Film Persona

  David Lean's "Madeleine" David Lean once called his 1950 film " Madeleine " to be his leave favorite feature-length film of his filmography. I would have to agree on the front so far. Even his silly and screwball " Blithe Spirit " from 1945 had amusing elements to it. " Madaleine " is based on the true story of a young Glasgow women from a wealthy family who was tried in 1857 for the murder of her lover. While I feel that the film starts off very interesting and even contains plenty of visual elements that harken to the American noir movement, the film lost my attention rapidly. While there are certain merits to its production, it is definitely a film I will soon forget. 

  John Cassavetes' "Shadows" In December of 1959, avant-garde film critic Jonas Mekas wrote a manifesto called " A Call for a New Generation of Film Makers ." In this manifesto, he states that a newly released American film by John Cassavetes, called " Shadows ," was the start of a new movement that would inspire independent filmmakers, energize the flagging avant-garde scene, and triumph over the commercial Hollywood film industry. I don't think anybody at the time realized just how spot-on Mekas was with his assessment. While the Italian neo-realist movement was coming to a fitting close and the French New Wave movement was reaching its explosive introduction, John Cassavetes was filming something that would change the fabric of Hollywood forever. The film, " Shadows ," details the daily lives of a black family: two brothers who are unable to make it in the jazz scene, and a younger sister, a fair-skinned girl who wants to be an artist....

  Joseph L. Mankiewicz's "All About Eve" When Joseph L. Mankiewicz's 1950 film " All About Eve " was released in the US, it became a sensation, especially among critics and 'Hollywood' people especially. This is not all too surprising, as the film centers on the structural components of the 'entertainment' industry and the people that inhabit it (along with critics and journalists that cover it). To me, and I'm sure everyone else, the most sensational thing about the film was the phenomenal performance by the iconic Bette Davis. Bette Davis stars as Margot Channing, an aging Broadway star, who begin to become concerned after she takes in one of her young 'fans.' The fan, the titular Eve, begins to maneuver her way into Margot's inner circle and eventually manipulates people and situations so that she becomes Broadway's next big star. As Margot begins to realize her decline and the ascension of the young protégé, she must r...

  George Cukor's "Born Yesterday" By the time George Cukor's " Born Yesterday " was released in 1950, American cinema was frothing with bleak and nihilistic pieces that were birthed from the film noir movement. Even Hollywood films that weren't tagged with this moniker of 'film noir' borrowed elements of its style to fit the contemporary sentiment of cynicism and a growing distrust of the American institution. Perhaps this is why " Born Yesterday " and its complete throwback to 1930s-style buoyancy feels so refreshing. It acknowledges the corruption taking ahold of institutional structures (along with the corruption of the individual) while also being sanguine towards the power every person holds to change their landscape simply by changing themselves. " Born Yesterday " stars Judy Holliday in the role of Billie Dawn, an uneducated young woman who is partners with uncouth, older, wealthy junkyard tycoon, Harry Brock. Harry is ...

  Vincente Minnelli's "Father of the Bride" Although Vincente Minnelli would come to be known for his supremely popular musicals, there are several non-musical hits in his filmography that one could point to. For example, 1950's family comedy " Father of the Bride ." Starring the iconic Spencer Tracy and Elizabeth Taylor in a relatively early role, the film details the frustrations and emotional complexity of being the father to a bride-to-be. Rich with comedy, the film has an incredible sentimental value that catapulted the film to the box office, becoming the highest grossing film of its year.  I was also very delighted by the film. I don't think it's anything that I will return to anytime soon, or even. But, it was much better than I was anticipating. Mostly because there was a lot of heart in the film, especially by the end. It's no wonder the film has been remade a few times by Hollywood.

  Roberto Rossellini's "The Flowers of St. Francis" If you look back at the filmography of Roberto Rossellini, there are certain films you would list before you ever mentioned his 1950 film " The Flowers of St. Francis ." However, this film would actually be Rossellini's favorite of his own works. It can often get pushed to the side even for the film that Rossellini released that same year in " Stromboli ." But, there are many filmmakers who would say that " The Flowers of St. Francis " stands above the rest. " The Flowers of St. Francis " is adapted from two 14th century novels that focus on the life and work of the Italian friar named St. Francis. The two novels, " Little Flowers of St. Francis" and " The Life of Brother Juniper " contain 78 small chapters that aren't inherently biographic and instead focus on relating tales of the followers and life of the titular friar. Rossellini and her filmmaking f...

  John Huston's "The Asphalt Jungle" By the end of the 1940's, John Huston had made a name for himself amongst Hollywood scriptwriters and directors with works like " The Maltese Falcon " and " The Treasure of the Sierra Madre ." Huston had helped kickstart the film noir movement, but was never really beholden to it, which is why he was so adept at genre work. He was inspired by the Italian neo-realist films at the time and wanted to make something that mixed that style with the contemporary American film noir style that was popular at the time. This was achieved through the adaption of the 1949 novel " The Asphalt Jungle " by W.R. Burnett.  " The Asphalt Jungle " centers on a group of small time thieves who attempt a jewel heist in a Midwestern river city. The film is notable for its removal of the police procedural aspect of the story that was more prominent in the novel. It's a film that helped along the 'crime' g...

  Kenji Mizoguchi's "Miss Oyu" After watching Kenji Mizoguchi's 1950 film " The Portrait of Madame Yuki ," the very next film I watched was his direct follow-up, 1951's " Miss Oyu ." These past two selections in the Mizoguchi collection has really lost my appetite for his framework lately. I am highly anticipating his classic works from the 1952 to 1954 period, as they are considered some of the best films in Japanese cinema. However, I was not at all engaged with these two pieces. 

  Kenji Mizoguchi's "Portrait of Madame Yuki" At the point in his career when he made 1950's " Portrait of Madame Yuki ," I would posit that Mizoguchi had yet to reach his full potential as a filmmaker. That's saying something since he had already been making films for almost 15 years by that point. I'm not quite sure about Mizoguchi yet. His direction is always utterly superb, but I have yet to take a liking to his scripts. I know, " Portrait of Madame Yuki " is an adaption of a story by Seiichi Funabashi. But, I feel as though the stories themselves in a Mizoguchi film aren't quite as engaging as his contemporaries (to this point).  That being said, " Portrait of Madame Yuki " fits very nicely into the Mizoguchi ouevre. It centers on a woman in a loveless marriage, trying desperately to attain liberty. Mizoguchi is always intensely focused on themes involving women's struggles in a contemporary Japan (as well as historic...

  Rene Clair's "Beauty of the Devil" In the early 1930s, Rene Clair had helped pave the way for the new poetic realist movement in France. Two whole decades later, Clair's career was not exactly where one would expect such a significant contributor to an entire cinematic convention. Clair went from his successes in the early 1930s to such failures that he fled to the United Kingdom to make even more failures. When he attempted to return in 1939, war had broken out and Clair had to flee to America to make Hollywood pictures, only to middling success. After the war, Clair returned to France to begin anew once again and regain control over his cinematic practices. With this, he loosely adapted the classic German folktale of " Faust " by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe into his 1950 film " Beauty of the Devil ."  The story of " Beauty of the Devil " has been told time and time again: a man gives his soul to the demon Mephistopheles in order to gai...

  Youssef Chahine's "Father Amin" There is perhaps one name that stands out when discussing Egyptian cinema: Youssef Chahine. His career spanned almost 60 years and his contribution to Egyptian cinema is unparalleled. His career began at the age of 23, when he directed his first feature film, 1950's " Father Amin ."  " Father Amin " centers on the father of a family who decides to use the last bit of savings to place on a shady investment. Afterwards, he wakes up a ghost after dying of a heart attack. His ghost must watch as his entire family descends into poverty. His wife must sell all of their furniture to keep the house and his daughter must become an erotic dancer.  Chahine's first feature length film presents as very Dickensian, or feels very much akin to Capra's " It's a Wonderful Life ." While watching the disintegration of the honor, economics, and well-being of his family, the father learns how he should have been pr...

  Stanley Donen & Gene Kelly's "On the Town" Watching Stanley Donen and Gene Kelly's 1949 technicolor musical " On the Town " gave me the sense that I was watching what Hollywood would become over the next decade. At the peak of the noir age, American cinema was entering the new 1950s technicolor visual extravaganza, which included both musicals and westerns alike. " On the Town ," based on the 1944 stage musical of the same name, centers on a group of U.S. Navy sailors who are allotted 24 hours in New York City to sightsee. During their journey throughout the city, they come across three women who join them, one of them being "Miss Turnstiles," whom the Gene Kelly character attempts to locate time and time again throughout the film.  Although the wonderful " Singin' in the Rain " signaled the greatness that would be achieved by Donen and Kelly, " On the Town " seems to act as a prototype to this aesthetic of m...

  Michael Powell & Emeric Pressburger's "The Small Back Room" Perhaps the most mundane of all of Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger's work has to be their 1949 film " The Small Back Room ," which centers on the psychological struggles of a man making bomb for the UK government during the second World War. Perhaps I am being hyperbolic, but there are several films in their oeuvre that could fit that categorization. I know, I know, I am being very hard on the iconic British directing pair. But, when you make such indominable works like " The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp ," " Black Narcissus ," and " The Red Shoes ," I would expect more from them, even in their lesser works. That's the way it seems to go with these two: they either create something undeniably incredible or utterly inconsequential and irritatingly boring.

  Joseph L. Mankiewicz's "A Letter to Three Wives" When it comes to run-of-the-mill Hollywood studio films, there aren't many that have the depth and sophistication that 1949's " A Letter to Three Wives " had. Based on a 1945 novel of the same name by John Klempner, " A Letter to Three Wives " lays bare the anxieties felt by modern post-war women in the new, burgeoning commercialized world.  The film centers on three married women who receive a letter from the illustrious and mysterious Addie Ross. The letter announced that she has run away with one of the women's husbands, although she does not specify which. During their riverboat outing away from their spouses, the three women worry about which of their husbands has been unfaithful. We are shown three different flashbacks, each showing each women's relationship with her husband and the anxieties felt by how their husband might not be happy in their relationship.  I think what's m...

  William Wyler's "The Heiress" After watching 1949's " The Heiress ," I've come to the conclusion that it is William Wyler's greatest work (up until this point in his filmography). Not only that, but it is Olivia de Havilland's greatest performance and perhaps one of the greatest performances of the decade. Although the film was welcomed with innumerable praise from critics at the time (and even awarded several Academy Awards), it was a financial failure. This failure in the box office was perhaps the reason Olivia de Havilland's career waved thereafter. The film centers on Catherine Sloper, a plain and shy girl who lives with her wealthy, widowed father in 1849 New York. Catherine's father, Dr. Austin Sloper, is frustrated with his daughter's lack of skills or social graces and becomes suspicious of Morris Townsend, whom he believes is a fortune hunter attempting to marry Catherine for her inheritance. Despite this, Catherine is swe...

  Giuseppe De Santis' "Bitter Rice" Perhaps one of the more melodramatic Italian neo-realist films I've ever seen is Giuseppe De Santis' " Bitter Rice ." Despite its melodrama, the film is completely in line with the themes typical with neo-realist cinema. Produced by Dino De Laurentiis and starring his wife Silvana Mangano, the film would go on to be nominated for the Palme d'Or at the 1949 Cannes Film Festival, nominated for Best Story at the 1950 Academy Awards, and is included on the Italian Ministry of Cultural Heritage's 100 Italian films to be saved, a list of 100 films that "have changed the collective memory of the country between 1942 and 1978." " Bitter Rice " centers on Francesca and Walter, two small-time thieves who must hide from the law among the crowds of female rice workers working in the Po Valley. Francesca joins the workers and meets the overtly sexual and beautiful Silvana, who attempts to steal the alrea...

  Robert Hamer's "Kind Hearts and Coronets" The 1949 British comedy " Kind Hearts and Coronets " is perhaps most notable for the innumerable characters that iconic actor Alec Guinness played. However, beyond that simple factoid, the film stands as one of the greatest British films of the decade, on top of being incredibly cheeky.  The film centers on the son of a woman disowned by her aristocratic family. He is currently 7th in line for the throne and after his mother's death, he seeks to avenge her by eliminating the successors to the throne in front of him. One by one, he visits them and through various means, murders them off until he becomes the sole successor. However, his scheme hits a bit of a snap along the way. I found the film to be rather humorous. On top of that, I noticed its major themes centering on class suppression bubbling up through the form of quiet rebellion. Although the protagonist is technically a 'royal' himself, he seems to ...

  Jacques Tati's "Jour de Fete" Jacques Tati, who was known for his later works like " Monsier Hulot's Hoilday " and " Playtime " had his directorial debut with his 1949 film " Jour de Fete ." Although his later works dwarfed " Jour de Fete " retrospectively, it still was an important first step for the iconic French director. Centering on a mailman attempting to change the speed of his delivery after watching a film about American mail services, the film takes us through a small village where modernity has yet to catch up with the people.  Although I am excited to watch the filmography of Jacques Tati, I felt very underwhelmed by his debut. I completely understand the thematic point being made about the rapidly Americanized industrialization of the post-war French landscape, however the film seem to lean more on its physical comedy than what I know Tati is capable of through his staging and direction. And yes, I am completely a...

  David Lean's "Oliver Twist" After the success of David Lean's 1946 adaption of Charles Dickens classic 1861 novel " Great Expectations ," Lean decided once again to adapt a classic work by Dickens. This time, his focus was on the 1837 novel, " Oliver Twist ." His 1948 adaptation once again proved that Lean was able to take Dicken's classic work and visualize it for the big screen.  Centering on a young orphan boy in 19th century England, " Oliver Twist " details the boy's plight as he is hired out as an apprentice after asking a cruel taskmaster for a second serving of gruel. Falling in with a street urchin and a criminal, the boy's fate between wealth and poverty hangs in the balance when his kindly benefactor decides to take him in. From all of the Charles Dickens adaptations I have seen, I have come to the conclusion that I am not a fan of Dicken's work. I know, blasphemous. From " Great Expectations " to ...

  Anatole Litvak's "The Snake Pit" Based on the semi-autobiographical 1946 novel of the same name by Mary Jane Ward, Anatole Litvak's 1948 film " The Snake Pit " stars Olivia de Havilland as a woman stuck in an insane asylum. The reason for her mental illness is unknown to both her and the audience. As the film progresses, the truths about her backstory and illness are revealed piece by piece until she (along with us) have a complete picture of her life and her mental circumstances. As an entertainment flick, it is very interesting. There isn't much depth to the picture, but it does grab your attention, along with instilling a sense of empathy for those affected by mental illness in general. However, the main victory in the film for me is the incredible performance by Olivia de Havilland. I still haven't seen her 1949 William Wyler film " The Heiress " yet, but I have to say that " The Snake Pit " is by far the greatest performanc...

  Francois Truffaut's "The Bride Wore Black" Francois Truffaut was once asked which of his films he would change if he could. His response was his 1968 film " The Bride Wore Black ." It was Truffaut's first French film in color and a continued collaboration with iconic French actress Jeanne Moreau, who worked with Truffaut previously on 1962's " Jules and Jim ." The reason for why Truffaut had a negative opinion on the film is unknown, but his disdain for his own movie grew after it received hostile criticism after its release. The film centers on a woman who is making a revenge tour killing the five men responsible for her husband's death on their wedding day. One by one, she works her way through the men, killing them in uniquely various ways.  As far as the entertainment value of the picture, it is quite entertaining. It is a little pulpy in a way, which sort of prevents this film from having a whole lot of depth and leans it more in the...

  Michelangelo Antonioni's "Red Desert" 1964's " Red Desert " would be an important point in Michelanglo Antonioni's illustrious career. It would be the very last time he ever worked with his muse, Monica Vitti. It was also the very first time he used color in film. For these notable points, " Red Desert " seems to mark a transition point between the Italian films centering on modern isolation and malaise in the early 1960s and the more international films Antonioni would go on to make.  Vitti plays a woman married to an industrialist who runs a petrochemical plant in Ravenna, Italy. The plant is surrounded by a wasteland, as it has dumped all of its toxic chemicals on the nearby land and in the nearby water source. Vitti's character, Giuliana, is losing her grip on reality, as her husband grows increasingly neglectful. Her husband's business partner, Corrado, is more sensitive to Giuliana's anxieties and attempts an affair with her...

  Jean-Luc Godard's "Masculin Feminin"  With his 1966 film " Masculin Feminin ," Jean-Luc Godard attempts to make a picture aimed at the youth of contemporary France. Starring the iconic Jean-Pierre Leaud and real life ye-ye singer Chantal Goya as two young lovers, the film wades through its narrative and vignettes while probing its characters, along with unknown ancillary characters, about their opinions on politics, gender, and romance. While the film doesn't exactly speak on behalf of the French youth at the time, it certainly taps into their state of mind and the people they're becoming based on their unique environment in the post-war landscape. As the film states in an interlude at a certain point, "This film could be called 'The Children of Marx and Coca-Cola."  Paul, a political rebel, and Madeleine, a pop singer, could not be more different. They have completely differing tastes and political leanings and yet they become romantical...

  Michelangelo Antonioni's "L'eclisse" After watching Michelangelo Antonioni's 1962 film " L'eclisse ," I think it's safe to say that Antonioni is one of my all-time favorite directors. From what I understand, Antonioni can be considered a controversial director, as many consider his film 'too pretentious' or 'self-indulgent.' But while others choose to see the visual poetry of Antonioni as too frustrating to equate to something existential or artistic, I find it to be a totally elevated form of cinema, something worth reaching for even in our contemporary times.  The film centers on a young woman named Vittoria, who begins the film breaking up with her longtime partner Riccardo. After the breakup, Vittoria begins to fall in love with Piero, a young stockbroker who assists Vittoria's mother with stocks. Vittorio is unsure if she wants the relationship with Piero, and the two remain playfully entangled.  I think one of the reas...

  John Huston's "Key Largo" After the instant classics that " The Maltese Falcon " and " The Treasures of the Sierra Madre " became, John Huston became a high valued director in the studio system. With his 1948 film " Key Largo ," he teamed up once again with his lead collaborating actor Humphrey Bogart. The film starred Bogart and his famous wife Lauren Bacall and would be the last film the couple would ever appear in together.  The film centers on an Army veteran named Frank who travels to the Florida Keys in order to visit the family of an old Army comrade. While there, the hotel the family runs is overtaken by a notorious gangster who is hellbent on escaping by boat. The only problem is that when a terrible hurricane arrives, the group must hunker down with the gangster and his posse and survive the night. " Key Largo ," for me, is one of those classic Hollywood 1940s pulpy noiresque thrillers that doesn't have a whole lot o...

  Jean-Pierre Melville's "Bob le Flambeur" I've always read that many of the most prominent French New Wave directors were really drawn to Jean-Pierre Melville, especially his 1956 film " Bob le Flambeur ." While I cannot say that I was very keen on the film myself, I do understand some of the visual elements that really drew them in. For example, the use of handheld camera was an incredibly stark and notable visual in one of the sequences. This use of handheld would become a feature of the French New Wave film movement. On top of this, the playful single jump cuts were also elements of " Bob le Flambeur " that transitioned into the burgeoning New Wave. " Bob le Flambeur " centers on an aging gambler and former bank robber who attempts one last job of robbing the casino in Deauville. He gathers an ensemble to help him perform this feat, only for things to go sideways and he ends up arrested.  The film did not interest me as much as I was ...

  Jules Dassin's "The Naked City" Filmed entirely in New York City, Jules Dassin's 1948 film " The Naked City " is a police procedural centering on the murder of a young model. As you navigate the specific murder case, the viewer follows along as clues and evidence lead them down a rabbit hole of local corruption. The film was a success upon its release and even garnished two Academy Award nominations in the process.  Overall, I felt the film was a bit boring and by-the-books. I wasn't really interested in the stories, in the characters, or in the actual procedure at play.

  Michael Powell & Emeric Pressburger's "The Red Shoes" After watching the 1948 British film " The Red Shoes ," there is absolutely no doubt that it is directing duo Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger's greatest work. Not only is the film is absolutely gorgeous visual technicolor feat, it also perfectly encapsulates the greatest concerns of the arts and being an artist. Perhaps this is why the film comes across so passionately made, it presumably hits pretty close to the chest.  The film centers on a ballerina named Victoria Page, who aspires to far heights in the ballet world through the assistance of the world-renowned ballet impresario, Boris Lermontov. Boris, who believes that great heights in artistry can be achieved through renouncing all human emotional distractions, attempts to make Victoria the greatest ballet dancer in the world. The only issues comes when she develops a romance with composer Julian Craster, who attempts to wed her and start...

  Ingmar Bergman's "The Virgin Spring" I have watched many of Ingmar Bergman's films up until 1960 and I've got to say that his 1960 film " The Virgin Spring " is by far his most brutal. The film delves into themes regarding belief, vengeance, and the absence (or presence) of God. Although many of Bergman's films deal with dark subject matter, none have dealt with it so unflinchingly. So much so that the film was banned in many places upon its release. The film is set in medieval Sweden, where a prosperous Christian ranger sends his daughter off to deliver candles to the church. After the brutal rape and murder of the daughter Karin by a group of three herdsman, the herdsman wander onto the family farm to ask for work. After discovering one of Karin's garments with the travelers, the father decides to enact vengeance upon them, even killing an innocent child in the process. After feeling guilty of his son, he locates the body of his daughter and ...

  Yasujiro Ozu's "Late Spring" It's very interesting that " Late Spring " is often considered the starting point to Yasujiro Ozu's most prominent period of his filmography because by the time the film was released in 1949, Ozu already had two decades of great work under his belt. I think it is safe to say that most of Ozu's work has a certain level of quality to it, regardless of what period it emerged from. That being said, the post-war period was a creative leap for not only Ozu, but the entirety of Japanese cinema.  " Late Spring " centers on a young woman named Noriko who lives with her widowed father. Her father, her aunt, and even her 'modern' divorced friend wants Noriko to leave her father's house and get married. Noriko, however, is perfectly content with her life and feels as though marrying off to someone would entrap her for the rest of her life. Despite her resistance, her friends and family are successful in their ...