Reviews

Kar-Wai Wong's In the Mood for Love is an intensely romantic, if elegiac chamber piece that reaches inside the souls of its main characters, and gives us a glimpse of what might be. The relationship between Su Li-zhen (Maggie Cheung) and Chow Mo-wan (Tony Leong) evolves with such quiet restraint, that we expectantly await its ultimate conflagration, hoping they will leave their cheating spouses and cave in to their passion. We want them to run away together and set the screen on fire. Instead, they remain sexually shy, but intimate friends, who continue to address one another formally, as though they are afraid of turning into their wayward spouses. With the passage of time and the intervention of circumstances, they gradually drift apart, although their love never dies. Christopher Doyle and Mark Lee Ping-bin's striking cinematography perfectly captures Hong Kong in the 60s, and Wong's skillful use of music hypnotizes us. The editing by William Chang is exceptional, as are his contributions as set and costume designer. The film is about true love, though ultimately, it remains unrequited. When the film is over, its compassion resonates inside us. In the Mood for Love very nearly achieves cinematic perfection.

One shudders to imagine this so-called remake being compared to the original film, The Day of the Jackal (1973), as it has nothing to do with the Forsyth book. Furthermore, it brought angry protests from the creators of the original film because it had retained the original title. Director Fred Zinneman, along with novelist Frederick Forsyth and screenwriter Kenneth Ross, forced the producers to change the title to The Jackal. The producers declared they were adapting Ross' screenplay and not Forsyth's book, a dubious claim, to be sure.

The Jackal is a pure waste of time.

See the original film, and maybe read the book beforehand. It will give you a clear idea of what brilliant book-to-film adaptations can achieve.

The Day of the Jackal captures to true spirit of Frederick Forsyth's exceptional first novel. Kenneth Ross' script deserves praise in its ability to preserve more than just the essence of the book, an attribute often absent from many recent book-to-film adaptations.

During the early 1960's, the OAS (Organisation Armee Secret) waged a terrorist campaign against French President Charles De Gaulle's administration. Angered by the loss of French lives after De Gaulle abandoned the French colonial war in Algeria, and hoped eventually to remove him through a coup d'état.

With an incredible attention to detail, Fred Zinneman's masterful direction is superb, and his typically deliberate pace builds to a tensely anticipated and remarkably satisfying finale.

Edward Fox gives his finest performance as The Jackal, a free lance assassin hired by the disillusioned OAS. Likewise, Michel Lonsdale's performance as the chief inspector who is overwhelmingly burdened with the French Government's pressure to save the life of the President from the unknown assassin is especially noteworthy. Cyril Cusack as the gunsmith also deserves special mention.

The locations are truly authentic, taking us through some beautiful European settings and cities during a particularly unspoiled period, before the age of fast food and urban and suburban blight.

Footnote:

While one may shudder to imagine comparisons with Bruce Willis' so-called remake, The Jackal, it had nothing to do with the Forsyth book. Furthermore, it brought angry protests from the creators of the original film because it had retained the original title, The Day of the Jackal. Zinneman, along with Forsyth and Ross, forced the producers to change the title to The Jackal. The producers claimed they were adapting Ross' screenplay and not Forsyth's book, a dubious assertion, to be sure.

An extraordinarily vibrant and engaging Neo-Realist film in truly magnificent color (Ferraniacolor!). Pontecorvo's first feature is an emotionally powerful film, driven by his usual, but earnest political and sociological motivations. Yves Montand's fisherman Squarciù is an obstinate and sometimes inflexible soul, yet the passion of his convictions and his love and concerns for his family, redeem him in the end.

LA GRANDE STRADA AZZURRA - THE WIDE BLUE ROAD, is soon to be released on DVD by Milestone Films and Video, thanks especially to Jonathan Demme and Dustin Hoffman who absolutely love this film and helped to finance its restoration for theatrical American release.

It has been at least 35 years since I first saw Chimes at Midnight at one of the art film theaters located near Carnegie Hall, but the memory lingers still of yet another remarkable and visually stunning film by Orson Welles. I remember the soundtrack being inadequate at times, but since I was a theatre student at the time, my knowledge of the text helped fill in any of the garbled lines. What an amazing Falstaff by Welles; he creates a truly human and tragic figure! Moreover, what an enviable cast, especially by today's standards.