Film Persona

  Michelangelo Antonioni's "Blow-Up" By the time Michelanglo Antonioni left Italy in 1965 to make a film in the United Kingdom, many film critics believed that the string of films he made in Italy, starting with 1960's " L'Avventura ," were starting to run their thematic course. While I personally don't believe that to be true and felt like Antonioni could have recontextualized his themes into various outsources, there were a growing number of people who felt that the existential modern malaise one could expect from an Antonioni film had become too pretentious or too repetitively artistic. When Antonioni's 1966 English-language film " Blow-Up " was released in the U.K., those critics breathed a sigh of relief that Antonioni was venturing into new territory and gaining some commercial traction on the way. While certain elements of " Blow-Up " seem more commercially friendly, I would argue the thematic emphasis in the film is co...

  David Lean's "Madeleine" David Lean once called his 1950 film " Madeleine " to be his leave favorite feature-length film of his filmography. I would have to agree on the front so far. Even his silly and screwball " Blithe Spirit " from 1945 had amusing elements to it. " Madaleine " is based on the true story of a young Glasgow women from a wealthy family who was tried in 1857 for the murder of her lover. While I feel that the film starts off very interesting and even contains plenty of visual elements that harken to the American noir movement, the film lost my attention rapidly. While there are certain merits to its production, it is definitely a film I will soon forget. 

  John Cassavetes' "Shadows" In December of 1959, avant-garde film critic Jonas Mekas wrote a manifesto called " A Call for a New Generation of Film Makers ." In this manifesto, he states that a newly released American film by John Cassavetes, called " Shadows ," was the start of a new movement that would inspire independent filmmakers, energize the flagging avant-garde scene, and triumph over the commercial Hollywood film industry. I don't think anybody at the time realized just how spot-on Mekas was with his assessment. While the Italian neo-realist movement was coming to a fitting close and the French New Wave movement was reaching its explosive introduction, John Cassavetes was filming something that would change the fabric of Hollywood forever. The film, " Shadows ," details the daily lives of a black family: two brothers who are unable to make it in the jazz scene, and a younger sister, a fair-skinned girl who wants to be an artist....

  Joseph L. Mankiewicz's "All About Eve" When Joseph L. Mankiewicz's 1950 film " All About Eve " was released in the US, it became a sensation, especially among critics and 'Hollywood' people especially. This is not all too surprising, as the film centers on the structural components of the 'entertainment' industry and the people that inhabit it (along with critics and journalists that cover it). To me, and I'm sure everyone else, the most sensational thing about the film was the phenomenal performance by the iconic Bette Davis. Bette Davis stars as Margot Channing, an aging Broadway star, who begin to become concerned after she takes in one of her young 'fans.' The fan, the titular Eve, begins to maneuver her way into Margot's inner circle and eventually manipulates people and situations so that she becomes Broadway's next big star. As Margot begins to realize her decline and the ascension of the young protégé, she must r...

  George Cukor's "Born Yesterday" By the time George Cukor's " Born Yesterday " was released in 1950, American cinema was frothing with bleak and nihilistic pieces that were birthed from the film noir movement. Even Hollywood films that weren't tagged with this moniker of 'film noir' borrowed elements of its style to fit the contemporary sentiment of cynicism and a growing distrust of the American institution. Perhaps this is why " Born Yesterday " and its complete throwback to 1930s-style buoyancy feels so refreshing. It acknowledges the corruption taking ahold of institutional structures (along with the corruption of the individual) while also being sanguine towards the power every person holds to change their landscape simply by changing themselves. " Born Yesterday " stars Judy Holliday in the role of Billie Dawn, an uneducated young woman who is partners with uncouth, older, wealthy junkyard tycoon, Harry Brock. Harry is ...

  Vincente Minnelli's "Father of the Bride" Although Vincente Minnelli would come to be known for his supremely popular musicals, there are several non-musical hits in his filmography that one could point to. For example, 1950's family comedy " Father of the Bride ." Starring the iconic Spencer Tracy and Elizabeth Taylor in a relatively early role, the film details the frustrations and emotional complexity of being the father to a bride-to-be. Rich with comedy, the film has an incredible sentimental value that catapulted the film to the box office, becoming the highest grossing film of its year.  I was also very delighted by the film. I don't think it's anything that I will return to anytime soon, or even. But, it was much better than I was anticipating. Mostly because there was a lot of heart in the film, especially by the end. It's no wonder the film has been remade a few times by Hollywood.

  Roberto Rossellini's "The Flowers of St. Francis" If you look back at the filmography of Roberto Rossellini, there are certain films you would list before you ever mentioned his 1950 film " The Flowers of St. Francis ." However, this film would actually be Rossellini's favorite of his own works. It can often get pushed to the side even for the film that Rossellini released that same year in " Stromboli ." But, there are many filmmakers who would say that " The Flowers of St. Francis " stands above the rest. " The Flowers of St. Francis " is adapted from two 14th century novels that focus on the life and work of the Italian friar named St. Francis. The two novels, " Little Flowers of St. Francis" and " The Life of Brother Juniper " contain 78 small chapters that aren't inherently biographic and instead focus on relating tales of the followers and life of the titular friar. Rossellini and her filmmaking f...