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Reviews
True Heart Susie (1919)
A Chick-Flick Ahead of It's Time
D.W. Griffith's True Heart Susie, is an overall interesting movie. I believe it was the first of the many "chick-flick" genre movies that are seen today. The story of Susie is one that seems to be very sad. Throughout watching this film, I felt very bad for her. She portrays the life of the cliché; you want the man of your dreams but are never able to attain him because he only sees you as just a friend.
The man, whom Susie is after in this film, I believe, was the perfect choice for his role. Griffith did a great job casting. The woman whom he casted to be the lying seductress, was very convincing in her role as well. In the end, Susie gets the man whom she has loved and admired all along. Looking at this film in the perspective of this day in age, I question why Griffith made a film with a story line is so cliché. But then I remember just how long ago this film was made, 1919, and it becomes clear to me that it shows just how ahead of his time Griffith was.
Chung Hing sam lam (1994)
Reality Check
Before watching this film, I was told by many of my peers of how great of a movie it was. After being told this repeatedly I was pumped to watch it. In the first five minutes, I was very mad at all of my friends who told me that I would enjoy it. The camera movements I think are what added in to it throwing me off and not thinking I would enjoy it. Also, the woman in the beginning looked like a man to me. I first thought she was a transgender. This combined with the sketchy and different camera movements/ angles made me very confused, but interested, in how the film's plot would play out.
The two love stories that the movie portrays I think are really great. Kar-wai did an amazing job with conveying the true meaning of the film to the audience. He wanted us to see how much we, as people, have the potential to greatly impact someone's life in just five minutes. The first love story that is told is of a sadder one. Kar-wai wants us to see that love is great and life-changing but it also has potential to fade away, leaving us feeling very lonely and empty inside. The second story displays a story of unconventional love between two people who met over a fast-food counter. Both of these stories are tied together by them sharing some of the same places they go to just at different moments in time.
After watching this film, it can greatly change the way one views their life and reality around them. Kar-wai sends a true, non sugar-coated view of everyday life that transcends how we view life.
Nashville (1975)
Altman's Nashville
When this film first started I said to myself "Ug here we go again", not thinking I was going to like it. As the movie continued on I became more and more interested.
The musical-like atmosphere I feel like, the film could have gone without. Robert Altman, did however, choose a great cast that perfectly reflected the essence of the film that he wanted his audience to capture. This film is pretty comedic too. A scene that I think displays this is one that we viewed in my film class as well. It is the scene when they are at the drive-in in there truck. The interaction between all of the actors is phenomenally great. I feel like it was their improvisational acting skills that helped factor into this. A guest lecture for our film class stated that the whole talk about mosquitoes was another one of their improvisational tricks up their sleeves. It makes it even funnier because everyone and anyone who has ever been to a drive-in know that this is so true. Also, politics are heavily linked throughout the film. This film is a political drama, musical as well as a documentary all tied together. I enjoyed this movie and would highly recommend it to anyone.
Simón del desierto (1965)
Simon Vs. The Devil
Although this movie seemed a bit weird and strange to me, overall I really enjoyed it. If it had not been for the comedic humor evenly placed throughout the film, I do not think I would have liked it as much. To me, the humor is what made the film stand out.
Luis Bunuel is an amazing director full of ideas and symbolism. Throughout the film Simon is constantly being tempted by different things that symbolize the devil. Trying to stay true to God, Simon keeps trying to resist. The devil comes to Simon in many different forms, for example, as a sexy seductress and as an old haggish looking lady. All of the ways in which the devil tried to take over Simon seemed to be very eerie. The end of the movie is where I became confused, just when you think that Simon's prayers to God would not be answered, the film all of a sudden switches to a disco-like scene with everyone partying and dancing around. In this scene you can also tell that the devil never left because it is there with him yet again, but in a different form of another seductress. I took this as a parallel to life and how evil never truly escapes wherever you are. At first, this scene lost me but after thinking about it I began to realize maybe why Bunuel did this. Overall this film was great, as long as you do not hold your religious views to be very strict and serious.
8½ (1963)
8 1/2: A true Masterpiece
When watching 8 ½, I was confused at many different parts. The overall coherence of this movie, to me, seemed pretty vague. Although I must say it was pretty interesting after establishing the "why's" and "what's" that I was asking myself. It was well known that Frederico Fellini was a playboy and was known to be the master of flamboyant costumes, all of which can be seen in this movie. After watching the movie and learning about Fellini, everything comes together.
The flashbacks are what make the film so famous. The first scene of the movie sets it all up and, in my eyes, is the most important flashback scene throughout the movie. The flashbacks in the first seen are easily paralleled to Guido's life. He is stuck in traffic and he cannot escape the smoke. Both situations are metaphors to how we are unable to escape the everyday oppression and pressures of life. In this metaphor, the line between reality and dreams becomes very vague.
These dream-like sequences help to portray the movie to an even greater level at its fullest extent. The movie would not be as well looked up to as it is today if it weren't for Fellini doing this. It is still highly looked up to by many of film viewers and critics around the world for being the true masterpiece that it is.
Nosferatu, eine Symphonie des Grauens (1922)
Nosferatu Linked To WWI
Nosferatu, I thought, was a great film. After watching and analyzing it, it is easy to see the direct relatedness to WWI. The eeriness, the sense of not knowing, and suspense are all common factors in which people feel undergoing war. Nosferatu demonstrates how closely related film of that era was to politics brought about by the war. They effectively show how WWI is directly linked to the German expressionist movement. This movement then later sparked rise of the postwar horror genre. World War I not only paved the way for many filmmakers to come, but it changed German silent cinema forever. During F. W. Murnau's film, the main character, Hutter, leaves his plague-infested town to meet Graf Orlak, who later is deemed to be a vampire. After waking up, Hutter realizes who Graf Orlak really is. Hutter then must race against time to get back home in order to save his wife from Orlak. The setting of the plagued town is easily comparable to the setting of WWI—just set in a different time period. In both, innocent people died, and there was nothing the average person could do to stop neither sickness nor death. Orlak symbolizes the war itself, while the main character embodies Germany. Germany sought out the war, but in the end the war retaliated and came after Germany. In the end of the movie, Orlak dies once subjected to the sunlight. The sun rising symbolizes a new coming, specifically for Germany. Orlak is killed by this new coming which can be interpreted as a foreshadow that Germany would try once again to win another war, WWII. This film was great, it was ahead of its time and forever impacted German Cinema.
North by Northwest (1959)
NBNW -- Another one to the list of masterpieces
It is easy to say that Alfred Hitchcock is one of the most notable, best film directors that have ever existed. His suspense-filled plots, daring situations, and twists were carried throughout North by Northwest. I absolutely LOVED this movie, but then again, it's hard to NOT like any Hitchcock films.
Every time you think you know what is going to happen, Hitchcock works his charm and completely changes it. Throwing out twist and turns during the course of the entire movie, he keeps his audience on the edge of their seats. He installs fear into the average person, something commonly seen throughout a lot of his movies. Setting up the plot for an innocent man being wrongly accused for something he had nothing to do with.
Hiring a great cast, Hitchcock wanted only the best. Cary Grant portrays his character very well to the fullest extent. Eva Marie Saint also held true to her character. Although this movie has an intense plot filled with suspense, the comedy evens it out pretty well. It is the one-liners from Grant and the predicaments he gets himself into that has the audience laughing. I believe Hitchcock does this in order to relieve the audience from thinking too hard into the plot.
Overall, this was an extremely good movie! Just another one down for Hitchcock's masterpieces.