Film Persona

King Vidor's "The Fountainhead" King Vidor's 1949 film "The Fountainhead" was written for the screen by Ayn Rand, who also wrote the 1943 novel of the same name. Rand was born in Russia in 1905 and raised by parents who were members of the bouregouis class. During the 1917 Russian Revolution, Rand's life was upended and turned upside down by the Bolsheviks under Vladimir Lenin. Because the Bolsheviks operated under the philosophies of collectivism and communism, they attacked the bourgeious class for its individualist perspective, believing that individualism erroded the fabric of unity and actively oppressed those below them in the economic ladder. Because of these philosophies by the new Soviet goverment, Rand's father's pharmacy was confiscated and the family fled Russia. These events happening at a very young age laid the foundation for the person she would be throughout her life. At university, she studied history and gravitated towards the ...

Denis Villeneuve's "Dune" Denis Villeneuve's 2021 adaptation of the classic 1965 novel of Dune is meant as a first installment in a two-part story. With it, this film sets up the introduction of Paul Atreides into a foreign landscape. Much like the audience, we are transported into an alien world - provided by Villeneuve's expert direction. With his direction, Villeneuve reaches new levels of world-building by expanding the scope of what the camera captures on screen while also simultaneously keeping the viewer at arms length.  In the story, Paul's father Leto Atreides is assigned by the emperor to rule the harsh desert planet of Arrakis. Arrakis is known for its spices, which are the most valuable commodity in the galaxy due to its use in interstellar travel as well as extending human vitality. Duke Leto believes that he can unite with the native population, the Fremen, in order to form a stronger union on the planet which he believes will bring peace among t...

King Vidor's "Duel in the Sun" In 1946, David O. Selznik hired King Vidor as the director for his first attempted screenplay written entirely by himself. The screenplay was meant as a vehicle for his then-lover and future wife, Jennifer Jones, to star in. Much like his 1940 film Northwest Passage, Vidor was given technicolor cameras to use to film this expansive western flick. Vidor received directional assistance from many prolific directors, such as Josef von Sternberg, William Dieterle, William Cameron Menzies, Otto Brower, and Sidney Franklin. The film would prove to be a very frustrating experiece for Vidor, specifically Selznik's excessive input over the project as well as his constant rewrites of scenes already filmed. Selznik's constant insistence on changing the film and his demand for reshoots forced Vidor to leave the project, leaving William Dieterle to finish what was left. Selznik's intention for the film was to make something for commercial purp...

  Ridley Scott's "The Last Duel" Ben Affleck, Matt Damon, and Nicole Holofcener adapted the 2004 novel "The Last Duel: A True Story of Trial by Combat in Medieval France" into this Ridley Scott directed historical epic, released in 2021. The film tells the story of the rape of Marguerite de Carrouges. The scipt splits the story into three chapters, each told from the perspective of the parties involved: Jean de Carrouges - a knight of the French empire; Marguerite de Carrouges - his wife; and Jacques Le Gris - Jean's best friend and squire. Affleck, Damon, and Holofcener were said to have been inspired by Akira Kurosawa's 'Rashomon' when writing the script, using split narratives to tell differing perspectives on the event.  The first narrative is that of Jean de Carrouges. Jean is known for his combat abilities and his fiery temper. After King Charles VI names his cousin Count Pierre d'Alencon overlord over Jean and Jacques Le Gris, they mus...

King Vidor's "The Citadel" In 1938, global tensions were high due to the effects brought about by the war of ideas. Communism, Fascism, and Capitalism were competing to become the new models of society. Even as these ideas came into being during the 19th century, the political chasm that was left in the wake of World War I allowed these ideologies to take hold in the 20th century. The hope was that after centuries of oppressive monarchical rule, the world could usher in a utopian age. By 1938, Communism and Fascism both left room from cruel despots to take over in Eastern Europe and Capitalism created a class divide in the West. All of these 'utopias' seemed doomed for failure. Fyodor Dostoevsky predicted this failure in his 1864 work, Notes from the Underground. In it, he criticizes socialism, Marxism, and all other forms of attempted utopia. The reason for this criticism is not directed at the ideas themselves. Rather, the reasons for the failings of a utopian s...

  King Vidor's "Stella Dallas" In 1937, King Vidor adapted the 1923 Olive Higgins Prouty novel, 'Stella Dallas' into a feature length film. The film became so critically acclaimed and beloved by audiences that it became a radio serial in October of 1937 that lasted for 18 years. Barbara Stanwyck, who plays the titular character of Stella Dallas, received an Oscar nomination along with her co-star Anne Shirley, who plays her daughter. The film catalogs the life of Stella as she navigates her way up the social ladder for a better life. America at the time was still reeling from the effects of the Great Depression. Americans cared more about the economic landscape than ever before, as it was imperative to their survival. This is perhaps why viewers connected so much with the film and with Stella. Throughout the film, Stella experiences the luxuries and fallouts from this unyielding pursuit of a better life.  At the beginning of the film, we see Stella standing on the...

  King Vidor's "The Champ" In 1931, King Vidor took screenwriter Frances Marion's script that she had written exclusively with Wallace Beery in mind and turned it into a critically acclaimed film. This film, title 'The Champ' would go on to be nominated for 4 Oscars, winning 2 (for Wallace Beery as a Lead Actor and Frances Marion for Original Screenplay). The critical success for the film is not unwarranted. The film is known for being an emotional piece; contemplating the nature of children living in poverty. This was a very hot subject at the time, especially since America was right in the middle of the Great Depression. Even if Wallace Beery's character, Champ, is the titular lead of the film, it is child actor Jackie Cooper's timeless portrayal of Champ's 8 year old son, Dink, that is the centerpiece.  The Champ is a film that focuses on the relationship between father and son. The father, through his active poverty, continues to provide inadeq...

King Vidor's "Hallelujah" While King Vidor was touring Europe in 1928 promoting his film "The Crowd," he received news that talking pictures were sweeping the nation. Vidor believed that this was the perfect opportunity to make a sound film that featured an all black cast, especially since music and singing were a vital instrument to the black community's culture. He wanted to create a film that featured a humanist take on the black experience, rather than continue in the condemning depiction they've come to experience up until this point. He was inspired by what he saw from the black community when he was growing up in Southeast Texas. He notes, "I used to watch the negros in the South, which was my home. I studied their music, and I used to wonder at the pent-up romance in them." The depiction of the black American in the film over the past century has received both positive and negative reactions. Some believe that even with his humanist app...

  Julia Ducournau's "Titane" Julia Ducournau describes her Palme d'Or winner "Titane" as a love story. The love story here centers on Alexia and Vincent, two characters whose lives are complex and often times disturbing. Both characters seem to go through their own metamorphosis. As Ducournau's narrative takes many shocking and sometimes disturbing twists and turns, it becomes clear that the two characters seem to need each other to weather the madness of their lives.  In the first scene of the film, Alexia is making engine revving noises as she sits in the backseat of her dad's car while he is driving down the highway. It is apparent that he father is annoyed with her as she desperately tries to get his attention. After taking her seatbelt off, he reaches back to her, only to crash the car in the process. After the accident, Alexia must get a titanium plate in her head due to her injuries. As an adult, Alexia works as a sexed-up showgirl at a motor ...