Carmen Jones

I talk jus like yor Maw... and that's the last time I use phonetic spelling. It's about time I get to one of the few films on the List that could qualify in any way for Black History Month. If any of my readers are teaching high school theater or history, this is definitely one to check out. This picture is, in a word, odd. Not because there is not a single white person anywhere to be seen in the film (seriously, nowhere. Not in crowd scenes, not in background shots, nowhere). Every single person on screen is black in every scene. This had to have been an interesting casting call when it was made in 1954 - any black backlot actors who would wait around for work could be guaranteed work at least in crowd or street scenes. That's not the weird part, considering how many films on the list have only white people in them. The weird thing in this movie is the soundtrack. It is, as the title suggests, taken entirely from the opera Carmen. The plot is Carmen in WWII, and the soundtrack is Carmen in Very Exaggerated AAVE. It's very odd to hear character's suddenly start saying "dat" and "maw" and "I is", when they don't talk like that in the rest of the movie. Some of the dubbing is badly done, since neither Dorothy Dandridge nor Harry Belafonte were trained in operatic singing. Dorothy Dandridge's singing voice, a woman named Marilyn Horne, apparently worked very hard to approximate her voice, and doesn't do too bad a job. However, if you're used to Harry Belafonte's singing, it's quite peculiar to hear him suddenly singing in a vibrato tenor. Again, it was determined that there was nothing wrong with his voice, he just couldn't sing opera. The plot of the film is... really complicated. If you're familiar with Carmen, then you've got a vague idea of the plot of this movie. But the driving force of the plot is that the titular Carmen is only interested in men who are uninterested - so the engaged soldier Joe is a prime target. A series of various hijinks end up with them in Chicago, him hiding from the military police, and Carmen being pursued by a rich champion boxer. The movie ends like the opera and like the stage musical - with Joe murdering Carmen for ruining his life. Man, I review a lot of films where a sexy woman ruins a wholesome young man's life. Though Theda Bara got away with it. Does that mean that 1915 was more progressive than 1954? I have no idea. Dorothy Dandridge does look stunning throughout this film, Pearl Bailey's singing is great (and she is allowed to skip the weirdly exaggerated AAVE), and it's definitely a curiosity as a film. For teachers looking for some sort of lesson on black history in film that's not blaxspoitation, this may be one to check out. I won't say it doesn't have problematic elements, because it definitely does. This is one of those films that's more interesting as a study of segregation in film, maybe of sexism in film, or any number of elements like that rather than a strictly enjoyable film experience. But the film being so jam-packed with discussable items either makes it must-watch cinema, or must-avoid, depending on your personal preferences.

Ghostbusters

In honor of Harold Ramis, who we lost two years ago today, we are going to call. There is no review: only Zuul. This is kind of a natural follow-up to the Back to the Future post. It's a movie that I'm perfectly happy re-watching, even though I've seen it at least a dozen times already, and have the DVD, and have bought action figures, and have drunk Ecto-Cooler. I wasn't the massive fan as a kid that everyone else my age was, because my mother had a thing about a lot of supernatural stuff, and didn't want me to see the picture until I was older. So I first saw it when I was about 17. And wow. See, one of the nice things about not having seen a lot of movies when I was a kid (I watched a lot of movies, but mostly Disney, or Looney Tunes, or "family friendly" features... one injustice I've noticed is that Don Bluth isn't on the List) is getting to experience a lot of these movies fresh. I don't have the half-remembered thrill, or comparing them to my childhood memories. Sometimes that isn't so good - I am not a fan of The Goonies, which I saw for the first time when I was 19, but in the case of Ghostbusters, it was amazing. Imagine your first viewing of this film and actually getting all of the jokes. This is also one of those films that has achieved a huge level of cultural osmosis. There isn't a lot to talk about on the level of "Let's discuss", since you can mention Zuul, dogs and cats sleeping together, the big Twinkie, Mr. StayPuft, Are you a god?, WE GOT ONE, spores, molds, and fungus, the fire pole, the car, Slimer... and pretty much everyone knows what you're talking about. Except the little girl in Zombieland, but I guess there isn't much time for instant classic comedies in those circumstances. What can one do except go on at length that yeah, this movie really is that good. The special effects have held up pretty damn well, the plot is still engaging, and the only real complaint I have is that Winston could have had a more expanded role. I know it was originally supposed to go to Eddie Murphy, but still. Give the man some room to act. There is a major possibility that on some level I may be kinder to the films that I to some extent grew up with. I see fewer flaws in Beauty and the Beast than I do in Lilo and Stitch (although I love both movies, the third act of Lilo and Stitch was weaker than the rest of the film, and the rest of the film did suffer for it). I've obviously not had the highest opinion of every movie I've watched on the National Film Registry. It's going to be interesting charting my reactions on films I've seen before, or books I read before seeing the movie, and films I haven't. How often am I going to become a quote-spewing fangirl, and how often am I just going to watch a movie once? For Ghostbusters, all I can say is, if you haven't seen it yet, what are you waiting for?

Back to the Future

Busy couple of days, but I'm back from the future to talk about Back to the Future. So, the great thing with this film, as everyone knows, is in the attention to detail, and its biggest strength is the likability of its main characters. There is a reason this movie has achieved a level of cultural osmosis and "classic" status among the general population that a lot of films on this list haven't. I've always considered myself a pretty dedicated cinephile, but I had never heard of a bunch of films on this list. Back to the Future is one of those films from that interesting time in the 80's when filmmakers were mixing off-the-wall "science" ideas, comedy, and stunning practical effects to create a host of movies that are not only ridiculously quotable, but also "culturally significant" at the very least. Ghostbusters and Raiders of the Lost Ark are also on the List. In Back to the Future, most of it is riding on the charm of Michael J. Fox and the comedy of Christopher Lloyd. They do mesh together to form 1.21 gigawatts of perfection (correct pronunciation can be either "GIG-a" or "JIG-a"). The aging and de-aging makeup is fantastic, and really the only effects that look dated are the occasional green screen effects. Everything done practically still holds up. I suppose there are some flaws, like how did no one in Hill Valley not notice a mini-bus full of Libyans with a rocket launcher driving to the mall? Why did the McFly's hire the man who attempted to rape Lorraine in high school to work on their cars? Why do all the siblings still live at home in the better future when they're successful? The house looks nicer, but it's the same size. Why is only that big-ass truck in the garage? Does it hurt Marty and Jennifer's relationship that he now has a completely different memory of their past? But those tend to be problems with time travel narratives (except the Biff one. Why did no one ever seem to comment on how he was actively trying to rape Lorraine? Why doesn't she seem even remotely uncomfortable around this guy?) Either way, it's still a fantastic movie, and still a movie to watch for all the little details (like Twin Pines Mall becoming Lone Pines Mall). This movie is a touchstone for a reason, even though, unbelievably, it now all takes place in the past.

Young Mr. Lincoln

You'd think there would be some thematic tie-in with To Kill a Mockingbird, but there isn't. Young Honest Abe never says a word one way or the other on slavery, and only one black person appears in the entire hour and thirty-nine minute runtime. As a butler presenting Mr. Lincoln's calling card. The movie is actually concerned with "How did he pick up law?" and a hypothetical first case. It is, as to be expected, somewhat schmaltzy, coming out as it did in 1939. It was very unfashionable then to be critical of beloved presidents. The closest they come is he makes a lot of self-effacing wisecracks. And they do give Henry Fonda a wart, but Henry Fonda was definitely far handsomer than Lincoln. They don't make Abe Lincolns movie stars after all. The movie concerns Abe deciding to take up law after getting a barrel of old books in a trade, including Blackstone's Commentaries. He mostly gets along with hard-headed sense and an imposing physique, until two young men from a small country family are accused of murdering a local deputy. Abe stops a lynching by taking the men on as clients, and the second half of the movie is pretty much devoted to the trial. This is based on an actual trial Abraham Lincoln acted as a lawyer in - for one "Duff" Armstrong, and like the film, the eyewitness was proved faulty by an almanac. It really is rather clever. But it definitely was not as dramatic as it was in the movie. Though maybe that is the thematic tie-in - a person is wrongfully accused to cover up for the guilty, though kissing a black man and killing a guy in cold blood are in pretty different leagues. This movie is all right. I wouldn't say avoid it by any stretch, but it doesn't really seem one to specifically seek out unless you're a huge fan of pre-Civil War movies, Abraham Lincoln, or Henry Fonda.

To Kill a Mockingbird

Go and set a watchman, because it's been awhile. I haven't seen this film since we read the book in 8th grade. I just never got around to revisiting it, though I remembered it was a pretty good flick. Shame on my teacher for fast-forwarding through the opening credits - I actually think they're some of the best credits I've seen in a film on this list (though I laughed quite heartily at the opening credits for Deadpool, I don't think that film will be showing up on this blog any time soon). In general, the artistic direction in this film isn't so much "artistic direction" as "point a camera at a really talented cast and let 'em go". But those opening credits. I had also forgotten just how amazing Gregory Peck's voice was. This from a person whose favorite incarnation of The Doctor is the Fourth in part because of how gorgeous Tom Baker's voice is. I can't help it, I'm a sucker for a rich voice. You all know the story, so the point here is in examining it. While Roger Ebert does have a valid criticism that this movie does embody the "White Savior" archetype a little too patly, and maybe it is a big reflection on tone-deaf, self-congratulations among white liberals of the Civil Rights Era (which still makes it a very valid film today with all the talk about intersectionalism), but the story is primarily the story of a widower and his children. That is why it appealed to me, since I was brought up by a widower as well, and like Scout, I had (and have) a very close relationship with my father. Stories about widowers with children tend to be about women coming into their lives and teaching them to love again, because they shamefully neglect the poor little urchins they brought into the world with their sainted dead wives. I was shocked when a classmate stated the father in a story I had written came off as unrealistic because "All men are creeps around little girls". It is lovely to have a single father portrayed as a wise and compassionate caregiver, especially to a daughter. Strangely, the only other example I can think of off the top of my head is Jed Clampett from The Beverly Hillbillies. Maybe it's a trope where Southern/Appalachian single fathers raise their tomboy daughters with love, care, and dignity, while city men actually have to learn to love their daughters. Who knows what that's saying about society? But anyway, can Atticus come across as too perfect? Yes. But it is the story being told from his daughter's eyes, and I think kids should be able to have their parents be their heroes. To me, that's a strength of the film. The fact that it's not Tom Robinson's story may raise some eyebrows... as does the fact that the otherwise saintly Atticus, while refraining from using the derogatory "boy", only uses first names with the local black population, while all the white people get a Mr. or a Miss. Culture. This is a story where racist tensions are just a backdrop. It does do a good job of capturing the child's eye view of all of these things, but that may put some viewers off. Only you can know if you're one of them, though.

His Girl Friday

Why do I always think this movie is "His Gal Friday"? Wikipedia can't seem to agree on whether this movie is a screwball comedy or a dramedy, and honestly, neither can I. It has the pacing of a screwball comedy - not to mention Cary Grant in top one-liner form - but the subject matter is a little dark for the traditional screwball antics. When the source of what everyone is arguing about is whether a guy with a tenuous grip on reality gets executed because he shot a black police officer so a mayor and a sheriff can get re-elected by black voters, it's a little more sobering than "Will the heiress get back to her Johnny-Come-Lately hubby, or will she fall for the charming reporter?". This is also a really loud movie. Everyone talks over everyone else, until even the subtitles give up and just read [crosstalk] for large segments. This is obviously more natural than everyone standing around spewing one-liners and zingers at each other, but is more natural always a good thing? The Film Registry people obviously think so, but as a person with major neurological problems and a bad ear, I can't say I thought it was an improvement. I also feel somewhat ambivalent about the zany antics around the actual subject matter. I guess the original play, The Front Page, was pulling kind of a reverse "Execution of Troppman" kind of thing, where by heightening the absurdity and comedy in the spectators, the inhumanity of the execution is thus highlighted. I'm not sure - maybe it was just as concerned with being screwy and crazy and zany and the looming execution and deeply disturbing government corruption were just window dressing. His Girl Friday did do something new by making the star reporter a woman and having the marriage subplot be a re-marriage, with the constant refrain of "I'm going to live like a person". But that really doesn't cover up how very grim the story really is. It's on 100 Films...100 Laughs, but aside from the witty repartee in the opening, I didn't find many laughs. I found it disturbing how little the film seemed to care about the situation, beyond milking the absurdity for more laughs. I don't know if that was intentional or not, but it missed my funny bone. I can't wholeheartedly recommend this one. I know it's supposed to be a classic, but I don't intend on ever watching it again.

It's a Wonderful Life

Every time I make a new post, an angel gets its wings. This is a movie that's hard to talk about, in a different way than Laura was. With Laura, and likely the other film noirs I'll be going over in this blog, I don't want to divulge much because they are still surprising after being out for years. There really isn't anything surprising in It's a Wonderful Life because I was apparently the only person in the US not to see it until my 20's. Thank God for expired copyrights, eh? Without this film's copyright expiring, it would probably mostly only be known to Capra enthusiasts and Jimmy Stewart fans, as opposed to being so well known that nearly every comedy series ever has parodied it (my personal favorite, Mystery Science Theater 3000 and A Case of Spring Fever - "Merry Christmas, you wonderful old couch!"). It's not that it's a bad movie by any stretch, but it did disappoint at the box office, which led to the expired copyright, which led to it being aired as a Christmas special, which led to it becoming a classic, which led to a level of inescapable cultural osmosis. Which leads to me being somewhat tongue-tied, because you either adore this movie as a simple, classic tale of good, life-affirming values, or you loathe it as a corny can of cheesy schmaltz. For myself, I can pretty much go without the Christmas angle. To me, the really important part of the tale isn't that the climax takes place on Christmas - indeed, I think of it as really only tangentially a Christmas movie. What draws me to this movie is the fact that it's a tale of an eternal martyr, but not a gentle, good one. George Bailey is different from most martyr figures we see on screen for two major reasons: 1) He resents the hell out of it, and 2) He's a man. Usually when you get a film about one of life's tragic figures, who has their life constantly stolen in innumerable little ways until they finally snap, you get a Madame Bovary or a Bridges of Madison County. It's a woman who is a silent sufferer in the mundane inanity of it all, until she finally takes relief in an affair, after which she either kills herself or leaves her marriage. George Bailey not only complains about his fate, he spends most of the movie complaining. It's actually pretty refreshing. And unlike most martyr-men, George doesn't go rampaging through the town with an AK-47, nor is it made the fault of his wife. I can see why some people dislike this movie so much. The villain is never punished, the fact that George's wife becomes a librarian if she never meets him seems really stupid, and it can be squirm inducing to watch a generally likable guy get kicked around by life at every angle. But those are the reasons that I like it. You've probably already seen it and made up your mind, but if you haven't, I'd say give it a watch.