So this year I decided to watch some film classics - (pre-1970 including blind spots and some re-watches). Here are my quick thoughts on what I've watched so far...
2. Sunset Boulevard - [re-watch, mostly] I *may* have seen this before - I double majored in Drama Studies & Film Theory so I definitely watched a lot of classic films for school, but we also watched a lot of classic scenes without watching the whole movie and I have a bad memory so sometimes I can't really remember if I've seen a whole movie or just parts of it. It didn't really seem very familiar to me until the iconic final scene (with her legendary line "I'm ready for my close up Mr. Demille"). Gloria Swanson was an acting force!! I don't think I've seen her in anything else, but she follows the same career as her character - having been a fairly well-known silent film actress in the 20s and then "aging out" of new Hollywood. It's interesting that I watched this not long before I watched Babylon (which is clearly influenced by several classic films including this one). I also like the structure of the story starting with the main character's death and then him recounting how it happened - this is obviously a popular structure technique now, but surely groundbreaking for Hollywood pictures in the 1950.
3. The Big Sleep - [blind spot] Two words: Lauren Bacall. She's one of those classic Hollywood starlets that I knew was a legend, but I've never actually seen her in anything (other than more modern stuff like as a guest star in tv shows, etc.). Her voice is distinct, but she also has this absolutely delicious line delivery that I could watch for hours. Obviously the chemistry between Bacall and Bogart is undeniable, and makes this movie a bit stronger than the actual plot. It's overwhelmingly convoluted, and unnecessarily complicated. However, the dialogue is smart, fast, and often funny. I'm just not sure that it makes any sense?
4. 12 Angry Men - [re-watch] One of the greatest films ever made (one of the few films that I rate 5 stars), and it still holds up 66 years later. Minimal set design, mostly one location, it heavily relies on the actors and the dialogue to keep the audience's interest, and that they do. Every single one of these actors shine at some point in the story - creating complex characters with even more complex moral codes within minutes. I think it's an interesting watch in the present day in relation to our current reliance on social media vs journalism. When a story breaks there are just SO. MANY. who rush to judgement and very decisive conclusions with absolutely zero research or questioning. It's kind of fascinating, but also very, very scary for the future. People seem to be ostracized for the simple act of asking a question (that may contradict the accepted narrative) and I have seen, first-hand, how this negatively impacts a cause - creating diversion among people who have the same goals (I think Covid is a huge example of this. People who question the vaccine and the effectiveness of masks are automatically judged as selfish, anti-vaxxers, who are somehow ok with people dying, but that's not true - everyone wants to get rid of Covid, but clearly the current measures aren't working? Can we start questioning why? Back at the end of 2021, when Omicron was rampant, the town I work in still had a mask mandate so every single person coming in to my store had to wear a mask (and I even bought all the employees the KN95 ones) and YET it still swept through my entire team! Out of 36 employees only 3 didn't get it (myself included - and I still haven't had it that I know of. I've been sick a few times, but all Covid tests have been negative). So...uh...masks...? That's still our solution? Why? One of my employees still wears a mask and yet she's had Covid THREE times! I'm not one for shaming people (wear the mask if it makes you feel comfortable), but I truly don't understand why we aren't demanding a better solution. And a vaccine that works). OHMYGOD I'm sorry for the tangent (it's my brand *shrugs shoulders*). I truly just forgot what I was even writing about. 12 Angry Men! Just the greatest courtroom drama ever - about perspective, judgement, questioning narratives and popular opinion, etc. I just love it.
5. Gigi - [blind spot] Honestly, I wish I never watched this one. I assumed, with all of those Oscars, that it was a great film. It's not. Starting off with the creepy song "Thank Heaven for Little Girls", it's truly a startling misogynistic and bordering on pedophilia story. I really questioned what the fuck I was watching, multiple times. The songs are mostly awful, it's not even really a musical (there are no big musical numbers), and it's boring. Some of the costumes are wonderful, though. That white dress with the black shoulder details is stunning. Other than that, I hope I forget everything about it. Quickly.
6. Dr. Strangelove or: how I don't feel like writing out the whole title - [re-watch] SO, this is a movie that everyone loves, that I did not care for when I watched it 20+ years ago. I re-watched it solely for the purpose of reassuring myself that I was right in my stance. But, I was not. It's great. I just think as a 22 year old young woman, I did not get it. I've always been a bit up and down with Kubrick (I LOVE A Clockwork Orange, 2001, and Full Metal Jacket. Sort of indifferent on The Shining and I loathe Eyes Wide Shut). But I think with this, I went into it taking it way too seriously, when it's actually very, very funny. I obviously knew it was supposed to be satire, but again, as a 22 year old living outside of NYC pre and post 9/11, I could not find the humor in it. I've now learned how to laugh at horrifying situations as a way to survive (especially after the political landscape we've endured over the past 7 years).
7. Funny Face - [re-watch] I've seen most of Audrey's bigger films (aside from the next one on the list), but this is one that I couldn't clearly remember. I really liked it. It's perfectly "Audrey" (I love her - I probably don't mention that very much on this blog because I rarely write about older films, but she's one of my favorite actresses of all-time, and she was such a lovely, lovely person. She had such a strong screen presence, and an iconic style - there's just nobody else like her (especially in the modern world - but there are a few that I would very hesitantly say are a close representation like Florence Pugh). It's fascinating that there are so many basic fashion trends that are attributed to Audrey still to this day (cigarette pants, black turtlenecks, ballet flats, the list goes on). I'm not sure the story really holds up today (and the age difference between Audrey and Fred Astaire...*green throwing up face emoji*), but it's beautiful to look at - the set design, costumes, musical numbers are all ace.
8. Charade - [blind spot] As much as I love Audrey, I was stunned to realize that I have not, in fact, ever seen this. When I started watching it, I *thought* it was a re-watch, but nothing seemed familiar to me AT ALL. Usually when something is a re-watch but I don't have a strong memory of it, I'll start to recognize certain parts, but just...nothing with this! It's sort of amazing that this passed me by, because it is extremely my shit. It's very Hitchcockian, with major twists and turns, and the chemistry between Hepburn and Cary Grant is INSANE. Plus, some of Audrey's most iconic looks are featured here! The lemon colored pea coat! The leopard pill box hat! The red Givenchy skirt suit! Legendary.
9. Number Seventeen - [re-watch] I have seen every single Hitchcock film (again, something I don't talk about because I focus on modern films on this blog, but I'm a Hitchcock super fan - most of my film studies focused on Hitch and/or his influences on filmmaking). But this is a film that I rated super low compared to the rest of his films, and I wondered why. But this is a case in which, unfortunately, I was right - it's not very good. There are some cool shots, but there is very little plot - and what's there is very confusing; nor is there interesting characters. I did a little bit of reading on this after I re-watched and I'm not surprised that this is one of those films that Hitchcock did not want to make (and he called it awful afterwards, so we can agree on that!).
10. Cat on a Hot Tin Roof - [blind spot] Again, as a Drama Studies major, I've read the Tennessee Williams play (multiple times) and I've seen it performed live on stage (also multiple times), but somehow the film eluded me. Even more surprising because of the combined star power of Elizabeth Taylor and Paul Newman. It's a great story, obvi, but they really sell it. I think it's interesting to watch this, as a part of a modern audience, first knowing that the original play was way more gay, but also that Newman himself was gay (or bisexual? I don't think he ever had an official coming out, right? Just others claiming to have had affairs with him?). I would like to think that people don't have to suffer like this anymore, but there are still so many people who aren't comfortable in their own skin, or aren't able to accept who they are, because of societal expectations. While Newman is an incredible actor, I found myself really impressed with Taylor here. I always think of her as being a bit over-dramatic in her roles but she's strong here. I enjoyed this, overall, but I cringed at how many times they say "Big Daddy" (it's A LOT).
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