Film Persona

  Youssef Chahine's "Saladin the Victorious" After the global success of his 1958 film " Cairo Station ," Youssef Chahine was given an enormous budget for a film centering on the iconic Kurdish commander who protected Jerusalem against the Crusaders during the 3rd Crusades. Filmed in color, " Saladin the Victorious " is a three hour epic detailing Saladin's heroic efforts against King Richard, the Lionhearted. Although the film is riddled with historical inaccuracies, it went on to be one of the most important Arabic films of all time. The film also seems to emulate the modern political circumstances happening in the Middle East at the time of its release (1963). Many have noted that the depiction of Saladin mirrors Gamal Abdel Nasser, who took power over Egypt shortly after its revolution in 1952. The Arabs fighting against the crusaders are representative of the modern Arabs fighting against European imperialism.  Under King Richard, the Crusader...

  Elia Kazan's "America, America" Although " America, America " is a bit of a propagandic and nationalistic film by its end, there is still a semblance of true belief in its confines. Written and directed by the controversial Elia Kazan, and adapted from his very own novel, " America, America " tells the story of a young boy determined to get to America from Turkey. Coming from economic desolate means, he stops at nothing to secure passage, even if it means morally denigrating himself. While the whirlwind story is ultimately captivating, the final note seems to embody the notion that getting to America will automatically make you rich. Despite this silly final note, the protagonist's determination to get the 'American Dream' is worthwhile given the contextual circumstances. The drive towards a haven of grace is what truly propels the story forward and brings forth its dramatic points. 

  Ermanno Olmi's "The Fiancés" There's something very unique about the films of Ermanno Olmi. It's even stranger given the notion that they are Italian films, as Italians film are often full of kinetic energy - bouncy and exaggerative. The films of Olmi, on the other hand, are more akin to the works of Michelangelo Antonioni, slower and arid. His 1963 film, " The Fiancés ," adheres to this dry, aimless quality.  The film centers on a factory welder named Giovanni, who has been offered a job in Sicily with the prospect of a promotion. He accepts the offer and leaves behind his fiancé, Liliana, for eight months. However, the days and nights in Sicily are lonely and hollow. The expectations of the job are not what he expected, either.  The intention behind Olmi's film seems not too dissimilar from an Antonioni feature. However, Olmi has added the classic element of economic disparity to the equation, which is a far more familiar theme in Italian cinema....

  John Sturges's "The Great Escape" Considered an American classic, John Sturges's 1963 film " The Great Escape " has heavy commercial appeal. Pulling the layers underneath will not satisfy anyone searching for human depth, especially given the film's context. However, if one throws out the need for dimensionality or depth and simply views this as the commercial vehicle it is, it does its job adequately. The film centers on a group of Allied POWs attempting to escape the confines of a new camp in Germany. With almost 3 hours of runtime, we spend most of it with the POWs in the camp - getting to know them so that we have an emotional attachment to them by the time their dangerous escape comes. The last 45 minutes or so is their planned escape, told in exhilarating and suspenseful fashion. Despite spending ample time with these fellows, I found it hard to connect to them. They are not fully fleshed out characters and seem to only be character traits in hum...

  Louis Malle's "The Fire Within" The first thing I noticed while watching Louis Malle's 1963 film " The Fire Within " was it's lack of music or soundtrack. Aesthetic choice perhaps. After all, Malle is an engineer of the Nouvelle Vague movement. It's safe to assume that some creative liberties were to be used. However, " The Fire Within " was far from the typical style that Nouvelle Vague had become known for. The film centers on Alain, a rehabilitating alcoholic who vows to kill himself by the end of the week. He is separated from his wife, Dorothy, who is living in New York, while he rehabilitates in a clinic. After leaving the clinic, he meets up with various former friends and associates. None of them are able to convince him that life is worth living, however. To entrench our character's story with the malaise of his own emptiness, Malle really makes the atmosphere as dry as possible. The story plods along without any kinetic ener...

  Kon Ichikawa's "An Actor's Revenge" Based on the 1934 novel by Otokichi Mikami, the 1963 film " An Actor's Revenge"  centers on a Kabuki actor in late Edo Japan who seeks revenge on those responsible for his parent's death. The novel had been adapted to the screen numerous times before, the first time by Teinosuke Kinugasa in 1935. Coincidentally, the lead role in both the 1935 version and the 1963 version were both played by Kazuo Hasegawa.  The basic story elements work well and are structured in a dramatic and engaging way. However, there is a bit of excess to the film that makes it feel somewhat bloated. A more stripped down version could have sufficed. However, one positive aspects from this perceived bloat is that the climatic final reckoning feels more weighted.  Overall, I liked the film. However, there was some aspect of it that was missing for me. I'm unsure of what that is, but it felt incomplete as a dramatic piece.