This October marks the 127th anniversay of the Gunfight at the OK Corral. Take this Earp-centric film quiz and see how you do.

http://www.flixster.com/user/bradwest/quiz/gunfight-at-the-ok-corral-anniversary-quiz?invitorId=837885824

FICHA RÁPIDA

Título original: The train

Director: John Frankenheimer

Duración: 133 minutos

Año de estreno: 1964

Nacionalidad: Estados Unidos

Número de película: 34

DE QUE VA

El arte es un bien preciado al que ninguna cultura puede permitirse el lujo de renunciar. Es así como las mayores obras artísticas conservadas en la ciudad de París van a ser protegidas por parte de la resistencia francesa, con el firme propósito que el ejército alemán no traslade dichas obras a Alemania durante su retirada de territorio francés. Para ello, será necesario que el tren que las transporta no llegue jamás a su destino.

PORQUE PUEDE VERSE

John Frankenheimer fue un director de gran calidad en varios géneros cinematográficos, cuyos logros aun han de ser rigurosamente reconocidos. Aparecen como especialmente recomendables las obras que realizó durante los años 1960, tales como 'El mensajero del miedo', 'El hombre de Alcatraz', 'Siete días de mayo' o este magnifico trabajo que tiene como protagonistas a los miembros de la resistencia francesa. Rodada en riguroso blanco y negro y con una mirada cercana al estilo europeo, Frankheimer nos adentra en una zona ocupada donde resistir a menudo supone la muerte y donde la guerra aun no ha terminado. Especialmente inolvidables son las escenas de bombardeos aéreos sobre las estaciones de ferrocarril o el brillante desenlace, mediante la confrontación de los dos grandes antagonistas de la historia. También merece destacarse el excelente trabajo de un Burt Lancaster, que se reivindica como el gran actor -aunque infravalorado y desigual- que fue cuando contaba con un director tras la cámara que supiera sacar lo mejor de él.

Una pieza mayor, sin duda, del cine de la época, que no debería quedar jamás en el olvido. Realmente, si no la han visto, se están perdiendo algo.

¿QUIERES SABER MÁS? (RECURSOS)

• Un posteo en 'El Séptimo Arte'
• Una reseña en Miradas

Mac eventually vies to switch places with Gordon Urquhart--accountant, bartender, innkeeper, and community representative in the land deal. After an evening spent drinking 42-year-old scotch ("old enough to be out on its own," Mac chirps, and then laughs smugly at his own joke) and negotiating the real estate deal, Mac tries to negotiate a deal for himself--to trade his high-rise Houston apartment, Porsche, and oil-company job for Urquhart's less traditional, but more fulfilling, life.

The plot runs along almost as if behind the scenes, and the characters are intriguing, but the real appeal here is the incisive yet gentle humor. During a visit to a Knox Oil lab, Mac is shown into a room that contains a miniature of the town he has been sent to purchase. The head of the lab says, "Welcome to our little world," and then gives Mac the plastic replica of the town as a souvenir. "Dream large," he intones. The irony's easy to miss and is just one example of the intelligent presence--in the form of writer and director Bill Forsyth--working behind the scenes here.

Mark Knopfler's delicate, haunting soundtrack complements the sometimes melancholy, sometimes hilarious currents of Local Hero to perfection. --Stefanie Durbin

Local Hero is available at Amazon for $7.99. To Order click here
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Other Products of Interest

• Waking Ned Devine
• The Secret of Roan Inish
• Gregory's Girl
• Local Hero (1983 Film)
• The Englishman Who Went Up a Hill But Came Down a Mountain

Righteous Kill asks a lot of its audience.  Casting Robert De Niro and Al Pacino as long-serving New York Police detectives might have made sense to director/producer Jon Avnet in terms of the box office receipts, who wouldn't go and see a film starring those two, but both of these guys are now senior citizens -- and it shows.
 
The suspension of disbelief continues with De Niro's character, Turk, bedding the delicious Carla Gugino and not just bedding her but engaging in violent consensual sex.  That's what she likes.  I could see Gugino's character falling for de Niro in real life but not the ageing detective, Turk.
 
Gugino plays crime scene investigator Karen Corelli.  Why is it that American portrayals of forensic scientists always feature women and women who could grace the front cover of Playboy magazine?  To be good at science usually involves a certain amount of geekiness and I would imagine that in real life, female forensic scientists are mousey-haired and shrewish women who would hardly turn men's heads – apologies to all good-looking female CSI officers out there.
 
Righteous Kill would probably have succeeded better back in the 1970s or 1980s.  The opening music had the feel of cop movies from that era; the improvised dialog in certain scenes was reminiscent of Serpico.  But back then it was fresh and cutting edge.  In 2008, it is almost to the point of parody and actors of the caliber of De Niro and Pacino deserve better.
 
I will say little of the plot in order not to spoil it for people who have yet to see the film, other than to say that the audience's perceptions are manipulated in order to create the final twist.  You know the kind of thing, when all that you have seen turns out to be a dream.  Rarely does such a format succeed and smacks of lazy writing.  The plot drags and lacks any real tension or suspense.
 
At the crux of Righteous Kill is age and ageing; people reaching the end of their careers and facing the prospect of retirement.  "Boredom with benefits," as Pacino's character, Rooster, puts it.  It is a time when people can start to question the futility of what they are doing and resent the frustration that goes along with it.  When detectives see the bad guys walk away from court thanks to a good lawyer or a technicality, a sense of seeing justice being served by taking matters into one's own hands is perhaps understandable.
 
Both Turk and Rooster are world-weary cops and dealing with what the criminal element of society perpetrates must become very wearisome indeed.  At least, Turk has the charms of Karen Corelli to take his mind off work. He also plays baseball and coaches a girls' softball team.  Turk is a doer rather than a thinker.  His short fuse helps release the frustrations of his job and fears about the future.
 
Rooster is the thinker.  He plays chess and thinks things through to a logical conclusion rather than vent his anger.  Outside of work, he is lonely.  Evenings not on duty are spent alone, eating Italian meatballs washed down by a bottle of chianti and listening to Italian opera, the beauty, passion and vitality of which is at odds with the disillusionment that comes with age.
 
Too much thinking can be a dangerous, especially for men in their fifties nearing retirement.  The prospects ahead are, at best, more of the same; at worst, being made to feel undervalued and out of touch.  Knowledge and experience are often ridiculed by younger colleagues operating with a different set of values. 
 
Righteous Kill is watchable.  Any film starring De Niro and Pacino has to be.  But I wish Hollywood had not gone for the quick buck and looked instead for a way of utilizing the wealth of talent of these two actors as they are now, rather than trading on their persona of 20 or 30 years ago.  At times, De Niro and Pacino give the impression they are reprising bygone roles.
 
De Niro and Pacino acting together are worthy of something like Tough Guys.  Released in 1986, it also starred two screen legends, Burt Lancaster and Kirk Douglas.  Tough Guys succeeded because it acknowledged that they were no longer young -- Lancaster was 73; Douglas 70 -- and captured the humor and pathos of their situation.  A similar three-year age difference exists between Pacino and De Niro; give them a vehicle similar to Tough Guys and everybody would be happy.  Righteous Kill simply  fails to deliver.

First let me say that Lancaster has got to be playing one of the nastiest characters of all time, and he plays him with a big toothy grin and a glint in his eye. Cooper seems tired, and one wonders why his character bothered to get involved. It's a big movie, with a lot of action and spectacular technicolor scenes, but the plot wobbles this way and that before finally lurching to a conclusion that cries out for credibility.

Scale of 10:  I give it 4.

With the end of the two major parties' conventions last week, we got to thinking about fictitious presidents who, unfortunately for America, only exist in the movies in which they appear. By that we mean not actual presidents of the past played by actors but rather characters in movies that we'd "make real" if we could. We are cursed to live in interesting times, to quote the old Chinese expression, and we could use leaders with their kind of conviction and vision.

The usual caveats apply below, the same ones that are starting to sound like a stump speech: no particular order, purely subjective, blah blah blah... And to quote Richard Nixon, let me make one thing perfectly clear: this list is bipartisan, and intended as totally objective regarding its' members' political affiliation.

1. The President, Fail-Safe (1964) Played by: Henry Fonda. A great leader because: He makes the hardest decision of all time. When a computer error irretrievably sends a U.S. bomber squadron to drop atomic warheads on Moscow, Fonda's nameless president sweats out the bombers' approach in a bunker far underground, connected to the Kremlin via telephone and translator (Larry Hagman). Faced with all-out Soviet retaliation, he makes an unthinkable choice, one with a terrible logic that nonetheless carries a staggering cost. 20/20 Hindsight: The prospect of accidental nuclear war was absurdly plausible throughout the 1960s, and a favorite subject of books and cinema including Stanley's Kubrick's Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned To Stop Worrying And Love The Bomb. But here director Sidney Lumet loads on the realistic details and gradually building pace until the reality of such a mistake takes a palpable toll on the audience (spoiler warning):

2. James Marshall, Air Force One (1997) Played by: Harrison Ford. A great leader because: He's a badass. From his opening speech declaring the U.S. will hunt down terrorists with impunity to his bravado defending the titular jet from hijackers, Ford's Marhsall is basically President Han Solo. 20/20 Hindsight: Gritty and self-determined, this kind of presidential chest-thumping was likely more appealing eleven years ago, before the current president's "Mission Accomplished" fiasco or the long years of Monica Lewinski and still before 9/11. Whatever, Ford as president was an idea for its time: posters read simply, "Harrison Ford is the president of the United States;" the film ultimately grossed $172 million. 

3. Dave Kovic, Dave (1993) Played by: Kevin Kline A great leader because: He's a president of the people, for the people. Temp agency staffer Kovic gets installed into the Oval Office after the real president, whom he looks just like, is incapacitated during an indiscreet moment. But in sweetest film-fable form, Kovic starts running the country his own way, a way largely based on simple wisdom and populist optimism. Of course he has to stand up to a bevy of challenges, including a Karl Rove-like chief of staff (Frank Langella) as well as constant scrutiny from the media, the real president's wife (Sigourney Weaver) and a dour Secret Service agent (Ving Rhames). 20/20 Hindsight: Possibly superfluous among the "new day dawning" atmosphere of Clinton's first year in office, this very Kapra-esque dramedy views today like a pretty bauble from another era, which is probably what director Ivan Reitman intended all along.

4. Jackson Evans, The Contender (2000) Played by: Jeff Bridges A great leader because: Like Teddy Roosevelt and Jack Kennedy before him, Evans is a man of principle unafraid to play hardball to push real change through myopic government. His championing of atheist, pro-choice Senator Laine Hanson (Joan Allen) as a replacement Vice President ignites a firestorm of controversy, until he steps in and shames Congress with an oratory pimp slap upside the head. 20/20 Hindsight: Bridges, who incredibly has never won an Oscar, was thought a shoo-in for Best Supporting Actor (Benicio Del Toro won for Traffic.) The film is sometimes criticized as dogmatic and partisan. Just the same, it was an overdue breakthrough for Allen and provoked plenty of debate upon its release, just three weeks before the 2000 presidential election.

5. Tom Beck, Deep Impact (1998) Played by: Morgan Freeman A great leader because: Serene and intelligent, Beck's leadership helps America prepare for literally the end of the goddamned world. Even admitting the military had been preparing a counterstrike against the looming meteor for years doesn't seem disingenuous once Beck reveals its purpose. 20/20 Hindsight: Pre-millennium tension was expressed via disaster movies throughout 90s cinema, and Deep Impact was a marginally more intelligent than average approach to the Doomsday scenario. It also features a black president, while The Contender promises a female Vice President. Less than a decade later, one of these will be a reality this November.

6. Jordan Lyman, Seven Days In May (1964) Played by: Fredric March A great leader because: He does what's right, not what's popular or even safe for his own well-being. As President Lyman prepares to sign a bitterly controversial disarmament treaty with the Soviet Union, his administration finds itself the target of a military coup d'etat led by Air Force Joint Chief of Staff General Mattoon Scott (Burt Lancaster). Lyman resists Scott's aggression the same way he refuses to buckle to partisan criticism - by staying true to what's best for the Republic. More than a "let history judge me" autocrat, Lyman acts according to his own conscience, despite all consequences. 20/20 Hindsight: A military takeover of the government seems unlikely today, but consider how unpopular international diplomacy has become in favor of saber rattling and the film remains ahead of its time.

7. Bill McKay, The Candidate (1972) Played by: Robert Redford A great leader because: There's got to be a better way! McKay tells it like it is with the same angry sarcasm Redford played so well throughout the 70s and early 80s. Every so often Mr. Sundance mentions doing a sequel depicting the last days of the McKay presidency. Bring it on, already! 20/20 Hindsight: Though technically detailing JFK-esque reform lawyer McKay's run for the California Senate seat, this so-70s-it-hurts satire by director Michael Ritchie (Fletch, The Bad News Bears) has remained hilariously prescient thanks to the existence of would-be candidates like Gary Hart, Dan Quayle, John Edwards, et al - any young up and comer who assumes the mantle of Kennedy youth and glamour. McKay's meltdown into senseless, jingo-heavy slogans - briefly shown in the clip below - is a classic moment of political satire.

Full disclosure: We're aware this topic has been covered before - several times - by other sites. We saltue them for their inspiration, and for charting a course into this fascinating cinematic niche. Thank you, and may God bless America.

 - Michael Kabel 

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Mesmo que, através dos olhos do Príncipe Salinas, O Leopardo seja um filme profundamente triste, há toda uma beleza e uma latência de esperança na luz viva dos olhos de Tancredi e Angélica. Assim, O Leopardo é mais como a ambivalência da própria mudança, que nunca é apenas triste ou apenas alegre, mas simplesmente, uma mudança. Salinas tem absoluta consciência do seu lugar dentro da história, como se a visse inteira, do alto da sua imponência ao longo do filme, que ele bem sabe, não durará.

O modo como o Príncipe vaga pelo longo e doloroso baile (que é o funeral da sua estirpe) é a marcha de quem é substituído no mundo, de quem contempla a própria morte, transferindo elegantemente sua posição aos “chacais” da burguesia, e se retirando sozinho para o escuro de um beco aberto numa larga avenida pela qual desfilarão os próximos anos. Tempos que não lhe pertencem mais.

4/4

Luis Henrique Boaventura

Airport var filmen som satte fart på 1970-talets katastroffilmsvåg, vilket såhär i efterhand nästan är lite lustigt eftersom man nätt och jämnt kan beskriva själva Airport som en katastroffilm. Visst sker katastrofala saker i den, men det dröjer nästan 100 av filmens 137 minuter innan vi kommer dithän. Dessförinnan handlar det betydligt mer om huvudpersonernas trassliga kärleksförhållanden och hur stressigt det är att sköta en flygplats.

Nu menar jag inget negativt med det. Tvärtom är Airport en riktigt underhållande film, om än mer melodrama än renodlad katastrofrulle. Burt Lancaster spelar huvudrollen som flygplatsens operativa chef, som hellre stannar på jobbet hos sin snygga assistent (Jean Seberg) än åker hem till sin bittra fru. Burt får mycket att stå i när ett snöoväder slår till och ett plan halkar snett och blockerar ena landningsbanan. Han ringer in George Kennedy som får uppdraget att skotta loss planet. Samtidigt lyfter en annan flight, med Dean Martin vid spakarna, mot Rom. Ombord finns även den snygga flygvärdinnan (Jacqueline Bisset) som Dino har en affär med. Samt en geriatrisk fripassagerare. Plus ett par nunnor. Och - vilket är mer väsentligt än nunnorna - en desperat bombman...

Det kanske inte blir så mycket action förrän sista halvtimmen men på vägen dit håller man tillräckligt många bollar i luften för att det ska bli intressant. Både thrillerelementen och relationerna funkar. Värt att notera är också att bombmannen inte skildras som en typisk filmskurk utan görs mänsklig tack vare en ömkansvärd backstory. Dessutom är allting rätt jazzigt presenterat och snyggt filmat - och vem kan motstå en film där nåt slags bossanovaliknande groove drar igång på soundtracket så fort det vankas romantik och känslor?

Airports efterföljare renodlade konceptet: stora ensembler som löser sina privata problem mitt under pågående kris - men blåste upp själva katastrofmomentet avsevärt jämfört med originalet. Här dör nästan ingen. Airport är den lite återhållsammare och kanske aningen vuxnare storebrorsan till de katastrofrullar som följde. Och fortfarande väl värd att se.

Andra bloggar om film, filmrecension, katastroffilm, airport

A modo de prólogo:

Existen muchas versiones de “El gatopardo”. La que se estrenó en el cine Rex fue la de la Fox. Con una duración aproximada de 160 m., doblada y con el color bien distinto a la original. Para colmo el personaje de Tancredi (Alain Delon) pasó a llamarse Alfonso. La versión original e integra, sin doblar y con el color pensado por Visconti, solo se pudo ver en Zaragoza muchos años después en los Multicines Buñuel y en la Filmoteca. Rebasa los 200 minutos y precisa de una pantalla grande (que no de 70mm. como la del Rex en aquel año), por lo que podemos afirmar que nunca hemos visto esta obra maestra imperecedera en las condiciones idóneas. Exactamente igual sucede con “Ludwig”, en este caso incluso con más versiones todavía.

EL GATOPARDO

I) …“Y después será distinto, pero aún peor. Nosotros fuimos los gatopardos, los leones; los que nos sustituyan serán los chacales y borregos, y todos: gatopardos, leones, chacales y borregos seguiremos creyéndonos la sal de la tierra”. (Don Fabrizio de Salina).

Unicamente Luchino Visconti podía llevar al cine la celebrada (1) novela de Lampedusa. Ambos procedían de la antigua aristocracia italiana; de Milán el uno, de Sicilia el otro. Así que no es de extrañar que esta, y no otra incluso más personal (“Muerte en Venecia”, “Confidencias”), sea la la cumbre del cine de Visconti. La violenta ruptura que supuso en 1.953 “Senso” (2), respecto al Visconti de las urgencias neorrealistas (“Obsesión” 1942, “La terra trema” 1948, “Bellísima” 1851), anunciaba claramente que una etapa había terminado y otra comenzaba. En 1.961 el cineasta italiano concibe su “Gatopardo”, en muy importantes aspectos bien distinto al de Lampedusa. Habría que considerar opiniones como la de Jaime Picas (excelente crítico del “Fotogramas” de los sesenta, nada que ver con los actuales) en el sentido de que “Senso” habría supuesto una especie de ensayo general de “El gatopardo”. La novela de Lampedusa serviría entonces de punto de partida para que Visconti articulase su propio discurso sobre la decadencia de la nobleza a la que él pertenecía –y amó hasta el final de su vida– sin por ello traicionar su ideología marxista. Complejo asunto solo plausible en la “vividora” Italia. El Conde de Modrone enviando el definitivo guión al entonces secretario general del PCI Palmiro Togliatti quien, naturalmente, le dio el visto bueno para estupefacción –y no poco espanto– de Guido Aristarco (3). Tranquilo, seguro de si mismo y en plena posesión de sus medios artísticos, el genial director podía expresar un sueño largamente acariciado; la plena asunción de sus contradicciones con el máximo grado de lucidez. El príncipe Don Fabrizio de Salina (excepcional Burt Lancaster en una poco presumible “a priori” transformación que deviene interpretación que, por sí sola, justifica toda una carrera) sería el primer portavoz de Luchino Visconti, conde de Modrone, antiguo partisano y con carnet del Partido Comunista.

II) …”Todo queda como está, es tan solo una imperceptible sustitución de clases. Los burgueses no nos quieren destruir a nosotros, sus padres. Unicamente quieren ocupar nuestro sitio. Con dulzura, con buenos modales, tal vez poniéndonos en los bolsillos algunos miles de ducados”. (Don Fabrizio de Salina).

El Risorgimiento. La unificación italiana bajo el reinado de los Saboya. Una Revolución traicionada (Garibaldi) que condujo a una Monarquía Constitucional de signo marcadamente burgués. Don Fabrizio de Salina –inteligente, burlón, rijoso– traicionará sus más íntimas convicciones con tal de perpetuar un aposentamiento para una aristocracia que va a ser despojada de sus antiguos privilegios de clase. Este príncipe renacentista “ma non troppo”, concertará el matrimonio de su sobrino, el arribista e inmoral Tancredi (Alain Delon), con la bellísima Angélica (Claudia Cardinale, radiante como nunca) hija del alcalde de Donnafugata (Sicilia) don Calogero Sedara (Paolo Stoppa, excelente como casi siempre), buen burgués, riquísimo, deslumbrado por los fastos y protocolos de la Casa Salina, y que se sentirá integrado en una “clase superior” aunque ello le cueste esos miles de ducados. Consciente de su dimisión moral, Don Fabrizio camina hacia la vejez y la muerte reflexionando serenamente sobre el destino político de su familia, de su clase, de la misma Italia (“este es el país de las componendas”). La culminación de este doloroso y lúcido itinerario será la larga y prodigiosa secuencia del baile en el palacio Ponteleone, trágico desfile de máscaras agonizantes en tonos rojos y negros.

III) …“Para que todo siga igual es preciso antes que todo cambie”. (Tancredi).

“El gatopardo” es uno de los escasos films históricos que no traiciona la verdad y esencia de la Historia. Nada extraño en Visconti (“La caída de los dioses”, “Ludwig”), pero frente al melodrama operístico, “El gatopardo” está exento de convulsiones, desenfrenos o decadentismo ornamental. Muy al contrario, esta absoluta obra maestra (acaso “primus inter pares”) (4) nos es presentada como una crónica fría, distanciada, objetiva –a pesar de las obvias afinidades electivas de Visconti- , clarificadora. Y en la que no está ausente la ironía, matiz este por demás insólito en un autor s-e-r-i-o donde los haya. “El gatopardo” es una suntuosa superproducción en la que se explora un discurso intimista y un período histórico que abarca a, prácticamente, toda la Europa de finales del siglo XIX.

IV) …“Nos hemos casado entre nosotros y hemos dado lugar a una raza de idiotas”.
(Don Fabrizio de Salina).

“El gatopardo” (Palma de Oro en Cannes 1.963 y definido por Jean Paul Sastre como “un Himalaya de belleza”, es el film más perfecto de Visconti. Su hermosura pude arrebatarnos menos que la de “Muerte en Venecia”, mas su energía es muy superior. Ninguna vacilación ni secuencia innecesaria. Acaso el travelling más bello jamás filmado (el que recorre las figuras blanquecinas y terrosas de los miembros de la familia Salina en la iglesia de Donnafugata). “El gatopardo” es implacable y no hay en él decorativismo o decadentismo que no sea mera funcionalidad. Desde la excelsa partitura de Nino Rota (con ayudas de Verdi) hasta la magnífica fotografía (en la versión italiana completa, no en la mutilada de la Fox) de Rotunno en ocres, amarillos, rojos, azules y negros. Un visillo se agita suavemente al principio de la película antes de que la cámara penetre en el palacio Salina. Visconti anuncia ya que ha destapado el tarro de las esencias.

Luis Betrán Colás

1) El tardío descubrimiento del manuscrito de Lampedusa y el impulso mediático de Feltrinelli, consiguieron que esta desigual novela fuese, y sea, considerada una obra maestra de la literatura italiana del siglo XX. Discrepo. Por una vez (hay otras aunque pocas) una novela famosa es superada por su versión cinematográfica. Visconti jamás hubiese filmado párrafos como este “viajaban a Donnafugata en vetustas calesas, hoy lo hubieran hecho en aviones a reacción”, amén de prescindir de la historia de amor/desamor de la pareja Angelica-Tancredi después de la muerte de don Fabrizio, y carente del menor interés en todos los aspectos.

2) “Senso” (1.953), el que fue llamado “film-ópera” es, en si misma, otra de las obras maestras absolutas de Visconti.

3) Guido Aristarco, sumo pontífice en los 50, 60 y 70 de la crítica italiana. El que decidía lo que era neorrealismo y lo que no. El que detestaba a Rossellini y a De Sica por su catolicismo (él era marxista, claro). El que aplaudió a rabiar “Senso” considerándola la mejor película de la historia del cine italiano (hecho que se repitió con “Rocco y sus hermanos”, 1960) y, paradójicamente, se sintió decepcionado por “El gatopardo”. El inventor de la denominación “realismo crítico” para el cine de los mejores Rosi, Zurlini, De Seta, Olmi (¿?), Maselli, Lizzani… Particularmente odiado por “Cahiers du Cinema” y su sucursal española y casposa “Film Ideal”. O sea, interesante.

4) Hace algo así como unos diez años o más, la revista “Dirigido por…” llevó a cabo una encuesta entre sus redactores para elegir la mejor película de la Historia del Cine. “El gatopardo” fue la vencedora. El voto debió de ser muy secreto porque José María Latorre confesó que no lo esperaba. ¿Cómo era posible que no hubiese salido elegida una de Ford o una de Hitchcock?… Por mi parte añadiré que me importan poco esos maximalismos, sin ocultar que se trata de la película que más me ha gustado en mi larguísimo y mantenido idilio con el cine.

un examen más o menos extensivo sobre burt lancaster debería llevar, como introducción o como epílogo, los cien minutos de homenaje que le hacen louis malle y john guare en atlantic city. la actuación del alguna vez trapecista como un falso mr. ten-most-wanted ··con su fraseo vieja escuela y su conocidísima mirada de boxeador derrotado·· es al film noir lo que los imperdonables al western.

ora un telón de la obra que llevaba más de ochenta temporadas ininterrumpidas, ora un festín cómico de bienvenida a las juventudes ciegas que, como escupe chrissie, no usan cinturón en el avión porque no creen en la gravedad; atlantic city es el último resquicio de posible batalla para un gangstersucho que vive de cuidar la decrepitud y apostar con los que apuestan por necesidad, no por diversión.

(burt : hoy los aprendices no buscan comprar mejores ropas. los mafiosos te dicen abuelo y se burlan de tu gabardina. las apuestas ··ora resulta!·· serán legales. ya nadie sabe mentir. están demoliendo la ciudad. borrarán las tumbas de tus enemigos. el cascajo ensuciará el aire y las caras de las mujeres. alguien será pagado para que los limpie ··ya sabes: ahora quieren que todo sea transparente··, pero el océano jamás recuperará el color que conociste).

ya saben : todo pasado fue mejor. esta falacia la decimos hoy, la diremos en el dos mil cincuenta. aquél que no lo exclame al menos una vez en su vida muy probablemente no se ha detenido en su hiperventilada carrera hacia el final. ni nosotros ni ustedes lo han hecho, pero algún día, quién sabe cómo, caminaremos por el entarimado de nueva jersey ··nosotros, que jamás hemos visto el atlántico·· y alguien nos dirá...

(burt : perdónanos)

The Killers (1946)
Directed By: Robert Siodmak
Starring: Burt Lancaster, Ava Gardner, Edmond O'Brien
Rating:

B&W...√
Femme Fatale...√
Cigarettes...√
Dutch Angles...√
Suspense...√
Murder...√
Caper...√
Flashbacks...√
Narration...√

The Killers definitely fits well within the film noir genre. The story is convoluted, but was surprisingly easy to follow. Jim Reardon (Edmond O'Brien) works for an insurance company and is sent to look into the death of a man who was killed by two unknown gunmen. The Killers, based off of Ernest Hemingway's short story of the same name, takes us on a suspenseful, intriguing murder mystery. It's told mostly through the aid of flashbacks, and I have to wonder if the creators of the film were inspired by Citizen Kane. I love the way we're dropped into the middle of the story and left to fill in the blanks. J.J. Abrams would have loved this film. :)

Burt Lancaster stars in his screen debut as The Swede, one of the main characters. I caught the end of Field of Dreams on TV the other night, which was his final film, so I find it fitfully ironic that I watched The Killers shortly after. Lancaster was by no means perfect in The Killers, but as his first role, he did a good job. He really pulls through with his raw emotionality in certain scenes.

And Ava Gardner is great as femme fatale Kitty Collins. She really brings a lot to her character. As a noir film I was pleasantly surprised at how the characters in the film had that rough and tough personality that we're used to in the genre, but their sensitive, more fragile sides are also shown in different scenes as well. The Killers truly is a character driven story and it's what makes it a great film. It's about people that we learn to care about over time and we want to know the outcome. That said, I would have liked to see more motivation and development for certain characters.

The Killers also has some very impressive cinematography from Elwood Bredell. The overall atmosphere fits throughout the film, both light and dark. I really liked what he did with the opening title sequence. It starts with two characters driving in a car. Cut to a town street late at night with the credits. Part way through the credits the two mean walk towards the camera with some awesome lighting and rising tension. The following scene where the killing takes place is an amazing piece of camerawork and lighting. You can read Rick's thoughts on the scene and watch the clip HERE. (Be warned that it does contain spoilers) There's another scene involving a heist that is almost as good.

It really is a great film. At times it seems to think it's more suspenseful than it really is, but dangit I was hooked. I was invested in the characters and generally interested in the story as a whole.

This review was written for...

[Note: I am writing two posts on this movie, as I think there's sooooo much in it to talk about ;-). This first part gives a synopsis and review. The second part will pick up on some of the threads running through it. Back to the show.]

Between November 1945 and October 1946, 24 of the key figures in the Nazi leadership faced trial before the International Military Tribunal. The trials were important not only in prosecuting the war crimes committed by the Nazis, but also in setting the foundations for prosecuting international war crimes in years to come.

Contrary to my expectations, Judgment at Nuremberg is not an account of those trials. Rather, it is about the later Judges’ Trials of 1948, which were held under US military law. While initially disappointed that the villains of Nazism weren't the villains in this story, I soon found the choice of the judges' trials a more fascinating story that took the film in completely unanticipated directions.

Threads

The movie is set in the post-war ruins of Nuremberg, once the site of massive Nazi rallies. The ruins are a character in themselves – not only are Germany's buildings in ruins, but so too its soul. And one of the things this film is doing is sifting through those ruins to see if anything (dignity, innocence) remains.

Another important thread in this movie is the nature of law. The choice of the trial of judges – who are the ultimate umpires or protectors of Law – absolutely shifts the focus to a trial of Law as well. But more on this later.

Synopsis

Spencer Tracey plays Chief Judge Dan Haywood, a former US District Court judge styled in the mold of American Supreme Court justice Oliver Wendell Holmes – the epitome of American legal virtue. The judge is the audience's surrogate – like him, it's all new to us and we are being asked to judge as well.

The judge presides over the prosecution of 4 judges in the Nazi regime, including Dr Ernst Janning (Burt Lancaster). Each faced a number of war crimes-related charges, including murder, and each entered a plea of not guilty. Richard Widmark plays the firebrand prosecutor, Colonel Lawson, while Maximilian Schell plays the sterling role of counsel for defence.

Now, as counsel for the defense points out "... it is not only Ernst Janning who is on trial here, it's German people". Enter the subplot.

The judge takes time out from the proceedings to explore Nuremberg – a refreshing break from the sometimes heavy proceedings. He meets Frau Berthold (Marlene Dietrich), widow of a German military official tried and executed at the first Nuremberg trials – they lived in the house occupied by the judge for the trials' duration. Berthold and the judge develop a close, but all above board, bond in the movie. In many ways, she symbolises the goodness and beauty of Germany in the shadow of the war’s atrocities, or at least the attempt to revive it. One great and very poignant scene is where they are both walking home together and a chorus of Germanfolk are singing "Das Lied eines Jungen Soldaten auf der Wacht", or "Lili Marleen" (an old German song made famous by Dietrich, who sang it to Allied troops in the war). As the two walk, Dietrich herself begins to sing.

This narrative provides relief from the gravity and dramatic tension of the courtroom, and also boasts some fitting samples of Beethoven, Wagner and a little oomp-pa-pa for good measure.

The trial continues to unfold, with the prosecution presenting two key witnesses. The first is the nervous Rudolf Peterson (played by the uber talented Montgomery Clift), who was forcibly "sanitised" (neutered) as part of the Nazi mental health policy. The second was Irene Hoffman (Judy Garland), imprisoned for refusing to testify against a Jewish family friend for alleged rape. Both cases were handled by the judges on trial.

The cross-examinations are harrowing, as both witnesses pretty much go on trial again care of the defence. The main argument is that both witnesses were correctly and appropriately judged according to laws at the time. While there is a lot of detail here, it is edge-of-seat stuff and a bit of a head *&^# to be honest. The defence's cross-examination is superb, uncomfortably convincing, but ultimately flawed.

Despite protestations from his counsel, Janning also gives testimony. His words are a chilling indictment not only of what happened, but all involved both inside an outside Germany, people and nations. The film winds up with the judges' verdict and reasons for decision, and a touching farewell.

Review

Judgment at Nuremberg is a thoroughly though-provoking and dramatic piece of legal drama, up there with the likes of To Kill A Mockingbird. It presents the complexity involved in questions of justice, responsibility and morality, while still very much retaining a dramatic edge.

The performances are brilliant, especially from Clift, Dietrich and Lancaster. I think the only major flaw lies with some of the photography, which seemed a little melodramatic in parts.

There is no doubt that it is a dense and lengthy movie, but it never really drops the ball and the reward is it makes you walk away with something to think about. It's an experience.

Another great thing about the movie is that it is not a victor's film. On first blush, the movie comes across as a bit of American self-aggrandisement. However, the emotivism of the US colonel-prosecutor, reminders that the US wanted to move on from the war crimes trials prove it otherwise. Also, the ever looming Cold War is excellently backgrounded in the film – the wheels of history are turning. The US is about to step into a whole new era where the same questions of justice, law and morality will prove just as vital – Vietnam was just around the corner.

So, five-star goodness from me. Judge for yourself.

My next post will pick up some of the threads that come up in the movie.

ACTOR DOMIZIANO ARCANGELI TO RECEIVE GOLDEN HALO AWARD FOR

ACTING ACHIEVEMENT AT THE 72^nd ANNUAL

SOUTHERN CA MOTION PICTURES COUNCIL AWARDS DINNER

AUGUST 4, 2008 FROM 7PM – 10PM AT SPORTSMAN LODGE IN STUDIO CITY

Los Angeles, CA Italian Actor Domiziano Arcangeli (Do-meet-zee-ahno Ark-an-jelly) to be honored with a Golden Halo Award for Acting Achievement during the 72^nd Annual Southern California Motion Pictures Council’s Awards Dinner held Monday, August 4, 2008 at the Sportsman Lodge in Studio City, CA from 7:00pm – 10:00pm. Academy-Award Winning Actress and Hollywood Icon, Margaret O’Brien, will present Arcangeli with his award. Past acting honorees include such notables as Actors Charlton Heston, Burt Lancaster, and Robert Mitchum.

The Evening in Paris themed event includes a silent auction, gourmet dinner, and Philanthropy Award honorees in addition to honoring Actor Domiziano Arcangeli. Actor Randal Malone, current president and chairman of the board of the Southern California Motion Picture Council, will serve as Master of Ceremonies. Confirmed celebrities attending include: Actress Rose Marie, Actor Jerry Maren, Actress Jayne Meadows, among others.

Domiziano Arcangeli is being honored for his acting work in Italy and the United States in more than sixty films, ten television series and numerous theatrical productions, nationally and internationally.

Arcangeli has performed in over seven productions this year alone. This past spring, Arcangeli starred in the big budget Martial Arts action thriller, SAMURAI AVENGER: THE BLIND WOLF, which was shot in Tokyo, Japan and Los Angeles, CA. Arcangeli is currently producing and starring in his own feature film, THE HOUSE OF FLESH MANNEQUINS, an art house thriller shot in Rome, Italy and Los Angeles, CA.

Additional film appearances include a cameo in the Lion’s Gate comedy STILL WAITING, and a co-starring role in the horror film, FRANKENSTEIN RISING, to name a few. Domi’s recent television appearances include a lead role in the HBO comedy IS NUDITY REQUIRED? and roles in KCAL9 Biblical television series, IT IS WRITTEN.

Arcangeli began his acting career at the age of thirteen in Italy performing in The Good Soldier for Academy Award winning director Franco Brusati, which led to work with such ‘Masters of European Cinema’…Federico Fellini (Intervista), and Liliana Cavani (Francesco). He has also worked with other celebrated Italian directors which include Tinto Brass (Paprika), Umberto Lenzi (Black Demons), Lucio Fulci and Bruno Mattei (Venetian Caprice).

Some of Arcangeli’s better known U.S. television credits include Showtime’s SIN’S KITCHEN and the Zalman King's series, CHROMIUM BLUE. He has also co-starred alongside Dennis Hopper in DEVIL’S HIGHWAY, and in Spanish cult director Jesus Franco’s film FLORES DE PERVERSION. Theatre credits include a world tour of Lev Dodin’s THE VISIONARY.

In 2007, Arcangeli launched a fan Web site, www.domizianoarcangeli.com, with his film credits, bio, headshots, demo reel, and additional publicity pictures and links for his fans. His professional credits can be seen here on IMDB.

The Southern California Motion Pictures Council Awards Ceremony honoring Actor Domiziano Arcangeli with a Golden Halo Award for Acting Achievement takes place Monday, August 4, 2008 from 7:00pm – 10:00pm at the Sportsman Lodge located at 12833 Ventura Blvd. Studio City, CA 91604 818-755-5000. Dinner reservations are $25 per person and can be made via phone: 626 794-1968.

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