Tunes of Glory (1960)

Tunes of Glory (1960)

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“Though shalt not bash a corporal: that’s different; that’s the law.”

Synopsis:
When a new commander (John Mills) arrives to take over a Scottish Highlands battalion, the resentful acting officer (Alec Guinness) becomes drunk, at which points he lashes out at a young bagpiper (John Fraser) seen in a pub with his daughter (Susannah York), and must face the severe consequences of his actions.

Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors:

  • Alec Guinness Films
  • John Mills Films
  • Military
  • Rivalry
  • Susannah York Films

Review:
Ronald Neame directed this adaptation of a 1956 novel by James Kennaway, about tense dynamics between radically different leaders at a Scottish Highlands military base shortly after the end of World War II. Guinness — who starred in Neame’s previous feature, The Horse’s Mouth (1958) — was originally considered a shoo-in for the rule-following character played by Mills, but Guinness wanted the challenge of playing a commander much different from his Oscar-winning role as Col. Nicholson in The Bridge on the River Kwai (1957).

Mills — whose character suffers from military-induced PTSD (he was water-boarded while a POW) — is in the unfortunate position of taking over command from a charismatic individual whose men mostly love him; when faced with meting out a harsh but required reprimand to Guinness, the extent of Mills’s shattered nerves comes into sharp focus.

To its credit, the film doesn’t present either man as either entirely likable or villainous, thus making the film’s shocking final third especially challenging to take in. Among numerous memorable faces in the cast (including Gordon Jackson and Duncan MacRae), watch for Kay Walsh as Guinness’s sometimes-girlfriend:

… Susannah York (in her cinematic debut) as Guinness’s grown daughter:

… and Dennis Price in a crucial supporting role as an oily major.

Notable Performances, Qualities, and Moments:

  • Alec Guinness as Major Jock Sinclair
  • John Mills as Lt. Col. Basil Burrow
  • Fine production design

Must See?
No, but it’s worth a one-time look for Guinness’s performance.

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Smooth Talk (1985)

Smooth Talk (1985)

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“I know my Connie; I’ve been watching you.”

Synopsis:
A teenager (Laura Dern) rebelling against her restrictive mother (Mary Kay Place) and seeking attention from boys encounters a mysterious, creepy older man (Treat Williams) who insists on taking her for a ride in his car.

Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors:

  • Coming of Age
  • Laura Dern Films
  • Obsessive Love
  • Sexuality
  • Teenagers
  • Treat Williams Films

Review:
Just after her acclaimed supporting role in Peter Bogdanovich’s Mask (1985), Laura Dern was offered a breakthrough leading role in this independent feature — directed by Joyce Chopra, and based on a short story by Joyce Carol Oates — about a teenager’s rocky coming of age and sexual awakening. The first hour of the 90-minute film details Dern’s strained relationship with her exasperated mother (Place), who frankly comes across like an unreasonably cranky and snarky parental figure.

Meanwhile, we don’t get to know much about Dern’s quirky father (Levon Helm) or dour older sister (Berridge) either, instead following Dern as she spends time at the mall and a drive-in with her two besties (Margaret Welsh and Sara Inglis):

… and is clearly very interested in presenting herself as a sexually attractive young woman (albeit one who puts limits on how far she’ll go). The inclusion of Williams’ character (who we only see in brief snippets throughout the first hour) was actually at the core of Oates’s original story, which itself was inspired by serial killer Charles Schmid.

To that end, the final third of the film is its most creepy by far — but also its most puzzling (and ultimately unsatisfying), given that we’re not explicitly told whether Treat’s character is any kind of killer (or not), and too much is left to the imagination. What is clear is that Dern is somewhat intrigued by (and attracted to) this handsome stranger, while also recognizing the risks he poses to her if she agrees to his forceful demands.

While I admire much about this well-filmed coming-of-age tale (primarily Dern’s fearless, spot-on performance), it’s not must-see viewing except for fans of Dern’s or Williams’ work.

Notable Performances, Qualities, and Moments:

  • Laura Dern as Connie
  • Treat Williams as Arthur Friend
  • James Glennon’s cinematography

Must See?
No, though it’s recommended for one-time viewing. Listed as a Sleeper in the back of Peary’s book.

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Through a Glass Darkly (1961)

Through a Glass Darkly (1961)

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“It’s so horrible to see your own confusion and understand it.”

Synopsis:
When a young woman (Harriet Andersson) recently released from a mental asylum arrives on a vacation island with her novelist father (Gunnar Björnstrand), her loving husband (Max von Sydow), and her younger brother (Lars Passgård), it quickly becomes apparent to everyone that Karin (Andersson) is far from well.

Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors:

  • Family Problems
  • Ingmar Bergman Films
  • Max von Sydow Films
  • Mental Breakdown
  • Mental Illness
  • Scandinavian Films

Review:
Ingmar Bergman won his second Academy Award for Best Foreign Picture with this first entry in an informal trilogy of thematically related movies — followed by Winter Light (1963) and The Silence (1963) — which provides a deeply dark meditation on God, sanity, love, and familial relations. Andersson — who had starred in several of Bergman’s earlier films, including Sawdust and Tinsel (1953) and Smiles of a Summer Night (1955) — gives a heartbreaking performance as a young woman who knows her sanity is at ongoing risk, and must deal with not only manipulation by her father and brother, but knowing she can’t fully satisfy her loving, patient husband.

The film is stark and sparse, featuring only a quartet of actors, a single primary location (the island of Fårö), and minimalist but effective use of the Sarabande from Suite No. 2 in D minor for Violoncello by J.S. Bach. While it’s not must-see for all film fanatics, Bergman fans will likely appreciate seeing this early distillation of some of his most trenchant themes.

Notable Performances, Qualities, and Moments:

  • Harriet Andersson as Karin
  • Fine supporting performances
  • Sven Nykvist’s incomparable cinematography
  • Good use of location shooting in Fårö

Must See?
No, though it’s recommended for Bergman fans. Listed as a film with Historical Importance in the back of Peary’s book.

(Listed in 1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die)

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Pierrot le Fou (1965)

Pierrot le Fou (1965)

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“My name’s Ferdinand.”

Synopsis:
When a French man (Jean Paul Belmondo) married to a demanding Italian wife (Graziella Galvani) runs away with his kids’ babysitter (Anna Karina), the couple take a sporadically violent road trip to find Karina’s brother Frank.

Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors:

  • Criminal Couple on the Run
  • French Films
  • Fugitives
  • Jean-Luc Godard Films
  • Jean-Paul Belmondo Films

Response to Peary’s Review:
Peary begins his review of what he refers to as “one of Jean-Luc Godard’s most fascinating films” by providing a succinct synopsis of the storyline, which “takes twists at every turn as if the script were being revised each morning before filming.” Peary’s overview gives away numerous plot points but isn’t really a spoiler, so I’ll cite it in full here: “Ferdinand (Jean-Paul Belmondo) is bored with his bourgeois lifestyle. He walks out on a stuffy party and runs away with his daughter’s babysitter, Marianna (Anna Karina), his former lover.”

“The next morning, he finds a dead man in Marianne’s apartment, with scissors stuck in his back.”

“The couple flees Paris. Gangsters, led by a midget (Jimmy Karoubi), are after some money Marianne has. She accidentally destroys the money when she sets fire to the car.”

“Ferdinand and Marianne spend time in a remote cottage — but there is little romance. She gets bored and insists they go to the Riviera to see her ‘brother.’ She isn’t being honest with him.”

Peary adds that the film is “filled with allusions to artists and films, political ideas, and jabs at commercialism and contemporary mores”:

… and he asserts that “it’s good to see Belmondo back in a Godard film,” noting that “maybe this film shows, in a limited sense, what would have happened if Belmondo and Jean Seberg had stayed together longer in Breathless” (a clip from that film is even shown here).

Finally, Peary notes the “explosive ending”, argues that “technically, [the] film is excitingly audacious”, and points out a cameo by “Samuel Fuller (as himself, describing film as ‘an emotional battleground’.)”

I don’t share Peary’s enthusiasm for this movie, which I find annoying and pointless rather than fascinating; as Godard himself stated, Pierrot le Fou “is not really a film, it’s an attempt at cinema.” Sure, it’s filled with plenty of the director’s clever cinematic trickery, and the cinematography (by Raoul Coutard) is gorgeous — but we don’t care a single whit about these vapid characters or their outcomes. While it’s widely acclaimed, I consider this one must-see only for Godard completists.

Notable Performances, Qualities, and Moments:

  • Raoul Coutard’s cinematography

Must See?
No, though of course Godard fans will want to check it out.

(Listed in 1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die)

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My Night at Maud’s / Ma Nuit Chez Maud (1969)

My Night at Maud’s / Ma Nuit Chez Maud (1969)

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“I don’t like people with no problems.”

Synopsis:
A Catholic (Jean-Louis Trintignant) secretly infatuated with a blonde (Marie-Christine Barrault) he sees at church bumps into an old schoolmate (Antoine Vitez) and ends up spending the evening with him and a divorced doctor named Maud (Françoise Fabian).

Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors:

  • Bourgeois Society
  • Eric Rohmer Films
  • French Films
  • Religious Faith

Response to Peary’s Review:
In his review of this “third of Eric Rohmer’s six ‘Moral Tales'” — though “the first to get wide-spread circulation in America” — Peary points out the theme of “chance and probability” that runs through the entire screenplay, beginning with Trintignant running “into a Marxist friend… whom he hasn’t seen in 14 years… at a restaurant neither has been to before”:

… and eventually turning to “Trintignant, who is the type of guy who is always punctual, keeps appointments, and doesn’t sway from an ordered life, impulsively approach[ing] (on the street) a beautiful blonde… he’d seen at mass,” with further character-driven coincidences ensuing.

As Peary notes, “the humor is more subtle than in other Rohmer films — in fact, one could sit through the whole film without realizing he’s been funny on occasion” given that “the characters are always so serious” (though the humor “comes from seeing such loquacious intellectuals turning out to be as silly and awkward as everyone else when it comes to sex”).

I have a different take: while re-watching this film, I never thought I was viewing a romantic (or even an intellectual) comedy, and didn’t find the characters’ sexual choices to be “silly”. Peary further asserts that the moment when “Fabian’s daughter (Marie Becker) climbs out of bed just to see the lights on the Christmas tree” is “a simple, sweet, and honest gesture that makes us see how trivial the adult discourse is”:

… but I also disagree with this latter point; the “adult discourse” (involving “ultra-sophisticated… conversations about Pascal, probability and religion”) may be occasionally abstruse, but is far from trivial (or irrelevant). While this film is most certainly not for all tastes, I think it’s one-time must-see viewing for all film fanatics, especially those interested in French cinema.

Notable Performances, Qualities, and Moments:

  • Nestor Almendros’s cinematography

Must See?
Yes, as an exemplar of Rohmer’s unique style.

Categories

  • Foreign Gem

(Listed in 1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die)

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Murmur of the Heart (1971)

Murmur of the Heart (1971)

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“Everyone has to discover love for himself.”

Synopsis:
In 1950s France, a teenager (Benoît Ferreux) with rowdy older brothers (Fabien Ferreux and Marc Winocourt) experiences a heart murmur while struggling to relate to his gynecologist father (Daniel Gélin) and developing a growing crush on his sexually promiscuous mother (Léa Massari).

Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors:

  • Coming-of-Age
  • French Films
  • Incest and Incestuous Undertones
  • Louis Malle Films
  • Virginity

Response to Peary’s Review:
Peary writes that this “rude comedy” (I’m not so sure it’s a comedy) by Louis Malle about “incestuous feelings between [a] sexually curious 14-year-old… and his beautiful, sensuous Italian mother” is primarily concerned with “drawing a scathing portrait of the French bourgeoisie.” He argues that “in Malle’s customary uncontroversial way,” the “comedy [sic] advances [the] novel idea that the best way to show rejection of [the] bourgeoisie’s shackles is to break its sexual rules.” Maybe so — but there isn’t anything inherently amusing about this tale of sexual exploration and complicated mother-child dynamics.

While this film has quite a few fans who appreciate the “natural,” non-sensationalized way in which Ferreux and Massari grow increasingly affectionate with one another, I’ll admit I’m not among its admirers. Its best moments show the authenticity (based in large part on Malle’s own childhood) of Ferreux attempting to learn from a kind-hearted prostitute (Gila von Weitershausen) his brothers have taken him to:

… and navigating adolescent passes at girls once he’s at a sanitorium for his heart condition. Otherwise, frankly, the film feels manipulative; knowing the film’s taboo topic makes one simply wait with unease to see how it plays out.

Notable Performances, Qualities, and Moments:

  • Benoît Ferreux as Laurent

Must See?
No, though of course Malle fans will want to check it out.

(Listed in 1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die)

Links:

Point Blank (1967)

Point Blank (1967)

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“Wherever you go, trouble finds you out.”

Synopsis:
During a heist at Alcatraz, a thief (Lee Marvin) is shot and left for dead by his partner (John Vernon) and wife (Sharon Acker) — but he survives and seeks vengeance on them, demanding the money he is owed from a criminal organization and receiving help from both a mysterious man (Keenan Wynn) and his wife’s sister (Angie Dickinson).

Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors:

  • Angie Dickinson Films
  • Ex-Cons
  • John Boorman Films
  • Keenan Wynn Films
  • Lee Marvin Films
  • Revenge

Response to Peary’s Review:
Since first reading it years ago, I’ve never forgotten the opening line to Peary’s review of this stylish revenge-flick, based on a novel by Donald E. Westlake: “With ice water in his veins, Lee Marvin goes after his ex-partner.”

Indeed, Marvin stays uncannily calm, cool, and collected as he carries out his deliberate quest to first annihilate the seemingly untouchable Vernon, and then collect the money he is owed, going as high up as he needs to on the organizational food chain.

Peary writes that director “John Boorman’s cult film boasts interesting characters, choice locales (around L.A., at Alcatraz prison), and virtuoso camera and editing techniques.”

He adds that “the extremely violent action sequences are particularly well handled” and “the film’s audacious style and unusual dialogue have made it extremely popular in Europe.”

He points out that Marvin — fresh off of his Oscar win for Cat Ballou (1965) and filming in The Dirty Dozen (1967) — “has one of his best roles” playing “his scariest character since he played villains”; as described in TCM’s article, “Lee Marvin moves with the precision of a machine, cold, calculating, relentless; he could be the predecessor to Arnold Schwarzenegger’s annihilating cyborg in The Terminator (1984).”

It’s impossible to imagine this film without Marvin, whose central performance is — well, dead-on. He is a freaking Terminator, but can one blame him given all he’s been through? His single-minded violence stands in interesting contrast with smarmy Vernon, who menaces beautiful Dickinson:

… but not for long. Meanwhile, the movie is filled with jarring action sequences, memorable imagery, and creative use of location shooting throughout California.


This flick remains well worth a look, and has held up well.

Notable Performances, Qualities, and Moments:

  • Lee Marvin as Walker
  • John Vernon as Reese
  • Angie Dickinson as Chris
  • Exciting action sequences
  • Philip Lathrop’s cinematography
  • Excellent use of authentic locales

Must See?
Yes, as a stylish thriller.

Categories

  • Genuine Classic
  • Noteworthy Performance(s)

(Listed in 1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die)

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Zorba the Greek (1964)

Zorba the Greek (1964)

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“To be alive is to undo your belt and look for trouble.”

Synopsis:
When a British-Greek writer (Alan Bates) arrives in Crete with the intention of opening a lignite mine, he meets a charismatic laborer named Zorba (Anthony Quinn) who quickly becomes an inextricable part of his life.

Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors:

  • Alan Bates Films
  • Anthony Quinn Films
  • Character Studies
  • Greece
  • Mining Towns
  • Village Life
  • Widows and Widowers

Review:
Three years after co-starring in The Guns of Navarone (1961), Anthony Quinn and Greek actress Irene Papas were once again paired on-screen in this adaptation of Nikos Kazantzakis’s 1946 novel. Although the story follows Bates as he arrives in his rocky island village, it’s clear that the primary focus is on the larger-than-life title character, who has numerous “life lessons” to pass along to “Boss” (his affectionate nickname for Bates).

Zorba’s wisdom and guidance include the following, as evidenced from direct quotes:

“You think too much.”
“Why did God give us hands? To grab. Well, grab!”
“I got up, and I danced… It was the dancing — only the dancing — that stopped the pain.”
“Now I look at a man, any man, and I say, ‘He is good. He is bad.’ What do I care if he’s Greek or Turk?”
“A man needs a little madness, or else he never dares cut the rope and be free.”

So, the creatively-blocked Bates clearly must learn to “let go” and love life — which includes allowing himself to be seduced by a beautiful widow (Irene Papas) who the villagers wrongly believe “belongs” to another young man who is in love with her; but the outcome of their brief dalliance is nothing short of tragic.

Indeed, a primary take-away from this tale is that the type of morality-policing of women we still see going on (albeit now accompanied by a much-needed uprising) is endemic in some societies — alongside xenophobia, as exemplified by the villagers’ disdainful treatment of a local French woman (Lila Kedrova) who spends her time reminiscing about her numerous wartime lovers, and who Zorba takes pity on.

Her eventual fate near the end of the film is equally distressing, especially given that it’s primarily driven by other aging women.

Co-producer Quinn’s performance — while arguably over-the-top at times — drives the film, showing us the inherent complexity of this middle-aged dynamo, who lives, loves, dreams, and acts at full volume. His impassioned performance (along with Kedrova’s touching turn as a deluded former-siren) make this critically and commercially popular film worth a look, though it’s not must-see viewing.

Notable Performances, Qualities, and Moments:

  • Anthony Quinn as Zorba
  • Lila Kedrova as Madame Hortense
  • Walter Lassally’s Oscar-winning cinematography

  • Mikis Theodorakis’s instantly recognizable score

Must See?
No, but it’s recommended for one-time viewing. Listed as a film with Historical Importance and a Personal Recommendation in the back of Peary’s book.

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Guns of Navarone, The (1961)

Guns of Navarone, The (1961)

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“The only way to win a war is to be as nasty as the enemy.”

Synopsis:
During World War II, Major Roy Franklin (Anthony Quayle) leads a skilled commando unit — consisting of a former mountaineer (Gregory Peck), a demolitions expert (David Niven), a Greek colonel (Anthony Quinn), an engineer (Stanley Baker), and two female resistance agents (Irene Papas and Gia Scala) — in attempting to bomb a pair of gigantic, Nazi-owned guns on the Greek island of Navarone.

Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors:

  • Anthony Quayle Films
  • Anthony Quinn Films
  • David Niven Films
  • Greece
  • Gregory Peck Films
  • Military
  • Nazis
  • Richard Harris Films
  • World War II

Review:
This top-grossing film of 1961 — based on a 1957 novel by Alistair MacLean, with a screenplay by Carl Foreman — was helmed by J. Lee Thompson, and featured an international cast of actors generally considered too old for their roles, but nonetheless convincing as a motley group of specialists brought together for a seemingly suicidal mission.

The action is nicely paced throughout, with tensions between characters emerging quickly, and an added eventual plot twist of a traitor in their midst. Meanwhile, there are ample Nazi baddies to hiss at.

The film was shot both in studio and on location (on the island of Rhodes), and the title (fictional) guns themselves are truly a sight to behold. As DVD Savant points out, the film’s “immediate legacy can be seen in the best of the James Bond films, where 007 similarly squirrels his way into outrageously grandiose vaults and fortresses.”

Given that this is a film best seen to be enjoyed, I won’t say much more about it.

Note: Interestingly, Alexander Mackendrick was originally hired to helm this film, but was fired due to “creative differences”.

Notable Performances, Qualities, and Moments:

  • Fine performances by the ensemble cast — particularly David Niven as Cpl. Miller
  • Good use of location shooting (merged with studio footage)
  • Numerous exciting action scenes

Must See?
Yes, as an engaging Hollywood epic. Listed as a film with Historical Importance in the back of Peary’s book.

Categories

  • Good Show
  • Historically Relevant

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Major Dundee (1965)

Major Dundee (1965)

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“How can we catch the wind — or destroy an enemy we never see?”

Synopsis:
Near the end of the Civil War, a Union cavalry leader (Charlton Heston) recruits a former-friend-turned-Confederate (Richard Harris) — as well as other prisoners-of-war, scoundrels, and a small group of Black soldiers — to help him fight a battle across the Mexican border against the Apache Indians.

Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors:

  • Ben Johnson Films
  • Cavalry
  • Charlton Heston Films
  • Civil War
  • James Coburn Films
  • Jim Hutton Films
  • Mexico
  • Misfits
  • Native Americans
  • Richard Harris Films
  • Rivalry
  • Sam Peckinpah Films
  • Warren Oates Films
  • Westerns

Response to Peary’s Review:
As Peary writes, while this “okay Sam Peckinpah epic western” — made in between Ride the High Country (1962) and The Wild Bunch (1969) — “contains several sweeping battle scenes,” the “emphasis is more on Bligh-Christian infighting between strict military man Charlton Heston and the more humane Richard Harris”, as well as “the tormented Heston’s personal journey” and “how Dundee’s troop, comprised of diverse elements, comes to represent imperialistic, impure, but somehow noble America.”

He points out (and many agree) that the “picture is confusing and boring at times,” though “it’s hard to judge because Columbia Studios broke the contract with Peckinpah and edited [the] film itself.” (See DVD Savant’s extensive overview of the film’s production, release, and re-release history if you’d like to read more.) He notes that because “Peckinpah wasn’t allowed to film several pivotal scenes that would have added more than an hour to the already lengthy running time” (the truth is more complicated than this), he “disowned this film” — and “some will recognize The Wild Bunch as his partial remake.” Meanwhile, Peary argues that “Heston’s cold, deeply flawed character is far too complex for the actor to play,” thus making it “hard for us to figure out what is going on in his head at any given time,” but he does make note of the “excellent cast” overall.

I’m essentially in agreement with Peary’s assessment of this disappointing western, which contains a reasonably interesting and coherent first hour, only to go flying off into frustratingly opaque directions for the remainder of its running time. The female characters — primarily Senta Berger as a German-born beauty who falls for Heston — are nothing more than romantic bait for the men:

… and the Apaches (perhaps predictably) are almost completely dehumanized. While this film has cult fans who consider it a guilty favorite, I can’t recommend it as must-see.

Notable Performances, Qualities, and Moments:

  • Sam Leavitt’s cinematography

Must See?
No, though of course it’s worth a one-time look simply for its historical significance, and Peckinpah fans will consider it must-see.

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