Last Movie You Watched

[André]

My private mini-festival  of classic French cinema continued over the last week with:


A masterpiece! I, not being in the least a religious person, was profoundly touched by Bresson's adaptation of Georges Bernanos's novel (which I had read decades ago). This Diary of a Country Priest, in its asceticism, emanates a profound spirituality.


Clouzot's wartime The Raven is an interesting study of collective irrationality and hysteria.


A magnificent failure. After having made together one of the great films of all time, Les  enfants du Paradis, a couple of years earlier, director Marcel Carné and screenwriter Jacques Prévert embarked on this overambitious Gates of the Night, which harks back to a pre-war style and is poorly acted (due to a convoluted casting history). I was particularly disappointed by theatre legend Jean Vilar's impersonation of Destiny, which I found downright unpleasant. Still, there are some beautiful choral scenes, some stunning cinematography, and the song Les feuilles mortes (Autumn Leaves) was written for this film (Prévert penning the lyrics to fit a melody used by composer Joseph Kosma in an earlier ballet—also on a Prévert scenario).


Of course this is a later film than any of the above, but a classic by any measure. Elevator to the Gallows turned Jeanne Moreau into a star, and Miles Davis into a household name in Europe. Watching Moreau wander around the 8ème arrondissement, to Davis's highly improvised soundtrack, is sheer pleasure (she'd repeat the feat some years later in another city—Milan—and a completely different film, Antonioni's La notte). And to think that Director Louis Malle was 25 years of age when he embarked on this movie, his first.

Great stuff indeed. Bresson's film is one of his many masterpieces - I always consider the last one seen as his best  . The final line Tout est grâce is a quote from Thérèse de Lisieux, who influenced Bernanos' spirituality.

Strange that b&w films get advertised with coloured posters though.

[ritter]

Strange that b&w films get advertised with coloured posters though.

In my experience, film posters in the B&W era in Europe (in Spain certainly) were mostly in color. There were actually artists specialised in this medium, recreating scenes from (or inspired by) the films for posters and billboards--sometimes not completely succesfully: the priest in the poster for Journal... looks nothing like Claude Laydu IMO    --.

One example of these artists is Jano (Francisco Fernández-Zarza Pérez, 1922-1992), who produced these posters to be displayed in cinemas in Spain--both for domestic and international films. Here's some examples of his work (for Captain Blood, La dolce vita,and Spanish classic ¡Bienvenido, Mister Marshall!, all B&W films):

 

[Roasted Swan]

Watched last night a DVD of the director's cut (not sure what that actually meant in this context!) of "Das Boot"

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this remains a powerful and engrossing portrait of men at war.

[Karl Henning]

Chinatown

[drogulus]

Watched last night a DVD of the director's cut (not sure what that actually meant in this context!) of "Das Boot"

[asin]B00004CXLA[/asin]

this remains a powerful and engrossing portrait of men at war.

     The directors cut is considerably longer than the original release.

     I have the Blu Ray set of the series. I still haven't watched it. I also have the new series and haven't watched that one either.

[aligreto]

The 6th Day 





This is a film based on the concept of cloning. It is quite watchable and has some very amusing scenes in it.

[ritter]

Yet another three French classics:


This film get's better as it progresses, and has some interesting turns. Even if the tone of the plot's denouement seems unavoidable form the very start, there are some interesting--and quite forward-looking--twists, and the acting is very accomplished (particularly Louis Jouvet's police inspector, who is simultaneously endearing and repellent). Clouzot is perhaps not at the same level as other French directors whose films I've been watching recently (Carné, Renoir, Bresson), but still is an interesting and distinctive voice.


Director Robert Bresson disowned this picture ("it's very bad" he's supposed to have said when the movie was shown on French television many years after its original release). It was filmed in the last months of the German occupation of Paris. Despite its slightly contrived plot (based on Diderot) and the occasional melodramatic twist, this is eminently watchable, and Maria Casarès is simply outstanding as the cold, glamorous avenger. Bresson accused her of overacting, and Casarès later wrote that she had "never hated anyone as much as [she had]  hated Bresson on the set".


Here, of course, we enter the territory of legend. The film has some shortfallings (probably due in part to the fact that scenes cut right after the first screening in July 1939 and before the outbreak of WW2 could later not be retrieved), but Renoir's simultaneously cold and rowdy "cheerful drama" is a penetrating depiction of class relations and social conventions in its time. A sort of cinematic equivalent to Le nozze di Figaro (or rather to Beaumarchais's original play).

[Karl Henning]

Hollywood Homicide

Good light entertainment

[André]

Yet another three French classics:


This film get's better as it progresses, and has some interesting turns. Even if the tone of the plot's denouement seems unavoidable form the very start, there are some interesting--and quite forward-looking--twists, and the acting is very accomplished (particularly Louis Jouvet's police inspector, who is simultaneously endearing and repellent). Clouzot is perhaps not at the same level as other French directors whose films I've been watching recently (Carné, Renoir, Bresson), but still is an interesting and distinctive voice.


Director Robert Bresson disowned this picture ("it's very bad" he's supposed to have said when the movie was shown on French television many years after its original release). It was filmed in the last months of the German occupation of Paris. Despite its slightly contrived plot (based on Diderot) and the occasional melodramatic twist, this is eminently watchable, and Maria Casarès is simply outstanding as the cold, glamorous avenger. Bresson accused her of overacting, and Casarès later wrote that she had "never hated anyone as much as I hated Bresson on the set".


Here, of course, we enter the territory of legend. The film has some shortfallings (probably due in part to the fact that scenes cut right after the first screening in July 1939 and before the outbreak of WW2 could later not be retrieved), but Renoir's simultaneously cold and rowdy "cheerful drama" is a penetrating depiction of class relations and social conventions in its time. A sort of cinematic equivalent to Le nozze di Figaro (or rather to Beaumarchais's original play).

I didn't know this bit about the Casarès/Bresson relationship. She is indeed fabulous, as she would be later on in Les Enfants du paradis. A spaniard, she made her career in France mostly as a stage actress. The love of her life (they never married) was Albert Camus. Her family's history is worthy of a film plot.

[ritter]

I didn't know this bit about the Casarès/Bresson relationship. She is indeed fabulous, as she would be later on in Les Enfants du paradis. A spaniard, she made her career in France mostly as a stage actress. The love of her life (they never married) was Albert Camus. Her family's history is worthy of a film plot.

Indeed, Casarès's family history is fascinating. Her father Santiago Casares Quiroga was Prime Minister of the Spanish Republic when Franco's coup happened in 1936 (and his weak handling of the situation in the period leading up to the coup is blamed by many for that watershed event). He resigned immediately after, and he and his family emigrated to France at the end of the civil war in 1939; by the end of WW2, young Maria had managed to suppress her strong Spanish accent when speaking a French, to become a leading tragédienne.

The Camus - Casarès correspondence was published by Gallimard a couple of years ago (1300 pages!):

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It was highly acclaimed, and considered much more than just an exchange of letters between lovers (well, these weren't just any lovers, of course). In a TV interview I wathched some months ago, Camus's daughter Catherine spoke very highly of her father's mistress.

[André]

More interesting facts, thank you !

I wonder if her father was related to the violinist Manuel Quiroga. They both hailed from the same province.

[SonicMan46]

Last night, I was in the mood for some 'courtroom drama' and of the many that I own, watched the two below:

A Few Good Men (1992) w/ Tom Cruise, Jack Nicholson, Demi Moore et al - the AFI defines 'courtroom drama' as below and the link lists 50 films alphabetically in this category - their TOP 10 are also listed, of which I own 8 - now there are a couple of my favorites on their list not in the top tier, e.g. The Young Philadelphians (1959), also w/ a younger Newman, Paths of Glory (1957) w/ Kirk Douglas, and Inherit the Wind (1960).

The Verdict (1982) w/ Paul Newman and others - 5 Oscar nominations, including 'Best Actor' but no wins.  Dave

   

[ritter]

More interesting facts, thank you!

I wonder if her father was related to the violinist Manuel Quiroga. They both hailed from the same province.

You're welcome, André. 

No idea whether both Messrs. Quiroga were related. One hailed from Pontevedra, the other from La Coruña, two different Galician provinces. Quiroga is a town in Lugo (yet another one of the four provinces of Galicia); I presume the surname (which is relatively common in Spain and America) is derived from the place.

[André]

Thanks for the precision, Rafael !

I had to google Galicia to find out it's not a province, but an « autonomous community » made up of four provinces. That means a province is a subdivision, then? In Canada it's the other way around. The province is the larger geographical/political entity with its own parliament and government. There are 88 administrative subdivisions in my province, overseeing strictly local affairs. Other provinces have different arrangements.

[aligreto]

Last Holiday





A woman who is diagnosed with a terminal illness decides to live out her remaining time by realising her dream trip. Entertaining and amusing; it is worth a watch.

[SonicMan46]

Last three nights or so, watched Fly Away Home & Gaslight w/ Susan; the others myself:

A Soldier's Story (1984) w/ Howard E. Rollins, Jr. (who died tragically young from AIDS lymphoma), Adolph Caesar, Denzel Washington, et al - a continuation of my 'lawyer movie' watching - short synopsis below - recommended.

Fly Away Home (1996) w/ Jeff Daniels, Anna Paquin, et al - based on a true story about a 13-year-old girl and her estranged father who learn what family is all about when they adopt an orphaned flock of geese and teach them to fly! Heart warming and cute - watch w/ family, especially kids - highly recommended for the latter reasons!

Gaslight (1944) w/ Ingrid Bergman, Charles Boyer, & Joseph Cotton - second synopsis below - a new BD acquisition for me, and beautifully restored ("Sourced from Warner Archive Collection's recent 4K scan of a second-generation safety fine-grain master positive, Gaslight looks uniformly stunning on this new Blu-ray edition.") - thriller which earned Bergman her first Oscar at the 1945 Academy Awards.

The Scarlet Pimpernel (1982) w/ Anthony Andrews, Jane Seymour, and Ian McKellen - third synopsis below for those who do not know the story; a well made TV movie that I watch about once a year and prefer over the 1934 film w/ Leslie Howard & Merle Oberon (although I also watch that one and enjoy!) - recommended if the synopsis is of interest.  Dave (hmmm - quite an eclectic mixture!)

A black Army investigator (Howard E. Rollins Jr.) travels to a remote military base in the heart of the Louisiana backwoods to look into the mysterious murder of a black sergeant toward the tail end of World War II. Once he arrives, the investigator discovers an Army regiment and an entire community that, despite the beginnings of integration, is still torn apart by race and segregation. He soon learns that on this base, trust is sparse and secrets are a currency all their own.

After the death of her famous opera-singing aunt, Paula (Ingrid Bergman) is sent to study in Italy to become a great opera singer as well. While there, she falls in love with the charming Gregory Anton (Charles Boyer). The two return to London, and Paula begins to notice strange goings-on: missing pictures, strange footsteps in the night and gaslights that dim without being touched. As she fights to retain her sanity, her new husband's intentions come into question.

British aristocrat Sir Percy Blakeney (Anthony Andrews) appears to be a vain and shallow man, but, in the guise of his alter ego, the Scarlet Pimpernel, he is a courageous swordsman. As the Pimpernel, Blakeney works to free Gallic nobility from death during the fervor of the French Revolution. However, Blakeney's life of luxury with his beautiful bride, Marguerite (Jane Seymour), is threatened when the French send sinister operative Chauvelin (Ian McKellen) to stop the Pimpernel at any cost.

     

[Karl Henning]

Stardust Memories

[aligreto]

Turner and Hooch





This one is worth watching for the dog alone who is the star of the show by a long way.

[aligreto]

I seem to remember Anthony Andrews giving a fine performance in that one.

[drogulus]

Last Holiday





A woman who is diagnosed with a terminal illness decides to live out her remaining time by realising her dream trip. Entertaining and amusing; it is worth a watch.

     I remember the original version with Alec Guinness.