23rd MoFo Hall of Fame

Gonna have to start making pace restrictions. I'm still at 2, but almost through my third

I need to stop, but i'm watching The Great Mouse Detective tomorrow, then will most likely have my list organized. Will still rewatch Late Spring and Yellow Submarine in case my opinion changes.

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Oh yikes! that's hot alright and 92 degrees inside, ugh. I couldn't sleep in that heat, I couldn't sleep last night it was so hot, but not as hot as 92.

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Not sure if you are interested but there are 2 documentaries you should watch.. one is called "Night and Fog" (Nuit et brouillard) from 1956 by Alan Resnais. Its less than 35 minutes long of Holocaust Concentration camp hell and "Shoah" from 1985 directed by Claude Lanzmann that is over 9 hours of the same thing. Both are shocking and touching.

I've heard of both of those but never seen them. Isn't there a shortened version of Shoah? Though I think for myself I'd watch all 9 hours spaced over several days.

Yeah you can space it out over days. I have the Criterion copy which is multiple discs.

You want to see something shocking, find "Die Ewige Jude". A true Nazi propaganda film.

I want to see that, for the historical importance.

I think everyone should.

Night and Fog might be the best film ever made.

Not every film is going to appeal to everyone, and comedies in particular are pretty divisive as it is. Thanks for giving it another shot, but you really don't need to suffer through it for a third time.

Hopefully you're able to get it fixed soon, as it sounds quite miserable.

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Not an urgent issue at all @MissVicky (especially given your heat issues) but I have completed two reviews rather than the 1 stated.

Don't want people to think that I am a lagger

Currently half way through 'Late Spring'

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"I don't want to be a product of my environment, I want my environment to be a product of me" (Frank Costello)

Sorry about that, it's fixed now.

And people should absolutely let me know if their review count on the first post is wrong or if they've posted a review and I've not linked it yet in the second post. Obviously give me a day or so to get it updated, but if it's been longer than 24 hours since you posted a review and it's not updated, feel free to say something. Generally, if I've given you rep for a review here, it means that I've seen it (but not necessarily actually read it) and updated both the links and the count, but obviously mistakes may still happen. In your case, Sarge, I linked the second review but forgot to update the count.

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Film: Banshun/ Late Spring
Year of release: 1949
Directed by: Yasujiro Ozu
Run time: 1hr 48
Starring: Chishu Ryu. Setsuko Hara

Never heard of this before.

Absolutely loved some of the shots used in this film. I particularly enjoyed the scenic shots of the train station, plants, waves etc, that seemed to linger brilliantly. Those shots paired with the soothing music were captivating.
I was very impressed with the technical side of the film, including the subtle highlighting of western influence into Japan, such as lingering on the Coca cola sign. This was more powerful given that the main characters were living in a more traditional way at home.

The acting seemed so natural and the dynamic between Ryu and Hara was brilliant. There was a real sincerity and tenderness to their characters relationship.
There were however some points where I had no idea if Noriko ws joking or not, as she was saying some seemingly serious things with a weird grin on her face, I couldn't work out whether she was joking or not.

With all of those great things, the story lacked something for me, and again as with Al Mummia, my watching through a 21st century lens could have been the issue. I found myself getting annoyed about why people wouldn't leave Noriko alone.
I spent the whole film, hoping that it would be about something more than it was and that a big reveal was coming.

With that said, I found the closing scene to be incredibly powerful and in those few moments I seemed to grasp at least some of what I think Ozu wanted me to understand.

A beautiful film but feels a bit like a salad. Its all nice, but does it really satisfy you fully?

Le Samouraï (1967)

The awkward ten-minute silence sets the tone of Le Samouraï from the start. The style, the constant need to look cool, reigns over logic and character progression. I don't hate this approach, but it has some pitfalls, and Le Samouraï doesn't dodge them all.


Before I delve any deeper into the movie itself, I have to say that seeing Le Samouraï was revelationary. I didn't know anything about it beforehand, so I was surprised by the number of modern movies influenced by it. The first names that popped into my head were Léon, Driven and John Wick, but there must be many more. I admit that I prefer these influencees over Melville's film, but I tip my virtual hat to its impact on cinema I like.

Going style over substance needs the stylistic tastes of the film and its viewer to match. Because of this, such films don't always age well. To me, the light gray trenchcoat doesn't scream cool (I'd rather associate it with exhibitionism). I also hate how the revolver seems to magically appear into Jef's hand during the shooting scenes. His stoicism is too striking, and he seems like someone who'd draw too much attention to himself for successfully doing what he does. Other than Jef's character, the visuals are a very pleasing mix of noir and Giallo.

Storywise the thing that bothers me the most is Jef's decision to go to that gambling place after his first hit. Why go to a kind of place the police will raid in search of potential suspects. He already had an alibi for the time of the murder, so why not go straight to home instead of a shady poker game? The second issue is the ending and his relationship with the piano player in general. Unlike in both Léon and Driven, his choices seem to come out of nowhere.

As a whole, Le Samouraï is an okay stylish crime movie. Its greatest value lies in its influence, though, and I'm very glad to have seen it.

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I think the people who find this offensive would be offended by the jokes about Jews, even if they are played for laughs regarding the stupidity of Nazis. You really would get mad if a Jewish person was offended by this movie?

I think Jef's motivations were not to stay alive but rather not be imprisoned, and I believe that's represented by his bird that he keeps in a cage. He decides to kill himself via cop because that's the noblest thing in his mind per his samurai code.

It's not that I'd get mad, but why would a Jewish person be upset by Nazis being made to look ridiculous?

I get what you're saying but it's coming from a Nazi point of view.

I was not expecting this twist, but I'm glad you eventually did enjoy the film! I guess the third time really is the charm, eh?