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King Kong (1933)

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  Merian C. Cooper & Ernest B. Schoedsack's "King Kong" There are many post-Depression American 'box office' films that I have seen in my film studies journey. Most of these post-Depression box office films don't typically sit right with me. The films I have in mind are the gangster and monster films that swept the nation in the early 1930s. These films typically were meant to placate an anxious American audience. However, the depth to their thematic intricacies leave something to be desired. Even without this depth, the 'entertainment' aspect of these films were not very entertaining to me. However, there is one film that utterly surprised me, 1933's adventure epic " King Kong ."   The story is well-known. A group of filmmakers travel to a remote island to take advantage of strange and interesting natural wildlife unknown to the outside world. There they meet an indigenous people, all terrified of a large, monstrous primate living on...
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A Man Escaped (1956)

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  Robert Bresson's "A Man Escaped" What struck me most about Robert Bresson's 1956 film " A Man Escaped " was just how much Bresson could do with so little. The plot itself simply revolves around a prisoner of war attempting to escape a Nazi internment camp. All the while, the story's framing, its pace, and its careful observations of the prison escape are all very simple and measured. On paper, the film sounds like a very boring affair. However, despite the simplicity in the plot and execution, " A Man Escaped " is a film full to the brim with suspense, intrigue, and existentialism.  The film is based on a memoir by Andre Devigny, who was a member of the French Resistance during the war. The events that unfold in the film are replicated directly from Andre's experience in Montluc prison (although the film gives this prison a different name). Through Bresson's intimate direction, we watch as our protagonist, called Fontaine in the sto...
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The 400 Blows (1959)

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  Francois Truffaut's "The 400 Blows" I wasn't sure what to expect going into Francois Truffaut's debut masterwork " The 400 Blows ." I was aware that it ignited the French nouvelle vague movement and is considered one of the greatest films ever made. I had never seen a Francois Truffaut film before and I wasn't sure if there was a specific style he operated in. I also was aware that Jean Vigo's 1933 short film " Zero de Conduit " was a major influence on " The 400 Blows ." Sufficive to say, I could tell that it was. I could also tell that " The 400 Blows " was a major influence on films to come for decades afterwards.  " The 400 Blows " tells the story of a 12-year-old boy named Antoine as he navigates growing up in Paris. He is constantly getting in trouble at school and constantly underappreciated by his mother and step-father. In fact, it seems as though all the adults around him act as both authoritari...
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