The Blog
This blog will be all about film reviews. I'm going to be watching a lot of movies, writing reviews, and hopefully not spoiling any movies you plan to watch.
W. S. Van Dyke The mystery comedy The Thin Man is a clever little murder mystery full of fun moments and a brilliant detective. It is interactive enough for the viewer to take part in but just distant enough that it must be watched to the very end to discover the killer, The plot revolves around the disappearance of Clyde Wynant and the murder of his love interest and secretary Julia Wolf. Nick Charles, a retired investigator, is forced out of retirement and looks into the case. After one suspect runs away and is shot, the police believe that Clyde is behind the murders and the investigators pursue him. However Nick is not convinced and goes to Clyde’s abandoned workshop to look for clues and discovers a body. Nick invites all the chief suspects to a dinner party and starts laying out his thinking as to who is the killer. He reveals that the body is Clyde’s and that he has been dead for months, ruling him out of being the murderer. Clyde is just about to reveal the killer when Clyde’s lawyer tries to shoot him, giving away that he is the murderer. The film tries to walk a fine line between giving clues that the audience can follow and leaving enough out so that the viewer must stay and watch the full movie. The movie leaves little details that the audience can pick up on. The largest of these clues is the shrapnel in Clyde’s leg. This is what allows Nick to realize that the body is that of Clyde and that the murderer could not have been Clyde. However, at the dining room scene when the murderer is revealed, he uses information the audience could not have known. This means that while the audience could have made guesses as to who the killer was, it would have been impossible to really know. This is the only real detracting part of the film. It is always nice to be able to piece together a puzzle yourself or be surprised that you missed a clue. However The Thin Man provides precious few details other than process of elimination. Apart from the issue of the film lacking any real clues to find out who the murderer is, The Thin Man is a well thought out movie with plenty of alcohol, comedy, and mystery.
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Director: Germaine Dulac Verdict: Meh 1922’s La Souriante Madame Beudet is a revolutionary film directed by a female and with a very heavy feminist focus. Through the use of special effects and a strong plot and acting by Germaine Dermoz help show a different side of society not supported in this time. The film follows Madame Beudet who lives in a loveless relationship with Monsieur Beudet who constantly teases her and tries to engage her in activities that interest him. However she turns him down, living in a semi-dream world. One night she is pushed over the edge and loads the pistol her husband uses as a gag, acting as though he is going to shoot himself. However she gets worried and tries to take the bullets out but not before he gets to it first. He points the gun at her jokingly and shoots but misses. He embraces her saying he could not go on without her. This film makes extensive use of special effects. Multiple dream sequences are used to show what Madame Beudet wishes her life was like. The camera work is very smart in what it chooses to focus on to give special emphasis on certain objects, people, or emotions. A common focus is on objects that foreshadow upcoming events or lead into other scenes. In one scene, the position of the pistol and the bullets is very clearly pointed out. This foreshadows the upcoming events with Madame. The use of “ghosts” is a lovely little tool to help portray Madame’s hope to live a different life. Dermaz was a lovely actress who was able to pull emotions together to make the plot work. Without her acting skills, it would never have come together. Her emotion was the real star of the movie as she was able to make her thoughts clear without any words. While it was not perfect and more dialogue cards would have helped, She was very clearly a trapped woman desperate to get out of the situation she was in. It highlighted the social issues of the time in that women did not have ultimate freedom and could not really make their opinions felt. This movie was a odd mix of being admirable and revolutionary, but just not fitting together. In the time, it was probably more understandable. However, now it is just lacking enough information for a modern audience to really relate to the movie. Director: Lee H. Katzin Verdict: Thumbs Up 1971’s Le Mans starring Steve McQueen is one of the great sports movies of all time, detailing a thrilling race at the famous French circuit. Focusing on the life of a racing driver and acting as a fictional version of a real race, Le Mans makes extensive use of sound and camera work to help bring the viewer into the life of a racing driver. Following the epic battle between Porsche and Ferrari on the Circuit de la Sarthe and, more importantly between Porsche driver Michael Delaney (Steve McQueen) and Ferrari driver Erich Stahler (Siegfried Rauch). In the previous year’s race, it is hinted that Delaney accidentally killed a Ferrari driver, whose wife, Elga, now detests him. In the race, a big battle on track ensues between Delaney and Stahler along with the other Porsche and Ferrari drivers. Through the night the battle continues. In the closing hours of the race, Stahler spins and causes another Ferrari to crash, resulting in a huge fireball, nearly killing the driver. Delaney, distracted by the flames, crashes out of the race. Stahler continues while Delaney reconciles with Elga but is soon called on by the team manager to get back in another team car to make sure Porsche wins. Delaney rejoins and races with Stahler to the end, holding him up so that his teammate and Porsche would win the race. Katzin went to tremendous lengths to make the viewer feel as though they were at Le Mans, experiencing the race, being the racing driver. In the opening scenes when the massive crowd begins to wake up and prepare for the race, Katzin paces the movie to perfection. The silence slow breaks up as people begin the hussel and bussel, rushing to and fro, excitement rising as the people anticipate the start of the race. The sudden break from the excitement of the crowd to the very quiet life of the racing driver and the racing team as they prepare for the start. That sudden break makes the viewer feel so much more intimate with the driver. As the drivers get into the cars, there is the dim roar of the crowd as the drivers wait for the start in the quiet confines of the cockpit. With the start of the race, the sudden burst of noise from the engines, the close up footage of drivers in the car all help envelope the viewer in the frantic race. When Delaney crashes and there is a series of extremely quick cuts between different views of the accident, making the viewer feel as confused and disoriented as the driver. Whenever there is any sort of incident on track like Stahler spinning, Katzin uses this technique to make the viewer feel this way, to add to the experience. The relationship between Delaney and Stahler helps drive the rivalry between them. It starts out as a very vague relationship, with it being hinted that the two of them are the top drivers in the field. When they speak before the race, it seems as though they are friends. However after the start, both on and off track the rivalry intensifies with Stahler appearing to be the more malevolent force. It is not a hateful relationship, but one of intense respect and determination. Both are racing for the ultimate prize while trying to avoid the ultimate cost. The feud turns into a game of chess with one driver reacting to the other, testing each other and responding as necessary. By the end of the race, the two are flat out, pushing and passing and holding up one another. Ultimately Delaney comes out on top and helps his teammate to victory. Le Mans shows more than just the racing between the drivers, it shows the life of the driver. Through the use sound and editing, Katzin was able to immerse the viewer in the experience of Le Mans and show what the event truly is. |
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June 2018
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