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Loves of a Blonde (1965)

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  Milos Forman's "Loves of a Blonde" One of the prime examples of Czech New Wave is Milos Forman's 1965 film " Loves of a Blonde ." Although its examination of social and political conditions of a totalitarian state are subdued, it comes through in the behavior of its characters. Upon its release, it was one of the most popular films in Czechoslovak.  The film centers on a young working class woman named Andula, who lives in a fading Czech factory town where the women outnumber the men 16-1. Realizing that the gender disparity is impairing morale and productivity, the factory supervisor arranges for an army officer to organize military maneuvers near the town. After being flirted with by a few military men, Andula sneaks away to sleep with a piano player, falling in love with him. She breaks off with her current boyfriend and has to heard a speech about fidelity from her dormitory housemother. She leaves and arrives unannounced to the piano player's pare...
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Mary Poppins (1964)

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  Robert Stevenson's "Mary Poppins" Disney's 1964 cultural phenomenon " Mary Poppins " was Walt Disney's crowning achievement. At least, according to the man himself. Rightfully so, it's an adept thematic culmination of his entire life's work. Adapting the film from P.L. Travers' 1934 novel, Walt Disney and his creative team  modified the original into an extravaganza of live-action musical, mixed with animation and magic. The resulting film is perhaps one of the most memorable films of the 20th century. The film centers on a pair of children in 1910s London who spend their time alone while their father works his banker job and their suffragette mother ensure women's voting rights. In comes their new nanny, Mary Poppins, who turns their boring (albeit upper-class) lifestyle into a colorful explosion of excitement. Along the way, they learn about the necessity to understand their parents' lifestyles and have empathy, not only for them,...
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Fail Safe (1964)

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  Sidney Lumet's "Fail Safe" What's most striking about Sidney Lumet's 1964 film " Fail Safe " is how closely it resembles Stanley Kubrick's " Dr. Strangelove " from the same year. The only difference between the two is that a technical malfunction takes the place of " Strangelove 's" insane colonel. The similarities were so uncanny that Kubrick even filed a copyright infringement lawsuit. Because of this, " Fail Safe " just feels like a copycat of a film, despite being a complete opposite in tone. However, if I move beyond its parallels to Kubrick's film, it stands individually as a moderately interesting work. It is a great realist exercise in observing the dangers of nuclear strikes and the likely ramifications of an impending nuclear incident.  Of course, because the film came out in 1964, it seems to be a direct reaction to the Cuban Missile Crisis and the red-hot fever of the Cold War (ironically). It is a ...
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Charulata (1964)

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  Satyajit Ray's "Charulata" There are certain films that reinvigorate my love of cinema. These films will always come as a shock, given that my affections for film never waned. But every so often, a film like Satyajit Ray's " Charulata " will come along and remind me why this artform is such a precious and remarkable gift. What makes " Charulata " so transcendent its ability to communicate so much through its subtext, while turning simplicity into something remarkable. While Ray's early films were far more aligned with the theories and visual compositions of neo-realist films, his work in the 60s allowed him to transform into something far more formalist. Even while attaining formalist heights, the internality of its story does not suffer in the slightest.  The film follows the titular Charulata, the intelligent and artistic housewife of Bhupati, an upper-class Bengali intellectual who owns his own newspaper business in 1879. As Bhupati challe...
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A Hard Day's Night (1964)

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  Richard Lester's "A Hard Day's Night" Considered one of the most influential films of all time, Richard Lester's " A Hard Day's Night " captures one of the most culturally significant movements of the 20th century: Beatlemania. Starring John, Paul, George, and Ringo as themselves, " A Hard Day's Night " is a "comic fantasia with music," as described by British critic Leslie Halliwell. The plot is a comedic venture in the 36 hours before The Beatles perform on live television and features a musical soundtrack from the band's album of the same name. Despite being such a monumental and commercial success, the film feels more like it succeeds at being a prominent cultural artifact than a great film. Admittedly, there are various gags that are worth their humor and numerous musical moments that remind you why The Beatles are who they are. There are even some thematic underpinnings that concentrate on ideas of irreverence that...
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Kwaidan (1964)

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  Masaki Kobayshi's "Kwaidan" Partly based on the 1904 book " Kwaidan: Stories and Studies of Strange Things, " Masaki Kobayashi's 1964 film " Kwaidan " is an anthology of four stories, all centering around paranormal folklore. Because it was one of the most expensive Japanese productions at the time, the lack of commercial success made it a failure, and even bankrupted the production company, Ninjin Club. However, despite this commercial failure, it is often retrospectively regarded as not only one of the greatest Japanese horror films, but one of the most visually beautiful films ever made. Each chapter of the film offers its own unique brand of supernatural horror. Although, I don't think 'horror' would fit the right word for modern audience (who are used to a far more intense version of the genre). None of the sections are 'scary' per se, besides " The Woman in the Snow " (which is my personal favorite of the selec...
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The Pawnbroker (1964)

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  Sidney Lumet's "The Pawnbroker" Beyond featuring one of the greatest performances of the 1960s, Sidney Lumet's 1964 film " The Pawnbroker " is equally unique for its influence in abolishing the Hays Code. Although the Code wouldn't officially be abolished until 4 years later, " The Pawnbroker's" use of brief nudity caused so much controversy, that conversations began to take place about the special 'exception' it received, along with the continued censorship of film.  Aside from these discussions, the film remains a powerhouse of influence in the contemporary American film landscape.  The film stars Rod Steiger as Sol Nazerman, a professor and Holocaust survivor working at a pawn shop in East Harlem. Now a single loner, he continues to have visions of the wife and children he had prior to the war, as well as horrific visions of what happened to them during it. His trauma defines his behavior, as his gruffness and lack of empathy c...
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