Film Persona

  Carol Reed's "The Third Man" I've got to say that when I first watched Carol Reed's 1949 film " The Third Man " several years ago, I was completely floored by it. I had even considered it as one of the greats of classic cinema. I watched it for a second time yesterday and, to be completely honest, the emotional engagement I felt from the first viewing experience had completely dissipated. That's not to say that the film isn't a great film and still a considerable classic of the noir genre and of classic British cinema. But, one of the major engagements of the film is the feeling of confusion and disorientation the protagonist feels and our equally confused and disoriented viewing experience as we follow along. However, once you know the full scope about Harry Lime and what he's up to, the mystery and disorientation dissolves and you're left to view the film as an objective observer who knows all the facts. You become disengaged from the...

  Laurence Olivier's "Hamlet" After the rousing success of his first Shakespearian adaptation, 1944's " Henry V ," Laurence Olivier garnished even greater success with his 1948 adaption of the iconic " Hamlet ." Although his directorial debut with " Henry V " was done fully with technicolor, " Hamlet " was a return to black and white cinematography. Perhaps this allowed Olivier far more freedom with his visual imagery, as he takes very gothic inspirations from German Expressionism and the current American film noir movement. The result was a rapturous welcoming by audiences and the film community, as " Hamlet " became the greatest success of Olivier's directorial career.

  Fei Mu's "Spring in a Small Town" In 2005, Fei Mu's 1948 film " Spring in a Small Town " was voted the Best Chinese film ever made by the Hong Kong Film Awards. The film is highly regarded for its minimalist style and themes centering on post-war trauma. During the film's release, China was still in a state of dilapidation. The country had been torn apart by war and its residents were still psychologically recovering from the horror and trauma. The film acted as a quiet meditation on this trauma and in a not so roundabout way, reconciled with the Chinese Civil War that was taking place at that time. The film follows Yumen, a married woman living in a ruined family compound owned by her husband, Liyan. The estate is falling apart and its ruins represents the ruins of the Chinese state after the end of the war. Yumen is depressed and unhappy in her loveless marriage and Liyan is unpleasant towards his wife due to his worsening illness. When a friend of L...

  Kenji Mizoguchi's "Women of the Night" It seem as though " Women of the Night " is regarded as one of Kenji Mizoguchi's lesser acclaimed films in his filmography. I have not made my way through the film after this one, but I certainly felt as though " Women of the Night " stands as his rawest and most straightforward films that has come out up until this point. Mizoguchi was impressed by the Italian neo-realist movement that was circulating in global cinema and " Women of the Night " was his best attempt at replicating that.  The film centers on three women, two of them sisters, who descend into prostitution, all for various and individual reasons. It is a film that came out after the war and centers on the Japanese post-war landscape. Mizoguchi was known for his themes involving destitute women and their struggles within a society that oppresses and abandons them.  Perhaps this is just a minor note, but I felt as though Mizoguchi is co...

  Carol Reed's "The Fallen Idol" Right after his grand success with 1947's " Odd Man Out ," British director Carol Reed continued his late 1940s streak of great films with 1948's " The Fallen Idol ." Written by Graham Greene, based on his own short story " The Basement Room " found in his 1947 collection " Nineteen Stories ," the film centers on a child as he is confronted with the moral ambiguity surrounding the man he idolizes.  The protagonist of the film, Philippe, is a small boy and the young song of the ambassador of a French-speaking European country. He lives parentless at the embassy with his butler and maid (both married to each other). He idolizes the butler, Baines, who tells him extravagant tall tales of his time in Africa and frequently plays with the boy. Baines' kindness is juxtaposed with Mrs. Baines, who is much harsher towards the boy. One day, the boy discovers that Baines is having a secret affair wi...

  Yasujiro Ozu's "A Hen in the Wind" What struck me most about Yasujiro Ozu's 1948 film " A Hen in the Wind " was how much the structure and themes of the film seemed emblematic of a Kenji Mizoguchi film. Themes revolving around women and their precarious predicaments in Japanese social structures. I've read in some places that many even consider this Ozu's darkest film. The film centers on a mother in post-war Japan as she awaits the return of her husband from war. The only problem is that, once he returns, she must confess to him that she was forced to prostitute herself to get money for their sick child. Upon hearing this news, the husband goes into a fit of rage and despair, ultimately throwing his wife down the stairs. The two reconcile afterwards, but it is clear that the shame and pain of their mistakes remain.  I feel as though " A Hen in the Wind " is an apt title for the film, as it revolves primarily around the struggle of women ...

  Keisuke Kinoshita's "The Portrait" I'm finding the films of Keisuke Kinoshita to be rather interesting. I've only seen the 3 he has done from 1946 to 1948, most recently with 1948's " The Portrait ." His works are always solid and it often strikes me how he is not ever mentioned with post-war Japanese cinema along with contemporaries like Akira Kurosawa, Kenji Mizoguchi, and Yasujiro Ozu. Perhaps this is not the case in Japan, but I have scoured the internet here in the U.S. for some Kinoshito content, but have come up short more often than not. As far as my most recent watch, 1948's " The Portrait ," I found it to be interesting and engaging. It centers on the mistress of a man who is attempting to take advantage of a family living in a house he owns. As the realtor moves in to try and get the family to move out so he can sell it, the mistress begins to be won over by the kindness of the family and begins to look at herself and her l...

  Jules Dassin's "Brute Force" Jules Dassin's 1947 film " Brute Force " is about what you would expect from a prison break film. Morally complex prisoners, unjust and corrupt security guards, a strategized plan for escape, and an eventual climactic uprising. That being said, " Brute Force " seems to cement these typical cruxes before they became popularized. To top that off, the climactic uprising at the end of the film is surprisingly violent for a 1940s Hollywood film. I very much enjoyed the picture and enjoyed the victory over tyranny that is achieved by the prisoners. In this case, the victory over tyranny does not come in the form of actually escaping. Rather, it is defeating the sadistic prison guard who does nothing but brutalize and torment the prisoners. It is a solid flick and I commend it.

  Edmund Goulding's "Nightmare Alley" Edmund Goulding's 1947 film " Nightmare Alley " differentiated itself from the typical 'noir' structure by eliminating a lot of plot devices that have kept the genre upright. With this new addition to the 1940s & 1950s Hollywood cornerstone, it instead opts to keep the brutal fatalism instead. The film centers on Stan Carlisle, a seedy traveling carnival's barker who attempts to work his way up the ranks. Our protagonist isn't a righteous fellow, as his main method for advancement is deception. His whole act is deception and trickery, which is exactly what he uses to manipulate everyone around him and climb the ladder of success. However, it ends horribly for Stan whose own tricks and deceptions are used against him in the end.  In a typical noir, the structure of our society is unearthed to showcase a seedy, horrible, and parasitic humanity underneath. The same is true for " Nightmare Alley ....

  Ingmar Bergman's "The Magician" I feel as though " The Magician " is perhaps the least interesting film of Ingmar Bergman's that I have seen in his collection thus far. That being said, Bergman's worst movie is still better than 90% of all cinema. I still found myself very engaged with the film and felt myself intrigued by the story and comfortable in the Bergmanian format.  The story centers on a mute magician and his performing troupe known for their 'supernatural' shows. Arriving in Stockholm, the troupe are pressured to stay the night at a local Consul's abode. There, they are challenged by a cruel and rationally minded medical official who wants to prove the smoke and mirrors behind our magician's performances. I think, for me, what I take away most from the film is Bergman's self reflective lens. I feel as though the titular magician represents Bergman himself. He is mute, but his performances are able to illicit intense emoti...

  Francois Truffaut's "The Soft Skin" After establishing himself firmly within the French New Wave period with his string of hits like 1959's " The 400 Blows ," 1960's " Shoot the Piano Player ," and 1962's " Jules and Jim ," Francois Truffaut made a film that would bring a screeching halt to the New Wave concepts he had so much utilized, along with bringing a screeching halt to his string of successful box office films. 1964's " The Soft Skin " was in no way a New Wave fascination nor a box office success for Truffaut.  The film centers on Pierre, a celebrated literary scholar who strikes up an affair with a flight attendant. Amidst this infidelity, he must keep this newfound affair a secret from his wife. In the end, she discovers the truth to tragic consequences.  The story itself is relatively simple and focuses on more 'bourgeois' problems: celebrity, a bored husband, secret infidelity. However, I found ...

  Robert Bresson's "Pickpocket" Upon first watching Robert Bresson's 1959 film " Pickpocket ," I felt a certain lack of engagement with the film. Its plot and story are very dry, its characters are very flat, and the main conflict of the character is entirely within his ability to maneuver out of. However, the more I reflect upon the film, the more I feel as though I entirely missed the point.  The film centers on Michel, an unemployed man living in Paris who cannot seem to hold down the jobs that his friend Jacques acquires for him. After falling into a lifestyle of pickpocketing, Jacques and his neighbor Jeanne try and help him out of his troubles. However, he continues to pickpocket until he is eventually caught. The plot of the film does sound relatively simple. A down-on-his luck man cannot seem to stop himself from being a common thief, despite the pleading from his family and neighbors. Once you begin to ask yourself why he's doing this, the theme...

  Keisuke Kinoshita's "Phoenix" I very much enjoyed the first Keisuke Kinoshita film that I watched, 1946's " Morning for the Osone Family ." I even enjoyed his follow up, 1947's " Phoenix ." However, I feel as though I 'got' the film early on while watching, which made the first half thoroughly enjoyable. As the film went on, (even thought it was only 1 hour and 20 something minutes) I felt that my thematic understanding of the film had already been understood and the remaining final section of the film felt a bit uninteresting to me because of that.  The film centers on a woman reminiscing about the time she spent with her military husband before his death. Throughout the film, the woman goes through many hardships and difficulties. The thematic point of the film is that she must emerge from this hardships on the other side and maintain a sense of purpose and fulfillment, even though she is a widow that nobody wants. As Japan was now ...

  Michael Powell & Emeric Pressburger's "Black Narcissus" At the time of the release of the Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger's " Black Narcissus " in 1947, the United Kingdom had begun the process of decolonization in India. Although Powell and Pressburger's film doesn't specifically pertain to this retreat in the elements of the plot, its overarching themes seem to touch upon England's lack of connectivity to these regions they've colonized. On top of this, " Black Narcissus " dives into thematic elements of eroticism and our sensual and natural desires that are in direct contrast to the systems of order created to contain them. The film centers on a group of nuns who travel to isolated mountain in the Himalayas in order to establish a school and hospital. The nuns have problems with this new environment due to its harsh climates and antagonistic population. Their reliance on a British agent named Mr. Dean begins to become...

  Edward Dmytryk's "Crossfire" Often given the tags of "film noir" and "B-movie," Edward Dmytryk's 1947 film " Crossfire " defied the typical disdain I have for films with these labels and turned out to be a pretty solid affair. I can't quite say that it is one of my favorite films of this time period or even 1947 in general, but it wasn't a complete and total waste of time.  The plot, like many noirs, involves the investigation of a murder. Through many twists and turns of the story, we learn that the murder victim was Jewish and that the murderer was an anti-Semite. What interested me about the plot was that it wasn't so involved with itself. What I mean is, most film noirs are so giddy about their use of plot that they become weighed down by them. When I watch some film noirs, I feel as though I'm watching a film stroke itself to its own convoluted plot. That is not he case with " Crossfire ," as it seems to c...

  Carol Reed's "Odd Man Out" Perhaps what is most captivating about Carol Reed's 1947 British film " Odd Man Out " is that it is difficult to point out exactly what kind of film it actually is and what it is even about. Obviously, the film's plot can be summed up rather succinctly and appears very simple. When I question what the film is about, I'm not speaking about the film's plot or the actual literal events of the story.  The film centers on an Irish nationalist named Johnny McQueen who gets shot in the shoulder when a robbery goes awry. The rest of the film is spent with him traipsing on throughout the night attempting to evade an active police hunt. As he evades arrest, the wanders through the labyrinth of Belfast, encountering various citizens whom all deal with him in various ways.  What's interesting about this scenario is that Johnny, an IRA member, starts the film a conscious protagonist and slowly begins to become peripheral to th...

  Vittorio de Sica's "Umberto D." Add " Umberto D. " to the continuing collection of Vittorio de Sica films that are devastating and emotionally charged. I've got to say that although " Umberto D. " really falls in line with what De Sica is aesthetically and thematically known for, it still somehow manages to disinterest me. I'm not sure about why, as I appear to be having a string of 'great' films fall short for me recently. Perhaps I am just overloading myself on films and I am becoming fatigued by them. Perhaps this is why I'm not engaging with these great works as I would like to. OBJECTIVELY, " Umberto D. " is a great triumph. However, it did not emotionally move me so viscerally as " Shoeshine ," " Bicycle Thieves ," or even his earlier work like " The Children Are Watching Us ." I recognize the film for its emotional accomplishments in an entirely objective way. But, for some reason, I ...

  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...