Film Persona

  Giuseppe De Santis' "Bitter Rice" Perhaps one of the more melodramatic Italian neo-realist films I've ever seen is Giuseppe De Santis' " Bitter Rice ." Despite its melodrama, the film is completely in line with the themes typical with neo-realist cinema. Produced by Dino De Laurentiis and starring his wife Silvana Mangano, the film would go on to be nominated for the Palme d'Or at the 1949 Cannes Film Festival, nominated for Best Story at the 1950 Academy Awards, and is included on the Italian Ministry of Cultural Heritage's 100 Italian films to be saved, a list of 100 films that "have changed the collective memory of the country between 1942 and 1978." " Bitter Rice " centers on Francesca and Walter, two small-time thieves who must hide from the law among the crowds of female rice workers working in the Po Valley. Francesca joins the workers and meets the overtly sexual and beautiful Silvana, who attempts to steal the alrea...

  Robert Hamer's "Kind Hearts and Coronets" The 1949 British comedy " Kind Hearts and Coronets " is perhaps most notable for the innumerable characters that iconic actor Alec Guinness played. However, beyond that simple factoid, the film stands as one of the greatest British films of the decade, on top of being incredibly cheeky.  The film centers on the son of a woman disowned by her aristocratic family. He is currently 7th in line for the throne and after his mother's death, he seeks to avenge her by eliminating the successors to the throne in front of him. One by one, he visits them and through various means, murders them off until he becomes the sole successor. However, his scheme hits a bit of a snap along the way. I found the film to be rather humorous. On top of that, I noticed its major themes centering on class suppression bubbling up through the form of quiet rebellion. Although the protagonist is technically a 'royal' himself, he seems to ...

  Jacques Tati's "Jour de Fete" Jacques Tati, who was known for his later works like " Monsier Hulot's Hoilday " and " Playtime " had his directorial debut with his 1949 film " Jour de Fete ." Although his later works dwarfed " Jour de Fete " retrospectively, it still was an important first step for the iconic French director. Centering on a mailman attempting to change the speed of his delivery after watching a film about American mail services, the film takes us through a small village where modernity has yet to catch up with the people.  Although I am excited to watch the filmography of Jacques Tati, I felt very underwhelmed by his debut. I completely understand the thematic point being made about the rapidly Americanized industrialization of the post-war French landscape, however the film seem to lean more on its physical comedy than what I know Tati is capable of through his staging and direction. And yes, I am completely a...

  David Lean's "Oliver Twist" After the success of David Lean's 1946 adaption of Charles Dickens classic 1861 novel " Great Expectations ," Lean decided once again to adapt a classic work by Dickens. This time, his focus was on the 1837 novel, " Oliver Twist ." His 1948 adaptation once again proved that Lean was able to take Dicken's classic work and visualize it for the big screen.  Centering on a young orphan boy in 19th century England, " Oliver Twist " details the boy's plight as he is hired out as an apprentice after asking a cruel taskmaster for a second serving of gruel. Falling in with a street urchin and a criminal, the boy's fate between wealth and poverty hangs in the balance when his kindly benefactor decides to take him in. From all of the Charles Dickens adaptations I have seen, I have come to the conclusion that I am not a fan of Dicken's work. I know, blasphemous. From " Great Expectations " to ...

  Anatole Litvak's "The Snake Pit" Based on the semi-autobiographical 1946 novel of the same name by Mary Jane Ward, Anatole Litvak's 1948 film " The Snake Pit " stars Olivia de Havilland as a woman stuck in an insane asylum. The reason for her mental illness is unknown to both her and the audience. As the film progresses, the truths about her backstory and illness are revealed piece by piece until she (along with us) have a complete picture of her life and her mental circumstances. As an entertainment flick, it is very interesting. There isn't much depth to the picture, but it does grab your attention, along with instilling a sense of empathy for those affected by mental illness in general. However, the main victory in the film for me is the incredible performance by Olivia de Havilland. I still haven't seen her 1949 William Wyler film " The Heiress " yet, but I have to say that " The Snake Pit " is by far the greatest performanc...

  Francois Truffaut's "The Bride Wore Black" Francois Truffaut was once asked which of his films he would change if he could. His response was his 1968 film " The Bride Wore Black ." It was Truffaut's first French film in color and a continued collaboration with iconic French actress Jeanne Moreau, who worked with Truffaut previously on 1962's " Jules and Jim ." The reason for why Truffaut had a negative opinion on the film is unknown, but his disdain for his own movie grew after it received hostile criticism after its release. The film centers on a woman who is making a revenge tour killing the five men responsible for her husband's death on their wedding day. One by one, she works her way through the men, killing them in uniquely various ways.  As far as the entertainment value of the picture, it is quite entertaining. It is a little pulpy in a way, which sort of prevents this film from having a whole lot of depth and leans it more in the...