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mjnuell
Reviews
Wise Blood (1979)
Don't listen to the negative or mixed reviews
This film is a masterpiece. The level of pathos and mania is completely faithful to the O'Connor characters. People know knock Huston's storytelling surely know nothing about cinema, especially character based work. There are too many deep themes in this highly entertaining movie to go into here, but think Oedipus with quicklime. Exceptional Harry Dean Stanton role. If you thought Brad Dourif was fun in Lord of the Rings- you haint seen nuthin'. See "The Church of Jesus Christ without Redemption." Marvel at Enoch the Monkey Boy. Huston does a great job, not only of capturing the novel, but the feeling of the bible thumping, evangelical south. See this movie- seriously, you won't be sorry.
Vengo (2000)
I suppose it should be possible to find a film as beautiful as this, but none come to mind.
It's funny that a critic from the new york times could know so little about film. I will not say much except this is one of the most simple, most beautiful stories made into cinema; there is absolutely no artifice, no tricks, and every detail is pure and genuine. Tony uses faces Kurasawa could've killed for. You ain't seen nothing if you ain't seen this. The music, artists like Gritos de Guerra, La Caita, Sheik al Tuni, (seemingly unavailable on record, but better than anything I've heard,) seems to capture at once the joy and sorrow bound up in human life. Likewise the players, most not actors. In fact, the music is so integrated into the lives of the characters, in the end there is no division. For reviewers of respected periodicals, we would explain this is what is called thematic. So much for the standards of education in journalism. Even reviewers who really liked this movie did not fully understand this; like most really great art, it is ahead of the curve. I suppose it should be possible to find a film as beautiful as this, as simple and captivating, but none come to mind. Skip "Vengo" and your life will certainly be less rich.