Film Persona

  Douglas Sirk's "Magnificent Obsession" While I completely understand some of the thematic ideas in Douglas Sirk's 1954 film " Magnificent Obsession ," I still found myself lacking in interest with the film's execution of these themes. Starting with this film and continuing on with a string of technicolor melodramas that would follow, Douglas Sirk became synonymous with the style and aesthetics of the 1950s. His films almost seem like representations of the decade themselves. However, this particular entry left me a little hollow. The film centers on a spoiled playboy named Bob Merrick, who decides to change his life after a reckless incident causes the death of a respectable local doctor. After another incident he partially causes, the doctor's wife, Helen, is left without sight. Bob then spends his time attempting to reconciling for his mistakes.  The themes of the film are relatively tied with the film's visual format. The colors and technico...

  Kenji Mizoguchi's "A Story from Chikamatsu" There's nothing quite like late-period Mizoguchi films. " The Life of Oharu ," " Ugetsu ," and " Sansho the Bailiff ," all released between 1952 and 1954, are considered to the be pinnacle of Mizoguchi's filmography. They are also considered some of the greatest films Japanese cinema has to offer in any time period. However, there is one particular film that is often overlooked, released in the same time period: 1954's " A Story from Chikamatsu ."  The film revolves around two lovers forced together through excruciating circumstances. During the Edo-period of Japan, Osan, the wife of a wealthy grand-scroll maker, goes to his employee, Mohei, to ask for money to help her indebted cousin. After a series of misunderstandings and accusations, Osan and Mohei are forced to flee after being branded as adulterers. If caught, the punishment for adulterers is crucifixion. They spent th...

  Roberto Rossellini's "Fear" Although Roberto Rossellini's 1954 film " Fear " did not do well at the Italian box-office, I found this to be a great treat in his filmography. The premise of the film is rather simple: a woman attempting to negotiate with another woman blackmailing her over infidelity. However, the primary thrill of the film is through the Hitchcockian suspense of being found out.  The Hitchcockian aspects of the film are intentional by Rossellini. His atmosphere, camera angles, and touches of German Expressionism all create a nourish suspense element that is palpable. In the end, the notions of shame and morality are the driving point. However, my engagement with the film lies purely in the maneuvering of how our protagonist deals with blackmail. I found myself putting myself in her shoes and pondering what I would do in such a situation.  Despite the film's relatively simple plot, Rossellini's execution of said plot creates the enter...

  Youssef Chahine's "The Blazing Sun" Although " The Blazing Sun " was not Omar Sharif's film debut, it was the film that made him a star. In fact, the film also stars another gem of Egyptian cinema, Faten Hamama, who is otherwise known as "The First Lady of Egyptian and Arabic Cinema." The director of the film, Youssef Chahine, has worked with both of them before. He worked with Sharif on " Devil of the Sahara ," which was Sharif's film debut. He also worked with Hamama on 1950's " Father Amin. " " The Blazing Sun " centers on Ahmed Salam, an engineer and the son of a sugar cane farm owner. After increasing the production of the peasant farmer's sugar cane, wealthy land owner Taher Pasha is threatened by the peasant's prosperity. He floods their land and ruins their crops. After the Sheikh privately accuses Pasha of doing this, he has him murdered and frame's Ahmed's father. Ahmed attempts to r...

  Jean-Luc Godard's "Made in USA" There is always a certain level of confusion involved with a typical Jean-Luc Godard film. Whether that's the breaking of narrative, the way he edits shots together, or the intentionally convoluted nature of the plot. With his 1964 film " Made in USA ," I would attribute the latter. However, this attribution of the film does not make it off-putting. To some, absolutely. But to me, I find it utterly refreshing to watch a Godard film, even when there are elements and plot points that confuse me.  In fact, I could not even tell you what the plot even is from my own understanding of what I witnessed. By my accounts, a writer named Paula goes to the French town of Atlantic-Cite to investigate the death of her former colleague and lover, Richard. She then gets thrust into a world of conspiracy and political maneuvering. Surrounded by lies, misinformation, bad actors, and ideological struggles, her search for Richard's killer b...

  Keisuke Kinoshita's "Twenty-Four Eyes" During the largescale creative output of Japanese cinema in the late 1940s and 1950s, the filmmaker Keisuke Kinoshita varied wildly from his contemporaries. Rather than making subtle films that depicted cultural changes or criticism of the war, Kinoshita's films were not subtle at all. His films were very direct in criticisms of the Japanese government and the resulting fallouts. With his 1954 film " Twenty-Four Eyes ," his criticisms are just as pointed. However, his soft touch of humanist story remains. " Twenty-Four Eyes " takes place over the course of two decades, from 1928 to 1946. Its protagonist, a teacher named Hisako, arrives on the island of Shodoshima to teach a class of twelve first-grade students. She becomes attached to them and them to her. Over the years, she watches as the children's futures are squandered by economic depression and the rise of Japanese nationalism. Many of her male stu...

  David Lean's "Hobson's Choice" Going into David Lean's 1954 film " Hobson's Choice ," I was expected some droll, silly comedy. What I got was something completely unexpected. I certainly do consider the film a comedy, by all means. However, a layered comedy was not on my radar. The film stars Charles Laughton as an autocratic proprietor of a moderately upmarket boot shop in 1880 Salford. He is authoritarian in nature, disallowing his daughters to marry for fear of losing free labor and forking over a settlement fee. However, his eldest daughter Maggie, devises a plan to set forth on her own. She marries Will Mossop, a lowly, educated boot maker. The two of them leave the restraints of her father and set up their own competing boot shop, eventually surpassing him. The film's charm is perhaps its most admirable quality. I was completely won over by the simple, but loving nature of Will Mossop and the headstrong fortitude of Maggie. Their paring l...

  Kenji Mizoguchi's "The Woman of Rumour" If there's one thing you can say about a Kenji Mizoguchi film, it's that it will thematic focus on the strife and struggle of women. It seems enormously important for Mizoguchi to illustrate the dire circumstances women face in society. His 1954 film " The Woman of Rumour " adheres to this consistently revisited notion.  Centering on a woman who runs a courtesan house, " The Woman of Rumour " iterates the notion that women are placed in a precarious situation in which they are far more shamed for their behavior than men are. Regardless of the circumstances, women don't quite have the ability to escape the harsh opinions and criticism of the society of men  - and surprisingly, even women - around them.  Once a 'woman of rumour,' it becomes impossible to thrive in a society that has branded you as such. The women of the film find it difficult to get ahead economically, simply due to the labels...

  Ishiro Honda's "Godzilla" Starting with the 1954 Japanese film, " Godzilla ," the iconic monster and its franchise of films are considered by Guinness World Records to be the longest-running film franchise in history. Although the franchise has been hijacked by Hollywood, the real roots of the radiation monster lie in post-war Japan. After the dropping of atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, nuclear threat remained a very real anxiety for the survivors of the first-ever atomic weapon. " Godzilla " was simply one of many films that illustrated this anxiety. The plot of " Godzilla " is a relatively recognizable format, thanks to the writer and director Ishiro Honda, who is now considered the father of the disaster movie. When a powerful and dangerous creature from the age of dinosaurs emerges from the deep sea, the Japanese government and its scientists must try and devise a plan to deal with the monster. In doing so, ethical questions ari...

  Joe Wright's "Pride and Prejudice" Although it is now considered a classic by a whole generation of people, Joe Wright's 2005 adaptation of Jane Austen's 1813 novel " Pride and Prejudice " was met with skepticism upon its original production. The reason for such skepticism was due to the enormous success of a 1995 BBC television adaptation starring Jennifer Ehle and Colin Firth. It is predominantly clear, however, that Wright's romantic vision of Austen's novel is now the most adored version.  The film stars Keira Knightley as Elizabeth Bennet, one of five daughters to the Bennets, a family living in 18th century rural England. The seminal focus of the family, especially the mother, is to get all of the young women of the house married. For Elizabeth, romantic questions revolve around the mysterious Mr. Darcy, a highborn man who comes across as snobbish and dismissive. However, their relationship grows through the tense and strained interaction...

  Louis Malle's "The Lovers" Perhaps one the most notable pieces of information about Louis Malle's 1958 film " The Lovers " is that it resulted in one of the most memorable line delivered by a member of the U.S. Supreme Court. The reason for such an occurrence stemmed from the film's controversial eroticism. The French were more than happy to buy tickets for such an occasion, resulting in 2,594,160 ticket sales. Even the critics who attending the premiere in Italy were thrilled with the film, honoring it with the Grand Jury Prize and nominating it for the Golden Lion. The U.S., however, were none too thrilled. The film stars Jeanne Moreau as Jeanne, un unhappy wife to a wealthy, but emotionally distant husband. She spends most of her time away from their mansion in Dijon, instead opting to visit her lover in Paris. Starting to get frustrated with the prospect of her affair, her husband invites her 'friends,' including her lover, to dinner. After...

  George Cukor's "A Star is Born" There is a long and storied history in Hollywood of remaking " A Star is Born " for each, new generation. Directly based on the 1937 original, George Cukor's 1954 adaptation sticks to the basic framework of the story. In this adaptation, Judy Garland stars as the 'star on the rise,' while James Mason plays the older, fading star on the out. I did enjoy this version of the film far more than I enjoyed the 1937 original. More particularly, the immaculate direction by George Cukor, whom I believe now has his greatest visual achievement under his belt. I say that knowing that his 1964 film " My Fair Lady " will likely supersede this honor. However, I feel as though Cukor's use of color in this film created some of the most striking images I've seen in a Hollywood picture at the time.  While I did enjoy the visual prowess of Cukor's direction, I was once again let down by the story. I truly believe t...

  Roberto Rossellini's "Journey to Italy" Released in 1954, Roberto Rossellini's " Journey to Italy " marked a landmark transition in cinema. Loosely basing the film off of Colette's 1934 novel " Duo ," Rossellini opted for a very loose storytelling format. In doing so, he created a seminal work in modernist cinema.  The film stars Ingrid Bergman and George Sanders as a childless married couple visiting Italy to sell their vacation home near Naples. While in Italy, all they do is complain about the country and its people. They also are insufferable to one another and their marriage begins to disintegrate rapidly. While George Sander's Alex goes off partying with 'friends,' Katherine attempts to tour Naples. Unable to connect to anything around them, including with each other, the couple reach a breaking point and decide to remain married together. I think that in order to truly understand the intention of the film, you must first re...

  Joseph L. Mankiewicz's "The Barefoot Contessa" What " The Barefoot Contessa " manages to do well is stimulate intrigue while simultaneously offering nothing but dry boredom. I know that may be a bit harsh. I am actually quite fond of Joseph L. Mankiewicz and his screenplays. I feel as though he has a kernel of an idea for this film, while not quite executing his grand vision. What Mankiewicz does do well, however, is employ technicolor with great crispness. It was the first time he had ever used such technology. Safe to say, it was done marvelously. I found myself quite impressed with the stark clarity of his images. It was a beautiful film to look at.  Beyond the technicality of the film's visual feat, its story comes across as a bit thematically convoluted. Its easy to see the intended point of the film: the symbolic relationship between the titular barefoot Contessa and the powerful men that own her company. Mankiewicz seemed to be exploring the modern ...

  William Wyler's "Roman Holiday" While I'm not exactly fond of William Wyler's 1953 film " Roman Holiday ," I do objectively recognize it as a transition point in Hollywood cinema. Starring the iconic Audrey Hepburn and the acclaimed Gregory Peck, " Roman Holiday " presents itself as somewhat of a post-screwball comedy. The screwball genre had its peak in the 1930s and fizzled out throughout the 1940s. In a new decade, it wasn't very fashionable to continue this style of comedy/romance, so these kinds of films began to transition over into the more modern conception of a 'romantic comedy.'  While romantic comedies are not my favorite type of film, their presence in the industry is undoubtedly commercially relevant. I feel as though this style of film began with films like " Roman Holiday ," that seemed to borrow a lot of comedic structures from the true and blue screwballs that came before. However, this new style of roma...

  Hideo Sekigawa's "Hiroshima" The cinema that emerged out of Japan in its post-war era is perhaps some of the most influential, creative, and substantial pieces of work put to screen. Filmmakers like Akira Kurosawa, Yasujiro Ozu, and Kenji Mizoguchi all were able to reach a global market with their output. The Japanese cinema coming out of this period always seemed to thematically center around a fractured society of people, and for good reason. It's one thing to abstractly understand the reason for this creative output of work centering on broken people in a broken community. It's another entirely to actually bare witness to the sources of that pain and suffering. With Hideo Sekigawa's 1953 film " Hiroshima ," it becomes easy to understand.  There had already been a film that touched upon the fallout from the dropping of the atomic bomb on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, 1952's " Children of Hiroshima ." However, the Japanese Teachers Union (...

  Marcel Carne's "Therese Raquin" Loosely based on the 1867 novel of the same name by Emilie Zola, " Therese Raquin " would be the last great success of famed French director Marcel Carne's career. Starring Simone Signoret, who was becoming an international star for her performances in French films at that time, " Therese Raquin " does quite have the trademark visual styles of Carne, but it does possess the cruel fatalist mentality that has come to occupy his work. The film centers on Therese Raquin, who is stuck in a loveless marriage with her sickly first cousin, Camille, whom lives with his mother. After running into a mysterious Italian truck driver named Laurent, the two engage in a passionate affair. When Camille uncovers their secret, Laurent murders him by throwing him from a moving train. During the investigation into the murder, one key witness at the scene blackmails Therese and Laurent, threatening their continued freedom. While " ...

  Kenji Mizoguchi's "Sansho the Bailiff" It seems as though Kenji Mizoguchi was on a roll in the years 1952 through 1954, directing some of the greatest Japanese films of all time in that span. One of the films he released in 1954, " Sansho the Bailiff ," Mizoguchi continues to build on his legacy as a filmmaker with his trademark long takes and his themes of poverty, oppression, and brutality. The film was also once again received well by Western critics and filmmakers, after lauding 1952's " The Life of Oharu " and 1953's " Ugetsu ." After winning the Silver Lion at the 1954 Venice Film Festival, " Sansho the Bailiff " has gone on through the decades to be considered one of the greatest films of all time. The film centers on a two children of an idealistic and virtuous governor in feudal Japan. After disobeying an order by the reigning feudal lord, he is cast into exile and his wife and children have to escape the politica...

  Mikhail Kalatozov's "Letter Never Sent" Although " Letter Never Sent " doesn't reach the heights of Mikhail Kalatozov's previous film " The Cranes Are Flying ," I still found it to be a completely creative venture that was well worth experiencing. The film follows a group of geologists travelling to Siberia in search of diamonds. After an unfortunate tragedy, they are forced into a state of survival, in which they question the very purpose of their existence. Originally intended for the 1960 Cannes Film Festival, the film was pulled at the last minute so Kalatozov could do some reshoots before the film's USSR premiere.  The main concept and thematic idea for the film really struck me as interesting. In a quest for treasure, a group of Russians must reconcile with their purpose and the difficulty of life through the sheer survival of the Siberian tundra. Every time they reach a point of hope, that hope is stripped away by the next horrible...

  Mikio Naruse's "Late Chrysanthemums" Mikio Naruse's second feature length film out of 1954, " Late Chrysanthemums " continues the themes of a post-war Japanese society completed fractured and frayed by economics, social issues, and domestic turmoil. The film follows a group of aging single women as they attempt to navigate the economic turbulence they find themselves in. This turbulence creates natural fractures in their relationships, along with their disconnection with society as a whole. " Late Chrysanthemums " is a bleak portrait of a Japanese society and more specifically, the women of that society, in a state of hopelessness. It's a film full of broken people and broken relationships that doesn't look like it's getting repaired any time soon.

  Mikio Naruse's "Sound of the Mountain" It's become increasingly clear to me that Mikio Naruse drives through the same thematic avenues as his contemporary, Yasujiro Ozu. However, Ozu films have a very specific visual tidiness to them, accompanied by subtleties in the subtext. I feel as though Naruse isn't as subtle and his visual style does not adhere to any prescribed aesthetic that he's organically created. That being said, I don't feel like Naruse is a bad filmmaker. On the contrary, he is quite good. I just feel as though I often compare his work too much to that of Ozu. With one of his 1954 efforts, " Sound of the Mountain ," he dissects the relationship of a family in turmoil. It centers on a father who becomes concerned for his adult children. His son is apathetic to his wife and actively cheating on her. The daughter has to continue to move from one place to the next after leaving her husband.  " Sound of the Mountain " demons...

  Max Ophuls' "Lola Montes" Although it is not my favorite film of Max Ophuls, I believe " Lola Montes " manages to be a perfect swan song for the director and a perfect encapsulation of the themes he often explored in his filmography. It also happened to be the first and very last time he would ever use technicolor. Based on the life of real-life courtesan Lola Montez in the 19th century, the film details her journey through the various oppressive forces that shaped her life and her eventual final curtain call as a circus show. I think the reason why " Lola Montes " is a great swan song for Ophuls due to the perfect visual and thematic encapsulation of his philosophical viewpoint of 'society,' regardless of what time period that society resides. If you go back to the beginning of his career in Germany, and look at one of his most prominent features, 1933's " Liebelei ," it was clear that Ophuls interpretation of society is that i...

  Fred Zinnemann's "From Here to Eternity" The winner for Best Picture at the 1954 Academy Awards, " From Here to Eternity ," details the fictional struggles of three United States Army soldiers in the months leading up to the attack on Pearl Harbor in the fall of 1941. The three soldiers are played by Montgomery Clift, Burt Lancaster, and Frank Sinatra, all of whom where hitting a high mark in the career during this time. " From Here to Eternity " is perhaps their most recognized of their career. While there is a bit of propaganda with the film, more explicitly towards the end, it does highlight complications with power and abuse within the U.S. military. However, this abuse is correctly punished and by the end, the steadfast love and devotion for the military is regained through this correction as well as the Pearl Harbor attack. I personally don't feel as though there is a whole lot of thematic importance with " From Here to Eternity ....

  Nicholas Ray's "Johnny Guitar" What's ironic about Nicholas Ray's 1954 western " Johnny Guitar " is that the titular character isn't the most compelling and central character in the story. That honor belongs to the Joan Crawford's Vienna. While it's not that revelatory that Crawford would be the most intriguing presence in a film, it is somewhat out of the ordinary for a western's central conflict to revolve around two women.  In the story, Vienna owns a saloon on the outskirts of an Arizona cattle town. Her relationship with the townsfolk is tedious, to put it lightly, as her entrepreneurial ambitions threaten local power player Emma Small. When a  group of lawless hooligans who frequent Vienna's saloon are suspected of holding up a stagecoach, it becomes the perfect pretext to force Vienna out of town due to her association with their ringleader, 'The Dancin' Kid.' Enter Johnny Guitar, a reformed gunslinger and Vienna...

  Jacques Becker's "Touchez Pas au Grisbi" Jacques Becker's only gangster film, 1954's " Touchez Pas au Grisbi ," happened to spark a new interest in the gangster flick in France at the time. After the rousing success of Becker's Jean Gabin-led film, police dramas with ironic and fatalist moods became a new focus in film. Becker felt he wanted to do this style of film after reading Albert Simonin's 1953 novel of the same name. Although the casting of Gabin in the lead role is a no brainer, Becker was hesitant at first. He felt that Gabin represented French cinema of the past and not of the current moment. Regardless, Gabin was cast and it became one of his more notable roles in his career. The film centers on Max, a Parisian criminal. After securing a stash of gold after a heist, Max must navigate the tricky cat and mouse games of fellow criminals who want to steal Max's loot. After several exciting incidents, Max loses everything.  I felt as...

  Agnes Varda's "Les Creatures" Agnes Varda once described her 1966 film " Les Creatures " as an attempt to show the messy nature of inspiration. This notion is convey through the protagonist, Edgar, who is a writer attempting to scribe a science-fiction story using the characters and places he is surrounded by in his small town. Varda seems to create a sense of disorder as she mixes fantasy with reality throughout.  There is so much uncertainty about what is really happening in the film that I often didn't notice that things were slipping into an altered reality or dream state, even when things got really out of hand. I still consider " Les Creatures " to be entirely in the "new wave" mold, as Varda gleefully continues to push the boundaries of editing and construction. With Varda's realization, I get so swept away by what is real and what is not and eventually come to the conclusion that these lines between reality don't really ...

  Mikio Naruse's "Wife" With his 1953 film " Wife ," Mikio Naruse once again traverses the realms of a disintegrating marriage. However, what's unique about this story is that its contemporary framework allows the viewer to contemplate the societal circumstances that play into this domestic tragedy. It is a film full of broken relationships and yearning for connection.  My enjoyment of this film was not overwhelming in the least. However, I did find some engagement with this picture and feel that it is a film of note in Naruse's filmography.