ship are protrayed I imagine very realistically and we get a good sense of what it must of been like aboard the slaver ships. The sets and costumes are very well done and authentic to the period. This is beautifully photographed and scored by artists who have worked with Spielberg many times. I would have liked to have known more about some of the other characters in the movie, but time constraints wouldn't allow. All in all a good film that I'm proud to have in my collection.

 

[Lew Crippen]

I don't know what it is about you, but the more you talk, the more you give me the willies.


Frank James’ assessment of Robert Ford in Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford a movie that has much to recommend it and much to not love. Brad Pitt as Jesse is eerily aware of himself and those around him, even to the last and Casey Affleck as Ford is more repellent than the snakes handled by James in the last days of his life. And note the performance of James Carville as the Governor—one wonders how much American politics would have changed had he chosen a different career.

But in the end, the movie is too self-conscious to be of interest for over 2 ½ hours.

As and aside, I think that the glorification of James is a part of the point.

 

[PatW]

Braveheart (1995) :star: :star: :star: :star:

I was torn on how to rate this movie. Back when it was released I would have awarded it 5 stars, but now clearer eyes prevail and I rate it between 3.5 to 4 stars. There are many historical inaccuracies in this movie like most films of this kind. Apparently the screenplay relies heavily on a poem written by a 15th century minstral. The most objectional part of this movie was Wallace's romance with the Princess of Wales. That is so implausible that it should have been left out of the script. In fact the Princess didn't even come to England until after Wallace's death. But it sure made for a nice little romantic interlude. Braveheart paints alot of its characters black or white. For instance William Wallace is protrayed as this brave heroic figure where there is evidence that this is not the case. I imagine alot of this is speculation since what is written about him could be suspect. What is known is that he fought and won at the battle of Stirling but lost at Falkirk and he died a horrendous death.

Putting that all aside, this is a great looking picture, well directed, with amazing looking battle scenes that look realistic. The score is of epic quality if a bit repetitive at times. The acting was good but some of the characters were one-dimensional, but that was acceptable for the scope of the film. I thought the film was overly long but that feeling only developed on subsequent viewings. There are many touching little moments in this film, the thistle scene with young Murron comes to mind but of course such scenes are few and give way to the general mayhem of the majority of the film. Still I enjoyed the movie immensely.


Marie Antoinette (1938) :star: :star: :star: :star:

A lavish period piece from the 1930's with good acting and wonderful sets. Of special note is of course Norma Shearer in the title role and especially Robert Morley as the Dauphin of France. I don't think there could have been better casting and the 2006 version pales in comparison. As I was watching I couldn't help but think that this would have been splendid if it had been shot in colour.

 

[Malcolm R]

Well, I got in three movies today, but only one of which ended up fitting the criteria of this challenge.

I started with My House in Umbria with Maggie Smith, Timothy Spall, and Chris Cooper. For some reason, I expected/thought this film was set during WWII, but it ended up that it was set either present day or near past, so that was out (pretty good film, though).

Then I picked Mel Brooks' Blazing Saddles, which I thought was a spoof western set in 1874. But then, at the end, it turns into a movie within a movie, set in the 1970's when it was filmed, so that's out (and I didn't care for it anyway; I don't think Mel Brooks' humor is my bag).

Then I finally got one that will fit the challenge:

U-571 (2000) :star::star::star:1/2

WWII submarine thriller with Matthew McConaughey, Bill Paxton, and Harvey Keitel. In 1942, an American sub and crew are sent to capture a disabled Nazi U-boat and retrieve the Enigma coding machine and documents. The Allies had been stymied by the Germans' encryption and could lose the war if they cannot break the codes. A number of twists and turns make for a great cat-and-mouse sub thriller with a surprisingly emotional punch in spots. The DVD features a great soundtrack (DD and DTS) for any LFE bass hounds.

 

[Lew Crippen]

Raleigh—don’t forget to duck!


Advice from Sir Francis Drake to Sir Walter Raleigh as the English defeat the Spanish Armada in Elizabeth: The Golden Age. Again starring Cate Blanchett in the title role (and again nominated for an Oscar). This time the love interest is Raleigh and once again the costumes and sets are sumptuous and the scale large. And this time we don’t care too much about anyone other than Elizabeth.

Ok if you are in the mood for a mostly non-historical, costume drama, but not worth the time otherwise.