Tag: double feature review

Navajo Joe and The Mercenary

Navajo Joe (1966) and The Mercenary (1968) are each Italian Westerns directed by Sergio Corbucci and scored by Ennio Morricone.

Sergio Corbucci is often referred to as “the other Sergio” when movie folk discuss Italian Westerns. He is certainly less famous and commercially, his movies can’t rival Sergio Leone in terms of revenue and prestige.

However, while Leone makes epics – Corbucci makes unique, stylized, enjoyable Westerns – several of which are likely unappreciated. While Django and The Great Silence have recently earned a reputation for their gritty, dark quality, Navajo Joe and The Mercenary are two of his best – or at least, most entertaining movies.

Besides Corbucci’s direction, the common link between the two movies are the outstanding scores created by Ennio Morricone.

If you enjoyed Kill Bill, Volume 2, you’re in for a treat.

The Mercenary tells the story of Sergei “Polack” Kowalski, a hired gun whose robberies lead to a revolution against Mexican authorities. Kowalski makes a series of deals with Paco, a silver mine worker, and the pair steal money and weapons from the Mexican Army. Throughout their adventures, they are tracked by Curly, an American mercenary. In the process, Paco becomes a famed revolutionary.

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Breathless and Un Flic

Breathless is Jean-Luc Godard’s first feature movie. Un Flic is Jean-Pierre Melville’s final movie. Both directors are considered essential figures in French New Wave Cinema.

Breathless is to 1960’s French culture what Pulp Fiction was to its 1990’s American counterpart – a purely original work that both reinterpreted and reinvented movies. Each work represents a complete shift in how people made, watched and thought about movies. Both Godard and Tarantino present stories about crimes and gangsters, but each movie lifts the cultural subtext around them into its own powerful narrative form. There is a linear jump from Jean-Paul Belmondo’s Michel imitating a gangster to Samuel Jackson and John Travolta discussing foot rubs.

While there were occasional surprises in the years before Breathless and Pulp Fiction, nothing represented the jolt of energy these movies produced. Even 60 and 30 years later respectively, the two works remain relevant, instantly re-watchable and endlessly copied.

Breathless tells the story of Michel, a small-time crook who impulsively kills a French policeman. He is pursued by French authorities – along the way, he tries to convince American student Patricia to run away with him to Italy. The plot is nearly superfluous, as Godard focuses on the existential roles his lead characters assume. Patricia is sent to Paris by her parents to attend the Sorbonne – she wants to be independent, Michel is a wanted criminal – he wants to be Humphrey Bogart.

At its core, Breathless is a story about youth. Michel and Patricia are vibrant and driven by pure energy: Patricia’s thoughts form a lyric stream of consciousness, Michel is always moving and laser focused on his goals – getting his money and trying to sleep with Patricia. Each is focused on the moment in front of them and the electric vibe of Paris seems to reflect this.

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Rashomon and Sanjuro

Rashomon (1950) and Sanjuro (1962) are movies directed by Akiro Kurosawa. Each work focuses on the idea of perspective and features legendary actor Toshiro Mifune.

Sanjuro tells the story of an aging, wandering Samurai who encounters a group of warriors trying to rid their clan of corruption. The warriors are skeptical of Sanjuro’s appearance and unorthodox actions but come to rely on him in their quest. Rashomon tells the story of a murder in the forest from four different perspectives. Each version of the story adds different layers to the events and exposes its participants’ basic human flaws.

Mifune is dynamic in each movie. He plays the title role of Sanjuro as an aloof, almost bored outsider – his years of experience have cultivated a zen-like ease and wisdom that stands as a fun contrast to the young warriors’ impulsiveness. His appearance is unkempt and tattered and he clearly doesn’t fit the classic Samurai archetype.

The role features both comedic and physical elements: Mifune’s Sanjuro is constantly in search of a nap and something to eat. He is continually yawning and scratching at his beard while his group of proteges eagerly await his direction. Their movements are dictated by his actions. As the story progresses, the warriors form a plan and spring into action. Sanjuro calmly offers his advice and the group again orbits around him.

Physically, Mifune presents as a skilled Samurai. His economy of words and action translates to battle scenes, where nothing is wasted. He is a presence both in terms of size and strength – his movements are efficient and clearly more measured than his opponents. Here, his weathered look adds another layer to the character – he knows the impact of his sword and the lingering effects it creates. He will continue to carry this baggage and warns the others not to follow him.

There is a clear Western quality to Sanjuro. Mifune’s reserved energy, pace and idiomatic expressions – “a stupid man’s sword is deadlier than an enemy” is a throwback to Gary Cooper and John Wayne. The long pauses that preface the battle scenes are remnants of classic 1950’s American Westerns and previews of the exaggerations later found in Italian versions. The above scene in particular is reminiscent of the final stand off in The Good, The Bad and The Ugly. The lead-up feels endless while the payoff battle is brief and ferocious.

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