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.



__________________________________________________ ___________

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.

 

[JohnRice]

Another movie I need to revisit. Oliver Twist.

My one goal in this challenge is to watch Lean's Ryan's Daughter. I have had the SE for about a year, but have still never seen it.

 

[Lew Crippen]

My baker’s dozen with ratings based on Jonathan Rosenbaum (4=masterpiece; 3=must-see; 2=worth seeing; 1=has redeeming features):

:star::star::star::star:
Andrei Rublev
Flowers of Shanghai
Lower Depths, The (new)
Passion of Joan of Arc, The

:star::star::star:
Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford (new)
Flags of our Fathers (new)
Golden Bowl, The (new)
Last Temptation of Christ, The
Oliver Twist
Scarlet Empress, The
Flags of our Fathers (new)
Golden Bowl, The (new)
Last Temptation of Christ, The

:star::star:
Elizabeth: The Golden Age (new)
Mansfield Park (new)

:star:
Sleeping Dictionary, The (new)

 

[PatW]

John, is Quest for Fire acceptable for this challenge. I know it's about early man or whatever you want to call him. The summary on the box sounded intriguing.

 

[JohnRice]

I've never seen it, but I don't know why it wouldn't qualify.

 

[SteveGon]

Atonement (2007)

Viewed 3/18/2008 (first viewing)

Elliptical drama, set during the early days of WWII, chronicles the tragic affair of a young couple, their love undone by a petulant little girl who makes a wrongful accusation that has dire consequences. Only as she grows older does she realize the enormity of what she's done - can she ever put things right?

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


Love in the Time of Cholera (2007)

Viewed 3/18/2008 (first viewing)

Solid adaptation of the acclaimed novel by Gabriel Garcia Marquez. In late 19th century Columbia, a young man finds his one true love and declares that he will, if need be, wait forever for her. Which he does, through fifty years of affairs, war and cholera epidemics. Well done, though frankly I didn't think the book was all that.

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

 

[PatW]

Comancheros (1961) :star: :star: :star: 1/2

This is a typical John Wayne western, not of the caliber of the Ford films but still entertaining nevertheless. Both Stuart Whitman and John Wayne work well together and Lee Marvin has a very small but memorable role.
The location sets as well as the cinematography are great and though I'm not a Western fan, I've been trying to expand my viewing to include these films and this isn't a bad one.


The Secret Garden (1993) :star: :star: :star: :star: 1/2

A favourite children's book is brought to life in this spendid adaptation of that wonderful novel. The is my favourite adaptation of that particular story. The house is suitable menacing and the garden dazzling, but it's the acting of the three children that raises this to a near masterpiece.

 

[Mario Gauci]

03/10/08: MARTIN LUTHER (Irving Pichel, 1953) :star::star::star:

This was included in a budget 3-Disc Set comprising ten religious-themed efforts which have fallen into the Public Domain; indeed, it was the most desirable title of the lot and it turned out to be pretty good. Incidentally, four other small-scale films found on this collection were produced by various evangelical groups and, in fact, so was this biopic. Though compromised in this edition by the softness (and slight damage) of the available print, the handsome production afforded the film itself resulted in two Academy Award nominations (uncommon for an independently-made effort) – best cinematography and best black-and-white art direction/set decoration.

MARTIN LUTHER is a curious collaboration between three countries – the U.S., Germany (from where Martin Luther himself emanated) and the U.K.; in fact, while the director (and bit-part actor) Irving Pichel is an American, the lead here is played – superbly, I might add – by the Irish character actor Niall MacGinnis (perhaps best-known for his chilling portrayal of Karswell, the occult-practicing villain of Jacques Tourneur’s CURSE OF THE DEMON [1957]). His thoughtful performance is very effective in illustrating the various facets of Luther’s personality: his initial inner conflicts, the laying-down of (and firm conviction in) his own beliefs, as well as the strength necessary for opposing the power of the Church (facing disrepute from both his peers and his congregation, not to mention an eventual excommunication). Furthermore, we’re also shown the build-up of support to his particular credo where it attracts people from all walks of life…and even lands him a wife!

The script does quite well in delineating the essential difference between the doctrine of the Catholic Church (in its most oppressive state, back when it was still a political force to be reckoned with) and Luther’s pragmatic but no less steadfast approach to religion: the latter favors a strict adherence to Scriptures in the face of the Church’s fire-and-brimstone teachings (resorting to the deception of ignorant parishioners by proposing the worship of worthless holy relics and the offer of money in order to obtain indulgencies in the afterlife, or the callous bestowing of titles upon non-clerical albeit aristocratic subjects).

When I was in Hollywood in 2005, I had caught LUTHER (1974) on TV: directed by Guy Green from a stage rendition by John Osborne and featuring Stacy Keach in the title role, it’s been released on DVD by Kino as part of “The American Film Theater Collection”. While that version, too, was undeniably interesting and effective, the earlier cinematic i.e. less stagey treatment was perhaps the more satisfactory; by the way, there’s been an even more recent biopic of the famous religious figure starring Joseph Fiennes, which is readily available from my local DVD rental outlet.


03/19/08: CALIGULA [Unrated Edition] (Tinto Brass, Giancarlo Lui and Bob Guccione, 1979) :star:1/2

I had watched this on late-night TV while on a visit to London in September 2002; it transpired to have not been the full-length version, since I don’t recall the hardcore footage found here. Anyway, the film is still perhaps mainstream cinema’s biggest folly: while Gore Vidal’s original screenplay may have been interesting, the end result lumbers on for 2½ hours for no particular reason except to wallow in its repellent excesses but proves to be extremely dull, even annoying, into the bargain!

Despite some imposing credentials, it’s little more than an extended home movie from the people at “Penthouse” magazine: director Brass was only credited with “Principal Photography” since he objected to Lui and Guccione’s “additional footage” – which, apparently, boils down to little more than six minutes of no-holds-barred hardcore stuff! Danilo Donati (famed for his equally garish and overblown collaborations with Federico Fellini) serves as art director/costume designer – the film itself recalls the vilified later work of Pier Paolo Pasolini (with editing by Nino Baragli, no less) and, of course, anticipates the recent controversy caused by the ultra-realistic ROME TV series. The music, at least, includes judicious excerpts from the classical work of Aram Khachaturyan and Sergei Prokofiev; incidentally, according to the IMDB, the Paul Clemente listed as the film’s composer is a pseudonym for Bruno Nicolai…which is a quite fitting credit, given that he often worked for another notorious purveyor of sex – Jesus Franco!

As for the cast, Malcolm McDowell re-affirms his tendency towards hamminess when not guided by master film-makers such as Lindsay Anderson and Stanley Kubrick (another notorious contemporaneous effort I had watched and should re-acquaint myself with in the near-future is the star-studded war drama THE PASSAGE [1979]) – he’s got the right intensity for the title role but is visibly ill-at-ease with the sex scenes (intending to stress the era’s utter decadence, more often than not these prove a distraction from the main plot) and particularly embarrassing when breaking into an inane dance routine. Perhaps mercifully, the thespian skills of Peter O’Toole (as a demented and sore-riddled Tiberius, appearing much older than his 47 years) and John Gielgud (as the latter’s counselor who opts for the easy way out rather than serve Caligula) are on display for only the first 40 minutes or so of this debacle. Also on hand are a number of notable regulars of Italian cinema – namely Leopoldo Trieste, Paolo Bonacelli (another Pasolini alumnus) and a campy bald-headed John Steiner. The ladies – led by Teresa Ann Savoy (sharing an incestuous relationship with her brother the Emperor) and Helen Mirren (as Caligula’s wife, dubbed “the most promiscuous woman in Rome”) and including several “Penthouse” starlets doing their thing – provide the expected glamor and titillation, though male nudity is just as much in continual evidence.

Another sensationalistic aspect to the film is its level of gore, occasionally demonstrated in inventive fashion – none more so than in the solitary arena sequence where prisoners are buried in sand apart from their head, which is summarily lopped off by a cumbersome machine fitted with deadly blades! Following the bloodthirsty assassination of Caligula and his entire family by his closest associates, his obese and effeminate uncle Claudius is made Emperor; incidentally, I should be acquiring the celebrated I, CLAUDIUS (1976) TV series – with Derek Jacobi in the title role and John Hurt as Caligula – soon enough…and, eventually, I’ll presently be getting to Peter O’Toole’s other epic about the Roman Empire – MASADA (1981), itself a TV mini-series!


03/19/08: JOHANNA (Kornel Mundruczo`, 2005) :star::star:

A pretentious eccentricity: a virtually unrecognizable modernization of the Joan Of Arc tale (with the heroine now a drug addict-turned-nurse-turned-whorish miracle maker!) which, of all things, is also an opera sung in Hungarian! I only included it in the “Epic” challenge for this reason and had, in fact, intended to watch Carl Theodor Dreyer’s 1928 masterpiece THE PASSION OF JOAN OF ARC as part of a marathon to commemorate the 40th anniversary of his death…but had to abandon the whole idea and, in the process, considerably streamline the schedule for the rest of the month following a death in the family which turned into a national tragedy!

Incidentally, Roberto Rossellini had already made a film out of Arthur Honnegger’s opera JOAN OF ARC AT THE STAKE (1954; which has, thankfully, just been released as a SE DVD in Italy) featuring the director’s then-wife Ingrid Bergman; I haven’t watched this yet but did recently acquire the latter’s earlier 1948 film about the famous inspirational but misunderstood warrior-saint. The film under review, then, is original to be sure and mercifully short – but also rather pointless…to say nothing of dismal-looking, dreary and thoroughly depressing! Having said that, some of the music – particularly the children’s choruses – is quite pleasing, though…

 

[SteveGon]

And Mario drags out some more obscuritites.

(Actually, I've seen Johanna - meh.)

I've got Alessandro Blasetti's 1860 and Miklos Jancso's The Round-Up slated for tomorrow...

 

[JohnRice]

22) Once Upon a Time in America - :star::star::star::star::star:
Damn I love this movie. I'm pretty sure I haven't watched it since the day it finally came out on DVD. I regularly change my interpretation. I've been exploring the "Opium Induced Delusion" approach.

It's too bad movies don't qualify for how long they seemed to last, because yesterday I suffered through Southland Tales, which falls 15 minutes short of qualifying, but took pretty much the entire day to finish.

 

[Mario Gauci]

As do I! This is a very highly anticipated viewing for me (which will be followed by 3 more "epic" Jancsos by the end of the month).

Great minds truly do think alike...even down, it seems, to acquiring the obscure, maligned and low-budget British ganster flick, NO ORCHIDS FOR MISS BLANDISH (1948).

By the way, I have watched 1860 (1933) on VHS and still have it somewhere - but that unexpected 2-Disc Set from RHV on Italian R2 DVD is mighty tempting.

 

[PatW]

Kingdom of Heaven (2005) - Dir. cut :star: :star: :star: :star:

Running at 194 min. this Ridley Scott movie is far superior to the 145 min. version that oddly enough seemed to be overlong. This time Scott takes time to flesh out his characters but I still feel Orlando Bloom was sorely miscast in this part. He neither has the maturity or the stature to play this character. This is still a great epic story about an interesting period in history.

 

[SteveGon]

Heh. That was one nasty little movie - I can see why it caused the outrage it did.

 

[Mario Gauci]

03/21/08: THE ROUND-UP (Miklos Jancso`, 1965) :star::star::star::star:

I have made of this most notable of Hungarian films a personal holy grail ever since I laid eyes on an illustrated two-page spread found in an old British magazine of my father’s entitled “The Movie” – and now, over 20 years later, I have finally managed to track the thing down and, thanks to the valiant R2 DVD label Second Run, add it to my ever-increasing eclectic home video collection. For the record, despite knowing of its imminent release on DVD, I was seriously contemplating traveling to London for last week’s big-screen showing of THE ROUND-UP at the Curzon Mayfair (with Jancso` in attendance, no less) – but, alas, it is just as well that I didn’t go because of what occurred over here a couple of days prior to the event: a tragically unnecessary death in the family which, worse still, turned into a national tragedy (with long-term social and legal repercussions to boot). But life, pitiless and unjust as it is, has to go on and, slowly but surely, I have now jumped back into my old routine of film watching and reviewing…

Although there have been other noteworthy Hungarian film-makers before (Paul Fejos) and since (Istvan Szabo), Miklos Jancso` is still perhaps the most important. Ironically, while he was the first one I personally became aware of, my viewing of THE ROUND-UP has actually been my very first encounter with his work – although, now that the first step has been taken, it will be followed by three more in a few days’ time. Sometimes it can happen to a film buff that the actual experience of watching the movie, about which one has heard a lot and eagerly longed for, turns out to be underwhelming but, thankfully, this has not proven to be the case for me with THE ROUND-UP. Indeed, the phrase “unlike anything you’ve ever seen before” is often freely banded about by unimaginative film reviewers – but this description is unquestionably apt when applied to Jancso`’s masterpiece.

In that enticing and insightful article I mentioned above written by Jancso`’s first assistant director on the film itself (and which I immediately re-read upon the film’s termination), it is stated that while THE ROUND-UP was based on factual events which had taken place in Hungary in 1869 and could have easily been shot on the actual locations of castles and fortresses, Jancso` sought a different visual approach altogether with regards to sets and costumes – “half-way between reality and abstraction”, as he brilliantly puts it. Since I found myself wholeheartedly agreeing with other observations he made on the film, I don’t see why I can’t quote him some more: “It has a coherent, easy-to-read story – comprehensible at a single viewing – and at the same time a deep, intellectual, almost abstract parable”.

The abstraction being alluded to is not restricted to visual (literally, black and white) terms alone – where the stark whiteness of the prison-fortress walls and the hooded Hungarian convicts memorably contrast with the black capes and uniforms of the Austrian oppressors – but also to its very narrative style: while it becomes clear early on that the subject of the relentless interrogations is the identification and capture of legendary rebel leader Sandor (who never actually appears in person but whose presence permeates the entire film), people appear and disappear with insistent frequency and, although there are definite characters which take precedence over others, there is no true main central figure one can clearly identify with and root for.

Thematically, it is oppression and degradation which are the key elements: right from the animated prologue at the start displaying a succession of torture devices, we later watch men made to stand in the rain and a woman stripped naked and whipped to death with canes (the sight of which sends her despairing spouse leaping to his death). But the oppressors’ ultimate weapon of humiliation is treachery: through vain promises of instant freedom, prisoners – and, at one point, a grieving mother and, later still, father and son – are repeatedly induced to betray one another (via abrupt, silent motions) but, instead of liberty, they are rewarded with a bullet in the back, the retribution of their own people and, in the supremely ironic finale, cold-blooded mass extermination. In this context, the character of Gajdor is especially poignant (and even amusing in a blackly comedic way) as he pathetically keeps reminding his captors that, even though he has already fingered several worse criminals than himself, he is a prisoner still. Interestingly, this paradox can also be applied to the ingenious location of the prison-fortress (within which practically the whole film is set) – rebuilt specifically for this production in the middle of uninhabited plains that stretch as far and wide as the eye can see.

Miklos Jancso` is renowned for his rigorous visual style and, even from this one sampling of his work – albeit that which is generally perceived as being his chef d’oeuvre – to say that I was rightfully impressed would be putting it mildly. The constantly moving camera, on the one hand encircling the prisoners as if it was one of them and encompassing wide vistas of soldiers astride their horses on the other, necessarily limits the utilization of close-ups to the barest minimum – as if purposefully adopting the impassive stance of an historical observer. For this viewer, it literally wove a mesmeric spell the likes of which I have only experienced once before during a movie – Robert Bresson’s A MAN ESCAPED (1956) which, perhaps significantly, also deals with incarceration.

 

[Malcolm R]

GLORY (1989) :star::star::star::star:1/2

One of my personal Top 10 films of all time and probably the best Civil War drama ever made. The film tells the story of the creation of the first all-black regiment (Massachusetts 54th) of the Union Army, through their training and education, overcoming discrimination on all sides, to their eventual mission to lead the attack on Fort Wagner. Powerful performances from a great cast including Morgan Freeman, Denzel Washington, and Andre Braugher. The weak link is Matthew Broderick as Robert Gould Shaw, the affluent Bostonian selected to lead the regiment. He just doesn't seem to have the presence required to completely fill-out the role, but the supporting players prop him up enough to make it work for the most part.

From reading about the making of this film, it seems like it was meant to be a much longer film. Many scenes and subplots were reportedly cut. I'm not sure if it was during the scripting stage, or if there's a bunch of actual footage that was shot then cut. If the latter, I wonder if they'll ever do an extended release version? Next year is the 20th Anniversary!

 

[PatW]

Quest for Fire (1981) :star: :star: :star: :star: 1/2

Superbly directed by Jean-Jacques Annaud, this fantasy-adventure takes place 80,000 years in the past and concerns the possession of fire and the life and death struggle to maintain it.

In this film we are introduced to four different tribes or "humans" on different evolutionary paths. One such group is the Ulam tribe who are attacked by a neighbouring group of Neanderthals. The Ulam's are forced to flee and in the process of their flight, drown out their fire while crossing a marshy area. They decide to send three men on a quest to find more fire because even though the Ulam's are able to harness the flame they are unable to create it. Along the way, through many adventures, they meet up with Ika, who is a member of an advanced tribe. Noah develops a strong attachment to Ika but sensing that she's near home sneaks away one night. Noah decides to follow her and is captured by the Ivakas, Ika's tribe. Here he learns the secrets of how to create fire. Eventually his buddies rescue him bringing back the fire and the knowledge of how to create it.

This was a fascinating movie and it was interesting to see different steps in early man's evolution, all in one time period mind you, but still an interesting study. It's obvious that alot of research went into the making of this movie. Both Desmond Morris, noted Zoologist and Anthony Burgess were responsible for the body language and gestures and the verbal language spoken by the various tribes. I can't fault any of the acting here, though there certainly isn't much out there to compare it with. Of special note was Ron Perlman's performance as one of the three Ulam's. Better known for the cult tv series Beauty and the Beast, and a slew of Sci-fi/Fantasy movies, this was his first feature and he is outstanding here. I remember at the time this came out, he appeared on a few talk shows joking that he didn't have to wear much make-up for his role what with his interesting face. The cinematography and location shooting was absolutely stunning utilizing the landscapes of Canada, Scotland and Kenya. Though there is not many, this is certainly one of the better movies of its kind.

 

[SteveGon]

The Round-Up (1965)

Viewed 3/21/2008 (first viewing)

Miklos Jancso's stark account of Hungarian revolutionaries held prisoner at a remote detention camp in 1869 Hungary. There they are psychologically tortured (and often executed) in an attempt to ferret out their leader. Mario said it much better than I could so I'll leave it there.

:star: :star: :star: 1/2 out of :star: :star: :star: :star:


1860 (1933)

Viewed 3/21/2008 (first viewing)

A Sicilian partisan is sent on a mission to convince Italian hero Giuseppe Garibaldi to help his beseiged people. Well done historical drama mixes social commentary with its revolutionary tale. May get more out of it if you're familiar with Italian history (I had at least, heard of Garibaldi).

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

 

[Mario Gauci]

03/21/08: HERCULES (Pietro Francisci, 1958) :star::star:1/2

Being the film that really cemented the appeal of the peplum subgenre – to say nothing of the reputation of one of its most popular icons, the muscle-bound Steve Reeves – this film has much to answer for but, unfortunately, I have to say that the archetype (and its sequel) didn’t exactly live up to expectations! I had watched both Hercules adventures as a kid on Italian TV and this recent re-acquaintance came via the R1 Goodtimes DVD, which presented the American-dubbed version (as prepared by Joseph E. Levine) in a washed-out, lamentably panned-and-scanned print!

Mind you, the film is still enjoyable along the way but also rather juvenile and uninspired – centering as it does around the famous mythological tale of the search for the Golden Fleece (whose definitive screen rendition remains the splendid Ray Harryhausen extravaganza JASON AND THE ARGONAUTS [1963]), a personal childhood favorite of mine, where Hercules was portrayed by Nigel Greene!). Two other Italian adaptations of Greek legends, both adapted from Homer, proved altogether more satisfactory – the template for HERCULES was clearly the lively ULYSSES (1954), an Italian/US venture involving the likes of Kirk Douglas and Anthony Quinn among the cast and Ben Hecht and Irwin Shaw as co-writers (that film’s titular figure actually appears here as a brash youth!), while THE TROJAN HORSE (1961) gave Steve Reeves himself a more mature role in Aeneas and survives as possibly his best vehicle.

Throughout the course of the film, our ‘immortal’ hero is seen performing several athletic feats (the original title, in fact, translates to THE LABORS OF HERCULES), romances “Euro-Cult” favorite Sylva Koscina, resists the temptations of the Amazon women (led by Gianna Maria Canale from I VAMPIRI [1957]), fights a lion, a dragon and a tribe of monkey men(!), routs the traitor among his shipping crew (BLACK SUNDAY [1960]’s Arturo Dominici) and, finally, brings down a temple by pulling at its columns a` la Samson (thus paving the way for Jason to assume his rightful place on the throne).


03/21/08: HERCULES UNCHAINED (Pietro Francisci, 1959) :star::star:1/2

The sequel to HERCULES (1958) is even less enthusing but remains, nonetheless, an adequate example of the peplum genre.

Sylva Koscina’s role of Iole, Hercules’ love interest, is diminished here since the most prominent female figure on display emerges to be the femme fatale-ish Queen of Lidia Omphale (the film’s original title, incidentally, translates to HERCULES AND THE QUEEN OF LIDIA) – the latter is played by another red-headed beauty Sylvia Lopez, who died of leukemia not long after the film’s release! Needless to say, the muscle-bound hero (Steve Reeves) falls under her spell after having conveniently drunk from a spring that renders him an amnesiac (though not before he’s been engaged in an irrelevant wrestling bout with ex-heavyweight champion Primo Carnera as an irascible giant!); his friend Ulysses, however, is on hand to watch over him (ostensibly in the function of Hercules’ deaf-mute slave). Meanwhile, back home in Thebes, two brothers fight it out over the throne – with Iole at the mercy of a cackling maniac (an over-the-top Sergio Fantoni)…

By the way, both of these Hercules films featured atmospheric cinematography by Mario Bava (who would himself direct one of the better adventures revolving around this mythical figure – HERCULES IN THE HAUNTED WORLD [1961] starring Reg Park). As for Francisci, he worked most often in this genre: from ATTILA (1954; co-starring Anthony Quinn and Sophia Loren) – which is overdue for a reappraisal and has, incidentally, just been announced as an upcoming DVD release from Lionsgate! – to the low-brow HERCULES, SAMSON AND ULYSSES (1963; with Kirk Morris now as Hercules) and SINBAD AND THE CALIPH OF BAGHDAD (1973; his last film and which I recall watching eons ago on Italian TV).


03/22/08: FRINE, CORTIGIANA D' ORIENTE (Mario Bonnard, 1953) :star::star:1/2

I had never heard of this one when it was announced for a late-night screening on Italian TV and, frankly, I only opted to watch it in view of director Bonnard’s involvement – since he later made THE LAST DAYS OF POMPEII (1959), starring Steve Reeves and co-directed by Sergio Leone.

However, it turned out to be quite a pleasant surprise, if not exactly a hidden gem. Incidentally, being a black-and-white production, it emerges as one of the last efforts to be made during Italy’s second – and, in a way, most interesting – phase of epic film-making, which is highlighted by such artistic triumphs as THE IRON CROWN (1941) and FABIOLA (1949). I say “most interesting” because, from what little I’ve seen, these films were decidedly pictorially stylish rather than merely ‘spectacular’. FRINE itself, in fact, is both literate and atmospheric…but also rather sexy (with a handful of unexpected scenes of fleeting nudity), which is an element that got considerably downplayed in later juvenile, low-brow and generally glum outings!

The narrative involves an aristocratic girl (the statuesque Elena Kleus) whose influential senator father opposes the current ruling tyrant – so, the latter frames him for the theft of a precious sacred jewel and has both the old man and his wife burned at the stake and their property confiscated, while the daughter is sold into slavery. Ironically, the one to buy her (unbeknownst to the girl) is the very man who had insinuated himself in her house as a beggar and planted the incriminating jewels; however, he’s not one to let an opportunity for profit go by and quickly sees the heroine (renamed Phryne, an appellation she picked up off of an Athenian prostitute thus marked) rise to the top of the ranks as a courtesan – swaying all the men in sight, who are willing to part with a considerable chunk of their wealth for her favors!

However, she has a hidden agenda: determined to right past wrongs, especially after her native Thebes is eroded by Alexander The Great, she not only uses the money to help her destitute people but also harbors ambitions to rebuild the city as a means of regaining her own stature. The Athenian council refuses such an offer and puts her on trial for self-aggrandisement; an orator (Pierre Cressoy), Phryne’s true love who had previously suffocated his jealousy in alcohol, regains his wits enough to assume her defense – while the guilt of her reptilian pimp (Giulio Donnini) is eventually exposed by the latter’s own deaf-mute but imposing black servant (John Kitzmiller). Tamara Lees also appears as the ‘deposed’ No. 1 courtesan – who even gets snubbed for the model of Aphrodite being sculpted by her own lover!

While perhaps only middling as drama, as I said, the film retains interest even today as an example of a genre in transition.

 

[PatW]

Gallipoli (1981) :star: :star: :star: :star: 1/2

An Australian anti-war movie directed by Peter Weir and set during the 'Great War'. The story is about two young runners, Mark Lee and Mel Gibson, who are rivals at first but quickly become friends and eventually end up in Turkey on the Gallipoli peninsula in the trenches. This story unfolds slowly and takes time to build the characters. We get to know Frank Dunn (Gibson) and Archie Hamilton (Lee) intimately and come to care a great deal about these characters and what happens to them. Though Weir has directed alot of great films this is probably his most personal and my favourite. There are many outstanding and heartbreaking moments in this film. My favourite is: the night before the final battle the Major is drinking a glass of champagne while that wonderful duet from the Pearl Fishers is playing in the background along with the gunfire and explosions that are lighting up the night sky. Superb scene. Another favourite is of course the famous final shot just after Mel Gibson's primal scream of defeat and frustration all set wonderfully to Albinoni's Adagio. Years later when I hear that sad piece of music I always remember that last freeze-frame shot.

 

[Mario Gauci]

03/17/08-03/21/08: ACTS OF THE APOSTLES [Episodes 1-5] (TV) (Roberto Rossellini, 1969) :star::star::star:

I had always wanted to check out Rossellini’s TV work (which took up most of his later career), if only to make a personal opinion of it – given that it’s not a very well regarded period – apart from THE RISE OF LOUIS XIV (1966) – for a film-maker often considered among cinema’s greatest.

Unsurprisingly, the ultra low-key approach and use of mostly non-professional actors (the one recognizable face here being “Euro-Cult” favorite Paul Muller) resembles most of all Rossellini’s earlier religious film THE FLOWERS OF ST. FRANCIS (1950). From the title itself, one realizes that this ‘epic’ production tackles events from the Bible that are often overlooked; while the character of St. Peter – a prominent figure here – does feature in the likes of QUO VADIS (1951) and THE ROBE (1953), relatively little has been done with the life of St. Paul: he first appears in the second episode, but gradually assumes the central role throughout. Considering that he was the one to convert my native island of Malta to Christianity, it was nice to be able to get a close look at the man – as imagined by a master film-maker, no less – even if the famous shipwreck itself, which landed him over here (allegedly right into the village I hail from), is only alluded to in the film!

Though the talky and uneventful nature of the nearly six-hour long ACTS OF THE APOSTLES hardly lends itself to excitement and spectacle, Rossellini’s eye for naturalistic detail – aided by a wistful ethnic score by Mario Nascimbene, light years removed from his rousing signature theme for THE VIKINGS (1958) – gives one a real sense of the time and the place (the film was actually shot in Tunisia). Besides, it does quite well in delineating the way Christianity was misunderstood first of all by the Jews themselves because it went against their assumption of being God’s chosen people (and which led to the adoption of circumcision as a sign of identification) – in that this nascent religion decreed that Jesus had died for the absolution of all sins and not for the benefit of just one nation!

Needless to say, I find myself more responsive as a film buff to Rossellini’s innovative early “Neo-Realist” work and the thought-provoking series of films with Ingrid Bergman; that said, I’ll be following ACTS OF THE APOSTLES with THE MESSIAH (1975) – the director’s last work for the cinema which, in narrative terms, obviously precedes this and is, by all accounts, handled in similarly minimalist fashion…


03/23/08: THE MESSIAH (Roberto Rossellini, 1975) :star::star::star:

Dubbed "the most Catholic of all film directors” by one critic, I guess it was only a matter of time before Roberto Rossellini tackled the life of Christ on celluloid. Ironically, this he did in what proved to be his last feature film which was, in itself, a follow-up to his TV mini-series ACTS OF THE APOSTLES (1969). That earlier work was interesting for treating little-known passages from the New Testament but, with an unhurried pace and a generally unassuming tone, the end result was decidedly meandering. Conversely, THE MESSIAH presents all-too-familiar events – with the overall effect feeling lengthy still, yet distinctly more cinematic. That said, it starts off with the arrival of the Jews in the Promised Land and the appointment of their first king (Saul) before moving on to the life of Christ; actually, this is also one of the few films to show the famous incident in which Jesus is lost in the temple as a boy. Unsurprisingly, it doesn’t stray much from the spirit – or word – of the Gospels: even so, in the throes of an agonizing death, Herod The Great (played by Vittorio Caprioli – though his trademark flustered demeanor is downplayed by having his voice dubbed) is seen planning the annihilation of his own subjects akin to the practice of ancient Egyptian rulers!

Incidentally, the rich and commanding voice of Christ himself is supplied by Enrico Maria Salerno – a superb actor in his own right who had actually already handled the very same task in THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO ST. MATTHEW (1964) – which is effectively contrasted with the inconspicuous appearance of the young man who appears in the role (perhaps best approximating the Lothaire Bluteau of JESUS OF MONTREAL [1989]). This Messiah, then, is far removed from the striking good-looks of Jeffrey Hunter (KING OF KINGS [1961]) and Robert Powell (the JESUS OF NAZARETH [1977] TV mini-series) or the brooding power of Max von Sydow (THE GREATEST STORY EVER TOLD [1965]) and Willem Dafoe (THE LAST TEMPTATION OF CHRIST [1988])! Naturally, the bulk of the narrative is devoted to Christ’s public life – though no overdue emphasis is placed on the miracles he performed (these are mentioned but rarely seen) – which also provides the film with its essential core…since the latter section, revolving around the more commonly-depicted events of Jesus’ trial (where Jean Martin, the French Colonel in THE BATTLE OF ALGIERS [1966], nonetheless makes for a fine Pontius Pilate), crucifixion and eventual resurrection are curiously skimped here!

The subplot involving John The Baptist, however, is quite nicely handled; by the way, the only other recognizable face in the cast is that of Tina Aumont (even if her contribution amounts to no more than a few minutes of screen-time!) as the adulteress Christ famously pardons by denouncing her pursuers instead. The score is, once again, by Mario Nascimbene – though it’s not as prominent as his work on ACTS OF THE APOSTLES. On the visual side, the film seems closest to the contemporaneous JESUS OF NAZARETH – yet the lyrical style and quiet dignity on display makes of THE MESSIAH a more than worthy companion piece to Pier Paolo Pasolini’s aforementioned (and more renowned) THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO ST. MATTHEW. With this in mind, while perhaps not the definitive film on the subject, it certainly emerges as an underrated achievement – both among the myriad treatments (including those by such great directors as D. W. Griffith, Carl Theodor Dreyer, Cecil B. DeMille and Abel Gance) of Christ’s life over the years and in Rossellini’s own highly respected canon.


03/22/08: TECHNIQUE AND RITE (TV) (Miklos Jancso`, 1971) :star::star:1/2

This was shown, along with its follow-up ROME WANTS ANOTHER CAESAR (1974; which I watched shortly thereafter), as part of an all-night marathon on Italian TV highlighting the Hungarian film-maker’s little-seen work in Italy. Also included in this broadcast was THE PACIFIST (1970), which I foolishly opted to miss out on in view of its inherent political disposition (this being the era of the Vietnam War and all that)…when it transpired that the two would-be epics (which I had taken to be more readily engaging) ended up being just as concerned with this element, demonstrating an almost complete disregard for standard plot mechanics into the bargain!

In all fairness, Jancso`’s best-known and widely admired film THE ROUND-UP (1965) – with which I’ve also just become acquainted – is similarly marked by a deliberate stylization which, in hindsight can be seen as the director’s personal stamp. Even so, while this abstraction lent itself admirably well to the central situation of that film, here and in ROME WANTS ANOTHER CAESAR, it all feels inordinately muddled and gratuitously pretentious (thus rendering the whole oppressive even when taking into account their considerable brevity)! Both these films, then, are somewhat hard to define – and even harder to enjoy; that said, the title of this one alone should have provided ample warning as to the picture’s overtly didactic nature!

The narrative purports to deal with the barbaric exploits of Attila The Hun (an appropriately brooding if unsympathetic figure throughout)…and, yet, none of the characters ever leave the remote seaside stretch of land on which the film is set or do much of anything – with the ensuing moralizing interrupted only by the occasional (and equally obscure) music-infused rites! This is not to say that the film is actually boring, however: Jancso`’s visual sense here is strong indeed (ditto for ROME WANTS ANOTHER CAESAR) – which, again, suggests a consistency within his oeuvre and, at the same time, undeniably emerges to be one of the director’s most remarkable qualities.


03/23/08: ROME WANTS ANOTHER CAESAR (Miklos Jancso`, 1974) :star::star:1/2

To begin with, as I pointed out in my review for Jancso`’s earlier ‘epic’ – the made-for-TV TECHNIQUE AND RITE (1971) – much of what constituted its pros and cons, from the heavy-going speechifying to the striking imagery, applies to this one as well. Nevertheless, it emerges to be somewhat more engaging – or, if you like, tolerable than that earlier effort; incidentally, while some sources give the film’s running-time as 100 minutes, the print I watched on Italian TV lasted for merely 78! Even so, we’re still treated to the random intimidation of several characters (shades also of Jancso`’s masterpiece THE ROUND-UP [1965])…not to mention the baffling re-emergence of ones who had only moments before been shown expiring!

In terms of plot, ROME WANTS ANOTHER CAESAR is unusual in that it revolves around a small band of renegades within the legions of the Empire stationed in Judea; led by an intense Daniel Olbrychski, they eventually rout the current State Governor and generally proclaim themselves against any form of authority (amid the occasional mock-parade, which is yet another link with THE ROUND-UP – as is, after all, the central military fortress/prison setting). This basic routine is kept up until the character played by Hiram Keller (a handsome but typically inexpressive presence) – ostensibly, one of Olbrychski’s rebel companions – is exposed as Octavian, the heir to Julius Caesar following the latter’s notoriously bloody assassination…and which, naturally, produces conflicting reactions within the outfit! Intermittently, for whatever reason, a young Arab who tags along breaks into semi-chanted oratory – which is immediately translated for our benefit by an interpreter constantly at his side! By the way, the most notable other credit here is that of composer Gianni Ferrio, a “Euro-Cult” regular.

For the record, I should be able to lay my hands presently on Jancso`’s THE RED AND THE WHITE (1967), via the Second Run R2 DVD, and RED PSALM (1972), on DivX. Even considering my relatively lukewarm attitude towards his two Ancient Roman ‘epics’, I’m tempted to purchase the affordably-priced DVDs of the rest of Jancso`’s work in Italy – namely, THE PACIFIST (1970) with Monica Vitti and Pierre Clementi (thought I might hesitate with respect to this one in the hope that it’s given another late-night screening on TV one of these days) and PRIVATE VICES AND PUBLIC VIRTUES (1976) which, by all accounts, is a sexually explicit period drama a` la the films of Walerian Borowczyk (and, therefore, unlikely to turn up in my neck of the woods)…

 

[SteveGon]

Troy (2004)

Viewed 3/24/2008 (first viewing)

Solid, old-fashioned epic chronicling the siege and sack of Troy. Not great, but quite enjoyable.

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


The Other Conquest (2007)

Viewed 3/24/2008 (first viewing)

Subdued (compared to Mel Gibson's Apocalypto) account of an Aztec prince who is forced to convert to Christianity after he is taken prisoner by the forces of Hernando Cortes. Low budget, but obviously a labor of love and probably more realistic than Gibson's epic.

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


The Naked Prey (1966)

Viewed 3/24/2008 (first viewing)

Cornel Wilde's tale of a safari guide in colonial Africa who is forced to run for his life by a native tribe. Based on a true story (albeit with the action transposed to the dark continent), this is an exciting advenure film if you can make it past the stomach-churning elephant slaughter and slave raids. Some people have called this racist, but frankly I don't see it.

:star: :star: :star: 1/2 out of :star: :star: :star: :star: