Film Persona

  Quentin Tarantino's "Once Upon a Time...in Hollywood" Quentin Tarantino is a filmmaker who likes to shake up expectations of traditional genres and turn them on their head. With his 2019 film " Once Upon a Time...in Hollywood ," he recontextualizes themes and ideas found with Western films, particularly Sergio Leone's " Once Upon a Time in the West ." Although " Once Upon a Time...in Hollywood " is not a Western in any sense, the sensibility and visual aesthetic pays homage to the genre.  The film takes place in 1969 and centers on Rick Dalton, a TV Western star reconciling with the dissipation of his career. His right-hand-man and stunt double, Cliff Booth, aids Rick in his attempts to regain his former glory and find the spark of acting once again. They are neighbors with Sharon Tate and Roman Polanski - the former being the famed Hollywood actor who was brutally murdered by the Manson family - the tragedy of which the entire film is ...

  Glauber Rocha's "Black God, White Devil" By all aesthetic accounts, I should have really loved Glauber Rocha's 1964 Brazilian film " Black God, White Devil ." However, I had trouble with it. The atmosphere, the themes, and the visual composition of the film all lend itself to praise. However, there was too much emptiness within its confines to really engage with me. I kept searching for any semblance of grounded connection, but none could be found. Perhaps that was the point of the film, though. Our characters are searching for answers, searching for truth - all to be disappointed in the complete absence of it. I'm clinging to this idea, which sparks my enjoyment a bit more.

  Vittorio De Sica's "Marriage Italian Style" With his 1964 film " Marriage Italian Style ," Vittorio De Sica not only makes his ultimate Italian style comedy, he makes one of the best in the whole genre. Foundational to the modern conception of the 'rom-com,' " Marriage Italian Style " manages to have both melodrama and subversiveness all at once. The film stars Marcello Mastroianni and Sophia Loren as a wealthy businessman and a penniless prostitute, respectively, sharing a large part of their lives in post-war Italy. First and foremost, the film has incredibly strong commercial appeal. It's not shocking that it was the second highest grossing film in Italy in 1964, only behind " A Fistful of Dollars ." The unexpected twists and turns of the plot, the romantic elements at play, the playful comedy, and the twinges of melodrama keeps the picture entertaining throughout.  Where the film ears its rewards with me is through its subve...

  Pietro Germi's "Seduced and Abandoned" In the era of the Italian-style comedy, Pietro Germi rose above the rest as a master of the genre. After his phenomenal 1961 film " Divorce Italian Style ," he continued to master the form with " Seduced and Abandoned ." A belly-laughing critique of Sicilian social customs, " Seduced and Abandoned " is a whirlwind comedy full of hijinks and satire. The film stars Stefania Sandrelli as Agnese, who has a brief affair with with her sister's fiancé, Peppino. After her traditional parents discover this, her father embarks on a farcical journey to protect his family's reputation by convincing Peppino to marry Agnese. There are, of course, complications. The film is told in typical Italian-style comedy fashion, with absurd complications to the story and bellowing hijinks. To me, " Seduced and Abandoned " demonstrates a comfortability the genre has within itself. It ventures away from the rea...

  Martin Ritt's "Hud" By the 1960s, the Western genre had become far more of entertainment concept meant to placate the masses. There were numerous films still, but even more television series. The market was overrun with Westerns. So, when a subversive and more introspective Western like " Hud " comes around, it really stands out above the rest.  Starring the iconic Paul Newman, 1963's " Hud " centers on Hud - a morally bankrupt ranch-hand on his aging father's Texas cattle ranch. After it is discovered that their cattle all has foot-and-mouth disease, Hud's father is tasked with liquidating them - bringing an end to his life's work. Hud's selfishness and brazen disregard for tradition and honor causes domestic issues abound. What's interesting about this particular Western is how the 'society' that normally invades the traditional Western landscape happens from within. Hud himself represents this new societal change, n...

  Satyajit Ray's "The Big City" Based on a novel by Narendranath Mitra, Satyajit Ray's 1963 film " The Big City " centers on a conservative middle-class Bangali family shaken up by one of its women taking a job in the city. Taking place in the early 1950s, the film reflects upon the growing economic and social taking place and how it affects modern Indian social dynamics and roles.  Satyajit Ray is typically interested in the domestic life of Indian families and how that domesticity is directly related to social, political, and economic change. With " The Big City ," he explores how economic necessity creates the new world dynamics, as women in the workplace break the mold of conservative structures. Even more so, our protagonist - Arati - begins to grow in confidence as she becomes the primary earner of her household. This confidence boost disrupts the patriarchal mindset of the family members, as well as eventually the patriarchal mechanism of in...