The shining - ****

The shining * * * *

Horror. Warner. 1980.
D: Stanley Kubrick.
P: Stanley Kubrick.

“A family heads to an isolated hotel for the winter where an evil and spiritual presence influences the father into violence, while his psychic son sees horrific forebodings from the past and of the future”.

Meta generic film, a rumination on the workings of the horror genre, and a gallery that reunites most of its items. Monumental in its intelligence and depth, it also works very well as a straight horror film. Scores very high in technique and multiple level reading. Narrative is not all that accomplished, wether purposefully or not, but some of the images Kubrick creates (the use of steadicam giving the perennial idea of persecution, Jack standing toweringly against the miniature maze) resonate deeply.

Significant production contribution: Direction, Cinematography (John Alcott), Use of pre existing music (Stanley Kubrick), Art direction (Roy Walker), Music (Wendy Carlos), Acting (Jack Nicholson)

Psycho - ****

Psycho * * * *

Thriller. Universal. 1960.
D: Alfred Hitchcock.
P: Alfred Hitchcock.

“A young woman steals $40,000 from her employer’s client, and subsequently encounters a young motel proprietor too long under the domination of his mother”.

Screenplay is too literature driven and heavy on dialogues at points, but the story served for Hitchcock to construct what is probably his finest thriller product, with some moments of sheer brilliance (the night drive through the rain, the shower murder, indeed one of the most striking sequences ever to be filmed), and multiple level reading to spare. The film was scored to great effect by an only-string orchestra arrangement.

Significant production contribution: Direction, Music (Bernard Herrmann), Acting (Anthony Perkins), Editing (George Tomasini), Art direction (Joseph Hurley, Robert Clatworthy)

A passage to India - ****

A passage to India * * * *

Drama. Thorn EMI. 1984
D: David Lean.
P: John Brabourne, Richard Goodwin.

“Tensions between Indians and the colonial British come to a boil when a white female tourist accuses a young Indian Doctor of rape during a visit to caverns”.

Fantastic portrait and study on culture clashes, in one of the best motion pictures by its director, featuring his usual brand of meticulate mix of spectacle and intimism. Intelectually, it’s the clear product of a superior mind, with barely a single shot or second wrongly invested. Cinematographical values very high.

SPC: Direction, Screenplay (David Lean), Acting (Judy Davis, Peggy Ashcroft), Music (Maurice Jarre), Cinematography (Ernest Day)

King Kong - ****

King Kong * * * *

Adventure. RKO. 1933.
D: Merian Cooper, Ernest Schoedsack.
P: Merian Cooper, Ernest Schoedsack.

“A film crew goes to a tropical island for an exotic location shoot and discovers a colossal giant gorilla who takes a shine to their female blonde star”.

Compelling entertainment that not only serves as straightforward fun but is also accomplished as self study and myth, with barely a sign of pretentiousness. The entry of Kong and the ceremony preceeding it are masterfully realized even by today cinematic standards, and the highly dramatic music improved the film exponentially, was key to establishing the rules of film scoring for the sound era, and strinkingly seems as modern as today’s work. It suprisingly holds strong after more than 70 years of its creation, and it’s one of those rare works that were clearly ahead of its time. Truly impressive and spectacular movie.

SPC: Music (Max Steiner), Direction, Production, Screenplay (James Ashmore, Ruth Rose), Special effects (Willis O’Brien)

A clockwork orange - ****

A clockwork orange * * * *

Drama. Warner. 1971.
D: Stanley Kubrick.
P: Stanley Kubrick.

“In future Britain, charismatic delinquent Alex DeLarge is jailed and later volunteers for an experimental reeducation therapy developed by the government”.

Shocking blend of violence and classical music in this very dry, pessimistic, clinical exposure of the nature of violence and human behavior. Under closer examination, it’s says less than it seems, but its style saves face, and so does its stark humour. Visual departments of production are all noteworthy.

Significant production contribution: Direction, Cinematography (John Alcott), Art direction (John Barry), Costumes (Milena Canonero), Screenplay (Stanley Kubrick), Music (Wendy Carlos)

Blowup - ****

Blowup * * * *

Drama. MGM. 1966.
D: Michelangelo Antonioni.
P: Carlo Ponti.

“A mod London photographer believes that he has photographed a murder”.

A fascinating cinematic self study on image, perception and deception, a dry, thoughtful portrayal of an individual lost in his “process”, meandering between several appearing and disappearing acts. Mesmerizingly rich in subtext.

Significant production contribution: Directing, Screenplay (Michelangelo Antonioni, Tonino Guerra, Edward Bond), Cinematography (Carlo Di Palma)

The grapes of wrath - ****

The grapes of wrath * * * *

Drama. Fox. 1940.
D: John Ford.
P: Darryl Zanuck.

“A poor Midwest family is forced off of their land. They travel to California, suffering the misfortunes of the homeless in the Great Depression”.

Beautiful, lyrical film, directed to maximum effect, with very expressive, poetic visuals, and strong performances from its cast of thespians, among them Peter Fonda, who truly gave heart and soul to its main character, and Jane Darwell, unforgettable as the big, strong maternal figure who holds her family together. Its naturality and realism defied the studio system, and the film that hasn’t lost any of its power with the pass of almost seventy years. Survives as a truly outstanding, touching tragedy about hope in the most desperate of situations. A classic.

SPC: Directing, Art direction (Richard Day), Screenplay (Nunally Johnson), Cinematography (Gregg Toland), Acting (Henry Fonda, Jane Darwell, John Carradine)

Dances with wolves - ****

Dances with wolves * * * *

Drama. Orion. 1990.
D: Kevin Costner.
P: Kevin Costner, Jim Wilson.

“Lt. John Dunbar, exiled to a remote western Civil War outpost, befriends wolves and Indians, making him an intolerable aberration in the military”.

Languid and romantic film that centers in the journey of a man towards the border of the North American west, and to the world of the Indian-Americans, on the verge of disappearing by effect of the civil war that whips to the country, and the improbable interpersonal relation that binds him to them. The riotous sensitivity of the director meets with the moderation of a well designed, accomplished production; all gestures are carried out beautifully, resulting in an epic that resonates powerfully as spectacle, drama and human plea. Its emotional integrity is doubtless; so are its abilities. With dialogues in native language (Sioux and Pawnee). Composer John Barry focused the narrative from the interior of the central personage, portraying also the geographic panorama of the North American west; his noble, simple and eloquent music became one of the more famous film scores of all time, and one of his great artistic triumphs.

SPC: Direction; Music (John Barry); Production; Cinematography (Dean Semler); Screenplay (Michael Blake); Acting (Kevin Costner, Mary McDonnell, Graham Greene)

Dersu Uzala - ****

Dersu Uzala ****

Dirigida por Akira Kurosawa — 1975 — Japón; Unión Soviética — 141 min — Color
Nihon Herald (Yoichi Matsue, Nikolai Sizov; productores)

Un militar ruso es rescatado del invierno siberiano por un cazador local con quien establece una amistad.

Uno de los mejores exponentes del cine profundamente humanista -y ecologista- de su autor; cuando Orson Welles dijo que nadie podía filmar a Shakespeare como Kurosawa, también debió referirse a esta película, además de las obvias. Film de brutal belleza, un desgarrador alegato humano, famoso también por ser la primera película de su autor después de su intento de suicidio.

Contribuciones cinematográficas significativas: Dirección (Akira Kurosawa); Guión (Akira Kurosawa, Yuri Nqibin)

Oliver! - ****

Oliver!  * * * *

Dirigida por Carol Reed — 1968 — Reino Unido — 153 min — Color
Columbia Pictures / Romulus Films (John Woolf; productor)

Un huérfano escapa de un orfanato y se muda a Londres, donde es adoptado por un maleante que enseña a niños a robar.

Bajo una experta dirección, el género musical resultó complemento perfecto para traducir al cine el espíritu literario de Dickens, quien escondía con embelesada prosa sus duras críticas sociales, al igual que este film esconde, tras su perfecta apariencia de fantasía y espectáculo musical, un vistazo a las condiciones de vida de los menos pudientes en la Londres de la época. En ello, y en una fantástica producción, consta el gran logro del film. Canciones y coreografía resultaron verdaderamente óptimas, y la película logra la nota correcta en todo lo que intenta. Uno de los últimos grandes musicales.

Contribuciones cinematográficas significativas: Dirección (Carol Reed); Música, Canciones (Lionel Bart, John Green); Dirección de arte (John Box); Guión (Vernon Harris); Fotografía (Oswald Morris); Interpretación actoral (Ron Moody, Jack Wild, Mark Lester, Oliver Reed); Coreografía (Onna White); Vestuario (Phyllis Dalton); Producción (John Woolf)