Author Topic: ET v. Sight and Sound's 100 Greatest Films of All Time  (Read 50799 times)

1SO

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Re: ET v. Sight and Sound's 100 Greatest Films of All Time
« Reply #150 on: April 25, 2020, 08:17:42 AM »
I like Antonioni a lot and he's the kind of director I can see you liking even more than me, but L'Eclisse is a terrible starting point. Perhaps the only worse one would be his next film Red Desert. His technique had a evolution and the best entry points are his two prior films, La Notte and L'Avventura. Blow-Up is his most popular, but it's one I appreciated a lot more after watching the others.

Eric/E.T.

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Re: ET v. Sight and Sound's 100 Greatest Films of All Time
« Reply #151 on: April 25, 2020, 06:30:51 PM »
That's interesting. Well, second film was the charm for Leone and I, so maybe when L'Avventure comes around things will work out better.
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Sam the Cinema Snob

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Re: ET v. Sight and Sound's 100 Greatest Films of All Time
« Reply #152 on: April 25, 2020, 07:18:05 PM »
At one point I want to rewatch his films and see if they click because they all left me cold.

Eric/E.T.

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Re: ET v. Sight and Sound's 100 Greatest Films of All Time
« Reply #153 on: April 26, 2020, 12:29:43 AM »
It's interesting, because throughout these first 25 or so, I've thought a few were just not good, but there's been nothing before L'eclisse where I knew I was watching a great film-maker but could not connect much at all. I figured this list would have more, though I go into every film with an open mind even if they sound very boring in a basic synopsis (and only a few have been in this situation). Griffith and von Stroheim might have provided the building blocks for cinema with some of their work, but Antonioni with L'eclisse just felt like a guy who knew exactly what he wanted, how to get it, it was all worthwhile, the cinematography and overall craft is far from dated/more timeless in quality, and I still couldn't vibe with it.
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Eric/E.T.

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Re: ET v. Sight and Sound's 100 Greatest Films of All Time
« Reply #154 on: April 26, 2020, 05:24:46 AM »
The Third Man
CAROL REED, 1949
3.5 STARS OUT OF 5

My previous contact with the writer, Graham Greene, had been through two of his novels, The Power and The Glory and Our Man in Havana, both resembling The Third Man in that they take place in politically delicate and troublesome settings. The reckoning in The Third Man, taking place in post-war and partitioned Vienna, seems a little more straightforward than in those novels, though. Here, the success is all in the buildup, the jigsaw puzzle pieces falling into place. It's a satisfying series of turns that leads to a really well-edited final chase and perfect final shot.

I always find it interesting when authors use authors as their proxies in their own stories to interrogate reality. Vonnegut famously had Kilgore Trout, an unsuccessful sort of dime novel sci-fi writer that he admired as being this back-page soothsayer, as well as just a decent dude, almost as someone inside whom he could hide. Greene's Holly Martins in The Third Man is similar in his relationship to Greene as Trout is to Vonnegut: a genre writer whose works are far less renowned and prestigious than Greene's own, though this gives him qualities that enable him to get to the bottom of the mysterious death of his friend Harry Lime (Orson Welles - a performance I'm not as dazzled with as many seem to be. He's very good on that Ferris wheel scene, though). To wit, his logical abilities, which no doubt allow him to write popular pulp novels, lead him to seeing through Lime's open-and-shut case that ends with his "accidental" death. These reasoning skills help him arrive at conclusions not even the detectives in the city thought possible. It's clear Greene was very intentional with Martins, as he also sets up a scene in which Martins is to give a talk to the local intelligentsia in Vienna, and they all walk out on him when he can't answer questions such as How do you rate James Joyce? Even he admits at one low point that he's a hack writer, but he also is instrumental in solving a crime that caused suffering for a great many people at the time, revolving around diluting and selling penicillin. Greene's finer points on the relative value of intellectualism and high-art, which can be corrupted and corrupt their users, v. general decency, which doesn't require intellectualism or understanding/production of art, is made fairly clear. In a way, that encapsulates the other novels I've referred to, especially Our Man in Havana, which is a page turner with far deeper social and political implications.

The setting of the film, a Vienna partitioned into four parts after WWII, is interesting, but I don't know if Greene and Reed get full mileage out of it. At the core of the story is an opportunist in Lime who wrought misery throughout the city. The setting is probably most acutely understood through Anna, a woman of Czech origin with forged documents that keep her from having to go to the Soviet sector of the city. Anti-Soviet bias before the fact is pretty obvious here, but as well, anyone with an understanding of post-WWII politics is aware that Soviet-controlled areas were far more closed and economically stunted than those controlled by more democratic countries, i.e. England, France, and America, clearly exemplified in East Germany. Thus, we understand implicitly what being delivered to the Soviet-controlled sector of the city means for her. We can also see how Lime's forgery of her documents caused her to have an undying loyalty to the man. Otherwise, she's not all that interesting, and the plot generally transcends its locale.

This is all not to say the setting is irrelevant or doesn't build some intrigue into the production. It's to say that the success of the film lies in its plotting, character-building, and overall sense of suspense, with a satisfying conclusion. The acting is the acting, it fits what Reed needs. The "Dutch angle" is noticeable, but more in the way where I thought, Hmm, the picture is crooked, though I see its use in a thriller where things aren't as they seem. All in all, a properly suspenseful and fun film-noir experience that got me thinking, but one that I also could jump easily into and out of.
« Last Edit: July 15, 2020, 08:06:32 AM by etdoesgood »
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Eric/E.T.

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Re: ET v. Sight and Sound's 100 Greatest Films of All Time
« Reply #155 on: April 28, 2020, 03:50:00 AM »
A Man Escaped
ROBERT BRESSON, 1956
4.5 STARS OUT OF 5

Might well be the perfect prison break film. Initially, I'm thinking, Great, another war time prison/POW film, just having seen La Grande Illusion by Renoir a few films ago on the S&S list, but this is a totally different beast. All we have are captured WWII French lieutenant, Fontaine, his cell, his ingenuity, and fellow inmates, most of whom don't have the guts or resourcefulness to do what he's doing. Not that I can blame them, what a terrifying situation they are all in. My buddy and I joked that Fontaine got out of prison, then sired a boy who we'd later know as MacGyver. He's on that level of problem-solving.

In this visually spare portrayal, director Robert Bresson presents the situation and lets our natural curiosity and sense of anticipation fill in the emotional spaces. This is my first Bresson, and I love his approach. For the vast majority of the film, we are attached to Fontaine, so we only see as much of the prison as he can, thereby only being able to know how sound his escape plan his by what he can hear, see, and figure out from the people with whom he communicates through message, talking through the bars, and tapping in Morse code on the wall. Fracois Letterrier, a non-professional actor, does a job as Fontaine, who we get to know far better through the first-person narration that spares us emotional highs and lows in favor of a very matter-of-fact telling of his escape in retrospect. There is nothing incredible required of the actor here, perfect for Bresson's m.o. No matter, I found the script/screenplay, especially the narration, so on-point and the process of him going from imprisoned to free so engaging and rewarding, that I didn't have to think much about what the camera was doing or what the quality of acting was, nothing, I just was in that cell and I just knew Fontaine needed to get out. He could've been the worst man on Earth, a serial killer, a turncoat whose handler disavowed him, or perhaps he could've been decent, it never crossed my mind to care until well after the film ended. I like that. What an experience.

A lot of the films on this list have had a good deal of melodrama, which can work, but isn't necessarily my favorite approach to writing and directing films. The ones I really got into despite it, like Yi Yi, are yet about something bigger than the melodrama as presented. With that said, the absence of any such melodrama in A Man Escaped is totally refreshing. It makes you think about how emotionally manipulative films can be, for the better and the worse. That's not meant as criticism, films should make you feel things, but with this film, Bresson doesn't dictate where your emotions ought to go, which is so different from most works of cinema. Even today, films seem to provide us with an emotional road map, be they popular works such as the MCU films or indie dramas. We could do with a few more films in the spirit of A Man Escaped.

I was going to end this with: It effortlessly gets its hooks into you, but it's better I didn't go there, right? But, I mean, you know, hooks? Get it? Haha? Better than that somewhat hyperbolic conclusion I went with, or at least maybe. Film's really CINECAST!ing good, though.
« Last Edit: July 15, 2020, 08:07:39 AM by etdoesgood »
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MartinTeller

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Re: ET v. Sight and Sound's 100 Greatest Films of All Time
« Reply #156 on: April 28, 2020, 08:34:29 AM »
Yay!

I don't comment much but I watch this thread with great interest. When I see it on the list of threads with new posts, I always hit this one first. Maybe I'm just rooting for my favorites to score well (even though I've given 1SO grief for caring too much about other people's opinions). Also I think your reviews remind me of my own from 7-8 years ago, when I was actually putting effort into them.

Eric/E.T.

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Re: ET v. Sight and Sound's 100 Greatest Films of All Time
« Reply #157 on: April 28, 2020, 09:38:18 AM »
Yay!

I don't comment much but I watch this thread with great interest. When I see it on the list of threads with new posts, I always hit this one first. Maybe I'm just rooting for my favorites to score well (even though I've given 1SO grief for caring too much about other people's opinions). Also I think your reviews remind me of my own from 7-8 years ago, when I was actually putting effort into them.

First, thank you for the compliments. I appreciate your, and everyone else's, readership and love your feedback when it comes. I think it's pretty normal to root for your favorites. Just this week, I put a blurb out about System Crasher, a German film on Netflix, and held my breath when jdc and 1SO said they'd give it a shot. When they both liked it, well, it's a good feeling, isn't? I don't take it too hard when people don't like what I like, though. It happens.

I used to write reviews like this in music in the early-to-mid aughts, but those were even longer, and often very personal, borderline self-indulgent. I'm trying to strike a balance, but these films have really sparked a passion in me.

I wanted to put a couple of things out to you (or anyone else who's interested) for comment, if you have the time:
1. I think a lot of these all-time lists, as I browse around the internet, seem to be quite self-reinforcing, so I think next I'll be looking for alternative polls that include, say, genre films, or polls on women directors or films by Black directors. But that's not to say these sort of "common wisdom" polls aren't great and important. I'm having a ball. Any suggestions as to which polls I might look at next to help round out my education a bit, knowing I have a long way to go?
2. I can see from Letterboxd that you have seen Cria Cuervos and gave it 4 stars...just wondering if you have any words on that, in light of my love for The Spirit of the Beehive. It's on an IndieWire list of 30 films that didn't make the S&S list, but (in their opinions) should have.

Last thing, you know Satantango is coming up on this list. Any interest in doing a Watch2gether? Again, anyone out there, I'm down. I know it's a freakin' marathon just to watch that one film, but I think it'd be fun to do together, too. I understand if people can't make the time, just figured it's event-worthy.
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1SO

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Re: ET v. Sight and Sound's 100 Greatest Films of All Time
« Reply #158 on: April 28, 2020, 10:45:11 AM »
1. I think a lot of these all-time lists, as I browse around the internet, seem to be quite self-reinforcing, so I think next I'll be looking for alternative polls that include, say, genre films, or polls on women directors or films by Black directors. But that's not to say these sort of "common wisdom" polls aren't great and important. I'm having a ball. Any suggestions as to which polls I might look at next to help round out my education a bit, knowing I have a long way to go?
Have you been to I Check Movies? They have a number of great lists divided into various categories like Awards, Institutes and Countries or you can look at the master list of films ranked by the number of Official lists they appear on.

MartinTeller

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Re: ET v. Sight and Sound's 100 Greatest Films of All Time
« Reply #159 on: April 28, 2020, 10:53:26 AM »
I used to write reviews like this in music in the early-to-mid aughts, but those were even longer, and often very personal, borderline self-indulgent. I'm trying to strike a balance, but these films have really sparked a passion in me.

Funny... before I did movie reviews, I also did music reviews (now long lost to the mists of the internet, thank heavens).

I wanted to put a couple of things out to you (or anyone else who's interested) for comment, if you have the time:
1. I think a lot of these all-time lists, as I browse around the internet, seem to be quite self-reinforcing, so I think next I'll be looking for alternative polls that include, say, genre films, or polls on women directors or films by Black directors. But that's not to say these sort of "common wisdom" polls aren't great and important. I'm having a ball. Any suggestions as to which polls I might look at next to help round out my education a bit, knowing I have a long way to go?

After doing the S&S list, I was hungry for something that dug deeper, so I tackled the They Shoot Pictures, Don't They? list. At the top of the list are the usual canonical suspects, but down near the bottom you find a lot of (semi-)hidden gems. I completed the 2014 version of the list, although they update it every year so I'm missing 14 on the current list. Anyway, it's a good springboard into discovering lesser-known films and directors.

2. I can see from Letterboxd that you have seen Cria Cuervos and gave it 4 stars...just wondering if you have any words on that, in light of my love for The Spirit of the Beehive. It's on an IndieWire list of 30 films that didn't make the S&S list, but (in their opinions) should have.

It's been 13 years since I saw it and I really don't remember much. I'm afraid I have nothing to add to my already meager review, except that the repeated use of Jeanette's "Porque te vas" made it one of my favorite songs.

Last thing, you know Satantango is coming up on this list. Any interest in doing a Watch2gether? Again, anyone out there, I'm down. I know it's a freakin' marathon just to watch that one film, but I think it'd be fun to do together, too. I understand if people can't make the time, just figured it's event-worthy.

I'm not watching it again until I watch it on Blu-Ray. The Facets DVD is non-anamorphic and abysmal. Also I have to squeeze movies in when I can between work and family time. Usually I can't really plan on watching something at a certain time... especially a 7.5-hour something.