Tag: the auteurs

Black Sunday

Black Sunday is a 1977 movie directed by John Frankenheimer.

WHAT HAPPENS?

A terrorist group attempts to blow up a blimp hovering over the Super Bowl.

ONE LINE REVIEW

Black Sunday is a distinctly original, sophisticated thriller.

THE ACTORS

Marthe Keller plays Dahlia, the mastermind of the Black September terrorist group that plots to set off a bomb during the Super Bowl. Her Dahlia is a fascinating character – she’s a cold-blooded killer obsessed with executing her deadly mission. Yet, she also exhibits a motherly touch towards the emotionally broken Lander, played by Bruce Dern. Dern is excellent as the former POW Lander – he’s essentially bipolar. He possesses a charm and feeble confidence before splintering into a sobbing mess.

THE DIRECTOR

The scope of what Frankenheimer pulled off in Black Sunday is phenomenal. The movie’s narrative and acting are impressively natural and efficient. When we see violent exchanges between terrorists and their victims, there’s no lengthy, clever dialogue or gratuitous torture – the Black September group is driven to complete its mission. The remarkable feat sees Frankenheimer filming amongst the mass of Super Bowl X. The real players, coaches and fans comprising the event are a backdrop to the movie’s terror plot. The game adds an element of realism and danger that is difficult to match.

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Accattone

Accattone is a 1961 movie directed by Pier Paolo Pasolini.

WHAT HAPPENS?

A pimp’s reality becomes a struggle after his prostitute goes to jail.

ONE LINE REVIEW

Accattone is an inventive, raw, funny portrait of a lost post-war generation.

THE ACTORS

Franco Citti plays Accattone, a pimp who floats through life. When his prostitute lands in jail, his life unravels. Citti brilliantly portrays this degradation, as his gold adornments are pawned off and the cocky youth transforms into a sullen shell. Citti’s acting is centralized in his expressive eyes – there’s both a spark of mad, cruel genius and a vacant depression. It’s an intriguing performance, as you want to empathize with Accattone’s fate – despite his often despicable actions.

THE DIRECTOR

Pasolini’s debut is impressive – you can feel his influence on Coppola and Scorcese. His camera cleanly pans to the faces of Accattone’s peers, revealing both their taunts and sadness. Pasolini makes brilliant use of the decaying, bombed out surroundings – Citti is often framed against washed out, sun-drenched isolation. Towards the movie’s end, Pasolini introduces some intriguing Neo-realist dream concepts before leaving the viewer with a jarring ending.

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Gone in 60 Seconds

Gone in 60 Seconds is a 1974 movie directed by H.B. Halicki.

WHAT HAPPENS?

A conman and his crew of car thieves have to steal 48 cars in one weekend.

ONE LINE REVIEW

Gone in 60 Seconds is a beautiful, low-budget mess that features spectacular stunts.

THE ACTORS

H.B. Halicki plays Pace, an insurance adjuster who doubles as a car thief. It would be easy to suggest the novice Halicki adds a natural, gritty touch to the movie – but it’s obvious he’s either not acting or completely struggling when he has to. There’s a an odd passive-aggressive streak to his character – he’s either brilliantly smooth and understated or raging. Either way, Halicki’s performance is understandably overshadowed by the amazing collection of cars and dynamic chase scenes that dominate the movie.

THE DIRECTOR

This is clearly Halicki’s show and he presents some of the best car chases ever filmed. The movie’s final 40 minutes features a manic, crunching pursuit that explodes on the freeway and dives into parks and car dealerships. Along the way, Halicki’s Ford Mustang is shredded into mangled scrap. As the chase progresses, we see the human and mechanical carnage manifest – yet the tone never truly darkens.

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Cobra Verde

Cobra Verde is a 1987 movie directed by Werner Herzog.

WHAT HAPPENS?

A bandit is sent to West Africa to convince a deranged King to resume slave trading with Brazil.

ONE LINE REVIEW

Cobra Verde is a vibrant Werner Herzog movie that features a classic Klaus Kinski performance.

THE ACTORS

In some respects, Cobra Verde is Kinski’s final powerful performance – or at least it’s his swan song with longtime collaborator Herzog. Kinski plays the bandit Cobra Verde with intriguing passive-aggressive tendencies – similar to the actor’s natural personality. For long stretches, Kinski is sullen – acting nearly entirely with his expressive eyes. As the movie progresses, Kinski seethes with contempt – erupting against the cast of countless native extras. Yet at times, the performance feels empty – an aging actor is prodded into rage.

THE DIRECTOR

Herzog’s setting is again brutally natural – we see the human and physical decay of an abandoned settlement, along with the casual degradation of chained slaves. There is no social statement to be made here – Herzog is again creating masterful realism. The scope of extras employed are extraordinary – his cameras continue to pull back revealing endless natives. In more narrative scenes, the brilliant colors, emotions and language of the locals creates a vibrancy not found in most movies.

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Vertigo

Vertigo is a 1958 movie directed by Alfred Hitchcock.

WHAT HAPPENS?

A detective becomes haunted by the death of a mysterious woman.

ONE LINE REVIEW

Vertigo is an intense and moody thriller highlighted by vibrant color and cinematography.

THE ACTORS

James Stewart plays retired police chief Scottie Ferguson, who is hired to track Kim Novak’s Madeleine’s Elster. Stewart’s performance is impressive – his goofy, folksy archetype departs into a haunted, aggressive and paranoid character obsessed with the loss of Elster. Stewart’s eyes convey a dazed, otherworldly fog that perfectly captures his torment.

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Le Petit Soldat

Le Petit Soldat is a 1963 movie directed by Jean-Luc Godard.

WHAT HAPPENS?

During the Algerian War, a member of a right-wing terrorist group falls in love with a member of a left-wing terrorist group.

ONE LINE REVIEW

Le Petit Soldat sees Godard challenge the existential ideals of love and alliance.

THE ACTORS

Michel Subor plays Bruno Forestier, the oft-reluctant Frenchman under the thumb of a right-wing terrorist group. Subor is given an interesting, if not fairly limited role. He’s a suspected double agent unwilling to carry out an assassination. Subor skillfully and briefly shows the nerves of a young man pressed into such a situation – yet the remainder of his character is nondescript, much in the manner of most spies. He is given ample time to expound his political and social views during the movie’s final half hour.

Likewise, this is probably Anna Karina’s most subdued Godard role. The vibrancy of her past characters is replaced with an air of mystery. We’re never sure where her motivations lie – she feels like more of an object than person. Early in the movie, she is photographed by Forestier while asked a series of questions. The scene could represent her own interrogation – either politically or as Forestier’s love interest. Yet even in this sense, her Veronica exists almost as an allusion; Forestier seeks to compare her eyes – a “Vasquez or Renoir grey.”

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The Battle of Algiers

The Battle of Algiers is a 1966 movie directed by Gillo Pontecorvo.

The Battle of Algiers shows the distinct sides involved in the Algerian revolution of the 1950’s. Algerians are drawn into the clandestine National Liberation Front, becoming spies and guerrilla soldiers – while the French rely on military special forces to counter the bloody revolt. The Algerians are essentially quarantined and victims to massive bombings. We see the inner workings of the government response and the rationales given for each side’s involvement.

THE BEST – Realism

The movie was funded by the Algerian government, yet it’s tone and message is remarkably not a heavy-handed one. The enemy – in this case the French military tasked with defeating the uprising – is presented not as particularly cruel, but rather technically proficient and coldly calculating. Jean Martin’s Col. Mathieu is believable as he respects the tactical prowess of the revolting Algerians but fails to understand their emotional investment.

THE WORST – Realism

The extensive bombing and shootings conducted by both sides are documented throughout the movie – ultimately revealing the human carnage created. Perhaps the most telling moments involve the trio of female Algerians who leave bombs at various points in the crowded city. The emotions created moments before the explosions – desperately captured through the women’s tense eyes – reveal the cruel complexities of the struggle.

FOX FORCE FIVE RATING – 4.25/5

The Battle of Algiers is a powerful document of a revolution, capturing the dense rationales of each side. Without preaching a certain sentiment, the movie leaves the viewer feeling stunned. It’s a must watch.

La Grande Bouffe

La Grande Bouffe is a 1973 movie directed by Marco Ferreri.

WHAT HAPPENS?

A group of men gather for a weekend of gluttony and debauchery, ultimately revealing that they have agreed to eat themselves to death.

ONE LINE REVIEW

La Grande Bouffe is a savage satire that is decadent, gross, hilarious and decidedly human.

THE ACTORS

The movie revolves around five outstanding performances, featuring Marcello Mastroianni’s sex-craved pilot, Michel Piccoli’s television host, Phillipe Noiret’sa judge, Ugo Tognozzi’s chef and Andrea Ferreol as a teacher who is invited to the festivities.

Mastroianni is the most fascinating of the actors – his Marcello symbolizes all the craven lusts the men desire before their deaths. He exhibits a vacant, lustful, all-consuming stare directed towards food, women and his prized Bugatti. His life is possessed by material and carnal desires, yet he is the first of the men to realize the futility of their actions. His being is extinguished when he cannot get aroused.

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Cut-Throats Nine

Cut-Throats Nine is a 1972 movie directed by Joaquin Luis Romero Marchent.

Cut-Throats Nine tells the story of a band of convicts chained together en route to a military fort. After being attacked by bandits, a sergeant and his daughter must survive the outlaws. The cruelty and greed of the men is revealed in vicious detail by Marchent, who crafts one of the most visceral and violent European Westerns ever made. The characters are virtually nondescript but their bloody actions are extraordinary.

THE BEST – The Hateful Eight Meets a Slasher Movie

Cut-Throats Nine boasts the feel of a snowy Corbucci Western but then turns distinctly macabre. In a sense, the savage acts committed are driven by the convicts’ desperation and desire for retribution. However, we’re never given time to fully examine the inner workings of the characters – which shifts the movie from Western to a gore-fest….albeit, one that’s remarkable.

THE WORST – The Daughter

Of course, you know what happens when a bunch of convicts get their hands on a girl – especially in a European Western. At the least, this act is later avenged. However, Emma Cohen’s Sarah isn’t given much to work with as the movie progresses.

FOX FORCE FIVE RATING – 4/5

Cut-Throats Nine is a surprisingly brutal and distinctly original European Western. A must watch.

Sympathy for the Devil/One Plus One

Sympathy for the Devil is a 1968 movie directed by Jean-Luc Godard.

Sympathy for the Devil/One Plus One is a pseudo-documentary masquerading as a leftist anti-war, anti-capitalist, anti-fascist revolt. Godard mixes studio footage of The Rolling Stones creating Sympathy for the Devil with segments featuring Black Panther poets, an intellectual interrogation in the forest and a fascist, pornographic book store before closing on the beach as a film crew shoots scenes. The transitions between scenes include graffiti scribbled among various sites and the reading of a lewd novel.

THE BEST – Godard Wants You to Fuck Off

Sympathy for the Devil is Godard at his subversive height. He’s essentially making a Rolling Stones documentary where the band is mere background against messages of political revolution. We never hear from any of the band members – they are not identified and their purpose is never revealed. It’s a fascinating display of ego – Godard is granted access to a famous band and uses them as mere props. Anyone coming to this movie expecting to see the Stones will be sadly disappointed – which is kind of the point.

THE BEST Part 2 – Building the Song

However, it’s fascinating to have a view of the Stones crafting Sympathy for the Devil. The band adds different layers to the song throughout Godard’s segments – building simple harmonies into a dense piece of art.

THE WORST – No Edits

Godard is also at his most self-indulgent throughout the movie. His scenes with the Black Panthers and the forest interrogation linger uninterrupted. Perhaps he’s trying to offer the same unimpeded view he gave the Stones – or at least compare their process to the revolutionaries – but the segments become repetitive.

FOX FORCE FIVE RATING – 3.75/5

Godard’s vision and petulance are worth 5 stars; however the filmed result is intentionally indulgent and tedious at times. Still, Sympathy for the Devil is a wonderful experiment and a unique movie.