Blue (1968)

Blue/Azul (Terence Stamp) has been raised by Mexican bandits after the murder of his parents when he was five years old. The bandit leader raises him as one of his own and Blue takes part in their murdering and pillaging. When the bandits decide to raid a town on the American side of the river Blue is confronted by his past. After rescuing the daughter of the local doctor from one of the bandits, Blue is taken in by them, and tries to renounce his past.

Upon it's release Blue was panned by the critics, and most hold the same view today, and I really do not understand why! I loved it!

Like most films made in the mid 60s Blue is something of a revisionist Western. It has a darker thread running through it than the majority of Westerns, and has more complex characters, Blue is definitely an anti-hero, who goes through a complex redemption during the course of the film. It is also grittier and more realistic than some Westerns (for example, the injured tend to be really injured and are unable to go on fighting spectacularly!).

Directed by Silvio Narizzano and with a cast that includes Karl Malden and Joanna Pettet Blue is a thought provoking film. Visually it is quite beautiful, although alas my dodgy screen caps don't really do it justice!

Pettet's character, Joanne, is a major catalyst not just for the general plot line, but also for Blue himself. As a character she breaks down some of the traditional boundaries put on women in Western films. She is strong, caring, forgiving, and with a great sense of justice. She is able to look past what other people see and find good. 

Blue is generally silent, his actions speak louder than his words. Stamp doesn't speak until about 40 minutes into the film but his face portrays his thoughts. As he is further confronted by the settlers way of life Blue begins to remember things. The scene in which he bashes away at the piano is the first moment he lets his guard down and it becomes evident that there is something more to him than just a lawless bandit. Upon his initial arrival at the farm he is almost mute, and it is hard to know if this is through spite, or because he simply finds it hard to speak his thoughts. After all he speaks little with the bandits. When he wishes to stay with Joanne and her father, he is unable to tell them, he simply begins ploughing their field, and Joanne comes to the realisation that this is his way of talking. As he and Joanne fall for each other, he opens up more, he reveals his past and it becomes evident that the death's of his parents still impact him. And there seems to be a lost element to Blue, one that belongs neither to the settlers or the Mexicans, after all he admits that Blue is not even his real name, and it remains unknown if he remembers his real name or not. In his final confrontations with his bandit father, and even through his love for Joanne, Blue is constantly torn between the two warring parts of himself, the past and the present, and throughout the film he is in a constant struggle between wanting to change and believing he is not able to change. I thought Stamp did a wonderful job of portraying Blue, roguish and tender at the same time. 

Blue is an underrated gem of a film and I wish more people could appreciate it! 

4/5

Hello, Dolly! (1969)

Dolly Levi (Barbra Streisand) is a widow who spends her time 'arranging things', mainly marriages. Whilst helping bachelor Horace Vandergelder (Walter Matthau) find a wife Dolly finds herself falling for him herself. Along the way she meddles in the lives of Horace's niece, Ermengarde, her boyfriend, Horace's two shop keepers, Cornelius and Barnaby, and two hat makers Irene and Minne.

Hello, Dolly! was directed by Gene Kelly and so it should come as no surprise that the dancing in the film is superb. I enjoyed it even more than the singing, although Streisand is wonderful. The film was based on the Broadway production of the same name. The film was nominated for seven academy awards and won three.

With a colourful cast including Michael Crawford, Danny Lockin, Marianne McAndrew, Joyce Ames and E.J. Peaker, Hello, Dolly! is a fun, joyful romp through New York. Whilst it is not the greatest musical in the world it is enjoyable and Streisand brings a fast paced life to the character of Dolly.

3.5/5

The Birds (1963)

Melanie Daniels (Tippi Hedren) arrives in Bodega Bay in an attempt to woe Mitch Brenner (Rod Taylor), a handsome bachelor she met by chance the day before. When she arrives in town she is inexplicably attacked by a seagull. As the days follow more and more bird attacks begin to happen. All sorts of birds, gulls, sparrows and crows begin attacking en mass, even killing two citizens.

I guess it's pretty shameful that I have never seen The Birds until now! But it certainly lived up to its reputation; it is terrifying! I'm not sure I'll ever look at a bird the same way again! Ha! Watching this film you can certainly see how Hitchcock got his nickname, 'the master of suspense'. Despite the frightening subject matter, it is still a very enjoyable film (its a bit like Jaws in that regard). The film also stars Jessica Tandy and Veronica Cartwright, as Mitch's mother and sister respectively.

The films strength lies in its ability to turn the ordinary into the extraordinary, and then by not explaining the extraordinary. Why are the birds attacking? There is no answer. And why do the attacks only begin when Daniel's arrives in town? Is she connected, as some suggest? Again, there is no answer, the audience is left to form their own views.

The film was loosely based on a novelette by Daphne du Maurier. The original tale was seen as a metaphor for the Blitz during World War Two. Hitchcock however had his screenplay changed so it involved a more elaborate plot and different characters.
Shooting of the film was not without problems. The Birds was Hedren's film debut, and Hitchcock was hoping to groom her into his next Grace Kelly. Unfortunately his behaviour became more and more obsessive and during the filming of the final sequence he had the bird handlers throw real birds at her instead of the mechanical ones she had been expecting. Hedren was terrified and was ordered by her doctor to have several days of bed rest to recover.

So watch out for those birds! You never know what they may be planning!

4/5

Happy Birthday Joanne!

A very Happy Birthday to one of my favourite people-Joanne Woodward who turns 86!

Happy Birthday lovely Joanne!!

A Night to Remember (1958)

On the 14th of April 1912 the 'unsinkable' RMS Titanic struck an iceberg. The ship was on it's maiden voyage, but it was never to complete it. The iceberg irreparablely damaged the ship and it went down leaving over 1,500 people dead in the icy waters of the Atlantic.

A Night to Remember tells the story of this well known disaster. It was the ninth film to be made about the sinking of the Titanic and was based on the book of the same name by Walter Lord. The film is regarded by most historians as being the best and most historically accurate of all films made about the event.

The film, which stars Kenneth More, Ronald Allen, Robert Ayres, Honor Blackman, Michael Goodlife, David McCallum and Laurence Naismith, tells the story of the fateful voyage in harrowing accuracy. Despite knowing the inevitable outcome from the start it is still a heart breaking, anxious watch as the ship sinks further and further into the icy water.
The film begins with the ships launch and follows the crew and several passengers of all three classes as they entertain themselves in the hours leading up to the collision. The film also serves as a powerful testimony to the politics of class. The snobbery of some and the selflessness of others. The disaster brings out the best and worst of all the classes.

Visually the film is stunning. Shot in black and white it adds an eerie quality to the wide expanse of sea, and the darkness of the night. Most of the characters reflect real people including Captain Smith and the famous 'unsinkable' Molly Brown. The film slowly descends into panic, at first nobody is particularly alarmed, no one really believes the ship will sink, but in the final moments before it descends chaos reigns. It's heartbreaking to watch but incredibly powerful.

"It's different…because we were so sure, because even though its happened it's still unbelievable. I don't think I'll ever feel sure again, about anything"

-Second Officer Charles Lightoller (Kenneth More)

4.5/5

Modesty Blaise (1966)

Modesty Blaise (Monica Vitti) is a thief/spy who becomes involved in a complicated jewel heist. Hired by the British secret service and aided by her friend Willie Garvin (Terence Stamp) Modesty must outwit master criminal Gabriel (Dirk Bogarde) and return the diamonds to Middle Eastern sheik Abu Tahir (Clive Revill).

On the one hand this film doesn't make much sense, on the other hand it's so colourful and so sixties, that it doesn't really matter!
The film is full of funky fashions, and ever changing hairstyles, Bogarde's mansion is bizarrely colourful, filled with patterns that make your head spin. The music is also incredibly catchy (and reminded me of the theme to the Natalie Wood film, Penelope).

There is a plot and it does revolve around the jewels, but it frequently goes off track and there are many moments that don't seem to fit into the rest of the film. As a spy spoof it does have some laugh out loud moments (I must admit the end when Modesty and Garvin are rescued on the beach was my favourite!). There are even some moments of random song, a goldfish in a wine glass and a scene which made me think Garvin was a robot (but he's not….)

The film was based on a comic book series of the same name which featured Modesty as a female version of James Bond (the film apparently bears little resemblance to the comics). It was the first of only two English language films that Vitti made.
It may not be the best film ever made, but it certainly is oddly enjoyable!

3.5/5

Blood and Sand (1941)

Juan (Tyrone Power) is a young, arrogant bull fighter who dreams of being the best in the world. He soon reaches his dream and marries his childhood sweetheart (Linda Darnell). At the height of his success he is seduced by wealthy aristocratic Doña Sol des Muire (Rita Hayworth) and his life takes a downward turn.

Blood and Sand was a remake of a silent film of the same tittle starring Rudolph Valentino and released in 1922 (this film in itself was a remake of a 1916 film). Both films were based on a novel by Vicente Blasco Ibáñez.
The film is beautifully shot, bringing together all the colour and vibrancy of Spain. The film won best cinematography at the Academy Awards. The costumes of the characters are also telling. Darnell is dressed in traditional clothes, demure, with high necks and full skirts. Hayworth is dressed in the latest fashions from Paris, she is chic and elegant, this heightens her differences from the other women in the town, she is alien and it attracts Power.  Power's costumes are gaudy, his bullfighting regalia is full of colour and gold, it marks his transition from poor boy to a celebrity akin to royalty. His clothes also serve as a reminder of his obsession with the material, and his lack of spiritual or personal regard for those around him.

Some scenes in the film are hard to watch particularly when they involve the bull fighting. It's cruelty makes it hard to sympathise with any of the characters for that point alone.
The fighters sacrifice their lives for the sport, but a lot is made of their educational sacrifices, none of them can read or write. This serves to highlight how superficially Juan appears to have everything, he is successful, has beautiful clothes and house, but underneath he has little, he is illiterate, he has lost most of his money and has lost his wife and the support of the crowd. In the end Hayworth leaves him for a new up and coming fighter (Anthony Quinn). It soon becomes apparent that the film is a dance towards death, from the opening scenes it feels inevitable that Juan will die in the ring.

3.5/5