The Lost Weekend teaches a lesson without being preachy or condescending. In the film, the protagonist, Don Birnam, is an alcoholic. And it isn't pretty. Don is a desperate man, stealing from his brother just to get more booze. He drinks to run away from his life. Don sees himself as a complete failure; he's a writer who published a short story in college and decided to drop out and pursue writing full time in New York City. Instead, he's turned into a drunk who lives off his brother's good will. When his brother has had enough and tries to force Don to sober up, the results are disastrous. Don can't think about anything other than his precious rye whiskey, and when his brother leaves for a long weekend in the country, Don steals the money for the cleaning lady and goes on a drinking binge (I learned that at this time, $10 could buy a lot of cheap whiskey).
As Don spirals out of control and wreaks havoc on his body, the woman he loves waits desperately for him outside his apartment door. It's the few scenes when we see her that we begin to understand how alcoholism affects more than just the alcoholic. She doesn't want to love him, but she does. And it is her pain and misery that make Don's seeming lack of care for anything but booze all the more horrific. Clearly, this woman would do anything for him, but that doesn't matter to Don.
What impressed me in this film was just how real it all seemed. Throughout the weekend, Don progressively looks worse. The make-up and costumes reflect a man who hasn't bathed and hasn't consumed anything but liquor. His skins grows pale and damp with sweat covering his face. Ray Milland, who played Don, captures the shaking hands and unsteady gait common for alcoholics, and his outlook sways from supremely optimistic when he begins drinking to the absolutes depths of hell when the bottle is empty.
I wouldn't say this is a film I would see again. But it's definitely a film that is starkly real and presents an ugly side to our society. For that reason, it's film that deserves to watched at least once, to gain that understanding of what alcoholism does to people.
Saturday, August 16, 2014
Sunday, August 10, 2014
Going My Way: 1944
Bing Crosby stars in Going My Way as a priest who is sent to St. Dominic's Cathedral to save the church from sinking under its financial burdens. With Crosby starring, the film naturally includes multiple musical numbers in which Crosby croons to the audience and woos the ladies, even as a priest. The film is best described as heartwarming (t's the first Best Picture of this blog to make me cry a little at the end, but I won't tell you why).
Crosby's Father O'Malley is a young priest who is described by the elderly Father Fitzgibbon (played by Barry Fitzgerald, who won an Oscar for supporting actor for this role) as "progressive". The contrast is stark between the priests: Father Fitzgibbon isn't curmudgeonly but he's close. He's very old school and very Irish. At times, his Irish brogue makes him difficult to understand. As the story progresses, however, Father Fitzgibbon seems to become younger under the influence of Father O'Malley, and the two men become friends.
It's not surprising that this film won Best Picture in 1944. With World War II raging, audiences needed a story unrelated to the war that would make them feel good about people, and this film does exactly that. It's easy to escape into New York City and the woes of St. Dominic's. There is a brief reference to the war when one character says goodbye to his wife before he reports for duty, but other than that, it's almost as if the war doesn't exist. Instead, the worst conflict is between Mrs. Quimp and all her neighbors and landlord. Mrs. Quimp is the self-righteous Catholic who even seems to try Father Fitzgibbon's patience, and her ridiculous claims lends humor to the film, as do the boys who Father O'Malley forms into a successful choir.
Simply put, this film will make you happy. And sometimes, that's what we need. It's nice to see that the Academy recognizes films like this.
Crosby's Father O'Malley is a young priest who is described by the elderly Father Fitzgibbon (played by Barry Fitzgerald, who won an Oscar for supporting actor for this role) as "progressive". The contrast is stark between the priests: Father Fitzgibbon isn't curmudgeonly but he's close. He's very old school and very Irish. At times, his Irish brogue makes him difficult to understand. As the story progresses, however, Father Fitzgibbon seems to become younger under the influence of Father O'Malley, and the two men become friends.
It's not surprising that this film won Best Picture in 1944. With World War II raging, audiences needed a story unrelated to the war that would make them feel good about people, and this film does exactly that. It's easy to escape into New York City and the woes of St. Dominic's. There is a brief reference to the war when one character says goodbye to his wife before he reports for duty, but other than that, it's almost as if the war doesn't exist. Instead, the worst conflict is between Mrs. Quimp and all her neighbors and landlord. Mrs. Quimp is the self-righteous Catholic who even seems to try Father Fitzgibbon's patience, and her ridiculous claims lends humor to the film, as do the boys who Father O'Malley forms into a successful choir.
Simply put, this film will make you happy. And sometimes, that's what we need. It's nice to see that the Academy recognizes films like this.
Tuesday, August 5, 2014
Casablanca: 1943
Of the films I've watched so far, this is the first one that I had seen before, so my experience with Casablanca was a bit different as this was a rewatching of a film I hadn't seen in years. Casablanca is essentially a love story set in Morocco, an unoccupied French territory in World War II. The film is about Rick (Humphrey Bogart) giving up the woman he loves (Ingrid Bergman) for the cause of the resistance movement in Europe. Their story includes a flashback where you realize just how much these two people do love each other, which makes the ending all the more tragic when Rick lets Elsa get on the plane with another man (I don't think I'm spoiling anything here...this is a classic scene):
Seeing the film again, I better understood the dense story. While yes, it is a romance, there are several other storylines at work in the film, one of the resistance and one of the French authorities dealing with German "visitors." I know the first time I watched Casablanca, I didn't fully understand why it was so necessary for Victor Lazlo to leave Casablanca and get to the United States, but in the watching, I already knew the basic love story, so I could focus more on the other parts of the film and follow the dense dialogue. Like other films, I think Casablanca requires two viewings to be fully appreciated.
What struck me in the film was the use of lighting. The film is black and white, but at times, the lighting seems very soft, in scenes in Rick's bar when he sees Elsa or when the couple is together. At other times, the lighting is harsh, when the Germans are present and conflict arises. The softness and harshness of the lighting switch seamlessly as each scene changes, but the effect is powerful: the audience's emotions change with the lighting. When the light is soft, it's one of those nostalgic or "awww" moments and the audience feels those emotions, and when the light is harsh, the audience feels uncomfortable just as the characters do. The subtle changes in lighting play on our emotions and engage us further with the characters.
With this blog, I may not rewatch all the films I've seen before, but Casablanca is a case where I'm really glad I did.
Seeing the film again, I better understood the dense story. While yes, it is a romance, there are several other storylines at work in the film, one of the resistance and one of the French authorities dealing with German "visitors." I know the first time I watched Casablanca, I didn't fully understand why it was so necessary for Victor Lazlo to leave Casablanca and get to the United States, but in the watching, I already knew the basic love story, so I could focus more on the other parts of the film and follow the dense dialogue. Like other films, I think Casablanca requires two viewings to be fully appreciated.
What struck me in the film was the use of lighting. The film is black and white, but at times, the lighting seems very soft, in scenes in Rick's bar when he sees Elsa or when the couple is together. At other times, the lighting is harsh, when the Germans are present and conflict arises. The softness and harshness of the lighting switch seamlessly as each scene changes, but the effect is powerful: the audience's emotions change with the lighting. When the light is soft, it's one of those nostalgic or "awww" moments and the audience feels those emotions, and when the light is harsh, the audience feels uncomfortable just as the characters do. The subtle changes in lighting play on our emotions and engage us further with the characters.
With this blog, I may not rewatch all the films I've seen before, but Casablanca is a case where I'm really glad I did.
Sunday, August 3, 2014
Mrs. Miniver: 1942
Set in World War II England, Mrs. Miniver reveals what it was like living in England during the first year of the war. Mrs. Miniver, the title character, lives in a quaint village outside of London, and her husband is a well-to-do architect. Part of the middle class, the family enjoys a comfortable lifestyle that includes a couple maids and an education at Oxford for their oldest son. The first half hour or so of the film creates this idyllic image of living the perfect life, but then Poland is attacked and Britain must defend its ally. The Miniver's seemingly blissful existence disappears as air raids and fear take over their village.
I've always enjoyed stories about regular people set during World War II, and Mrs. Miniver is no exception. The characters are truly likable, especially Mrs. Miniver herself. She is kind to everyone, even the arrogant Lady Beldon, and she is brave when faced with losing both her son and husband to the war. It's no wonder the film was so incredibly popular when it was released; this is who we want to be in a time of crisis.
The most startling scene for me was when the family is hiding in their bomb shelter during an attack. The shelter is outside their home and consists of a low metal shack covered and surrounded by sand bags. As the attack intensifies, the family hears bombs being dropped closer and closer, causing their shelter and even the ground to shake violently. The children end up in their parents' arms, and it's a moment when you have to wonder if you could remain as calm as these parents are in a time of such danger. This scene, more than the others, really made me understand what it was like to be in Britain during the bombings of WWII. The next day, the family discovers that their home has had some significant damage: they no longer have a dining room. But the father tells his oldest son that he never really liked the dining room anyway, and the mother points out that the upstairs is perfectly fine. Instead of being upset or sad or angry, the Minivers persevere.
Perhaps the main purpose of the film wasn't so much to show what living in Britain was like at this time but to show the world that the British and their allies were not giving up, no matter the losses they encountered. This is a definite must-see to view another aspect of WWII not often covered.
I've always enjoyed stories about regular people set during World War II, and Mrs. Miniver is no exception. The characters are truly likable, especially Mrs. Miniver herself. She is kind to everyone, even the arrogant Lady Beldon, and she is brave when faced with losing both her son and husband to the war. It's no wonder the film was so incredibly popular when it was released; this is who we want to be in a time of crisis.
The most startling scene for me was when the family is hiding in their bomb shelter during an attack. The shelter is outside their home and consists of a low metal shack covered and surrounded by sand bags. As the attack intensifies, the family hears bombs being dropped closer and closer, causing their shelter and even the ground to shake violently. The children end up in their parents' arms, and it's a moment when you have to wonder if you could remain as calm as these parents are in a time of such danger. This scene, more than the others, really made me understand what it was like to be in Britain during the bombings of WWII. The next day, the family discovers that their home has had some significant damage: they no longer have a dining room. But the father tells his oldest son that he never really liked the dining room anyway, and the mother points out that the upstairs is perfectly fine. Instead of being upset or sad or angry, the Minivers persevere.
Perhaps the main purpose of the film wasn't so much to show what living in Britain was like at this time but to show the world that the British and their allies were not giving up, no matter the losses they encountered. This is a definite must-see to view another aspect of WWII not often covered.
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