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Monday, May 24, 2010

Lost Horizon (1937)

A classic film, with a classic theme; I'd never seen all of this film before, but, having had the opportunity to see the digitally restored and remastered edition, I'm suitably impressed.


Frank Capra certainly made some great movies; It's a Wonderful Life, Mr. Smith Goes to Washington, and, my personal favourite, Arsenic and Old Lace, amongst others. While a little heavy-handed in its symbolism, Lost Horizon is right up there with his best. Shot at huge expense (it cost more than any other film Columbia had made before), and on an epic scale, it certainly had a cast of thousands. The opening sequence, with thousands of desperate Chinese civilians attempting to escape a civil war (while the European characters ignore them as if they didn't exist) is really impressive.

Obviously, the film suffers a little in this respect; it is definitely a product of its time, and the attitudes towards the natives, both in this opening sequence, and in the later scenes in Shrangri-La are patronising, to say the least. Nevertheless, ignoring the political incorrectness, the film does have a lot to say about human nature.

More than anything else, the film is about hope; a hope for a better future, for a world that is not obsessed with avarice and greed, where war is unknown, and unnecessary, and people can "just get along" with each other. Very utopian, very optimistic, and very naive! Still, it doesn't hurt to dream, I guess.

*** Spoiler Alert ***

One thing which I found disturbing was the apparent murder of the original pilot of the plane which the main characters board. Given that the inhabitants of Shangri-La are supposed to be enlightened and beneficent, why is it acceptable to murder a man in order to kidnap another? This struck me as being particularly inappropriate behaviour, and colours the entire film. When the kidnapper/pilot is later found dead, none of his countrymen seem to be the least bit perturbed, which I also find peculiar...

*** End Spoilers ***

The cast is excellent; I could listen to Ronald Colman's voice all day, and Edward Everett Horton has long been a favourite of mine, even if you can't help but think of a certain cartoon character every time he speaks...! Sam Jaffe as the High Lama is another standout - This was only his 3rd film, which surprised me. Jane Wyatt as the love interest gets to wear some truly beautiful costumes (I don't normally take a lot of notice of costume design, but some of her outfits were simply stunning).

The set design is also worth noting; a lot of effort was made to make the sets as hybrid as possible - They are clearly based upon European standards, but with strange oriental permutations, such as the shape of the doors. The monastery certainly looks slightly alien, which is perfect given the origins of its design.

One more thing... My wife thought the film was crap! I found her opinion quite interesting, as I really had no trouble seeing the intent of the film, which is often the most important aspect, especially when dealing with older movies. Still, I thought I should mention it - Let me know if you think its crap, too

As with all my "reviews", there are always things that I leave out. I'm usually more interested in impressions than in covering everything that's worth knowing about a film; this blog is about feelings, not facts. And don't hesitate to leave your own comments on any film that I discuss (or, even more interesting, don't discuss!).

Friday, May 14, 2010

Salò o le 120 giornate di Sodoma (1975)

Salò is one of those films which people talk about, but most have never seen. Banned in lots of countries, I remember when it came off the banned list and, from what I read, pretty much decided I didn't really need to see it.



Unfortunately, I changed my mind...

The plot is extremely simple; four powerful fascists organise the kidnapping of 18 youths, who are then subjected to various sexual, physical, and mental tortures over a period of several months. Regardless of the amount of nudity and sexual activity on display, do not think for an instant that this film contains a single scene that is in any way erotic. In fact, Pier Paolo Pasolini (the director, who was murdered shortly after finishing the film), deliberately creates an atmosphere where sexuality is, more than anything else, boring.

The four libertines are as bored as the audience, and appear to feel nothing at all, regardless of the lengths they go to to achieve some kind of arousal. Their methods of torture escalate, until, in the final scenes, they dispose of their victims as cruelly as possible.

I found the most disturbing images to be those involving coprophagia (eating feces, basically). While I've read that these scenes where intended to represent the corruption of the consumer society, it didn't make it any easier to watch. If I hadn't have been determined to write about this movie, I would have quite happily turned the film off at this point. Apart from anything else, I find it hard to believe that you are likely to find any four people who would share this particular fetish, which made it even harder to accept.

What does the film have to say? That fascism is bad and that power corrupts? Well, duh!

My verdict? Avoid this film. It really is, quite simply, an unpleasant experience, and I honestly don't think that anyone is likely to walk away from it feeling anything other than disgust.

Saturday, May 8, 2010

M (1931)

1931 was a fantastic year for cinema; two great films, and one very memorable one. The great films were M and Frankenstein (directed by James Whale, featuring Boris Karloff). The memorable film was Dracula (directed by Tod Browning, starring Bela Lugosi).


When presented with these films to decide between, why choose M as the standout? Partly its because Frankenstein is that rarest of beasts; a great film with an even greater sequel (Bride of Frankenstein). Dracula, while of historical interest, is actually a bit dull, if you ask me. Lots of lovely atmosphere, but not enough substance to really hold my attention. I know these are pretty strange criteria, but there you go. I had to pick one of them, and M is the one which I like the most. Whenever I'm in the mood for Frankenstein, it's his Bride that I'm gonna watch!

Peter Lorre's performance as Hans Beckert rightly attracted the attention of Hollywood's movie producers. He is genuinely creepy (and appropriately so!) in the role of the child killer who has no choice but to commit his crimes. His eyes, always his most "prominent" feature, perfectly portray his torment, and his pathology.

What makes this film most interesting is that it is a very early example of the police procedural style of story telling. Its a bit like CSI on roofies; probably really fascinating back in 1931, but we've seen it all since, which tends to make the plodding nature of the police investigation a little obvious. Of course, the same applies to anything that's now assumed knowledge! As it is, while a little slow, it is nevertheless fascinating for some of the expositional techniques employed by Fritz Lang. One effect I particularly enjoyed was the small section of the city superimposed onto the map while the police discuss setting up a search perimeter.

The sequence where we are introduced to the leaders of the criminal underground is really entertaining; while they wait for the last of their members to turn up, they are each practicing their trades. A little later, we are treated to the juxtaposition of the police and the criminal "board of directors" discussing what to do about the unknown murderer in their midst; this is another example of the art of Lang's story-telling.

If you haven't previously seen it, try to catch it on DVD - The version I have was only $2, but is still a far better print than the one I originally saw on TV. I'm sure there are fancier/more complete/whatever versions out there, but this was certainly good enough. M is highly recommended, and a definite early masterpiece.

Friday, May 7, 2010

The Human Centipede [First Sequence] (2009)

What an odd movie...

The whole time I was watching The Human Centipede, all I kept thinking (when I wasn't going "ugh" at what I was seeing) was "how did anyone come up with this idea?". Not that it isn't original, or even interesting. Its just that the concept is so bizarre that it goes way beyond what most people could even think of, let alone put on film.


Having had a chance to watch it, I was left feeling less than impressed. It wasn't badly put together; quite the opposite. It was certainly good enough to provide a few moments of genuine suspense, along with real sympathy for the victims of the mad scientist's sick experiment.

What was lacking was a reason for being; without some deeper meaning, a film lacks the power to move. Of the contemporary films I've reviewed here in the last week or so, Audition was (to me) about how love (or at least infatuation) is blind, while The Midnight Meat Train was about one man's descent into darkness (always a fave!). The Human Centipede, on the other hand, was about a human centipede. Huh?!?

So, that's why I can't recommend it. Not because it wasn't a well-made film, but because it really had nothing to say about the human condition. And that's what makes the big difference between a good film and a great one - It has to say more than the obvious, it has to add something to your understanding of the world. Shocking (or grossing-out) the audience is, normally, just not enough.

Still, if you're curious, as I was, go ahead. Oh, and it really is incredibly gross in parts. Just don't say I didn't warn you.

Sunday, May 2, 2010

Ôdishon (1999)


Audition (Ôdishon) is an extremely interesting film. Yet another Japanese horror, it manages to produce more than a few scenes which raise the hairs on the back of your neck... It is, like so many other Japanese horrors, slow to start, but the gradual build certainly pays off with a truly horrific dénouement; like so many of Takashi Miike's other films, it ends up being so awful that its almost impossible to watch, yet you just can't look away, either!



The basic plot is, of course, extremely simple - A man is widowed, remains alone with his son for a few years, and then is persuaded that the easiest way to find a new "bride" is through setting up a fake audition. Fate draws his attention to a particular resume, and, of course, he ends up asking way too few questions when he finally gets to meet the girl.

Ryo Ishibashi gives a nicely laid-back performance as Shigeharu Aoyama, who becomes more and more obsessed with this mysterious girl. You should really watch the film before reading the following paragraph - Don't say you weren't warned!

*** SPOILER ALERT ***

The most impressive scene, to my eyes, was the first date. When you initially see his date, the conversation is innocuous and innocent. What stands out is that this sequence is full of strange edits. It only becomes clear, during a flashback at the climax, that what we saw was a date through rose-coloured glasses - When Aoyama looks back at his experiences with the girl, we get the full version of his date, where she exposes quite clearly how crazy she just might be...

*** END SPOILER ***

Like Ringu, Ju-on, and many other Japanese movies in the last 10 years or so, this is a must-see film for aficionados of horror.