Fritz Lang's The Complete Metropolis was indeed a film to remember for its incredible time length. It portrayed the difference between the working class and the wealthy class. This video, unlike most films during its time period takes place in takes place in the future where it's all about skyscrapers, state of the art train stations that go high up to where you get a view of the city. It's the life of a young man named Freder, whose life seems made. He doesn't have to work, doesn't have to worry about a thing then when he first see's a woman (Maria) for whom he falls in love with however it takes a dramatic negative turn for him personal. From there all he wants is to be with her, and he risks everything to do it. Joh Frederson (Freder's father) and his most trusted man, the Inventor, go on to find this woman to end Freder's run. Near the end, the story takes another turn to where the inventor betrays Joh Frederson and things go on from there to where the working class' homes start to get flooded all these things go on at once to where at the end Freder and Maria are together. I honestly found the movie predictable, nothing out of the ordinary that you see in other films, but that doesn't keep the movie from being good. The length of the movie seems unwarranted and the silent pictures aren't for anyone but if you're interested in watching a 3 ½ hour movie be my guest.
Reviews
6 Reviews
Simon of the Desert
(1965)
Simón del desert Horrible ending
11 May 2011
Simón del desiert is a Mexican 1965 film directed by Luis Buñuel. It is loosely based on the story of the ascetic 5th-century Syrian saint Simeon Stylites, who lived for 39 years on top of a column. It stars Claudio Brook as Simon. He lives as hermit on top of a column for self-inflicted sacrifice. He does this an attempt to get closer to God for this reason he has numerous peasant followers and clergymen support him in his sacrifice. They believe he is a saint and can perform miracles. The film chronicles him being tempted by the devil as he continues to live atop of the column, the actions of the supposed holy clergymen and his followers. Interesting enough Satan is portrayed by the lovely actress Silvia Pinal who tries various ways of making Simon lose his focus on God.
Cléo from 5 to 7
(1962)
Strong Title
11 May 2011
Warning: Spoilers
Cléo de 5 à 7 is a French film made in 1962 directed by Agnès Varda. The story starts with a young singer, Florence "Cléo" Victoire, at 5PM June 21, as she waits until 7PM appointment. The lead in the film is Corinne Marchand who plays Florence 'Cléo Victoire' who is a pop singer wandering around Paris while she awaits her medical test results. Cléo readies herself to meet with her doctor at 7 o'clock by buying hats, travelling around the city, singing with her producers and seeing her lover and meeting with several other friends and strangers while trying to grapple with mortality. She is frequently upset throughout the movie from the lack of perceived care about her impeding visit and her frustration is lashed out to all those who speak with her. This is especially true for her accompanied assistant/friend Angèle played by Dominique Davray during most of the movie. Interesting enough the vast majority of the movie is black and white with only the 1st scene in the movie in color. In this scene Florence is having her future told to her from Tarot reading in the reading she is told lied to by the fortune teller who wishes to spare her the bad news of her death, from then on the movie is black/white. Throughout the film the usage of mirrors is very prevalent; they symbolize the self-obsession Cléo has for her looks.
The film is confronts several of the themes such as existentialism, including discussions of mortality, the idea of despair, and leading a meaningful life. Cléo feels that she has not lived a meaningful life and the frustration with that turns into despair when facing her own mortality. The film has a strong feminine viewpoint and raises questions about how women are perceived in Western society.
The film is confronts several of the themes such as existentialism, including discussions of mortality, the idea of despair, and leading a meaningful life. Cléo feels that she has not lived a meaningful life and the frustration with that turns into despair when facing her own mortality. The film has a strong feminine viewpoint and raises questions about how women are perceived in Western society.
Tsotsi
(2005)
A Movie Worth Watching
30 April 2011
Warning: Spoilers
The South African director Gavin Hood film, Tsotsi, is a typical story of the hard life and times of the criminal underclass story with the twist of being centered within Johannesburg, South Africa. It stars the charismatic leader, Presley Chweneyagae, as Tsotsi with his gang of lackeys such as broken-down Boston (Mothusi Magano), the ruthless killer Butcher (Zenzo Ngqobe) and the thoughtless Aap (Kenneth Nkosi). In an early scene in the film the gang prey upon an unsuspecting middle-aged man a sharp metal spike. In this brutal scene, Butcher slips that spike into a middle-aged man who, having impertinently flashed a wad of cash is left on the floor of a subway car to die like a bag of trash. The subsequent disagreement between Tsotsi and Boston on how the robbery went about ends with Tsotsi nearly beating to death Boston. After this event he car jacks a woman in the suburbs shooting her to escape, after crashing the car he discovers a little baby boy in the back seat. This is where is journey to redemption begins when he takes the baby back to his home in the shanty towns of Johannesburg. The story of Tsotsi is not a complicated one and the ending is typically of movies in this genre, in fact this story is told several times in Hollywood. However, Tsotsi differs from these films by having the characters speak in the native languages and incorporates the current issues facing South Africa. The film attempts to draw out audiences' emotions from both the negative and positive actions taken by Tsotsi in his journey of redemption. The story does not focus racially but instead on the struggle for those in the shanty towns and even though these criminals commit horrible crimes all of them have the ability to change positively if given an opportunity.
The Whole Shootin' Match
(1978)
Strong Texan Movie
30 April 2011
This low budget independent film, The Whole Shootin' Match, directed by the late Eagle Pennell is a film that portrays what many Texans consider the quintessential blue-collar Texan. The film is set around Austin, TX and is shot in black and white using actors/actresses from the region. This authentic feel pierces through to the audience and as someone from Austin the characters are the type of people I could consider friends and neighbors. It stars Sonny Carl Davis as Lloyd and his best friend and business partner Frank played by Lou Perryman. The two of them start up various small-time business ventures that inevitably flounder. This causes them to often find themselves out of work and broke, but they have a resolute belief in their abilities and a determination to succeed, and are convinced that one day Frank will invent the right product or service that will make them rich. In addition to his constant lack of work Frank has many other problems in his life. He has an alcoholic and his wife is being seduced by his cousin. He is also is an adultery and does not try to hide it. These problems caused several arguments between his wife Paulette, played by Doris Hargrave. Throughout the whole film there is one constant and powerful theme to the movie and it's the friendship between Frank and Lloyd that is mutually supportive, completely trusting, enduring and ultimately touching when Lloyd hits a low point in movie. The flaws in these two characters such as their stupidity and naivety lay at the heart for their one success to ultimately become a failure like all the other schemes to get rich. Overall the film is one about the strength of friendship and the perseverance to achieve one's goal no matter how far-flung they are.
Gabbeh
(1996)
Iranian Gold
30 April 2011
The movie Gabbeh is an Iranian film directed by Mohsen Makhmalbaf features a mythical young woman longing to be married to the horseback stranger from another clan. Gabbeh is a magical, colorful love story filmed in Iran with the dialect spoken in their native tongue. There are subtitle in the film but the dialog is kept to minimum. The young woman, Gabbeh, is played by Shaghayeh Djodat. However she is not permitted to marry him until her uncle played by Abbas Sayah marries before she does. This mythical young woman appears when an elderly couple goes through their routine of cleaning their gabbeh, while squabbling gently with each other. Magically the young woman appears and helps them to clean the rug. This young woman belongs to the clan whose history is depicted in the design of the gabbeh, and the rug recounts the story of the courtship of the young woman by a stranger from the clan. The girl's story is almost like a fairytale but in actuality encompasses the old woman's real-life struggle with daily life and accomplishing her aspiration of matrimony. Makhmalbaf's uses this film to show his impassioned analysis of poverty, the oppressiveness of tradition or the loneliness of women in a patriarchal society in Iran. He hides his analysis by the usage of color which is prevalent throughout the whole movie. The vibrant colors that the women wear in the movie are a source of solidarity for women and give them an outlet to express themselves in the patriarchal society. This passionate love story offers a glimpse into a society that as Westerners we know little about and have many misconceptions about. This Iranian film is the 1st I have seen from the region and has definitely spurred my interest in seeing more films from this director.
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