Tag: Family

“Ain’t Them Bodies Saints” (2013) starring Casey Affleck, Rooney Mara, & Ben Foster

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The tale of an outlaw who escapes from prison and sets out across the Texas hills to reunite with his wife and the daughter he has never met. –Synopsis

This is the (ambitious) debut of a young American director/writer, David Lowery; it was shot in less than one month on location (Texas; Louisiana). Yes, he cast Ruth Guthrie (Rooney Mara) just before she shot to fame! I think the true “star” of the film is Bradford Young; he’s a Black American (which is a rarity in the field of cinematography). Much of this movie was shot during “Golden Hour” (the hour before sunset). I was reminded of Days of Heaven (1978) from another indie director, Terrence Malick. Lowery knows how to set a tone and create a mood; however, this movie is NOT just about “vibes” (as the Youngbloods say). There is simple (or sometimes no) dialogue; we hear voiceover from the emotional letters sent by Bob Muldoon (Casey Affleck) while he is in jail. Music is an important element here; the songs seem like they are lifted directly from the late 1960s/early 1970s in the South.

I had a gut instinct of who would be perfect for these roles. It was those actors. Luckily for me, they said yes. -David Lowery (director) on casting

I watched this free on streaming (Tubi TV) recently; you should check it out IF looking for something original. I was interested b/c Ben Foster has a supporting role; Patrick Wheeler (Foster- sporting a mustache) is a deputy who draws Ruth out of her shell. They grew up in the same little town and attend church together. It’s obvious that the soft-spoken cop has a crush on Ruth, BUT Patrick approaches her in a gentle/respectful manner. In one touching scene, Patrick plays guitar and sings to Ruth’s young daughter (Sylvie). Foster (now 43 y.o.) may be more known for his unhinged/villain roles in recent yrs, such as 3:10 to Yuma and Hell or High Water. He has done a LOT of theater and indies over the yrs. I’ve been a fan of his since Liberty Heights (1999), a coming-of-age drama centered on a working-class/Jewish family in 1960s Baltimore (dir. by Barry Levinson). Foster (who has Jewish heritage on his father’s side) has an older brother in that movie, Adrien Brody (before he became famous).

David Lowery has constructed a beautiful, atmospheric, little indie film with this 1970s Texas crime melodrama. At every point where Lowery could have added Hollywood flourishes and gimmicks to make the film more commercial, he refuses to do so. […]

…Bradford Young deserves all the praise he has earned for his cinematography.

-Excerpt from IMDb review

Two Movies from Noir City DC (OCT 13th-26th, 2023)

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Introduction

Hey y’all, how is your Fall season going? Thanks for reading! As local noir-istas may know, Noir City DC film fest is going on (OCT 13th–26th) at AFI Theatre here in my area (downtown Silver Spring, MD). Eddie Muller (TCM host; founder of the Film Noir Foundation) helped to curate the movies for this event. Muller introduced screenings on the opening weekend (OCT 13th–15th); I saw 2 movies (for the 1st time).

The Big Clock (1948) starring Ray Milland, Maureen O’Sullivan, Charles Laughton, George Macready, Pauline York, & Elsa Lanchester

The Strangest and most Savage Manhunt in History! -A tagline for the film

When a publishing tycoon, Earl Janoth (Charles Laughton), commits murder in a heat of passion, he begins to cover his tracks. Janoth frames an innocent man he doesn’t know, BUT who knew the victim, Rita Johnson (Pauline York). That man, George Stroud (Ray Milland), works for one of Janoth’s magazines and is enlisted to trap the “killer.” George must “help” his boss, elude the police, and find proof of his innocence and Janoth’s guilt!

Rita Johnson: You know, Earl has a passion for obscurity. He won’t even have his biography in ‘Who’s Who.”
George Stroud: Sure. He doesn’t want to let his left hand know whose pocket the right one is picking.

Kenneth Fearing’s 1946 novel and this film adaptation bear many similarities to Samuel Fuller’s novel Dark Page (1944) and its screen adaptation Scandal Sheet (1952). Janoth’s right-hand man/lawyer, Steve Hagen (George MacCready), does his dirty work; they’re close (though- b/c of censorship- we don’t see how much). Neo-noir fans will find similarities btwn this movie and (the 2nd adaptation of The Big Clock) No Way Out (1987) dir. by Roger Donaldson. In that movie, Sen. Brice (Hackman) has a V clever/loyal aide, Scott (Will Patton), who cleans up his messes (and is obviously in love w/ the politician).

Don Klausmeyer: Our organization, the Janoth Publications, is trying to find someone, possibly a collector of your pictures.
Louise Patterson: So have I- for fifteen years.

Milland got the roles that Cary Grant turned down, Muller noted; he’s best known for The Lost Weekend (1945) and Hitchcock’s Dial M for Murder (1954). Like Michael Douglas, he has the air of a man who could be a “regular” guy, yet w/ a “shady” side. According to Muller, Louise Patterson (Elsa Lanchester) is based on (IRL American artist) Alice Neel. Laughton and Lanchester were married at this time, though we later learned that he was gay. Director John Farrow and Maureen O’Sullivan (who plays Georgette Stroud) were also married. Unlike what you’d expect from a “typical” noir, there are some of funny moments; Lanchester made my audience LOL during a few scenes.

Act of Violence (1948) starring Van Heflin, Robert Ryan, Janet Leigh, Mary Astor, & Phyllis Thaxter

The Manhunt No Woman Could Stop! -A tagline for the film

Robert Ryan is like one of my top 2 or 3 actors in noir. -Eddie Muller, in intro to the film

WWII veteran Frank Enley (Van Heflin- age 40) is a family man/builder in SoCal. He has a modest house, a beautiful/young wife, Edith (Janet Leigh- just 21 y.o.) and toddler son; he’s respected as a “war hero” in his small town community. One day, he learns that Joe Parkson (Robert Ryan- age 39) is searching for him; he is out for revenge, b/c of something which occurred while they were POWs. Joe drags his right leg as he walks; he carries a handgun. Ann (Phyllis Thaxter- age 29) is the woman following Joe, in the hopes of stopping him from doing something drastic. When Frank has to leave for a builders convention in LA, Joe is close behind! When Frank happens upon a bar, he meets Pat (Mary Astor- in a daring/unglamorous role at age 40).

Joe [to Edith]: Sure, I was in the hospital, but I didn’t go crazy. I kept myself sane. You know how? I kept saying to myself: Joe, you’re the only one alive that knows what he did. You’re the one that’s got to find him, Joe. I kept remembering. I kept thinking back to that prison camp. One of them lasted to the morning. By then, you couldn’t tell his voice belonged to a man. He sounded like a dog that got hit by a truck and left in the street.

No one wore makeup on this movie. Zinnemann wanted somewhat of a documentary look. -Cheyney Ryan (son of Robert Ryan) on the podcast Robert Bellissimo At The Movies (10/12/22)

Some viewers were surprised to see issues tackled so soon after the end of WWII. At the forefront is the question: How does an individual adjust to “normal” life after surviving war? I was excited to watch this movie; it’s currently NOT on any streaming platform. This is a tense noir that’s unpredictable both in its character development and plotting. It’s V well-paced (at only 82 mins), has great dialogue, and important themes. Director Fred Zinnemann (an Austrian Jew who fled Europe before WWII) went on to work on some big movies: High Noon (1952) and From Here to Eternity (1953). As Muller said, Zinnemann learned that both parents were killed in a Nazi concentration camp. The writers of the screenplay are Robert L. Richards and Collier Young (husband of actress/director Ida Lupino).

Edith: Suppose there is a grain of truth to it. Suppose you did have some kind of trouble with him. I can understand how something like that could happen in a prison camp.
Frank: No. You don’t know what happened.
Edith: What was it Frank? Whatever you did you must have had reasons.
Frank: You can always find reasons. Even the Nazis had reasons.

Ryan (who Scorsese called “one of the greatest actors in American film”) and Lupino later starred together in 2 unique noirs- On Dangerous Ground (1951) and Beware, My Lovely (1952). Ryan and Leigh were co-stars in the Western The Naked Spur (1953). Ryan (nearly 6’4″) towers over almost all the others; his simmering rage adds to the intimidating effect. When he talks w/ Edith, his voice is NOT loud/frightening, BUT holds pain/regret. I wanted to see more of Joe’s relationship w/ Ann; they discussed re: what happened in wartime (unlike Frank and Edith). The two leads are opposites in looks: Ryan is brown-haired w/ small/dark eyes, while Heflin is blonde/wide-eyed. Heflin (almost 6″ tall) gets to stretch himself, showing more depth (and emotion) than is usually required of his “Everyman” roles. Leigh does a fine job w/ her role (opposite these experienced men) at such a young age (early in her career). I really liked the cinematography; light, dark, and shadow are used quite effectively.

[1] One of the most daring elements of the film is its suggestion that Heflin is deserving of forgiveness, because the codes of conduct that govern men in the theater of war are different from those that govern us in our day-to-day lives. That maybe doesn’t seem like a daring thing to say now, but at the time it would have been.

Heflin and Ryan are both terrific; Ryan is one of my favorite film noir actors. But the women in the film make quite an impression… If the mens’ world- both at war and at home- is one of violence and revenge, it’s the women who act as the voice of reason and sanity, trying to impose a sense of stability amid the chaos.

[2] This grim look at a couple of de-mobbed soldiers continuing their private war at home rarely get mentioned in lists of essential noirs; maybe, upon release in 1949, it was just a little too close for comfort- hinting a truths the victorious American public were unwilling to acknowledge. If so, the film has yet to be rediscovered- or reappraised. […]

Though the script opts for a strange and bitter “redemptive” ending, the acrid taste of Act of Violence lingers long.

-Excerpts from IMDb reviews

Re-watching “The Searchers” (1956) starring John Wayne, Jeffrey Hunter, Vera Miles, Ward Bond, & Natalie Wood

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Introduction

The Searchers was voted both the 13th “Greatest Film” of all time and the “Greatest Western” of all time by Entertainment Weekly. It was among the 1st 25 movies to be selected by the LOC for preservation in The National Film Registry in 1989. In 2007, AFI ranked this as the #12 Greatest Movie of All Time. Steven Spielberg, Martin Scorsese, George Lucas, Jean-Luc Godard, John Milius, and Paul Schrader regard this as one of the films that have most influenced them. David Lean (British filmmaker) noted that the way that the landscape was shot (by director John Ford) influenced scenes in Laurence of Arabia (1962).

While on the desert locale, Ford was stung by a scorpion. Worried about his investment, financial backer C.V. Whitney asked Wayne, “What if we lose him? What are we going to do?” Wayne offered to check in on the “stricken” director. A few minutes later he came out of Ford’s trailer and said to Whitney, “It’s OK. John’s fine, it’s the scorpion that died.” LOL!

Synopsis

In 1868, a hardened/middle-aged Confederate veteran of the Civil War, Ethan Edwards (John Wayne), turns up on the small Texan ranch of his brother (Aaron). Instead of settling down to a life of peace, Ethan chooses to embark on a journey of revenge, after Comanches- lead by Chief Scar (Henry Brandon)- who murdered his family, burned their home, and abducted his 2 nieces: Lucy (a teen) and Debbie (9 y.o.) Ethan is joined by a young man (1/8 Cherokee)- Martin Pawley (Jeffrey Hunter)- an orphan/unofficial member of the Edwards family. The 15 y.o. Debbie is played by Natalie Wood (who was still in HS); she has about 10 mins. of screen time in the final act. Young Debbie is played by Lana, Wood’s sister.

The screenplay was adapted by Frank S. Nugent from Alan Le May’s 1954 novel. It was based on the real Comanche kidnapping of Cynthia Ann Parker, a young white girl in Texas in 1836. Parker, who was given the name “Narua” (“one who was found”) would become mother of a Comanche chief, Quanah Parker. She was recaptured after 25 yrs. and never adjusted to life among whites, starving herself to death after the illness/death of her remaining child. Yikes!

Blood Family vs. Found Family

It is V clear that Ethan does NOT consider Marty (who is part Navajo) to be part of his family; he keeps telling the younger man to stop calling him “uncle.” This MAY seem cold/mean to some viewers; after all, Ethan is the one who found Marty out in the desert (after his parents died). He has been raised for many yrs. in the same household as Aaron’s kids. Marty considers the Edwards kids to be his siblings; he refers to Debbie as “my sister.”

Some astute viewers wondered: Is Ethan Debbie’s birth father? Several times, Ford hinted that Ethan had had an affair w/ Aaron’s wife, and was possibly the father of Debbie. Ethan’s thirst for vengeance then could stem NOT from the murder of his brother, BUT of Martha (the woman he’d loved). On a recent re-watch, I saw the subtle clues! In the 1st act, Ethan and Martha share a few meaningful looks. In an early family dinner, Aaron, Lucy and Ben (both blonde-haired) are on one side of the table; on the opposite side are Martha, and Debbie (who all have dark brown hair). Martha strokes Ethan coat when she brings it to him. When the local preacher/sheriff, Rev. Capt. Clayton (Ward Bond), asks why he hung around Texas so long, there is a moment where it looks like Martha wants to speak (before Ethan answers).

Hate, Racism, & Revenge

The actors playing Comanche Indians are ALL Navajo, w/ the exception of Brandon (a German-born Jew). The language, clothing, and dances seen are Navajo, NOT Comanche. Much of the film’s plot is revealed on a prop that most viewers rarely notice. Just before the deadly raid on the homestead, the tombstone (of Ethan’s mother) that Debbie hides next to reveals the source of his hatred for Comanches. The marker reads: “Here lies Mary Jane Edwards killed by Comanches May 12, 1852. A good wife and mother in her 41st year.” We learn that Marty’s parents were also killed by Comanches, BUT he doesn’t have hate for Native Americans. Marty is NOT nice to the Native woman (“Look”) who follows them, thinking that he has bought her (instead of a blanket). Ethan jokes about Marty’s “wife,” who meets a tragic end (at the hand of a different tribe).

Comedy & Romance

There are some light-hearted scenes, a few which hold up, while others are cringe-y. Marty and Laurie (Vera Miles- before Psycho fame) grew up in this same community and are in love, BUT (like some IRL couples) can’t seem to communicate. When the local men first leave to search for the girls, Marty shakes Laurie’s hand good-bye- LOL! Two yrs, later, when Ethan and Marty (w/ facial hair) come to the Jorgensen home, Laurie throws herself into Marty’s arms and kisses him first. Laurie is more sensible/mature than Marty; he acts petulant/boyish when angry. Since Hunter (captain in the Star Trek failed pilot; Jesus in King of Kings) was in his late 20s while filming, it doesn’t seem fitting. In their 5 yrs, of separation, Marty writes Laurie one letter; he hasn’t had a LOT of education (we assume). Laurie fears becoming an “old maid;” there were NOT many options for husbands in the Old West.

Laurie’s father, Mr. Jorgensen (John Qualen- veteran character actor) talks w/ a thick Norwegian-like accent. Laurie’s replacement beau, Charlie McCorry (Ken Curtis), speaks in drawling/slow manner which is annoying! Curtis objected to the accent, BUT Ford argued it’d get him noticed in a thankless role. In the dance scene before the (failed) wedding, the males are some of the most famous stunt men of the era: Chuck Hayward, Terry Wilson, John Hudkins, Fred Kennedy, Frank McGrath, and Chuck Roberson. After this scene, the crew nicknamed them “Ford’s chorus girls” – LOL! The role of the eager/young cavalry officer, Lt. Greenhill, is played by Patrick (Wayne’s son).

Ethan Edwards: Hero or Anti-Hero?

There is TOO much anger, bitterness, and hate in Ethan for him to be close to others. Even after yrs. on the road together, he and Marty don’t become (emotionally) close. He makes Marty his heir when he thinks that he’ll die, BUT Marty refuses. Until his sudden turn in the 3rd act, Ethan considers Debbie to be ruined/savage; she won’t be able to live w/ whites. We are relieved when he decides NOT to kill Debbie! Godard commented that no matter how much he despised the actor’s right-wing political beliefs, every time he saw Wayne taking up Debbie in his arms at the end, he forgave him for everything. What did you think of the ending shot? Is the door closing on Ethan b/c his time (and way of thinking) is coming to an end?

This was one of Wayne’s 3 personal faves, along w/ She Wore a Yellow Ribbon (1949) and The Quiet Man (1952). These films were all directed by Ford. Unlike his usual manner, Wayne decided to stayed in character between takes. When a Navajo child became ill w/ pneumonia, Wayne had his pilot take the little girl to a hospital in his private plane. For this good deed, the Navajos named him “The Man With The Big Eagle.”

[1] An integral part of the combined elements that makes THE SEARCHERS great is Max Steiner’s outstanding score. It is the picture’s driving force – its backbone. Steiner’s music propels the film forward, unifies the narrative and gives greater density to its key scenes. In fact without his music much of the picture’s impact would be considerably diminished.

[2] Ethan Edwards is probably the most racist man Wayne ever portrayed on the screen, yet we feel sympathy for him at the same time. It’s been a hard and bitter life on the frontier for him. Just as it’s been for the Indians as well. Chief Scar, played by Henry Brandon, is Wayne’s opposite number and he makes clear what he thinks of whites. Two of his sons were killed and he’s going to take many white scalps in reprisal.

[3] With all of Ford’s unique ‘touches’ clearly in evidence (the doorways ‘framing’ the film’s opening and conclusion, with a cave opening serving the same function at the film’s climax; the extensive use of Monument Valley; and the nearly lurid palette of color highlighting key moments) and his reliance on his ‘stock’ company of players (Wayne, Ward Bond, John Qualen, Olive Carey, Harry Carey, Jr, Hank Worden, and Ken Curtis), the film marks the emergence of the ‘mature’ Ford, no longer deifying the innocence of the era, but dealing with it in human terms, where ‘white men’ were as capable of savagery as Indians, frequently with less justification.

-Excerpts from IMDb reviews

“Godless” (2017) starring Jack O’Connell, Michelle Dockery, & Jeff Daniels

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Welcome to no man’s land. -Synopsis

In the late 1800s, infamous criminal leader, Frank Griffin (Jeff Daniels), and his outlaws are on a mission to get revenge on Roy Goode (Jack O’Connell), the former “brother” who betrayed their gang. On the run, Roy seeks refuge near the mining town of La Belle, N.M. He gets a job and a place to stay w/ Alice Fletcher (Michelle Dockery), a widow/single mom/outcast. The local sheriff, Bill McNue (Scoot McNairy), is keeping a secret, BUT still trying to do his job. Bill’s deputy, Whitey Winn (Thomas Brodie Sangster), is eager to fight, yet untested. Mary Agnes McNue (Merritt Wever) helps Bill care of his 2 young kids; she wears pants and handles a gun well (like her brother). When word of Griffin’s imminent arrival, the residents of La Belle (mostly women) band together to defend themselves.

Godless (7 eps) was released on Netflix in NOV 2017. Scott Frank (writer/director) was nominated for the 2018 Emmy in Outstanding Writing for a Limited Series, Movie or Special. Frank is known for Logan (2017), Out of Sight (1998) and The Lookout (2007). Daniels (a veteran of film/TV/stage) won the Emmy that year for Outstanding Supporting Actor; Wever (mainly a theater actress; seen in Marriage Story in 2019) won Outstanding Supporting Actress. La Belle is an actual town that was located in Taos Co. around the turn of the 20th C. The character of John Randall (Rob Morgan) of the 10th Cavalry Union Army and the legend of the Buffalo Soldiers is true. Blackdom was located in SE New Mexico (close to Roswell), NOT in the North of the state (as other towns mentioned on the show).

This show both subverts, and builds upon, the common tropes of the Western genre. Though the setting here is the Old (& V wild) West, the issues explored are universal: grief, generational trauma, desire for redemption, search for knowledge, etc. The women have no choice; they MUST be self-sufficient, work w/ own hands/bodies, and develop mental toughness. Masculinity is depicted in nuanced ways (which pleasantly surprised me); there are no swaggering John Wayne-type heroes. Some of the work was done by casting male actors of slim builds/average height; also, the dialogue and (subtle) acting is key. The men in this show are able to cry, fall in love, and (sometimes) verbalize what is affecting them. The costumes, production design, cinematography, and music are ALL superb.

[1] Godless is easily one of my favorite westerns I’ve seen in a long time. I’m actually blown away by how much I liked it. I had high expectations because of all the great ratings and reviews and it not only met those expectations but surpassed them in every way!

[2] Jack O’Connell and Jeff Daniels lead an absolutely incredible cast who are all at the top of their game here!

[3] The writing of this show is what surprised me the most, how the scenes of each character from their past to the present are presented in such a subtle yet moving way. […]

The direction of Scott Frank is really among the best when it comes to how he sets up the scenes, the camera work, and how he spent time with these characters that went further than western to date. I wish there were more Westerns made this way…

-Excerpts from IMDb reviews

“The Handmaiden” (2016) directed by Park Chan-wook

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Are you a fan of erotic thrillers (which were prominent in the ’80s-’90s)? Though this is a historical drama, you’ll find elements of the erotic thriller genre. As you may’ve noticed from ads/trailers, there is a love triangle (yet w/ an unexpected twist). This is one of those films where the less you know going in, the better! It is truly unlike anything I’ve seen before; some viewers said they needed to watch it 2x to get everything that’s going on. The story is divided into 3 chapters w/ each told from a different character’s POV. The film may be 2.5 hrs. long, BUT I hardly moved from my seat! The themes are quite relevant to our world: greed (lust for money), gender/sexual repression, women’s desire, and the (potential) dangers of porn. The Handmaiden was selected to compete for the Palme d’Or at Cannes (2016). It was released in South Korea on June 1st 2016, to critical acclaim and grossed $38M worldwide. At the 71st BAFTAs, it won Best Film Not in the English Language.

This movie is inspired by the novel Fingersmith by Sarah Waters (2002) which is set in London during the 19th C. The Handmaiden is set in Korea in the 1930s under Japanese colonial rule. Before filming, Park Chan-wook (an auteur w/ an eye for beauty) sent the completed script to Waters for comments. She liked the script, though felt that it is more appropriate to say that the film was ”inspired by” her novel. The film title in Korean (Ah-ga-ssi) means The Lady, referring to Lady Hideko (Kim Min-hee); the English/international title is The Handmaiden, referring to Sook-hee (Kim Tae-ri). Both Japanese and Korean were spoken by the (mainly Korean) cast. Before shooting, the Korean actors were all assigned Japanese teachers to study the script and learn to speak Japanese. For the theatrical release, the subtitles were color coded to differentiate the two Asian languages spoken in the film: white subtitles were used for Korean, while yellow subtitles were used for Japanese.

[1] What the film does with this basic plot is enjoyable and engaging. The narrative is solid, holds the interest without effort, and is very well paced and structured. […]

The direction, production values, and general pacing of the film, all work together to give it a beautiful appearance and tone. It is quite sensuous to watch, with such great colors, sets, costumes, and designs.

[2] Adapting Sarah Waters’ Fingersmith, a Victorian tale awash with all manner of Dickensian motifs, Park spins an engrossing tale that ebbs and flows with a Hitchcockian suspense; it withholds as much as it discloses; it is an erotic tale that beats with raw fervour.

[3] If the plot and the direction weren’t amazing enough, the movie is as beautiful as they come. From the darkest moment, the most violent, to the most intimate, beauty transpires in every frame, and every scene comes to life and threatens to pop and break free from the screen.

-Excerpts from IMDb reviews