Film Persona

  Emilio Fernandez's "The Pearl" Based on the classic novel by John Steinbeck, 1947's " The Pearl " was a Mexican-American film directed by famed Mexican director Emilio Fernandez. I've tried searching for some great films by Fernandez, but my options were limited to what I could watch. My most coveted watch is his 1946 film " Enamorada ," although I was not capable of watching due to no English-subtitled version being immediately available to me. It is a shame because this film, " The Pearl " was all done in English. I feel this is a shame because I would have liked to see the more natural Spanish-speaking films of Fernandez, rather than having to watch an American co-production. As far as the film itself, it is not without its merits. That being said, it was a bit of a boring watch. The main crux of the film is the trouble that surrounds a pearl by found by a poor family. The greed of everyone around them causes so many problems tha...

  Jacques Tourneur's "Out of the Past" I don't know why I keep doing this to myself. Every time I go in to watch a classic Hollywood noir film, I expect something grander than any typical noir. The reason for this is the hype surrounding the film from all the film community. I am always super excited and then utterly let down. I did this once again with the film I watched last night, Jacques Tourneur's 1947 film " Out of the Past ." There had been so much praise about this one. I was even thinking it could be my favorite film from 1947. And once again, I was utterly let down. That is not to say that " Out of the Past " is a bad film by any means. It is just that my standard for films has gotten so high that I can't put films on a pedestal that don't deserve it. Sure, it has an interesting plot with lots of twists and turns. For that, it is a standard noir flick. However, I cannot say that it enters into any serious discussion about the ...

  Andrzej Zulawski's "Possession" It can get a bit fatiguing sometimes to constantly be watching films, I will admit. The more films you watch, the higher your standard for film gets. This is especially true if you're watching standard, non-game-changing films, like I have been for the past couple of weeks. Then, there is a film that will eliminate your fatigue entirely and reinvigorate your soul and your love of film all together. For me, that film was Andrzej Zulawski's 1981 psychological horror drama, " Possession ."  I went into the film fully realizing the icon status of this cult classic. However, I had no idea how much I would fully enjoy this film. Perhaps one of the greatest films from the 1980s that I have seen thus far. I was completely blown away. The film centers on a young couple living in West Berlin as they navigate the emotional turmoil of going through a separation. Things get complex when the behavior of both parties become increasingl...