Film Persona

  Stanley Kramer's "It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World" The very first thing I noticed about the 1963 comedy " It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World " wasn't its expansive and explosive cast. Rather, it was the impeccable crispness of its color formatting and its incredible use of widescreen. This feat wasn't too shocking, given its director, Stanley Kramer, was more attuned to social dramas and not comedies.  The film has an enormous cast, with innumerable comedic icons appearing. It centers on a group of strangers who are in a desperate hurry to acquire a mysterious briefcase of cash after the death of its owner. During their race to get there first, they encounter many comedic and slapstick situations. Despite Kramer wanting the film to be over 3 hours in length, the 2 1/2 hour version I watched was still a tad too long for my taste. It would've been more suitable if the comedy was a tad stronger. I'm not saying the film wasn't funny. I jus...

  Samuel Fuller's "Shock Corridor" Described by American film critic Andrew Sarris as a "Baroque B-picture," Samuel Fuller's " Shock Corridor " manages to contain the aesthetic of older Hollywood films. Released in 1963, this psychological drama exemplifies Fuller's edgy and oft controversial style. There are plenty of taboo subject matters littered throughout the film that would cause some to feel it was meant for its B-picture status. The film centers on Johnny Barrett, an ambitious journalist bent on winning a Pulitzer Prize. To achieve this feat, he concocts a plan to fake insanity to get into a mental hospital so that he can solve an unsolved murder. In doing so, he surrounds himself with chaotic insanity that only disintegrates any semblance of stability he initially had. The mental institution (and the film itself) is allegorical of America in 1963. The reason for many of the patients' insanity derives from external pressures from so...

  Vittorio De Sica's "Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow" In the age of the Italian-style comedy, getting two huge stars like Marcello Mastroianni and Sophia Loren would be a guaranteed box office smash. That's exactly what happened with the 1963 comedy " Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow ." Not only did it become the third highest grossing film in North America, it cemented Sophia Loren as one of the most famous actresses on the planet. The film is an anthology. It is divided into three 'chapters.' The first centers on a working-class couple in 1954 who decide to continuously have children to avoid jail time. The second involves the wealthy wife of an industrialist who takes a drive with her lower-class lover. The final act concerns a prostitute who must convince her neighbor's son to maintain his path to priesthood. The 'Italian-style comedy' is a byproduct of the neo-realist movement, which shifts social and economic themes instead to sexual dy...

  Alain Resnais's "Muriel" After an explosive beginning to his career in narrative fiction with " Hiroshima mon Amour " and " Last Year at Marienbad ," Alain Resnais's follow-ups, " Muriel " and " The War is Over " were a little bit of a let-down for me. With 1963's " Muriel ," especially. The film certainly is understandable in both theme and plot. And yet, somehow, it leaves much to be desired. The film follows Helene, a middle-aged widow, living with her stepson Bernard in Boulogne-sur-Mer. When an old a past lover of Helene's, Alphonse, visits her, the two of them share memories of wartime. Everyone is the story is pained by memory. They obsess over what has happened and the lost moments they will never get back. Although the thematic point of the story makes for a promising experience, I don't feel as though it contained enough internal or external drama to allow for any attachment with the audience. P...

  Chris Marker's "La Jetee" Although it is a 'short' film (with only 28 minutes in length), Chris Marker's " La Jetee " has the same effect and influence as anything considered "feature length." And unlike other films, La Jetee " is composed completely of stills and uses a voiceover to narrate the story. Does that even qualify this as a 'film?' I would argue yes.  In fact, the exclusive use of stills only aids in the film's concept. It centers on a prisoner in a post-apocalyptic Paris who is used as a lab rat for the experiments of scientists attempting to travel in time. Because our prisoner has such a deep connection to his past, this makes him the perfect subject. While 'visiting' the past, he is able to reach out and connect to a woman he once saw when he was a child. As the experiment continues day-by-day, his time spent with her is his only solace. The use of stills is thematically valuable in two ways. Firstl...

  Joseph L. Mankiewicz's "Cleopatra" There is perhaps not a drier nor neverending historical epic than Joseph L. Mankiewicz's 1963 film " Cleopatra ." Not even Elizabeth Taylor's beauty can inject any semblance of flavor into the film. The biggest concern I have with it is that it is far too stiff and lacks any emotional or dramatic engagement. A tower achievement in mediocrity.  

  Tony Richardson's "Tom Jones" Based on the 1749 novel " The History of Tom Jones, a Foundling ," Tony Richardson's 1963 adaptation " Tom Jones " is full of irreverent debauchery. Lauded in its time, the film is visual spectacle of Eastman color, bringing forth the picturesque qualities of its original novel into a literal picturesque film. The film had both critical and commercial success. Not only did it win Best Picture at the 36th Academy Awards, it was third in British box office receipts and fourth in the U.S. The film centers on Tom Jones, growing up as the illegitimate son of a wealthy landowner. Because he does not hold the same position as his highly father figure, he is treated widely with disdain. He does, however, make his way through an assortment of willing and eager women who find him completely charming. Despite this, jealous mean threaten his safety and contrive plans to have him arrested and hanged.  The story is thematically si...

  Robert Bresson's "The Devil, Probably" As Robert Bresson grew in age, he only got more and more 'Bressionian.' His characters became far less emotive and his films felt more and more clinical and cold. It became necessary as he continued his complex themes regarding the malaise of our modern world. His 1977 film " The Devil, Probably " most directly taps into that notion. The film centers on Charles, a disillusioned student living in Paris. He is detached from society and struggles with a growing sense of alienation. The friend group around him does not understand his turmoil and try various methods to get him out of it. His depressive and detached manner extends from his growing hopelessness in the modern world.  Although I do not particularly think it is one of Bresson's best works, there is something quietly shattering about " The Devil, Probably ." It seems as timely now in 2026 as it most likely felt in 1977. The state of the world c...

  Dino Risi's "Il Sorpasso" By 1962, the Italian-style comedies had become the mainstream in Italy. Films like 1958's " Big Deal on Madonna Street " and 1961's " Divorce Italian Style " had swept the public into a new era of Italian cinema. Although they are an evolution of the neo-realist style, Italian-style comedies depart from neo-realism's strict adherence to reality. With the economic rise the country was going through at the time, the stark and unflinching observations of economic destitution that neo-realism typically thrives on had to make way for much farcical and satirical styles (hence the Italian-style comedy).  One of the most famous and commercially successful Italian-style comedies is Dino Risi's 1962 film " Il Sorpasso ." The film stars Jean-Louis Trintignant as a timid college student, Roberto, who gets swept away by a charismatic and impulsive Bruno. The two spend the entire day together and Roberto begins e...

  Pier Paolo Pasolini's "Mamma Roma" Pier Paolo Pasolini's films would get far more controversial into his directing career, but even his more neo-realist pieces in the early 1960s had some edge to them. His second directorial effort, 1962's " Mamma Roma ," which starred the incomparable Anna Magnani, had a police complaint filed the day of its release for being "offensive to good morals" and "contrary to public decency." Pasolini was even confronted by neo-fascists in front of the Quattro Fontane Cinema, where he got into a scuffle.  Personally, I don't understand the outrage over the film. There was nothing inherently sadistic about the film, beyond some of the thematic points it was making. Perhaps its inclusion of prostitution, or its sympathies with a petty criminal were enough to drive people over the edge. " Mamma Roma " centers on former prostitute Momma Roma, who starts a new life as a marketer in Rome after her...

  Jean-Pierre Melville's "Le Doulos" After the critical and commercial success of 1961's " Leon Morin, Priest ," Jean-Pierre Melville returned to a familiar crime formula with 1962's " Le Doulos ." Another commercial success, " Le Doulos " and its crime thriller format would become a normality for Melville. Aside from the simplicities that the genre provides, Melville still manages to inject this format with bleak, fatalistic themes. The plot at times can be a bit convulsive. This is perhaps the intention, given that there is a bit of a revelation that clarifies things later in the plot. This confusion also adds to the lack of distinction between good and evil, cop and crook, etc. There is so much double-crossing, informing, and manipulative measures that is sufficient to make one's head spin.  The ending of the film, along with its thematic point, reminded me a bit of Martin Scorsese's 2006 film " The Departed ." En...

  Masaki Kobayashi's "Harakiri" Masaki Kobayashi's 1962 jidaigeki film " Harakiri " is one of the most striking and subversive samurai films of its era. Starring the incomparable Tatsuya Nakadai, the film centers on a ronin in 1930 who presents himself before the estate of the Iyi clan wanting to commit seppuku within their courtyard palace. What really drives the film is the mystery surrounding the reason of this request.  Aspects of Kobayashi's direction felt Hitchcockian to me. There's a solemn intensity in the atmosphere that creates an inherent sense of suspense. Kobayashi is very kinetic with his shots and camerawork. Throughout the formal environment of the estate, he seems to revel in an anti-formalist approach to his direction. This deftly benefits the sense of growing intrigue. The plot creeps along knowing its audience is anticipating its next step. As we continue down the path of revelation, the protagonists intentions grow increasingly c...

  Yasujiro Ozu's "An Autumn Afternoon" A bittersweet end to the great career of Yasujiro Ozu, 1962's " An Autumn Afternoon " is a summation of a great man's oeuvre. I find myself melancholic after having watched his expansive career of the past several years of my life. His films are gentle, yet impactful. My comfort with his familiar style meshes with the domesticity of his characters. Watching an Ozu film almost feels like returning home. Before dying at the age of 60 the following year, Ozu completed " An Autumn Afternoon ," in which he institutes themes of finality and coming to terms with the ever-changing nature of life. It centers on an aging widower who enlists the help of his family to get his two unmarried children married. The plot is not very atypical of an Ozu, nor is his quiet musings on life's loneliness.  Chishu Ryu, who had worked in Ozu films since Ozu's debut in 1928, plays the aging widower. In in a way, Ryu is a sta...

  Robert Mulligan's "To Kill a Mockingbird" The very first time I ever watched the 1962 classic " To Kill a Mockingbird " was when I was in high school. After reading the Harper Lee novel, we spend multiple class days watching the film version. I don't remember having much of an impression of the film, other than mild admiration. This time around, I felt the film was still admirable, yet diluted.  The film centers on a small Alabama girl who observes her father, Atticus Finch, defend a black man accused of raping a white woman in court. At the time of the film's release, 1962, the film was a far greater impact due to the civil unrest that was swarming the country over race laws. The importance of the film is recognizable in this context. However, there can often be oversimplifications throughout.  Despite this, I still stand by the film's integrity of grit in its unflinching observations of racial prejudice. Overall, the overarching theme is prejudic...

  Stanley Kubrick's "Lolita" It has been almost a decade since I've seen Stanley Kubrick's 1962 adaptation of Vladimir Nabokov's 1955 novel " Lolita ." I remember the film not resonating with me, and felt that it was one of Kubrick's weaker pieces. The second time around, I thought that there was perhaps something I had missed. After giving it another chance, I have reached the same conclusions about the film as I did the first go-around. The film centers on a man's chase after a 14-year-old girl named Lolita. The outright pedophilia of the novel is tampered down for the film version. However, the outrighedness is simply swapped for unspoken obviousness. The disturbing pining and suppression of this young girl is the story itself. Yet, I don't feel as though it truly means anything.  The film comes across as a black comedy, with the pedophilia meant to act as a driver for the propulsion of the protagonist's purpose. But, the lack of t...

  Robert Aldrich's "Whatever Happened to Baby Jane?" It was very striking to see icons from the Golden Age of Hollywood in the 1962 classic " Whatever Happened to Baby Jane? " Both Joan Crawford and Bette Davis were legends of their time and their performances in this film certainly prove that they're still dynamic. Even better, they prove their some of the greatest screen performers of all time.  The plot centers on two sisters: one confined to a wheelchair, the other descending into a troubling mental state. Davis plays the titular 'Baby Jane,' a former child star who now is the ward of her crippled sister, Blanche. Wanting to get back into stardom, Jane imprisons Blanche and keep her in solitude. Blanche's physical health begins to fade as rapidly as Jane's mental health.  There was a somewhat 'black comedy' aspect to the film, aided even more so by some of its camp. Rather than making it a sour experience, it was rather delicious....

  Arthur Penn's "The Miracle Worker" My impressions of " The Miracle Worker " before ever having seen the film was something far more akin to that of " Mary Poppins ." Unfit parents are at their wits end with their children and a nice, calming presence comes along instilling patience and understand that allows the children to learn and thrive. However, this is not at all anything like " The Miracle Worker ," and for good reason. The film is based on the 1959 stage play of the same name, which in turn was based on the real events of Helen Keller and her teacher, Anne Sullivan. Arthur Penn, the stage director for the play was tasked with bringing it to the big screen. The studio originally wanted Elizabeth Taylor for the part of Ms. Sullivan. But, Penn instead went against the studio and chose Anne Bancroft, who starred in his stage production. Patty Duke, although she was fifteen years old at the time, was brought from the stage performance to...

  John Frankenheimer's "The Manchurian Candidate" In the first thirty minutes of John Frankenheimer's " The Manchurian Candidate ," I was instantly turned off by the perceived propagandic nature of the film. After a decade of McCarthyism, it seemed very politically motivated to suggest that Communist China hypnotized American troops to act as puppets for their attacks on American political figures. However, as the film progresses, it becomes clear that the perspective is a little more balanced than I was anticipating. Aside from the more ridiculous plotline I just mentioned, the film reveals that the 'anti-Communist' political movement is using Communist fear (the "Red Scare") to motivate and manipulate Americans. It directly mocks McCarthyism as a scare tactic and illustrates the paranoia and fear of the time of its release. Its release was extremely timely, given that the Cuban Missile Crisis was happening that very week.  Despite some si...

  Sidney Lumet's "Long Day's Journey into Night" Eugene O'Neill's award winning play, 1956's " Long Day's Journey into Night, " was adapted into a feature-length film in 1962. Written by O'Neill himself and directed by Sidney Lumet, the film is a three hour direct-to-screen, word-for-word adaptation. The only actor from the stage play that transitioned to the film version was Jason Robards. Katharine Hepburn, Ralph Richardson, and Dean Stockwell were selected to fill out the rest of the cast. Although the film was received critical praise at the time, it doesn't seem to have any kinetic energy to it. To me, the film is utterly droning. Three hours of self-important drudgery acting as a vanity project for its writer. I might have enjoyed the live production of it in a theater, but watching it as a three hour cinematic experience felt completely draining. 

  Hiroshi Teshigahara's "Pitfall" Based on the play " Rengoku " by Kobo Abe, Hiroshi Teshigahara's 1962 film " Pitfall " is an often surreal experience. Although not completely in the surrealist camp, Teshigahara's unique directing style and experimental editing makes it a very kinetic watch. Centering on a conspiracy involving the exploitation of coal miners, " Pitfall " dives into the avant-garde with its inclusion of undead spirits. Despite some of the convolutions of the plot, the film never fails to be completely engaging. What caught my eye most was Teshigahara's unflinching willingness to make dramatic edits and directional choices. The film can be a bit messy in its execution and its themes constantly swaying from one thing to another, but overall the experience was something of a net positive.

  Masaki Kobayashi's "The Inheritance" After his megalithic film series, " The Human Condition ," Masaki Kobayashi returned to a smaller, more restrained story with 1962's " The Inheritance ." Obviously framed in noir stylings and jazz scores, the film's plot concerns a dying businessman orchestrating his will. The surrounding cast of characters plot and scheme to acquire his inheritance. There was a certain moody charm to this film. Everything is so slick and the characters are so morally duplicitous, hence the noir aesthetic. Kobayashi does an impeccable job of situating these money-chasing characters into the cold, industrial modern world. Their environment is an extension of them and them an extension of their environment. " The Inheritance " certainly displays Kobayashi's bleak outlook on modern greed and corruption.

  Yasujiro Ozu's "The End of Summer" While its ending may have been too 'on the nose,' " The End of Summer " finds Ozu focusing far more on death and the disillusion of life itself, hence the film's title. It contains one of the largest casts Ozu has ever assembled, which is really saying something for the ensemble-favored director. The attention paid evenly among its characters would perhaps normally spread the emotionality too thin. However, in the hands of Ozu, this certainly isn't a problem. The film centers on a large family in the midst of the arranged marriages of a couple of its daughters. All the while, the patriarch is going off secretly to spend time with his 'other' family, a former mistress and her Westernized daughter. However, things get solemn when that patriarch suddenly has health complications. Ozu seems to be reckoning with his own mortality in " The End of Summer ," perhaps even dealing with his health probl...