Film Persona

  Alf Sjoberg's "Torment" Even though the 1944 Swedish film, " Torment ," was directed by established Swedish filmmaker Alf Sjoberg, it was the scriptwriter of the film that gets the most notable attention: the great Ingmar Bergman. Bergman was at the very beginning of his career in film, being only 24 when he wrote this script. Even the subject matter of the story deals with youth and school.  The film centers on a high school student, Widgren, on the precipice of graduation. He clashes with his oppressive and sadistic Latin teacher, "Caligula," after Caligua catches him cheating. After Widgren starts to romantically see an alcoholic cigarette shop girl named Bertha, he learns that she is being tormented by another man. This other man harasses her, beats her, and pushes her further and further into alcoholism. With a newfound romance with Widgren, she starts to recover. However, after this mysterious man manages to break into her apartment, Bertha rea...

  Rene Clement's "Purple Noon" Adapted from the 1955 Patricia Highsmith novel, " The Talented Mr. Ripley ," Rene Clement's 1960 film " Purple Noon " takes it liberties with a source material that centers on a young man who attempts the life of a luxurious man. Starring Alain Delon in the role that would become a breakout role for the young actor, the film would go on to be considered one of Clement's most memorable films. However, this adaptation of the Highsmith novel would eventually be overshadowed by Anthony Minhella's 1999 film " The Talented Mr. Ripley ," starring Matt Damon. I was excited going in to the film. I had never seen the 1999 version of this story before, so I was intrigued to get in on the ground floor with this original adaptation. I've got to say that I was a little disappointed with the film. Don't get me wrong, it was mildly amusing. However, there was not much intrigue to the story beyond the protago...

  Maya Deren & Alexandr Hackenschmied's "Meshes of the Afternoon" There is a clear inspiration from Luis Bunuel and his seminal works, 1929's " Un Chien Andalou " and 1930's " L'age d'Or ," in Maya Deren and Alexandr Hackenschmied's 1943 surrealist short film " Meshes of the Afternoon ." Continuity, temporality, time and space, and meaning are all fuzzy in " Meshes in the Afternoon ," as they are meant to resemble an inscrutable dream state.  The longer you watch " Meshes of the Afternoon ," the more impossible it seems to grasp on to reality. There are repeating patterns, physical congruency layouts that don't make sense, and camera works that make the visual images appear free from any visual constraints. Watching the film makes you feel like you're floating through a dream, unable to land on anything solid to comfort your sense of reality. Despite this, there is still a thread of congruen...

  Preston Sturges' "The Miracle of Morgan Creek" Although it was released in the US in February of 1944, Preston Sturges' " The Miracle of Morgan Creek " had its feature debut in Scotland in December of 1943. It centers on a young couple who get tangled in a series of unfortunate events after the young girl, Trudy, get intoxicated and married to a unnamed soldier. I've got to say that Sturges' films are usually quite quaint and are very entertaining at the very least. However, I felt that " The Miracle of Morgan Creek " is by far the most eye-rolling film I've seen of his yet. Not only is it TOO slapstick and silly to be taken seriously, it is also incredibly convoluted. Normally, convolution doesn't necessarily bother me, but in the case of this film, I felt it to be incredibly detracting and borderline nonsensical.  

  Jean Gremillon's "Lumiere d'ete" I was a bit distracted watching Jean Gremillon's " Lumiere d'ete " last night but it was still able to entice and intrigue me. It centers on a young woman named Michele who arrives at a shimmering palatial glass hotel at the top of a remote Provencal mountain. There, she awaits her alcoholic painter husband to arrive. With his arrival, the cast of characters are caught in a love pentangle between her, her dilettante husband, the wealthy and obsessive Patrice, Patrice's lover Cri-Cri (who owns the hotel), and the mine worker Julien. Like many other French films at the time, " Lumiere d'ete " was a subversive film that commented on the current state of French society during the occupation by the Nazis.  The hotel, The Guardian Angel Hotel, along with Patrice's Chateau Cabriere, are elegant bourgeois estates that house amoral and selfish proprietors. They stand atop a hill while the labor workers ...

  Stanley Kubrick's "The Killing" As someone who has seen almost the entirety of Stanley Kubrick, I feel as though it is safe to say that his first non-independent film, 1956's " The Killing ," is unlike any of the films that would come thereafter. Kubrick would mold his form into the auteur style we think of when we think of Kubrick, but he had to start somewhere. " The Killing " is billed as a noir film, but I would argue that it is not a noir at all. I do feel as though the ending is very nihilistic like a noir would be, but I don't feel as though it shares the same ingredients of a typical noir film.  " The Killing " is what you would call a proto-" Ocean's 11 ," as it centers on a group of men who team up to stage and execute a meticulous heist operation at a horserace track. In fact, Frank Sinatra was the original intention to lead the film, although that honor ended up going to a frequent Kubrick collaborator, Ste...

  Manoel de Oliveira's "Aniki-Bobo" Perhaps one of the very first iterations of the neo-realist movement, Manoel de Oliveria's 1942 Portuguese film " Aniki-Bobo " centers on a group of delinquent youths as they navigate the streets of Porto. The film was not very well-received at the time of its release, however it has gained recognition in retrospect. This is especially true due to the proto-neo-realist elements of the film which would signal the oncoming shift in cinema. Although I do not think it is quite  the same neo-realism we would come to see in Italy a year later with Luchino Visconti's " Ossessione ," I do think that it bares the prototype markings of neo-realism.

  Todd Solondz's "Happiness" After watching Todd Solondz's 1998 film " Happiness ," I've got to say that I don't think I've ever felt more disturbed by a film in my life. I'm not going to take the time to fully elaborate on all the intricacies of its characters, but I will say that it centers on 3 sisters, their respective families, and people they know. The array of characters mimics that of a Robert Altman film or Paul Thomas Anderson's 1999 film " Magnolia ." Each character is depraved, pathetic, and unsympathetic in their own way and I felt an emotional lack of empathy or even sympathy for each one.  " Happiness " is very much a 90s film, in that it leans on the themes that quite a bit of 90s film seem to center around. Namely, the boredom and malaise of a middle class utopia (before 9/11 and the destruction of the middle class through the '08 crisis). In a bit of 90s films, like " The Matrix " or ...

  Jacques Tourneur's "I Walked with a Zombie" After the success of 1942's " Cat People ," RKO producer Val Lewton enlisted director Jacques Tourneur to once again direct another B-horror film for the studio. The next film, 1943's " I Walked with a Zombie " focused on the Vodou rituals in the Caribbean. I found this film to be mildly better than " Cat People " and even included themes of slavery and racism. It was a far more interesting picture, albeit not as 'scary,' per say. 

  Marcel Carne's "Les Visiteurs du Soir" While watching Marcel Carne's 1942 film " Les Visiteurs du Soir ," I almost felt like I was watching a Jean Cocteau film instead. I'm not sure what it is, perhaps the costumes, perhaps the dialogue, or perhaps the fantastical elements of the film. Either way, I felt very disconnected from the Marcel Carne I had come to know through films like " Port of Shadows ," " Hotel du Nord ," and " Le Jour Se Leve ."  " Les Visiteurs du Soir " focuses on two minstrels in May of 1485 who arrive at the castle of Baron Hugues. The minstrels are actually two envoys of the devil who are arriving at the castle to ruin the marriage of the Baron's daughter. Instead, one of the minstrels, Gilles, falls in love with the Baron's daughter. The Devil himself arrives to set his child straight, only to be shocked to discover that their love is far more powerful than his power. He then turns t...

  Robert Bresson's "Mouchette" In my recent film class, we discussed the French filmmaker Robert Bresson. More explicitly, we discussed his usage of non-professional actors and the intense pre-filming months-long rehearsals they go through. The reason for these extensive rehearsals is due to Bresson's desire for his actors to pull back from delivering lines with projected emotion. The result of this anti-theatrical method of performing is something far more mechanical. Mechanical is the key word for the films of Bresson, especially in the film we watched for that class, 1967's " Mouchette ."  " Mouchette " centers on a young girl named Mouchette in a small French village. As her bedridden mother is on the verge of death, Mouchette must contend with an alcoholic father who beats her, along with a town full of people who treat her with cruelty. While walking home from school one day, she gets lost in the woods when a rainstorm begins. She witness...

  Robert Bresson's "Les Dames du Bois de Boulogne" Being somewhat familiar with the work of Robert Bresson, I found myself completely disoriented by his second feature film, 1945's " Les Dames du Bois de Boulogne ." The reason for my disorientation is due to how completely un-Bresson this film actually is. It is a very visually stark and crisp melodrama that leans way too heavily into the style of melodrama. There are occasional moments of contemplation and social dynamics, but most of the film deals in a revenge plot that is less than to be desired.  Centering on a woman named Helene, the film details Helene's scorn at her lover, Jean's, disengagement with her. After they agree to remain friends, Helene plots to entrap him. Helene financially saves an economically destitute mother and daughter, in which the daughter is a cabaret dancer and prostitute. After providing them with a new living situation, to which they are now in her debt, she orchestrat...

  Yasujiro Ozu's "There Was a Father" Now that I have accustomed myself to the rhythms and styles of a Yasujiro Ozu film, I am growing more and more fond of him with every film I watch. Even his more minor films have an emotional impact. His 1942 film, " There Was a Father " similarly has an emotional standard that only Ozu can pull off.  " There Was a Father " centers on a widowed father with his son. The father must forgo his job as a teacher and move to a small town to find work. Because he doesn't have much money, he must send his son to a junior high boarding school that he can only visit once a week. After a while, the father tells his son that he must move to Tokyo to continue financially supporting his education. As the father continues to attempt to make sacrifices for his son's education and future, the more they are separated. Once the son is grown, all he wants to do is live with his father, since he was never able to do that as a c...

  Henri-Georges Clouzot's "La Verite" By 1960, Henri-Georges Clouzot was director that fit perfectly into the categorization of the "tradition of quality" that had come to be known by French directors at the time. Coined by Francois Truffaut in Cahiers du cinema , "traditional of quality" was a set standard of excellence by the French filmmaking community that made films with "sophisticated framing, complicated lighting, and sleek photography." This is the exact quality that was rebelled against with the New Wave movement, which attempted to modernize the current format of French film style. Clouzot knew he could not keep up with this new style, but was able to exact these qualities found within the style in the typical formatting of excellence he was known by. On top of this, the inclusion of Brigitte Bardot only accelerated this notion, as she had come to represent a new kind of stardom in late 1950s, early 1960s France. She had come to rep...

  Michael Powell & Emeric Pressburger's "The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp" Often considered the greatest British film ever made, Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger's " The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp " was a bit more hardy than the typical wartime production out of the United Kingdom in the early 1940s. At the time, many propaganda films were instilling a sense of unity against the Nazis. However, " The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp " took a radically different approach to this ongoing feud with the Germans and many in the UK felt the film was a danger to public morale because of that.  Through the biographical nature of the film, centering on the life of the fictional Clive Wynne-Candy (not Colonel Blimp), the film is also able to tell the history of England in the 20th century. Clive Wynne-Candy, who rose to the rank of Major-General in the British Army, began his career in the Second Boer War. In 1902, while in Berlin, he inadver...

  William Wyler's "Mrs. Miniver" William Wyler's 1942 melodrama " Mrs. Miniver " is largely forgotten about in film history. However, it was this film that sparked such an emotional and political response during World War II that many global leaders made comment of it. Although it was made in Hollywood by Americans, the film's subject is that of an English family as they struggle with the realities of ongoing global conflict.  Centering on the character of Mrs. Miniver, the film tells the story of her and her family living in fictional village outside of London. The character of Mrs. Miniver is based on a popular British magazine series of the same name. This specific storyline is derived from the " Mrs. Miniver " novel that Jan Struther released on a couple of years earlier. Mrs. Miniver and her family are happy and well-to-do. At the outbreak of war, Mrs. Miniver's collegiate decides to enlist in the air force to protect the family from f...

  Jacques Tourneur's "Cat People" Going in to Jacques Tourneur's 1942 film " Cat People ," I was hoping that I would be pleasantly surprised, given that most of my experiences with classic Hollywood B-horror films is abysmal. I typically do not enjoy them, as they do not offer a whole lot of engagement for me. The allegorical contents are paper-thin and the genre elements are always dated, making the whole experience less-than. However, I was not pleasantly surprised by " Cat People ." To me, it's just another of the before-mentioned let downs. I really liked the visual tones created by Tourneur, but the story lost me completely to the point where I even stopped paying attention by the film's end. The best thing about the film is its overall ambiance, which I really dug. However, it wasn't enough to win me over. 

  Roman Polanski's "Knife in the Water" The feature film debut of filmmaker Roman Polanski, 1962's " Knife in the Water ," is also his only feature film to be made in his home country of Poland. It was a highly recognized film, even competing for Best Foreign Language Film at the 1963 Academy Awards, the first ever Polish film to do so. After the success of the film, Polanski went on to direct in the UK and US to even greater success. But many still look to his original Polish feature " Knife in the Water " as one of his most innovative and important works. The plot of the film is relatively simple and only features three characters. A man and woman, Andrzej and Krystyna, pick up a young hitchhiker on their way to go sailing. The couple invite the young man to go sailing with them and the three of them spend the day out at the lake. However, weird tensions begin to bubble up throughout this excursion, as the young man and Andrzej begin to subtly co...

  Kenji Mizoguchi's "The 47 Ronin" In the early 1940s, while Japan was in active military conflict with China, Kenji Mizoguchi was forced into artistic compromises and make a propaganda film for the state. The Japanese state commitioned Mizoguchi to make the legendary true account of the revenge of the 47 Ronin that occurred in 1703. By adapting this legendary story, the Japanese government was hoping for a ferocious morale booster. The story is about 47 Ronin who seek to take revenge for the killing of their master. Their master's death was a direct result of state corruption and by taking their revenge against the man who started it, they were able to restore justice. It seems a bit funny that the Japanese government was wanting a story about fighting government corruption to act as a patriotic message for their residents. However, the fervor with which the 47 unite was the focal point of uniting its nation, I suppose.  In the end, Mizoguchi took a marketable differ...

  Michael Curtiz's "Casablanca" When you look back on the 'Golden Age of Hollywood,' there are many films that stand out. However, because of the power that the studio has to dictate its programming, there were not many films that held true to any artistic integrity. Despite this, many filmmakers were able to overcome these obstacles and make sustainable pieces of art that transcended the Hollywood-ness of its production. There is one particular Golden Age Hollywood film, however, that has stood the test of time. Sure, there have been better films, more profound films, and films that hold truer to a higher class of realism and/or artistic classification, but " Casablanca " stands even still.  There are many individual elements of " Casablanca " that don't quite hit the nose. There are some hokey elements to the screenplay, a bit of cheese if you will. The overall point of the film is for the sake of wartime propaganda. Retrospectively, pro-...

  Michael Curtiz's "Yankee Doodle Dandy" Going in to Michael Curtiz's 1942 musical biopic " Yankee Doodle Dandy ," I felt a little uncertain. On paper, this film is not something I would typically enjoy. However, I was utterly charmed by this film; its unabashed earnestness, its lighthearted tempo, and most specifically for James Cagney's performance.  The film is a biographical picture detailing the entire life of George M. Cohan, as known as "The Man Who Owned Broadway." Starting out in his early days of vaudeville, Cohan travelled with his father, mother, and sister in a troupe called "The Four Cohans." As he begins to thrive as a playwright and songwriter, Cohan starts to make his mark on patriotic anthems like " Yankee Doodle Boy ," " Over There ," and " You're a Grand Ole' Flag ." The film is a celebration of the life of Cohan and a celebration of his impact on Broadway and American culture....

  Max Ophuls' "Le Plaisir" I feel as though there was far more to Max Ophuls 1952 film " Le Plaisir " than meets the eye. However, I was not in the right state of mind to notice. It's never a good idea to watch a film when you have too much going on around you. That being said, I was still fascinated by this film and wanted to mentally dive in more than I did.  The film centers on three separate stories, each circling the dramatic theme of 'pleasure.' The first and third act as a sort of prologue and epilogue to the longer, more expansive second story. The first is a quick account of an elderly man who attends balls while donning the mask of a much younger man. The second is a more extensive story recounting a trip taken by a group of madams from a brothel. They visit a small village in which one of their nieces is attending her First Communion. The prostitutes are moved by the ceremony, but all any man around them ever cares about is getting frisky ...

  Alfred Hitchcock's "Foreign Correspondent" Although it was the second film Alfred Hitchcock shot in the US (1940's " Rebecca " being the first), 1940's " Foreign Correspondent " feels very much like Hitchcock's British films from the 1930s. It centers on an American journalist who travels to the UK to be a foreign correspondent, only to get wrapped up in a web of conspiracy and espionage. Sounds like " The Man Who Knew Too Much ," " The 39 Steps ," doesn't it? " Foreign Correspondent ," however, is perhaps the final 'teetering on the brink of war' of these films, as war finally breaks out by the film's conclusion.  I've got to say that " Foreign Correspondent ," although checking all of the 'Hitchcock' boxes, like everyday individual getting caught up in a conspiracy much bigger than them, the 'wrong man' trope, and the 'nobody believes you' circumstance, ...

  Federico Fellini's "La Dolce Vita" Famed Italian poet and director Pier Paolo Pasolini once described Federico Fellini's 1960 masterpiece " La Dolce Vita " as being too important to even be discussed as one would normally discuss a film. I feel this absolutely to be the case. Not only is " La Dolce Vita " a monolith of cinematic history, it also set a precedent for how cinema would be constructed thereafter. Its DNA can be found in the very components of modern cinematic convention. It's themes and story points are as relevant today as they were in 1960, providing it a sense of timelessness. To call " La Dolce Vita " a masterpiece would be an understatement.  The film is not told in the same traditional narrative style as most films. Rather, it is told through various interconnected episodes. It stars Marcello Mastroianni as Marcello Rubini, a tabloid journalist who aspires to write literature. Through the cafe society of Rome, he s...

  Yasujiro Ozu's "Brothers and Sisters of the Toda Family" After taking a 3 year hiatus from making films, Yasujiro Ozu returned in 1941 with his film " Brothers and Sisters of the Toda Family ." The film centers on the Toda family, who, after their patriarch dies, grows selfish over having to take care of their widowed mother. Like most of Ozu's films, " Brothers and Sisters of the Toda Family " provides a domestic intimacy with its characters, as Ozu's quiet observance of daily life in a family allows for the viewer to feel a connection to the story through their own personal domestic life, as well. I enjoyed this particular film and felt the pain of distance and isolation often associated with family and the guilt one feels over being that distant. Although it was a film I enjoyed, I've got to say that it has, so far, been my least favorite of Ozu's filmography. That is saying a lot, since Ozu is a master and all of his films are an ...

  Michelangelo Antonioni's "La Notte" After the controversial success of his 1960 film " L'avventura ," Michelangelo Antonioni continued down the path of atmospheric filmmaking. With his 1961 film " La Notte ," Antonioni replaces traditional storytelling narrative in favor of visual composition, atmosphere, and mood. This type of film caused hostile audiences at the 1960 Cannes Film Festival when Antonioni screened " L'avventura ." But, the creative support around the film helped Antonioni continue on his journey of anti-drama cinema. With " La Notte ," he brought along with him two of the greatest acting talents in the international film scene: Jeanne Moreau and Marcello Mastroianni.  The film takes place over the course of a single 24 hour period in the deteriorating final throws of a couple's relationship. A famed writer and his wife go to a fancy soiree, only for it to end in shambles. Throughout the whole film, we w...

  Ingmar Bergman's "Wild Strawberries" Often considered one of Ingmar Bergman's most significant films, 1957's " Wild Strawberries " takes the psychology of an aging physician and places its audience directly into his psyche. Bergman had initial come to the idea of the film when he was in his hometown. Driving by his grandmother's house, he had wondered what it would be like to open its doors and see everything just as it had been in your youth. He wanted his next film to focus on this nostalgic melancholy. After being hospitalized for gastric issues and general stress-related physical symptoms, Bergman wrote the screenplay for " Wild Strawberries " in his hospital bed.  The film focuses on Professor Isak Borg, a 78-year-old grouchy, stubborn egoist who is about to accept an honorary degree from his former college. On the trip to the event, he rides with his solemn daughter-in-law Marianne, whom does not like him very much. Along the way, t...

  William Wyler's "The Little Foxes" William Wyler's 1941 film " The Little Foxes " would go on to be the very last time that he and frequent acting collaborator, Bette Davis, would ever work together. Davis and Wyler had such a great working relationship, which is what originally got Davis cast in the role when Wyler took over directing duties. The film, based on the 1939 play of the same name, was written by the playwright herself, Lillian Hellman. In Hellman's original production, the lead role belonged to Tallulah Bankhead, who garnished much critical acclaim. However, Wyler refused to work with Bankhead and wanted Davis instead. Samuel Goldwyn, the film's producer, agreed due to the fact that none of the films Bankhead starred in went on to any commercial success. After being cast, Davis wanted to go a completely different direction that Bankhead. This, along with other insistences about makeup and stage production, lead to the heated arguments ...