Film Persona

  Jacques Demy's "The Umbrellas of Cherbourg" The very first piece of information you'll ever hear about Jacques Demy's 1964 musical, " The Umbrellas of Cherbourg " is that every single line of dialogue is sung. While this may dismay those who are rubbed the wrong way by the aesthetic and format, " The Umbrellas of Cherbourg " surprises you in how easily it is to forget that you're even watching a musical. As the viewer sinks into this melancholic tale of love, loss, and circumstance, you can't help but to get caught in the tidal wave of emotion and pleasant heartbreak. The film follows Genevieve and Guy, a young couple in love wanting to get married, despite the disapproval of Genevieve's mother, Emery. After Guy gets drafted into the army for a two-year stint, he leaves his newly pregnant Genevieve with a promise that he'll return once his service is through. However, given the improper social circumstances and economic restra...

  Yasujiro Ozu's "Equinox Flower" There are a few things that make a Yasujiro Ozu film: 1) a family fracturing due to generational disagreements 2) those generation disagreements stemming from social changes taking place in 1940s/1950s Japan 3) a poetic telling of the cyclical pains of getting older and the distance you feel from your family and children. All of those things are ever-present in his 1958 film " Equinox Flower ." The film follows a father who is stubbornly against his daughter's attempt at marriage on her own terms.  Ozu, now an aged master, demonstrates how completely meticulous he is with his camerawork, framing, pace, and structure. Returning to Ozu, for me, always feels like I'm in safe hands. There was a point in my life where I very much was irritated by Ozu's films, particularly their slow pacing. However, Ozu does not come to your level, you must meet him at his. This is where you will find the subtle spirituality of his work. ...

  Karel Zeman's "Invention for Destruction" Karel Zeman's 1958 Czechoslovakian film " Invention for Destruction " is one of the most visually striking films I've ever seen. The uniqueness of its visual format stems from its intentional likeness to Victorian-era illustrations. The visual renderings combine live actors with various forms of animation and designed effects, even mimicking the Victoria-era line engravings.  The reason for this exacting likeness is due to the story being based on the works of Jules Verne, particularly his 1896 novel, " Facing the Flag ." The film focuses on a scientist's assistant who, along with the scientist, is captured by a gang of pirates working for the sinister Count Artigas. Artigas plans on using the scientist's works in order to make a futuristic weapon to enact world domination.  The unique visual style is one of a kind, and is perhaps the most significant driving force in the film's execution....

  Richard Brooks' "Cat on a Hot Tin Roof" Tennessee Williams, perhaps one of the most famous names in playwriting and scriptwriting, is not actually from Tennessee as his name would suggest. His real place of origin belongs to the Mississippi Delta, which is the location of one his most famous plays, " Cat on a Hot Tin Roof ." After its successful production in 1955, Hollywood director Richard Brooks fashioned it into a screenplay and placed Paul Newman and Elizabeth Taylor in the lead roles. The film centers on the fractured marital relationship between Brick, a has-been who lost out on his dream of playing professional American football, and Maggie, his wife who is trying to win back favor after being blamed for his best friend's death due to a supposed affair. Their marital troubles are surrounded by a family get-together to support Brick's father, Big Daddy, a wealthy plantation owner who is having health troubles. As the family intermingles, lies an...

  Costa-Gavras's "Z" Despite Costa-Gavras's 1969 political thriller " Z " directly referencing events that occurred in Greece in 1963, the film also somehow manages to illustrate the broader reality of post-war global politics. The film represented a growing trend in cinema that would reflect the more politically-minded films of the 1970s, thus bringing the metatextual New Wave-esque styles of the 60s to a close. " Z" 's influence in the genre of political thriller is unparalleled and put director Costa-Gavras on the cinematic map. The plot of the films centers on the investigation into the attack on political candidate. As the investigation unfolds, it becomes clear that the state apparatus hired assassins. As Costa-Gavras moves through the story, the intricate layers of corruption and convolution are revealed.  To me, " Z" has the intrigue and engagement to be considered a modern classic in cinema. It's a film that completely su...

  Jacques Demy's "Lola" The characters of Jacques Demy's 1961 film " Lola " are all looking for connection and love, which is why the melancholic 'just-missing' of each other creates a very New Wave-esque irony. Centering on a young man who reunites with a long, lost childhood friend, the film operates as an ensemble. It is full of characters all desperately looking for something in their middling, aimless life.  Demy's film comes across as indescribable. Of course, it embodies the elements of his New Wave contemporaries. However, " Lola " has a more musical quality to it. Demy himself even stated that the film was a tribute to Max Ophuls, whose films Demy has described as "musical without music." The same goes for " Lola ," as the various scenes of its lonely, desperate characters almost feels hopeful and glistening with romantic undertones.  For me, the thematic point of the film lies in a remark made by our protag...

  Hiroshi Inagaki's "Muhomatsu, the Rickshaw Man" After Hiroshi Inagaki completed his " Samurai " trilogy, he reteamed with iconic Japanese actor Toshiro Mafune for 1958's " Muhomatsu, the Rickshaw Man ." The film centers on a lowly rickshaw man who becomes a an important influence on the lives of a widowed mother and her young son after the death of the patriarch. Throughout the film, the titular rickshaw man named Matsugoro, continues to act selflessly in pursuit of benefiting this family in need. To me, the driving drama of the film stems from Matsugoro's deep-seated desire to be something more than just a simple rickshaw man. He is quite an impressive man, as demonstrated by his ability to race, fight, and play drums. However, throughout the film, he is never able to overcome this simpleton moniker placed upon him by societal circumstances. His parental guidance towards the young boy seems like an attempt to steer him away from such fates. ...

  Toshio Masuda's "The Perfect Game" Although he would go on to have a long career full of box office successes, Toshio Masuda broke out in a major way with his 1958 film " The Perfect Game ." The film centers on a group of troublesome college students who orchestrate a plan to cheat at sports betting. The film does a fantastic job of pulling the viewer into the thrilling elements of the story, especially when the students' plans begin to get more and more complicated. Despite not being thematically enriching in any way, " The Perfect Game " still makes for an entertaining watch.

  Luchino Visconti's "Rocco and His Brothers" While watching Luchino Visconti's 1960 Italian film " Rocco and His Brothers ," there was sentiment that I couldn't quite shake. I felt as though I were watching a proto-" Godfather ," in both theme and thematic premise. I thought to myself, "there's no way Francis Ford Coppola wasn't at least partially inspired by ' Rocco and His Brothers ' at some point in his life." And boy, was I correct. The film follows Rocco, a young man who moves to the industrialized north of Italy with his family - his mother and his four brothers - after his father passes away. As they venture out to figure out find work and money, one of the brothers, Simone, becomes a promising boxer. Rocco accompanies him and trains with them. However, after Simone falls in love with a prostitute named Nadia who lives in their building, he begins shirking his training. Rocco takes his place and unassumingly be...

  Francois Truffaut's "Stolen Kisses" Nine years after the release of his debut masterpiece, " The 400 Blows ," Francois Truffaut released a follow-up in 1968's " Stolen Kisses ." Centering on Antoine Doinel, now out of military academy and searching for work, " Stolen Kisses " operates with different cinematic themes to its predecessor. Ultimately, the film is much more of a meditation on the nature of relationships and the varying ways in which we selfishly pursue our own needs and desires.  After being dishonorably discharged from the army, Antoine finds work as a private detective and rekindles his romance with Christine, whom he wrote letters to while in the army. However, his job lands him working at a shoe store, spying on the owner. There, he falls in love with the owner's wife, pushing him to cut off things with Christine. After having a one night stand with the boss' wife, Antoine is fired from his apprenticeship as a pr...

  Tadashi Imai's "Night Drum" Based on a 1706 play by Monzaemon Chikamatsu, Tadashi Imai's 1958 film " Night Drum " centers on a samurai whose wife is under fire due to rumors of infidelity with a drumming instructor. While I found the film to be mildly interesting, it can be a bit of a drudge to get through. Some of its themes center on the perception of women in Japanese society, making it in line with the works from filmmakers like Mizoguchi. " Night Drum " has some moments of interest, but overall not something I will ever return back to.

  Mario Monicelli's "Big Deal on Madonna Street" Mario Monicelli's 1958 caper film " Big Deal on Madonna Street " serves more as a commercial film than having any sort of artistic merit to it. I know, there are those who consider it a masterpiece in Italian cinema. However, I wasn't as inclined to raise this work to such lofty heights.  It centers on a ragtag group of men who attempt to get inside a girl's apartment so that they can get to a safe full of cash on the other side of her wall. However, as is typical with most heist films, things go awry and unforeseen circumstances create obstacles to their success. Ultimately, in the end, it ends up being all for not, similarly to Stanley Kubrick's " The Killing " from two years prior. Due to its comedic elements, its concern for entertainment value, and its focus on plot-driven success, the film is totally a commercial film above all else. While I don't see its artistic merit, that...

  Roy Ward Baker's "A Night to Remember" It's hard not to watch Roy Ward Baker's " A Night to Remember " and not draw parallels to James Cameron's " Titanic ." Both films detail the events of RMS Titanic the night it hit an iceberg and sank in the Atlantic Ocean. So, obviously there would be parallels to draw. However, more than that, they both contain similar scenes with similar shots, which leads me to believe that Cameron was directly inspired by " A Night to Remember ."  Although " A Night to Remember " didn't fully grab my attention as a thematically complex story, its story and execution of the Titanic sinking still garnished a mild interest in the action. This is precisely what the film is: a disaster film. It's entire attraction and entertainment value stems from this. If you take this into consideration, it becomes a worthwhile film full of action and intrigue. As far as an artistic work, there's not...

  Ingmar Bergman's "Hour of the Wolf" Once you make a masterpiece like " Persona ," where else is there really for you to go? Ingmar Bergman faced this issue after his 1966 masterpiece and went into a state of creative crisis. It seemed almost too spot on to convey this creative crisis through his next project, which would end up being 1968's " Hour of the Wolf ."  The film centers on a mentally unstable artist living with his pregnant wife on the small island of Baltrum. The artist, Johan, is having creative blocks and experiencing insomnia and episodes of mild madness. After being invited to a dinner party at the island's wealthy proprietors, Johan learns that they are deep admirers of his work. After learning that his former lover is visiting them as well, he returns to their home a few days later and experiences delusions, madness, and a total mental collapse. I think author Dan Williams puts it best when he describes the film as a "st...

  Louis Malle's "Zazie dans le Metro" After his jazzy thriller " Elevator to the Gallows " and his erotic melodrama " The Lovers " debuted in 1958, Louis Malle went in a completely different direction with his next film, 1960's " Zazie dans le Metro ." Although his previous two entries were a classification of the burgeoning Nouvelle Vague movement, " Zazie dans le Metro " pushed its foot on the gas to further characterize the movement as something completely unlimited to conventionality and untethered to visual congruency. The film is full of surreal imagery, as well as visual and verbal jokes, which Malle integrates into the new film language that was taking shape. The film is based on the 1959 novel of the same name by Raymond Queneau and centers on a ten-year-old girl named Zazie visiting her uncle, Gabriel, in Paris. Zazie escapes her uncle's care to roam the city, getting into shenanigans. All the while, various charac...

  Jacques Tati's "Mon Oncle" When " Mon Oncle " was released in 1958, Jacques Tati had already established himself as the comedic character of "Monsieur Hulot" in the 1953 film " Monsieur Hulot's Holiday ." The character is a Chaplin-esque bumbler who finds himself in comedic circumstances surrounding the absurdities of modern living, all without speaking any word of dialogue.  In " Mon Oncle ," Hulot must navigate the new designs of modern domestic living through his sister and her family's new 'modern' home, full of gadgets and gizmos. After his brother-in-law gets him a new job at a plastic factory. Even there, the new modern technologies are too complicated and perhaps absurd for Hulot to manage. At the fancy modern home of Hulot's sister, everything seems designed around style rather than functionality. The furniture lacks comfort, the loud and obnoxious kitchen appliances aren't user-friendly, and the g...

  Keisuke Kinoshita's "The Ballad of Narayama" There are some films that I am completely enthralled by as I am watching them. Then, there are films that I am frustrated, befuddled by, or bored by during the film and then my reflection of the film afterwards completely changes. Keisuke Kinoshita's 1958 film " The Ballad of Narayama " is one of these types of films.  I wasn't really bored during the film, more uncertain and befuddled, specifically. I think the reason for this sentiment can be explained with A.H. Weiler's 1961 review in the New York Times, which says that the film was "stylized and occasionally graphic fare in the manner of the Kabuki Theater" and that, because of this notion, the film is "decidedly strange to Western tastes." I think this point is valid, not because I was turned off by the Kabuki elements or Kinoshita's unique visual setup, but because I could not get as good of a thematic read on the film as so...