FilmFanatic.org

Synopsis:
An aging widower (Chishu Ryu) lovingly deceives his devoted daughter (Sesuko Hara) in order to convince her that she should marry.

Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors:

• Father and Child
• Grown Children
• Incest and Incestuous Undertones
• Japanese Films
• Ozu Films
• Widows and Widowers

Response to Peary’s Review:
As Peary notes, this “simply told yet lovely film” by Yasujiro Ozu showcases many of the themes the famed Japanese director would continue to explore in his later movies — including “the dissolution of the postwar Japanese family; the idea that married children… will become strangers to their parents; [and] the wise realization by the elderly that they must sacrifice their own happiness so that their children can make lives for themselves.” Ozu quietly evokes a specific time and place in post-WWII Japanese history, with most scenes focusing on the expressions and reactions of seated characters who are either pouring tea, folding clothes, chatting, or taking care of other daily activities. Ozu’s pace is refreshingly leisurely; his camera lingers quietly on scenes of the countryside, empty rooms about to be filled, and — most frequently — the lovely, smiling face of the film’s protagonist (Hara).

Peary points out that Ozu makes the fascinating choice of never showing us Hara’s young “Gary Cooper-esque” spouse-to-be — indicating that in some ways, Late Spring is really a tragic story of “star-crossed lovers” (father and daughter) who are unable to justify a continued lifetime together. While Ozu only hints at the titillation of Hara’s “unhealthy” devotion to her father, there is definitely something “not quite right” between them. Indeed, any explicit mention of the need for sexual gratification is conspicuously absent from the film — although it would appear full-force in Ozu’s final movie, An Autumn Afternoon (1962), a virtual reworking of the same story.

Note: Interestingly, many of Ozu’s films reference seasons in their titles — including Early Summer (1951), Early Spring (1956), Late Autumn (1960), Early Autumn (1961), and An Autumn Afternoon (1962).

Redeeming Qualities and Moments:

• Setsuko Hara as Noriko, whose near-constant smile belies the depth of her conflicting emotions
  
• Chishu Ryu as Noriko’s sacrificing father — this wonderfully understated actor is always a pleasure to behold on-screen
  
• Many quiet scenes between Hara and Ryu, who are ultimately too comfortable in their life together
  
• Beautiful black-and-white cinematography
  
• An interesting glimpse at American-occupied Japan after WWII
  
• An emotionally devastating, yet ultimately satisfying, ending
  
• Senji Ito’s lilting, strings-heavy musical score, which permeates the film and brings a lump to one’s throat

Must See?
Yes. Ozu’s film is a provocative, lovingly rendered depiction of filial loyalty in mid-century Japan.

Categories

• Foreign Gem
• Important Director

Links:

• IMDb entry
• NY Times Original Review

Synopsis:
Senator Johnny Fergus (Hal Holbrook) uses popular rock star Max Frost (Christopher Jones) as a political ploy to gain the country’s “youth vote.” Things quickly spin out of control, however, when Frost and his friends entreat the nation not to “trust anyone over 30”.

Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors:

• Dystopia
• Ed Begley Sr. Films
• Generation Gap
• Millie Perkins Films
• Naive Public
• Political Corruption
• Revolutionaries
• Richard Pryor Films
• Satires and Spoofs
• Shelley Winters Films

Response to Peary’s Review:
Peary describes this cult AIP flick as a “vile movie, a fascist fantasy, an insult to America’s politically conscious youth” — but I think he misses the point. Wild in the Streets is actually a relatively smart, pointed satire which isn’t afraid to carry its provocative (albeit ludicrous) premise to a logical end. When Shelley Winters (perfectly cast as Max’s hypocritical, brown-nosing mother) accidentally shouts out, “I’m an Aryan!” as she’s dragged away by the regime’s Age Police, the allegory between Frost’s Youth-topia and Hitler’s Third Reich couldn’t be clearer. These may be “awful characters”, as Peary notes, but who says power doesn’t corrupt?

Once they’ve managed to take over the White House and imprison anyone over 35 in LSD “concentration camps”, director Barry Shear doesn’t allow Frost and his cronies to rest on the laurels of their successful coup. Instead, the film continues inexorably along its dystopic path: when Frost informs Fergus’s young daughter, Mary, that he’s 24, she responds with youthful disdain, “That’s old!” The fear on Frost’s face at this moment shows that he’s beginning to realize (perhaps too late) the folly of his logic.

Inevitable comparisons have been made between this film and 1968’s Privilege — an equally provocative satire about a popular musician used for nefarious political purposes. But ultimately the films take radically different approaches to their subject matter. Privilege revolves around a patsy rock star who gradually comes to realize that his very identity is being manipulated by the government. Frost, however, is politically savvy from the get-go, and never lets up on his bitter thirst to eliminate the equation of age and experience with wisdom and ability.

Redeeming Qualities and Moments:

• Jones’s charismatic portrayal as Max Frost (though his ratty ponytail has got to go!)
  
• Richard Pryor as Frost’s drummer
  
• Shelley Winters as Daphne Flato
  
• Catchy, if annoying, songs
  

Must See?
Yes. This cult movie may offend those who have fond memories of the 1960s youth movement, but today the film comes across as a surprisingly provocative, biting satire.

Categories

• Cult Movie

Links:

• IMDb entry
• Moria Review
• Time Out Capsule Review
• Bad Movie Report Review

Synopsis:
Chuck Berry introduces acts from the 1964 Teenage Awards Music International (TAMI) — including Bo Diddley, the Supremes, the Ronettes, James Brown, Marvin Gaye, Lesley Gore, and the Rolling Stones.

Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors:

• Concert Films
• Rock ‘n Roll
• Teenagers

Response to Peary’s Review:
As Peary notes, this early concert film featuring hit American and British rock groups of the day is “silly, innocent fun”, with “some of the most cheerful acts you’ve ever seen.” Cinematically, the film is fairly standard concert fare, and the frenzied on-stage dancers are embarrassingly bad; nonetheless, “as a record of the ’64 music scene, it’s priceless.”

My favorite acts (though naturally everyone will have their own) include Lesley Gore singing “You Don’t Own Me” (featuring the film’s most creative camerawork):

… a handsome young Marvin Gaye singing several ballads:

James Brown sashaying across the stage on one foot:

and, naturally, the Rolling Stones (I especially love the way the camera captures Mick Jagger’s happy exhaustion at the end of each song).

Redeeming Qualities and Moments:

• Countless musical greats gathered together for a powerhouse good time
  

Must See?
Yes, simply as a musical time-capsule.

Categories

• Historically Relevant

Links:

• IMDb entry
• Geetarz Music Review

Synopsis:
Xica (Zeze Motta), a black female slave in 18th century Brazil, gains freedom, wealth, and power by seducing the town’s new Royal Diamond Contractor (Walmor Chages).

Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors:

• Comedy
• Historical Drama
• Political Corruption
• Race Relations
• Social Climbers
• South and Central America
• Strong Females

Response to Peary’s Review:
Peary’s review of this “popular [Brazilian] film by Carlos Diegues” is rather half-hearted. He finds it “not particularly interesting,” and largely “unsatisfying” in terms of its political exposition. Other reviewers have expressed similar opinions, lamenting the film’s bombastic sexual humor and labeling it thematically “messy”. It’s true that Xica doesn’t fall into one or two neatly defined cinematic slots. In addition to the above-listed genres, for instance, Xica could be seen as a femme fatale film, given that the lead character selfishly causes the downfall of the men she seduces (though her joyous demeanor and intermittent goodwill towards others don’t allow Xica to fall into the classic noir categorization of such women). Also, while the story undeniably involves slavery, it doesn’t dwell on this as any kind of a serious thematic subject — Xica could just as easily have been a lower-class maid rather than a slave, without changing the overall thrust of the story. And though Xica has much of the feeling of a classic “Bedroom Farce” — with Xica bedding several cuckolded men at once — it’s more about sex as a source of power than sex as a harmless flirtation.

Finally, while Xica experiences a drastic downfall at the end of the film (thus hinting at a “Rise and Fall” theme), she picks herself right back up and, oddly, seems undefeated — thus belying the traditional heavy-handed morality of most such movies. Ultimately, then, Xica is more of a character-driven comedy than any kind of a serious statement about political, historical, racial, or gender-based issues. If you don’t expect such an agenda, chances are you’ll have a good time enjoying this film’s broad humor, colorful costumes, and unusual historical setting. It’s truly a unique movie-watching experience.

Redeeming Qualities and Moments:

• Zeze Motta’s dynamic, sexually charged performance as Xica
  
• Unexpectedly ribald humor

Must See?
Yes, as one of the most popular Brazilian films of the 1970s.

Categories

• Historically Relevant

Links:

• IMDb entry
• NY Times Original Review

Synopsis:
British poet Stevie Smith (Glenda Jackson) discusses her childhood, her literary fame, her failed romance, and life with her beloved maiden aunt (Mona Washbourne).

Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors:

• Biopics
• Flashback Films
• Glenda Jackson Films
• Play Adaptations
• Spinsters
• Trevor Howard Films
• Writers

Response to Peary’s Review:
Peary’s review of this theatrical adaptation is humorously tongue-in-cheek: he begins by noting that it is “one of those films people like to recommend to show they have good taste — [but] not me,” and admits that he “blanked out” after ten minutes. Interestingly enough, I had the opposite reaction — it took me about ten minutes to get into the rhythm of the movie, and then (almost despite myself) I was hooked. I knew nothing at all about Stevie Smith before renting this movie — indeed, I hadn’t even heard of her — but quickly became interested in both her work and her life, primarily due to Jackson’s skillfully nuanced performance.

She utilizes a series of self-conscious vocal modulations and subtle facial gestures (such as nose sniffs and tongue-against-teeth movements) to portray Stevie’s unique mixture of humility, melancholy, and quietly adventurous spirit — and while she talks far too much, her performance never falters. Unfortunately, not every aspect of the film works: the flashbacks to Stevie’s childhood seem out of place; the script is far too stagy; and the strange role of Smith’s friend “The Man” (played by Trevor Howard) should have been cut altogether.

Monologic plays ultimately work better on the small screen — I was reminded, for instance, of Eileen Atkins one-woman portrait of Virginia Woolf in A Room of One’s Own (1990). With that said, however, fans of this type of movie will doubtless enjoy it, and should seek it out.

Redeeming Qualities and Moments:

• Glenda Jackson’s unglamorous portrayal of Stevie Smith
  
• Mona Washbourne’s delightfully witty performance as Stevie’s spinster aunt
  

Must See?
No, unless you’re a fan of either Stevie Smith, Glenda Jackson, or one-woman shows.

Links:

• IMDb entry
• NY Times Original Review

Synopsis:
Composer George Bone (Laird Cregar) suffers from sound-induced blackouts, during which he commits crimes he can’t remember. When he’s jilted by a manipulative dance hall singer (Linda Darnell), he commits one murder too many, and a Scotland Yard doctor (George Sanders) is hot on his trail.

Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors:

• Composer
• George Sanders Films
• Historical Dramas
• Horror
• Laird Cregar Films
• Linda Darnell Films
• Multiple Personalities
• Serial Killers

Response to Peary’s Review:
As Peary notes, Laird Cregar gives one of his best, most sympathetic “psycho performances” in this “wildly stylized period noir” — released just two months after his premature death by heart attack at the age of 30. Cregar plays Bone as a quietly insecure, well-meaning artist whose physically imposing body functions as a scarily efficient tool for destruction while also belying a gentler nature.

Cregar’s performance here shows ample evidence of his burgeoning talent; he masterfully combines broadly psychotic behavior with a range of subtle gestures a la Brando in On the Waterfront. Watch the way he idly scratches a Siamese cat on its head with the tip of a fan, for instance:

or quietly adjusts his jacket collar when walking into the room where he recently — albeit unknowingly — tried to strangle his friend.

In addition to Cregar’s nuanced performance, Hangover Square benefits from both “wonderful period detail” and “bizarre direction” by John Brahm. The opening scene of the movie — in which Bone murders an antiques dealer, then flees in confusion — is filmed with “wild angles, camera distortion, [and] swooping crane shots”, thus immediately evoking the protagonist’s crazed frame of mind.

This stylized camera work is repeated each time Bone gets knocked into an alternate state of consciousness, and ultimately builds towards the film’s baroquely melodramatic ending — one which effectively conveys the misfortune of a genius betrayed by his own mind.

Redeeming Qualities and Moments:

• Laird Cregar’s excellent performance in what was tragically both his first and last top-billed role
  
• Linda Darnell as the seductively beautiful singer who meets a fiery fate
  
• Creative camera work, lighting, and set designs
  
  
• Bernard Herrmann’s dramatic score

Must See?
Yes. While not as renowned as Brahm’s 1944 flick The Lodger (another movie in which Cregar plays a psychotic serial-killer — Jack the Ripper), film fanatics will undoubtedly want to see Cregar in his final performance.

Categories

• Good Show
• Noteworthy Performance(s)

Links:

• IMDb entry
• DVD Savant (scroll down)
• Moria Review
• Time Out Capsule Review
• Film Monthly Review

Synopsis:
Through a creative mixture of documentary and fictional footage, Yugoslavian director Dusan Makavejev explores the links between sexual and political freedom in the Cold War era.

Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors:

• Documentary
• Eastern European Films
• Satires and Spoofs
• Sexual Liberation

Response to Peary’s Review:
Though he acknowledges Makavejev’s stylistic ingenuity in WR: Mysteries of the Organism, Peary seems less than excited by the overall impact of this heady cinematic pastiche, lamenting the film’s lost opportunity to fully explore the “radical “free love’ philosophy” of Wilhelm Reich (the “WR” of the film’s title). Viewed years later, however, it’s possible to appreciate WR as more than the sum of its (at times confusing) parts. Makavejev uses Reich’s controversial therapy techniques and untimely death as the inspirational starting point for a heady meditation on life, love, and the pursuit of happiness through political and sexual freedom. While his points may not always be clear — as Peary points out, for instance, it’s difficult at times to tell whether Makavejev is mocking Reich’s disciples or lauding their work — his images never fail to provoke and/or shock.

Redeeming Qualities and Moments:

• A provocative mix of documentary and fictional footage
  

Must See?
Yes; this cult movie remains a unique artistic and political statement.

Categories

• Controversial Film
• Cult Movie
• Foreign Gem

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

Links:

• IMDb entry
• Q Network Review
• Roger Ebert’s Review

Synopsis:
Henpecked Stan and Ollie (Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy) sneak off to a fraternity convention in Chicago, telling their wives (Mae Busch and Dorothy Christie) that they have gone to Honolulu to cure Ollie’s cold — but their ruse is soon discovered–

Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors:

• Battle-of-the-Sexes
• Comedy
• Henpecked Husbands
• Laurel & Hardy Films

Response to Peary’s Review:
As Peary notes, this slapstick comedy may very well be the “definitive Laurel and Hardy film”, given that it “perfectly illustrates how Laurel and Hardy typically relate to each other and to their wives in their movies.” It’s full of countless humorous moments, including Stan blithely eating wax fruit:

… Stan and Ollie naively trying to convince their knowing wives that they’ve been in Honolulu:

… Stan and Ollie attempting to sneak into their own houses:

As noted in the New York Times’ original review, Laurel and Hardy are “a Quixote and Panza in a nightmare world, where even the act of opening a door is filled with hideous perils.” This harmless pair of stooges can’t seem to help landing in a heap of trouble — and it’s great fun watching them struggle to climb back out.

Redeeming Qualities and Moments:

• The opening sequence, in which the Exalted Ruler (John Elliott) of the Sons of the Desert — taking his position way too seriously — solemnly exhorts all members to attend the annual convention in Chicago
  
  
• Mae Busch and Dorothy Christie playing “straight (wo)men” to Laurel and Hardy’s antics
  

Must See?
Yes. Along with Way Out West (1936) and Blockheads (1938), this is a must-see Laurel and Hardy flick. Discussed at length in Peary’s Cult Movies 3 (1988).

Categories

• Genuine Classic

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

Links:

• IMDb entry
• NY Times Original Review
• Movie Diva Review
• Greatest Films Review