Film Persona

  Sergei Bondarchuk's "War and Peace" The mighty task of adapting Leo Tolstoy's monumental novel " War and Peace " had already been done by Hollywood in 1956. King Vidor, the iconic director known for his giant, sweeping epics, was tasked with such a feat. The resulting film was good - albeit way too "Hollywood" to fulfil the existentialism of Tolstoy's original work.   When the Soviet film industry decided on adapting their own national literature, they spared no expense. The rubles spent on their adaptation of " War and Peace " was equal to $9.21 million U.S. dollars, making it the most expensive Soviet film in history. The expenses went to good use, as the film managed to sell approximately 135 million tickets in the USSR, along with garnishing critical praise by winning the Grand Prix at the Moscow International Film Festival, the Golden Globe Award for Best Foreign Language Film in the U.S., and the Academy Award for Best Foreign...

  Masaki Kobayashi's "Samurai Rebellion" By 1967, the Samurai genre had dominated Japanese cinema and was its primary global output going on two decades. In this way, it mirrored the American Western. Similarly to the American Western, the late 60s were the last frontier of this mainstay genre. By the 1970s, the genre, although still relevant, had diminished in both interest and production. To me, Masaki Kobabyshi's 1967 film " Samurai Rebellion " is a grand final thesis for this legendary genre. The film's plot takes place in 1725, during the Edo Period of Japan. Isaburo Sasahara, a vassal of the daimyo of the Aizu clan, is ordered to by the daimyo to marry his son to his ex-concubine. With much trepidation, the family agrees. However, after his son and his new wife fall in love after two years of marriage, the daimyo orders for her return. Angered by the audacity and corruption of his daimyo, Isaburo digs his heels in - challenging the state's rule...

  Mike Nichols's "The Graduate" My most recent excursion into Mike Nichols's " The Graduate " is a far different experience than when I first watched the film over a decade ago. I watched the film when I was in my late teens/early 20s and felt a kinship with the passivity and disconnect felt by Dustin Hoffman's Benjamin Braddock. However, as I enter my mid-30s, I no longer feel as emotionally connected to the character. In fact, I am far more critical and perturbed by Benjamin this go-around. For those that don't know, " The Graduate " centers on a college graduate, Benjamin, who returns to his parents' home in Pasadena to spend the summer until he can decide what to do with his life. Drifting by in a malaise, Benjamin spends his summer drifting in the pool. Oh, and having an affair with Mrs. Robinson, the married neighbor who is twice his age. After spending many nights with Mrs. Robinson, Benjamin falls in love with her daughter, Elai...

  Pier Paolo Pasolini's "Oedipus Rex" By 1967, many European filmmakers fully transitioned to full-color films, as the technology had now become more accessible. Pier Paolo Pasolini, the controversial Italian filmmaker, decided to make his first color film an adaption of Sophocles' " Oedipus Rex ." He decided to make his adaptation heavy stylized, infusing it with a sense of otherworldly-ness. The film was nominated for the Golden Lion at the 1967 Venice Film Festival and is still considered a critical piece of Pasolini's oeuvre.  Pasolini's " Oedipus Rex " is a straight book-to-film adaptation, even containing the original dialogue of Sophocles' play. Its central character, Oedipus, is abandoned as a child and found by the King and Queen of Corinth Polybus, where he is raised as their own. After being told a prophecy that he will kill his father and sleep with his mother, Oedipus leaves him to avoid his fate. After killing a king from ...

  Bo Widerberg's "Elvira Madigan" There are many things to consider about Bo Widerberg's 1967 film " Elvira Madigan ." Firstly, it is based on the true, yet tragic, story of circus performer Elvira Madigan and her relationship with Swedish nobleman Sixten Sparre. Secondly, the film's cinematography - full color - looks like a painting in every single frame. It is perhaps one of the most crisp and visually beautiful films I've seen in a while. Elvira Madigan, the stage name of tightrope walker Hedvig Jensen, runs away with Swedish llieutenant Sixten Sparre in the Danish countryside. Elvira leaves behind her parents and circus act while Sixten leaves behind his wife and three children. He also is now a deserter of the Swedish army. The couple live in romantic bliss away from the pressures and hassles of society by sneaking around the countryside and staying in hotels and inns. However, their idyllic summer away from society slowly begins to grow sour a...

  Stuart Rosenberg's "Cool Hand Luke" There is something overtly charming about the 1967 Hollywood film " Cool Hand Luke ." Perhaps because the central character, Luke, is so damn charming. Beyond its charm, the film surprisingly became a touchstone of its era - a film that stood out amongst the stale products being churned out by Hollywood. Even more so, it had allegorical touches - clearly anti-establishment and nodding to the emerging opposition to the ongoing war in Vietnam.  The film stars the incomparable Paul Newman as Luke, a decorated World War II veteran sentenced to two years on a chain gang after drunkenly destroying parking meters. In the gang, Luke refuses to observe orders, albeit always with a cool and sly demeanor. After gaining the respect of the other prisoners, Luke makes several escape attempts and is eventually beaten and broken down by the authoritative staff.  At the time of the film's release, anti-establishment was a spreading senti...