Film Persona

Pietro Germi's "Divorce Italian Style" There are certain films that have a thematic resonance that overpowers the film's sense of entertainment value. Then there are films that are so entertaining, you don't even attempt to mine any semblance of theme or greater point. Pietro Germi's 1961 comedy " Divorce Italian Style " is one of those films. The film centers on a 37-year-old impoverished nobleman named Ferdinando who daydreams about the various ways he could end the life of his wife of 12 years, Rosalia. He decides to hatch a plan to break off his marriage in order to secure a marriage between himself and his 16-year-old cousin, Angela, whom he only sees during the summer. To enact his plan, he hires his wife's former lover to come and pain their ceiling, hoping he can catch them in the act and murder them. While the plot of the film may sound dramatic or intense, it is actually done incredibly farcically. Every bit of what's happening in t...

  Claude Berri's "The Two of Us" Titled " Le vieil homme and et l'enfant " when it was originally released in France, " The Two of Us " was Claude Berri's directorial debut. Despite being released in 1967, the film feels like a throwback to classic French cinema - the era of "tradition of quality." It also happens to be one of Michel Simon's greatest roles, especially in the twilight of his career. The film centers on Claude, an 8-year-old Jewish boy living in France during the Nazi occupation. To reduce the chance of being sent to Auschwitz or a similar fate, his parents change his name and send him to live on a farm with the elderly parents of their Catholic friends. The only issue is that this elderly couple is antisemitic and have no idea the young boy is Jewish.  I was expecting some sort of conclusory realization at the end of the film, not that it was necessary. But, as I was watching the film, I was predicting that the eld...

  Blake Edwards's "Breakfast at Tiffany's" The most likeable aspect of Blake Edwards's 1961 film " Breakfast at Tiffany's " is that it is aesthetically pleasing. Beyond its sheen and shine lays a hollowed out attempt at Truman Capote's classic novella. Of course, nobody will remember Capote's classic over the film adaptation. My main point about the film's ability to aesthetically please attributes to this, but I think it is the iconic performance of Audrey Hepburn that cements the film into the collective consciousness. There are numerous problems I had with this film. Firstly, the notoriously racist depiction of the Japanese landlord, Mr. Yunioshi, played by Mickey Rooney. Not only is it a caricature, the use of bucktooth is incredibly shameful.  My second gripe with the film is the ending's final, seemingly romantic, message. Throughout the film, Hepburn's Holly is a 'free spirit,' unwilling to be caged in by anyone. Wh...

  Jacques Rivette's "Paris Belongs to Us" I watched Jacques Rivette's 1961 film " Paris Belongs to Us"  on the Criterion Channel. Had I watched it in the theater, it would be a rare instance in which I walked out. In this case, I simply stopped watching with 40 minutes left. It is very unlike me to completely give up on a film, so this particular instance was very strange and fascinating to me. I read all the time about people "walking out of theaters" for films that they do not like. I've always thought that was a foreign concept. I never understood the reasoning for not staying until the end. Was the film that bad? You simply couldn't stand it any longer? Well, for me and " Paris Belongs to Us ," the answer was yes.  The film revolves around a character named Anne, who spends the entire film trying to uncover the mysterious death of Juan, an unintroduced character that everyone around Anne seems to know. She ventures through the...

  Martin Scorsese's "Who's That Knocking at My Door?" It was very strange to sit down and watch Martin Scorsese's debut feature film, 1967's " Who's That Knocking at My Door? " The reason for this strangeness is not because of any fault within the film (although it certainly has many faults). It is because the film is so bare-bones Scorsese. All of his elements are here. It's interesting to see an artist you're so familiar with at his most elemental and amateur. The film centers on J.R., a Catholic Italian-American young man who spends most of his time drinking, partying, and engaging in violence with his do-nothing friends in New York City. He meets a girl he believes to be a virgin. After getting involved into a sexual and romantic relationship, she confides in him that she was raped by her former boyfriend. He angrily rejects her and returns to partying with his friends. After attempting to reconcile with her, she rejects him back. He ...

  Roberto Rossellini's "The Taking of Power by Louis XIV" I genuinely think that Roberto Rossellini's 1966 French TV film " The Taking of Power by Louis XIV " is one of the most clinical depictions of monarchy I've ever seen. By 'clinical,' I mean that Rossellini creates a very dry sentimentality that is neither exuberant of the titular leader and neither condemning. Even the way in which characters speak is very clinical, beyond a few.  The film centers on Louis XIV, King of France, after the death of his most powerful advisor, Cardinal Mazarin. Throughout the film, Louis deals with his mother and court nobles, all assuming that Mazarin's death will give them greater power. However, Louis plans on consolidating power through the monarchy. Because the film is so 'clinical,' as I said, there is little affection or intrigued derived from viewing it. There is a certain biographical quality to the film that certainly allows for some under...