Film Persona

  John Huston's "Beat the Devil" Due to what he felt was a witch hunt by the House Committee on Un-American Activities, John Huston moved to Ireland in 1952. He began making British films, often receiving assistance from his Hollywood buddies, like Humphrey Bogart and Peter Lorre. His 1953 British film " Beat the Devil " employed these actors, along with the Hollywood star Jennifer Jones.  Although I felt the film had a promising thematic point, it spirals into an mockish adventure film that left me a bit uninterested. Sure, the concept of rapid Western industrialization and colonization after the Second World War makes for a great set-up. But the execution of this complex themes leaves little to be desired. The film, as put by Huston himself, is simply a spoof of " The Maltese Falcons ." While I understand the spoof elements, it doesn't make for a very satisfying or intriguing film. 

  Joseph Mankiewicz's "Julius Caesar" Joseph Mankiewicz's 1953 adaptation of William Shakespeare's 1599's stage play " Julius Caesar ," to me, is a completely inoffensive and by-the-book Shakespearian rendering. However, perhaps this is what caused me great disinterest in the film while watching. Although there isn't anything inherent about the film that requires much complaint in the realms of cinematography, performance, direction, etc., I am not quite moved or stirred by what I am seeing. Much to my disappointment, " Julius Caesar " carries nothing hardy for me to take with me.

  Anthony Asquith's "The Importance of Being Earnest" Everyone knows the classic Victorian play " The Importance of Being Ernest " and the hilarity that ensues when its characters become tangled in double lives and social obligations. The original source material, written by the iconic Oscar Wilde, first premiered at the St. James Theatre in London in 1895. The work has since become an iconic representation of Victorian-era British humor, spawning numerous adaptations, including Anthony Asquith's 1952 version, perhaps the most notable.  Asquith seems to me to be the most suitable filmmaker to adapt this work, as he had become one of the most prominent British directors of his time. His films often reflect the fractured British sensibility and its layers of manufactured pretensions, making " The Importance of Being Earnest " a perfect fit for his direction. I have always loved the source material and find its humor uproarious. With this adaptation, ...

  Mikio Naruse's "Mother" After the rousing success of his 1951 film " Repast ," Mikio Naruse crafted his next feature film from a screenplay that was based on a prize-winning entry of a school essay-writing competition. The story focused on a mother's struggles during the post-war years in Japan. The film, simply titled " Mother " encompasses the heartbreaking fracturing that occurs in her family and represents the fractured family unit that would emerge in Japanese culture after the war. Although it is mostly somber in tone, " Mother " offers a great deal of heart that extends from the uncompromised love of its titular mother. 

  Laurent Cantet's "Entre les Murs" One of the most interesting aspects of Laurent Cantet's 2008 French film " Entre les Murs " is the way in which Cantet creates intimacy. Based on the semi-autobiographical 2006 novel of the same name, " Entre les Murs " details the relationship of a teacher and his students within the classroom. The classroom of note contains many 'problem children' and the details of the experiences illuminate some of the complex discussions about the unique balance of trust and understanding in the education system. With a visual expression grounded in contemporary realism, " Entre les Murs " puts its viewer right in the middle of class time and all the notions that extend from its central theme are not espoused in some dramatic rhetoric or manufactured drama, but rather illuminates its themes through simply sitting in and observing extended scenes of class sessions. The film centers on Francois Marin, a young...

  George Steven's "Shane" Although George Steven's 1953 film " Shane " is considered a classic of the Western genre, I found a very difficult time allowing myself to enjoy it. The film definitely has some merits to it, certainly. However, I typically find more satisfaction with the western genre as a form of ' tabula rasa ' experiment. With " Shane " however, it seems to use the western genre as a format for fantasy and a clear distinction between 'good' and 'evil,' rather than building the foundations of society through action.  " Shane " centers on a gunfighter who is hired by a rancher in the Wyoming territory in 1889. The rancher, along with his family, are threatened off of their land by a ruthless cattle baron. The cattle baron hires rogue henchman to harass the family, along with many other ranchers in the area. With the help of the gunfighter, Shane, the group of ranchers decide to stand up for themselves. ...

  Kazuo Mori's "Vendetta for a Samurai" Although I had lots of trouble with " Vendetta for a Samurai ," I still respect some of the things it is attempting to accomplish. The film begins by expressing the nature of folklore and legend and how these timeless stories can be embellished in favor of drama. Often, the reality of a story doesn't always effectively translate the intensity or impact of what happened. However, in this Akira Kurosawa-penned film, the quick 2 minute folktale gets told in-length. In telling the entire story in-length, we see all the mundane and complex details of such an event. While this may not be as exciting, it certainly shows how complex a situation actually is and how the humans involved are more complex than simple two-dimensional characters. The 'brave heroes' are not exactly brave and experience doubt, fear, and anxiety. The fighting isn't epic, it's messy, awkward, and tragic. The people that died aren't wo...

  Vincente Minnelli's "The Band Wagon" Often considered one of the finest MGM musicals of its era, alongside 1951's " An American in Paris " and 1952's " Singin' in the Rain ," Vincente Minnelli's 1953 film " The Band Wagon " is a complete technicolor spectacle of singing, dancing, and pure entertainment. It centers on an aging Broadway musical star, played by Fred Astaire, who returns to the stage after taking time off. Much to his surprise, the industry has changed. The only way to revitalize his career is to make a smash hit. Despite MGM losing money on the project, " The Band Wagon " has gone on to earn critical acclaim and audience appreciation.  I liked " The Band Wagon ." Was it as monumental as " An American in Paris " or " Singin' in the Rain ?" Absolutely not. That being said, I really liked the thematic underpinnings of the again star. Like with " Singin' in the R...

  Keisuke Kinoshita's "A Japanese Tragedy" Keisuke Kinoshita's 1953 film " A Japanese Tragedy " was a stark reckoning of the aftermath of the war on contemporary Japanese life. Kinoshita was a Japanese director who is considered one of the great Japanese directors in the Japanese Golden Era of cinema. His films often dealt with the harsher realities of social structures breaking down specifically due to the tragedy of the war itself. " A Japanese Tragedy " was no different. " A Japanese Tragedy " centers on a woman who receives nothing but shame and disdain from her older children in the wake of the war. Kinoshita intercuts between the present resentments and the sacrifices the mother had to make for her children in order to feed them and survive the difficult times. The children, now entering adulthood, now no longer understand these sacrifices and only see their mother's prostitution and lower status as shameful and un-motherly. The...

  Yasujiro Ozu's "Tokyo Story" The first time I had seen Yasujiro Ozu's 1953 film " Tokyo Story " was when I was in my mid-to-late twenties. I remember not liking the film, finding it too boring and unengaging. It was the first Ozu film I had ever seen and it really turned me off to watching any more, frankly. When I revisited Ozu, I started his filmography in order, first watching his 1932 film " I Was Born, but... " To say the least, I was completely captivated and the film felt like an emotional gut punch. I had finally understood Ozu and his style. I felt similarly in all his subsequent films, as though I were watching something completely integrated into my own emotional life. His films are so domestic, so real, and such a mirror to own own complex relationships, that his films almost feels like life itself. So, when I finally sat down to re-visit " Tokyo Story ," I felt as though I were finally ready to receive it with reverence. Su...

  Jacques Tati's "Monsieur Hulot's Holiday" With his 1953 film " Monsieur Hulot's Holiday ," Jacques Tati premiered the iconic character of Monsieur Hulot for the first time in film. He would go on to continue this character in his subsequent films, like 1958's " Mon Oncle " and 1967's " Playtime ." Evocative of Charlie Chapin's tramp or the characters of Buster Keaton, Monsieur Hulot acts primarily as a visual gag comedian.  The film is mostly free of plot-driven dialogue, entirely visual gags throughout. Monsieur Hulot shows up to a seaside resort full of wealthy vacationers. Through his attempts to assimilate to the mass vacationers and their hobbies and behaviors, he ends up only causing chaos.  What Tati is able to accomplish with his Hulot character is using physical comedy and sight gags to visually demonstrate the bizarre way in which human beings behave. The specific point of focus for " Monsieur Hulot's ...

  Yasujiro Ozu's "The Flavor of Green Tea over Rice" Yasujiro Ozu seems to be continuing in the thematic thread of arranged marriages in Japan with 1952's " The Flavor of Green Tea over Rice ." He had dealt with this topic, which was a point of discussion in real domestic Japanese families, in his late 1940s, early 1950s films as a way of documenting the changing generational landscapes that were emerging in modern Japan. With " The Flavor of Green Tea over Rice ," he really issues a point of focus on the subject and dissects what it means to 'love' someone else and what it means to be in a marriage.  The film centers on a wealthy couple whose relationship has gone stale. Bitterness and resentment bubble to the surface of the wife especially. Their niece attempts to use this bitterness as a point to combat her own impending arranged marriage. A breaking point comes into play when the couple begin to squabble about the nature of their relati...

  Kenji Mizoguchi's "Ugetsu" After Kenji Mizoguchi released his 1952 film " The Life of Oharu " to global recognition, he was given far more creative freedom with his next project. This project, 1953's " Ugetsu " went on to even bigger global success, despite receiving a bit colder reception in his homeland of Japan. " Ugetsu " is unlike anything Mizoguchi had made before, although the marks of the master are still all over the piece.  " Ugetsu " centers on four people, two men and two women, in Japan's civil-war torn Azuchi-Momoyama period (16th century). One man's dream is to make beautiful pottery and the other is to become a glorious samurai. Both men vivaciously chase their dream, despite the chaos and terror of the civil war happening around them. In doing so, they both neglect their loyal and hardworking wives. The man wanting to become a samurai does so by stealing the head of a famous general and is rewarded wit...

  Kenji Mizoguchi's "The Life of Oharu" After watching Kenji Mizoguchi's 1952 film " The Life of Oharu ," I felt as though it was the thematic pinnacle of Mizoguchi's career (up until 1952). Mizoguchi certainly had a theme and subject matter that he stringently adhered to throughout his long filmmaking career. That being stories revolving around women and the struggles of women in Japan, more specifically. I felt as though that with " The Life of Oharu ," he was effectively able to construct a film that crystalized his entire body of work into a single, coherent piece. Aside from my own personal perspective, the film helped revitalize Mizoguchi's career from a global perspective.  " The Life of Oharu " centers on a late 17th century woman named Oharu, the daughter of a noble samurai. After falling in love and sleeping with a 'lower status" man, Oharu and her family are exiled from Kyoto. After becoming a concubine to a ki...