FilmFanatic.org

Synopsis:
A woman (Ellen Burstyn) whose husband (Billy Green Bush) is killed in an accident takes her 12-year-old son Tommy (Alfred Lutter III) on the road with her, headed to Monterey to revive her former singing career. Along the way, they stop in Phoenix to earn some money, and Alice (Burstyn) becomes involved with an insistent suitor (Harvey Keitel) who turns out to bad news all around. Soon Alice and Tommy find themselves in Tucson, where Alice becomes a waitress and finds tentative romance with a kind rancher (Kris Kristofferson).

Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors:

• Diane Ladd Films
• Ellen Burstyn Films
• Feminism and Women’s Issues
• Harvey Keitel Films
• Jodie Foster Films
• Kris Kristofferson Films
• Martin Scorsese Films
• Ranchers
• Single Mothers
• Strong Females
• Widows and Widowers

Response to Peary’s Review:
Peary writes that “Martin Scorsese directed this film which was considered a breakthrough by feminists not because it presents a woman who achieves full liberation and fulfilling self-sufficiency — this doesn’t happen — but because it presents a real woman who relies on herself to solve problems that are common to single mothers.” He argues that “Burstyn deserved her Oscar for her multi-faceted portrayal of… a recently widowed New Mexico housewife who worries about how she’ll support herself and her likable but unsupportive… son” — and in Alternate Oscars, he gives her the award himself. He writes that to him, “this is a film about the fears a woman feels when she finds herself on her own: Alice is afraid that she can’t make enough money, that she can’t sing, that her son will think her a bad mother (does any other film deal with this significant theme?), that she won’t make friends…, that she won’t find another man, and that if a man pursues her, she won’t make correct decisions about him.” He adds that “what’s admirable is that she deals with her fears head-on, despite her obvious insecurities.”

He notes that “Visually, Scorsese’s greatest accomplishment is that he conveys that people in America don’t stand on firm ground, are never comfortable in their settings, feel disoriented and unsettled.” He points out that the “film has much humor, especially in the scenes between Alice and her son, but it is hard-edged throughout,” and “Keitel is terrifying.”

In Alternate Oscars, Peary elaborates on Burstyn’s performance, noting that she provides a “superb, thoroughly convincing characterization” that “lets us see many facets of Alice, the bad as well as the good, the fragile and the resilient. At various times she is funny, goofy, angry, scared, sexy, pathetic, calm, hysterical, optimistic, pessimistic, patient, intolerant, hard (not too often), and soft… [And] there is one consistency: Alice always reacts emotionally to anything anyone says or does. Nothing passes her by, [and] nothing is taken casually.”

I agree that Burstyn’s work here is impressive and authentic — though I’m less taken with the film as a whole. While I appreciate and admire Scorsese’s efforts, I’m annoyed by Alice’s thoroughly unrealistic dream of simply wandering into various bars and finding a job as a lounge singer, and feel sorry for her put-upon son (who at least gives her plenty of grief in return). Keitel’s character is among the most interesting in the film, but (appropriately) she flees from him as soon as we learn that he’s far more brutally complicated than he seems. Kristofferson is pleasant but too-good-to-be-true, and merely a convenient plant.

Meanwhile, a sub-plot between Lutter III and Jodie Foster as precocious juvenile delinquent Audrey gives us a heads up on the more fleshed-out role Foster would play for Scorsese in Taxi Driver (1976).

Note: This film is also notable for being “the basis for the long-running television series,” which I watched regularly as a kid.

Redeeming Qualities and Moments:

• Ellen Burstyn as Alice
  
• Alice’s rapport with her son
  
• Harvey Keitel as Ben
  
• Fine cinematography
  
  
  

Must See?
Yes, for Burstyn’s Oscar-winning performance.

Categories

• Oscar Winner or Nominee

Links:

• IMDb entry
• NY Times Original Review
• Village Voice Review (Molly Haskell)
• TCM Articles

Synopsis:
When a horseless Army scout (John Wayne) stops to rest with a homesteading woman (Geraldine Page) and her young son Johnny (Lee Aaker), he helps them understand how to navigate ongoing tensions with neighboring Apache tribes. Meanwhile, after unknowingly kills Page’s no-good husband (Leo Gordon) in self-defense, Hondo (Wayne) must determine how to share this awkward news with her.

Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors:

• Cavalry
• Geraldine Page Films
• John Wayne Films
• Native Americans
• Romance
• Ward Bond Films
• Westerns

Response to Peary’s Review:
Peary refers to this John Farrow-directed adaptation of Louis L’Amour’s short story as “perhaps the best John Wayne western not directed by John Ford or Howard Hawks.” He notes that it “has the simplicity present in L’Amour as well as the power, and it expresses his love of the land and its beauty, his respect for those who tried to civilize the savage West, and the sense of danger that was always present.”

He points out that “Wayne and Page are well cast,” and that Page “proves to be one of Wayne’s best leading ladies — she doesn’t overmatch him despite her theatrical acting experience.”

Finally, he notes that “Wayne, who didn’t get to play with children very often, is quite good with Aaker as well” — and “particularly memorable” (if perhaps traumatizing for kids at the time whose parents followed Wayne’s suit) “is the scene in which he teaches the boy to swim.”

I’m in agreement with Peary’s review of this simple yet powerful western, which manages to portray both an authentically budding romance between seasoned adults, and a reasonably nuanced perspective on Apache members, whose way of life Hondo can relate to given that he lived with them for years.

Wayne’s final lines in the film speak to the (welcome) complexity of his views on white settlement of Indian land.

Redeeming Qualities and Moments:

• John Wayne as Hondo Lane (nominated as one of the Best Actors of the Year in Peary’s Alternate Oscars)
  
• Geraldine Page as Angie Lowe (nominated as one of the Best Actresses of the Year in Peary’s Alternate Oscars)
  
• Fine cinematography
  
  

Must See?
Yes, as a fine western.

Categories

• Good Show

Links:

• IMDb entry
• Combustible Celluloid Review
• DVD Savant Review
• TCM Article

Synopsis:
Walter Huston narrates a propaganda film produced by America’s Office of War Information (OWI) on why our country needed to become an ally in World War II.

Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors:

• Documentary
• Frank Capra Films
• Propaganda
• Walter Huston Films
• World War II

Review:
This first entry in Frank Capra’s “Why We Fight” series — comprised of seven films produced between 1942 and 1945 — was initially crafted to convince American troops to join the war effort, but eventually released more broadly to rally public support for the war. At the time, Americans were not inclined to involve themselves yet again in world affairs:

… so a strong case needed to be made on behalf of interventionism. At just 52 minutes, this short film covers the basics of how WWII began, focusing on the aggressions of Japan, Italy, and Germany.

It is very clearly a piece of propaganda, yet arguably a necessary one at the time, with an admirable focus on global unity and concern. As a title in the public domain, this film can be easily viewed at archive.org.

Redeeming Qualities and Moments:

• A potent example of wartime propaganda
  

Must See?
Yes, once, simply for its historical relevance. Selected (along with the other six films in the series) to be part of the National Film Registry in 2000 for its “cultural significance.”

Categories

• Historically Relevant

Links:

• IMDb entry
• Blu-Ray.com Review

Synopsis:
A suicidal woman (Dawn Addams) whose abusive husband (Reinhard Kolldehoff) refuses to divorce her is rescued from a hotel ledge by a wealthy American (Peter Van Eyck) who sends for her psychiatrist (Wolfgang Preiss), then promptly falls in love with her. Meanwhile, a detective (Gert Fröbe) investigates who may be behind recent murders conducted by the unseen Dr. Mabuse; a pushy insurance agent (Werner Peters) lurks around the corners of the Nazi-built hotel; and a blind psychic (Lupo Prezzo) makes ominous predictions.

Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors:

• Criminal Investigation
• Detectives and Private Eyes
• Fritz Lang Films
• German Films
• Marital Problems
• Mind Control and Hypnosis
• World Domination

Review:
Fritz Lang’s fourth film about criminal mastermind “Dr. Mabuse” — after his two-part silent epic Dr. Mabuse, The Gambler (1922) and its sound-era sequel, The Testament of Dr. Mabuse (1933) — also turned out to be his final movie. It’s a less visually impressive, but narratively complex continuation of the machinations of “Mr. Mabuse”, updated to incorporate pervasively modern (for the time) video surveillance technology. As DVD Savant describes in his review:

1,000 Eyes breaks a complicated mystery down into dozens of short, interlocking scenes. Each scene introduces only a single puzzle piece for the mystery. It’s as if each little scene has the verb for the scene that precedes it, and the noun for the scene that follows. We the viewers must digest the flood of un-collated information as fast as we can.

Indeed, viewers who stick with this storyline are guaranteed a wild ride, as a long con is eventually revealed and leads to yet more character revelations and plot twists. Fröbe makes an effectively bemused yet committed detective:

… while Peters delivers a surprisingly amusing and complex supporting character:

… and Prezzo is appropriately creepy as a psychic with indeterminate motives.

Redeeming Qualities and Moments:

• Atmospheric sets and cinematography
  
  
• A cleverly intricate tale of surveillance and terror
  
  

Must See?
No, but it’s recommended, and of course a must for Lang fans.

Links:

• IMDb entry
• Moria Review
• DVD Savant Review
• Dr. Mabuse Video Overview

Synopsis:
A social climber (Anitra Ford) is taken hostage during a siege by revolutionary lovers Blossom (Pam Grier) and Django (Sid Haig), and sent to a women’s prison in the jungle. Will Terry (Ford) and her fellow prisoners be able to escape their brutal fate?

Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors:

• Pam Grier Films
• Prisoners
• Revolutionaries
• Strong Females

Review:
Director Jack Hill’s follow-up to The Big Doll House (1971) was this similarly themed WIP exploitation flick, once again starring Pam Grier — though this time she’s given the role of an undercover revolutionary:

… romantically paired with Sid Haig, whose “schtick” is to pretend to be gay to distract the male prison guards:

Of primary note in the cast is Anitra Ford — of “The Price is Right” modeling fame — playing a leggy, sultry hostage:

… surrounded by a bevy of “types”, including sex-obsessed Carla:

… jokey “Bull” Jones (Teda Bracci):

… Amazonian Karen:

… and pint-sized Mickie (Carol Speed):

There’s everything here you would expect in such a flick, including an elaborate “torture” machine (actually a sugar mill) the women are forced to work with (the titular “big bird cage”):

… mud wrestling, rape, attempted escapes, and a fiery denouement. Only hardcore fans of the genre need bother to check this one out.

Redeeming Qualities and Moments:

• Anitra Ford’s bemused performance as Terry
  

Must See?
No; you can skip this one unless you’re a fan of the genre. Listed as a Camp Classic and a Cult Movie in the back of Peary’s book.

Links:

• IMDb entry
• Spinning Image Review
• DVD Talk Review
• TV Guide Capsule Review

Synopsis:
An American (Jennifer Gan) whose boyfriend (Charlie Davao) is involved in criminal drug trafficking is sent to prison on his behalf, where she meets a sadistic warden (Pam Grier) and bunks with other tortured inmates — including Sandy (Judy Brown), heroin-addicted Stoke (Roberta Collins), and Grier’s lover Theresa (Sofia Moran).

Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors:

• Escape
• Pam Grier Films
• Prisoners
• Strong Females

Review:
Filipino director Gerardo de Leon helmed this WiP (Women in Prison) exploitation flick, released around the same time as Jack Hill’s The Big Doll House (1971) and The Big Bird Cage (1972). As Stuart Galbraith writes in his review for DVD Talk, “The plots for these women-in-prison films” are “pretty interchangeable” — including:

… “the obligatory group shower scene; sadistic and usually lesbian jailers who set their sights on the newest wide-eyed and wrongly-convicted prisoners; lascivious male guards scheming for free sex; outlandish scenes of torture, with contraptions rivaling those of the Marquis de Sade; catfights among the women, often incorporating food fights and/or much writhing in the mud; [and] riots in which the jailers spray the women with a fire hose.”

Grier gets “promoted” in this flick from prisoner to warden, and shows off her ability to be tough and ruthless under any circumstances:

Meanwhile, Collins (rather than Brooke Mills) plays the heroin-addicted inmate this time around, and is ultimately much livelier than primary protagonist Gan (who simply comes across as foolishly naive):

Redeeming Qualities and Moments:

• Roberta Collins as Stoke
  
• Some reasonably effective cinematography
  

Must See?
No; you can skip this one. Listed as a Cult Movie in the back of Peary’s book.

Links:

• IMDb entry
• Spinning Image Review
• DVD Talk Review

Synopsis:
When Jewish prince Judah Ben-Hur (Ramon Navarro) meets his former childhood friend Messala (Francis X. Bushman) — now a cruel Roman nobleman — and is sent into slavery, he vows revenge on behalf of himself, his mother (Claire McDowell), and his sister (Kathleen Key).

Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors:

• Ancient Greece and Rome
• Biblical Stories
• Mistaken or Hidden Identities
• Revenge
• Silent Films
• Slavery

Review:
This second cinematic adaptation of Lew Wallace’s 1880 novel was selected in 1997 “for preservation in the United States National Film Registry by the Library of Congress as being ‘culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant'” — in part due to being the most expensive film ever made at the time, but also because of the cinematic genius of the chariot race sequence (shot by no less than 42 cameramen). Equally exciting is the battle-at-sea between Greek pirate ships and the Roman vessel carrying Ben-Hur as a slave. As a narrative, it should satisfy those interested in this Biblical-era tale of a revenge and spiritual awakening — but it’s not must-see for anyone other than silent film enthusiasts.

Redeeming Qualities and Moments:

• The ship attack scene
  
• The exciting chariot race
  
• Impressive sets
  
  
• Fine cinematography and special effects
  
  

Must See?
No, though it’s worth a look for its historical relevance as the most expensive silent movie made at that time (and a box office hit for years), as well as to see the chariot race (but simply look for this sequence on YouTube). Listed as a film with Historical Importance in the back of Peary’s book.

Links:

• IMDb entry
• Movies Silently Review

Synopsis:
A frigid housewife (Catherine Deneuve) unable to make love with her caring husband (Jean Sorel) is intrigued to hear from an acquaintance (Michel Piccoli) that houses of prostitution still exist in Paris, and she secretly begins working for a madam (Genevieve Page) in the afternoons, participating in numerous odd fantasies — but when an edgy client (Pierre Clementi) falls for Deneuve and she’s equally attracted to him, she puts her private existence in danger.

Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors:

• Catherine Deneuve Films
• French Films
• Housewives
• Infidelity
• Luis Bunuel Films
• Marital Problems
• Mistaken or Hidden Identities
• Newlyweds
• Prostitutes and Gigolos
• S&M
• Sexual Repression
• Surrealism

Response to Peary’s Review:
Peary writes that this “popular, controversial” film by Luis Bunuel is either — “depending on your viewpoint” — an “erotic or sexually reprehensible film.” He describes Deneuve’s character as feeling “no guilt for participating in sex” when she’s “at the brothel each afternoon”, becoming “part of the male clients’ weird fantasies” — and “it’s interesting that as she becomes more liberated through sex (breaking free of bourgeois shackles), she begins to reject the depraved, masochistic sex that characterized her early desires”, which is “a form of self-hatred” reflecting “her shame at having been molested as a child.” He continues his analysis by noting that “as her fantasies become more normal, at least as far as her role in them is concerned, [Deneuve] becomes ready to enter a normal sexual relationship with her husband” — but “he must be liberated as well, because guilt over his repressed sexual desires toward Deneuve cripple him, figuratively — and literally — speaking.”

Given that “in time we can’t distinguish between fantasy and reality,” Peary notes it’s possible that “the entire film, excluding the opening carriage ride and the final moment, might even be imagined by Deneuve,” which makes sense (though I’m not sure why he would exclude the “opening carriage ride” given its distressingly surreal outcome). Peary’s take on this enigmatic story — based on a 1928 novel by Joseph Kessel — makes just as much as sense as others that have been floated; Bunuel himself stated, “I myself cannot tell you what is real and what’s imaginary in the film. For me they form the same thing.” While it’s not a personal favorite, I admire the narrative risks taken, and believe all film fanatics should view this film at least once.

Redeeming Qualities and Moments:

• Catherine Deneuve as Severine
  
• Sacha Vierny’s fine cinematography
  
  

Must See?
Yes, as an enigmatic classic by a master director.

Categories

• Genuine Classic
• Important Director

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

Links:

• IMDb entry
• Washington Post Review
• DVD Savant Review
• TCM Articles

Synopsis:
While sailing on a merchant ship in the early 19th century, a bos’n (Wallace Beery), gunner (George Bancroft), cook (George Godfrey), and young shipman (Charles Farrell) in love with the captain’s daughter (Esther Ralston) find themselves involved with the USS Constitution in a lethal fight against Mediterranean pirates.

Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors:

• At Sea
• George Bancroft Films
• Historical Drama
• Pirates
• Silent Films
• Wallace Beery Films

Review:
Three years after helming The Covered Wagon (1923), director James Cruze turned to the high seas for this rousing recreation of early American efforts against piracy. The storyline is pure hokum, centering entirely on: 1) jovial rivalry between Beery and Bancroft:

… and 2) the inevitable romance that blossoms between the film’s two gorgeous young leads (including an impossibly impeccable Ralston making moon eyes at Farrell during the most inopportune times).

Naturally, what one watches for are the impressive shots of sailing ships at sea (filmed off of Catalina Island). This film is also notable for use of a process known as Magnascope, in which certain sections of the movie were magnified for dramatic effect. While Old Ironsides isn’t must-see for all film fanatics, it will likely be of interest to silent film aficionados.

Redeeming Qualities and Moments:

• The exciting culminating battle
  
  
• Refreshing inclusion of a Black actor (George Godfrey) as part of the primary cast
  

Must See?
No, though it’s worth a look if you’re curious. Listed as a film with Historical Importance and a Personal Recommendation in the back of Peary’s book.

Links:

• IMDb entry
• NY Times Original Review
• Zeke Film Review
• AFI Article

Synopsis:
A disgraced cop (Karl Meixner) is driven insane before he’s able to tell his boss (Otto Wernicke) who the mastermind is behind mysterious plans to establish an “empire of crime”. During his investigation, Wernicke visits an asylum where Dr. Mabuse (Rudolf Klein-Rogge) is housed, not realizing that Mabuse has manipulated the asylum’s director (Oscar Beregi) into doing his will. Meanwhile, when one of Mabuse’s hapless minions (Gustav Diessl) decides to tell his girlfriend (Monique Rolland) about his work as a counterfeiter, she supports him in breaking free from Mabuse’s clutches.

Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors:

• Detectives and Private Eyes
• Fritz Lang Films
• Gangsters
• German Films
• Mad Doctors and Scientists
• Mind Control and Hypnosis

Response to Peary’s Review:
Peary writes that “for his second sound film Fritz Lang decided to bring back Dr. Mabuse (Rudolf Klein-Rogge), the heinous genius criminal of his 1922 silent classic Dr. Mabuse the Gambler” — who, despite being unable to speak and living in an insane asylum, “has regained his desire to mastermind great crimes, commit terrorist acts, dominate people’s wills through mind control, [and] rule the world.” The bulk of Peary’s review is taken up with discussion of the film’s logistics — i.e., the fact that it was filmed in both French and German, that Joseph “Goebbels seized the German version because the script (although written by Lang’s Nazi wife, Thea von Harbou) drew parallels between madman Mabuse and Hitler,” and that (at the time GFTFF was published), one was only likely to see poorly dubbed versions in circulation (a situation since rectified). Peary does note that “you’ll still enjoy several sequences that have impressive visual elements,” including “a high speed car chase on a country road at night:

… a murder at a stoplight:

… Baum [Beregi] visualizing ghostly presences:

… and an underwater explosion.”

However, this sequel can’t quite live up to the atmospheric dread generated by its predecessor, and is only must-see for fans of Lang’s evolving oeuvre.

Redeeming Qualities and Moments:

• Fritz Arno Wagner’s cinematography
  
• Fine special effects and sound effects
  

Must See?
No, unless you’re a Lang fan.

Links:

• IMDb entry
• Moria Review
• TCM Article
• Criterion Collection Film Essay