Billy Liar

Based on the 1959 novel by Keith Waterhouse, "Billy Liar" would be adapted into a play and would be released as a film in 1963. The film would be part of the "British New Wave" that was inspired years earlier by the "French New Wave" cinema. I would hate to use the word "Kitchen Sink" but this film may fall into that category considering the era when it was made and the portrayal of the working middle class struggling to make it on the big city. 

A young man named Billy Fisher (Tom Courtenay) lives with his parents and works as a clerk for an undertaker's firm. He is constantly nagged by his mother Alice (Mona Washbourne) and is dubbed Billy Liar by his officemates Arthur (Rodney Bewes) and Stamp (George Innes) for inventing the most outlandish lies. 

The film alternates from Billy's reality to his daydreaming as he fantasizes of a fictional kingdom called Ambrosia which he imagines himself as it's ruler and hero to satisfy his ego. His reality is far dimmer however as he is known to invent tragic circumstances about his family and steal promotional calendars from the company. 

He is also engaged to 2 women both who are not aware of his philandering, but this becomes more complicated with the unexpected return of a former flame Liz (Julie Christie) whom he really cares for. 

The film was shot in black and white outlines the working class background of it's hero, Courtenay plays Billy like a young kid trapped in a man's body playing his life like a one big game.

"So that scene with Donald Sutherland was interesting."

The character of Billy is probably one of the most unsympathetic characters I have seen on film, he has aspirations of being a scriptwriter but he doesn't seem to have the guts to follow his dreams. Only with the interference of Liz does Billy seemed to realize his potential but the trouble with his grandmother changes all of this. The scene where he told his mother that he will be leaving home in spite of his mother's plea for him to stay really broke my heart. 

"The bastard is lying again."

I just couldn't stand a mother's heart breaking especially if it was her own son who would do it and I wished I could just reach over and punch Billy in the face but the ending proved otherwise and that family for Billy it seems is the most important thing for him at that moment. 

The director John Schlesinger made it a point that Billy is not the main character to be liked but the people who cared for him the most were the people you were rooting for. 

The film's black and white cinematography also added to the film's grittiness and realism even though Billy at times enter his own fantasy world, the director's perspective  nonetheless is shown on a wider scope and the drama is made real. Even though the character of Billy is not really likable, Schlesinger still made us root for Billy for the sake of the people around him. The director 6 years removed from directing "Midnight Cowboy" directed a memorable film worthy of being called a classic.    

Grade: A-

Luci del Varietà (Variety Lights)

The directorial debut of Federico Fellini did not make waves at the cinema nor did it impress the critics in it's initial release but fast forward today and it is considered a classic. Co directed by Alberto Lattuada who went on to become a prolific director in his own right, the film did more to benefit Fellini who would go on to become one of the world's greatest directors. 

The film is about a group of low rate traveling theatrical performers led by it's manager Checco (Peppino De Filippo), he has hopes and aspirations of becoming a success in show business with the help of his mistress and co performer Melina Amour (Giulietta Masina) who manages the business and also saves their earnings. 

A young beauty queen named Lily (Carla Del Poggio) suddenly joins the troupe with ambitions of her own, she follows them to a town and persuades them to let her perform in one of their acts.

Lily though not really that talented was able to attract a large audience who seems to enjoy her more as a sex object than a real talent, Checco hopelessly falls for the young starlet and leaves Melina and the troupe for her. 

Checco in the meantime tries to do everything he can to make it into show business by building an act and surround Lily with talents that will feature her as the main star. 

We see Fellini's imprint all over the film making it undeniably his vision that was shown on screen, his use of movement and transition on lavish parties, dark streets and quirky carnival characters will be his trademark and his evolution from a director to auteur extraordinaire started in this film.

The main focus of the film was the Checco who seemed all the more helpless in keeping the young and restless Lily happy while trying make her a star not only in his eyes but also to others who doubt him. The story is simple enough and we see for what Checco really is, not just an old man trying to romance a young woman but a dreamer trying to make it into show business with his muse by his side. 

His desire for her is not too much sexual in nature but he sees her as his key to finding success though he is blinded more by her beauty than her talent. The ending is typical Fellini with the main character returning to his troupe with unresolved issues hoping for the next big break with Melina by his side again. 

To sum up the film is worth watching as we see the beginnings of a great director who would go on to direct "8 1/2", "La Dolce Vita", "Amarcord" etc. and would go on to revolutionize cinema as we know today. 

Grade: A+

Strike (Stachka)

The debut full feature film of one of cinema's greatest directors, "Strike (Stachka)" is Sergei Eisenstein's first masterpiece paving the way for the young director's rise as one of the most revered auteurs in cinema history.

The story starts in pre revolutionary Russia in 1903 and opens with a quote from Vladimir Lenin, a strike breaks out in a factory after a worker is accused of stealing a micrometer worth 25 rubles. He proclaims his innocence but the management has made up their mind to dock his 3 weeks pay. The worker seeing no recourse hangs himself with his own belt and leaves a note proclaiming his innocence, the other workers stop and fighting ensues as they break into the office and seize the manager dumping him near water that looks like a part of a sewage system.

The owners in the meantime sit comfortably in their office to discuss the union's demands, one of the stockholders bring out a lemon squeezer as a metaphor to the pressure they will apply to the workers. A police agent goes to a beggar who calls himself "King", the agent uses King and his band of misfits to incite chaos on of all places a liquor store.

The band of provocateurs loot and sets fire on the liquor store causing a huge commotion, one of the workers see through the deception as they disperse trying to avoid the police force that are waiting to pounce on them but they are pursued nonetheless and are hosed by the firemen.
The carnage does not stop as a military force is sent after the workers as they are chased into their apartments, one gruesome scene is when a child is killed after being dropped from a balcony by a policeman on horseback. The workers are massacred with an alternating footage of a cow being slaughtered with it's throat cut open completing the symbolism of the horrible ending.

Even though the film's premise and storyline might have been a bit exaggerated it's still a fascinating film in my opinion and one of the greatest film debuts of all time, Eisenstein was able to create an atmosphere of paranoia and chaos predating his other masterpiece "The Battleship"Potemkin" which has also influenced future film makers.

His use of film editing and inter cutting sequences was used effectively in creating
a metaphorical element in film that was never done much in that era seamlessly transitioning it's mood from drama to organized chaos. The 2 most memorable scenes for me is the killing of the infant and of course the slaughtering of the cow that Francis Ford Coppola also used in his Vietnam war masterpiece "Apocalypse Now". Like most of Eisenstein's films "Strike"  is full of pro communist doctrines which shows it's hatred of the ruling bourgeois and it's pro proletarian message of collectivism against individualism avoiding the stereotypes of western film making. 
But even with it's Communist propaganda message and it's Leninist views, the film cannot be denied it's place as a classic of it's time and it's director's rightful place as one of the great debuts of all time. 


Grade: A-

The Night of the Hunter

"Chill--dren... Chill--dren?"

  ------ Reverend Harry Powell

 One of my most favorite films and just in time for Christmas, "The Night of the Hunter" was considered a critical and commercial flop in it's release but has gained considerable cult status over the decades and has now been regarded as one of the greatest American films of all time. 

The story is set in the 1930's where a man named Ben Harper (Peter Graves) is pursued and captured by the local authorities for robbery and murder. Before he is taken away Ben tells his son John (Billy Chapin) the location of the stolen money and makes him promise to tell no one. 

While languishing in jail Ben shares a prison cell with serial killer Reverend Harry Powell (Robert Mitchum), he mistakenly talks in his sleep and this gives Harry the idea of taking the stolen money from Ben's family in West Virginia. 

He tracks down the Harper family after his release and woos Ben's widow Willa (Shelley Winters), Harry manages to charm everyone in town even Ben's young and naive daughter Pearl (Sally Jane Bruce) but only John was able so see through Harry's evil core. 

Harry eventually marries Willa and in the guise of the self appointed pastor of God teaches the sexually repressed former widow about the evil desires of men that destroys them to make her feel bad about herself, this is in fact part of a ruse to distract her from his real intention of finding the money that her late husband stole. 

Soon Willa disappears and turns up in the bottom of the river, the victim of Harry's maniacal murdering spree and threatens John and Pearl to reveal the money's location but they manage to escape. 

It soon becomes one of the most haunting chases as we see the evil Harry's tireless quest to find the missing "chill--dren" and claim the stolen money that he thinks is rightfully his to receive.

The Harper kids with luck ends up at the doorstep of old but tough Rachel Cooper (Lillian Gish) who raises stray children but with Harry still hot on the trail, Rachel must find a way to defeat this evil before things get deadly for her and the rest of the children.  

The only film that the great Charles Laughton directed that would eventually turn into a classic years later was considered a failure by most accounts, Laughton drew his inspiration on the early German expressionist films (notable examples are The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari, Metropolis, Nosferatu), he was able to perfectly adapt a best selling book to a fantastic film and made it his own. 

"Don't piss off Bob Mitchum."

The set pieces were by all accounts cheaply made and when Mitchum was asked how the haunting barn scene was shot he admitted that it was not him on the horse from a distance riding but a midget. I'm not sure if that was true given Mitchum's devil may care attitude in interviews but there's no denying that even if the film was made "cheaply" it was effective enough to make it look like a fairy tale horror film that Laughton envisioned making it stand out of the films that were made back in the 50's.

The key for the film was Mitchum who made a lasting impression as the psychotic Reverend Harry, his speech regarding LOVE and HATE has been used on Spike Lee's "Do the right thing" and even his "chill-dren" used by Damon Wayan's on "Major Payne". It also didn't hurt that the film had a great supporting cast with 2 mother figures representing for the children with Shelley Winters as the tragic mother and Lillian Gish as the tough as nails savior. 

I could go on and rave about this film but a lot has been said about it already through the years and all I can say for now is to thank the great Charles Laughton for creating a timeless masterpiece. 

 Grade: A+

The Adventures of Robin Hood

A film created back in the days when adventuring swashbucklers were considered the "Star Wars" of it's time, "The Adventures of Robin Hood" was the film that established the (notorious ) legendary Errol Flynn and made him a bona fide Hollywood Star. 

The story of the legendary outlaw has been told countless times including in books, songs, comic books, games, television series and the earliest known in the media was in film. 

In this story King Richard the Lionheart (Ian Hunter) has been taken captive in Austria, his no good nick brother Prince John (Claude Rains) takes over the kingdom and raises the taxes over the people to strengthen his army and his hold on the throne. 

The Saxon Robin, Earl of Locksley (Errol Flynn) stands his ground and protects his people by robbing the rich and giving to the poor thus given the name Robin Hood. Robin's main foil in this film is Sir Guy of Gisbourne (Basil Rathbone) who meets Robin in Sherwood and gets humiliated after attempting to arrest a man who tried to poach the King's deer. 

This man named Much the Miller's son (Herbert Mundin) would go on to join Robin, Will Scarlet (Patric Knowles),  Little John (Alan Hale, Sr.) and the rest of his merry men to challenge Prince John's regime and his enforcers Sir Guy of Gisbourne and the Sheriff of Nottingham (Melville Cooper). 

The film is stocked with a great supporting cast and probably one of the best of it's era, here we see Robin romancing the virtuous Maid Marian (Olivia de Havilland) and engaging in a friendly duel against the hotheaded Friar Tuck (Eugene Pallette). 

 The film's brilliant cinematography was also superb as it was supervised by the legendary duo of Tony Gaudio and Sol Polito, creating a beautiful spectacle utilizing the fantastic set pieces on screen. 

The director Michael Curtiz made sure to capture every aspect of Flynn's personality, a man full of enthusiasm for the career making performance and the role he will be most identified with for the rest of his life.

For years I have seen countless Robin Hood interpretations but on film but I must admit "The Adventures of Robin Hood" is the most fun version yet. The most recent adaptation I have seen was the Ridley Scott- Russell Crowe version  and I actually fell asleep on the movie theater while watching it.

I think the difference between other Robin Hood films and this version is the lighthearted approach that the director took in making it. These days film studios are into making films that are more real, gritty and action packed but I think what's missing is the innocence and the exuberance in film making. Every movie these days are too either too serious, too violent or too dark for even kids to watch making films today exhilarating but less interesting. 

After watching this film I must admit that the simple story lines, direct dialogue and the cliche's made it the most fun, the tights that have been parodied and the silly fighting scenes choreographed like dance sequences made the film more unique than it's contemporaries today and that is why it is deemed a classic.

Grade:B+

House of Flying Daggers (Shi mian mai fu)

A Wuxia film that was supposed to be different from the others that have come before it, "House of Flying Daggers (Shi mian mai fu)" was a film that director Zhang Yimou presented  more as a love story/ soap opera than a martial arts film. 

Set in 859 A.D. 2 police captains Jin (Takeshi Kaneshiro) and Leo (Andy Lau) have been given orders to kill the new leader of "The Flying Daggers", a rebel group trying to overthrow the current ruling Tang Dynasty. Jin goes undercover and gets himself arrested for indecency in a brothel, this is a strategic move because they also arrest the blind dancer Mei (Zhang Ziyi) who was reported to be the daughter of the old leader of the resistance. 

Jin in the guise of a bandit frees Mei from jail hoping that she will lead him to the new leader and finally destroy The Flying Daggers" but he underestimates his feelings for Mei and they both fall in love. 

Leo in the meantime sends wave after wave of his men after the 2 fugitives and even warns Jin in the forest of the implications of falling for Mei but he ignores Leo's warning. 

The story eventually unfolds as the film's plot goes deeper and the true identities of all the characters are revealed. Director Zhang Yimou does not force the grand scale in this film but instead focuses on the 3 main characters, all we see are the beautiful set pieces and the forests and plains where Jin and Mei run to. 

The battle scenes were choreographed to perfection making it look like dances and not actual fighting scenes, the vibrant colors and the beautiful cinematography are entrancing and breathtaking especially the scene where Jin and Mei are forced to defend themselves against the Bamboo wielding soldiers flying above the trees. 

Although the cinematography is superb I couldn't help but feel that something is missing in the film, I thought Andy Lau wasn't used quite effectively as he was forced to stand in the background while Kaneshiro and Zhang Ziyi became the focus of the story. I also felt that it was still too formulaic given the fact that Yimou tried to make it more than a Wuxia film, the ending was too over the top and it did not give enough closure to each of the characters story making the film incomplete rather than having the shocking climax that the director might have wanted.

Nevertheless it is still better than the average Wuxia film that you normally see (Red Cliff) that tries to combine artistry with box office appeal but it's really not for everybody's taste.

Grade: B-

Les Diaboliques (The Devils)

 

A classic film  that continues to shock even today, Henri-Georges Clouzot's "Les Diaboliques (The Devils)" is a film that effectively combines suspense and horror predating psychological horror films that would eventually evolve into the modern slasher films of the present. 

The film takes place in a French all boy's boarding school run by it's cruel philandering headmaster Michel Delassalle (Paul Meurisse), he rules the school with an iron fist but it actually belongs to his suffering wife Christina (Véra Clouzot). Michel enjoys torturing his Christina and even flaunts his relationship with another teacher in the school Nicole (Simone Signoret) whom he also abuses. But even with Christine and Nicole's situation they share a common hatred of Michel, together they hatch a plan to be free of Michel by means of murder. 

They go into Nicole's home in a distant village with Christine threatening divorce over the phone, the angered Michel makes his trip into the village and pleads with Christine but all of this is staged to kill Michel. Christine manages to sedate Michel and they drown him in a bathtub, the duo then drags Michel's body inside a huge box and dumps him in the school's swimming pool making it look like an accident.

The real fun begins when they were unable to find Michel's body after the pool is drained, suddenly he starts appearing in places and even sends his pressed suit back to the school. Christine and Nicole becomes paranoid and tries to fit the pieces together and find out if someone knew their secret or if Michel really came back as a ghost to haunt them. 

The film is probably one of the scariest films I have seen lately not because of it's story but because of the mystery of the person who really knows what's going on and who's pulling the strings to scare the 2 women. The 2 other teachers of the school were also suspects because they were the ones who could benefit the most if Christine and Nicole are sent to jail, the nosy detective Alfred Fichet (Charles Vanel) seems the most eager to help but may also have his own agenda but nevertheless he is the authority figure that could be the main culprit of these happenings. 

What worked for the film is how we see the situation seem to boil over then cools down and starts all over again, clearly Clouzot made the most of the story and kept the audience guessing until the end. What also helped was the black and white cinematography emphasizing the horror and the captured moments seemed all the more haunting than it should be.

I'm already used to cliches, formulaic endings and double crosses on suspense films but even with this film's premise I was still shocked by it's ending and I found myself clapping at the end. What also made the film interesting is the seemingly lesbian relationship between Nicole and Christina, Nicole being the taller more robust woman represents the male in the relationship and Christina being the fragile submissive other half. 

This may not have been implied in the novel Celle qui n'était plus (She Who Was No More) where the film was based on but Clouzot gave strong possibilities on certain scenes. The film's influence is also undeniable and famed master of suspense Alfred Hitchcock himself cited "Les Diaboliques" as an inspiration to his greatest film "Psycho", notice the similarities when the putrid pool is drained to uncover the body as it bears resemblance in "Psycho's" ending when the car in the swamps were towed. Even the "No snitching on the ending" policy of the film was adopted by Hitchkock when "Psycho" was released urging moviegoers to come on time. Both directors focuses on the scum and mud that resembles the shroud covering the evil that has been committed in both films, clearly both films are in a high pedestal today and seen as classics in their own right.        

Grade: A+