1950s Discussion and Suggestions (Lists Project Vol. 2)

Message

Gropius · #176 Post by **Gropius** » Tue Jun 26, 2007 8:57 pm

zedz wrote:On present voting, there would be no point doing this for Boetticher, alas.

Alas? As David Thomson said of Derek Malcolm's Guardian 100, 'why should a mere list be given such Schindlerian gravity?' It's not as if it will result in the establishment of an officially-sanctioned canon.

Although I appreciate the anorak spirit of this game.

Michael Kerpan · #177 Post by **Michael Kerpan** » Tue Jun 26, 2007 10:12 pm

If 1950s Japanese cinema was adequately represented on subbed video, I think it could wind up totally dominating 1950s Hollywood (and this is without intending any put down of Hollywood). Outside Kurosawa (and -- now Ozu), less than 5 percent of Japan's most important (and enjoyable) films are accessible.

While I can link to screen shots of Imai and Gosho and Uchida and less-known Naruse, etc. -- there is no way I can really promote most of the wonderful films I've seen (and I've seen only a tiny fraction of those ythat were made).

Maybe someday....

Steven H · #178 Post by **Steven H** » Tue Jun 26, 2007 10:35 pm

I agree, Michael. I'm constantly surprised by how good some of these rare, unsubtitled, Japanese 50s films are. The distinction between directing styles is often striking, and forget about comparing it to other national cinemas.

#179 Post by **zedz** » Tue Jun 26, 2007 11:04 pm

Gropius wrote:
zedz wrote:On present voting, there would be no point doing this for Boetticher, alas.
Alas? As David Thomson said of Derek Malcolm's Guardian 100, 'why should a mere list be given such Schindlerian gravity?' It's not as if it will result in the establishment of an officially-sanctioned canon.

Although I appreciate the anorak spirit of this game.

As I've stated before, the final list that seems to be the objective of the game is actually the thing I'm least interested in. It's the discussion that arises out of it that wakes me up, and it seems that Boetticher is not on anybody's minds at the moment. It's an existential 'alas.'

vivahawks · #180 Post by **vivahawks** » Wed Jun 27, 2007 2:24 am

Seeing the discussion going on about the Mann westerns, I want to chip in a word for his Devil's Doorway, which is terribly overlooked. It stars Robert Taylor in the best work he ever did as an ex-US cavalryman Indian who returns home to find racism unabated. It's a flawed but fascinating film, and like Winchester 73 and The Furies (all three made in the same year!) shows Mann bridging his noir and western styles. The only other 50s western I can think of that can boast a similarly sophisticated look at what it meant to be Native American is Fuller's Run of the Arrow, which is on the borderline on my list right now (which includes five Manns and Man of the West #2 overall).

Seeing the mention of Lerner's fine Murder by Contract, I would also recommend his City of Fear, another low-budget thriller made the following year with a disconcertingly contemporary storyline: an escaped convict runs loose in LA carrying a "dirty bomb" (a sealed can of radioactive poison). It's tense, efficient, and features the same dry, socially aware tone of Murder. Funny that davidhare describes it as pre-New Wave, as I've always felt that Lerner, if he had continued on the path suggested by Murder and City of Fear's sardonic attitude and sharp mise-en-scene, could have been an American approximation to Melville. We'll never know.

vivahawks · #181 Post by **vivahawks** » Thu Jun 28, 2007 10:00 am

Thanks david. Hopefully if work slows down soon I will have more time to hang out around here. I agree about the ending of Murder by Contract, and City of Fear suffers a bit from the same problem, though it tries to go in a different direction by literalizing the social metaphor implied by the plot.

Off to work again...

jonp72 · #182 Post by **jonp72** » Thu Jun 28, 2007 4:03 pm

Wow, it's great to see so many fans of Murder by Contract on the boards here. Now, I won't feel like I'm tilting at windmills by voting for it. It might be too much to ask, but are there any others out there who feel similarly about Josef von Sternberg's Saga of Anatahan? That film was a revelation for me. It's a meticulous fusion of American and Japanese filmmaking styles filtered through an ex-German Expressionist. Like the Scarlet Empress, it's great examination of how the erotic allure of Woman can upset the applecart of social hierarchy.

#183 Post by **zedz** » Thu Jun 28, 2007 5:43 pm

jonp72 wrote:It might be too much to ask, but are there any others out there who feel similarly about Josef von Sternberg's Saga of Anatahan?

Yes, but I'd urge you to get your vote in for it!

Michael Kerpan · #184 Post by **Michael Kerpan** » Thu Jun 28, 2007 7:17 pm

jonp72 wrote:It might be too much to ask, but are there any others out there who feel similarly about Josef von Sternberg's Saga of Anatahan? .

On MY list.

;~}

Michael · #185 Post by **Michael** » Fri Jun 29, 2007 12:56 am

And not on mine. Where's the damn dvd?!

I wish I could explore von Sternberg but the only one I've seen by him is Blonde Venus which I'm pretty nuts about.

Kenji · #186 Post by **Kenji** » Fri Jun 29, 2007 4:58 am

Well, i've submitted my little list. A tremendous decade, especially for Japanese cinema, and with the mention of Borowczyk, i regret not including The Astronauts, which i give a slight edge over Dom. Some sort of influence on Terry Gilliam for Monty Python, or via others in between?

Arcadean · #187 Post by **Arcadean** » Fri Jun 29, 2007 1:02 pm

Anatahan is #2 on my own list that I'm submitting very soon (I'm close to a list of 50 films out of an original list of 150). It's the most sublime Sternberg film I've ever seen (Incidently, I recommend Jonathan Rosenbaum's wonderful article on the film in his book Placing Movies. It certainly explains some of the more subtle and ambiguous aspects of the film and a few of Sternberg's quotes about Anatahan from his autobiography). It's playing in Chicago soon at Doc Films. I can't wait to see it on the big screen.

mikeohhh · #188 Post by **mikeohhh** » Fri Jun 29, 2007 3:24 pm

Michael wrote:And not on mine. Where's the damn dvd?!

I wish I could explore von Sternberg but the only one I've seen by him is Blonde Venus which I'm pretty nuts about.

Holy smokes, this is pretty shocking knowing your tastes. Get that Marlene Dietrich Glamour Collection set stat!! It has Blonde Venus (my favorite too), plus Morocco and The Devil is a Woman, as well as two non-Sternberg titles (which I haven't watched yet). Also, The Blue Angel and The Scarlet Empress are absolutely essential. The Dietrich/Sternberg movies are some of my favorites ever and, like I said earlier, knowing your tastes (which very often overlap with mine), these should be your favorites too.

Oops, we're supposed to be talking about the 1950s! Watching it again yesterday, how hot is Marlene in Touch of Evil? And she's like 60(!!!)!!

Michael · #189 Post by **Michael** » Fri Jun 29, 2007 3:33 pm

Holy smokes, this is pretty shocking knowing your tastes. Get that Marlene Dietrich Glamour Collection set stat!! It has Blonde Venus (my favorite too), plus Morocco and The Devil is a Woman, as well as two non-Sternberg titles (which I haven't watched yet). Also, The Blue Angel and The Scarlet Empress are absolutely essential. The Dietrich/Sternberg movies are some of my favorites ever and, like I said earlier, knowing your tastes (which very often overlap with mine), these should be your favorites too.

My friend got me the Glamour Collection for my birthday last month and I got around to watching Blonde Venus one night but I wasn't able to find the time to watch the rest of the collection since I was catching up with 1950s and Vincente Minnelli movies, etc. But I swear I will make this summer all completely Marlene.

Joshua Dago · #190 Post by **Joshua Dago** » Tue Jul 10, 2007 5:44 am

very interesting, i widely agree with the mentioning of the classics such as The Night of The Hunter, Ikiru, Ukigumo, Wild Strawberries and of course Sunset Blvd.

other favorites on my list are Kanal (Wajda) and Fanfare (Haanstra), but i doubt much people on here have seen the latter.