248. The Bad and the Beautiful (1952)

Directed By Vincente Minnelli

Synopsis

Three people are contacted by a certain Jonathan Shields to be in the film he wants to produce. They all refuse outright, when his glorified accountant gets them all together to discuss it they look back in turn at a charming bastard that fucked them up but still had some kind of positive influence in their lives. Do they do the film or not? We never know.

Review

The Bad and the Beautiful is a scathing look on Hollywood, particularly this character which seems to embody several producers and Hollywood personalities. And it is a great film with great characters and acting thorughout. Still, the really big highlight here is Kirk Douglas' performance in an amazing part that is as much a charmer as a selfish bastard.

And that is the problem with Shields, he isn't a bad guy, he isn't Machiavellian, he is just selfish and has little empathy, a sociopath basically. For some reason he manages to attract every one of the three other main characters in the film, he is enthusiastic, he sells them dreams and he ends up giving them to them but he also manages to screw them up completely.

So, even though they added the 'beautiful' to the title because of Lana Turner, Shields is still both of them, he is the deep pit that attracts as much as destroys, and it is telling that at the end of the whole thing the three characters with so many reasons to hate him (and some to like him) all listen in to his conversation, his spell is working still.

Final Grade

9/10

Trivia

From Wikipedia:

There has been much debate as to which real-life Hollywood legends are represented by the film's characters. Jonathan Shields is thought to be a blending of David O. Selznick, Orson Welles and Val Lewton. The Georgia Lorrison character is the daughter of a "Great Profile" actor (like John Barrymore) but also includes elements of Minnelli's ex-wife Judy Garland.The director Henry Whitfield (Leo G. Carroll) is a "difficult" director modeled on Alfred Hitchcock, and his assistant Miss March (Kathleen Freeman) is modeled on Hitchcock's wife Alma Reville.

Shields is a bastard:

247. Europa '51 (1952)

Directed By Roberto Rossellini

Synopsis

A woman loses her young son to suicide and trying to understand the reasons why dabbles in communism and Christianity until she comes to a general sense of creating a better life for her fellow humans. This is of course completely out of place in the Italian high society of the time and she ends up in a mental institution while the working classes outside claim that she is a saint.

Review

This is a film that is surprisingly close to Ikiru in theme, a person tries to do what's best due to a sense of abnegation and no one understands her, particularly the fact that she is not doing this out of some ideological, political or religious ideal, much like Mr. Watanabe was doing it simply to feel alive and not for recognition or to take any dividends from it. The lesson to take is that this post-war society is too cynical to presume that goodness can exist without an ulterior motive or insanity.

In this respect the film brings us quite interesting questions, but then it is never as accomplished as Ikiru, Rossellini is too heavy handed in his religious parallels, Bergman plays a Christ like figure that when listened to by the Priest is confronted with his conformity to the established order, playing the part of Caiphas, the Jewish high-priest to her Christ.

All this plays in a quite melodramatic way that does not do many favours for the film, while Ikiru makes you think and cry beyond being a superbly crafted piece of film making, this film just makes you think.

Final Grade

7/10

Trivia

From Wikipedia:

Having a fascination with Francis of Assisi, Roberto Rossellini decided to create a film that placed a person of Francis of Assisi's character in post-war Italy and showed what the consequences would be.


A Making Of, Bergman is then dubbed into Italian for the final film:

246. Ikiru (To Live) (1952)

Directed By Akira Kurosawa

Synopsis

A man has been working for 30 years in the dullest bureaucratic job in the universe when he discovers that he has stomach cancer, and decides to start living. After trying several ways to regain his youth he dedicates himself to the creating of a park for children and when it is complete he dies singing in the swings during snowfall... sniff.

Review

Kurosawa is definitely more well known for his Samurai films than for anything else but this is a pity indeed as Ikiru is one of the most beautiful and touching pieces of cinema that he ever did.

I don't know where to start reviewing this film, I finished watching it about half an hour ago and its themes and a certain knot in my throat are still with me. It has been said that one of the reasons that Kurosawa films work so well in the west is their focus on the power of the individual. This film is the epitome of that but it is also quite depressing in the way that even if the individual succeeds the mob is too powerful to enact any lasting change.

The acting is wonderful Takashi Shimura is a great actor who is also the most pathetic of Kurosawa's frequent collaborators, he does pathos like no one else and it is very hard not to empathise with this poor man who spent his life living for his child only to find that he is dying and his child only cares about his money and that in those 30 years he has actually not "lived" one single day.

A beautiful, touching and very infuriating film, you want to crash into that wake and slap all the people there, the grovelling public servants, who cannot understand Watanabe's motivations and think he died sad because he had no recognition, while in fact he died the happiest he had ever been in his life. Amazing film.

Final Grade

10/10

Trivia


From Wikipedia:

Director Jim Sheridan is set to lead an American remake of the film, which will take place in New York.

Trailer, I cried again wathcing this, I'm such a girl:

245. Singin' in the Rain (1952)

Directed By Stanley Donen, Gene Kelly

Synopsis

The age of silent cinema is at an end, actors must adapt to having to sing and talk in films, Gene Kelly has no problem, but his co-star has the most grating voice in the universe, which goes perfectly with her winning personality. Kelly falls in love with a chorus girl, who has a nice voice and can sing, and gets her to dub his co-star without her knowing.

Review

Again, like in most Gene Kelly's films there isn't much to say about the plot, although this is possibly one of the most interesting ones, particularly for someone who knows something about cinema up until that time, the references to people like Theda Bara and the films of Busby Berkeley are likely lost on most of today's audience, but they are not really necessary to enjoy the film, they just give it an extra layer of fun.

Then the musical acts are great as always, Gene Kelly is his effortless self and even if the songs are not as good as those in American in Paris, and the set dance piece is not nearly as spectacular the film still thrives based on strong performances and quite natural dialogue. Plus it is very funny, and so self-referential in what concerns the whole Hollywood industry that it is impossible not to like it.

So it has a better plot, it is funnier and smarter than American In Paris, but the music isn't as good as the big set piece is not nearly as spectacular, well they are both great films, but in the end you do go see Gene Kelly for the singing and dancing.

Final Grade

8/10

Trivia

From Wikipedia:

Debbie Reynolds was not a dancer at the time she made Singin' in the Rain — her background was as a gymnast. Kelly apparently insulted her for her lack of dance experience, upsetting her. Fred Astaire was hanging around the studio and found Reynolds crying under a piano. Hearing what had happened, Astaire volunteered to help her with her dancing. Kelly later admitted that he had not been kind to Reynolds and was surprised that she was still willing to talk to him afterwards. After shooting the "Good Morning" routine, Reynolds' feet were bleeding. Years later, she was quoted as saying that making this film and surviving childbirth were the two most difficult experiences of her life.

Singin' In The Rain:

244. Angel Face (1952)

Directed By Otto Preminger

Synopsis

Tsk, women drivers.

Review

In this cautionary about the dangers of letting a woman take the wheel, Otto Preminger graces us with what is really a reworking of The Postman Always Rings Twice. Mitchum is a regular guy who dreams of having a garage who falls in love by an alluring girl and it all ends badly, but not before they are acquitted of the crime she committed.

That said I found this film just as riveting as Postman, Preminger is particularly good at shooting car crashes and there are two of the most violent scenes in cinema history up until now in the two great car crashes here, and for some reason I just love Robert Mitchum (actually it is probably because of Night Of The Hunter, but we'll get there eventually).

So a very good late noir film, a classic that you should watch and try not to make to many comparison with Postman or it can start getting a bit annoying. Still the voyeuristic qualities of the car crashes are really the best about this film, that and the great soundtrack.

Final Grade

8/10

Trivia

The film today receives mostly positive reviews. Dave Kehr from the Chicago Reader writes: "The sets, characters, and actions are extremely stylized, yet Preminger's moving camera gives them a frightening unity and fluidity, tracing a straight, clean line to a cliff top for one of the most audacious endings in film history."

Well the only video of the film on Yourtube can be seen here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZbdlAqsPXCI

embedding is disabled, spoil-sports.

243. Jeux Interdits (Forbidden Games) (1952)

Directed By René Clément

Synopsis

A little girl is escaping the invasion of Paris by the Nazis with her parents when they and their dog are both shot down. The girl survives and takes her dead dog with her until she finds a family willing to take her in. She makes a great friend in Michelle the younger boy in the family who helps her bury her dog. Soon they hatch a plan to make a whole graveyard of animals so they won't be alone. Michelle feed her fantasy by getting her dead (and recently deceased by his hand) animals to bury in the graveyard. Eventually the girl gets an obsession with crosses which Michelle attempts to satisfy. This leads up to a robbery of the church's graveyards and its crosses. Putting him in trouble. Eventually the gendarmes come to take the girl to an orphanage where she cries for Michelle and her lost mother.

Review

This is a beautiful film, a love story between two children, a love that is in no way carnal but does not cease being love because of that. Mixed with this, it is a film about pain and taking comfort in the macabre like only a child is capable of.

There are several great things about this, the directing is superb with the mix of war shots and quite intimate ones being particularly brilliant. What is also uncommon about it is the way in which the children are never annoying and never less than completely natural with motivations that one can understand and recognise as possible motivations for a child.

At times during the film I caught myself thinking if the film was very tightly scripted because making the kids act text that naturally is quite a feat, particularly the very young girl. A great film.

Final Grade

9/10

Trivia

From Wikipedia:

Film critic Leonard Maltin has said: "Jeux interdits is almost unquestionably the most compelling and intensely poignant drama featuring young children ever filmed." This is widely considered to be one of the greatest films ever made. While not initially successful in France, it was a hit elsewhere and is still one of the most popular French films in the US. Criterion released the film on DVD in 2005.

The film is also notable for its vibrant musical score, composed and performed by legendary Spanish classical guitarist Narciso Yepes.

Screen caps of the film with the very famous title theme:

242. The Quiet Man (1952)

Directed By John Ford

Synopsis

John Wayne is a yank that comes to Ireland back to the town where he was born. He falls in love with a feisty redhead whose brother is quite intractable. This eventually leads to Wayne getting married to the girl but with the brother withholding the dowry. This goes on to a pretty good fight scene.

Review

John Ford is definitely a man's director, even in what is supposed to be a romantic film the focus is all on drinking, male bonding, fighting and dragging a woman around. Actually the woman is the least three-dimensional of the characters in the film.

That said it is still a pretty entertaining film, the image of Ireland show in it is completely fictional of course, this is Hollywood making a fairytale, and definitely not a true to life portrayal of life in Ireland. The IRA lives happily with the Anglican vicar who lives happily with the Catholic Priest.

But there is a sense of joy to the film which erases its problems which are quite apparent to a modern audience, Ford manages to instil the film with a very good pace that keeps you interested and with a great collection of secondary characters that add colour to the whole thing. Good film.


Final Grade

8/10

Trivia

From Wikipedia:

The film was something of a departure for Wayne and Ford, who were both known mostly for their Westerns. It was also a departure for Republic Pictures, which was given the chance to back Ford in what was considered a risky venture at the time. It was the first time the studio, known for low budget B-movies, put out a film receiving an Oscar nomination, the only Best Picture nomination the studio would ever receive.

Ford read the story in 1933, and soon purchased the story for $10. It took over 12 years for the film to be financed and made. Small Republic Pictures agreed to finance the film with O'Hara and Wayne with Ford directing, only if all three agreed to film a western with Republic. All three agreed and after filming Rio Grande they all left for Ireland to start shooting. John Wayne would eventually describe the movie as the favorite of his long career.

One of the conditions that Republic Pictures placed on John Ford was that the film came in at under two hours total running time. The finished picture was two hours and fifteen minutes long. When screening the film for Republic Studio executives, Ford stopped the film at approximately two hours in: on the verge of the climactic fight between Wayne and McLaglen. Republic executives relented and allowed the film to run its full length. It was one of the few films that Republic filmed in Technicolor; most of the studio's other color films were made in a more economical process known as Trucolor.

The film employed many actors from the Irish theater, including Barry Fitzgerald's brother Arthur Shields, as well as extras from the Irish countryside and is one of the few Hollywood movies in which spoken Irish can be heard.

The story is set on the Isle of Innisfree, an island in Lough Gill, County Sligo. Many scenes for the film were actually shot in and around the village of Cong, County Mayo and on the grounds of Cong's Ashford Castle. Cong is now a wealthy small town and the castle a 5-star luxury hotel. The connections with the film have led to the area becoming a tourist attraction.

The whole thing is on youtube, here's part 1:

241. The Day The Earth Stood Still (1951)

Directed By Robert Wise

Synopsis

A UFO comes to earth to deliver a message of cease and desist to the people of earth in what concerns nuclear warfare. The people of earth are less than receptive, and the messenger Klaatu has some trouble putting his message across. He eventually does.

Review

I am a big Sci-Fi buff, and this was a real treat for me, this is really the start of the modern(ish) Sci-Fi film, the first Sci-Fi thriller and an extremely widely influential film for all that.

You can see the repercussions of this from Close Encounters Of The Third Kind to Battlestar Galactica, but the film is worth watching for more than its influential qualities. The film has some extremely impressive special effects (for 1951 of course) as well as a pretty good plot, which could have been put across more forcefully, but still works quite well.

This is of course a "B movie", but very much on the high scale of it, and if you add the talent of composer Bernard Hermann you end up with a pretty good film indeed, and not just for Sci-Fi fans. The acting is quite competent throughout with the last performance by Sam Jaffe before he was blacklisted. A Good film. KLAATU BARADA NIKTO!

Final Grade

8/10

Trivia

From Wikipedia:

Religious allegory is woven throughout the film. Allusions to the story of Jesus Christ can be seen as a means of supporting Klaatu's character and his message of peace: Klaatu, upon arriving on Earth, escapes the government and prefers to stay with common people. Klaatu having the temerity to lecture the obviously-Jewish elderly-Einstein-figure of Professor Barnhardt (played by Jewish actor Sam Jaffe with Einstein's hairdo) on his own blackboard subject, is a parallel to the young Jesus lecturing the rabbis in the temple. Klaatu's death at the hands of soldiers echoes the death of Jesus; just as Jesus' crucifixion was carried out by soldiers, so also is Klaatu's killing. Jesus is removed form a sealed tomb by the angel, and Gort removes the body of Klaatu from a locked jail cell. Klaatu's friend Helen plays the part of Mary, asking the questions about what is happening. Like the resurrection of Jesus, Klaatu is revived for a short time by the robotic Gort. Klaatu gives his climactic speech and then departs earth in his spaceship; in Biblical accounts of Jesus' life, he gave a final address to his disciples before literally or figuratively ascending into heaven (New Testament, Acts Chapter 1). In the New Testament, Jesus Christ is sometimes called the "carpenter's [Joseph's] son", and like Jesus, Klaatu adopts the Earthly name "John Carpenter".

The contemporary rendering of the Christ story was deliberately written into the film by screenwriter Edmund North: "It was my private little joke. I never discussed this angle with Blaustein or Wise because I didn't want it expressed. I had originally hoped that the Christ comparison would be subliminal." In a 1995 interview, producer Julian Blaustein explained that the studio censors balked at the portrayal of Klaatu's resurrection and limitless power. At their behest, a line was inserted into the film: When Helen asks Klaatu if Gort has unlimited power over life and death, Klaatu explains that he has only been revived temporarily by advanced medical science and states that the power of resurrection is "reserved to the Almighty Spirit." In this ending, there are two final (and often overlooked) allegories, in that Jesus repeatedly made references to his being subject to and less power than his Father, and in the implication that, even though he was leaving, we would be watched to see how we would behave without direct supervision, with a return (and judgment) at some future time.

Klaatu Barada Nikto:

240. A Place In The Sun (1951)

Directed By George Stevens


Synopsis

Geaorge Eastman is a poor relation of the Eastmans. He goes to his rich uncle to get a job and he does, meanwhile he falls in love with this girl he works with. Suddenly he starts going up in life, and with that come prettier and richer woman. The frumpy looking girlfriend gets pregnant ruining his plans with the rich Vikers girl. He slowly hatches a plan to have Frump McFrumpypants killed. When the times comes for it he does not have the guts to go through with it but she dies anyway in an accident. He is convicted of murder, by Perry Mason.

Review

This film was actually quite fascinating for several reasons, firstly it is neatly divided into three parts. The first is clearly a social mores film, the second is a noirish murder thing and the third is a courtroom drama. They all work perfectly together, and the first one helps you understand reasons and motivations that lead to the second and third parts.

The filming is also pretty great, relying in some very good close-ups and dissolves, with those same dissolves being very effectively used to convey emotions. The acting is faultless, as is the writing.

Then the film asks interesting questions about the character that we have spent the film empathising with, is he indeed guilty due to hesitation? And is unconsciously letting someone die a crime of any kind? Is he morally or physically guilty of anything or not? A very good film.

Final Grade

9/10

Trivia

From Wikipedia:

The movie was adapted by Harry Brown and Michael Wilson from the novel An American Tragedy by Theodore Dreiser and the adapted play by Patrick Kearney. It was directed by George Stevens. In 1991, A Place in the Sun was selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry by the Library of Congress as being "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant".

An American Tragedy was based upon the 1906 murder of Grace Brown. In 1906, Chester Gillette was convicted of killing his ex-girlfriend, Grace Brown, at Big Moose Lake in the Adirondacks in upstate New York. The murder trial drew international attention as Brown's love letters to Gillette were read in court. Theodore Dreiser saved newspaper clippings about the case for some 15 years before writing the novel.

Scene, they are purdy: