Category Archives: Drama

1992 Films, Best Feature- Independent Spirit Award Winners, Comedy, Dark Comedy, Drama, Independent, Independent Drama, Los Angeles, Satire, Top 250 Films

The Player-1992

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The Player-1992

Director Robert Altman

Starring Tim Robbins, Greta Scacchi

Top 250 Films #181

Scott’s Review #601

Reviewed January 11, 2017

Grade: A

The Player (1992) ranks up there with other Robert Altman classics such as Gosford Park (2001), Nashville (1975), and Short Cuts (1993).

The film is an excellent piece of Hollywood satire and centers on a jaded movie executive, played by Tim Robbins, who does an incredible job in the role.

Robbins plays Griffin Mill, a man with no scruples. Feeling usurped by a younger executive, played by Peter Gallagher, as well as receiving death threats, he goes on the hunt for the person he feels responsible for, which leads to murder.

The audience is unsure whether to love or hate Mill, thanks to Robbin’s performance. He is snarky, but also vulnerable and a tad sympathetic.

The film contains a slew of real Hollywood celebrities (Cher, Malcolm McDowell, Bruce Willis) playing themselves and is largely improvised (as many of Altman’s films are).

Whoopi Goldberg and Lyle Lovett star as odd police detectives.

The plot is nothing new, but it’s the realism and direction that make this movie a must-see, especially for Robert Altman fans.

The Player (1992) is a hidden gem.

Oscar Nominations: Best Director-Robert Altman, Best Screenplay Based on Material Previously Produced or Published, Best Film Editing

Independent Spirit Award Nominations: 1 win-Best Feature (won)

1971 Films, Best International Picture-Golden Globe Winners, Drama, LGBTQ+ Drama, LGBTQ+ Films, Top 250 Films

Sunday Bloody Sunday-1971

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Sunday Bloody Sunday-1971

Director John Schlesinger

Starring Glenda Jackson, Peter Finch, Murray Head

Top 250 Films #182

Scott’s Review #1,062

Reviewed September 15, 2020

Grade: A

Whether it’s the late-1960s style with British sophistication or the ahead-of-its-time subject matter, John Schlesinger’s Sunday Bloody Sunday (1971) is a brazen, mature film.

With fantastic acting mostly from Glenda Jackson and Peter Finch, the film is subdued enough to contain the drama while letting the underlying plot marinate and flourish rather than being forced or overdone.

That’s not to say Sunday Bloody Sunday is an easy watch.

The main characters stew and simmer rather than explode as the audience comes to grips with their feelings, emotions, and motivations, as painful as they can be.

Schlesinger offers the characters’ complexities as we get inside their heads across multiple scenes, with the camera carefully panning in on their facial expressions.

The intention is to read their minds, or at least make us think we know what they are thinking.

The three characters are Alex (Glenda Jackson), a divorced, restless recruitment worker; Bob (Murray Head), a young, free-spirited artist; and Daniel (Peter Finch), a gay, Jewish doctor.

Bob openly dates both Alex and Daniel, who know each other and even share friends. Instead of scheming against the other in hopes of poisoning their character with Bob, they deal with acceptance and a host of different emotions.

A triangle ensues, though not one with a clear couple to root for, and it’s unclear who we should root for. Sunday Bloody Sunday isn’t that trite or simplistic, and that is the beauty of the film.

Each character can be analyzed for individual motivations, peculiarities, and desires that sometimes overlap.

The added perk of one character being straight, one character being bisexual, and one character being gay only adds flavor and lustful desire.

Sunday Bloody Sunday is a character study if ever there was one.

Screenwriter Penelope Gilliatt writes a piece so bristling with unpredictability that the characters and situations are deep and troubling.

My favorite character is Daniel, the most adjusted of the three, but a character who would typically be written as the most maladjusted.

Schlesinger had directed the brilliant Midnight Cowboy (1969) two mere years earlier, a film that depicted gay characters as troubled and self-hating.

Gilliatt crafts Daniel as confident, booming, and masculine, avoiding all stereotypes.

I immediately thought of Ken Russell’s masterpiece, Women in Love, made only a year earlier in 1970 and starring Jackson.

Both films, featuring four characters rather than only three, are British and explore the complexities of sexual orientation, jealousy, and loneliness.

Women in Love is a slightly better film, but only by a small margin, probably because it adds one additional character. Both explore and barely touch on territory when it was still taboo to explore homosexuality in film.

Adorable is a scene at a Bar Mitzvah given to Daniel’s nephew. As the merriment begins, several women are bound to be interested in Daniel, given that he’s a successful doctor.

He naturally has no interest, but he politely makes small talk with one woman.

The scene is so natural and at ease that it is terrific and reaffirming to see a gay character treated with such dignity and richness, his problems not being a result of being gay but of being a human being.

Daniel and Alex compete for Bob’s affection, but in a polite way. Instead of hating each other, they hate the situation. Bob isn’t the nicest guy in the world, so the question is why they both feel the way they do about him.

But this hardly matters when the heart wants what it wants.

The most interesting, realistic scenes happen when each couple lies in bed together or makes small talk over a meal. This offers a glimpse of the day-to-day treasures they could each enjoy.

If you’re in the mood for a film rife with emotion and psychologically complex feelings, wrapped in a good drama, Sunday Bloody Sunday (1971) is a pure treat. Trimmings like glimpses of the gorgeous city of London lend added nuance.

Each time you watch this film, you could easily see it from the perspective of Alex, Bob, or Daniel.

Oscar Nominations: Best Director-John Schlesinger, Best Actor-Peter Finch, Best Actress-Glenda Jackson, Best Original Screenplay

Golden Globe Nominations: 1 win-Best Actor- Drama- Peter Finch, Best Foreign Film (English Language) (won)

1967 Films, British, Drama, Epic, Period Drama, Romantic Drama, Top 250 Films

Far from the Madding Crowd-1967

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Far from the Madding Crowd-1967

Director John Schlesinger

Starring Julie Christie, Terence Stamp, Alan Bates

Top 250 Films #183

Scott’s Review #315

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Reviewed January 1, 2016

Grade: A-

A sweeping, gorgeous epic made in 1967, Far from the Madding Crowd is pure soap opera (not a negative), done very well, featuring a woman with three male suitors and many similarities to another brilliant epic, Gone with the Wind (1939).

The cinematography, score, and writing are excellent, and at close to three hours, it is a lengthy experience.

The film is based on the popular novel written by Thomas Hardy.

The setting is lovely, rural England, the landscape green and lush- mostly farmland- where Bathsheba resides, having recently inherited her Uncle’s enormous estate and is, frankly, overwhelmed with the heavy responsibility required to run it successfully.

Three men appear in one form or another to lend a hand, and each falls madly in love with her- she has her choice of any of them. Throughout the film, each is given a chance to win her heart, and each faces trials and tribulations.

The wealthy neighbor, William Boldwood, is older and insecure. Frank Troy is a bad boy and a cavalry sergeant, and Gabriel, a former farmer, has lost all his sheep.

Having only seen this film twice (so far), I notice more and more the similarities to Gone with the Wind. Both are set around the same period (the 1860s), and both films feature powerful, independent, gorgeous female characters with multiple male suitors.

Unlike Gone with the Wind, though, Bathsheba is not self-centered, but wholesome and honest.

Julie Christie was undoubtedly the “it” girl when the film was made, having recently starred in Darling (1965) and Doctor Zhivago (1965), among others, and Far from the Madding Crowd is a perfect film for her, highlighting her beauty and earnestness.

She is exceptionally cast.

What I enjoy most about the film is that we do not know which of the men Bathsheba will wind up with…if any of them. Gabriel (Alan Bates) is my personal favorite, but at the beginning of the film, she rebuffs his marriage proposal.

In a heartbreaking scene, one of his dogs goes mad and leads his entire flock of sheep to their death. He is then forced to work as her shepherd, a job beneath him. He is the most likable of the three men, and it is fun to root for their ultimate union. But is he prone to bad luck?

Frank Troy is dashing- a clear lady’s man, yet I did not root for him. A character whom I found to have strange motivations: he impregnated and almost married a young lady named Fanny, only to turn her away over a misunderstanding, then ultimately changed his mind about Bathsheba.

In one scene, he manipulates the citizens into getting drunk on brandy, which leads to a crisis. He is charismatic and used to getting his way.

Finally, Boldwood is wealthy, sophisticated, and appealing to Bathsheba in a certain way (primary stability). Still, there is also something I find “off” about the character throughout the film- unstable, maybe, needy? I did not find his character likable either.

The overlap and the relationships between the men are also interesting aspects of Far from the Madding Crowd. Will they become friends? Would they kill each other for Bathsheba’s affection?

Many emotions run through all four characters, which makes the film rich in character development.

Grand, sweeping, and beautiful are words that describe Far from the Madding Crowd, a film I enjoy exploring and evaluating with each viewing.

Oscar Nominations: Best Original Music Score

Golden Globe Nominations: Best Motion Picture-Drama, Best Actor-Drama-Alan Bates

1965 Films, Best International Picture-Golden Globe Winners, Comedy, Drama, Fantasy, International, International Comedy, International Drama, Italian, Top 250 Films

Juliet Of The Spirits-1965

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Juliet Of The Spirits-1965

Director Federico Fellini

Starring Giulietta Masina

Top 250 Films #188

Scott’s Review #725

Reviewed February 15, 2018

Grade: A

A true Fellini film in every sense, and perhaps his most personal, 1965’s Juliet of the Spirits is a colorful, masterful experience with fluid art direction and stunning sets and costumes.

As with most of his films, the story and its intricacies are odd and do not always make perfect sense, but the film is meant to be absorbed and felt, and it has more of a central plot than some of his other works.

Juliet of the Spirits is undoubtedly a must-see for fans of Fellini or any novice who wants an introduction to the great director.

In a compelling tidbit of background information, lead actress Giulietta Masina, wife and muse of director Fellini and sometimes deemed the female Charlie Chaplin, plays a true-to-life character.

In real life, the woman suffered from a philandering husband- Fellini himself!

For this reason alone, the film is fascinating as a true-to-life story, leading the audience to empathize with Giulietta and her life of doldrums and turmoil.

Giulietta Boldrini (Masina) is an affluent woman living in Italy with her successful and dashing husband, Giorgio (Mario Pisu). Despite wealth, two housekeepers, and free time to do whatever she pleases, she is dissatisfied with her life and surroundings.

This occurs mainly after she hears her husband mutter another woman’s name in his sleep. Concerned and intrigued, Giulietta hires investigators to unravel the mystery, which spawns an adventure for her.

Instead of a cookie-cutter film with a basic plot, in proper Fellini form, Giulietta embarks on a journey into a dreamlike, odd experience, tapping into her repressed desires and innermost thoughts while being exposed to her larger-than-life, sexy neighbor, Suzy (Sandra Milo).

The oversexed Suzy enlightens Giulietta to the joys of her mansion, treehouse, dazzling, weird friends, and bubbling sensuality.

Juliet of the Spirits is a joy to watch and quite a bit more linear than other complex masterpieces, such as the 1960s La Dolce Vita or 1969’s Fellini Satyricon.

The plot is spelled out presently- Giulietta is depressed and anxious for something new and exciting. Her journey into this new life, marked by her wrestling with demons and resistance, makes this film so much fun.

Styles and colors are brilliant and lavishly loud. Take the gaudy and glamorous nest that Suzy calls home. Her palace is both tawdry and sophisticated, with a built-in underground swimming pool where she bathes after lovemaking and velvety red walls and furniture.

Fellini uses gorgeous reds, greens, and blues throughout the film to create dazzle and spectacles with larger-than-life characters.

To further focus on Suzy for a minute, the blonde bombshell frequently visits her very own treehouse, complete with a swing. She flirts with handsome young men who gaze up at the scantily dressed beauty as she tosses her high-heeled shoe down to them in a suggestive manner.

When they come up to the top of the treehouse by way of a mechanical basket, presumably for sex, this is too much for the overwhelmed Giulietta, who returns to the safety of her own home.

But she is excited and scared.

The film belongs to Masina, and we cannot help but wonder if Fellini created Juliet of the Spirits for the actress because of his reported years of cheating.

Regardless, Masina plays a confident woman on the outside- insecure on the inside- flawlessly.

With her expressive eyes and a nice smile, Masina enthusiastically embraces the role, making her a perfect fit for a Fellini film.

Juliet of the Spirits mixes several film genres, including fantasy, drama, and light comedy, and contains interesting supporting characters.

Suzy’s seemingly clairvoyant mother is a great side character. When she meets Giulietta, she immediately sees that the woman is troubled. Giulietta’s father, whom we meet when she is a little girl appearing in a religious play, is boisterous and spirited.

I was fortunate enough to stay at the Grand Hotel in Rome, a lavish yet strange establishment where Fellini spent many nights as a guest. While watching Juliet of the Spirits, I fantasized that he drew inspiration for this film from the hotel.

The grand red textures that appear in both the hotel and the Fellini film could have created a truly inspiring setting.

Stalwart, creative, and masterful director Fellini once again crafts a stylish film that warrants thoughtful consideration after a solid viewing.

Too much analysis, however, will ruin the enchanting experience. Juliet of the Spirits (1965) is best enjoyed as a treat that will mesmerize you in glamorous fashion.

Oscar Nominations: Best Art Direction, Color, Best Costume Design, Color

Golden Globe Nominations: 1 win-Best Foreign Film-Foreign Language (won)

1975 Films, Drama, Historical Drama, Los Angeles, Satire, Top 250 Films

The Day of the Locust-1975

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The Day of the Locust-1975

Director John Schlesinger

Starring William Atherton, Karen Black

Top 250 Films #189

Scott’s Review #1,460

Reviewed January 16, 2025

Grade: A

I love films set in Los Angeles, especially those dealing with Hollywood and/or the dark underbelly of the City of Angels. With its lights and allure, it also has a murky side laden with drama, jealousy, and loneliness.

John Schlesinger’s dark period piece The Day of the Locust (1975) examines the bleak lives of several aspiring people in 1930s Hollywood, just before World War II.

The prominent themes are alienation and desperation, with aspirations for success that do not come true, emphasizing the sad saying, ‘The road to Hollywood is paved with broken dreams.’

It’s a brilliant adaptation by screenwriter Waldo Salt, based on Nathanael West’s 1939 novel of the same title. The film horrifically depicts the Hollywood film industry in all its artificial glitz and glamour.

In the 1930s, Los Angeles’ sunny Hollywood shone like a beacon to helpless people across the city looking for fame, fortune, or a quick buck.

In one apartment block, blond bombshell Faye Greener (Black) aspires to be an actress, artist Tod Hackett (Atherton) seeks legitimacy, and a frightening child actor named Adore (Jackie Earle Haley) performs a grotesque homage to Mae West.

Introverted accountant Homer Simpson (Donald Sutherland) watches as society collapses under greed and ambition.

From a romantic standpoint, Homer and Tod vie for Faye’s affection in a tragic triangle fraught with jealousy and competition.

Schlesinger knows his way around dark, influential, intelligent films. He created stalwarts such as Midnight Cowboy (1969) and Sunday Bloody Sunday (1975), both unconventional and controversial, the former being the only film ever to win Best Picture and garner an X rating.

The Day of the Locust is no different.

There is scarcely a likable character in the cast, but I ascertain that Tod is the most stable and trustworthy in the rogues’ gallery.

He appears grounded and the voice of reason, though he mocks Homer later on at a party, so he’s not exactly Prince Charming.

He arrives at work as a production illustrator in the art department at a major film studio and rents an apartment in the same community as the other characters.

Gently, he places a lovely flower in a crack in the wall.

Tod is smitten with Faye, a callous vixen who beds not one, not two, not three, but four men and makes no bones about it. Not exactly a feminist, she cares more about rising to stardom at any cost.

We meet Faye working as an extra in a lavish production. She smacks her gum and then snaps into character as a royal sophisticate, revealing a tacky, tawdry presence to the audience.

Later, during the grand finale, she tries to catch a glimpse of the big stars arriving in limos at a premiere at Grauman’s Chinese Theatre, one in a crowd of thousands.

She’s a lost soul, filled with self-delusion, desperately wanting the spotlight in whatever form she can get.

Burgess Meredith plays her father, who nearly steals the show as an elderly, washed-up ex-vaudevillian.

Despite the outstanding performances, the production design and cinematography are flawless, seamlessly portraying life in Hollywood in its early days.

My favorite sequences are in the movie sets filled with pizazz, glamour, and intricacies.

The most significant scene, though, occurs at the star-studded event, a premiere of The Buccaneer, when all hell breaks loose and a tragic death occurs, leading to subsequent bloodshed and further death and destruction.

It’s a spectacle, supposed to be the movie event of the year, with champagne and the ultimate celebration of film, but the stark nature of one’s rage overtakes the beautiful moment.

During this pivotal scene, we see the darkness of humanity counterbalanced against the glitz and glamour of movie stars.

Schlesinger masterfully takes us through this journey of human depravity with flawless ease.

The Day of the Locust (1975) is a brilliant film.

Oscar Nominations: Best Supporting Actor-Burgess Meredith, Best Cinematography

Golden Globe Nominations: Best Actress- Drama- Karen Black, Best Supporting Actor-Burgess Meredith

1974 Films, Crime Drama, Drama, Top 250 Films

Thieves Like Us-1974

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Thieves Like Us-1974

Director Robert Altman

Starring Keith Carradine, Shelley Duvall

Top 250 Films #190

Scott’s Review #1,071

Reviewed October 16, 2020

Grade: A

The first time I saw Thieves Like Us (1974), I was not blown away. I have forgotten what my original gripe was, but my lackluster star rating on Netflix years ago is confirmation of such.

All is now forgiven, and like a fine wine, this film gets better and better with each viewing.

It’s a gangster film, but a heart-wrenching story containing one of the sweetest romances in cinema history.

Based on the novel of the same name by Edward Anderson, director Robert Altman, famous for allowing his actors to ad-lib their lines to their heart’s content and peppering his films with overlapping, “real-life” dialogue, limits this technique this time around.

His stars, Keith Carradine and Shelley Duvall, regular fixtures in his films, are the main attraction, but supporting players like Louise Fletcher, Bert Remsen, and John Schuck give tremendous performances.

Set in the 1930s in the Deep South of Mississippi, the time period and location are key elements of the film’s success.

Having never set foot in this geographical area, I nonetheless found myself escaping there and ruminating on what it would have been like to live there during the Great Depression.

The many outdoor sequences with trees, forests, country roads, and home-cooked meals provide a luminous atmosphere and texture.

Small-town living has never felt so good and cozy.

Wisely, Altman steers clear of any racial overtones or dialogue within the film. The film is not about that.

There appear to be many black characters, mostly in the background, townspeople scenes, or as prisoners, which adds flavor. But they are represented as living among other folks without any aggression or stereotypes.

They are, and it feels like the South.

Altman crafts an experience of understated, good storytelling, proving a quality film can be quiet and proud, not needing explosive bells and whistles to prove showy. The dialogue crackles on its own and is smart.

The plot is compelling. Bowie (Carradine) is an escaped convict who embarks on a crime spree with fellow former prisoners Chicamaw (John Schuck) and T-Dub (Bert Remsen). While in hiding between bank robberies, Bowie meets a young woman named Keechie (Duvall), and the two quickly fall in love.

A life of crime doesn’t sit well with Keechie, however, so she and Bowie try to settle down, but the law is determined to bring him to justice.

The fun is in watching romance blossom between Bowie and Keechie. Despite Bowie being a criminal, his character contains sweetness and purity that match like a glove with the whimsical truth and simplicity of Keechie.

Throughout the film, I compared the characters to the legendary icons Bonnie and Clyde from the self-titled cinema masterpiece.

They are similar but different. The pair sits quietly on the front porch, talking about life and the future, optimistically planning their lives together, unaware of what fate has in store for them. Their innocence and their goofy humor made me fall in love with them.

The relationship between the three men is apt. They have each other’s backs and are loyal to a fault. The men are convicts and cause death and injury, but there is a humanity that Altman gives to each character.

We do not think of them as derelicts.

When Bowie poses as a sheriff to break Chickamaw out of prison, we root for the escape rather than for the warden. Bowie kills the warden, shocking Chickamaw. Even with disputes, there is care between the men.

It does take patience to get into this film; I probably did not give the film its due on my first watch. Once the film ended, I was left with a feeling of having experienced something of value and a visionary, cinematic story.

The homespun characters, eating a feast of meat and southern biscuits and discussing the day’s events, are richly and atmospherically rendered.

Carradine and Duvall would reunite a year later in another Altman masterpiece, Nashville (1975), playing vastly different, both unlikable, characters. Hence, a recommendation is to watch both films back-to-back to appreciate the dizzying, morphed characterization.

Thieves Like Us (1974) is no mere opening act for Nashville but of a different ilk.

The film is a treasure.

1967 Films, Drama, Los Angeles, Top 250 Films

Valley of the Dolls-1967

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Valley of the Dolls-1967

Director Mark Robson

Starring Barbara Parkins, Patty Duke, Sharon Tate

Top 250 Films #191

Scott’s Review #657

Reviewed July 3, 2017

Grade: A-

Based on the best-selling novel written by Jacqueline Susann a year earlier, the film version of Valley of the Dolls (1967) has become a cult classic in the years following its release- it has earned the dubious description of “it’s so bad it’s good”.

The film dives headfirst into the soapy, dramatic world of Hollywood and Broadway, and the trials and tribulations three young women encounter as they try to “make it” in the backstabbing business.

The film teeters on camp, but it is a favorite of mine, as I love the theme of aspiring stars in La La Land. The set design and groovy late-1960s style are also noteworthy.

Bored with her life in sleepy New England, Anne Welles decides to move to the bright lights of Manhattan, seeking fame, fortune, and excitement.

After she lands a secretarial job for an entertainment lawyer who handles temperamental Broadway star Helen Lawson (Susan Hayward), Anne meets and befriends two other struggling young actresses.

Neely O’Hara (Patty Duke) is a vivacious, gifted singer, and Jennifer North (Sharon Tate) is a gorgeous blonde with limited talent but looks to die for.

The three women wrestle with the ups and downs of show business as they each achieve various levels of success and failure.

The film centers on both the love and the losses of each woman, and at times it’s rather soap-opera-like, especially the bitchy feud between Neely and Helen, but it’s a fun, entertaining experience.

Various men come in and out of the trio’s lives. The “dolls” referenced in the title are a nickname for pills that the girls readily pop, and alcohol is also used in the film.

One interesting aspect of the film I like is that the three women are very different from one another.

Anne is the most sensible of the three and arguably the most intelligent. Neely is wild, reckless, and constantly battles drugs and alcohol, yet she is both the most successful and the most talented. Jennifer is gorgeous but lacks the talent or the vigor to succeed in Hollywood.

Two of the three women do not have happy endings in their stories.

Some are admittedly a bit uneven, especially Duke’s performance as Neely. She plays the role wildly over the top, especially during her shrieking, drug-saddled tirades, but rather than find the performance irritating (some indeed might), I find the role loud, bombastic, yet sympathetic.

We root for Neely because she has talent despite her shortcomings, and she is a likable character to me, as I want her to find happiness.

Hayward also plays up the camp, filling Helen with fire, spite, and gusto, doing everything she can to make the audience see her as a queen bitch.

Helen was scheduled to be played by the illustrious star Judy Garland (she would have been perfect!), but was reportedly fired for showing up for work drunk.

One enjoyable aspect of Valley of the Dolls is the humor, though sadly, the laughs aren’t always intentional. The finale involves a catfight between Neely and Helen in the classy ladies’ room of a famed theater.

With sheer delight, Neely yanks off Helen’s bright orange wig to reveal her natural head of hair. In campy fashion, Helen’s real hair is excellent- more shocking would have been if she were bald or had thinning hair, but her hair is bleached blonde and full.

In melodramatic fashion, Helen waltzes out of the theater sans wig.

Valley of the Dolls is a late-night treat that can be enjoyed and not taken overly seriously- the film differs vastly from the actual novel, and even the time (the 1960s versus the 1940s through the 1960s) is changed.

The film was followed by a much campier and satirical film, Beyond the Valley of the Dolls, made in 1970 and directed by Russ Meyer.

Oscar Nominations: Best Original Song, Score, or Adaptation Score

Golden Globe Nominations: New Star of the Year-Actress-Sharon Tate

2007 Films, British, Crime Thriller, Drama, Favorite Film of the Year, Mob, Thriller, Top 250 Films, Winter

Eastern Promises-2007

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Eastern Promises-2007

Director David Cronenberg

Starring Viggo Mortensen, Naomi Watts

Top 250 Films #193

Scott’s Review #205

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Reviewed December 15, 2014

Grade: B+

Eastern Promises is a 2007 Russian mafia thriller directed by David Cronenberg (The Fly, A History of Violence) that stars Viggo Mortensen, Naomi Watts, and Vincent Cassel.

The film is an uneven experience, seemingly meshing two stories together- one fascinating, one unnecessary.

Watts plays a British-Russian midwife named Anna, who works at a London hospital. She attempts to find the family of Tatiana, a fourteen-year-old girl who died during childbirth, leaving a diary written in Russian along with her newborn.

Anna struggles to unravel the mystery surrounding the girl, which ultimately involves the mafia.

Mortensen plays Nikolai, the mysterious chauffeur to crime lord Semyon, and Cassel plays Kirill, the disturbed, alcoholic son of Semyon.

The plot segues into a story of a somewhat romantic relationship between Nikolai and Anna that is not quite romantic, and also a much more intriguing relationship between Nikolai and Kirill as a brotherhood of sorts develops between them.

This relationship is complex- Kirill wants Nikolai to prove he is a straight male by having sex with one of several female prisoners he and his father keep as part of a sex trafficking group.

During this scene, and a few others, the two men seem close, almost too close, given the sexual nature of what is happening during the scene, so this relationship is left vague, but intriguing nonetheless.

The latter story holds more interest to me, whereas the former seems contrived and rather uninteresting. Was the intention of the film to imply a romantic interest between Anna and Nikolai?

I found zero chemistry between the two and wondered whether the audience was supposed to root for them as a couple.

The four principal characters in Eastern Promises are interesting to unravel. I found the characters of Nikolai and Kirill complex and interesting.

Not so much with the character of Anna. Why did I not find her so compelling? Besides a skimmed-over mention of how she lost a baby, what vested interest did she have in mixing with the Russian mafia and putting her mother and uncle in harm’s way?

Sure, anyone would want to find an orphaned baby’s family, but why not just call the police? This seems like a large plot hole. Conversely, Nikolai is a fascinating, layered character, wonderfully played by Mortensen.

What are his true motivations? Is he a good guy or a bad guy? His attempts at being accepted by Semyon and the family to join the mob family make him seem dangerous, but his kindness towards one of the Ukrainian prostitutes is sweet.

Kirill is a despicable character, but what is his sexuality? Does that make him get so drunk and angry? How does one explain his conflict over the baby, which shifts his character too sympathetically?

Ultimately, Nikolai and Kirill are complicated- Anna and Semyon are more one-note.

I would have preferred the story to revolve solely around the mafia family and the Godfather-type scenes, specifically the two throat-slashing scenes, violently done, and perhaps leave out Watts’s character and story altogether.

A gritty scene set in a steam room pits Nikolai against two rival mafia men. The scene is long and intense. Mortensen performs the scene completely naked, which adds to the rawness and the brutality of the fight.

It is one of the most masculine scenes I can remember watching.

At times compelling, but riddled with plot holes and requiring some suspension of disbelief, Eastern Promises (2007) is an entertaining Russian mafia film that remains a decent watch.

Oscar Nominations: Best Actor-Viggo Mortensen

1975 Films, Art, Comedy, Dark Comedy, Drama, Historical Drama, International, International Drama, Italian, Top 250 Films

Seven Beauties-1975

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Seven Beauties-1975

Director Lina Wertmüller

Starring Giancarlo Giannini

Top 250 Films #194

Scott’s Review #1,364

Reviewed June 3, 2023

Grade: A

Italian Director Lina Wertmüller was the first female ever nominated for the coveted Best Director Oscar.

She did not win the award, but the nomination is a bold victory for women artists in 1975 and a testament to her visionary approach to filmmaking.

With Seven Beauties (1975), she tackles the painful subject of concentration camps during World War II with artistic merit and a powerful message of survival through her lead character, Pasqualino, brilliantly played by Giancarlo Giannini.

Through Pasqualino’s backstory, Wertmüller provides comic relief and a sizzling Italian style. This counterbalances the terrifying German elements with cultural and sometimes humorous sequences set in Italy.

Pasqualino’s family hijinks are explored.

Back in the 1930s in Italy, Pasqualino is a struggling low-level Sicilian thug who accidentally kills a man who disgraced his unattractive and vulnerable sister, Concettina (Elena Fiore).

He escapes imprisonment by joining the military, but goes AWOL when things get too severe.

Eventually, Pasqualino is captured and sent to a concentration camp, where he vows to do anything to survive. He attempts to seduce an evil and obese female German camp commander (Shirley Stoler), but this comes at a deadly price.

I’ll argue that Stoler deserved a Best Supporting Actress Oscar nomination. Her callous nature only deepens as the film peels back her character, and Pasqualino’s hope that she has a glimmer of kindness is dashed.

She is one of the best screen villains of all time.

Seven Beauties is an art film with gorgeous visuals, especially potent in the concentration camp and the surrounding forest. The greyness of the camp is the perfect opposite of the pizazz of Italy.

As Pasqualino and comrade Francesco wander through the looming German forest, the camera looks up at the sky in a blurry, dizzying way.

At the start of the film, black and white footage of World War II encompasses the screen, and slivers of the tyrants Mussolini and Hitler are displayed.

If not for the macabre dark humor we see in Italy, Seven Beauties might be too much of a downer. Pasqualino’s seven sisters are unattractive, and one is living the life of a struggling stripper and prostitute.

He also manages to cleverly chop a body to bits and stuff the body parts into suitcases.

Back in Germany, the scenes between Pasqualino and the female commander are frightening. He is forced to provide sexual pleasures in exchange for his survival, but when she callously orders him to select six mates to be executed, her viciousness is apparent.

Giannini is a fabulous actor and heartbreakingly reveals Pasqualino’s vulnerabilities as the film plows forward. His good-natured innocence is lost forever, and the man he becomes is darker.

But the caveat is that the character is never purely good; rather, they are layered with complexities. Giannini always conveys deep expressionism through his powerful green eyes.

Similarities between Seven Beauties and Fellini’s Amarcord (1973) or Fellini’s Roma (1972) are evident.

Had I not known Wertmüller directed the film, I would have thought Fellini had. This is more so because of the Italian sequences featuring a bevy of zany, homely characters, which adds flavor and humor.

Fernando Rey, well-known for playing the villain in The French Connection (1971), appears as a doomed prisoner who ends up in a large tub of shit rather than suffer a forced execution.

The executions are sob-inducing, as lines and lines of prisoners being callously shot and killed are tough to watch. But the film’s core is humanity’s viciousness, and this must never be forgotten.

Wertmüller delivers a masterpiece that I’ve now seen only twice. I plan to watch this film again and again so the content sinks in more.

The comic elements of Seven Beauties (1975) never diminish or lighten the horror of the Nazi’s actions since they are not done in parallel.

The back-and-forth between periods only adds value and balance to a powerful subject.

Oscar Nominations: Best Foreign Language Film, Best Director-Lina Wertmüller, Best Actor-Giancarlo Giannini, Best Screenplay-Written Directly for the Screen

Golden Globe Nominations: Best Foreign Film

1979 Films, Drama, Favorite Film of the Year, Musical, Musical Drama, Top 250 Films, Vietnam War, War

Hair-1979

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Hair-1979

Director Miloš Forman

Starring John Savage, Treat Williams, Beverly D’Angelo

Top 250 Films #200

Scott’s Review #664

Reviewed July 14, 2017

Grade: B+

Hair is a 1979 musical film that, in addition to catchy singing and dance numbers, explores a serious theme: the Vietnam War.

This film is not your typical Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer-style musical from the 1950s. Rather, the entire experience is a unique, with an underlying dark tone, and is presumably a message film with a liberal slant.

Made in 1979, set in the late 1960s, Hair centers primarily on two young men and a bevy of hippie friends, with most of the action in New York City.

Despite the time, the film does not always succeed in the authenticity category- many of the costumes and hairstyles scream the late 1970’s.

The film also has the late 1970s “look”, on the cusp of the 1980s, with poofy hair associated with the times.

This forces the viewer to escape into a world largely of make-believe.

Claude (John Savage) is a naïve young man from folksy Oklahoma who has lived a sheltered, religious life, proper and away from big-city living.

He is drafted and sent to the Big Apple, where he will await his assignment.

Charismatic Berger (Treat Williams) and company befriend Claude after he gives them spare change, and they soon become the best of friends.

Claude falls in love with socialite Sheila Franklin (Beverly D’Angelo), who is in town from neighboring Westchester County, NY, and a love story ensues.

When Claude, Berger, and company interrupt a lavish dinner party hosted by Sheila’s parents, a hilarious yet informative scene develops.

While Sheila is secretly gleeful at the arrival of her new friends, her parents are none too pleased, resulting in a standoff between Berger and Sheila’s family.

Partly comical, this scene also reveals the stark class distinctions among many of the characters.

The rest of the film centers on the friend’s antics involving drug use, relationship trials and tribulations, and culminates in a cross-country drive to see Claude before he is shipped to Vietnam desperately.

Multiple scenes involve songs concerning the turbulent race issues of the times- my personal favorites are the opening number, “Aquarius”, and the scandalous, “Black Boys” and “White Boys”, performed by Nell Carter.

Never one to be disappointed with a film set in Manhattan, Hair is a film basking in fantasy, and the entire production seems to be one big dream as the carefully crafted musical numbers are interspersed with the more dramatic elements.

Still, much of the film consists of the group prancing around Manhattan, with wonderful areas such as Washington Square Park featured, as well as several seasonal changes, giving the film a slice-of-life feel.

My favorite performance is that of Treat Williams as Berger. Part showman, part jokester, and part earnest, he fills the role with dynamic energy that comes full circle in the last act when he drastically changes his appearance for the sake of a friend.

The film’s ending is melancholy and an inevitable reminder of the coldness and finality of war in human life.

The song “Let the Sunshine In” is a powerful and fitting conclusion to the film, as the gang visits Arlington National Cemetery to join an anti-war peace rally and say goodbye to a friend.

The film version of Hair (1979) may be drastically different from the stage musical, a version I shamefully have yet to see.

Still, on its own merits, the film is a poignant, powerful, and wholly entertaining musical adventure.

1977 Films, Drama, Epic, Historical Drama, Period Drama, Top 250 Films

1900 (Novecento)-1977

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1900 (Novecento)-1977

Director Bernardo Bertolucci

Starring Robert De Niro, Gerard Depardieu, Dominique Sanda

Top 250 Films #201

Scott’s Review #984

Reviewed January 28, 2020

Grade: A

An epic to rival all epics, 1900 (Novecento) (1977) is a grandiose offering of monumental proportions featuring legendary actors and created by a brilliant director.

With a running time of a whopping 317 minutes in its original version, 1900 is known as one of the longest commercially released films ever made.

The cinematography is breathtaking, and the historical themes, such as friendship, class distinctions, and rivalry, are explored in depth.

The key is to let the experience marinate and blossom through a slow, patient build.

Brilliant director Bernardo Bertolucci’s tale follows the lives of two Italian men, a peasant named Olmo (Gerard Depardieu) and landowner Alfredo (Robert De Niro), both ironically born on January 1, 1900.

Inseparable as children, the two become estranged as their differing social statuses pull them apart. Their conflicts mirror the political events in Italy, as both fascism and socialism gained prominence there.

Here is a bit of background on the film.

Due to its length, the film was presented in two parts when originally released in many countries, including Italy, East and West Germany, Denmark, Belgium, Norway, Sweden, Colombia, Pakistan, and Japan.

In other countries, such as the United States, a single edited-down version of the film was released.

The latter is not the way to watch this film. I do not like heavily edited films, especially in an epic like 1900, so the full-length version is highly recommended.

The film opens on April 25, 1945, the day Italy is liberated from the fascists, and this is key to the political message Bertolucci crafts. As peasants revolt against the landowner, Alfredo (De Niro) and female laborers wield deadly pitchforks, creating an atmosphere of chaos.

We know nothing of Alfredo yet, but we know enough to realize he is rich and perceived as a tyrant. The natural reaction is to sympathize with them because they are oppressed.

As the film backtracks to the turn of the century, a more elegant scene emerges: the births of two infants, Alfredo and Olmo. The sequence is sweet, and both babies are bright and filled with promise.

Sadly, this is not meant to be.

A railway track is an important addition to the film, culminating in the finale.

The most interesting aspect of the film is the dynamic development of Alfredo and Olmo as they grow. Alfredo resents his family’s wealth and sides with Olmo, a socialist. Alfredo sees his family as false and Olmo and his family as genuine.

This aspect is timeless and can be related to by any viewer with any intelligent sense of the world today. The obvious analogy between the haves and have-nots is clearer than ever in this film. Frightening is that some have-nots are convinced they will one day become the haves.

The messages and feelings elicited in 1900 are strong and emotional. Aren’t all men created equal? On the surface, they are, but Alfredo and Olmo are not equal. As the birth scene reveals and as Bertolucci makes clear, they are born with advantages and disadvantages.

These characteristics are what they are, and as human beings grow and learn social norms, financial differences become more pronounced and humanistic connections weaker.

If the social aspects of the film or the brilliant cinematography are not enough to please a viewer, the historical lessons presented are second to none. One can revel in the political and historical excitement that characterized Europe throughout the forty-five years the film is set.

I wish Hollywood made more films like this.

1900 (Novecento) (1977) can be enjoyed as both a grandiose, dramatic period piece, revered for its majestic and flourishing design, and as a thought-provoking film about unresolved social class distinctions in the world.

I found the film a treasure that works on all levels and showcases just how good a director Bertolucci is.

This film is not his best-known work, but for fans of cinema as an art form, this is a must-see.

1975 Films, Biography, Crime Drama, Drama, LGBTQ+ Drama, LGBTQ+ Films, New York City, Summer, Top 250 Films

Dog Day Afternoon-1975

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Dog Day Afternoon-1975

Director Sidney Lumet

Starring Al Pacino

Top 250 Films #203

Scott’s Review #185

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Reviewed October 13, 2014

Grade: A-

Director Sidney Lumet successfully sets the smoldering hot summer afternoon in New York City for his 1975 film Dog Day Afternoon.

Al Pacino plays Sonny, an unemployed, desperate man who, while married with two kids, has a gay lover, Leon (brilliantly played by Chris Sarandon), whom he is attempting to help finance a sex change operation.

Based on a true story, Sonny, along with his dimwitted friend Sal- played by John Cazale- decides to rob First Brooklyn Savings Bank.

Predictably, their plans go awry when Sonny burns a ledger during the robbery attempt, and a pedestrian sees the smoke and alerts the police.

As the police learn of the attempted heist, a standoff ensues between Sonny and the cops, led by Detective Moretti (Charles Durning), and the robbery draws media coverage.

Most of the action is set inside the stifling-hot bank and directly outside on the street, and the supporting characters gradually come into play.

The hostages, Sonny’s mother, wife, and lover all make contact with Sonny in some way or another, and his motivations become clearer to the audience.

Dog Day Afternoon is an anti-establishment movie, in this case anti-police, questioning the government and the financial establishment (Lumet also directed Network, challenging the establishment).

This is evident when, after a standoff with police, the crowd sides with Sonny as he chants “Attica!” Attica!, which is a direct reference to a recent prison riot.

Sonny speaks for the working class- the poor, struggling, underpaid workers who cannot afford to feed or adequately take care of their families.

The heat and humidity mirror the pressure most middle-class people still feel today, leaving the viewer contemplating their life.

Sonny relates to the bank tellers who do not earn much. Sonny also connects with the audience in another way.

Leon, recently hospitalized at Bellevue Hospital, is emotionally dependent on Sonny. He would be lost without him.

They share a lengthy and heartfelt phone conversation that is the heart of the film- gay romance had not been explored this way by 1975 in cinema, and the romance was neither shoved down the audience’s throat nor was it looked past entirely.

Their relationship is tender and deep, yet still somewhat ambiguous.

Would they stay together? What would become of Sonny’s wife and two children? Would he leave them for Leon in a world that was not ready to accept two homosexual men together? Is that the reason for Leon’s desire for a sex change operation?

Chris Sarandon, in too small a part, is wonderful as the gay lover, struggling with a sexual identity crisis. Al Pacino gives, per usual, a brilliant portrayal as he takes on a complex character who is far from one-dimensional.

Perhaps not a masterpiece, Dog Day Afternoon is a very good film, but neither is it strictly a gay-themed movie nor an action/thriller- it’s more complex than that.

Ironically, Sonny is portrayed as the hero of the film, as it is not a standard good police versus bad bank robber type of film- quite the contrary. It is much, much more than that.

Oscar Nominations: 1 win-Best Picture, Best Director-Sidney Lumet, Best Actor-Al Pacino, Best Supporting Actor-Chris Sarandon, Best Original Screenplay (won), Best Film Editing

Golden Globe Nominations: Best Picture- Drama, Best Director-Sidney Lumet, Best Actor-Drama, Best Supporting Actor-John Cazale, Charles Durning, Best Screenplay, New Star of the Year-Male-Chris Sarandon

1964 Films, Black & White, Drama, Film noir, Top 250 Films

The Naked Kiss-1964

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The Naked Kiss-1964

Director Samuel Fuller

Starring Constance Towers

Top 250 Films #204

Scott’s Review #1,346

Reviewed February 25, 2023

Grade: A

A pure treat for me is seeing a film, especially a classic film, that exudes creativity and a left-of-center approach.

In the 1960s, cinema films started to break away from the tried-and-true and safe, telling sinister stories of macabre and unusual human behavior.

Samuel Fuller bravely created The Naked Kiss (1964), a film that goes beyond well-meaning but straightforward offerings.

Dusting off the film noir genre, it is riddled with perfections like the tarnished glitter of small-town Americana and the secrets beneath the surface.

It also dares to delve into the lustful and perverse depths of abnormal human psychology, a feat few films achieved in the old days.

The film is a B-movie in black and white, which heightens its power and lurid nature.

Eager to start a new life, a prostitute named Kelly (Constance Towers) arrives in a small town but finds the sunny veneer and the residents’ cheery, wholesome dispositions to be a sham.

Kelly meets the handsome town sheriff, Griff (Anthony Eisley), and her eventual fiancé, Grant (Michael Dante), but ultimately, both men have something to hide.

Hard to believe, but we do anyway, is the haughty incorporation of a secret small-town brothel with one gorgeous prostitute after another. The evil madame Candy, portrayed by Virginia Grey, leads it.

Constance Towers easily carries the film as Kelly. Towers did not make many films, but later became well known in theater circles before becoming a legendary villainess on the ABC daytime drama General Hospital.

Kelly is sultry yet highly learned and intelligent. She is not afraid to use her smarts to get ahead. She calculates and wisely pursues opportunities to stay on the straight and narrow while using a man or two to get what she wants and needs.

Despite this, she is kind and revels in caring for children of all colors and backgrounds. She also watches out for her fellow nurses.

One of them, Buff, nearly stumbles into a life of prostitution if not for Kelly daringly describing what her new glamorous life would ultimately become.

Thanks to Towers, Kelly relays every possible emotion to the audience, from comedy to love, horror, and controlled manipulation.

I don’t think I’ve seen any other projects by director, writer, and producer Fuller, but I want to. Perhaps only a coincidence since the films were made in the same year, but comparisons to Alfred Hitchcock’s Marnie (1964) are noticed.

Kelly briskly combs her blonde hair in a mirror and smirks, reminiscent of Marnie doing more or less the same in Hitchcock’s classic.

Both characters are tall, leggy blondes with a secret or two to hide and damaged psyches to protect.

They also each arrive in a new town, presumably to start over. Boldly carrying a suitcase and wearing a bright grey business suit, they proudly walk down a suburban street with possibilities ahead.

The Naked Kiss is a progressive, feminist film.

During the first scene, Fuller shows what few directors ever would- a female character with a shaved head.

Kelly has been humiliated for the last time and takes her owed $75 from her pimp. Kelly’s honest personality is revealed in this scene since she could have quickly taken $900 from him and fled.

The cagey and spiteful underbelly of suburban life is exposed. A  pointed critique of small-town hypocrisy and the exploitation of women is nearly at every turn.

Another comparison to the masterpiece The Night of the Hunter (1955) is worth mentioning, since both films use child characters in haunting ways.

The theme of pedophilia is powerful and sickening, but portrayed with a warped sense of a fairy tale.

Finally, the cinematic use of harsh, glowing white light makes many characters appear angelic, which works tremendously well.

Because of Fuller’s direction and Towers’s strong acting, Kelly’s character comes through well. As a result, we get a character study to savor and a strong female character to root for.

Both aggressively champion their respective areas of expertise.

The Naked Kiss (1964) challenges the rules of early 1960s filmmaking and storytelling. It is a brave journey through humankind’s dark nature, breaking every rule along the way.

1955 Films, Best Picture-Drama Golden Globe Winners, Drama, Epic, Period Drama, Top 250 Films

East of Eden-1955

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East of Eden-1955

Director Elia Kazan 

Starring James Dean

Top 250 Films #205

Scott’s Review #1,092

Reviewed December 17, 2020

Grade: A

James Dean wasn’t with us for very long, tragically dying at the tender age of twenty-four, but he made three films: Rebel Without a Cause (1955), Giant (1956), and East of Eden (1955), all-powerful showcases and unique.

Dean gives a brilliant, humanistic, and sometimes tragic performance.

East of Eden, his first film, is the only one he got to preview. I hope he liked it because it will live forever as a gem.

Based on the John Steinbeck novel of the same name, the story is also a biblical retelling of Cain and Abel, brothers who clash and spar.

Director Elia Kazan, famous for supporting and using Method actors in his films, gave a tremendous performance as Dean, which was key to the film’s empathetic nature.

The key to East of Eden is that it reflects on several characters, who are both good and bad, detailing their struggles.

Nobody is completely good or completely bad. The story analyzes good versus evil and the multitude of layers between both extremes, making the experience juicy, truthful, and brilliant.

Set in 1917 during World War I, the story is set against two sunny coastal California towns. Cal Trask (Dean) perceives his father, farmer Adam (Raymond Massey), as favoring Cal’s brother, Aron (Richard Davalos).

This leads to much resentment, jealousy, and conflict. Aron is the apple of Adam’s eye, and we wonder why.

Furthering the drama is Cal’s love for Aron’s girlfriend, Abra (Julie Harris), who doesn’t rebuff any advances.

Cal and Aron’s mother, Kate (Jo Van Fleet), who they think is dead, is alive and well and running a brothel in a nearby town. Assuming a different name, she harbors secrets.

Before you get the impression this is some cheesy soap opera, East of Eden, like the novel, is heavily character-driven and nuanced with development.

It ultimately draws the audience in and envelops everyone in its simmering qualities.

East of Eden is packed with powerful scenes after powerful scenes, and in more than one, the allegiances and rooting values shift from character to character.

Some of the best moments are when Cal self-destructs after his father refuses his birthday gift, or when Cal cruelly reveals the true nature of their mother’s profession to the innocent and unsuspecting Aron.

Finally, Cal and Abra’s kiss atop a Ferris wheel is filled with smoldering desire and deadly consequences.

The acting was tremendous across the board. Much of the credit must go to Kazan for pulling fabulous performances out of the players, a feat only a Method-acting director can achieve.

While the cast is exceptional, the film belongs to Dean, who imbues his character with enough emotion and vulnerability to sustain his topsy-turvy, tortured existence.

Knowing that the actor died soon after filming gives the film an eerie and sentimental feel.

This is comparable to a more recent example, when Heath Ledger died after delivering a brilliant performance in The Dark Knight (2008).

This is hardly a war film or a guy’s film, as the ladies also get to shine with rich characters. Julie Harris and Jo Van Fleet portray flawed characters in juicy roles rife with meaty scenes filled with conflict.

As with most of Steinbeck’s works, specifically The Grapes of Wrath, the landscape is a character, and East of Eden is no exception. With dusty roads and mountainous backgrounds, events ooze with atmosphere and beauty.

The lush northern coastal California landscape portrays a grandiose magnificence that counterbalances the conflict its inhabitants are experiencing.

The central takeaway from East of Eden (1955) is that we are complex creatures with a mixture of good and evil. We sometimes want to do the right thing, but in doing so, we hurt those we love.

The main characters suffer from pain, regret, good intentions, poor decisions, and loss.

The rich dialogue, adaptation, acting, and cinematography make the film near perfection.

Oscar Nominations: 1 win-Best Director-Elia Kazan, Best Actor-James Dean, Best Supporting Actress-Jo Van Fleet (won), Best Screenplay

Golden Globe Nominations: 2 wins-Best Motion Picture-Drama (won), Special Achievement Award-James Dean (won)

1947 Films, British, Drama, Favorite Film of the Year, Top 250 Films

Black Narcissus-1947

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Black Narcissus-1947

Director Michael Powell, Emeric Pressburger

Starring Deborah Kerr

Top 250 Films #209

Scott’s Review #688

Reviewed October 5, 2017

Grade: A

A British film made in 1947 that is way ahead of its time, Black Narcissus is a brilliant foray into the mysterious entity of nuns and the bitterness, both from humanity and from the elements, that a group of nuns must face as they attempt to establish a new school atop the hills of the Himalayas.

The film’s look is as fantastic as its story, with incredible cinematography and a foreboding, eerie quality.

Black Narcissus is one of the great treasures of classic cinema.

Based on the 1939 novel by Rumer Godden, Black Narcissus tells the story of revolving jealousy, rage, lust, and tension amid a convent of nuns living in isolation.

Deborah Kerr, fantastic in the lead role of Clodagh, Sister Superior and leader of the group, faces the temptations and anger of men while dealing with an unbalanced nun, Sister Ruth, played terrifically by Kathleen Byron.

The cinematography and the art direction must be praised as the lavish sets are just that- sets. However, the average viewer will be whisked away on a magical experience where it seems the sets are real locales, high atop the Himalayan mountains.

Scenes depict howling wind, mist, and fog in a believable manner. All sets are built and structured, and Black Narcissus was filmed entirely on a set. This tidbit is unbelievable, given the realism, especially since the film was made in 1947.

The lighting in the film is unique, precisely the vibrant colors of the pink flowers and, later, the close-ups of Sister Ruth. A fantastic example of this is her descent into madness during the final act, as her face, maniacal yet lovely, is heavily featured. Her face appears bright and hypnotic.

The main event, though, is the tales the film tells, which are pretty edgy for the year the film was made. Religion is always risky, and the treatment of the nuns as real human beings with actual emotions, even lustful ones, is brazen.

Specifically, Clodagh (Kerr) is a fascinating study as the character teeters on a romance with the charismatic, handsome, local British agent, Mr. Dean (David Farrar), while attempting to forget a failed romance during her youth in Ireland.

Meanwhile, Sister Ruth spirals out of control, leading to a dire climax involving an enormous church bell atop the restored structure.

A slight misstep the film makes is mainly casting white actors with heavy makeup in the Indian roles instead of actors with authentic ethnicity.

This detail is glaring because the makeup used is not overly convincing, and the casting of the gorgeous Jean Simmons as Kanchi, a lower-class dancing girl whom the Prince becomes infatuated with in a subplot, is incredibly guilty.

Still, this pales in comparison to the fantastic story and look of the film.

Black Narcissus is a classic film that contains a bit of everything—drama, thrills, intrigue, gorgeous sets, lavish design, and even a bit of forbidden passion—and brilliantly executes all aspects of the film.

A film admired by critics and directors throughout the ages and explicitly championed by Martin Scorsese, it has the unique quality of getting better with each viewing.

Oscar Nominations: 2 wins-Best Art Direction-Set Direction, Color (won), Best Cinematography, Color (won)

1968 Films, British, Drama, LGBTQ+ Drama, LGBTQ+ Films, Top 250 Films

The Killing of Sister George-1968

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The Killing of Sister George-1968

Director Robert Aldrich

Starring Beryl Reid, Susannah York

Top 250 Films #210

Scott’s Review #228

220px-Original_movie_poster_for_the_film_The_Killing_of_Sister_George

Reviewed March 13, 2015

Grade: A-

The Killing of Sister George is a British film drama, adapted from a 1964 stage production that was a risky subject matter to tackle for the times- lesbianism- in the late 1960s.

Directed by Robert Aldrich, well known for Whatever Happened to Baby Jane, The Killing of Sister George is a similarly dark tale of loneliness, desperation, and an actress who falls from former grace and success into despair, confusion, and anguish.

It also has witty, crackling comedic moments that keep it from being a true downer.

Sister George is a successful, well-regarded actress on a popular soap opera named Applehurst. Her character is the wholesome presence in a town fraught with manipulation and drama. She is the show’s moral focal point.

In real life, however, George (interestingly called by her character’s name) is troubled.

She is bitter, angry, and an alcoholic, and she frequently berates and even abuses her partner, Childie, played by Susannah York.

A third central character is TV Producer Mercy Croft, who is powerful and confused about her sexuality.

When the soap opera powers-that-be decide to kill off the beloved Sister George, the real George’s life begins to spiral out of control.

As enjoyable a film as it is and certainly featuring the competent talents of Beryl Reid in the title role, I cannot help but ponder and fantasize how wonderful the casting of Bette Davis- reportedly considered for the role and inexplicably not cast- would have been.

Davis, famous for playing grizzled, mean, unsympathetic characters, would have knocked this role out of the park, and sadly, she didn’t get the chance.

At its core, the film is a sad character study of one woman’s pain and anguish at being discarded. Presumably unable to be hired anywhere else, her soap opera character is her life.

She loves Childie but is not entirely fulfilled by her, either, and the vibrant, polished Mercy threatens that relationship.

This is an interesting triangle as George does not always treat Childie well, but loves her all the same. Childie is a simple character, childlike, and needs a strong mate to counter-balance the way she is- someone to take care of her.

Without a job or prospects, this would be difficult for George. Does Childie love George, or does she want a meal ticket?

The film is understandably rated X for content, presumably for a very explicit sex scene between Mercy and Childie, and when a drunken George molests two nuns in the back seat of a London taxi cab.

These scenes are both cutting-edge and admirable in their risk-taking.

The scene set at the real-life London lesbian club (the Gateway Club) and featuring mostly real-life lesbians is excellent. It provides a real-life glimpse into the gay/lesbian world and lifestyle during the period.

A brave, groundbreaking, risk-taking film with bravura direction from Aldrich, The Killing of Sister George (1968) is a forgotten gem that film fans everywhere need to rediscover and an early journey into gay and lesbian cinema.

Golden Globe Nominations: Best Actress- Drama- Beryl Reid

1969 Films, Best Picture Oscar Winners, Drama, New York City, Top 250 Films

Midnight Cowboy-1969

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Midnight Cowboy-1969

Director John Schlesinger

Starring Dustin Hoffman, Jon Voight

Top 250 Films #212

Scott’s Review #24

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Reviewed June 17, 2014

Grade: A

Midnight Cowboy is a masterpiece from 1969 that remains the only Best Picture Oscar winner to be rated “X” and, sadly, would probably not be made today.

It tells the tale of a friendly, trusting cowboy who moves from Texas to New York City and is challenged to survive the brutal streets any way he can.

Throughout the film, he meets several interesting, unsavory characters and experiences life in the bowels of NYC as drug use and prostitution are explored.

I didn’t find this as much of a downer as many others did, but rather a story of survival.

The grittiness of NYC is wonderfully portrayed, with many locales featured (Times Square).

Jon Voight and Dustin Hoffman are exceptionally cast and have great chemistry, though the film is by no means a “buddy movie”.

Sylvia Miles has a memorable one-scene feature.

It’s bleak, raw, and intense at times, and Midnight Cowboy (1969) is great filmmaking.

Oscar Nominations: 3 wins-Best Picture (won), Best Director-John Schlesinger (won), Best Actor-Dustin Hoffman, Jon Voight, Best Supporting Actress-Sylvia Miles, Best Screenplay Based on Material from Another Medium (won), Best Film Editing

Golden Globe Nominations: 1 win- Best Picture- Drama, Best Director-John Schlesinger, Best Actor-Drama-Dustin Hoffman, Jon Voight, Best Supporting Actress-Brenda Vaccaro, Best Screenplay, New Star of the Year-Actor-Jon Voight (won)

1930 Films, Best Picture Oscar Winners, Drama, Favorite Film of the Year, Top 250 Films, War, World War I

All Quiet on the Western Front-1930

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All Quiet on the Western Front-1930

Director Lewis Milestone

Starring Lew Ayres

Top 250 Films #213

Scott’s Review #820

Reviewed October 12, 2018

Grade: A

All Quiet on the Western Front (1930) is one of the oldest films I have seen. It is a masterpiece that resonates in present times just as much as it did nearly one hundred years ago.

The work of art presents an astounding Anti-war message that is a timeless lesson in humanity, idealism, and despair.

Based on the banned novel by Erich Maria Remarque, much of the action takes place on the front lines during World War I.

The cameras follow an anxious group of spirited young men as they sit in a classroom and listen to a passionate speech given by their professor.

He is pretty “pro-war,” instilling patriotism in the boys and emphasizing the importance of serving the Army and their country. At his urging, the group, led by Paul Baumer (Lew Ayres), joins the Second Company. Once enlisted, the youths are enlightened that war is not fun, and their romantic delusions are smashed.

Paul is the film’s hero, and events are told through his eyes, offering his perspective. Beginning as a young recruit, he ages quickly and sees friends and allies slaughtered senselessly.

One recruit, frightened to death, is blinded by shrapnel and hysterically runs into machine-gun fire, resulting in his death. Other scenes involving the soldiers forced to go without food only to finally be offered more food, simply because there are so many dead, are heart-wrenching.

Paul is portrayed as a good man, conflicted by how he is supposed to feel towards the enemy and how he sees people as human beings. At the young age of nineteen, he possesses an innocence toward the world.

When he returns home on leave, the townspeople do not acknowledge the ravages of war. When Paul recounts the brutal situations on the front line, he is derided as a coward.

In an excruciating scene, Paul is trapped overnight in a foxhole with a dying French soldier whom Paul has stabbed in a cemetery. He desperately tries to save the man’s life, but to no avail.

In this crucial scene, Paul sees the enemy soldier as a human being rather than someone to hate. He crumbles into tears for the dead soldier, begging him to speak. The scene is incredibly poignant and meaningful.

The final scene of All Quiet on the Western Front is lovely and memorable. It is the film’s most remembered scene and is firmly ensconced in cinematic history.

As a wounded Paul lies hiding from German soldiers, he spots a beautiful butterfly peacefully circling. Paul smiles, enamored with the pretty creature amid all the horror. He desperately tries to reach for the gorgeous insect.

What happens next is heartbreaking and fraught with the unfair ruining of life—the scene is of the utmost importance.

The film is both sad and poignant, as we are well into the twenty-first century, and wars continue.

Have we learned nothing?

Director Lewis Milestone brazenly and tragically paints a portrait of war’s foolishness and the senseless loss of life it results in. It is tough to think of an equivalent film that depicts this message more clearly.

Many European leaders and countries, including Germany’s Adolf Hitler, banned All Quiet on the Western Front throughout the 1930s and 1940s.

The film has remained controversial in its blatant depiction of war since its release.

All Quiet on the Western Front (1930) is a groundbreaking film that should remind us how precious life is.

The novel and film were both made after World War I—how profound to think that since this film was made, wars such as World War II, the Korean War, and the Vietnam War have occurred. Is war ever really the answer?

Anyone who watches this terrific film will find out.

Oscar Nominations: 2 wins-Best Picture (won), Best Director (won), Best Writing, Best Cinematography

1946 Films, Christmas, Drama, Fantasy, Top 250 Films, Winter

It’s a Wonderful Life-1946

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It’s a Wonderful Life-1946

Director Frank Capra

Starring James Stewart

Top 250 Films #219

Scott’s Review #863

Reviewed February 5, 2019

Grade: A-

A popular holiday tradition in many households eager to cozy up in front of the fire with an enduring and entertaining classic, It’s a Wonderful Life (1946) serves an essential purpose. It is the ultimate annual festivity passed down through generations.

While not one of my standards, I recognize the influence and endearment the film offers and cannot fault its power to bring people together through its humanistic, sweet message.

James Stewart is perfectly cast as the wholesome and likable George Bailey. He strives to help everyone in his small community who needs it, often at the expense of his own well-being.

Depressed by the failure of his bank on Christmas Eve in 1945, in the snowy locale of Bedford Falls, New York, George is visited by a guardian angel named Clarence (Henry Travers), who teaches him what life will be like if he chooses the dire path of ending his own life.

Along with Stewart, Donna Reed as the wife, Mary Hatch Bailey, is cast exceptionally well and is the perfect counterpart to George.

Together, the actors immerse themselves in their roles, holding their heads high as the leaders of the sleepy little town they reside in, and set an example for the other townspeople with their kindness and thoughtfulness.

A sound “king and queen of the prom,” the duo radiates and elicits tears from audience members living vicariously through the couple.

A perfect companion piece to A Christmas Carol, perhaps the version from 1951, for similar periods, both spirited and teaching life lessons, is recommended.

Both are thematically similar in their depiction of a heavenly spirit’s visitation and in offering glimpses into the past, present, and future; the comparisons are endless, to say nothing of the Christmastime elements both possess.

Arguably, It’s a Wonderful Life is the most uplifting, both in good and bad ways. The lesson repeatedly voiced is that if one is good to others, one will be rewarded, or at least find peace of mind.

This is not a bad lesson, which is the main reason for the film’s lasting appeal. Bad luck and financial hardship will inevitably affect everyone, but kindness is forever enduring.

It’s also worth mentioning the timing of the creation and release of It’s a Wonderful Life.

As the United States, to say nothing of many European nations, struggled to pick up the pieces after the devastation of World War II, the picture was opportune to immerse itself in the lives of many people who needed a strong and uplifting message.

No wonder the film was popular when it was first released as the feel-good film of 1946.

The black-and-white cinematography does wonders to portray the film’s magical atmosphere. The high points are the cold and snowy bridge scenes.

Controversial years later was the colorization, and some would say the ruination, a decision that was met with anger by star Stewart, who went so far as to testify in court to voice his displeasure.

At the risk of being raked across the coals and deemed a “Scrooge”, portions of It’s a Wonderful Life are saccharin and manufactured in the utmost goodness, sometimes too good.

Admittedly, the characters of George, Mary, and their children come across as somewhat trite at times, as they seem to radiate only benevolent characteristics, never engaging in improper or impure actions.

In a fantasy film, the overly humanistic approach can sometimes be a tad silly.

The same can be said for the angel, Clarence.

Nonetheless, films such as It’s a Wonderful Life (1946) serve their purpose in cinema history.

With a robust and heart-warming message, the positive vibes are undeniable, and the warmth and emotion the film possesses radiate even to the coldest hearts and the harshest of critics, who are willing to accept and be enraptured by the film’s staying power.

Oscar Nominations: Best Motion Picture, Best Director-Frank Capra, Best Actor-James Stewart, Best Sound Recording, Best Film Editing

Golden Globe Nominations: 1 win-Best Director-Motion Picture-Frank Capra (won)

1976 Films, Comedy, Dark Comedy, Drama, Satire, Top 250 Films

Network-1976

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Network-1976

Director Sidney Lumet

Starring Faye Dunaway, Peter Finch, William Holden 

Top 250 Films #228

Scott’s Review #1,481

Reviewed May 13, 2025

Grade: A

A conceptual film laden with intelligence and satire, Network (1976) is innovative, not easily digestible, but satisfying nonetheless.

It pairs well with films like All the President’s Men (1976) or Spotlight (2015), with a focus on media frenzy, ratings, and the frustrating search for the truth amid chaos.

Or does the truth even matter? It’s a sobering question the film explores.

The film received nine Oscar nominations and won three of the four acting awards. Decades later, it holds up tremendously well and is a stark reminder of the power of television and public perception, for better or worse.

Brilliant acting, rich writing, and impressive editing make Network a timeless treasure for many generations, not to mention Lumet’s creative and sometimes shocking direction.

Over narration, we meet veteran news anchor Howard Beale (Peter Finch). He learns from his friend and news division president, Max Schumacher (William Holden), that he has only two more weeks on the air with the UBS network due to declining ratings.

After threatening to shoot himself on live television, he instead launches into an angry televised rant, which turns out to be a huge ratings boost for the network, and he is kept on for entertainment purposes.

But what happens when the public grows tired of his antics and craves even more outrageous programming?

Ambitious producer Diana Christensen (Faye Dunaway), obsessed with her career and ratings, takes actions to dangerous new levels.

What immediately caught my attention was how little the bottom line has changed in almost fifty years of television since Network was released.

One could argue that things have gotten worse, with ratings making or breaking a television broadcast.

Depressing still is the knowledge in 2025 politics where liars, cheats, and felons callously hold the highest offices and wield the most power; newscasts are currently created based on the truths their target audiences believe, regardless of the truth.

Lumet, known for the groundbreaking Dog Day Afternoon (1975) just a year earlier, uses split screens to show four perspectives and adds frightening, gun-toting rebels angry and intent on making political statements.

But Diana needs them for a significant ratings share.

Lumet’s sequences teeter between long soliloquies in which characters reveal their deepest motivations and emotions and rapid-fire editing involving shootings and bank robberies.

I loved seeing the 1970s-style corporate offices with retro telephones, notepads, pens, pencils, stylish carpets, and colorful elevators. The glamorous and polished interiors perfectly reflect the gorgeous Manhattan skyline seen in numerous sequences.

The lavish restaurants and strong cocktails provide a luminous texture to the time.

Paddy Chayefsky wrote the screenplay around the idea of a live death as the film’s central focus, as he later said in an interview, “Television will do anything for a rating… anything!”

The statement hit home in frigid reality.

Dunaway and Finch are clear favorites and offer the deepest characterization. Dunaway’s Diana is frigid and opportunistic, offering the audience no vulnerability or sympathy.

In a way, she is not a human being, lacking emotional depth.

I half expected her to tear her face off and reveal herself as a fembot.

Finch steals the show as a tired, depressed veteran who feels dismissed and forgotten. Even when he reveals his intent to commit suicide on live TV, the news crew tunes out his monotone voice as they do nightly.

Finally, Beatrice Straight brilliantly delivers an acting 101 tutorial as the aging housewife being cheated on by her philandering husband.

One miss is Robert Duvall in a one-note performance we’ve already seen him deliver.

Network (1976) is a top-notch film from my favorite decade in cinema. The 1970s produced many meaningful and introspective gems, and Network is one of them.

Oscar Nominations: 4 wins-Best Picture, Best Director- Sidney Lumet, Best Actor- Peter Finch (won), William Holden, Best Actress- Faye Dunaway (won), Best Supporting Actor- Ned Beatty, Best Supporting Actress- Beatrice Straight (won), Best Original Screenplay (won), Best Cinematography, Best Film Editing

Golden Globe Nominations: 4 wins-Best Picture-Drama, Best Director-Sidney Lumet (won), Best Actor-Drama-Peter Finch (won), Best Actress-Drama-Faye Dunaway (won), Best Screenplay (won)

1969 Films, Drama, International, International Drama, Italian, Top 250 Films

Fellini Satyricon-1969

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Fellini Satyricon-1969

Director Federico Fellini

Starring Martin Potter, Hiram Keller

Top 250 Films #229

Scott’s Review #530

60010344

Reviewed November 30, 2016

Grade: A

Fellini Satyricon (1969) is a fascinating experience and is a great film. Still, only for the very broad-minded and patient viewer- it is more of an “experience” than watching a conventional start-to-finish type finish.

It is nothing of that nature.

I both loved the trip and was fascinated by the creativity and depth of it- dreamlike is a word that immediately springs to mind.

The story does not make perfect sense, nor does it need to. The fact that it is set some two thousand years ago is, in itself, fantastic, as the sets are filled with decadent imagination.

The film is certainly not for everyone and is a fairy tale for adults.

It tells of a journey through Ancient Rome and is divided into nine chapters. A scholar (Encolpius) and his friend (Ascyltus) traverse the land in the hopes of winning the heart of a young boy (Giton).

They are both in love with him, and the topics of bisexuality, public sex, slavery, and brothels are explored.

I love Fellini films because they are wild, dreamlike, and fantasy-like, with odd characters.

Is Fellini’s Satyricon strange? Absolutely. But that is to its credit- this film is highly imaginative and wild, and will leave one pondering its beauty afterward.

Oscar Nominations: Best Director-Federico Fellini

Golden Globe Nominations: Best Foreign Film (Foreign Language)

1951 Films, Black & White, Drama, Gothic, Summer, Top 250 Films

A Streetcar Named Desire-1951

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A Streetcar Named Desire-1951

Director Elia Kazan

Starring Marlon Brando, Vivien Leigh

Top 250 Films #231

Scott’s Review #872

Reviewed March 2, 2019

Grade: A

A Streetcar Named Desire (1951) is an adaptation of Tennessee Williams’s dark and dreary Broadway play.

The stellar cast includes three of the four original members of the stage version who brought the film to the big screen.

Tremendous acting and a morbid southern setting will leave the viewer transfixed and wondering what chaos and drama will next unfold.

The story is sad, pitiful, and quite heavy as each character suffers guilt, resentment, rage, or regret, but these elements make the film a pure classic.

Aging southern belle Blanche DuBois (Vivien Leigh) has lost her valuable southern plantation and flees her aristocratic livelihood to New Orleans to live with her working-class sister Stella (Kim Hunter) and brother-in-law Stanley Kowalski (Marlon Brando).

Unhappy, Blanche immediately becomes snobbish toward ordinary people and offends many with her prim and proper manners.

Stanley feels slighted by Blanche, who is convinced she is keeping Stella’s inheritance. This leads to conflict. Stanley meets Mitch (Karl Malden) and may have a shot at happiness.

Blanche is the most painful and well-dissected character. A fun fact is that Leigh is the only Actor among the four principals who did not appear in the original stage version, in which Jessica Tandy played the role.

Leigh was undoubtedly cast because of her star power at the time. She dives full steam ahead into the role, delivering the perfect blend of pathos and courage while adding the most complexity.

Reduced to a life among the poor and struggling, the reality is harsh for the once-wealthy heiress who has lost all her money through no fault of her own, her estate taken by creditors after her husband’s tragic death, assumed to be suicide.

Almost as complicated is Stanley, played stunningly by Brando, an actor who, with this film, was beginning to embark on Hollywood success that would surround him throughout most of the 1950s.

The most prominent film cover art features a tee-shirt-clad Brando, his muscular arms and torso on display, and his smoldering bad-boy pose.

The sexual tension between Stanley and Blanche is undeniable, as their love/hate relationship is filled with unbridled passion.

Their carnal attraction is mainly due to the brutish masculinity that Brando exudes on camera.

The combined supporting performances by Kim Hunter and Malden are almost as complex as the leads’ and just as important to recognize.

Hunter portrays Stella as wounded and put-upon, yet not weak. She has strength but is unsure who to trust or whether to leave her husband.

Malden plays Mitch as benevolent and trusting, enamored with Blanche until her secrets are finally revealed.

Heartbroken, even he, the kindest character in the group, is left unhappy. Malden excels at imbuing Mitch with an everyman and graceful quality.

Who can ever forget the poignant, melancholy wails of “Stella! Stella! Stella!” from the tragic Stanley, a moment forever etched in cinematic history? He longingly begs for Stella’s forgiveness as he looks towards the sky.

The suggested rape, although not shown, is a powerful tidbit and controversial in the film for 1951. The audience not seeing the action is arguably just as intense as seeing it, as imagination can often be more prominent.

The black-and-white cinematography adds emotional treasures. It captures the bleak life in New Orleans, and the characters’ struggles and hardships are wonderfully portrayed.

The run-down tenement where most of the film takes place is dour, suffocating, and dingy, perfectly enveloping the characters’ lives.

Hopelessness and depression are commonalities as director Elia Kazan creates a film that grasps his audience and never lets go.

A Streetcar Named Desire is about conflict, pain, and the human desire for love, thwarted by realism and dire circumstances.

Each of the four characters can be dissected, sympathized with, and is worthy of discussion. This only proves the complexities of each.

I challenge anyone a make a good comparison to Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? (1966) and A Streetcar Named Desire have similar qualities.

The film set an Oscar record when it became the first film to win in three acting categories (a feat only since matched by Network in 1976).

It won awards for Actress in a Leading Role (Leigh), Actor in a Supporting Role (Malden), Actress in a Supporting Role (Hunter), and Art Direction.

A Streetcar Named Desire (1951) is not an easy watch, but it is assuredly a feast of excellent acting and heartbreaking, wounded characters.

Oscar Nominations: 4 wins-Best Motion Picture, Best Director-Elia Kazan, Best Actor-Marlon Brando, Best Actress-Vivien Leigh (won), Best Supporting Actor-Karl Malden (won), Best Supporting Actress-Kim Hunter (won), Best Screenplay, Best Scoring of a Dramatic or Comedy Picture, Best Sound Recording, Best Art Direction, Black-and-White (won), Best Cinematography, Black-and-White, Best Costume Design, Black-and-White

Golden Globe Nominations: 1 win-Best Motion Picture-Drama, Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture-Drama-Vivien Leigh, Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role in any Motion Picture-Kim Hunter (won)

1960 Films, Art, Drama, International, International Drama, Italian, Top 250 Films

L’Avventura-1960

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L’Avventura-1960

Director Michelangelo Antonioni

Starring Gabriele Ferzetti, Monica Vitti

Top 250 Films #232

Scott’s Review #1,167

Reviewed July 30, 2021

Grade: A

L’Avventura (1960) is similar to the horror masterpiece Psycho (1960), released the same year. However, they are not exactly opposite on the surface.

One is an American horror film directed by an esteemed British director, and the other is an Italian art film. What do they have in common?

Forgetting that the former is not a horror film, L’Avventura first introduces a character that the audience is particular to be the main character, only to pull a switcheroo midstream and make other characters the central protagonists.

What Janet Leigh’s Marion Crane was to John Garvin, Vera Miles, Sam Loomis, and Lila Crane in Psycho.

Be that as it may, as an interesting if not wholly odd comparison, L’Avventura is a brilliant film and not just for the story alone. Black and white cinematography of the grandest kind transplants the film viewer to a fabulous yet haunting island where the events occur.

Frequent shots of the gorgeous Mediterranean Sea and its roaring waves pepper the action.

In Michelangelo Antonioni’s classic of Italian cinema, two beautiful young women, Claudia (Monica Vitti) and Anna (Léa Massari), join Anna’s lover, Sandro (Gabriele Ferzetti), on a boat trip to a remote volcanic island.

They plan to spend their time cruising, resting, and relaxing on the Mediterranean. The trio is all good-looking and resides on the outskirts of Rome. They join two wealthy couples and depart on their excursion,

A search is launched when Anna suddenly disappears on an island stop. Meanwhile, Sandro and Claudia become involved in a romance despite Anna’s disappearance, though the relationship suffers from the guilt and tension brought about by the looming mystery.

Their relationship is intriguing, given their roller-coaster emotions. Their burgeoning romance and Anna’s disappearance overlap.

Assumed to be the film’s focal point, Anna eventually serves as more of a ghost character and quickly disappears from the screen.

This threw me for a loop.

Events do not remain on the island but return to the Italian mainland, where Sandro and Claudia continue with their guilt, finally becoming convinced Anna might have returned!

The brilliant and ambitious thing about L’Avventura is that the film changes course many times.

On the surface, it appears to be a film about a missing girl and a friend’s attempts to locate her. But Antonioni delves into a film about emotions and the meaning of life, making the audience go deeper along with the characters.

Eventually, Sandro and Claudia chase a ghost of their design and plod along unhappy and unfulfilled, suffering paranoia.

L’Avventura is all about the characters and the cinematography, and each immerses well with the other.

Many characters exchange glances with each other that the audience can read into. What was the relationship between Sandro and Claudia before the cruise? What is Anna and Sandro’s backstory? And what’s become of Anna? Did she run off and drown, or was she murdered?

The camerawork is stunning; each shot is a lovely escapade into another world. The yacht cruise and island sequences are awe-inspiring. I love how the characters explore different sections of the island instead of dully standing on the shore or in similar shots.

As the title says, the point is both physical and cerebral adventure.

L’Avventura (1960) is a film that will make you think, ponder, escape, and discuss the true meaning. Isn’t that what great art cinema does?

Antonioni also made me consider comparisons to another great art film creator- the Swedish director Ingmar Bergman.

1956 Films, Drama, Film noir, New York City, Top 250 Films

The Wrong Man-1956

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The Wrong Man-1956

Director Alfred Hitchcock

Starring Henry Fonda, Vera Miles

Top 250 Films #233

Scott’s Review #902

Reviewed May 24, 2019

Grade: A-

The Wrong Man (1956) is not an Alfred Hitchcock film typically mentioned when lists of the greatest of all the director’s works are in conversation.

Although it flies completely under the radar and is absent from most “Best of” collections, the film is a lovely gem ready to be dusted off and appreciated for its worth.

It features the legendary Henry Fonda, perfectly cast in a story point frequently used in Hitchcock films: that of the wrongly accused man.

Set in New York City, Manny Balestrero (Fonda) is a struggling musician who requires three hundred dollars for dental work that his wife Rose (Vera Miles) needs. Determined not to let his wife suffer, he decides to obtain the money by borrowing against her insurance policy.

The life insurance employees mistake Manny for another man who recently held them up. He is arrested and forced to perform a test for the police, which he fails, leading them to assume he is their man.

Attorney Frank O’Connor (Anthony Quayle) sets out to prove that Manny is not guilty since he has perfect alibis for the nights of both holdups. However, complications erupt during his trial as proper witnesses either cannot be found or have died, leaving Manny in dire straits.

Meanwhile, Rose teeters towards the brink of insanity as she suffers from severe depression.

The Wrong Man differs from many Hitchcock films in that its story is based on a real-life quandary one man faced. As such, viewers can relate to the story immensely and imagine themselves in Manny’s shoes.

I often wonder, “What would I do if this were me?” as one could find the story implausible, one could just as easily find it plausible. Mistaken identity can happen, and proving one’s innocence may not be as easy as it may seem.

Mainly set on location is another tidbit unique to many Hitchcock productions as the man cringed at the thought of any scene that studio luxuries could not manipulate. The New York City locales are splendid and provide an artistic and genuine element.

Many scenes were filmed in Jackson Heights, where Manny lived when he was accused. Most of the prison scenes were filmed among the convicts in a New York City prison in Queens. The courthouse was at the corner of Catalpa Avenue and 64th Street in Ridgewood.

Careful not to be too dissimilar to standard Hitchcock fare, the use of every man being falsely accused is every day in some of his films.

Other films like North by Northwest (1958) and The 39 Steps (1935) delivered the same elements with a man being mistakenly accused of murder. While the others were more of “chase stories” involving flight, The Wrong Man stays firmly planted in one city.

The film has some jazz elements, representing Fonda’s appearance as a musician in the nightclub scenes. These elements add sophistication to the film’s overall tone, especially as we see Manny as worldly yet kind.

He is a performer but comes home to his wife and adores her, doing anything he needs to for her comfort. The music and the black-and-white cinematography exude harshness and coldness but also good style.

Fans of either the police force or the justice system may be in for a challenging ride watching The Wrong Man, as neither group is written very sympathetically. The police are the worst offenders as they go to unethical methods to accuse a man of a crime and seem not to care who is convicted, only that someone is.

The one detraction to The Wrong Man is the chemistry between Fonda and Miles. The passion is underwhelming but not terrible, either. Instead, the main point is the false accusations instead of the romance. A bit more of the latter might have made the film more unique.

With suspenseful and dramatic elements and a charismatic leading man, The Wrong Man (1956) perhaps lacks the flair of other well-known Hitchcock films. Still, it is a solid achievement that deserves more acclaim than traditionally given.

Yes, it’s sullen, but it’s also poignant, frightening, and a terrific effort. Henry Fonda carries the film and provides compassion and realism.

1956 Films, Drama, Epic, Top 250 Films, Western

Giant-1956

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Giant-1956

Director George Stevens

Starring Rock Hudson, Elizabeth Taylor, James Dean

Top 250 Films #235

Scott’s Review #898

Reviewed May 14, 2019

Grade: A

Giant (1956) is a sweeping epic firmly ensconced in both the Western genre and the dramatic field.

The film is a flawless Hollywood production featuring three of the most recognizable stars of the time and a slew of powerful supporting actors who deliver rich performances and strong characterizations.

The thunderous melodrama plays out over decades with the dry and dusty locale and the superb cinematography, among the finest aspects of the film experience.

Dashing and wealthy Texas rancher Jordan Bick Benedict Jr. (Rock Hudson) falls in love with and marries socialite Leslie Lynnton (Elizabeth Taylor) after a whirlwind romance in Maryland.

The pair begin their married life on Bick’s immaculate Texas ranch, but not before two central figures thwart their happiness. Jett Rink (James Dean) falls obsessively in love with Leslie while Bick’s sister, Luz Benedict (Mercedes McCambridge) despises Leslie, taking out her vengeance on Leslie’s horse.

The trials and tribulations continue as the characters age through the years.

The trifecta of talents Taylor, Hudson, and Dean make Giant the ultimate in treats as one fawns over the good looks of each (or all!) over the long three hours and eleven minutes of illustrious screen time.

Making for more powerful poignancy is that the film is Dean’s final appearance on-screen before his tragic death in a car accident, his death occurring before it was even released to the public.

Dean plays Jett to the hilt as a surly ranch hand, jealous of Bick’s riches and wanting to take Bick’s woman for himself. Jett is an unsympathetic character and the one I find the most interesting.

Decades-long rivals, Jett and Bick’s lives continue to overlap as Jett finally becomes rich and dates Bick and Leslie’s daughter, much to their chagrin.

Jett is a racist, which was common in the early to mid-1900s, especially in southwestern Texas. Sadly, he never finds happiness, which is central to his depth.

The screenplay is peppered with meaningful, relevant social issues that lend sophistication and a humanistic approach.

The film inches towards a liberal slant as the plot progresses, the most famous example occurring in the final act as Benedict stops at a roadside diner with a racist sign, implying the restaurant will not serve Mexicans.

Bick takes a dramatic stance and shows heart as his family, now multi-racial, needs his help. Culminating in a fight, the scene reveals the enduring love Bick and Leslie share.

Criticisms of the films’ enormous length and scope are wrong, as these aspects deepen and the components I find the most appealing.

Director George Stevens never rushes through a scene or makes superfluous edits to limit running time. Instead, he allows each scene to marinate and graze like real life.

Lengthy scenes unfold through honest conversations and a slow buildup, allowing the characters’ opinions and motivations to take shape gradually.

On the surface, a drama and western, the film can be peeled back like an onion to reveal deeper nuances. The racism, love story, and class structure ideals are mesmerizing, especially given the true-to-life humanitarian that Taylor was.

One can sit back and revel in the knowledge that she must have been enjoying the rich character.

Along with great epics like Gone with the Wind (1939), Lawrence of Arabia (1963), and The Godfather (1972) sits a film that is rarely mentioned with the other stalwarts, and that is a shame.

With magnificent shot after shot of the vast Texas land and with enough gorgeous stars to rival the landscape, Giant (1956) is a must-see.

A Western soap opera with terrific writing, rife with racism, prosperity, and fortitude, the film deserves more praise than it’s given.

Oscar Nominations: 1 win-Best Motion Picture, Best Director-George Stevens (won), Best Actor-James Dean, Rock Hudson, Best Supporting Actress-Mercedes McCambridge, Best Screenplay-Adapted, Best Music Score of a Dramatic or Comedy Picture, Best Art Direction-Color, Best Costume Design-Color, Best Film Editing

Golden Globe Nominations: 1 win-Best Motion Picture-Drama, Best Director-Motion Picture-George Stevens, New Star of the Year-Actress-Carrol Baker (won)