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chorima75
Reviews
The Lady Vanishes (2013)
Tamás Lengyel as Julij
The producers declared that they had based the script of this TV film on the original novel ("The Wheel Spins", 1936, by Ethel Lina White) rather than Hitchcock's film. I think this is precisely the reason it does not work. Hitchcock's "The Lady Vanishes" was not memorable because of the plot, but because of the atmosphere and the flamboyant characters.
The McGuffin: will Michael Redgrave and Margaret Lockwood get together? Let's throw them in the middle of a spy conspiracy so they can decide.
Special mention deserve the two cricket enthusiasts Caldicott and Charters, hinted as homosexual at a time when such thing was unthinkable in films (they share a pyjama!). The characters were so popular that they appeared in another two war films ("Night Train to Munich", 1940, "Millions Like Us", 1943). Even the inferior 1979 remake was very enjoyable, because of the always wonderful Angela Lansbury and the sparkling comedic timing between Elliot Gould and Cybill Shepherd (two actors not usually praised).
In contrast, the characters in this latest version remained insufferably dull. I kept thinking that hero Max Hare (Tom Hughes) and the Oxford Professor (Alex Jennings) should have been one single character. Watching them saying their dialogues, sitting side by side, I could not help but thinking that one was redundant. Ten minutes before the ending, we still had all the story lines to wrap up. They concluded in a too rushed way, only to be followed by an overlong and unnecessary epilogue.
The opening scene at the hotel was also totally expendable. However, I am happy they did not remove it, as it gave me the chance to see handsome Hungarian actor Tamás Lengyel as waitress Julij. The scarce ten minutes he was on screen were the only ones I enjoyed in the film. He was so charismatic that I kept wishing he were the hero (unfortunately, my wish was not granted). I hope he gets to play in many more productions.
Tierra del Fuego (2000)
Just a scene: the bagpiper in the marsh
The film "Tierra del fuego" is exactly as the isolated Patagonia community in which it is set. On one hand, it is a wonderful kaleidoscope of ethnicities, nationalities and languages. On the other, it is messy and confusing. I thought Ornella Mutti was excellent as Armenia. I can only applaud the bravery of Tamara Acosta (she plays Indian princess Mennar), dignified and serious despite having to perform fully naked the majority of the film. I also thought that Jorge Perugorria was wasted once again. The success of "Fresa y Chocolate" proved to be a double-edged sword. It discovered a very talented actor. However, he kept being offered histrionic, larger-than-life characters in films below his talent. Julius Popper is no exception. "Tierra del Fuego" is worth watching for one scene alone: the Galician bagpiper Silveira (Nancho Novo), playing for his life in the middle of an isolated, windy marsh. "If you ever stop playing", Julius Popper threatens him, "I will kill you". When Silveira finally collapses after thirty hours, the Indians rescue him, thinking he has magic powers ("He captures the wind and transforms it in music"). I was not surprised that the image of Silveira playing the bagpipe in the marsh was the poster of the film. He is representative of so many Galicians (like myself) who once left their motherland in search of a better life. I wish that the whole film had been about him. The flashbacks about his life would have fitted better had this been the case. I hate the abrupt and unsatisfactory way in which the film solved his subplot.
I have not read the book in which this film is based, but I would certainly love to (especially if Silveira's story has a bigger arch).
Rubí rebelde (1989)
Rubi: Mariela Alcalá and Adolfo Cubas made it worthy
It is said that the success of this telenovela surprised even the people who made it. First, everything which could have gone wrong went wrong. Actress Yajaira Orta (villainess Rosalba) got ill and had to be replaced halfway by Dalila Colombo (excellent as ever). Then, Mariela Alcalá (heroine Rubí), whose character had already given birth to triplets, fell pregnant in real life and the pregnancy had to be incorporated in the series. At the same time, Jaime Araque (hero Victor Alfonso) caught rubella, which was dangerous for the unborn baby. The actors were forced to shoot their scenes separately, which were later mixed in editing.
Second, the producers seemed bent on destroying the telenovela. They suddenly decided to change the plot and the characters' personalities: rebellious and vivacious Rubí became an archetypal damsel in distress, while responsible, soft-spoken Victor Alfonso became a womaniser whose stupidity defied belief. Even worse, sets of characters and whole story lines (including the most interesting ones) disappeared without explanation and were substituted by absolutely dull ones (the Dandy's soporific criminal plot, so ineffective that provoked laughter). We never knew what happened to Ana María (Victor Alfonso's first girlfriend), who had to decide if she kept her baby after being raped by villain Nelson. They also got rid of Marilú, the fair-skinned girl who rejected her black mother. We used to joke they got lost on the Bermuda triangle. The plot only recovered a little in the final chapters, when Rubí was placed in a power position, Victor Alfonso went through a process of expiation and Marilú returned to her mother, having seen the error of her ways.
Then, why was it successful? In my opinion, it was the excellent actors, especially Mariela Alcalá and Adolfo Cubas. Mariela is one of those actresses who work for an industry that seems unable to exploit her full potential. Not only she effortlessly transformed from low class tomboy to elegant lady in the telenovela, but she also composed and sang the main theme. And who can forget the immense charisma of Adolfo Cubas as villain Nelson. He made a sadist, despicable, amoral character become an audience favourite. Those two actors made "Rubí" worth watching.
Wuthering Heights (2003)
"Wuthering Heights" for the MTV generation
Imagine: "Wuthering Heights" set in present-day California. A cast of teenage soap opera stars which includes Aimée Osbourne (Ozzy's eldest daughter) in an apocryphal, totally expendable role. Heathcliff (Heath in the movie) as a wannabe rock star who rides his motorbike with Catherine (Cate) on the back. Emily Brontë's novel (the first half, in fact) retold as an extended, insufferably cheesy music video. Is this a hallucination? Unfortunately not. It is the TV movie "Wuthering Heights", produced by American Network MTV in 2003.
In spite of everything, the movie was not the absolute mess I was expecting when I rented the DVD.It is significantly at its best when it decides to be faithful to the novel. The setting, which substitutes Yorkshire moors for a stormy lighthouse in front of a brave sea, is surprisingly effective. The same can be said of the womby beach caves where the young lovers hide, a perfect double for the wooden bed of the novel. Moreover, the characterization of Heathcliff (blond Mike Vogel) as a young Kurt Cobain lookalike is not as crazy as it might sound. The destructive,passionate nature associated to Cobain's myth was always there in Brontë's hero. In the movie, Cate (Erika Christensen) settles for snobbish Edgar/ Edward (Christopher Masterson) mainly because she is afraid of the intensity that Heath's love requires.
Logically for an MTV production, the use of music is quite intelligent. The lovers' attachment is reflected by their "secret song" (the title is "More"), a ballad composed by Heath featuring vocals by Cate. Instead of the "It would degrade me to marry Heathcliff" scene, Heath runs away because he feels betrayed when he hears Edward playing "More" on his violin. Whenever Cate longs for her lost love, there is always a radio or a CD playing the song.
On the other hand, Isabella/ Isabel's (an extremely young Katherine Heigl) transformation from spoiled brat to pitiful figure feels painfully real. After she makes Heath famous on the Internet in order to lure him into bed (this is the 21st century, after all), he dedicates "More" to Cate in his presentation concert. A tearful Isabel has nobody to comfort her except the teacher she used to bully ("Couldn't it be that he never loved you, my dear?").
Will this movie attract the new generations towards the novel? Maybe not, but it is remarkable to see how even in this era of cynicism, we still long for irrational love.
Sparkhouse (2002)
It made me feel bad about myself
"Sparkhouse" is not a straight adaptation of "Wuthering Heights". It is as if the characters had read Brontë's novel (like ill-fated lovers Carol and Andrew do at the beginning) and the plot and events kept reappearing uncannily in their own lives. I watched this TV-series as part of my PhD research some years ago and I must confess I was not enjoying it at first. I thought that the depiction of Carol as a 21st century female Heathcliff was brilliant (and wonderfully played by Sarah Smart). However, I was feeling let down by the two male roles, played by two actors I had never seen before. Andrew (Joe MacFadden, doing his best with a thankless role) was not convincing as modern male Cathy. While one could sympathise with the lack of options of Brontë's heroine (a 19th century woman), Andrew (a 21st century man) came across as an insufferably weak mummy's boy. Shy farmhand John was nicer but... what a clumsy scruff! I rolled my eyes at every one of his stammering attempts to woo Carol.
That, until the scene where John got the haircut. Then, my jaw literally fell to the floor. I pictured myself kicking Andrew's back and shouting "Move over!". It was then when I discovered that John was played by a certain Mr. Richard Armitage (already stealing the show in his debut), on whom I have had a crush ever since. I immediately felt bad about myself. While now I could not get enough of him (I desperately wanted Carol to love him), I had not thought he deserved a second look till he became handsome. I realised how easy it was to become Isabella Linton while thinking you were Cathy all along, how easy it was to judge by appearances instead of looking inside the soul. I feel better by thinking Cathy daughter made the same mistake in Brontë's novel. Her anger did not let her see the wonderful guy she had in front (Hareton, a character with whom John has been compared).
Praises to Sally Wainwright for writing the all the roles so well and praises to Richard Armitage for playing John so well. He is one of those actors who use all the body in their performances, even the most insignificant detail: the way Carol pulls him by the hand while he drags his feet, head down, perfectly defines their relation. It seems incredible that he is the same person who went to play smouldering John Thornton and villain Guy of Gisborne (attention to a cute scene in "Sparkhouse" with then twelve year-old Holliday Grainger, years later his love interest in "Robin Hood"). Let's hope "The Hobbit" makes him the star he deserves to be.
O Apóstolo (2012)
Deeply Galician
"O Apóstolo" is a dark humour tale set in Galicia, on the road to Santiago. Galicia is the Gothic part of Spain, the land of mist and legends. Although it holds the most important Christian pilgrimage centre, pagan traditions are still alive and kicking. It is also a bilingual community, which the film reflects. It contains dialogues in Galician and Spanish (which would have been unthinkable only thirty years ago).
This is the first European stereoscopic stop motion feature film. Technically, it is perfect. The settings (the old village, the reproduction of Santiago cathedral) are magnificent, as it is the legend's musical sequence, reminiscent of Medieval illustrations. It is also a nice touch to make the dolls physically similar to the actors dubbing them. Luis Tosar's looks exactly like his character in "Celda 211". This said, the plot drags a little and had much more possibilities which are not fully exploited. Some references are perhaps too subtle. I was the only one in the cinema laughing when the Arcipreste (dubbed by Spanish horror icon Paul Naschy) held the picture of the werewolf. Naschy (to whom the film is dedicated, as he died soon after) had become famous for playing werewolf Waldemar Daninsky.
"O Apóstolo" shows also the influence of Galician low-budget horror film director Amando de Ossorio, especially because of the use of a local myth. While the priest (obviously modelled on Nosferatu) made me fear this was another vampire film, the story refreshingly went in another direction. It is about the Galician horror legend of the Santa Compaña: the procession of dead, guided by a living man, who will die slowly unless he passes the cross he carries to another. Pay attention to the ways of getting rid of these ghosts. You may need them if one night you walk on a dark road.
The straight-faced, sharp humour (deeply Galician) makes the film maybe more suitable for young adults than for children. In any case, it is beautifully done and entertaining. Keep them coming.
Corazón salvaje (1993)
I was eighteen years old
I was eighteen and in my first year at university when "Corazón Salvaje" 93 was broadcasted in my country. This was the time before the DVD and youtube so, if you had an afternoon lesson, you relied on your mother or another student to tell you what had happened in the chapter. However, I relied on nobody from the earthquake onwards. I recorded it on VHS. Half of the university was hooked on the (mis)adventures of Juan and Mónica, but we would not openly recognise it. The huge number of "salvajitas/ os" was snubbed by the pseudo intellectuals at university, who regarded very negatively watching telenovelas (and watching football, which I also loved). For those who asked me why a serious academic wasted one hour of her life watching such "low entertainment", let me tell you why.
As it was based on a novel (a trilogy by Caridad Bravo Adams), the plot was well developed and tied neatly (opposed to other telenovelas, which improvise it as it goes on). Despite not having a huge budget, the setting and costumes looked nice and realistic.
Absolutely all the actors were wonderful in their roles. The female protagonists, Aimée and Mónica, represented two models of femininity. Glamorous Aimée (Ana Colchero) thought herself very liberated, but was proved to be weak and trapped by her own double standards. In contrast, inexperienced Mónica (Edith Gonzalez) appeared submissive at first, but showed real passion and strength when confronted to the hardship of life. She was a real rebel (unforgettable the scene when she jumped off a cliff to save her husband).
Juan del Diablo (the late Eduardo Palomo, whom we still miss) was not the conventional telenovela hero archetype. In a refreshing change, smouldering Juan never went through the (too recurrent) scenario of cheating on the heroine. Kudos to the scriptwriter for keeping the interest on a story about a married couple who remained faithful to one another. "Corazón Salvaje" 93 was also credited with being the telenovela with the highest number of male viewers ever. I do not think it was because of the action scenes or the pirates' subplot, but because the male characters were very well defined. Many people think that the best scenes were the father – son conversations between Juan and Don Noel (Enrique Lizalde, who had played Juan del Diablo in the 60s).
No other telenovela hooked me in the same way. "Corazón Salvaje" was worth it being snubbed at university (in fact, telenovelas are now part of my academic research).
Mischief Night (2006)
"If life gives you a lemon, make lemonade"
Every 4th November, it is Mischief Night in Yorkshire. Youngsters roam the streets playing little pranks (peltering people with eggs, throwing flour...). For four years, I worked in a high school in the Beeston area where the film was shot. The children who play extras in the bus and classroom scenes were actually my pupils. The best thing about this enjoyable comedy is how truthful to life it is. I could think of a real life counterpart for the vast majority of the plots and characters.
The North of England does not often appear in cinema and when it does, it is not in a flattering way. It is depicted as a place of unemployment, delinquency and racial tensions. "Mischief Night" does not shy away from showing the harsh conditions in the area, but it also incorporates the people's straight-faced attitude to life. It used to get me very angry when people assumed that my pupils would eventually become delinquents. In fact, many got a job or went to university. Like the characters in the film, these children dealt with family or economic problems without losing their calm, one step at a time. From them, I learnt the motto: "if life gives you a lemon, make lemonade". Maybe they were just extras in this film, but in real life they were all stars.
A delightful film, with a very special place in my heart.
Corazón salvaje (2009)
A real pity
Corazón Salvaje by Caridad Bravo Adams has been adapted for the screen in numerous occasions. The 1993 version is my favourite telenovela ever, but I am not against other adaptations. I recently watched the 1960s film with Julio Alemán and Angélica María, which I found very enjoyable. That is why I think this 2009 version was a wasted opportunity. The trailer was promising. There seemed to be lots of action, a generous budget and a beautiful Chayanne song. Why did it fail? In my opinion, the (unnecessary) voice-over was more appropriate for broadcasting a football match. The costumes looked like cheap fancy dress, while the actors kept shouting over one another and twirling around the set. I have seen Eduardo Yañez in other telenovelas and I know he can act. I cannot understand why he was directed to scream and jump around like a gorilla. I was not impressed by Araceli Arámbula, but any actress would look ridiculous having to say those impossible dialogues while wearing that old grandma hat. Some people think she was better playing Aimée than Regina, but I found her a little vulgar. I thought Angelique Boyer was much better actress and her subplot with gorgeous Sebastian Zurita was more compelling. Corazón Salvaje is a passionate, engaging story. This version transformed it into an unintentional parody. What a pity.
Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid (1973)
Just a scene: Knocking on Heaven Doors
I never liked "Pat Garret and Billy the Kid" very much. In fact, there are few 1970s Westerns that I like. I still find ironic that, in the decade of the feminist movement, the heroine's role became expendable, reduced to a sexual object to be used and discarded by the hero (i.e. Pat Garrett in the bathtub with the prostitutes). This said, "Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid" contains one of the most beautiful love scenes ever made. And yes, I am conscious that this is a Sam Peckinpah film. Yet he has always been capable of tenderness (the flash-forward in "The Getaway", with McGraw and MacQueen jumping into a river, immediately comes to mind).
Veterans Katy Jurado and Slim Pickens play a husband-and wife team of guns for hire, brought out of retirement for a last job. Katy Jurado had been a beauty in her earlier films (see her in "High Noon"). Here, her looks had faded, but she retained her serene demeanour. Slim Pickens had never been handsome. He usually played a crook with a mischievous smile, here substituted for a venerable old man expression. While Garret (James Coburn) deals with the last villain standing, Katy realises Slim has been shot. She runs to the river where he agonises, his stomach pierced by a bullet. She kneels opposite him, looking at him with the saddest eyes in the world, trying to absorb every second they have left. He looks back, as if saying sorry for dying. There is no dialogue. They have gone through so much together that words are unnecessary. Then, the sun sets in the background, while "Knockin' on heaven doors" plays.
This is not only the death of a character. This is the death of the classic western. Jurado and Pickens had been stock figures of the genre in countless productions during the 1950s. By the late sixties, the formula had worn out. Pure heroes and heroines had no place in the cynical Vietnam era, which advocated shades of grey. Heroes (like Pat Garret) could be morally reprehensible, while it was possible to feel for the villains (like Billy the Kid).
Like Jurado and Pickens, the classic western was not youthful or pretty any more, but certainly died with lots of dignity.
Fire Down Below (1997)
Just a scene: Harry Dean Stanton
I watched "Fire Down Below" on a twelve-hours coach trip to Paris, in double bill with "The Sixth Sense" (go figure). Despite Steven Seagal's colourful jackets, this is actually a very entertaining action film. In my humble opinion, two things make it recommendable. The first is the heroine, excellently played by Marg Helbenberg, who brings lots of humanity to her character. It is a pity she did not have a more expressive actor to react to her (although Seagal is good in the action bits which, after all, are his thing).
The second (and foremost) is the last scene, the one with Harry Dean Stanton singing and dancing in his newly built porch. Stanton (especially remembered for "Paris, Texas")is one of those actors who have been there for ages but never became a star, whose face is familiar but whose name escapes us. The scene reminds me of that character in "The Searchers", who only wanted "a rocking chair in a porch" in his old age. It is an homage to a veteran actor, a secondary in hundreds of classic westerns and also an accomplished musician. Watching him play "Kentucky Waltz" made me wish the credits rolled forever.
A 6 for the film and a 10 for this scene.
Ekti Nodir Naam (2002)
A river called Ritwick Ghatack.
Before watching this film, I just knew that Ritwick Ghatack was a Bengali film director. I had not seen yet "A River called Titas", "The Cloud-Capped Star" or Bimal Roy's "Madhumati" (based on Ghatack script). The name of a river did not provide much information about him. It is neither a documentary nor a biopic. In fact, I cannot even explain what this is about
but I do not care. I love it. Just imagine you jump inside a river called Ritwick Ghatack and let yourself go. You will see and feel things that probably will not make much sense
but you will enjoy the experience.
In Sanskrit aesthetic tradition (which influenced Indian film narratives), poetry is structured in states of mood ("rasas"). Consequently, this is a film about sensations, not facts. My knowledge of "rasa" theory is rather superficial (sorry in advance for that)
but this is what I felt:
Nostalgia: At Ghatack childhood home, his sisters reminisce about their upbringing. On their way to a fair, two actresses talk about their experience working with him. Instead of presenting them as speaking torsos, here the camera keeps its distance while they chat. We seem to be witnessing real life.
Passion: The theatre students ramble across the forest, evoking the time when they were going to change the world.
Sadness: The three main protagonists (a young man, a young woman and a little child) travel by boat (like in "A river called Titas"). They reflect about having to abandon the motherland and becoming a refugee (like the family in "The Cloud-capped Star" was).
Desire: The camera keeps static while the handsome male protagonist dances bare-chested. The lighting seems to caress him. His dance is not rehearsed, he is just enjoying himself.
Love: The end of the trip has arrived. The female protagonist smiles broadly when the male tells her "we will make here our home". She has just realised that she wants exactly the same.
This film is pure poetry. Jump into the stream.
Coolie (1983)
Reality surpasses fiction
Becoming a mega-star in the late 70s proved to be a double-edged weapon for Amitab Bachchan. On one hand, films would be specifically written for him. On the other, his roles became repetitions of his star persona, with popular gags and situations endlessly recreated film after film. Compared to the embarrassing shows in which Mr. Bachchan would later be involved, "Coolie" is quite enjoyable and dignified.
From the very beginning, it is pretty clear that Amitab Bachchan IS the movie. The opening credits (with his name above the title) do not roll till halfway into the film, when the main star makes his appearance: the camera pans towards him while he runs to the rescue of his father figure. "Coolie" somehow features the highest number of lost children, missing parents and secret identities per square meter. Bachchan plays Iqbal, a Muslim coolie (train porter), raised by a Hindi old man and in love with independent Julie, a Christian girl. Religious differences do not seem to matter in this movie, which curiously has Communist undertones, and not only for the coolies red shirts. The scene in which they invade the engagement party to demand decent homes looks like the camp version of an Einseinstein movie: Amitab fights against the villain while holding the sickle and hammer, which he calls "the weapons of the worker."
Waheeda Rehman, still stunning in her late forties, perfectly plays Amitab's estranged mother (in real life she was just six years older than him). To some extent she is the heroine: she is the goal of his quest and the one for whom he confronts the villain at the end. Rishi Kapoor is lovable as the hero's sidekick (nicknamed "tingu-ji/ shorty" in contrast to Iqbal's "lambuji/ tall" in a hilarious song). His dance with the child version of his sweetheart is absolutely cute. In addition, the love songs between Iqbal and Julie (an elegant Rati Agnihotri) are nice to watch.
Nowadays, this film is mainly remembered for the accident that almost killed Bachchan: during one of the numerous fight scenes, he knocked against a table and ruptured his spleen. India literally came to a halt, while fans camped outside the hospital, afraid that their beloved star would die. It is reported that blood donations (of which Bachchan would later become an advocate) dramatically increased. The actual take of the accident was the one used in the film. At that point, the screen freezes and an inter-title in English, Hindi and Urdu appears: "This is the shot in which Amitab Bachchan was seriously injured." The ending also blurs the limits between fiction and reality. The original one, in which Iqbal died, was changed (it would have looked like a bad joke). Instead, the last scenes recreate the real-life vigils of his fans outside the hospital. We see Muslims, Hindis, Christians and Sikhs all offering prayers for his recovery. The final speech truly sends shivers down my spine: a visibly pale Amitab (as Iqbal) thanks his friends (audience)for their support from the hospital balcony. Tears roll through his face while he says "It was your prayers what kept me alive", and you know that he is NOT acting.
If you want to know what it means to be a Bollywood mega-star, "Coolie" is the film for you.
Ahlaam (2006)
The mad people have taken charge of the asylum
Ahlaam (2005) I have just seen this film at Leeds Film Festival. It is the first one shot in Iraq after Sadam Hussein's fall, and also the first one made by director Mohammed Al-Daradji.
Despite all that has been said, written or screened about war in Iraq, we almost had no opportunity to listen to the Iraqi people themselves. "Ahlaam" provides us with that opportunity: if life during Sadam's regime was just fear and repression, things do not improve with the arrival of the supposed "liberators". There is practically no difference between Sadam's brutal police force and the Americans soldiers who point their guns at the Iraqi people just because they do not understand their language.
The film is set in a Baghdad mental asylum, destroyed during the American bombarding in 2003. Without walls or enough staff to contain them, patients escape and roam the streets under fire. The three main characters are a doctor and two mental asylum patients, whose present circumstances are explained in flashbacks. All are based on real people and played by non-professional actors, who nevertheless offer excellent performances:
Well-intentioned doctor Mehdi saw his promising career cut short because his father was an imprisoned political dissident. Despite the harshness of his job at the asylum, he befriends and genuinely cares for the patients.
Shell-shocked soldier Ali was unfairly accused of desertion and had his ear chopped off as a punishment (the scene is shown in gory detail). The flashbacks depicting his friendship with soldier Hasan show him as a sensitive, loyal comrade. Especially impressive is his desperate race across a bombarded Iraq, literally naked against the world.
Unfortunately, the film is let down by its central character, the Ahlaam of the title. She saw her future husband arrested by Sadam's police on their wedding day and now daydreams about him in her room at the mental asylum, forever wearing her bridal dress. It is a pity that, in contrast to the male characters, Ahlaam does not seem to have any political awareness. The scenes involving her and her fiancé are rather cheesy, while the insistence in depicting Ahlaam as a weak, defenceless victim paradoxically puts distance between her and the audience.
The difficulties endured by the crew while shooting would deserve a film for themselves. Nonetheless, they have been worth it. This is a promising debut. (7/10)
Baaz (1953)
The pirates' movie I always wanted to watch
As a little girl, I was a big fan of matinée movies, which my father and I watched together on TV. Before the age of ten, I had already seen almost all John Ford westerns and a lot of Errol Flynn sword adventures. And of course, the pirate movies: "The Black Swan", "The Crimson Pirate"
However, I was always disappointed at women's passive role. Unless you were so lucky to have vivacious Maureen O'Hara as the heroine, you were usually stuck with a screaming, weak, pretty idiot that you would like to kill yourself.
I wish I had seen "Baaz" then. The gender politics in this old Hindi black and white film are still modern.
The Falcon ("baaz") of the title is a female pirate captain: brave and beautiful Nisha, played by Geeta Bali. She rebels against the Portuguese colonisers, who treat her people worse than slaves while local princes look the other way. Nisha openly confronts the Queen, accusing her of allowing commoners to suffer in order to keep her privileges. Little she suspects that the "gentleman in distress" she has rescued from a Portuguese ship is no other than the Queen's son (played by who else? charming Guru Dutt).
A love-hate relation blossoms, which is depicted in surprisingly equal terms. Their two physical fights have no clear winner and, more important, Nisha is not "domesticated" after falling in love (which was usually the case in Hollywood films). When her men reproach her that she is falling for the Prince, she defiantly sings: "Why do you think I am weak just because I am in love?" She is even willing to renounce him in order to pursue her quest. As the last scene proves, she certainly does not need to be saved.
"Baaz" was not very successful film, but the songs became very popular. Rosita's ballad is sweet and romantic, while Nisha's dance dressed in falcon costume is impressive. We can only regret that both Guru Dutt and Gita Bali died too young.
Fanaa (2006)
love is blind
Fanaa is a love story between a blind girl (Kajol, in her return to cinema after a three-year hiatus) and a gorgeous tour guide (Aamir Khan) who may hide a sinister secret. Those expecting the frivolity associated to Bollywood film industry will certainly be surprised. The title's translation ("Annihilation" or "to be destroyed in love") suggests a darker than usual approach. Yes, there are musical sequences and plenty of love, but what starts like a romantic comedy becomes a political thriller in its second half. Such shifts in mood are characteristic of Bollywood films, but what it is not so common is the inclusion of current affairs. The tricky Kashmir situation is central to the plot and the film features footage from recent terrorist attacks like those in London and Madrid. Despite its brilliant cast (particularly actress Tabu in the role of an anti-terrorist agent) and compelling action scenes, Fanaa is not a perfect film. Some romantic scenes feel overstretched, especially the snow cabin sequence. However, it is good entertainment and definitely one of the most mature offerings from recent Bollywood. You should give it a chance.
Pukar (1939)
A life for a life
Pukar (1939) is a very entertaining movie, as well as a good example of what Hindi cinema was like in the thirties: there were songs already, and also mixture of comedy and drama. The film is more interesting,however, under a socio historical point of view. The recreation of life in a 17th century Mughal kingdom is impeccable: we see a chess game being played with human pieces and also a vivid depiction of life in purdah. According to this disturbing custom, maintained in some parts of India till the middle of the 20th century, high-class ladies must not be seen in public by any male except their husbands or relatives. This implies using a curtain cage whenever they go somewhere. The Queen, confined to the palace, speaks to her subjects from behind a curtain. She is not even heard, as a servant repeats her words aloud. In contrast, the poor washerwoman sings and socialises freely. The main theme is present in the legends of many cultures: the change from a conception of justice based on "a life for a life" to one in which the circumstances of the crime are took into account. Significantly, it is this washerwoman, in theory at the lower end of the social scale, who challenges the emperor's rule. When she requests justice after her husband is accidentally killed by an arrow, the emperor swears to execute the guilty person. However, that happens to be the Queen. Will the emperor comply with his cruel law? Will the washerwoman forgive the Queen's life?
Mard (1985)
Pelis de mamporros
"Mard" (1985) Although the late 70s early 80s produced some cinema masterpieces, this was also the decade of what in Spain we called "pelis de mamporros" (lit. "blows films"). There, fistfights, silliness and impossible plots were mixed in equal measure. United States had Chuck Norris, Europe had Bud Spencer and Terence Hill
and Bollywood had Amitab Bachchan. While this silliness was absolutely enjoyable in films like "Don" (also with the Big B as leading man), "Mard" actually provokes embarrassment. Any attempt to describe the plot would defy belief: animals that behave like humans, humans that behave like animals, gladiator fights, flamenco dancing, villains dressed as cowboys with the Union Jack as a cape... Moreover, nobody seems to have decided if the film is set in the 19th century or the present (some characters wear Victorian dresses, some walk around in bikinis and trainers). Special mention deserves the cheeky heroine (Amrita Singh), who is lethal with the whip and does not think twice about asking the protagonist for sex: in a reversal of the traditional love song, it is her who chases the hero, while he tries to reject her advances.
So, laugh out loud, enjoy and be thankful that the Big B prefers to do movies like "Black" these days.
The Long Memory (1953)
The police do not carry pistols
This is not Chicago
this is postwar London. This is not Bogart
this is John Mills. This is film noir
the English way. I discovered this little known gem on TV the other day, while swapping between channels. I spent the next hour and a half glued to the screen. At first, John Mills would seem an unlikely choice for the leading role, but the film would not work without him. He perfectly portrays Davidson, a common man framed by his own girlfriend for a murder he did not commit. He is released after twelve years in prison and finds his girlfriend Fay now married to Lowthers, the policeman who investigated the case. Will Davidson seek vengeance? Or will he start a new life with Ilsa, a refugee girl he has just met? I cannot even imagine Humphrey Bogart or Robert Mitchum questioning if revenge is worthy. However, Mills possesses the innocence and fragility required to make his doubts believable. His tender relation with Ilsa is the best thing in the film. Both characters work as reflections of each other: Ilsa has been made orphan and destitute by the war, while Davidson's parents died while he was in jail. Ilsa works in a bar in the docks, where she suffers constant humiliations and abuse by the male customers. She falls for Davidson when he saves her from a rapist, and literally offers herself to him (no prizes for guessing: he is unable to resist her). We could be cynical about their motives for getting together
or we could see them as two human beings who desperately need to feel loved.
One of the comments wonders why the Lowthers sleep in separate beds. The answer is censorship. Till the late 50s (this film was released in 1953), not even married couples were allowed to share a bed on screen. Davidson and Ilsa also sleep in twin beds in his tiny shack, even when a previous scene clearly suggests that they have become lovers. However, the film turns censorship to its advantage. One sequence alternatively shows both couples talking in bed. Davidson and Ilsa, the couple who are falling in love, have their beds joined at the headboard, so the camera can show them together in the same shot. Lowthers and Fay, the couple who are falling apart, have their beds separated by a bedside table, so their conversation is shown by means of alternate shots of one or the other. I totally agree that the title could not be more appropriate: this film will stay in your memory for a long time.