Film Persona

  Satyajit Ray's "The Coward" Based on the short story " Janaiko Kapuruser Kahini " by Premendra Mitra, Satyajit Ray's 1965 film " The Coward " proves equally short. Clocking in at only 1 hour and 9 minutes, it makes for one of Ray's shortest features. Although it did not go on to aspire acclaim, it remains a vital film in the renowned Indian director's filmography. The film centers on a young screenwriter named Amitabha whose car breaks down in the countryside. A local tea planter, Bimal Gupta, offers his home to Amitabha as a place to stay for night. When Amitabha arrives at Gupta's home, he discovers he is married to Karuna, a girl he once loved back in his days as a student. Amitabha spends the rest of his visit attempting to reconcile with her, even encouraging her to leave with him. Similarly to the film of Jean-Luc Godard (minus all the New Wave tricks), Ray seems to suggest with " The Coward " that real life is no film...

  John Schlesinger's "Darling" Despite its forced charm, John Schlesinger's 1965 film " Darling " lacks any morceau of it. Centering on a young model who sleeps her way up to the top of the British fashion and film industry, the film tries its best to emulate the thematic notions found in films like " La Dolce Vita " or even " I Know Her Well " from the same year. Sure, like " I Know Her Well ," our protagonist feels distant from the viewer as a means to be an object and product for the purposes of her profession.  However, " Darling " lacks a thematic center that illustrates the vibrancy of the rest of the film. No vibrancy can be found in the film aside from colorful moments to paint the film more entertaining. That being said, Julie Christie's performance is stellar. Beyond this, the film itself appears unengaging and paper thin.

  Fred Zinnemann's "A Man for All Seasons" Based on Robert Bolt's 1960 play, the 1966 film " A Man for All Seasons " centers on Thomas More and his defiant resolution to silently oppose King Henry VIII's dissolution of marriage to Catherine. Beyond a simple period piece, the film acts as a more contemporary reflection on how authoritarian figures demand cohered narrative. As the fifth highest grossing film in the U.S. in the year it was released, " A Man for All Seasons " went on to also gain critical acclaim and even win 6 Academy Awards.  The film spans the years of 1529 to 1535 during King Henry VIII's reign. Sir Thomas More, a Lord Chancellor to the king, is intellectually opposed to the King's dissolution of his marriage to Catherine and his eventual ascendancy to the title of Supreme Head of Church of England. Despite avoiding direct dissent, Thomas's opinion causes concern to the crown. Thomas is stripped of his titles, impri...

  Martin Ritt's "The Spy Who Came In from the Cold" Based on the 1963 novel of the same name by John le Carre, Martin Ritt's 1965 " The Spy Who Came In from the Cold " is yet another great film that exemplifies Cold War paranoia. Starring the incomparable Richard Burton, the film follows a British spy infiltrating the East German Intelligence Service. Although it did not rake in a substantial box office receipt, it received a few Academy Award nominations and remains a sought after artifact of its era. Although we are loosely told the nature of our protagonist's mission, there are specificities that are kept from the audience. So, certain plot points are left for us to determine if they are indeed part of the 'mission' or not, leaving a certain level of suspense and uncertainty to the mission's success or failure. This creates more drama than a typical spy film in which you are simply watching them try to execute a laid-out plan. However, the...

  Pierre Etaix's "Yoyo" I am not familiar with the works of France's Pierre Etaix and his 1965 film " Yoyo " is my first time visiting his filmography. He seems to carry the spirit of the likes of Charlie Chaplin, Buster Keaton, and other vaudeville-esque cinematic acts. " Yoyo " uses this vaudeville spirit to striking effects and the 'callback' to that style fits very neatly in the thematic point Etaix seems to be making with the film.  The film opens as a silent picture taking place in the 1920s. An unnamed millionaire living in a chateau feels unhappy with his pampered life. After the stock market crash of '29, he leaves to become a circus performer with his former lover and their young son. The young son, after becoming trained as clown all his life, grows up to be Yoyo, the clown. After having experienced World War II, he rises to become a successful actor and uses his new wealth to buy back his father's old chateau. One of the...

  Stanley Kubrick's "A Space Odyssey" Writing about a work as full of depth as Stanley Kubrick's " 2001: A Space Odyssey " is just as daunting as watching the film itself. Not only is it one of the most iconic films ever made, its vastness of ideas has made it one of the most analyzes and discussed films ever. Its images and concepts opened the doors to filmmakers like George Lucas and Steven Spielberg and spring boarded the new era of Hollywood to create massive, technologically advanced filmmaking. It is hands-down one of the most influential and sought after works in film history. Despite its depth, the plot is somewhat simple. The opening acts finds early man as apes. With the arrival of a strange, black monolith, the apes reach a new level of consciousness and begin using tools. Specifically, the apes use the bones of dead animals as weapons to attack neighboring apes to gain access to their water supply. The second act finds humanity in a fictionalized...