Entertaining and stylish and generally amusing. [1252]
PETER YORK, RACQUEL WELCH, OLIVER REED, CHARLTON HESTON, FAYE DUNAWAY, SPIKE MILLIGAN
Miscalculated Western about outlaw half-Indian (played by a white man, of course, Desi Arnaz Jr.) pursued by lawmen for bank robbery. A few surprises, including Gregory Peck as -- wait for this-- a character. [655]
Collection of Monty Python skits. [596]
Well, it wasn't totally bad. I was offended by righteous assertion by Corrie TenBoom that God made life in a concentration camp meaningful. Cardboard cut-out opposition. Well-meaning, I suppose, in that the TenBoom's hid Jews and indicated some respect and tolerance for other religions (the father insists on respecting Jewish customs when their guests join them for dinner). [592]
Moderately interesting and interestingly filmed thriller about a bomb on an ocean liner, with Richard Harris as the demolition experted assigned to defuse it. Above average. [574]
Based on a story by Ryunosuke Akutagawa, "In a Grove". One of the most powerful and moving films ever made. I saw this when I was about 16 or so and it had a decisive influence on my perception of truth and reality from that moment onwards. The movie is framed by sequences of three men gathered at the ruins of a temple, the Rashomon of the title, in the pouring rain. A priest and a woodsman are discussing a shocking trial. A thief joins them and listens to their story. The woodsman was the one who found the body of a murdered man. The story is simple--at first. A man, a samurai, and his beautiful bride are travelling through a dangerous part of the country. Shortly after they enter a forest, a thief, who has been following them, attacks and robs them, and rapes the wife. The husband is murdered. The thief is soon apprehended and a trial is held. To the astonishment of the court, all three of the participants (the husband is called back from the dead by a medium) claim to be the murderer. As each tells his or her version of the events, it becomes clear that each is motivated by shame, and is willing to confess to murder or suicide rather than accept dishonor. Each claims to have lived up to the noble purpose of his/her role in life, and to have fulfilled the demands of humanity under the circumstances. The thief, having won over the wife with his physical domination, challenges the husband for her, and kills her after an intense duel. The wife, disgraced by the rape, and humiliated by her husband's rejection, stabs him with her dagger. The husband, speaking from hell through a medium, insists his wife behaved dishonorably, and the thief fled, leaving him no choice but to commit suicide. But one of the men at the Rashomon admits that he actually witnessed the attack. All behaved with dishonor and cowardice. Even he did-- he stole the valuable dagger right out of the husband's chest. The importance of this statement should be considered in reference to its date and time: shortly after the end of World War II. This idea has been ripped off time and time and again, but never done as well. Roger Ebert says, "It's not about culpability or innocence. Instead, it focuses on something far more profound and thought- provoking: the inability of any one man to know the truth, no matter how clearly he thinks he sees things. Perspective distorts reality and makes the absolute truth unknowable." I think that misses the point. It's not about the men talking about the murder: it's about far each of the participants in the drama are willing to go to conceal their own weak and corrupt human nature. The importance of the wife's mocking laughter is not that we can't know for sure what she felt-- it's that she is so ashamed of being taken by the thief that she would rather see her husband dead than continue to exist in the cruel gaze of his knowing expression, and his refusal to kill the thief who has dishonored her. Consider the timing of "Rashomon": 1950, a mere five years after Japan's catastrophic defeat in World War II, and the atrocities they committed, and were committed against them (the bomb-- of course). Japan entered the war under the delusions of patriotic honor, of the emperor's god-like status, only to discover the writhing rot beneath the glistening surface. [559]
First rate drama about last American soldier to be executed for desertion. Sheen has never been better. [483]
Surprisingly meaty offering from Arthur Hiller, written by Paddy Chayefsky. Black comedy about chaos in hospital, uncaring orderlies and nurses more interested in affairs than anything else. Biting satire. [419]
Sensitive, low-study of woman dying of cancer, leaving tapes of messages to child. Father rides off on motorcycle at the end. [416]
Made for less than $100,000, very moving account of two Newfoundlanders trying to survive in Toronto, crowded into decrepid apartment, etc. I saw this when I was quite young: I remember a fleeting glimpse of nudity, in one of the more depressing scenes: the couple are interrupted making love in their crowded apartment. [385]
Marred by pretentiousness and brooding self-absorption. [383]
I vaguely remember this. Something about existential alienation caught my imagination: Dick Van Dyk as VanGogh type, faking his death to increase value of his paintings. [362]
Slave rebellion against republican Rome, with a brilliant cast. Seen again 12-29-91, in "restored version". Not bad, but definitely flawed by 1950ish sense of epic, including contrivances, forced spectacle, other bullshit. With 75,000 slaves marching with them, Douglas and Simmons still manage to find romantic solitude near a lovely, isolated pond. Even slave girls wear supportive undergarments. Great pitty the massive spectacle couldn't have been combined with first-rate acting and direction. This was Kubrick's breakthrough movie. [350]
Hilarious spoof of broadway, with Mostel and Wilder as producers of an intended flop, trying to bilk naive investors out of their savings. The flop, a musical tribute to Hitler, succeeds of course, as comedy. Shawn is very funny, as is Wilder, the best of many variations on the same character. Unfortunately, could not be made today-- the outrage! They were outraged at the time, but it is different today: today, people would be fired, cancelled, attacked. [344]
Miss Jean Brodie, a strict, over-bearing Scottish girls school teacher, believes herself to be in her "prime", at the peak of ability and confidence in her life. She recruits a number of "special" students to be her private little club, to whom she imparts privileged and precocious studies of art and life. She subscribes to Italian Fascism and adulterous affairs. One particular group of "girrrrls", however, leads to her downfall, and the trajectory is wonderful to watch and full of fascinating insights into character and personality. Exceptional film-- excellent companion piece to later Robin Williams film, "Dead Poets Society". First-rate acting and script, and substantial theme: the power of "leaders" to corrupt and mislead, rooted in their own egotism. Acting is uniformly great, and the story, by Muriel Spark, is unforgettable. Maggie Smith won an Oscar for her performance as Jean. Unforgivably bad theme song though-- by Rod McKuen! "Run, if you will/ to the top of the hill" -- oh please! [342]
Neil Simon play, unusually bad. I liked it first time I saw it though, when I was about sixteen, I suppose, which shows you how taste needs to mature. I thought the device of having Arkin smell his hands constantly was funny. [328]
Cybil Shepherd was cute. Wistful, affecting drama. Also, perhaps the most over-rated film in American history. On second viewing, of director's cut, in 2006, I was struck by how clumsy many sequences were, how poorly handled the actors were, and how much the film relies on Ben Johnson for any sort of gravitas at all. Without his acting, most of the film consists of tawdry scenes of titillation and groping. Some other fine actors -- Ellen Burstyn especially, but also Cloris Leachman and Clug Gallanger, but not really as great a film as many critics seem to believe. [327]
Hilarious spoof of the Middle Ages. Rich in detail, surprisingly well-filmed. [317]
Gripping drama, excellently acted. [307]
Tense drama about U.S. navy ship inside China in 1926 during a period of violent instability due to the assertion of foreign domination (British, French, German, American) and a growing communist movement. Steve McQueen, in probably his best role, plays Holman, a sailor, who aggravates his fellow sailors with his individualism and self-reliance, and his refusal to treat the Chinese as coolies. The gunboat he is serving is ordered to rescue missionaries up river from the increasingly violent nationalist mobs. The missionary refuses to leave; The film is at odds with itself at times, proclaiming Holman's (McQueen's) radical individualism and isolation, but also running up the U.S. flag and having all the sailors gaze reverently at it, then fight to death against faceless Chinese insurgents. The ending is troubling. Surely the studio took an interesting story and "Hollywoodized" it. Otherwise, promising premise. And again, 2013: still a very intriguing if flawed story that provides a rather prescient diagram of the flaws in U.S. foreign policy over the years: well-meaning, impulsive and thoughtless, rarely based on an understanding of culture and history. Yes, the ending is a pip, but not entirely unjustified. Holman is a genuine rogue, a thoughtful, sensitive character, with real morals. The marvel of "The Sand Pebbles" is how it could be Viet Nam or Iraq or Egypt or Afghanistan: the essential dynamic is the same. [302]
Long-winded but effective drama of escape attempts by "the Butterfly", MacQueen, from Devil's Island. [287]
Uneven Canadian version of Easy Rider? Strange movie, very clumsy at times, but somewhat affecting. Dullea is hockey hero who sometimes thinks he's Marshall Dillon. [286]
Don't remember much about this one, except Goldie Hawn being strip searched at some point. [204]
Trendy post-sixties muddle about self-realization. [153]
Violent, edgy action adventure film. [72]
Sellers is brilliant in this low-key comedy. He plays an actor from some obscurely unspecific Asian nation, who mistakenly destroys a movie set. The producer writes his name down to ensure he never works again but the paper he writes it on is actually the list of guests to invite to a party at his lavish mansion. Sellers continues to cause more chaos and disorder here. A favorite scene of mine was when he uses the bathroom, gives a tug on the toilet paper, and the entire roll spools off. [47]
Most Jesus films made before 1973 were solemn, reverent, monotonous pieces that acted as if Jesus walked around with a halo over his head flashing the word "messiah". Disciples and followers tail around behind waiting to be awed by the next certified miracle. Pharisees rehearse their snarls. Then along came Tim Rice and Andrew Lloyd Webber's dashing rock opera (it is an opera, not a musical), Jesus Christ Superstar. The first song, performed by Judas (!) warns that Jesus is going too far, the mob is out of control, the disciples are blind. This is followed by the disciples chanting, "What's the buzz/tell me what's happening" and Jesus asking them why they want to know. Within a few minutes, you knew this was not going to be one of those solemn ecumenical tributes. This was a real, living, breathing Jesus, with personality, moods, emotions. And the disciples seems astonished themselves at Christ's words and deeds. They're not sure what it means. Somehow, this strikes me as right. We know from our own experience of history, that big moments don't announce themselves. They go through a sorting process, a filtering. Sometime later, when the effects are known for certain, historians officially validate the event. Rosa Parks had no idea that her actions, refusing to give up her seat to a white man (how come we don't know his name), would go down in history, and her name become a household word. It wasn't until the repercussions, the marches, the speeches by King, the Civil Rights Act, that we knew how big the gesture was. The disciples remind me of the people surrounding King in the early days of the civil rights movement: they knew something was happening, but they had no idea of what it meant, whether it would work, whether it would die off. This makes this version of the Gospel easily the most compelling and exciting. Christ seems real and emotive. He isn't just reading famous texts to us-- he's thinking, considering, weighing his options. Arguing with God about the necessity of crucifixion, he sings, "Would I be more noticed than I ever was before?" Norman Jewison, exceeding the audacity of filming the opera, in Israel, cast a black, Carl Anderson, as Judas. It is an indication of the bizarre nature of politically correct debate that when the juiciest, best role went to one of their own, some black leaders, and whites, were angered. When you think about it, though, casting Carl Anderson as Judas was probably the most progressive casting decision ever made in Hollywood. It was a resounding declaration of equality: black actors could not be considered for roles as villains as well as heroes. Superstar is filmed beautifully, in the desserts and ruins in Israel-- young beautiful dancers wildly cavorting among solemn Roman pillars while guards with chrome helmuts and semi-automatic rifles patrol the perimetre. It is a moving, compelling drama. It omits the resurrection-- I suspect the makers didn't really believe in it-- but remains the most relevant and inspiring film on Jesus ever made. Very powerful film of the rock opera, beautifully filmed in modern day Israel. Some bizarre touches, but moving. [35]
Deceptively breezy and appealing, this film actually packs a wallop. It was one of the first major films to use a pop music soundtrack (composed by Paul Simon, performed by Simon and Garfunkel). Secondly, it was one of the first genuinely anti-establishment films ever made by Hollywood, though that may not have been intended by its makers. Thirdly, the ending is shockingly, stunningly open- ended. Benjamin Braddock (Dustin Hoffman) returns home from college with a vaunted degree and no sense of purpose or meaning whatsoever. He hangs around, frustrates his parents, and has an affair with the wife of his father's business partner, Mrs. Robinson. His parents pressure him to date Elaine, Mrs. Robinson s daughter. He finally gives in, reluctantly, only to discover a powerful affinity with the young woman. He decides to end his relationship with Mrs. Robinson and pursue Elaine. This leads to a mad sequence of obstacles, initiated by Mrs. Robinson informing Elaine about the affair. Elaine breaks off the relationship and, pressured by her parents, agrees to marry some shallow pre-med student, but Ben interrupts the wedding, breaks into the church, and drags her off, blocking the exit with a large metal cross. They race away on foot, then jump onto a city bus and make their way to the back seat. Here, one expects, in the Hollywood Tradition, the music to rise to signal happy ever after . Instead, the camera lingers on their faces longer and longer and longer, past the point of comfort. They look at each other sideways, shyly, doubtfully. The implication is clear: their future is uncertain, open, perhaps empty. It is a wonderful, poignant expression of existential doubt. The film completely undermines the values of the establishment , but balks at providing its own clear-cut solutions. It is suggested, yes, the system is corrupt, but what can take its place? Mike Nichols was no revolutionary. I'm sure he thought he had something "hip" on his hands, and maybe an intuitive sensitivity to earth-shaking cultural changes that were taking place in the 1960's. Dustin Hoffman's Benjamin is no hippie. He is just unsure. When a friend of his father's describes the career opportunities in plastics-- a hilarious, twisted scene-- Benjamin is repelled, a response that could not have been depicted ten years earlier. He gives in to Mrs. Robinson, out a kind of aimless lust, but he seems equally repelled by her. It is only when he connects with Elaine, who also feels alienated and disgusted with the world of her parents, that Benjamin comes to life. The ending is a miracle. Why did Nichols choose to leave the camera running, as Benjamin and Elaine shyly, doubtfully look at each other, sitting in the back seat of a city bus. It lingers and lingers. No music rises. No flourish. No satisfied smiles. In the 60's, you would have called it "an existential moment", for they seem to have been plunged into painful self-actualization. They have just moved beyond the mode of responding to forces around them, and, for the first time, have to invent a future for themselves, and the movie leaves you thinking that it's going to be painful. [31]
ANNE BANCROFT, KATHARINE ROSS
Lively but careless film version of Broadway musical. Some interesting ideas, but never really leaves the stage. [30]
Bizarre film, part Bergman part Mel Brooks, about an accountant who murders his wife (Diller) upon discovering that he is being replaced by an adding machine. Memorable. [6]
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