I'm halfway through All the King's Men, and it's difficult to continue. The film is based on a novel (with the same title), and it's about Willie Stark, a self-described hick who ends up running for governor and becoming corrupt, despite initially running on a platform of honesty. Stark becomes the consummate politician, making deals with corporations and using his connections to take down anyone who stands in his way. As the story progresses, Stark's son drives drunk and kills the girl in his car. Of course, Stark tries to cover things up, changing the police report and handling the girl's father. Stark cheats on his wife with a woman who works for him, and then he cheats on his lover. He even takes over the radio stations and newspapers to manipulate the truth.
Earlier, Stark ran for a small town position, and a newspaper reporter ends up covering his attempt. The reporter, Jack, acts as the narrator throughout the film, chronicling Stark's rise to fame and corruption. After losing his job at his newspaper, Jack begins working for Stark and seems to lose his soul as the corruption grows worse. Initially, Jack thinks Stark is only doing what he has to do to make things happen, but at this point, he's starting to realize that Stark has crossed a line. He's changed. And he's become a complete drunk.
I'll finish watching this one, but it won't be with much pleasure. The film is well put together, and I don't doubt the Academy's decision to select the film as best picture, but the story is disgusting because of the people. Stark is despicable, and Jack is worse because he allows Stark to continue. Anne, initially Jack's love interest who is later conquered, or perhaps captured, by Stark, doesn't seem to realize what a horrible person Stark really is. She's looking for someone ambitious, it seems, and when she professes to love Stark, she says she won't force him to divorce his wife because it would be "bad for his career." I think I dislike her the most because she uses love to make it seem like whatever he does is fine.
What I'm having the most trouble with understanding is why does Jack stay with him. It doesn't make any sense. Jack clearly sees the real Stark, but he doesn't seem to do anything about it. It's infuriating.
At least I have All About Eve coming up next.
Sunday, September 21, 2014
Tuesday, September 16, 2014
Hamlet: 1948
Hamlet is the first Academy Award Best Picture that I actually own, but I have to admit, I don't really like it. I've seen two film versions of Hamlet: the Laurence Olivier version from 1948 and Kenneth Brannagh's version from 1996. Of the two, I most definitely prefer Brannagh as he doesn't overact like Olivier. When watching the 1948 version, I felt like Olivier was hitting me over the head with how upset Hamlet is. It's just too much. Perhaps on the stage, this would seem appropriate where an actor needs to project his feelings to the people sitting far away, but onscreen, it's just obnoxious. Plus, it's difficult to enjoy the film in the first place when Hamlet is not one of my favorite Shakespeare plays. I appreciate the play for what it is, but the female characters are so weak, with Ophelia giving up far too easily and Hamlet's mother being portrayed as a disloyal, even stupid wife, that I find little other than the language, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, and some of the soliloquies enjoyable. And if I want to enjoy Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, I can always watch Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead, which I definitely recommend to find out what really happened to these two buffoons.
Since I'm taking the time to re-watch and thoroughly discuss Hamlet, instead I thought I'd give you a list of my favorite Shakespeare film adaptations. My tastes definitely run towards the comedies, but one tragedy does make the list:
1. As You Like It: Directed by Brannagh, this version is set in feudal Japan. The cinematography is simply gorgeous, but it's the storyline that makes this film. Rosalind is one of the strongest, if not the strongest, female characters in Shakespeare's play, and her sense of humor drives this romantic comedy. A few years ago, I saw the Chicago Shakespeare version of the play, and it reaffirmed my love for this story. Check out the trailer below for the film:
Since I'm taking the time to re-watch and thoroughly discuss Hamlet, instead I thought I'd give you a list of my favorite Shakespeare film adaptations. My tastes definitely run towards the comedies, but one tragedy does make the list:
1. As You Like It: Directed by Brannagh, this version is set in feudal Japan. The cinematography is simply gorgeous, but it's the storyline that makes this film. Rosalind is one of the strongest, if not the strongest, female characters in Shakespeare's play, and her sense of humor drives this romantic comedy. A few years ago, I saw the Chicago Shakespeare version of the play, and it reaffirmed my love for this story. Check out the trailer below for the film:
2. West Side Story: In my last year of grad school, I took a film class, and my major paper in the class was a comparison of West Side Story to Romeo and Juliet. This analysis required multiple viewings of West Side Story, and each time affirmed my love for the film. Tony and Maria are a modern Romeo and Juliet, and their story is just as tragic. But I actually prefer how West Side Story ends. And the music, oh, it's lovely. Lucky for me, it won Best Picture in 1961, so I have another excuse to watch it again.
3. Much Ado About Nothing: Another Brannagh version, I absolutely love Brannagh's portrayal of Benedick, the self-proclaimed bachelor who is easily convinced that Beatrice (played the fabulous Emma Thompson) is in love with him. Benedick and Beatrice's storyline is complemented by the more immature love of Hero and Claudio. Add in Keanu Reeves playing the villainous Don Juan, and I'm sold. Watch the trailer and see for yourself:
4. The Taming of the Shrew: Elizabeth Taylor knows how to be a shrew. I've been fortunate enough to see several stage versions of this play, and while I greatly enjoyed the stage performances, there is something about Elizabeth Taylor playing Katherine the shrew that beats everything else. Her final scene is also brilliant; just when we think she's tamed, Taylor's delivery of Katherine's soliloquy and actions perhaps suggest otherwise. This is the perfect moment when we see just how much Shakespeare's lines and lack of stage directions leave the interpretation up to the performers and director. Watch the trailer to experience just part of Taylor's perfect performance. It's also just a great example of a late 1960s trailer.
5. Shakespeare Retold: This collection of four adaptations of Shakespeare's plays is a fun way and short way to revisit Shakespeare. The collection includes Much Ado About Nothing, The Taming of the Shrew, A Midsummer Night's Dream, and Macbeth. My favorite of the set is a toss-up between Much Ado and Shrew. In the Shrew adaptation, Katherine is prime minister of England, a perfect position for a bossy yet strong woman. And while she is tamed, this version makes it less harsh than some productions of the play.
6. A Midsummer Night's Dream: Kevin Kline as Nick Bottom...need I say more? The film has a love triangle that changes, several times, due to meddling fairies, and those meddling fairies are experiencing their own love problems. Add to that an aspiring group of actors, who include the ridiculous Bottom, and you have a crazy night in the woods. This is another film that has gorgeous cinematography, and the costuming shows the power of using film for Shakespeare's play. The play is considered an "easier" one as far as language, but the storylines can be confusing as they are woven together. It's worth the effort, though.
7. Macbeth: The version I'm referring to here (as there are many, including a rather terrible Orson Welles version that I recently tried watching but couldn't make it much past Duncan's murder) is actually the stage version recorded by the Folger Shakespeare Library. This version was directed by Teller of Penn and Teller, so the staging and effects are absolutely amazing. And while it is recorded, there is an audience whose reaction proves to you that what you're seeing on stage is magic, courtesy of the incredibly talented Teller. In this version, there is also an incredibly humorous portrayal of the porter, who is clearly hungover. In other versions I've seen, this scene is often downplayed even though it provides some much needed comic relief. I like to think that Teller's version is what Shakespeare intended.
I know there are many, many other adaptations and borrowings of Shakespeare's plays, and I certainly haven't seen them all, but the ones listed here are some of my favorites. So instead of watching Hamlet, I suggest that you try one of the films above. You won't be disappointed.
Sunday, August 31, 2014
Gentleman's Agreement: 1947
When I read the back of the DVD case for Gentleman's Agreement, I knew I would find the film interesting, but I didn't realize just how much the film would speak to my own feelings about tolerance and speaking up for others. Gregory Peck stars as Skylar Green, a writer who is known for going undercover and experiencing the truth. His new assignment is to write a series on anti-Semitism, a serious issue in the United States at the time this film was released. After throwing around various angles and finding nothing that works, Green realizes that the only way he can write this series is to pose as Jewish man and experience anti-Semitism. Throughout the course of eight weeks, Green quickly realizes just how much anti-Semitism has infiltrated society.
Perhaps the most important discovery Green makes is that it's the people who do not stand up for what is wrong who make anti-Semitism and hatred in general stronger. Early in the film, Green falls in love with Kathy Lacy, a woman who proclaims to support Jewish people and wants to fight against anti-Semitism. Yet as their relationship progresses and they become engaged, Green begins to realize that Kathy may want things to change but doesn't actually do anything to incite change. When Green learns about Kathy's home in Connecticut, he suggests that she allow his friend Dave Goldman to rent it so that his family may move to New York when Dave has an amazing job offer. Kathy reveals that there is a "gentleman's agreement" (see the definition here) that prevents the people in this community from selling or leasing their homes to Jewish people. This underhanded and secretive means of keeping the community homogeneous infuriates Green, as it should. Kathy acts completely helpless, and at this point, I began to despise her as well. Kathy becomes the ultimate hypocrite. Sure, she hates hatred, but she's not really doing anything to stand up against it.
Kathy's hypocrisy becomes even more apparent in a scene towards the end when she meets with Dave. During their meeting, Kathy relates hearing a crude joke at a dinner party that makes her sick, and Dave asks her what she did about it. Kathy looks shocked. Of course, she didn't say anything, and that's what Dave points out to her is the real problem with hate. When people don't stand up, don't say anything, that's the real issue. It makes me think about how in the past in my classroom, when students have used the phrase "that's so gay" to describe something they didn't like, I began saying that I didn't appreciate them using that word in my presence. The word soon disappeared from their vocabulary at least in my classroom, and I like to think that I caused them to reconsider using that phrase. At the very least, I stood up for what I felt was right.
The scene that upset me the most was when Green's son Tommy comes home and tells him about the boys on the playground calling him names for being Jewish. Tommy has experienced hatred for the first time in his life, and Green must try to comfort his son while explaining hatred. It's a heart-wrenching scene, especially after seeing their father-son relationship grow up to this point. Tommy seems so happy-go-lucky, but as Green's friend Dave points out, it's when they get the kids that it hurts the most.
Perhaps the most important discovery Green makes is that it's the people who do not stand up for what is wrong who make anti-Semitism and hatred in general stronger. Early in the film, Green falls in love with Kathy Lacy, a woman who proclaims to support Jewish people and wants to fight against anti-Semitism. Yet as their relationship progresses and they become engaged, Green begins to realize that Kathy may want things to change but doesn't actually do anything to incite change. When Green learns about Kathy's home in Connecticut, he suggests that she allow his friend Dave Goldman to rent it so that his family may move to New York when Dave has an amazing job offer. Kathy reveals that there is a "gentleman's agreement" (see the definition here) that prevents the people in this community from selling or leasing their homes to Jewish people. This underhanded and secretive means of keeping the community homogeneous infuriates Green, as it should. Kathy acts completely helpless, and at this point, I began to despise her as well. Kathy becomes the ultimate hypocrite. Sure, she hates hatred, but she's not really doing anything to stand up against it.
Kathy's hypocrisy becomes even more apparent in a scene towards the end when she meets with Dave. During their meeting, Kathy relates hearing a crude joke at a dinner party that makes her sick, and Dave asks her what she did about it. Kathy looks shocked. Of course, she didn't say anything, and that's what Dave points out to her is the real problem with hate. When people don't stand up, don't say anything, that's the real issue. It makes me think about how in the past in my classroom, when students have used the phrase "that's so gay" to describe something they didn't like, I began saying that I didn't appreciate them using that word in my presence. The word soon disappeared from their vocabulary at least in my classroom, and I like to think that I caused them to reconsider using that phrase. At the very least, I stood up for what I felt was right.
Dave and Kathy, filmfoodie.blogspot.com
The scene that upset me the most was when Green's son Tommy comes home and tells him about the boys on the playground calling him names for being Jewish. Tommy has experienced hatred for the first time in his life, and Green must try to comfort his son while explaining hatred. It's a heart-wrenching scene, especially after seeing their father-son relationship grow up to this point. Tommy seems so happy-go-lucky, but as Green's friend Dave points out, it's when they get the kids that it hurts the most.
Tommy and Skylar Green, source: www.french-movies.net
In a time when hatred is still an issue in our society, Gentleman's Agreement is a must-see film for everyone. After seeing it, I now believe even more in the power of one person standing up and saying "that's enough." If we each did, then the impact would be multiple, and perhaps we would have less hate in our world: a goal worth reaching.
Sunday, August 24, 2014
The Best Years of Our Lives: 1946
Although I've seen and heard several stories of returning Vietnam War veterans, I didn't know much about World War II veterans other than what is taught in high school history (the baby boom, the development of suburbs, women returning to the homes, etc.). The Best Years of Our Lives shows that the returning veterans faced many of the same issues as the returning Vietnam veterans. The film follows three veterans as they adjust to civilian life, and each man has a similar yet different experience.
Homer, the youngest of the the three veterans, lost both his hands during a battle. As a sailor, he explains that he didn't see much combat, but his battleship sunk and his hands were burned beyond repair. Homer has actual hooks in place of his hands, and while he's quite capable with them, other people cannot help but stare at him, as if he is a freak. Returning home, he must deal with his family's pity and figure out how to be with his girl.
Al is the oldest of the veterans, and when he returns, he has to reacquaint himself with his children, who are two years older. To cope with the shift back to civilian life, Al begins drinking, and his wife Millie struggles with helping him adjust. To complicate matters, his daughter has fallen in love with Fred Derry, the third veteran.
Fred's story is not atypical of the time; before he left for the war, he met a girl and married her after only knowing her 20 days. When Fred returns, Marie is not living where he thought she would be. He also learns that she has taken a job at a night club. Marie is clearly interested in having fun, and Fred wants to settle down in a home and live happily ever after. Unfortunately, it quickly becomes apparent that these two people are not in love. Even worse, they don't even like each other.
Weaving their stories together, the film follows each man as he tries to find his place. Fred struggles with finding decent work, ending up in a low paying job at the drug store where he worked before the war. Al receives a promotion but doesn't like how his bank runs its business. Homer wants everyone to treat him like he's normal, but he has his own hang ups to get over. The film does an excellent job simply telling each man's story. At no point did I feel like I was being pushed to feel sorry for any of them. Instead, I wanted to know how each man would finally learn to cope and possibly even feel "normal" again.
Ultimately, the film has a happy ending while still being realistic. My only complaint about the film is the length (2 hours 40 minutes), but having finally finished it, I'm not sure there is much that could be cut without the film seeming incomplete.
Homer, the youngest of the the three veterans, lost both his hands during a battle. As a sailor, he explains that he didn't see much combat, but his battleship sunk and his hands were burned beyond repair. Homer has actual hooks in place of his hands, and while he's quite capable with them, other people cannot help but stare at him, as if he is a freak. Returning home, he must deal with his family's pity and figure out how to be with his girl.
Al is the oldest of the veterans, and when he returns, he has to reacquaint himself with his children, who are two years older. To cope with the shift back to civilian life, Al begins drinking, and his wife Millie struggles with helping him adjust. To complicate matters, his daughter has fallen in love with Fred Derry, the third veteran.
Fred's story is not atypical of the time; before he left for the war, he met a girl and married her after only knowing her 20 days. When Fred returns, Marie is not living where he thought she would be. He also learns that she has taken a job at a night club. Marie is clearly interested in having fun, and Fred wants to settle down in a home and live happily ever after. Unfortunately, it quickly becomes apparent that these two people are not in love. Even worse, they don't even like each other.
Weaving their stories together, the film follows each man as he tries to find his place. Fred struggles with finding decent work, ending up in a low paying job at the drug store where he worked before the war. Al receives a promotion but doesn't like how his bank runs its business. Homer wants everyone to treat him like he's normal, but he has his own hang ups to get over. The film does an excellent job simply telling each man's story. At no point did I feel like I was being pushed to feel sorry for any of them. Instead, I wanted to know how each man would finally learn to cope and possibly even feel "normal" again.
Ultimately, the film has a happy ending while still being realistic. My only complaint about the film is the length (2 hours 40 minutes), but having finally finished it, I'm not sure there is much that could be cut without the film seeming incomplete.
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