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| 23 NOV 2006 at 11:10am |
| Deleted User | We may have had this before (we've certainly had a music one anyway) but I wanted to try starting a new thread about movies. Not that I can control what direction this might take, but I would like to hear about movies that are special to you here, not just what you last went to see but the ones that really made an impact on you the way movies can do sometimes.
I would like to start with a movie that I find very fascinating, and although I wouldn't want to watch it a hundred times, I like it.
That movie is O Lucky Man! from 1973, starring Malcolm McDowell. This was his next movie after A Clockwork Orange.
The movie starts with a simple premise: A newly educated coffee salesman is assigned to travel Scotland to sell coffee to stores and hotels. He takes on the task with great (and naive) enthusiasm, hoping to make it big in life. To begin with, things are quite normal. He meets friendly people and makes good business. But he gradually becomes more and more exposed to the evils of society, and while he does this the movie becomes more and more surreal. Soon, he finds himself cheated and exploited by everyone he meets, from every facet of society. In a bizarre series of events he ends up in the strangest places imaginable. But instead of reacting like any normal human being would do, he just plays obediently along with total naivism and a never ending desire to be good to everyone. It's like he becomes a channel for exploitation, and an observer of all things evil. He's just there to make things happen around him. To make things even more surreal, the same actors start appearing in new parts. I won't reveal how the movie ends, but let's just say that it goes full circle on itself.
The story is framed by musical performances of Alan Price (of The Animals fame, perhaps most remembered for arranging the hit version of "House of the Rising Sun", who also plays a part as himself in the movie. Several times, the movie cuts to a studio where he and his band play a song. The soundtrack he provides is amazing. I like the songs not only for the musical arrangements but for the philosophical lyrics about life. For me it was one of those sountracks that immediately made makes you go and look for the songs after hearing them the first time in the movie.
O Lucky Man! is loosely based on Voltaire's novel Candide, and the overall theme is the pitfalls of capitalism, but it could be interpreted in multiple ways. What's most important is that it's thought-provoking. It leaves you with an ambivalent feeling about on one hand that there's a lot of dark sides to humanity, and on the other hand that there's always a reason to keep your hopes up.
The movie is also part of a conceptual trilogy, including some of the same characters and actors. The two other movies are called If and Britannia Hospital. I have not seen either of these movies, but I definitely have to look them up sometime.
I guess the ultimate truth this movie tries to convey is that the path to a lucky life lies in your own attitude. You will meet a lot of selfish people that will try to make life miserable for you, but if you know yourself and don't fall for the lie that someone else has the answers, you will be happier than they'll ever be, and therein lies the big secret. It's a good example of surrealism used successfully to magnify an idea. I don't know... It probably means different things to different people, but it at least manages to put me in a better mood about worldly troubles.
The lyrics to the main title theme sort of summarizes it:
If you have a friend on whom you think
you can rely - You are a lucky man!
If you've found the reason to live on and
not to die - You are a lucky man!
Preachers and poets and scholars don't know it,
Temples and statues and steeples won't show it,
If you've got the secret just try not to blow
it - Stay a lucky man!
If you've found the meaning of the truth
in this old world- You are a lucky man!
If knowledge hangs around your neck like
pearls instead of chains - You are a lucky man!
Takers and fakers and talkers won't tell you.
Teachers and preachers will just buy and sell you.
When no one can tempt you with heaven or hell-
You'll be a lucky man!
I hope you liked this review and that you feel inclined to watch it now!
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| 23 NOV 2006 at 11:43am |
CarolineJA+ Overseer
Posts : 16553
Joined: 28 JAN 2007
Location: AU
Status : Offline | Nice idea Petter. I love movies for all sorts of reasons but one that had an impact was Now, Voyager with Bette Davis.
She played a bullied and unappreciated daughter in a wealthy and uncaring family. Thinking she was having a break down they consulted a shrink who managed to build up her self esteem enough for her to strike out on her own.
However, they fell in love but he was married (this was a B&W movie) so she was doomed to cope with a broken heart that never stopped loving him - something she did with grace and fortitude.
It was the stifled love and passion between these two and the inherent unfairness that moved me. on't know if it would have quite the same power now.
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| 23 NOV 2006 at 6:40pm |
MarkGuild Master
Posts : 3839
Joined: 10 OCT 2002
Location: US, Georgia
Status : Offline |
[img]http://www.mindspring.com/~markparrish/Mumbles.gif[/img]...y'all...grunt...sure like...mumble...some sappy movies...poot...
Please proofread your posts carefully to see if you any words out.
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| 24 NOV 2006 at 1:34am |
CarolineJA+ Overseer
Posts : 16553
Joined: 28 JAN 2007
Location: AU
Status : Offline | What a pathetic response. I know you watch movies. You know lots of movies.
Come on old man, get that tired old brain into gear and remember one of them.
And then tell us what you liked about it. (where's that ass kicking smiley, I just feel like using it)
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| 24 NOV 2006 at 2:26am |
IviniaGuild Master
Posts : 4459
Joined: 7 JUN 2003
Location: US
Status : Offline | Let's see here. Recent viewings:
Baise Moi (T'was ok)
Barot (hilarious)
9 Songs (I want my money back)
The Wicker Man ( the original with Christopher Lee, 2 thumbs up)
The Tomb of Ligeia (ok)
An Evening With Edgar Allan Poe (not what I expected. It's just Vincent price narrating some Poe stories. He does a fantastic job, but it's not much of a movie...)
The Raven (kind of goofy)
Next up:
Troy
The Pit and the Pendulum (for the 5th time)
The Fall of the House of Usher ( for the 4th time)
Tales of Terror
Twice Told Tales
The Comedy of Terrors
Ummm, guess what I'm working on over here and getting lots of inspiration???
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| 24 NOV 2006 at 6:40pm |
WimliGuild Master
Posts : 3259
Joined: 14 MAR 2003
Status : Offline | Ooooh, a movie topic! 8-) I'm glad it's someone else than me who starts it this time.
Recent movies watched:
Dr Jekyll & Mr. Hyde: This 1942 version is basically a remake of the 1931 version, with bigger stars and a bigger budget. Still, neither of them come close to the brilliant novel.
The Lady from Shanghai: Not as great a tour-de-force as Citizen Kane, but Orson Welles once agains proves he is one of the best directors of all time. Not to mention, a damned good writer and actor as well. Very nice film noir. 8-)
Equilibrium: Very impressive stylistically, but not very original. Still, Christian Bale is on fire once more and makes this one definitely worth to watch.
The most recent film I saw in theatre is probably also the best movie I've seen this year: Perfume, Story of a Murderer. Everyone who has read the book will wonder how on earth this story is going to be put into a movie version. How insanely difficult it was to transfer the sense of smell through words, that more difficult it is to do through visuals. But Tykwer matches Süskind word by image in this haunting and yet gorgeous film. He did have to cut and change some things about the book (the movie as it stands already lasts 150 minutes), but the essence of Süskinds novel is maintained and truely shines through here in what must be one of the best adaptations ever made. Respect for Tykwer! [smiley=bowdown.gif]
Another big thumbs up goes to Almodovar's Volver. In this one he keeps the extravangance to an absolute minimum and focuses on the story of five women. Original, moving, funny and dramatic, absolutely brilliant! And like Kidman, it looks like being dumped by Tom Cruise does wonders for Cruz here. Her performance here is an absolute revelation! Don't be too surprised to see her getting an underdog oscar nomination next year.
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| 24 NOV 2006 at 7:24pm |
The WolfboySorcerer Apprentice
Posts : 304
Joined: 16 FEB 2006
Status : Online | Originally Posted By Wimli (24 NOV 2006 6:39pm)
Dr Jekyll & Mr. Hyde: This 1942 version is basically a remake of the 1931 version, with bigger stars and a bigger budget. Still, neither of them come close to the brilliant novel.
I felt that the 1942 version had a clearer establishment of the semiotic coding, attributing a great deal to the mise-en-scene and therefore assisting greatly in the smoother progression of the narrative. However, the more subdued aesthetic of the original drew a more obvious and closer stylistic impression with the german cinema of it's day. Yet it's still obvious from where the counterpoint of the constructed ideological methodology, used in this instance to draw contextual paralells between the protagonist's psychological state, is thereby given a formative representation within the film's diagetic world itself via the use of lighting and set design. One could almost theorise that...
*looks around. tumbleweed drifts past*
Umm, nevermind. I think I'll keep quiet on this one
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| 24 NOV 2006 at 7:54pm |
IviniaGuild Master
Posts : 4459
Joined: 7 JUN 2003
Location: US
Status : Offline | For a second there I thought Jamarchand came down into off topic. :
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| 24 NOV 2006 at 9:45pm |
CarolineJA+ Overseer
Posts : 16553
Joined: 28 JAN 2007
Location: AU
Status : Offline | Well I'm impressed. With me. I actually understood what he was talking about....
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| 25 NOV 2006 at 12:41am |
IviniaGuild Master
Posts : 4459
Joined: 7 JUN 2003
Location: US
Status : Offline | Well, I watched Troy last night. I liked it. Orlando Bloom sure played a wimp in that movie, but was deadly with a bow. He better be careful before he gets type-cast as an archer..ta-dum..
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| 25 NOV 2006 at 1:26am |
Terry PenrodGrand Inquisitor
Posts : 6694
Joined: 16 OCT 2004
Location: US, Texas
Status : Offline | .
I also enjoyed Troy a great deal more than I expected to. We all knew the epic battles, costumes, sets, etc. would be spectacular. But I was pleasantly surpised at how the human relationships were handled.
The cast and director did a great job balancing the widely-known lore and big dramatic scenes with the little intimate ones. So I ended up caring about the characters while also having lots of fun watching the incredibly well-filmed fights. All-in-all, it was one of the best mega productions of a famous, epic story that I've ever seen.
Cheers, Terry
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| 25 NOV 2006 at 5:16pm |
JerrySorcerer Apprentice
Posts : 363
Joined: 2 MAR 2003
Status : Online | The movies I've seen recently:
The Big Heat : An absolutely wonderful film noir! It actually felt ahead of its time. Fritz Lang rules!!
The Night of the Hunter : A little bit dissapointed with this one. It certainly wasn't bad and it had some very good black and white cinematography, but it felt more like a fairy tale than a film noir, which it was supposed to be.
Touch of Evil : Known as the last film noir, this is Orson Welles at his best. I think I even prefer this to Citizen Kane (though I should watch that one again). Even Charlton Heston was okay (as soon as you get over the fact that he's playing a Mexican). All in all, one of the all time great movies (in my very humble opinion) !
Red River : A beautiful epic western by Howard Hawks. I believe this is one of John Wayne's better roles, even though I've never been particulary fond of him (a bit like Charlton Heston, actually). Apparently some people didn't like the ending. I actually found it rather funny...
[url=http://www.intervocative.com/DVDCollection.aspx/Jerry2000]My dvd's[/url]
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| 25 NOV 2006 at 7:33pm |
MarkGuild Master
Posts : 3839
Joined: 10 OCT 2002
Location: US, Georgia
Status : Offline | Originally Posted By Jerry (25 NOV 2006 5:16pm)
Touch of Evil
Is this the one with that incredibly lengthy tracking shot in the beginning?
I saw the restored ToE at university here, and that tracking shot absolutely floored me. Not to mention, the print was pristine.
I loved it. Welles was a true innovator in direction and cinemaphotography.
Please proofread your posts carefully to see if you any words out.
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| 26 NOV 2006 at 12:25pm |
WimliGuild Master
Posts : 3259
Joined: 14 MAR 2003
Status : Offline | Originally Posted By Ivinia (25 NOV 2006 12:41am)
Well, I watched Troy last night. I liked it. Orlando Bloom sure played a wimp in that movie, but was deadly with a bow. He better be careful before he gets type-cast as an archer..ta-dum..
I had mixed feelings about that film. I really liked Eric Bana in it and Bloom was perfectly cast as the wimpier one indeed. But it also featured one of the weaker acting performances of Brad Pitt. Too bad really, because Pitt is really capable of portraying complex characters. Nothing of that came through in this role though.
Originally Posted By Jerry (25 NOV 2006 5:16pm)
The movies I've seen recently:
The Big Heat : An absolutely wonderful film noir! It actually felt ahead of its time. Fritz Lang rules!!
Haven't watched this one yet, but apparently I should! I love Fritz Lang's work. M is one of my favourite movies of all time. And let's not forget Metropolis of course. 8-) Unfortunately I haven't seen anything of his later work yet.
Originally Posted By Jerry (25 NOV 2006 5:16pm)
The Night of the Hunter : A little bit dissapointed with this one. It certainly wasn't bad and it had some very good black and white cinematography, but it felt more like a fairy tale than a film noir, which it was supposed to be.
I felt the same about this one. Although it's technically brilliant (some gorgeous shots here and there), I also found it rather boring, with some bad acting and too much morality thrown into the mix. Never really understood the unanimous praise for this one.
Originally Posted By Jerry (25 NOV 2006 5:16pm)
Touch of Evil : Known as the last film noir, this is Orson Welles at his best. I think I even prefer this to Citizen Kane (though I should watch that one again). Even Charlton Heston was okay (as soon as you get over the fact that he's playing a Mexican). All in all, one of the all time great movies (in my very humble opinion) !
I really liked this one as well! Contrary to you, I do like Charlton Heston as an actor, though this is probably not his best performance. Welles himself is much better in the role of the totally disgusting police detective. Welles also makes a big impression as far as direction is concerned. Man, he truely was one of the greatest directors of all time.
@Mark:
Jep, this is the one with the lengthy tracking shot at the beginning. Truely stunning when you start to think how they pulled that off way back in 1958. Welles was a true innovator indeed, but a lot of credit should also go to the cinematographers he worked with, like Gregg Toland in the case of Citizen Kane and, to a lesser extent, Russel Metty for Touch of Evil.
Originally Posted By Jerry (25 NOV 2006 5:16pm)
Red River : A beautiful epic western by Howard Hawks. I believe this is one of John Wayne's better roles, even though I've never been particulary fond of him (a bit like Charlton Heston, actually). Apparently some people didn't like the ending. I actually found it rather funny...
Another one I haven't seen yet! I've avoided seeing any westerns for years as I always thought I wouldn't like the genre. Recently though I've been charmed by Hawks' Rio Lobo and blown away by Leone's Once Upon a Time in the West. Since I love most of the Hawks films I've seen so far, Red River sounds like a must-see for me. 8-)
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