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Reviews
Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969)
Not your traditional western.
Warning: Some spoilers!
It is an important clarification to make that 'Butch Cassidy' thrives on legend, on not being too realistic, but balancing realism and fantasy over a thin line. This is not your John Ford western (noble and loving of the land), nor is it your Sam Peckinpah western (realistic and bloody), nor is it your Sergio Leone western (gritty and stylish). It is in a class all its own, courtesy of George Roy Hill, Paul Newman, Robert Redford, Conrad Hall, and, of course, Burt Bacharach, who won the Academy Award for best score.
The obvious story is that of the two "aging bandits" (their not really either), who escape from the law. There are those memorable moments, such as the train robbery with a little too much dynamite (and the employee of Mr. E.H. Harriman), the chase into the rocks ("Who are those guys?"), and the "straight" job working for a mine in Bolivia (and the owner who really loves his tobacco). But the more subtle draw to the story, in my opinion, is the legend behind it. There are little points made like "Most of What Follows Is True", but the biggest point is made in the last still frame. Sure we see them run out, and sure we hear the Bolivian captain yell "Fire!", but can you really say they are killed? Remember, these guys are the two-bit legends of the west, resourcful in all they do. That is the beauty of this film-they're real, but not over-the-top real.
The cinematography is absolutely magnificant (point-in-case: the bicycle seen where the camera is on the other side of an old fence, allowing some light to be seen), the music is poignant and appropriate (yes, even the scatting singers-it progresses the plot well), and, of course, the pitch-perfect chemistry between the witty Newman, and the tough Redford. This one is a must; a one of a kind!
The Night of the Hunter (1955)
A black and white masterpiece
**Warning: Spoilers Included**
Its hard not to get chills when watching Robert Mitchum stroll slowly along a road, singing the spiritual 'Leaning'. Night of the Hunter is one of those rare thrillers that takes you to edge, where the story and cinematography is so surreal, its like you're watching a dream. Charles Laughton makes his only film behind the camera this time (you may remember him from 'Witness for the Prosecution', or as Capt. Bligh in 'Mutiny on the Bounty') and its sad to see that this was his only directing job. The chilling image Shelly Winter's hair floating in the water, or the surreal adventure down the river, all these are critical moments to the film. But my two personal favorites are: a single shot from outside a window, where all you can hear is Winter's car being pushed into the lake. The other, even more gripping and chilling, is Robert Mitchum on a horse, slowly going along a flat plain in the dead of night, with only the lights over the horizon illuminating the outline of Mitchum and the horse. The plot is not so much as important as Mitchum's diabolically brilliant performance as the "preacher", who performs crime in the name of the Lord. But his latest scheme has gone wrong, and he follows the two children in a game of cat-and-mouse. 'Night of the Hunter' is true genius, ****/****.
Vertigo (1958)
A Brilliant Piece of Filmmaking!
Vertigo is by far Hitchcock's masterpiece (some will argue Psycho is, but Vertigo is real technical genius). Telling the story of an obsessed ex-cop (Stewart), Hitchcock weaves a tangled web of suspense, inner conflict, and the supernatural. Of all Hitchcock's films, this one is said to be the most personal, as it regards Hitch's fascination with women and the traits of actresses. Bernard Herrman's score is one of his bests. Incorporating a dizzying series of notes in the string section- musically achieving the effect of vertigo. Later, Herrman brings out his lush, romantic melodies, with beautiful tones, but always with an underlying harmony of doom. Perhaps featuring one of the best scenes in all of film history-Hitch lets his brilliance of camera work, knowledge of Herrman's musical abilities, and the actor's/actress's skill, capture us in a moment in time never to be forgotten. A perfect 10! It never goes wrong
Night Train to Munich (1940)
An exciting precursor to James Bond himself.
Carol Reed's wonderful and interesting style of suspenseful film (seen in all its glory in 'The Third Man') is evident in this early spy flick. Rex Reed is an OSS operative who must journey deep into the heart of the Third Reich to rescue an important scientist before the Nazis can make full use of him. The characters are not just two-dimensional although they may seem that way; they use every trick and opportunity to get through their sticky situation. The sudden appearance of two of the characters from Hitchcock's 'The Lady Vanishes' is a real treat, too!
The story itself is very intricate, with crosses and double-crosses and random occurances causing problems in our hero's way. The film is successfully able to weave genius storytelling, great acting, and effective cinematography to make it an intriguing spy film that is surely ahead of its time! And the finale is certainly an indicator of what the James Bond films would bring us years later.
Even though it was filmed in the beginning of WWII, it is not a stereotypical, or dull, film. A must-see!