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The purposes of this blog is simply to deep dive into selected works of cinema's greatest directors. I select a director and watch 10 of his best pieces, then I create a post describing what makes the piece great. 

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Ivan's Childhood (1962)

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  Andrei Tarkovsky's "Ivan's Childhood" In watching " Ivan's Childhood ," I am able to finally begin the filmography of my all-time favorite filmmaker, Andrei Tarkovsky. It's clear that this is an amateur work from the great master, given that it's his debut feature. However, many of the styles and choices he will come to be known for creep up in " Ivan's Childhood ," and marks a dramatic shift in Soviet cinema. One of the key ways it marks a shift in Soviet cinema is Tarkovsky's concentration on nature. The Stalinist viewpoint that had indoctrinated itself into the nation's standards for cinema was that nature was to be depicted as a means to serve human agency. During the Khrushchev thaw at the time of the film's release, many filmmakers began to operate outside the scope of the previous regime's restrictions. Tarkovsky chose to depict nature as being an omniscient observer of human violence and suffering.  Remarka...
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Oliver Twist (1948)

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  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 ...
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Humanity and Paper Balloons (1937)

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  Sadao Yamanaka's "Humanity and Paper Balloons" In his very brief career, Japanese director Sadao Yamanaka only made 3 feature length films. All 3 made an enormous impact in Japanese culture and are still praised by the film community today. The final of the 3 films he made, 1937's " Humanity and Paper Balloons " is perhaps the very reason his life was cut short. At the time of the film's release, the Japanese government had already invaded China and was exponentially building its militia. They felt as though Yamanka's film damaged the nationalistic and militaristic viewpoint they were trying to instill in the country. Because they were so displeased with the 'message' of the film, they sent Yamanaka to the Chinese front, where he died a year later in 1938. The reason for this retribution by the Japanese government was because the film focuses on a group of characters who actively display the worst attributes of Japanese society. Yamanaka...
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