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La bataille du rail (1946)
pre-make of The Train
This movie is not great. It's good, and it's only ok if you've already seen The Train 1964. This 1946 movie is artistic, stark, neo realist, blah blah, like many post war European made movies from the era. But it lacks character study and has only tactical measures and rebelliousness against not-so-evil Nazis as the reason for being, unlike The Train.
Army of Shadows 1969 is another example of a refined, not-so-purist remake of previous movies. It was just done better and had a longer lasting impact, like The Train.
But telling fans of La Bataille Du Rail that it's overrated just gets a lot of dislikes. Examine both movies yourself, but make sure you watch the 1946 movie FIRST so you won't be disappointed.
Inferno (2016)
In 2022 this movie is relevant
People in 2016 reviewed this negatively because there were no famous insane bay area tech billionaires with any power to do such a thing as what took place in the movie. And there was no covid 19 pandemic.
Watch this movie again today and the hook sinks deeper because it COULD happen today. Some people think it IS happening today or WILL happen.
I thought this movie was better than Da Vinci Code.
The House on Telegraph Hill (1951)
Way better than Sudden Fear
Now I see why it's underrated - logic holes. But this is a movie, not a test. The movie works despite these logic holes because of great acting, scenery and direction. The subtlety and non-Americanness of the female lead DO make sense in her "logic" mistakes others mention. She's not the one fixated on money, the house, etc., the others are. This makes her naivete and concern MORE convincing. She did her job subtly and was consumed first by her lies and then by the fate of the child. Everybody else did their job well too. Sudden Fear employed acrobatics to grating effect. This movie did not.
Humoresque (1946)
slow at times but MASSIVELY underrated
The initial buildup of Paul's character could have been edited down a bit to speed things up, the violin scenes should have been piano, as it would have made those scenes less tiring. But get past that and take in the punch of massively underrated Joan Crawford's performance and the one liners of Oscar Levant. It's really their film, but John's good too. One of the most elegant noirs ever.
L'armée des ombres (1969)
Dreamlike, thought provoking
Could have been edited down a bit, could have had a more accurate period look, but dreamy and truthful and does the job.
It tells a story you didn't know without artificial stylistic teasing from scene to scene, no score. It just unfolds and keeps you interested.
It doesn't hammer your senses like others, but it enters your brain and stays there, naturally.
The Grapes of Wrath (1940)
good but not great
Well made, well acted, I agree with the movie's sentiments, but it doesn't twist and curve as well as other movies I really like. The impressive impacts to many people are the economic manipulations, but once you realize this isn't new, it's not enough to make a movie watchable over and over. I enjoyed Hitchcock's Saboteur, a picture I consider related to this time capsule, much more.
The Great Dictator (1940)
not for war buffs
Some good film making, acting, etc. But if you already know everything about the war, the story is predictable, frustratingly untimely and the movie will seem like too little too late. If it had been made in 1938 it would have been more timely. There is no time capsule value for those who already know. Great propaganda though.
To Have and Have Not (1944)
truncated ending
Nice while it lasted, but while other movies don't end without twists, this one just ended, right where you expect part 2 to begin. Maybe that's because 1 hour and 40 minutes of build up ate the possibility of a better ending, maybe they felt it would be cliche to twist up the ending, but it just doesn't feel right. Reunion In France and Above Suspicion had better endings.
Bell Book and Candle (1958)
subversive fun
Severely underrated movie because most people will have come across it AFTER first seeing Vertigo, which could be disappointing if you were expecting equal mystery and seriousness.
This movie unintentionally triangulates witchcraft, psychedelic mushrooms and homosexuality by using hidden cultural references like "they have their own bars" and potion ingredients used to start or break spells (the trippy drink Mrs Depass made for Shep)
On the surface without all that knowledge, you can just enjoy the sets, acting and secretive story sidelines. You might really like the Christmas theme or you might get bored with the love story formula.
But taken all together with an understanding of psychedelia and gay culture at the time (and the post McCarthy era), you might appreciate the hidden things.
Pairs well with Three Women 1977.
The Apartment (1960)
Great acting, but way too predictable
This movie is so predictable, but the acting is perfect, the settings intriguing, the direction efficient and the story DOES have a nice flow.
But how could you NOT see EVERYTHING coming?