Film Persona

  Pier Paolo Pasolini's "The Gospel According to St. Matthew" Despite much of the Italian neo-realist movement venturing into the territory of the 'Italian-Style Comedy' in the 1960s, there were many filmmakers who kept the movement alive. Pier Paolo Pasolini was one of them. By using the neo-realist lens to adapt the Gospel of Matthew, Pasolini depicted the journey of Jesus with such a visceral intimacy and palpable realism unlike anything seen before. " The Gospel According to St. Matthew ," in my humble opinion is the greatest depiction of the Christ story ever put to film. This is quite an accomplishment, given the fact that Pasolini was a staunch atheist, homosexual, and Marxist.  Pasolini's lack of alignment with the church obviously caused controversy during its filming. However, Pasolini ensured that the film maintained accuracy with its source text. He even added a disclaimer at the beginning of the film which stating that the Passion of the...

  Gillo Pontecorvo's "The Battle of Algiers" By 1966, the Nouvelle Vague movement had surpassed the Neo-Realist movement in artistic relevance. Of course, the political and social pertinence that Neo-Realism typically carries was a bit more subversive through Nouvelle Vague, not absent. Still, with certain topics, a certain starkness is required. With his 1966 film " The Battle of Algiers ," Gillo Pontecorvo reminded the cinematic landscape how vital the neo-realist continues to be. The film centers on a group of Algerian revolutionaries, the FLN, and their attempts to push out the French occupation between 1954 and 1957. Using guerrilla tactics, the FLN was met with equally guerrilla and illegal methods to combat them. Despite the casualties and the capture/execution of its revolutionary leaders, Algeria succeeded in gaining its independence from France. With the same spirit of Italian Neo-Realism, Pontecorvo filmed on location, along with using black-and-white...

  Elem Klimov's "Adventures of a Dentist" Although it was a rather strange film, Elem Klimov's 1965 film " Adventures of a Dentist " was actually labelled as a "category three" film by the nation's censors, meaning it was only designated to play in 25-78 movie theaters. The reason for the censorship was not due to nudity, violence, or political pointedness. Rather, it was because the film centers on a young dentist who is ostracized because he is so gifted. The notion that society inevitably shuns and blackballs people skilled at their craft was enough of a shocking notion to have the film banned.  The film itself is quaint and a little uneventful. It's ideas and concepts are well worth considering and even strange enough to cause for continued pondering. However, the film feels more like a paper-thin waif cracker than any sort of hardy meal. 

  Bryan Forbes' "Seance on a Wet Afternoon" The 1964 British crime thriller " Seance on a Wet Afternoon " finds a medium who convinces her husband to kidnap a little girl so she can help solve the crime and achieve renown for her abilities. The film's unravelling is something dramatic of note and does an adequate job of keeping the viewer engaged throughout. However, there is an aspect of the film's ending that is missing a bit of verve.  All in all, the film works marvelously for what it is. As far as crime thrillers go, it's got enough thrills and drama to warrant its successes. Despite this, it wasn't something to praise more than any of its contemporaries.

  Stanley Kubrick's "Dr. Strangelove" Perhaps I am being a bit too pompous by saying this, but I believe that Stanley Kubrick created a whole new comedic tone with his 1964 satire " Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb ." The film parodies Cold War fears and nuclear war, making it a very black comedy, but it also contains some of the most mockish and silliest characters I've ever seen in a film. It is also a film that makes me laugh every time I sit down and watch.  The film details the absurd chain of events that would unfold if a United States general decided to send nuclear bombs to Russia unprompted. Obviously, the President and whatever other Commanding Officers would issue a code to bring the planes back. However, the General, a 'General Ripper,' has sealed off the base and any sort of communications with the planes.  Many films have tried to replicate the hyper-specific tone of " Dr. Strangelove ," inc...

  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 ...