How did you see that one? I've been looking for it.
Magic.
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"Don't be so gloomy. After all it's not that awful. Like the fella says, in Italy for 30 years under the Borgias they had warfare, terror, murder, and bloodshed, but they produced Michelangelo, Leonardo da Vinci, and the Renaissance. In Switzerland they had brotherly love - they had 500 years of democracy and peace, and what did that produce? The cuckoo clock."
Through Harry Lime's magic I just saw The Man Without a Map too. I think after my first viewing I'd rate it a It deserves a full write-up but it's a pretty weird movie and one I want to re-watch.
The Man Without a Map is based on Kobo Abe's novel of the same name (though the translation of the novel is titled 'The Ruined Map'). Thinking about this, it's probably my least-favorite of Abe's novels, though also one I would recommend and even re-read. Teshigahara's movie seems mostly pretty faithful. I really liked the way Teshigahara shot this movie though. Many of the shots were just amazing and clever in their own right but everything seems to be shot through obscuring foreground objects, so that the composition is always confusing and incomplete, and gives it a very voyeuristic feeling. He seemed to want to tie that (particularly the voyeuristic aspect) into the story at the end somehow but I'm not sure about other aspects of the narrative. Definitely worth seeing. Really liked the soundtrack too.
Here's some other stuff, much of which also deserves write-ups.
Shane (Stevens, 1953) +
Calling Dr. Gillespie (Bucquet, 1942)
The Most Dangerous Game (Pitchel, Schoedsack, 1932)
The Palm Beach Story (Sturges, 1942) +
Cabin Boy (Resnick, 1994) -
Peking Opera Blues (Tsui, 1986)
Mark of the Vampire (Browning, 1935)
The Mask of Fu Manchu (Brabin, 1932)
As far as I know it's available on Japanese dvd without subtitles. I don't even know if the Japanese dvd is still in print. Harry is talking about a *secret* method that is only legal in Canada.
Come and See (1985) -
Truly one of a kind. Not recommended for those with weak stomachs, but it is one of the most riveting films I've come across in recent memory.
Let Him Have It (1991) - -
A very entertaining little Gangster/noir throwback, and further evidence that Peter Medak is quite the underrated talent (keep in mind that I'm trying not to think of Species 2 while writing this).
The Wonderful, Horrible Life of Leni Riefenstahl (Ray Müller, 1993) -
I suppose that a normal person would probably respond to this film based on how much they know about Leni Riefenstahl and how much they care about 20th-century history. I would also suppose that MoFos would automatically think more highly of this film and be more fascinated by it than the average movie watcher. Before we go into Leni Riefenstahl, let me tell you that this is a German documentary. The narration is in English. However, the director (the interviewer) and Riefenstahl (the 90-year-old interviewee still with a brilliant mind) both speak in German and are subtitled in English. The film is three hours long but it feels about half as long. Leni Riefenstahl is one of the most fascinating subjects I can think of for a movie and this is a very strong film.
Leni Riefenstahl started out as an avant-garde dancer on stage and progressed to making films with her cinematic mentor Arnold Fanck who made some "mountain films" with her where she climbed and acted barefoot doing all of her own stunts. She parlayed this knowledge of showbusiness in Germany into a career as a director. It was after this that she caught the attention of Hitler who wanted her to make a film which changed her life.
Riefenstahl is predominantly associated with the Third Reich because she directed The Triumph of the Will, a document of the Nuremburg Rallies of 1934. It's generally considered the greatest propaganda film ever made and something which made it easier for the German people to wholeheartedly swallow Naziism, even if the Party had already been in power for awhile. It was also incredibly cinematic. The fact that Riefenstahl never denounced Hitler or the Nazis has always been highly questioned, and the director here grills her constantly, but she never backs down from saying that she was apolitical, was never a member of the Nazi Party and never knew that the Nazis had adopted the Final Solution. She also says that she wishes that she had never made the film (even though it won awards throughout Europe) and that after WWII she was found to not be worthy of any punishment, even if she was found to be a "Nazi sympathizer".
It was next that Riefenstahl directed the official document of the 1936 Olympic Games, held in Berlin and attended by all the countries of the world. It was supposed to show the superiority of the "Aryan Race" but with Jesse Owens winning a record number of Gold Medals, it actually highlighted the strengths of what Hitler would consider inferior races. Olympia is one of the most groundbreaking films ever made, basically inventing many techniques on how to make a film artistic and mind-blowing. Check out the slo-mo diving scenes to see what I mean - the reverse footage is incredible. Although, it was here that Riefenstahl was first accused of her "fascistic" obsession of the Body Beautiful.
Riefenstahl basically retired from public life and as I mentioned before, she was "acquitted" of any war crimes by an official tribunal. In the 1970s, she went to Africa to photograph the Nuba tribe, and this time, even Susan Sontag accused her of being a fascist for advocating the Cult of the Body Beautiful. Riefenstahl calls Sontag "intelligent" but spouting "rubbish". Later, she also took up deep sea diving to get spectacular underwater footage from the Pacific Ocean. She even lied about her age to get her diving license. She was 90 when this film was made and she lived to be 101 and is one of those people who are claimed to have died from "natural causes".
In this film, director Müller goes after her constantly, trying to get her to reveal some information about her inclination towards Naziism, but she constantly refuses and seems indignant about being asked the questions too often. When asked why others fled Nazi Germany, she says most of them were emigrants or had nothing to stay for. She also claims that Hitler did good things by putting people back to work and giving them national pride. At no time does she ever "confess" to having any knowledge about what was going on with the Jews. She also finds it distasteful that she has to report, once again, that no, she wasn't the lover of Hitler or Goering or Goebbels or any Nazis. But, near the end of this film, when it's suggested that many people are still waiting for some kind of apology from her, she does say this on camera and it basically ends the film: "Being sorry isn't nearly enough, but I can't tear myself apart or destroy myself. It's so terrible. I've suffered anyway for over half a century and it will never end, until I die. It's such an incredible burden, that to say 'sorry'... it's inadequate, it expresses too little." Does that sound like someone who has come to terms with her life or someone who seems in denial? If you want to find out in your own mind, watch this important film.
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It's what you learn after you know it all that counts. - John Wooden My IMDb page
Loved this film. The script is genius and Zach Galifianakis is one of the greatest comedic stars of our time. Loved this from start to finish.
Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace
Usually touted as the most disappointing of the Star Wars series, I beg to disagree. Unlike II, III, V, VI, this Star Wars entry does not contain plot twists and dark, emotional scenes. Instead, much like Episode IV, this Star Wars is all about fun and entertainment, with exciting action, solid non-action and an ace lightsaber duel between 3 jedi. Best of the prequels.
Donnie Darko
One of the most trippiest film experiences ever, Donnie Darko is a film quite worthy of it's cult status, with Jake Gyllanhael turning in a excellent performance as a weird teenager, convinced by his imaginary friend, Frank that the world is going to end in 28 days, 6 hours, 42 minutes and 12 seconds. A brilliant film, featuring twist after twist and question after question, but with no answers.
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"George, this is a little too much for me. Escaped convicts, fugitive sex... I've got a cockfight to focus on."
The Wonderful, Horrible Life of Leni Riefenstahl (Ray Müller, 1993) -
Thanks for the review, mark. that documentary has been in my netflix queue for quite a while, I've been thinking of moving it up since I've now re-watched Triumph of the Will and seen Olympia. Do you think it's worth seeing The Blue Light and some of the silents she starred in before the documentary or does it not really make a difference?
Harry, definitely check out both parts of Olympiad, together it comes to over 3 hours but it's amazing.
wanted to write about a few movies from my last tab:
Peking Opera Blues (Tsui, 1986)
Confusing but very entertaining low-budget costume-drama/actioner set in 1920s revolutionary Peking/Beijing. It's hard to follow what exactly the political perspective of the movie is. All five heroes end up working (with different degrees of enthusiasm) to obtain evidence of a foreign loan to corrupt warlords, to help Sun Yat-sen's bid for a nationalist/democratic China. You can get a sense of personal/individualist optimism from the movie mixed with a more ironic statement told from a Hong Kong perspective, about the futility of idealism (by 1925 Sun would be dead and his party factionalized, with the Communists eventually coming to power). In any case the ideology of the film doesn't seem all that remarkable, though it feels like a strong precursor to Tsui's masterpiece, Once Upon a Time in China which takes the same themes of politics and life as theater and adds an uneasy relationship between Chinese traditions and western technology (particularly the filmed image).
This one focuses on the theater. There are three heroines and two good men (a spy and a reformed soldier). The movie lets your expectations flirt with romance before pulling back the other way into a story of friendship and survival. Two of the women are prominent daughters - one of a warlord, the other of a theater owner - and the other is just a self-interested performer who goes around scamming men. They're all pretty strong characters who live artificial lives under external constraints. The warlord's daughter pretends to be a man in order to move more freely, and she's also hiding the fact that she's a revolutionary agent from her father, who she genuinely loves. The theater-owner's daughter wants to be an actress but her father won't let her because all the roles in traditional Peking Opera are taken by men. There's a troubling central bit where she helps one of the male opera stars (who had previously made fun of her) escape from a powerful audience member who was going to coerce the actor into becoming his wife ("only a man is good enough for this role"). She goes on stage in his place which sets up the downfall of her father's theater and in turn leads to another powerful and dangerous male audience-member falling for her. I can't really do justice to all the complicated relationships in this movie in this post.
The theater scenes are excellent. They're energetic, colorful and full of stunts. Stuff that you would never see in Hollywood movies of the time because they're too stylized (and fake looking) but are also just exciting as hell. It all fits together with a compelling drama that surrounds (and ambiguously collapses into) these plays.
Peking Opera Blues Trailer
The Palm Beach Story (Sturges, 1942)
Somewhat caustic (though it has an upbeat ending) late-screwball about a failed inventor and his would-be-unfaithful wife. Starts off very strong with a title sequence that is a separate mini-movie introducing and commenting on the rest of the film. Great set-up. I thought it was by far the cleverest and most engaging cinematic aspect of this film, though the writing may reward people who are familiar with Sturges' biography and cinema (he was a failed inventor himself before he turned to writing and directing).
+
Cabin Boy (Resnick, 1994) -
Pretty forgettable but the world and characters -- kind of a spoof of Ray Harryhausen adventure movies like Clash of the Titans via Captains Courageous, with a bearded Chris Eliot as the spoiled rich victorian-era child -- is odd enough that it could have worked. Not sure why it didn't other than the fact that I just didn't find it all that funny most of the time.
Mark of the Vampire (Browning, 1935)
Third time I've seen this one as well (including on the big screen). I would recommend seeing the other more famous Tod Browning vampire talkie, Dracula (1931, also starring Bela Lugosi), but mostly because it makes this and a handful of other entertaining movies (such as Glen or Glenda) even more entertaining, being familiar with the cheap atmosphere and Lugosi's spooky acting that they're riffing on. Even though I think that movie's worth seeing, I can only rate it , but it's one of my girlfriend's favorite movies. But this movie we both can agree is an oddball classic that really should be seen without knowing much else about it. It seems Browning got a good audience reaction to the cheap bat-on-a-string, spooky armadillo, and spider puppets in Dracula's castle, so he decided to ramp it all up about 3-fold for Count Mora's castle in Mark of the Vampire. It all works toward the direction the movie eventually goes in, and it was even more fun watching Rebecca's reaction to the ending of this film (as a Lugosi/Dracula/old horror fan).
The Mask of Fu Manchu (Brabin et al. 1932)
Very dicey and racist pre-Hayes code sci-fi/horror that is absolutely worth seeing for it's oddness and amazing sets. Now, when I use the term racist I don't really have much problem throwing the term around rather lightly, but I doubt any but the most rabid anti-P.C. reactionary would deny that description of this movie. On the other hand, I don't have that much problem using the term lightly because being racist doesn't automatically make a movie less good or less interesting aesthetically, though I suppose you could make a moral case. In this case this nasty movie is even more interesting than the also-pretty-good Flying Down to Rio, which seemed pretty tolerant by any standard.
It's about a mad Chinese scientist (played by Boris Karloff) in search of the golden death mask of Ghengis Khan. Some generic "rational" British adventurer/scientists want the mask for the British Museum, and also to keep Fu Manchu from using the mask to become "the next Ghengis Khan", and to mobilize the "oriental" hordes (which in this movie's conception seems to include all non-Caucasoids) into an army united primarily by lust for white women. It's interesting how blatantly the seemingly-sympathetic white characters acknowledge indulge the urge to rob graves of other cultures. What's even more interesting is that, for all the wry condescension and head-shaking of the archaeologists at the "superstitious mindset of the oriental", the movie itself seems to validate that projected-superstition by making Fu Manchu a (very sadistic) mastermind who successfully combines "oriental magic" with "western science" (or rather technology, here presented by sets that look like something out of Metropolis rather than Imperial China, and a sci-fi lightning ray that ironically rains death upon the evil hordes at the end). Moreover, doesn't the idea that only the "scientifically" authenticated death-mask will work to conjure up a mystical barbarian army imply that it's not just superstition (within the world of the movie).
So this movie is interesting for a number of reasons. It's highly cinematic with an image of fantastic technology-gone-crazy that easily surpasses Whale's Frankenstein. It's got a very dark and complicated plot, with lots of racy kink that is still pretty troubling and effective by today's standards. It also seems to be an uncomfortable ancestor to Indiana Jones with the exotic bad guys and globetrotting archaeologist hero(es). Admittedly Indiana Jones is a far more like-able character who also loses the racist condescension, but there's something that seems more primary about this old b-movie, and not just because it's older.
I've also seen a few more movies since my last post but I'll save them for my next tab.
Last edited by linespalsy; 11-16-10 at 10:44 AM.
Reason: adding trailer
Anybody who wants to watch The Wonderful, Horrible Life of Leni Riefenstahl, I'd just go ahead and watch it. It doesn't matter if you've seen any of her films. If you have, this will be something akin to a commentary on them along with many more personal insights. If you haven't, this will give you an overview of the films and perhaps point you to the ones you most want to watch. Just be prepared for a broad spectrum of material.
Jaysus lines, that pic was so big it knocked my cup of tea over which was sitting beside my monitor.
__________________ "Critics are like eunuchs in a harem; they know how theTatty 100 is done, they've seen it done every day, but they're unable to do it themselves." - Brendan Behan
Gunga Din (Stevens, 1939)
The Great Muppet Caper (Henson, 1981)
Carnival of Souls (Harvey, 1962)
Tarzan the Ape Man (Van Dyke, 1932)
Tarzan Escapes (Thorpe et al, 1936)
King Solomon's Mines (Stevenson, 1937)
Red Headed Woman (Conway, 1932)
I believe that King Solomon's Mines which was watched today got hammered above because it was a poor print, not because it was a poor movie. "Say what?
War and Peace (Bondarchuk, 1967)
A Dangerous Profession (Tetzlaff, 1949) (an early version of... ) Midnight Run (Brest, 1988) Bob & Carol & Ted & Alice (Mazursky, 1969) "First we'll have an orgy and then we'll see Tony Bennett."
Lost Angel (Rowland, 1943) - Margaret O'Brien is the second coming of Shirley Temple and comparable to... The Kid (Chaplin, 1921) ... Jackie Coogan... The Penalty (Worsley, 1920) + - Chaney missing two legs. Green Fire (Marton, 1954) - Grace Kelly = HOT, hokey plot = COLD. The Professionals (Richard Brooks, 1966) - Slow and steady wins the race - Still one of the best west... erns ever made.
Rambo III (MacDonald, 1988) - Predictable yet highly-competent violent action film which seems better than most newer-type flicks. Just the Way You Are (Molinaro, 1984) - Kristy McNichol and a European level of sophistication (Alan Burns script, the direction) work well here. Starship Troopers (P. Verhoeven, 1997) - Fascistic Sci-fi, Buggy satire seems simplistic for the director but still entertaining. Tiefland (Riefenstahl, 1954) - Incredible impressionistic imagery combined with silly plotting makes for a fascinating experience. Scott Pilgrim Vs. the World (E. Wright, 2010) - Pure entertainment for this generation, combined with a cool concept of romance.
The Devil and Miss Jones (Wood, 1941) - Cute, winning version of the current craze about Bosses posing as employees. Major Barbara (Pascal, 1941) - Cinematic followup to Shaw's Pygmalion has an even more impressive cast and is still current in its depiction of weapons made to enhance commerce and expedite the destruction of the human race.
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