16
May
2011
Summertime Movie Marathon
Since I don’t often get enough time to sleep much less watch movies during the school year, I try to make up for it during the summer. I somehow lucked out and managed to score a summer job this year where I can work and watch movies at the same time. Here’s a brief rundown of some of the films I’ve been able to watch so far:
Summertime (1955): I started the summer out with the appropriately named film, Summertime. I described this film to Linds as the shortest David Lean film I had seen. It’s not an epic, but it is a pretty good romantic film starring Katharine Hepburn and Rossano Brazzi. I liked the story, the Venetian backdrop, and thought Hepburn was excellent as a lonely spinster looking for something more to life.
Black Narcissus (1947): I read somewhere that Black Narcissus borders on boring, but was intrigued by the praise for the cinematography and by the film’s star, Ingrid Bergman. I didn’t find the film to be boring, but it is a slow psychological thriller that eventually builds to a dramatic ending. I was surprised at how modern both the subject matter and cinematography seemed even though it was made in the late ’40s. Out of all the films I’ve watched so far this summer I think this was my favorite. I’m interested to know if anyone else has seen this film and what they thought of it.
Picnic (1955): I think I was expecting more from this film and sadly I didn’t think it delivered. Maybe its one of those films I need to watch a second time to appreciate. I wasn’t very interested in the main storyline and couldn’t sympathize with many of the characters. I did think Rosalind Russell was great in this film, however, and wished the story focused more on her character.
Night and the City (1950): Like all good film noirs, Night and the City has some excellent scenes where light and shadow are used to create drama and suspense. Richard Widmark isn’t too bad either as the unsympathetic, smalltime hustler with big dreams.While I liked the film in general, the climactic wrestling scene between Gregorius and the Strangler was a little hard to watch (although that was probably director Jules Dassin’s intent to make the scene uncomfortable) – and I am not exactly faint of heart.
The Wild Bunch (1969): I like westerns like Shane, High Noon, and The Misfits, but The Wild Bunch was too brutal for my taste. Blood, guts, and gore don’t bother me at all, but guys shooting and killing each other for an entire film is not my cup of tea. Also, this film reminded me why I don’t like to watch films with horses in them. There were too many horses falling down, falling off of bridges, and getting shot at. Don’t bother looking for a “No animals were harmed…” disclaimer or like me, you’ll be looking in vain for a long time.
West Side Story (1961): I had not seen this film for a long time and it’s a good thing I picked it up to follow the Wild Bunch or I’m not sure I would have been able to sleep well that night. Nothing makes me giggle like no good teenage gangsters who also happen to have a background in ballet.
Next up on my list of films to watch are M (1931), Yojimbo (1961), Pandora and the Flying Dutchman (1951), and Metropolis (1927). What films are on your summer movie list?
...and Jazzhands!
I had almost the same reaction as you to Picnic; it’s been a long while since I saw it, so I don’t remember many specifics, but I was vastly underwhelmed compared to what I’d heard about it. I should probably revisit it, but I’m not very highly motivated.
Black Narcissus, on the other hand, I’m dying to rewatch. I don’t think I quite got it when I first saw it, but I was probably too young to really understand what was going on. Plus now knowing more about Technicolor and cinematography, I expect to get a lot more out of it next time. I probably should’ve picked it up the last time Criterion had a sale, but I got The Red Shoes instead. I KNOW I love that one.
I’m glad I’m not the only one who didn’t feel like Picnic lived up to its hype! I love William Holden, but I just couldn’t get into the film.
I’ve never seen The Red Shoes before. I’ll have to check and see if the library has it. Unfortunately, the Criterion Collection has some awesome films, but they don’t always fit into a grad students budget.