Breaking Point, The (1950)
“What else do I know? What else am I good at? I’m a boat jockey.”
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Angel and the Badman (1947)
“Only a man who carries a gun ever needs one.”
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The cinematography — with much location shooting in Arizona, including Monument Valley — is nicely done, and there are numerous touching and/or humorous scenes, such as when Wayne is stuck holding a baby at a Quaker gathering.
The story-line is simple, but filled with genuine tension and many unanswered questions: Is Penny’s love for Quirt simply naive infatuation, or something deeper — and vice versa? Will Penny’s parents (Irene Rich and Stephen Grant) tolerate her love for a gunslinger? Will Quirt be able to evade both his sworn enemy (Bruce Cabot) and the lawman (Carey) determined to catch him? Can — and should — Quirt convince Penny that she’s better off with a steadfast Quaker suitor (Marshall Reed)? It’s a delight to watch and find out. Redeeming Qualities and Moments:
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Morocco (1930)
“Every time a man has helped me, there has been a price. What’s yours?”
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Up! (1976)
“One of these people has committed murder most foul — but which one?”
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Why in the world does Peary include this title in his GFTFF? Redeeming Qualities and Moments: Must See? Links: |
Roaring Twenties, The (1939)
“You want the Brooklyn Bridge, all you gotta do is ask for it. If I can’t buy it, I’ll steal it!”
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Response to Peary’s Review: SPOILER AHEAD — especially during his famous “gem” of a “death scene”, in which “he tries to run up the steps of a church, but his momentum takes him downward instead”. I’m essentially in agreement with Peary’s review: this is a fine gangster flick, despite being a bit too “slanted” in its whitewashed “sense of history”. Gladys George (best known for her supporting role in The Maltese Falcon) is noteworthy as the likable dame Cagney is too dense to fall for, and it’s fun to see Cagney and Bogart together (they co-starred in three films — this, Angels With Dirty Faces, and The Oklahoma Kid). Redeeming Qualities and Moments:
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Up in Smoke (1978)
“You wanna get high, man?”
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(Listed in 1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die) Links: |
Street Scene (1931)
“Every person in the world’s gotta have somebody to talk to!”
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Response to Peary’s Review: The inherent claustrophobia of the stage-bound setting actually serves this story well, as it highlights how closely connected these neighbors are to each others’ business, for better and for worse. They can support one another during times of need — as when Taylor looks out for the very-pregnant wife of a concerned father-to-be (Conway Washburne) — but also easily become overly involved in each other’s private lives and choices. The film’s Pre-Code sensibility is refreshingly clear, most noticeably via intermittent scenes involving a bra-less young woman (Greta Granstedt) who happily goes off with her lover to spend the night in a friend’s apartment, but also in the shockingly racist language used by McHugh, and the fact that Collier, Jr.’s father (Max Montor) is able to talk at length about socialist revolutionary ideals without being overtly villainized. The dramatic finale (don’t read ANY online reviews if you want to remain surprised!) has been ridiculed by some for Vidor’s unconventional editing choices during a key neighborhood scene, but I believe it’s an effectively stylized representation of life in a densely packed, multicultural city. Redeeming Qualities and Moments:
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Red Shoes, The (1948)
“You cannot have it both ways. A dancer who relies upon the doubtful comforts of human love can never be a great dancer. Never.”
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Response to Peary’s Review: In his Alternate Oscars, Peary names Walbrook Best Actor of the Year for his role as Boris Lermontov, and provides a detailed analysis of his character. He writes that Walbrook “gives a sad, disturbing portrait of a complex, frustrated man who is so dedicated to his art — he calls ballet his religion — that he suppresses his human qualities”, hiding “behind a defense comprised of a stone face, an authoritative position that allows for no dissenters, and smart, smug remarks and answers to everything”. He points out that Walbrook is “so devoted… to ballet that he feels betrayed when anyone fails to share his vision and would compromise their talents for something as trivial as love and marriage”. Of course, these days, the choice between marriage and a career — or even motherhood and a career — isn’t nearly as black-and-white, thus dating this critical element of the storyline; but Walbrook’s personal insistence that the two are mutually exclusive (Shearer and Goring rightfully disagree) is what lies behind the film’s driving dilemma. Peary has some quibbles about the film. He posits that the central rendition of “The Red Shoes” ballet “shouldn’t be stylized at all” given that “it was staged by purist Walbrook”, and that “because of the cinematic liberties and excesses of the ballet sequences, it’s impossible to readjust to [the] realistic sequences that follow”. Hogwash on both counts: the mix works just beautifully, and there’s no reason to believe Walbrook’s character wouldn’t stage such elaborate ballets. Meanwhile, Peary argues that while “the first half of the film is masterful, the second half is miserable”, given that “the male directors [have] manipulated us into disliking Walbrook so much that we have trouble realizing that what he wants for Shearer is what is best for her”. In Alternate Oscars, he writes that Walbrook “is presented… as if he were a sinister villain in this modern-day fairy tale”, but that “the selfish [Goring] is [actually] the piece’s villain” given that he has apparently asked Shearer “to give up dance”. I don’t see this as the case at all. While it’s true that Walbrook’s character has “finer qualities” — i.e., “he gives both Julian [Goring] and Vicky [Shearer] their big breaks, instinctively believing in them and putting himself on the line on their behalf” — he’s ultimately a brilliant yet flawed petty tyrant whose narcissistic worldview and insistence on maintaining absolute control become his (and Shearer’s) fatal undoing. Redeeming Qualities and Moments:
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(Listed in 1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die) Links: |
White Heat (1949)
“No, Ma — your hunches are never wrong.”
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Response to Peary’s Review: Peary goes on to write that Cody is “older and paunchier than we think of Cagney the gangster, but he’s still intense, his eyes are fiery, and his energy is ferocious”. Cody truly is “terrifying” when, “with wild eyes, he half strangles Verna [Mayo] for betraying him”, and “pathetic… during his headache bouts” and “in the classic prison-cafeteria scene when he learns that Ma is dead”. Peary argues that “Walsh treats the story’s potential hero — undercover policeman Hank Fallon (Edmond O’Brien), who infiltrates Cody’s gang and gains his trust — as the story’s villain, no better than a filthy spy”, noting that “Walsh obviously felt for Cody, who’s at least honest where his friends are concerned”, and thus deserves his “‘happy’ ending” by “achiev[ing] immortality” (“Made it, Ma! Top of the world!”). However, I disagree that O’Brien is posited as a villain; I actually see him as one of the bravest, noblest fools ever to risk his life on screen. (Who in the world would willingly try to pull a long one over on the notoriously trigger-happy Cody Jarrett?!) Cagney’s performance is clearly a stand-out, but the entire supporting cast of White Heat is excellent as well — most notably beady-eyed Wycherly as Ma. (In the pantheon of villainous “screen moms”, she lands near the top.) The narrative — based on a story by Virginia Kellogg (who wrote the script for Caged) — is tense from the get-go and never lets up; with a deranged, manipulative psychopath like Cody on the loose, there’s no telling what kind of violence will happen next, or whose life will casually be snuffed out. In addition to scenes already mentioned, particularly memorable moments include Cody lying to a blinded, severely burned gang member he intends to have killed after leaving him behind; all scenes in which O’Brien must successfully pass himself off to Cody as a would-be hoodlum; and Ma’s ride home after buying strawberries. Redeeming Qualities and Moments:
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(Listed in 1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die) Links: |
Dog Day Afternoon (1975)
“I don’t wanna talk to some flunky pig trying to calm me, man.”
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Response to Peary’s Review: Strong performances by Pacino, Cazale, Durning, and others ground the film, presenting us with a slate of real people deeply invested in a hideously gone-bad situation; they’re all simply trying to climb their way out intact and preserve lives. Pacino’s character is so genuinely on-edge that he cares more about pragmatics than his newfound fame, and remains refreshingly unfazed by having his sexuality publicly “outed” (though Cazale is predictably agitated by being mistakenly labeled on the news as one of two “homosexuals”). Sully Boyar and Penny Allen are excellent as protective bank employees watching out for their colleagues, and Sarandon’s Oscar-nominated supporting performance as the transgendered lover behind Pacino’s actions is memorable. Watch for a particularly ironic moment early on, as an African-American bank guard is unexpectedly released first and unleashes a flurry of movement to arrest him; some things haven’t changed. Note: Fans of this flick will likely enjoy Spike Lee’s Inside Man (2006), also about a heist-gone-wrong. Redeeming Qualities and Moments:
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