Film Persona

  William Friedkin's "The French Connection" Going into " The French Connection ," I wasn't sure what 'kind' of film to expect. Obviously, it's a police thriller of sorts. But, because of how lauded it is, how critically praised it was at the time of its release, and the number of Academy Awards it won (5), I was curious as to how people were so affected. After watching the film, I came to my own conclusion. " The French Connection " is a good film, not a great one. To me, William Friedkin's 1971 crime drama contains some of the most stereotypical 'police' stories one would expect from the genre's format. Its story, its pacing, and its basic scenario of 'finding a global drug kingpin' all make it something not so different from a TV cop show. That being said, fitted within this standard framework lies Friedkin's kinetic energy, his stylized execution, and his ability to pull the viewer into 'the chase....

  Francois Truffaut's "Love on the Run" Francois Truffaut's 1979 film " Love on the Run " is the third and final installment in a series that focuses on his iconic fictional character, Antoine Doniel. Many were wondering if Truffaut would continue with his character for decades to come (had Truffaut not tragically passed away 5 years later). However, Truffaut felt he could not properly evolve the character on his own. He felt like a parent watching over their child. To Truffaut, the child could not properly grow up with his continued influence. In " Love on the Run ," Antoine is now 30 and getting a divorce from Christine. While they are both sharing in parenting responsibilities, Antoine is dating a woman named Sabine. Collette, a former girlfriend of Antoine, sees Antoine at the courthouse and decides to pick up his autobiographical novel at a bookstore owned by a love interest. After reading some less-than-factual things about her, she tells Ant...

  Vittorio De Sica's "Two Women" Many will remember Vittorio De Sica's 1960 film " Two Women " as the film that won Sophia Loren her only Academy Award. In fact, it might be considered her "breakthrough performance." In the film, she plays a widowed shopkeeper who must traverse the provinces of central Italy with her daughter during the height of war in 1944. While there are certain aspects of her performance that one could consider to be acclaim-worthy, I had a difficult time connecting to her character. Obviously, the tragedies and hardships that befall her and her daughter are objectively horrendous. However, the typical emotional pull that De Sica instills in most of his work was not entirely working on me for this one. To me, I felt that the film was pretty standard for a World War II-set film. Again, the dramatics are as dramatic as one could get. However, due to the abundance of WWII 'trauma' stories, one has to distinguish themselve...

  Kaneto Shindo's "The Naked Island" I spend quite a bit of time watching films in my life. It doesn't happen frequently when a film will stop me dead in my tracks, as I typically have the 'seen it' mentality of most things I view. However, there are certain films that catch you off-guard. Kaneto Shindo's 1960 film " The Naked Island " is an example of a film that totally swept me off my feet. The film centers on a small peasant family: a husband, a wife, and two sons. They are the only residents of a small island off the coast of Seto Inland Sea. We watch them through the cycling of an entire year. They repeatedly carry water for their potato plants up the island mountain.  Beyond the simplicity of the film's plot, there is another element of the film that many will notice at some point during their watch. I noticed about halfway through the film that there is no dialogue. We are simply watching this family in silence as they work to keep th...

  Werner Herzog's "Fitzcarraldo" It's very difficult to separate Werner Herzog's 1982 film " Fizcarraldo " from its behind-the-scenes troubles. In fact, these troubles are detailed in the making-of documentary " Burden of Dreams ," released in the same year. However, I believe that this is perhaps the only film in which knowing the behind-the-scenes troubles improves the thematic point within the film itself.  The film centers on an Irish immigrant living in Peru in the late 19th century who dreams of building his own opera house in the country. Due to the rapid rubber boom, he has an opportunity to seize rubber trees in the Peruvian Amazon that is untouched by industrialists. After buying a boat, he hatches a plan to sail the Pachitea River and carry his boat over a ridge into the Ucayali River, where the untouched trees are. Along the way, he encounters local natives willing to assist the European.  Now. On to the 'behind-the-scenes' ...

  Mikio Naruse's "When a Woman Ascends the Stairs" Although he would go on to make a batch of films over the next seven years, Mikio Naruse's final great work of note is his 1960 film " When a Woman Ascends the Stairs ." He reteams with frequent acting collaborator Hideko Takamine, who was an acting force in Japan at the time. Centering on a woman trying to assert her independence in a male-dominated landscape, " When a Woman Ascends the Stairs " is a perfect encapsulation of the female-centric stories that Japanese filmmakers like Naruse and the late Kenji Mizoguchi were known for. It centers on Keiko, also affectionately called 'mama,' a young widow approaching 30 who works as a hostess at a bar in Ginza. She has reached a turning point in her life where she must decide whether she wants to gather funds to open her own bar or marry. However, it becomes clear that her only path forward is through the approval and support of a men, who hold...