Original Reviews - FilmFanatic.org

Torment (1944)

January 4, 2022 admin Comments 1 comment

“A man of your learning shouldn’t care so much for respect bred from fear.”

Synopsis:
A teenage student (Alf Kjellin) suffering under cruel treatment at the hands of his Latin teacher (Stig Järrel) falls for a young tobacconist shop clerk (Mai Zetterling) who lives in constant fear of Järrel’s sadistic visits to her.

Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors:

Ingmar Bergman Films
Love Triangle
Scandinavian Films
Teachers

Review:
Ingmar Bergman’s screenwriting debut (after joining the Svensk Filmindustri on a one-year contract) was this film directed by his mentor, Alf Sjöberg, and loosely based on his own troubled experiences as a non-confirmist student. Unsurprisingly for a Bergman film, it’s both highly atmospheric and extremely dark, depicting the hell experienced by vulnerable students under cruel tutelage:

… as well as a lack of support or understanding at home (specifically in the form of a strict, uncompassionate father):

… and troubled individuals who reach out to one other physically for comfort and love.

These are all themes that would continue to play out in Bergman’s later work, and it’s interesting (if not entirely satisfying) to see them here in a rather nascent and simplistic form. Thankfully, there are compassionate individuals on the sidelines of the bleak narrative, including the school’s headmaster (Olof Winnerstrand), shown here listening to another bullied student (Jan Molander) who has come to him for assistance:

… and Kjellin’s understanding mother (Märta Arbin):

Bergman was apparently asked to write a more optimistic ending for his film, and was allowed to take over directorial duties for this scene, which in his own words made him “more excited that I can describe.” Clearly he had found his calling!

Notable Performances, Qualities, and Moments:

Martin Bodin’s atmospheric cinematography

Must See?
No; this one is only must-see for those interested in Bergman’s beginnings. Listed as a film with Historical Importance in the back of Peary’s book.

Links:

For Whom the Bell Tolls (1943)

January 4, 2022 admin Comments 2 comments

“A man fights for what he believes in.”

Synopsis:
An American (Gary Cooper) fighting in Spain on behalf of the Republicans falls in love with a beautiful refugee (Ingrid Bergman) living with a group of gypsy fighters in the mountains — including violent Pablo (Akim Tamiroff), his “woman” Pilar (Katina Paxinou), and an aging guide (Vladimir Sokoloff).

Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors:

Akim Tamiroff Films
Gary Cooper Films
Ingrid Bergman Films
Sam Wood Films
Spanish Civil War

Review:
This big-budget, nearly three-hour Technicolor adaptation of Ernest Hemingway’s bestselling novel about the Spanish Civil War was highly regarded by both audiences (who made it the second highest grossing film of the year) and critics (it received nine Academy Award nominations, winning one for Paxinou as Best Supporting Actress). Unfortunately, it hasn’t dated well at all, and comes across today as a beautifully filmed but overlong, drawn-out melodrama with far too much pancake makeup used.

The screenplay is apparently quite faithful to Hemingway’s novel, which audiences of the day were much more familiar with than viewers now would be; to that end, in his mostly rave review, Bosley Crowther of the New York Times noted:

“As often is the case with pictures which are based upon popular works, a thorough comprehension of this one may depend on whether one has read the book… The cosmic symbolism of [the leads’] regenerative love, set against a background of violence and the impending prospect of death, will barely be comprehensible only to those who have read the book.”

Exactly. Watching Cooper and Bergman fall instantly in love with one another here feels simply like inevitable Hollywood fare, given we don’t have much (if any) background understanding of their characters:

Anyone hoping to actually learn about the Spanish Civil War will be sorely disappointed, as it’s not even mentioned as such. We know there are Rebels (who must be good, given the famous actors playing them) fighting against Bad Guys, but that’s the extent of the nuance — other than a throughline focusing on the nefarious tactics of Tamiroff’s Pablo, who is shown in flashback overseeing brutal acts of violence:

… and whose loyalties we’re constantly made to question. Meanwhile, the Hemingway-ian dialogue in Dudley Nichols’ screenplay is often either laughable and/or offensive — as when the much-darker-skinned Paxinou rambles the following to Bergman:

Paxinou: Life is very curious. I would have made a good man. But, I’m all woman – and all ugly… Yet one can have a feeling *here* that blinds a man while he loves you. He thinks you are beautiful. And one day for no reason at all he sees you ugly, as you really are. And he is not blind anymore. Then you see yourself as ugly as he sees you – and you lose your man and your feeling. Then one day the feeling, that idiotic feeling that you are beautiful, grows inside you again, and another man sees you and thinks you are beautiful, and it’s all to do over again.

Poor Bergman herself, however, is given some of the worst clunkers:

“I do not know how to kiss or I would kiss you. Where do the noses go? Always I wonder where the noses will go.”

“I love you, Roberto. Always remember: I love you as I loved my father and mother, as I love our unborn children, as I love what I love most in the world, and I love you more. Always remember.”

“I’ll never go away from you. I loved you when I first saw you. I’ve always loved you, but I never saw you before.”

… at least until the final sequence between Bergman and Cooper, when Cooper takes back the prize — but I won’t spoil anything.

Notable Performances, Qualities, and Moments:

Ray Rennahan’s atmospheric cinematography

Must See?
Nope; you can skip this one unless you happen to be a diehard fan of Hemingway, Bergman, or Cooper.

Links:

One of Our Aircraft is Missing (1942)

January 2, 2022 admin Comments 1 comment

“Stand by to abandon aircraft!”

Synopsis:
When their bomber plane crash-lands in German-occupied Holland, six RAF crewmen (Godfrey Tearle, Eric Portman, Hugh Williams, Bernard Miles, Hugh Burden, and Emrys Jones) receive assistance from Dutch resistance fighters — including an English-speaking schoolteacher (Pamela Brown) and a woman (Googie Withers) pretending to be pro-German.

Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors:

Airplanes and Pilots
Michael Powell Films
Peter Ustinov Films
Resistance Fighters
World War II

Review:
Made the year after 49th Parallel (1941), this joint effort by Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger was the first title released under their new production company (The Archers), and showed audiences the “opposite side” of their previous wartime story (as implied in the top line of the poster; see above). The screenplay opens with an extremely compelling flight sequence which grounds us in the specifics of how pilots fighting for their lives might banter nervously while staying laser-focused (can you recognize Bernard Miles under all that equipment?):

Once the crew have parachuted safely to the ground (minus one, who is later found), we see the men’s adventures across the Netherlands — beginning with encountering kids playing in the countryside, who they must convince of their innocence (thankfully, Burden speaks a bit of survival Dutch):

Because this is a propaganda film, we sense that things will work out for our hardy protagonists — especially given how careful schoolteacher Brown is to ensure they really are who they say they are:

… and thus we can simply enjoy their clever tactics against suspicious Germans, which involve dressing up as Dutch:

… and hiding parachutes under the pews at a church where secret signals are sent by the organist:

Next we see a different brand of heroism, with Withers playing a double-life as a Nazi sympathizer while hiding a radio and helping the Resistance:

The entire film is beautifully shot by DP Ronald Neame, making it a pleasurable viewing experience. While this one is not must-see, it’s well worth a one-time look.

Note: Watch for young (slim) Peter Ustinov in a bit role (his feature-length debut) as a Catholic priest.

Notable Performances, Qualities, and Moments:

The exciting opening flight sequence
Ronald Neame’s cinematography

Must See?
No, though it’s recommended.

Links:

Ossessione (1943)

January 2, 2022 admin Comments 2 comments

“Living with him is impossible. He’s so filthy! So false!”

Synopsis:
When an unemployed vagrant (Massimo Girotti) arrives at a cafe owned by a middle-aged man (Juan de Landa), he has an affair with the man’s unhappy younger wife (Clara Calamai), and the pair soon find themselves plotting to be on their own.

Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors:

Infidelity
Italian Films
Luchino Visconti Films
Star-Crossed Lovers

Review:
Luchino Visconti’s debut feature (generally cited as the first neo-realist Italian film) was this loose adaptation of James M. Cain’s 1934 novel The Postman Always Rings Twice. Viewers familiar with Hollywood’s two versions of Cain’s novel — Tay Garnett’s 1946 MGM classic and Bob Rafelson’s 1981 remake — will instantly recognize tensions in the opening scenes, as the bored, sexually unfufilled young wife of an older, overweight man is instantly attracted to a hunky stranger arriving at their place of business:

From there, however, the narrative takes slightly different turns than the more “faithful” Hollywood versions. A significant early subplot has Gino leaving to continue his itinerant lifestyle, meeting a young man (Elio Marcuzzo) on a train who offers to pay for his ticket, and who is clearly (though it’s not explicitly stated) attracted to Girotti:

A subsequent sequence with the pair in a one-bed hotel room once again indicates Marcuzzo’s unstated interest:

… but Girotti is exclusively obsessed with Calamai, and can’t stop talking or thinking about her. Sure enough, once they meet again at a carnival, where Girotti is carrying around a sign for Marcuzzo’s act:

… and de Landa is about to participate in an amateur singing contest:

… the wheels of fate are set in motion once again:

SPOILERS

… and we know de Landa is not long for this world. The murder itself takes place off camera — and other than Girotti being initially interrogated by police at the scene of the car crash:

… not too much more is made of the crime other than investigators continuing to pursue leads (i.e., there is no big court case, as in Cain’s novel and both Hollywood versions). Instead, we see Girotti and Calamai’s fraught love affair gradually falling apart, especially once Girotti learns about Calamai cashing in de Landa’s life insurance policy, and begins to suspect he’s been used. When Girotti falls for a flirtatious young ballerina (Dhia Cristiani) he meets at the park:

… tensions between the murderous couple (Girotti and Calamai) naturally rise even higher, eventually leading to the film’s tragic denouement. The entire story is atmospherically filmed, with good use of natural locales and extras, thus leading to its designation by many (though this is contested) as a prototype of Italian neo-realism. Be sure to check out TCM’s article for more information on the film’s production history and challenging release.

Notable Performances, Qualities, and Moments:

Massimo Girotti as Gino
Clara Calamai as Giovanna
Juan de Landa as Giuseppe
Atmospheric cinematography
Fine neo-realist location shooting in the Po Delta

Must See?
Yes, for its historical significance in Italian cinema, and as a powerful noir film. Listed as a film with Historical Importance and a Personal Recommendation in the back of Peary’s book.

Categories

Historically Relevant
Important Director

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

Links:

J’Accuse (1938)

January 1, 2022 admin Comments 0 Comment

“I accuse yesterday’s war of creating today’s Europe. And I accuse tomorrow’s war of preparing its destruction.”

Synopsis:
A traumatized World War I veteran (Victor Francen) watches over the widow (Line Noro) and daughter (Renee Devillers) of his lost compatriot (Marcel Delaitre), vowing to create a machine that will prevent all future wars — but when his plans are foiled, he takes even more extreme measures to remind the world about the horrors of fighting.

Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors:

Fantasy
French Films
Veterans
World War I

Review:
Abel Gance remade and expanded upon his 1919 silent film of the same name, this time spending much less time on the initial love triangle linking Francen’s character to cuckolded Delaitre (whose wife he had an affair with years earlier), though we do still see a powerful image of the two men (now friends; Delaitre has forgiven Francen) holding hands in solidarity while lying in recovery:

The primary focus of the first half-hour of the film is on how war is so horrible it can’t possibly happen again — right? (“There will never be another war, I’m telling you.”)

Because Delaitre is unable to keep his promise, he descends even further into his PTSD-induced madness, leading to the film’s evocative final act, when once again — as at the end of the 1919 version — the dead are risen from their graves.

It’s a powerful finale (“Immediate disarmament has been unanimously declared!”), and one only wishes it approximated the truth.

Notable Performances, Qualities, and Moments:

Victor Francen as Jean Diaz
Highly atmospheric cinematography
Powerful imagery and special effects in the final sequences

Must See?
No, but it’s certainly worth a look. Listed as a film with Historical Importance in the back of Peary’s book.

Links:

Flamingo Kid, The (1984)

December 31, 2021 admin Comments 1 comment

“You know, he’s really cute and everything — but did you have to invite him to dinner?”

Synopsis:
A working-class teenager (Matt Dillon) headed for college takes a summer job as a “cabana boy” at a private beach club in Long Island, where he meets a wealthy car salesman (Richard Crenna) who takes him under his wing and teaches him how to move along quickly in life — but Dillon’s father (Hector Elizondo) is concerned about Dillon giving up his longer-term goals.

Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors:

Class Relations
Coming of Age
Father and Child
Jessica Walter Films
Social Climbers

Review:
Garry Marshall directed this nostalgic throwback to the early 1960s, featuring Matt Damon in his next lead role after starring in three adaptations of S.E. Hinton novels: Tex (1982) (not listed in GFTFF), The Outsiders (1983), and Rumble Fish (1983). Dillon is well-cast here as a hard-working, aspirational young man who’s instantly lured in by the carefree lifestyle of the Other Half:

… and smitten with a friendly, beautiful blonde (Janet Jones) from California:

What’s most refreshing about the screenplay (written by Neal Marshall — apparently no relation to the director) is how it presents Dillon as suitably ambitious but not callous; when telling his father about his decision to work at the Flamingo Club rather than as an “office boy” for a client of his father’s, he says, “Oh come on, Dad, let’s face it — they only hired me because you fix their plumbing. They don’t need me! I did this on my own.”

In that one line, we understand that Dillon isn’t disparaging of his dad’s working-class profession, but simply eager to test out his own mettle and see where he gets. Throughout his summer adventures, Dillon stays curious and excited yet reasonably grounded in good sense. Although he’s lured in by the promise of “easy” money:

… the instant he sees a hint of foul play, he begins to understand that nothing in life is truly easy. Indeed, his interactions with a fellow college-bound “cabana boy” named Fortune (Leon Robinson), who has a scholarship to Notre Dame but is hoping to save up money for his room and board:

… is a steady reminder of how Dillon should really focus on his work at the Flamingo Club as a lucrative stop along his ultimate path, rather than a destination. Watch for Jessica Walter in a perfectly cast role as Crenna’s over-tanned, socially conscious wife:

… and John Turturro in one of his first screen appearances (albeit super-brief) as a fellow gambler at the horce races (seen here talking with Fisher Stevens):

Notable Performances, Qualities, and Moments:

Matt Dillon as Jeffrey Willis
Richard Crenna as Phil Brody
Hector Elizondo as Arthur Willis
Fine production design

Must See?
No, but it’s worth a look.

Links:

Man Between, The (1953)

December 30, 2021 admin Comments 1 comment

“Berlin is a strange, large city; there are many reasons why a girl should simply vanish from the streets.”

Synopsis:
When a young British woman (Claire Bloom) comes to visit her brother (Geoffrey Toone) and his new wife (Hildegard Knef) in West Berlin, she quickly finds herself caught up in a complex web of intrigue involving a man (James Mason) with mysterious ties to both Knef and East Berlin.

Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors:

Carol Reed Films
Claire Bloom Films
Cold War
James Mason Films
Mistaken or Hidden Identities
Refugees

Review:
The Third Man (1949) was such a success for director Carol Reed that his choice to make a similarly themed film just two years later (this time based on a screenplay by Harry Kurnitz and Eric Linklater, set in Berlin eight years before the construction of the Wall) seems to have colored critics’ perceptions. As in Jacques Tourneur’s Berlin Express (1948) — and, to a certain extent, Billy Wilder’s more satirical, American-centric A Foreign Affair (1948) — we’re presented with the stark reality of a traumatized, war-damaged German landscape.

It’s clear from the opening scenes that Knef (who looks astonishingly like Ginger Rogers) is distressed and distracted about something, though we don’t know what:

Meanwhile, her over-worked husband (Toone) is so busy helping refugees (shown here jam-packed in the background):

… that he doesn’t appear to notice his wife’s concerns. Once Mason enters the picture, we suspect we’ll begin to learn more about Knef’s past and his involvement in it — which we gradually do.

Following a key kidnapping sequence, however, the focus shifts away from Knef and towards Bloom, who seems to have fallen for Mason but isn’t sure who to trust or believe.

To say more would give away key elements of the twist-laden, at times Hitchcockian narrative, which merits watching without spoilers. Suffice it to say that Reed (with support from DP Desmond Dickinson) once again brings a particular city to life (as he did for Vienna in The Third Man, and [unnamed] Belfast in Odd Man Out), filling it with atmospheric sets and locations — including a meet-up in a skating rink:

… a stalking on snowy winter streets:

… an escape from an opera house:

… a clever ruse at a generator site:

… an encounter with a wary prostitute (Hilde Sessak):

… and a tense climax at the border, among others:

This film remains well worth a look on its own merits, as long as viewers can resist comparing it to The Third Man.

Note: Having just watched a History Channel documentary about the Berlin Wall to help my older daughter with a school project, I found myself particularly interested in seeing how Berliners’ lives and loyalties might be portrayed at the time this film was made — and to me, Reed’s depiction rings reasonably true (albeit with plenty of added atmosphere and adventure and romance). Just fyi, the Wall was constructed in 1961 to physically prevent Eastern Bloc citizens from fleeing to the West in droves, as we see happening in this film:

The Wall went through several iterations of increasing solidity and oversight until finally… it was torn down (starting in 1989) at the first indication this was possible.

Notable Performances, Qualities, and Moments:

James Mason as Ivo
Claire Bloom as Susanne
Fine location shooting in Berlin
Desmond Dickinson’s cinematography

Must See?
Yes, as a well-crafted outing by a master director.

Categories

Important Director

Links:

Ghidorah, the Three-Headed Monster (1964)

December 29, 2021 admin Comments 1 comment

“It’s getting strange; the Earth is going mad.”

Synopsis:
Shortly after a mysterious meteorite crashes down in Japan, a police officer (Yosuke Natsuke) is assigned as a bodyguard to a visiting princess (Akiko Wakabayashi), who is nearly assassinated and then develops amnesia while being possessed by aliens on her trip over. Meanwhile, Natsuke’s reporter-sister (Naoko Shindo) reaches out to a pair of twin fairies (Yumi and Emi Ito) in touch with Mothra, who comes to help resolve a situation involving Godzilla and Rodan fighting against each other, and eventually against a new three-headed monster who has hatched from the meteorite: King Ghidorah.

Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors:

Japanese Films
Mutant Monsters

Review:
Director Ishiro Honda and special effects master Eiji Tsuburaya collaborated once again for the fifth entry in their Godzilla franchise, this time featuring not only the lead creatures from Godzilla, King of the Monsters! (1956), Rodan (1957), and Mothra (1961), but the new title beast, King Ghidorah — a golden, three-headed dragon capable of emitting powerful lightning bolts.

The human-driven portions of the storyline are surprisingly jam-packed and fast-paced, with Princess Selina’s (Wakabayashi’s) weird story alone enough to fill an entire narrative, given her catatonic amnesia, claims of being a Venusian, and sudden somber prophecies:

… as well as constant assassination attempts made on her life by sunglasses-clad Malmess (Hisaya Itô) and his crew:

The inclusion of no less than four kaiju monsters simply adds to the density of the overall storyline — and it’s quite hilarious not only watching Rodan and Godzilla fight pettily with each other (Rodan picks Godzilla up and drops him down on an electrical tower; Godzilla throws and kicks rocks non-stop at Rodan), but Mothra’s attempt to intervene, first by spinning silk at both of them (!) and then diplomatically urging them to unite against a common enemy, Ghidorah. We’re also treated once again to the delightful Twin Fairies of Infant Island, first (re)introduced through a “Where Are They Now?”-type game show:

It’s all silly, colorful, and fanastical, and will surely appeal to fans of the genre — but it isn’t must-see for all film fanatics.

Notable Performances, Qualities, and Moments:

Fine special effects (for the time)

Must See?
No, though it’s worth a one-time look for its cult status. Listed as a Camp Classic in the back of Peary’s book.

Links:

Rodan / Rodan, The Flying Reptile (1957)

December 29, 2021 admin Comments 1 comment

“Captain, I believe that thing is our murderer!”

Synopsis:
Shortly after an amnesiac engineer (Kenji Sahara) who was recently trapped in a mine remembers witnessing the birth of a prehistoric bird, two gigantic winged creatures known as Rodan are seen flying in the sky, wreaking havoc across Asia.

Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors:

Japanese Films
Mutant Monsters

Response to Peary’s Review:
Peary writes that this “sci-fi fantasy about Japan being terrorized by two 100-ton flying reptiles that hatched deep in a coal mine” ranks “just below Godzilla, King of the Monsters on the Japanese best monster-movie list.” He notes that “early scenes in the mine are a little spooky:

… influenced perhaps by the scenes of giant ants in L.A. sewers in Them!” — but “about halfway through, it becomes a war film, with the army using tremendous firepower to battle the reptiles on land and over sea.”

He points out that this film was “directed by Inoshiro Honda, who collaborated with his Godzilla special-effects expert, Eiji Tsuburaya, to again create some extremely impressive scenes of destruction (a preoccupation of post-WWII Japanese SF directors).”

Peary mentions this film (listed at only 70 minutes in his review) as having “good dubbing for English-language distribution,” but I’ve been advised that watching these kaiju (Japanese monster) films in their original language is best, so the version I watched was 82 minutes and lacked several sequences called out in reviews of the dubbed version (including opening footage of a nuclear blast). Regardless, not enough ultimately happens in the storyline to make it of serious interest for anyone other than those who follow and love kaiju films; of course they’ll want to see it, but all-purpose film fanatics don’t need to seek out Rodan unless they’re curious.

Notable Performances, Qualities, and Moments:

Fine effects for the period

Must See?
No, though obviously fans of this genre will find it essential.

Links:

When Dinosaurs Ruled the Earth (1970)

December 28, 2021 admin Comments 2 comments

“Akita!”

Synopsis:
In fantastical prehistoric times, a blonde named Sanna (Victoria Vetri) who is about to be sacrificed escapes at sea and is rescued by a man from a rival tribe named Tara (Robin Hawdon), much to the consternation of his would-be lover, Ayak (Imogen Hassall). Sanna is soon driven away from her new tribe, where she must survive among dinosaurs and avoid being captured by her vengeful former tribemates; will she eventually reunite with Tara?

Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors:

Fantasy
Prehistoric Times
Rivalry
Survival

Review:
Val Guest directed this Hammer Studios follow-up to One Million Years B.C. (1966), offering more of the same fare that drew audiences in the first time: gorgeous women scantily clad in all-natural bikinis (this time starring former Playboy Playmate Victoria Vetri):