This may be the best German movie about Spaniards ever. It's not exactly a feel-good movie, but it's strangely absorbing to watch, one of those movies that it's impossible to start and not finish. I would even go so far as to say that it's very entertaining for a a film about a party of doomed Spanish conquistadors in the Amazon river basin.
The film begins as Aguirre, one of the conquistadors, violently seizes control and begins to lead the group away from anything resembling civilization. Pretty much from the start, the viewer recognizes that this isn't going to end well (even Disney would have trouble putting a happy ending on this one), but it's still fascinating to see the different stages of the journey. Also, the scenery is remarkably authentic and uncheesy.
Aguirre, as acted--brilliantly--by Klaus Kinski, starts the film as slightly weird and finishes it as batshit crazy. He's the main reason to watch the movie, actually. It's not often you get an opportunity to see one of film's creepiest actors in one of his freakiest roles. It's practically impossible to look away from him.
Also, as a sidenote, be sure to catch the moment when Aguirre cuts off a man's head and his face changes expression as it sails through the air and lands on the ground.
Wednesday, June 13, 2007
The Philadelphia Story
This movie contains the funniest marital abuse scene ever (competition is low). The spectacle of a young Cary Grant punching a young Katharine Hepburn, which kicks off the film, is funnier than it should be by our modern sensibilities. Still, the film dates from a time when it was permissible to make jokes about wife beating, but not to show a neckline that was cut too low.
Most of the virtues of this film come from the fact that it was adapted from a very excellent and enjoyable stage play. The dialogue, because of this, is both hilarious and completely unrealistic. The movie functions like a play, moving smoothly and clearly from scene to scene, the story constructed perfectly. It doesn't hurt that it was directed by one of the great film directors, George Cukor, who was also responsible for the film version of "My Fair Lady." The film also boasts one of the greatest casts ever (in my opinion, at least)--Cary Grant, Katharine Hepburn, and Jimmy Stewart (who won an Oscar for his performance).
Cary Grant, as C.K. Dexter Haven, also has one of the best names ever, and is one extremely charming in his role as Katharine Hepburn's ex-husband, who drops in unexpectedly right before her re-wedding, if you will (awkward). He brings with him newspaper reporters Jimmy Stewart and Ruth Hussey (that is her real name). You can probably guess how it ends, but it's really delightful watching all the machinations and plot-twisting in between. Actually, this is one of, if not my favorite movie, If only because it easily and unassumingly turns sadness to happiness.
Most of the virtues of this film come from the fact that it was adapted from a very excellent and enjoyable stage play. The dialogue, because of this, is both hilarious and completely unrealistic. The movie functions like a play, moving smoothly and clearly from scene to scene, the story constructed perfectly. It doesn't hurt that it was directed by one of the great film directors, George Cukor, who was also responsible for the film version of "My Fair Lady." The film also boasts one of the greatest casts ever (in my opinion, at least)--Cary Grant, Katharine Hepburn, and Jimmy Stewart (who won an Oscar for his performance).
Cary Grant, as C.K. Dexter Haven, also has one of the best names ever, and is one extremely charming in his role as Katharine Hepburn's ex-husband, who drops in unexpectedly right before her re-wedding, if you will (awkward). He brings with him newspaper reporters Jimmy Stewart and Ruth Hussey (that is her real name). You can probably guess how it ends, but it's really delightful watching all the machinations and plot-twisting in between. Actually, this is one of, if not my favorite movie, If only because it easily and unassumingly turns sadness to happiness.
Introduction
As the title of the blog suggests, I intend to use this space to review films. You may ask why this is necessary. After all, a review of "Spider-man 3" or "Ocean's 13," written by someone with an actual Ph.D. in film critiquing is available just .00005 seconds away on the web. You can easily find any recent, mainstream movie picked apart in minute detail by a real film critic.
I won't do that.
The purpose of this blog is to bring to light and discuss all the weird, forgotten movies that few people my age--young--watch anymore. Which is a shame. There are so many excellent films that are largely ignored today, from black-and-white movies, to foreign or just independent films. These, of course, will not be uniformly excellent, but they will--I promise--be uniformly interesting.
I won't do that.
The purpose of this blog is to bring to light and discuss all the weird, forgotten movies that few people my age--young--watch anymore. Which is a shame. There are so many excellent films that are largely ignored today, from black-and-white movies, to foreign or just independent films. These, of course, will not be uniformly excellent, but they will--I promise--be uniformly interesting.
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