Film Persona

Michael Powell & Emeric Pressburger's "A Matter of Life and Death" In 1946, Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger continued their impressive streak of great films in the 1940s with " A Matter of Life and Death ." Although it was not the first technicolor film they would make together (1943's " The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp " being the sole technicolor collaboration between the two), many praised " A Matter of Life and Death " for its glorious and starkly beautiful technicolor visuals.  The story centers on a British airman who cheats death by surviving a fighter crash he was supposed to die in. While living out his remaining 'borrowed' time, he pleads with a figure from the afterlife to allow him to remain on Earth, as he has just fallen in love with an American servicewoman.  Although I was a bit bored by the story, I found the visuals to be incredible, especially the scenes involving the 'afterlife.' I know thi...

  William Wyler's "The Best Years of Our Lives" At the time of the film's release in 1946, " The Best Years of Our Lives " was hailed as William Wyler's masterpiece, on top of being considered one of the great American pictures made that decade. It was even popular amongst audiences who made the film the greatest box office success since the monolithic " Gone with the Wind " 7 years prior.  " The Best Years of Our Lives " centers on three differently ranked American servicemen as they attempt to reacclimated to the changing landscape of American culture upon returning from World War II.  They deal with a changing culture, trying to re-establish themselves in the family unit they left behind, and newfound trauma and disabilities they may have.  Going into this film, I was thoroughly excited as I had heard so many great things. While I did enjoy the film and think it was a worthwhile watch, I found myself disengaged, especially in the b...

  Maurice Cloche's "Monsieur Vincent" Centering on the life of 17th century priest Vincent de Paul, Maurice Cloche's 1947 French film " Monsieur Vincent " is a great biographical picture of an iconic man. Vincent de Paul, known historically as the priest who revolutionized the state of ministry in his time, focused all his time and efforts to serving the poor. The film demonstrates these efforts by Paul and ruminates on the state of class and our own sense of humanity. Perhaps this is a bad analogy, but I find " Monsieur Vincent " to be somewhat of a prototype to 'spiritual' films to come later. While watching, I felt that it resembled Bunuel's 1959 film " Nazarin ," Andrei Rublev's " Andrei Rublev ," and perhaps even the works of Robert Bresson, like 1951's " Diary of a Country Priest ." However, because " Monsieur Vincent " acts as a prototype to these films, it doesn't quite have th...

  Luigi Zampa's "To Live in Peace" Luigi Zampa's 1947 Italian neo-realist film " To Live in Peace " is a comedy-drama war film that centers on a family attempting to shelter and hide two American soldiers during the end of the Second World War. The family just want "to live in peace," as per the film's title, and want nothing to do with the war. But, the war comes to them and forces them into precarious situations where they must act regardless. Although the film has a lot of emotion, there is plenty of comedy in the film. Particularly, the scene in which the German and American soldier get drunk and parade the streets screaming that the war is over. These comedic parts were not as interesting to me and felt like more of a detractor from the heart of the story. Otherwise, I very much enjoyed this film and felt it was a nice entry into the new bucket of Italian films emerging from the post-war era. It is a bit of a smaller film and not as mighty...

  Marcell Jankovics' "Son of the White Mare" Telling the story of an ancient mythological Hungarian folktale, 1981's " Son of a White Mare " is a masterclass in visual animation by Marcell Jankovics. It is a thrilling picture that is perhaps the greatest use of animated images in the history of film. I found the visual psychedelic experience quite thrilling. The ancient fantasy folktale was neither here nor there, but it was the perfect story for such a unique and creative visual story. As much as I turn away from animated film, " Son of the White Mare " is perhaps the most stunning use of animation I've ever seen.

  Claude Autant-Lara's "Devil in the Flesh" Set during the backdrop of World War I, Claude Autant-Lara's 1947 film " Devil in the Flesh " details a romantic affair between a hospital nurse and a 17-year-old young boy. The couple's primary concern is the fiancé of the woman who is away fighting in the war and his inevitable return. Although the film doesn't concern itself with anything rooted in thematic relevance, I still found myself utterly engaged with this messy and tricky relationship. By the film's end, I was utterly devastated by the film's tragedy and the coming apart of a relationship, despite the bittersweet circumstances that surround it. Like I said, the film doesn't really relate to anything other than its own inherent story to me, but I thoroughly enjoyed it and emotionally connected the whole way.   

  David Lean's "Great Expectations" After the war, David Lean adapted two of Charles Dickens most famous novels. The first, released in 1946, was Dickens 1861 novel " Great Expectations ." Centering on a young orphan boy who finds himself in the fortunate circumstances of becoming a noble gentleman, the film was praised by critics and audiences for effectively rendering the classic Dickens novel to cinematic terms.  On a personal level, I had never read the Dickens novel. This was my first experience with this specific story. While there were some intriguing elements, I found the story and thereby the film itself to be rather boring. In fact, I fell asleep during it. While this is not an indicator of the objective quality of a work, it determines the personal likability with such a film. To that extend, I didn't like this film very much and was very underwhelmed. 

  Marcel Carne's "The Gates of the Night" As much as I hate to say it, this will be the last film I watch that was written by French scriptwriter Jacques Prevert. I have been such a fan of Prevert-penned films. His collaborations with Jean Renoir, Marcel Carne, and Jean Gremillon have produced some of the greatest French films of the 1930s and 1940s. There's something so magical about a Prevert story - an ensemble of characters all tragic in their own way. With director Marcel Carne, Prevert scripted a piece that centered on a contemporary France coming out of the hue of the war, lost and alone. The film is 1946's " The Gates of the Night ."  " The Gates of the Night " features an ensemble of characters in Paris in winter of 1945, just after France's liberation. A member of the French underground, Jean, reunited with one of his comrades, Raymond, whom he believed to be dead. After starting a liaison with Malou, the two spent the night toget...

  Joseph L. Mankiewicz's "The Ghost and Mrs. Muir" Adapted from the 1945 Josephine Leslie novel of the same name, Joseph L. Mankiewicz's 1947 film " The Ghost and Mrs. Muir " is a supernatural romantic fantasy the follows a widowed single mother in the early 1900s who encounters a ghost in the new seaside home she recently purchased. The ghost, a former seaman who died in her home only 4 years prior, develops a relationship with the titular Mrs. Muir. It is a very sweet film and is now considered a classic. Although this is the case, I found the film rather boring and uninteresting. 

  Kenji Mizoguchi's "Utamaro and His Five Women" Made during the Allied occupation of Japan after the second World War, Kenji Mizoguchi's " Utamaro and His Five Women " is often viewed as a lesser work from the renowned director. While I agree with this notion, the thing that I really engaged with the film about was its somewhat autobiographical nature.  The film is a period piece centering on famous printmaker Kitagawa Utamaro in the 18th century. He is renowned for his portraits of women and has various women he spends time with as his models. When one of his models becomes jealous that her fiancé has left him for a concubine, Utamaro must attempt to mitigate. All the while, Utamaro is being chastised by the government for his lewd and scandalous portraits of women and has been forced to 50 days in handcuffs so that he can't continue painting. During this time, the jealous model ends up murdering his ex-fiancé and his new lover.   The reason for the pe...

  Keisuke Kinoshita's "Morning for the Osone Family" After watching Keisuke Kinoshita's 1946 Japanese family drama " Morning for the Osone Family ," I was struck by how little writing there is about the film. I was so enthralled and moved by the film, that I felt that there was for sure a lot more to be said by the film community about such a flick. I personally found the film a marvel. The film centers on the Osone family between the years of 1943 and 1945. As war rages on in their country, the family is torn apart by a headstrong military uncle who is able to enlist all of the boys, much to the chagrin of the mother and sister of the family. The young boys go off to war (some against their desire), the father is arrested by the police for writing a paper against the war effort, and the mother and sister are left behind to deal with the abrasive privilege of the military uncle. By the end of the war, children are dead and Japan is in a state of turmoil.  I ...

  Robert Siodmak's "The Killers" I once again return to the world of film noir with my watch of Robert Siodmak's 1946 film " The Killers ." Often considered one of the greatest film noirs ever made, " The Killers " also happens to be the first film that actor Burt Lancaster ever performed in. It was a critical and commercial success at the time of its release and is an Ernest Hemingway adaptation that Hemingway considers the only good Hollywood adaption of his work. The film centers on a insurance investigator who gets engrossed in a murder mystery involving a former boxer. Although it was meant to be a quick investigation, the various twists and turns of the mystery only lead the investigator further and further into revealing the insidious truth.  I've got to say that the more 'film noirs' I watch, the more I feel as though that I'm not a big fan of the film noir as a genre and concept. " The Killers " certainly checks a...

  Yasujiro Ozu's "Record of a Tenement Gentleman" Review to come later

  Michael Powell & Emeric Pressburger's "I Know Where I'm Going!" As best described by Emeric Pressburger himself, the Powell-Pressburger 1945 film " I Know Where I'm Going! " takes the themes of anti-materialism present in " A Canterbury Tale " and presents them in a more accessible romantic comedy format. Because of this romantic comedy element of the film, I found it rather wavering in any thematic interest for me. The film centers on a young woman who travels from her home in Manchester to the Hebribes to marry a wealthy, much older industrialist. However, along the way, she gets stranded on the Isle of Mull due to inclement weather. There, she meets Torquil, a member of the Royal Navy. The two fall in love, bringing our protagonist's journey for wealth to an end.

  Michael Curtiz's "Mildred Pierce" In adapting the 1941 James Cain novel " Mildred Pierce " to the big screen, Michael Curtiz also created an enduring Hollywood classic. When the script was first being shopped by Warner Brothers, no Hollywood actress wanted to play the titular role due to the implication of her age by having a teenage daughter. However, after leaving MGM for Warner Brothers, Joan Crawford campaigned herself for the role and eventually got it. Her performance in 1945's " Mildred Pierce " wound up being the greatest performance of her career and garnished her a "Best Actress" Academy Award. The story centers on Mildred, a woman who, after separating from her husband, must become a waitress in order to provide for her spoiled 16-year-old daughter Veda. After honing her skills as a waitress, she eventually gains her own restaurant business, along with a new business partner and a new husband in Monte. However, both Veda and ...

  Vittorio De Sica's "Miracle in Milan" The general visual style, along with the subject matter, of Vittorio De Sica's 1951 film " Miracle in Milan " fits into the same style that is typical of De Sica's previous work. He helped establish the neo-realist movement in Italy that dealt with impoverished citizens in a post-war landscape. " Miracle in Milan " was much the same. However, " Miracle in Milan " finds De Sica experimenting with the format of neo-realism by injecting some magical realism.  The film centers on Toto, an optimistic young man who finds himself in a shantytown on the outskirts of Milan. Toto brings the shantytown community together with his warmth and optimism and turns it into a bright, tight-knit community of people working together. When the community discovers that petroleum erupts out of the ground easily, a businessman who owns the land arrives to kick the inhabitants off, bringing the police with him. Suddenly...

  Luchino Visconti's "White Nights" With his 1957 film " White Nights ," Italian filmmaker Luchino Visconti took Fyodor Dostoyevsky's 1848 short story of the same name and adapted it to the film screen. Starring Marcello Mastroianni and Maria Schell as a man and woman who meet one winter night, the film details their continued meetings and the woman's pining over a man she's been waiting on a bridge for. What is most notable about this film is the dreamlike quality it possesses. The dreamlike quality of the film can partially be attributed to the constructed street set that possessed this nighttime atmosphere.  Although there appears to be quite acclaim regarding the film, both contemporary acclaim and acclaim at the time of the film's release, I wasn't as struck by it as most. That being said, I still enjoyed the film. What I took most out of it was the desperation and loneliness of every character, even smaller, more insignificant character...

  Marcel Carne's "Children of Paradise" While watching Marcel Carne's 1945 film " Children of Paradise ," I felt that I was truly watching one of the greatest pieces of cinema ever. The problem is that I can't really connect the film to a real-world landscape in any way. For example, in the very same year of the film's release, Roberto Rossellini released his Italian masterpiece " Rome, Open City ," which took neo-realism to new, unseen heights as well as being a historical document of contemporary, imminent allegories. There is a direct connection from what was happening in Italy (the Nazi occupation) and the film itself, detailing these issues, anxieties, hopes, and fears. It was a film directly connected to its filmmakers, its country, and audience. This is the same for MOST films in general, as most connect to their time and place, not even necessarily by plot. But a film's tone, perspective, and aesthetic can always allow for audie...

  Michael Powell & Emeric Pressburger's "A Canterbury Tale" 1944's " A Canterbury Tale " was the first production by Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger to not be considered a box office success. Much like their other films during this period, it was filmed and released during Britain's ongoing war with Germany. The film's plot is set during these contemporary war times and is thematically centered on the concept that "the past always haunts the present." Although the film wasn't entirely successful during its opening run, its gotten much better retrospective acclaim.  I somewhat enjoyed the film, although the ending left little to be desired for me. It wasn't bad by any means. Like I said, I enjoyed it. However, it wasn't a very memorable experience and won't be something I oft reflect upon. I was quite admiring of the cinematography if anything. I'm very used to the direction of Powell & Pressburger, but the ...

  Jean Cocteau's "The Testament of Orpheus" The 1960 film " The Testament of Orpheus " was not only the final installment in Jean Cocteau's "The Orphic Trilogy," it was also the final film in his legendary career. Cocteau had only directed 7 films in his entire filmography, but his legend was so much bigger than that. A dramatist of the stage, a poet, a painter, novelist, designer, and art critic, Cocteau was the closest thing to a "Renaissance Man" you could call in the 20th century. His final film, " The Testament of Orpheus " was a surrealist reflection of Cocteau's career as well as an observation of Cocteau's personal relationship to art and life. It centers on Cocteau himself as an 18th century poet, as he travels through a dreamscape of his own works. Through these interactions, questions is posed regarding the nature of art and life. Cocteau melancholically reflects on his past works and what they mean in relatio...

  George Cukor's "Gaslight" I have now finally watched the film that originates the term "gaslighting." And yes, I know the 1944 George Cukor film isn't the original incarnation of this story. That distinction would go to the 1938 stage play of the same name by Patrick Hamilton. However, as the years and decades have slid away, the film version of this story remains in the public consciousness. Perhaps not to the younger generation who use this term so flagrantly, as I'm sure they're not aware that the word even has a modern source, but to those who still use the word with the knowledge that it derives from a popular source. The source that most would claim its belonging would be that of the Charles Boyer and Ingrid Bergman led 1944 film " Gaslight ."  The film centers on Paula, the niece of a famous opera singer who was recently murdered in her own home in 1875. The motherless Paula, after her parental aunt is mercilessly killed, spends ti...

  Roman Polanski's "Repulsion" After the international success of his 1962 film " Knife in the Water ," Roman Polanski relocated from Poland to the United Kingdom in order to continue his film career. Along with writer Gerard Brach, Polanski crafted a script that was set to be his first English-language film. The screenplay was inspired by a woman he and Branch were mutual acquaintances of, a woman suffering from schizophrenia. The film, called " Repulsion ," starred the iconic French actress Catherine Deneuve and would end up becoming one of Polanski's greatest works. The film centers on a Carol, a Belgian woman who works as a beautician in London and lives in an apartment with her older sister, Helen. Carol is a strange, shy girl who is awkward around everyone she meets. She is repulsed by the various men in her life, including Helen's boyfriend, a married man named Michael. When Helen leaves Carol alone in her apartment for the weekend to go...

  Robert Bresson's "A Man Escaped" What struck me most about Robert Bresson's 1956 film " A Man Escaped " was just how much Bresson could do with so little. The plot itself simply revolves around a prisoner of war attempting to escape a Nazi internment camp. All the while, the story's framing, its pace, and its careful observations of the prison escape are all very simple and measured. On paper, the film sounds like a very boring affair. However, despite the simplicity in the plot and execution, " A Man Escaped " is a film full to the brim with suspense, intrigue, and existentialism.  The film is based on a memoir by Andre Devigny, who was a member of the French Resistance during the war. The events that unfold in the film are replicated directly from Andre's experience in Montluc prison (although the film gives this prison a different name). Through Bresson's intimate direction, we watch as our protagonist, called Fontaine in the sto...

  Vincente Minnelli's "Meet Me in St. Louis" I suppose you could call Vincente Minnelli's 1944 period music " Meet Me in St. Louis " the very reason we have Liza Minnelli. After all, it is the very first collaboration between director Minnelli and lead actress Judy Garland. Centering on a family in St. Louis in 1903, the film takes us through the decision to leave St. Louis and the affects it has on the girls in this family.  The film is perhaps most notable for its iconic songs, like " The Trolley Song ," " The Boy Next Door ," and " Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas ," which were all created for the film specifically. The music was added, as the source material for the film was based on 1942 Sally Benson novel of the same name.  Perhaps my favorite aspect of the film was the cinematography. The use of technicolor by Minnelli and his team is something to behold, allowing for a vibrancy of color far greater than many other ...

  Abbas Kiarostami's "Where Is the Friend's House?" While watching Abbas Kiarostami's 1987 film " Where Is the Friend's House ," I felt myself inextricably transfixed to the story of a young boy looking for his friend's house. The plot of the film is relatively simple, and yet the mundanity of an everyday-type problem unravels into a more complex observation of Iran life.  The film centers on a young 8-year-old boy named Ahman, who goes to school with Reza, a friend of his. After watching his teacher chastise Reza for not writing down his assignment in his notebook, Ahman accidentally grabs Reza's notebook by mistake and takes it home with him. Adman pleads with his family to let him leave to return the notebook, but they are critical of him and tell him to do his homework and chores instead. Ahman leaves and spends the rest of the film frantically searching for Reza's house in the next village over. Like I said, the plot is relatively si...

  Jean-Pierre Melville's "Les Enfants Terribles" After the rousing success of his 1949 film " La Silence de la Mer ," Jean-Pierre Melville caught the attention of famed poet, playwright, and filmmaker Jean Cocteau. Cocteau asked Melville to adapt his 1929 novel " Les Enfants Terribles ." The result, 1950's " Les Enfants Terribles " is a bizarre concoction of Melville's unique direction and Cocteau's inexplicable written word.  I won't go too much into the plot of the film, only to say that it centers on a brother and sister who have a very strange relationship with each other. There is so much tension, violence, love, and even passionate obsession between them. When they interact with several other characters who arrive into the story, they drag them through their various games and twisted relationship. I have to say that I did not enjoy this film. I can objectively see its merits, especially the bizarre quality that Cocteau a...

  Max Ophuls' "The Earrings of Madame de..." While watching Max Ophuls' 1953 French film " The Earrings of Madame de... ," I was struck by how the film seems like a complete synthesis of all of Ophuls' most notable works. It had the very same theme and tone to his 1933 German film " Liebelei " while also mimicking some of his more recent French films " La Ronde " and " Le Plaisir ." While the former dealt with very similar plot devices revolving around lust and passion attempting to be contained by restricting upper class respectabilities, the latter films take this notion and analyses them further by removing the restriction of class and nationality into more universal concepts. What " The Earrings of Madame de... " does so well is essentially reiterate " Liebelei ," while also reinforcing the concepts of class and feminism. The film centers on the nameless "Madame de...," an aristocratic woman...

  Preston Sturges' "Hail the Conquering Hero" 1944's " Hail the Conquering Hero " will be the very last film of Preston Sturges' that I will be watching and reviewing. It also happens to be the last film he ever produced with Paramount Pictures. Made and released during the middle of World War II, " Hail the Conquering Hero " is perhaps the most aptly and timely picture of Sturges' career.  The film centers on a young man named Woodrow afraid to tell his mother that he was not medically fit for the war. After a year of hiding away, a group of soldiers find him sulking in a bar and convince him to tell his mother that he has just returned from war after being medically discharged. After returning home, he and the group of soldiers are surprised to discover that the whole town has thrown a celebration for the 'conquering hero.' Even more so, they have elected Woodrow to be the new mayor. Stuck in the middle of the lie, the real soldie...

  Otto Preminger's "Laura" Billy Wilder's " Double Indemnity " was released in the summer of 1944 and changed the landscape of the Hollywood film going forward. That fall, there would be an onslaught of film that attempted to replicate that 'noir'-ish formula, like Fritz Lang's mockish " The Woman in the Window ." Otto Preminger, an Austrian director, whom had yet to made a big splash in Hollywood, released a widely popular 'film noir' called " Laura ."  " Laura " centers on a detective investigating the death of a woman named Laura. Through his investigation, we meet a cast of characters and through flashbacks as told from their perspective, we get to know Laura and her relationship with these men. However, a twist in the story changes the very fabric of the investigation all together.  Although the film is labelled as a 'film noir,' I personally would rebuke that label all together. To me, there is ...

  Vincente Minnelli's "Cabin in the Sky" Vincente Minnelli's directorial debut, 1943's " Cabin in the Sky " is a very unique picture in that it contains a all-black cast. This obviously caused a lot of controversy, especially in the southern states. Despite racial tension over the film's release, it ended up making a profit for MGM in the amount of $587,000.  The film details the moral fight over a man's soul. Little Joe, a well-meaning gambler, gets killed over his gambling debts by a group of gangsters. Little Joe's soul is resurrected on the condition that he get one final chance to redeem his soul. The son of Satan and 'The General' make a wager over Joe's soul and play various games to tempt and/or redeem Joe. " Cabin in the Sky " is full of musical numbers, in typical Minnelli style. Although this film doesn't quite have the signature Minnelli flare, it is a great starting point for the soon illustrious filmmak...

  Jean Gremillon's "Le Ciel est a Vous" The very last film I will be doing in my Jean Gremillion watch is his 1944 romantic drama, " Le Ciel est a Vous ." Gremillon was a director known for his subversive filmmaking, which was especially important during the war when that was greatly needed. However, with " Le Ciel est a Vous ," Gremillon strayed from his typical style into something more crowd-pleasing. The effect delivered, as it became Gremillon's most financially successful film. The film focuses on a married couple who have dreams of flying, the mechanic Pierre and his wife Therese. Eventually, the team are able to construct an aviator that Therese breaks a world record with. The story is about the love between the two characters and their joint dreams that they attempt to reach together. Overall, I very much enjoyed the film. I think that the climax of the film really pulls on your emotional center. I went from being devastated to overjoyed t...

  Laurence Olivier's "Henry V" To me, Laurence Olivier's 1944 Shakespeare adaptation of " Henry V " has the same intentionality of Sergei Eisenstein's 1938 film " Alexander Nevsky ." Both deal with noble kings preparing their nation for battle against an aggravator army. Both are meant to be used by their respective nation as a morale boost and an encouragement for the collective hope in defeating the Nazi invaders. Olivier's " Henry V ," partially commissioned by the British government, was "dedicated to the 'Commandos and Airborne Troops of Great Britain in the spirit of whose ancestors it has been humbly attempted to recapture."  Olivier's film starts off as a performance of the iconic play itself in 1600s London, as spectators watch the opening scenes of Shakespeare's play in the Globe Theater. However, the film soon transitions back to 1415 so that we the viewers may watch the full encompassing event of ...