"This mission is too important for me to allow you to jeopardize it."
---HAL 9000
The one thing that most people remember after watching Stanley Kubrick's 2001: A Space Odyssey is how sinister the computer HAL 9000 is. For those who are paranoid about the eventual robot takeover the world may see centuries from now, this part of the film is the prime example of how man-made computers will take control and destroy their makers. HAL sees it as his programmed duty to stop astronauts Dave Bowman (Keir Dullea) and Frank Poole (Gary Lockwood) from devastating their Jupiter mission. This fight with HAL is only a section of the film: the majority of it is about man's evolution and space travel with the aid of an alien artifact known as the monolith. However this is the most famous and most talked about storyline from the movies and thus will be focused on here.
In the later part of the film, we are introduced to the astronauts on the secretive Jupiter missions, Dr. Dave Bowman and Dr. Frank Poole, and their computer companion and guide HAL 9000. HAL boasts to being a computer system with the inability to fail its missions. As a result, the astronauts put full trust in HAL's reports until something goes inexplicably wrong with one of their vessels. When this happens, Dave and Frank begin to doubt HAL and consider the idea that he is trying to eliminate the astronauts from the mission. The final confirmation of this idea comes when HAL releases Frank into space without oxygen or any way of getting back to the spaceship.
There isn't any love story in this movie, there isn't even a friendship, but we still feel an emotion akin to compassion when astronaut Dave must destroy HAL 9000. As HAL's main computer board is slowly disconnected, he tries to reach out to Dave to try and stop him from destroying him. He pleads to Dave, apologizes for his actions, and then slowly loses his memory and re-enacts his introduction to the scientists at the beginning of his life. The final pull at the audience is when HAL starts singing "Daisy", a sweet song he must have learned early in his computer life. As he slows down his speech, it is like a human dying and reliving their past right before their final breathe. There is not much compassion in 2001 because we do not get a sense of the characters as people with real emotions (Dave and Frank were hired for this mission because of their complete lack of emotion even in stressful or unusual circumstances). Strangely enough, the one character we feel sympathy towards, almost to a point where we can relate, is for a computer robot.
FUN FACT: The video screens inside of the spaceship's control panel are actually projection screens with an image projected from behind the astronauts!
FAVORITE QUOTE: "I know I've made some very poor decisions recently, but I can give you my complete assurance that my work will be back to normal." ---HAL 9000
Thursday, October 28, 2010
Friday, October 22, 2010
#14 PSYCHO (1960)
"A son is a poor substitute for a lover."
---Norman Bates
Alfred Hitchcock's most famous and most seen work is Psycho, named the most thrilling movie according to AFI. Though it was made cheaply with his television crew backing him, this film is the most shocking and the most memorable in Hitchcock's canon. Despite a horrible color remake in the nineties, audience members who see it now are still deeply affected by the disturbing story he presents. The film was ground-breaking for its cinematography (especially during the shower scene) and its controversial portrayal of sex, violence and the mentally insane.
The most shocking scene in Psycho is the shower scene, and most of its shock-value is created by the audience members themselves. Although Marion Crane (Janet Leigh) is naked and bathing herself when she is murdered, we do not see any of her private parts, nor do we actually see any flesh torn or any blood coming from any part of her body. Hitchcock created this famous scene by setting up over 45 camera angles and editing all the footage together to give the illusion of a violent and graphic murder scene. This illusion was so well crafted that many critics and moviegoers at the time were outraged at how disturbing the film was. Besides the shower scene, the portrayal of extramarital affairs and sex is handled in a way that was unconventional for movies at that time. Marion has a secret, admittedly mostly sexual, relationship with her boyfriend Sam Loomis (John Gavin). The first scene in Psycho is the two of them in their underclothes on a motel bed. In later scenes we see Marion dressing and undressing in her bra and panties. We watch as Norman removes a portrait from the office wall so he can discreetly watch Marion undress in her motel room.
The relationship between Norman Bates (Anthony Perkins) and his mother is the most disturbing relationship between a mother and son ever shown in the movies up to that point. Solely raised by his mother for most of his life, Norman was almost unnaturally in love with her. So much so, that he would go to any lengths to protect that love. It would be tragic to reveal the twist in the movie to someone who has not seen it (or has not been told it) before, so I will not say what exact lengths he takes. Norman admits that he feels trapped by his circumstances and we initially believe he means he is trapped taking care of his supposedly invalid mother. What we soon learn is that his trap is one created by his own madness, a sick secret he carries. Norman speaks of his mother's illness, but we will find out it is Norman's illness that is the real meaning behind the film's title. Maybe Norman cannot help the way he feels, the way he acts, and maybe he really is suffering with something he cannot possibly control. Regardless, that is not an excuse for the terrible actions he takes throughout the movie. All of this makes Psycho a richly complex and engrossing film that is still one of the best thrillers ever made.
FUN FACT: When Psycho was first released in theaters, Alfred Hitchcock insisted that no one be allowed in after the film started! He even had policemen and theater managers stand outside each screening and turn away people who arrived late. This encouraged the start of lines forming before screenings. Also, Hitchcock makes his cameo about six and a half minutes into the film, standing outside Marion Crane's workplace, wearing a cowboy hat.
FAVORITE QUOTE: "It's not as if she were a...a maniac, a raving thing. She...she just goes a little mad sometimes. We all go a little mad sometimes. Haven't you?"
---Norman Bates, Psycho
---Norman Bates
Alfred Hitchcock's most famous and most seen work is Psycho, named the most thrilling movie according to AFI. Though it was made cheaply with his television crew backing him, this film is the most shocking and the most memorable in Hitchcock's canon. Despite a horrible color remake in the nineties, audience members who see it now are still deeply affected by the disturbing story he presents. The film was ground-breaking for its cinematography (especially during the shower scene) and its controversial portrayal of sex, violence and the mentally insane.
The most shocking scene in Psycho is the shower scene, and most of its shock-value is created by the audience members themselves. Although Marion Crane (Janet Leigh) is naked and bathing herself when she is murdered, we do not see any of her private parts, nor do we actually see any flesh torn or any blood coming from any part of her body. Hitchcock created this famous scene by setting up over 45 camera angles and editing all the footage together to give the illusion of a violent and graphic murder scene. This illusion was so well crafted that many critics and moviegoers at the time were outraged at how disturbing the film was. Besides the shower scene, the portrayal of extramarital affairs and sex is handled in a way that was unconventional for movies at that time. Marion has a secret, admittedly mostly sexual, relationship with her boyfriend Sam Loomis (John Gavin). The first scene in Psycho is the two of them in their underclothes on a motel bed. In later scenes we see Marion dressing and undressing in her bra and panties. We watch as Norman removes a portrait from the office wall so he can discreetly watch Marion undress in her motel room.
The relationship between Norman Bates (Anthony Perkins) and his mother is the most disturbing relationship between a mother and son ever shown in the movies up to that point. Solely raised by his mother for most of his life, Norman was almost unnaturally in love with her. So much so, that he would go to any lengths to protect that love. It would be tragic to reveal the twist in the movie to someone who has not seen it (or has not been told it) before, so I will not say what exact lengths he takes. Norman admits that he feels trapped by his circumstances and we initially believe he means he is trapped taking care of his supposedly invalid mother. What we soon learn is that his trap is one created by his own madness, a sick secret he carries. Norman speaks of his mother's illness, but we will find out it is Norman's illness that is the real meaning behind the film's title. Maybe Norman cannot help the way he feels, the way he acts, and maybe he really is suffering with something he cannot possibly control. Regardless, that is not an excuse for the terrible actions he takes throughout the movie. All of this makes Psycho a richly complex and engrossing film that is still one of the best thrillers ever made.
FUN FACT: When Psycho was first released in theaters, Alfred Hitchcock insisted that no one be allowed in after the film started! He even had policemen and theater managers stand outside each screening and turn away people who arrived late. This encouraged the start of lines forming before screenings. Also, Hitchcock makes his cameo about six and a half minutes into the film, standing outside Marion Crane's workplace, wearing a cowboy hat.
FAVORITE QUOTE: "It's not as if she were a...a maniac, a raving thing. She...she just goes a little mad sometimes. We all go a little mad sometimes. Haven't you?"
---Norman Bates, Psycho
Tuesday, October 19, 2010
#13 STAR WARS (1977)
"I find your lack of faith disturbing."
---Darth Vader
Like potato chips, it is hard to watch just one of George Lucas' Star Wars movies. To review the first Star Wars movie, I watched all six Episodes in sequential order. Consequently, it is difficult to see the first one, also known as Star Wars: Episode 4 A New Hope, as its own separate film for review. Nevertheless, this first one, considered worthy of being in the top 20 best movies ever made, is an amazing film on its own for its breakthroughs and innovations in technology and special effects.
The first Star Wars movies centers on Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill) and his initiation into the war between the evil Empire and the Rebel leaders who are fighting on the side of good. He is brought into this world by Obi-Wan Kenobi (Alec Guinness), known to Luke as hermit Ben Kenobi, and is thrust into a search for Princess Leia (Carrie Fisher), a Rebel leader who holds the key needed to destroy the Empire's evil reign. Luke's companions and fellow Rebels are Han Solo (Harrison Ford), C-3PO (Anthony Daniels), and R2-D2 (Kenny Baker); his ultimate adversary is Darth Vader (acted by David Prowse and voiced by James Earl Jones). All of these characters add to the richness of the story and interest the audience maintains throughout the complex sags. The real star of this film is the special effects, which keep the audience fascinated even when they lose sight of the characters' motivations in the story.
While Episodes I-III are known for the romance between Padme (Natalie Portman) and Anakin Skywalker (Hayden Christiansen), there is just a small romance between Han Solo and Princess Leia in the later Episodes. This romance is only a flirtation in the original Star Wars, so the real love story is about one's love for their people and their homeland. Luke joins the fight with the Rebel Alliance because he wants to be on the side of good, the side the aunt and uncle who raised him would have wanted him to be on. He is fighting on behalf of his homeland and so is Princess Leia, who seeks to avenge her destroyed home planet. The whole Star Wars saga returns to this theme of duty and honor and the fight for good. It is the journey through this fight that makes Star Wars on the best series of movies ever made.
FUN FACT: The giant Banthas on the planet Tatooine are actually elephants covered in fake hair and tusks! George Lucas has said that it would have been to costly and time-consuming to create real Banthas with clay animation, as some of the other creatures are in the film.
FAVORITE QUOTE: "We're fine. We're all fine here now, thank you. How are you?"
---Han Solo, Star Wars
---Darth Vader
Like potato chips, it is hard to watch just one of George Lucas' Star Wars movies. To review the first Star Wars movie, I watched all six Episodes in sequential order. Consequently, it is difficult to see the first one, also known as Star Wars: Episode 4 A New Hope, as its own separate film for review. Nevertheless, this first one, considered worthy of being in the top 20 best movies ever made, is an amazing film on its own for its breakthroughs and innovations in technology and special effects.
The first Star Wars movies centers on Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill) and his initiation into the war between the evil Empire and the Rebel leaders who are fighting on the side of good. He is brought into this world by Obi-Wan Kenobi (Alec Guinness), known to Luke as hermit Ben Kenobi, and is thrust into a search for Princess Leia (Carrie Fisher), a Rebel leader who holds the key needed to destroy the Empire's evil reign. Luke's companions and fellow Rebels are Han Solo (Harrison Ford), C-3PO (Anthony Daniels), and R2-D2 (Kenny Baker); his ultimate adversary is Darth Vader (acted by David Prowse and voiced by James Earl Jones). All of these characters add to the richness of the story and interest the audience maintains throughout the complex sags. The real star of this film is the special effects, which keep the audience fascinated even when they lose sight of the characters' motivations in the story.
While Episodes I-III are known for the romance between Padme (Natalie Portman) and Anakin Skywalker (Hayden Christiansen), there is just a small romance between Han Solo and Princess Leia in the later Episodes. This romance is only a flirtation in the original Star Wars, so the real love story is about one's love for their people and their homeland. Luke joins the fight with the Rebel Alliance because he wants to be on the side of good, the side the aunt and uncle who raised him would have wanted him to be on. He is fighting on behalf of his homeland and so is Princess Leia, who seeks to avenge her destroyed home planet. The whole Star Wars saga returns to this theme of duty and honor and the fight for good. It is the journey through this fight that makes Star Wars on the best series of movies ever made.
FUN FACT: The giant Banthas on the planet Tatooine are actually elephants covered in fake hair and tusks! George Lucas has said that it would have been to costly and time-consuming to create real Banthas with clay animation, as some of the other creatures are in the film.
FAVORITE QUOTE: "We're fine. We're all fine here now, thank you. How are you?"
---Han Solo, Star Wars
Wednesday, October 13, 2010
#12 THE SEARCHERS (1956)
"That'll be the day!"
---Ethan Edwards
Most people know John Wayne as the major star of westerns. Some people know that director John Ford was known for directing westerns. And some even know that John Wayne starred in many of the westerns John Ford directed. What people may not know is that, although they made numerous films together, The Searchers is arguably their finest work together due to the film's controversial and uncharacteristic portrayal of John Wayne as an unsympathetic character who would kill his own flesh and blood because of his beliefs. The Searchers story revolves around the search for the kidnapped niece of Ethan Edwards (John Wayne) after a tribe of Comanche Indians attacks and murders his brother, his brother's wife, and two of their children. The only survivor of this massacre is Ethan's nine-year-old niece Debbie (Natalie Wood), and the rush is on to save her before she becomes a young woman and is taken as the wife of Comanche chief Scar (Henry Brandon). What is disturbing about Ethan's character is that he will forsake his niece if he finds that she has become brainwashed by the Comanche and has had her purity taken away by Scar. To Ethan, she is as good as dead to him once this happens.
Ethan's feelings are not shared by his only fellow searcher, Martin Pawley (Jeffrey Hunter), a young man who was taken in as a baby and raised by Debbie's family when his family was murdered by the Comanche. Martin believes that they must rescue Debbie no matter what because she is family, even if she is not his actual blood family. Like Ethan, Martin's girlfriend Laurie (Vera Miles) thinks that the search for Debbie is useless if she has been ruined by the Comanche. The only love story in this movie is between Laurie and Martin, though he does not realize how much he loves her until she is about to marry postal carrier Charlie McCorry (Ken Curtis). Laurie, on the other hand, has loved Martin since she was three years old and is hurt that he does not openly acknowledge his love for her, until he has to engage in a fistfight with Charlie for Laurie's love (this she enjoys watching). This love story is mostly comedic and provides light-heartedness to the otherwise dramatic and draining search for the missing Debbie.
The real tear-jerker does not happen until the end when Ethan realizes what Martin has been telling him all along: Debbie is family no matter what. This realization is what makes this film memorable and one of the best westerns ever made. Family is important no matter what its members go through. We cannot turn our backs on someone in our family just because they are suffering or are leading lives that we do not approve of. It is our duty to love them no matter what and to support them if they are dealing with difficulties we cannot understand. That is what The Searchers is really all about.
FUN FACT: John Wayne's son Patrick has a small role in the film as a young soldier, and Natalie Wood's real-life sister Lana plays the younger version of her Debbie character!
FAVORITE QUOTE: "What do you want me to do? Draw you a picture? Spell it out? Don't ever ask me! Long as you live, don't ever ask me more."
---Ethan Edwards, The Searchers
---Ethan Edwards
Most people know John Wayne as the major star of westerns. Some people know that director John Ford was known for directing westerns. And some even know that John Wayne starred in many of the westerns John Ford directed. What people may not know is that, although they made numerous films together, The Searchers is arguably their finest work together due to the film's controversial and uncharacteristic portrayal of John Wayne as an unsympathetic character who would kill his own flesh and blood because of his beliefs. The Searchers story revolves around the search for the kidnapped niece of Ethan Edwards (John Wayne) after a tribe of Comanche Indians attacks and murders his brother, his brother's wife, and two of their children. The only survivor of this massacre is Ethan's nine-year-old niece Debbie (Natalie Wood), and the rush is on to save her before she becomes a young woman and is taken as the wife of Comanche chief Scar (Henry Brandon). What is disturbing about Ethan's character is that he will forsake his niece if he finds that she has become brainwashed by the Comanche and has had her purity taken away by Scar. To Ethan, she is as good as dead to him once this happens.
Ethan's feelings are not shared by his only fellow searcher, Martin Pawley (Jeffrey Hunter), a young man who was taken in as a baby and raised by Debbie's family when his family was murdered by the Comanche. Martin believes that they must rescue Debbie no matter what because she is family, even if she is not his actual blood family. Like Ethan, Martin's girlfriend Laurie (Vera Miles) thinks that the search for Debbie is useless if she has been ruined by the Comanche. The only love story in this movie is between Laurie and Martin, though he does not realize how much he loves her until she is about to marry postal carrier Charlie McCorry (Ken Curtis). Laurie, on the other hand, has loved Martin since she was three years old and is hurt that he does not openly acknowledge his love for her, until he has to engage in a fistfight with Charlie for Laurie's love (this she enjoys watching). This love story is mostly comedic and provides light-heartedness to the otherwise dramatic and draining search for the missing Debbie.
The real tear-jerker does not happen until the end when Ethan realizes what Martin has been telling him all along: Debbie is family no matter what. This realization is what makes this film memorable and one of the best westerns ever made. Family is important no matter what its members go through. We cannot turn our backs on someone in our family just because they are suffering or are leading lives that we do not approve of. It is our duty to love them no matter what and to support them if they are dealing with difficulties we cannot understand. That is what The Searchers is really all about.
FUN FACT: John Wayne's son Patrick has a small role in the film as a young soldier, and Natalie Wood's real-life sister Lana plays the younger version of her Debbie character!
FAVORITE QUOTE: "What do you want me to do? Draw you a picture? Spell it out? Don't ever ask me! Long as you live, don't ever ask me more."
---Ethan Edwards, The Searchers
Tuesday, October 12, 2010
#11 CITY LIGHTS (1931)
"Yes, I can see now."
---Blind Girl
City Lights is one of Charlie Chaplin's greatest film achievements, which is saying a lot because all of his films are wonderful. This one is recognized as being one of his best as a result of his careful planning and attention to the build up of the romance in the story, not just his trademark comedy. City Lights is about Chaplin's famous character The Tramp falling in love with a blind girl who sells flowers. The Tramp feels for her malady and relates to her poverty so he sets out to earn money for her to get a surgery that will restore her sight. The heart-breaking part of the story comes when he gives her the money and then disappears from her life for fear that she will not accept the fact that he is a poor and silly-looking little man. The infamous yet ambiguous final scene of the movie leaves the audience still questioning the status of The Tramp and the Blind Girl's romantic friendship.
The Little Tramp undoubtedly loves and unconditionally cares for the Blind Girl (Virginia Cherrill), and the audience is constantly cheering for his efforts on her behalf. From picking up the excrement of horses and elephants, to entering an amateur boxing match, The Tramp tries everything he can to raise money for the girl's surgery. What is especially heart-warming about his actions is that he obviously does not have a normal job and just does what little he has to do to get by, including befriending a drunk, eccentric millionaire (Harry Myers). So for him to actually seek a job is indicative of his sympathetic character.
The dedication that The Tramp has for the poor girl is also what makes the climax so sad: he has done everything for her but he must hide himself so she will not see the real person he is. It is sad that he feels so inadequate that he will not even let her thank him in person for restoring her sight. City Lights has one of the best endings ever in the romantic-comedy genre. Their ultimate meeting at the end is built up in such a fantastic way that the audience actually feels nervous for him because we really are not sure what her reaction will be when she finally sees him. And the unresolved ending leaves us thinking about what would happen next in our own versions of the story. Charlie Chaplin did amazing things in the silent era of movie-making, and City Lights is just one example of how he magnificently made perfect blends of drama, emotion, and comedy.
FUN FACT: Charlie Chaplin shot the scene where The Tramp first meets the Blind Girl over 300 times! He had trouble figuring out how to make the blind flower seller mistake The Tramp for a wealthy man.
FAVORITE QUOTE: "Tomorrow the birds will sing."
---The Tramp, City Lights
---Blind Girl
City Lights is one of Charlie Chaplin's greatest film achievements, which is saying a lot because all of his films are wonderful. This one is recognized as being one of his best as a result of his careful planning and attention to the build up of the romance in the story, not just his trademark comedy. City Lights is about Chaplin's famous character The Tramp falling in love with a blind girl who sells flowers. The Tramp feels for her malady and relates to her poverty so he sets out to earn money for her to get a surgery that will restore her sight. The heart-breaking part of the story comes when he gives her the money and then disappears from her life for fear that she will not accept the fact that he is a poor and silly-looking little man. The infamous yet ambiguous final scene of the movie leaves the audience still questioning the status of The Tramp and the Blind Girl's romantic friendship.
The Little Tramp undoubtedly loves and unconditionally cares for the Blind Girl (Virginia Cherrill), and the audience is constantly cheering for his efforts on her behalf. From picking up the excrement of horses and elephants, to entering an amateur boxing match, The Tramp tries everything he can to raise money for the girl's surgery. What is especially heart-warming about his actions is that he obviously does not have a normal job and just does what little he has to do to get by, including befriending a drunk, eccentric millionaire (Harry Myers). So for him to actually seek a job is indicative of his sympathetic character.
The dedication that The Tramp has for the poor girl is also what makes the climax so sad: he has done everything for her but he must hide himself so she will not see the real person he is. It is sad that he feels so inadequate that he will not even let her thank him in person for restoring her sight. City Lights has one of the best endings ever in the romantic-comedy genre. Their ultimate meeting at the end is built up in such a fantastic way that the audience actually feels nervous for him because we really are not sure what her reaction will be when she finally sees him. And the unresolved ending leaves us thinking about what would happen next in our own versions of the story. Charlie Chaplin did amazing things in the silent era of movie-making, and City Lights is just one example of how he magnificently made perfect blends of drama, emotion, and comedy.
FUN FACT: Charlie Chaplin shot the scene where The Tramp first meets the Blind Girl over 300 times! He had trouble figuring out how to make the blind flower seller mistake The Tramp for a wealthy man.
FAVORITE QUOTE: "Tomorrow the birds will sing."
---The Tramp, City Lights
Saturday, October 9, 2010
#10 THE WIZARD OF OZ (1939)
"Pay no attention to the man behind the curtain!"
---The Wizard
The Wizard of Oz has been watched by more people around the world than any other movie. There are very few people who have not seen it and it is easy to see why. The movie is not just a childhood fable; it is an engrossing story about the importance of family and friends that any adult can relate to as well. The Wizard of Oz stays with people when they see it as children, and remains the one film they will pass on to their children when the time comes. I think the reason the film is such a hit is because it shows that love can come in different forms, from sources we may not see coming.
The obvious theme in The Wizard of Oz is "there's no place like home", the sentiment echoed by Dorothy (Judy Garland) as she clicks her ruby red slippers together to send her back to Kansas. But what speaks just as loudly to the audience is the idea that your friends can be your family when you are all alone. Dorothy learns this lesson with the friends she meets on her way to Emerald City to see the Wizard: Scarecrow (Ray Bolger), the funnyman made of straw who lacks a brain; the Tin Man (Jack Haley), the emotional woodsman who wants a heart; and the Cowardly Lion (Bert Lahr), the king of the jungle who ironically lacks courage. Each character is so wonderfully developed through speech and song that every audience member has a favorite they can relate to and root for. These three men become Dorothy's companions and confidantes on her way to find the Wizard who will supposedly send her back to her family. What she learns along the way is that she can find family anywhere she goes as long as she is open-minded and a friend to those in need. This is a lesson we should all learn for our lives.
There are many memorable scenes in The Wizard of Oz and it is hard to say which is the best, but a personal favorite is towards the end when the foursome finally meets the Wizard (Frank Morgan) and he gives them what they need. For each character, he gives a token to symbolize their desire: the Scarecrow gets a diploma to symbolize smartness, the Tin Man receives a ticking heart, the Lion is awarded a medal of courage, and Dorothy is offered a hot-air balloon ride back to her Kansas home. With each gift, the Wizard makes a speech. The most memorable speech is given when he hands the Tin Man his heart clock. His words hit the message of the film on the nose: "a heart is not judged by how much you love, but by how much you are loved by others." All four main characters are loved equally by one another because they give more than they have. And that is how we should approach love (and life) ourselves: give more than you have. Like The Beatles say in the song "The End", the love you take is equal to love you make.
FUN FACT: The tornado in Kansas was actually a 30ft sock made of muslin! Crew men at the bottom pushed it around on a dolly to create the traveling effect and smoke was blown to imitate dust.
FAVORITE QUOTE: "As for you, my galvanized friend, you want a heart. You don't know how lucky you are not have one. Hearts will never be practical until they can be made unbreakable."
---The Wizard, The Wizard of Oz
"Are you hinting my apples aren't what they ought to be?"
---Apple Tree, The Wizard of Oz
---The Wizard
The Wizard of Oz has been watched by more people around the world than any other movie. There are very few people who have not seen it and it is easy to see why. The movie is not just a childhood fable; it is an engrossing story about the importance of family and friends that any adult can relate to as well. The Wizard of Oz stays with people when they see it as children, and remains the one film they will pass on to their children when the time comes. I think the reason the film is such a hit is because it shows that love can come in different forms, from sources we may not see coming.
The obvious theme in The Wizard of Oz is "there's no place like home", the sentiment echoed by Dorothy (Judy Garland) as she clicks her ruby red slippers together to send her back to Kansas. But what speaks just as loudly to the audience is the idea that your friends can be your family when you are all alone. Dorothy learns this lesson with the friends she meets on her way to Emerald City to see the Wizard: Scarecrow (Ray Bolger), the funnyman made of straw who lacks a brain; the Tin Man (Jack Haley), the emotional woodsman who wants a heart; and the Cowardly Lion (Bert Lahr), the king of the jungle who ironically lacks courage. Each character is so wonderfully developed through speech and song that every audience member has a favorite they can relate to and root for. These three men become Dorothy's companions and confidantes on her way to find the Wizard who will supposedly send her back to her family. What she learns along the way is that she can find family anywhere she goes as long as she is open-minded and a friend to those in need. This is a lesson we should all learn for our lives.
There are many memorable scenes in The Wizard of Oz and it is hard to say which is the best, but a personal favorite is towards the end when the foursome finally meets the Wizard (Frank Morgan) and he gives them what they need. For each character, he gives a token to symbolize their desire: the Scarecrow gets a diploma to symbolize smartness, the Tin Man receives a ticking heart, the Lion is awarded a medal of courage, and Dorothy is offered a hot-air balloon ride back to her Kansas home. With each gift, the Wizard makes a speech. The most memorable speech is given when he hands the Tin Man his heart clock. His words hit the message of the film on the nose: "a heart is not judged by how much you love, but by how much you are loved by others." All four main characters are loved equally by one another because they give more than they have. And that is how we should approach love (and life) ourselves: give more than you have. Like The Beatles say in the song "The End", the love you take is equal to love you make.
FUN FACT: The tornado in Kansas was actually a 30ft sock made of muslin! Crew men at the bottom pushed it around on a dolly to create the traveling effect and smoke was blown to imitate dust.
FAVORITE QUOTE: "As for you, my galvanized friend, you want a heart. You don't know how lucky you are not have one. Hearts will never be practical until they can be made unbreakable."
---The Wizard, The Wizard of Oz
"Are you hinting my apples aren't what they ought to be?"
---Apple Tree, The Wizard of Oz
Tuesday, October 5, 2010
#9 VERTIGO (1958)
"Why did you pick on me? Why me?
---Scottie Ferguson
Alfred Hitchcock's most personal film is arguably Vertigo, his masterpiece about love, obsession, loss and psychological warfare. The main themes are said to parallel Hitchcock's own psyche: his obsession over molding beautiful blonde actresses into the unattainable "ice queens" that the director could only admire and obsess over from afar. He chose everyman actor James Stewart to portray the character of John "Scottie' Ferguson, a man who tries to mold a woman into the love he lost to supposed suicide and madness. The obsession storyline does not take place until halfway through the film, but the passion behind it is what most people take away by the end. For me, the obsession is a little off-putting, mostly because it is strange to see paternal actor Jimmy Stewart in such an unsettling role. I suppose that is part of what makes this film so great: the actors embody the characters so well that we truly believe they are playing themselves, even if they are not the people we like or relate to.
Vertigo is almost painful to watch upon third or fourth viewing because the first half is an elaborate web of deceit that will ultimately crush Scottie Ferguson's character. You sit there and you know that Madeleine Elster (Kim Novak) is not at all whom she seems and you wish you could tell Jimmy Stewart to get out of her web and save himself from heartache. The film is hard to watch if you think about the love his character is building up for her, and how he will become psychologically unhinged as soon as she leaves his life. Then when the character Judy (also Kim Novak) comes into the plot, the difficulty is to sympathize with her as Scottie's obsession with the lost Madeleine takes over and he tries to make Judy into someone she is not. When he finally realizes the Madeleine he loved does not exist anymore, he reaches the ultimate point of madness and the audience is scared that Jimmy Stewart is going to do something he does not do in movies: kill someone out of pure madness.
Obsession is a dangerous but complicated part of human nature. This Hitchcock film is probably his most complex film thematically, and that is why Vertigo is recognized as his best work. I personally prefer the Hitchcock-Stewart team in Rear Window, a film about witnessing a murder but being unable to do anything about it. However, the twists and unexpected resolution in Vertigo keep it one of the most enjoyable movies to watch with someone who has not seen it before.
FUN FACT: Alfred Hitchcock appears about 11 minutes into the film, walking outside Gavin Elster's (Tom Helmore) shipyard before Scottie meets with him for the first time!
FAVORITE QUOTE: "You shouldn't keep souvenirs of a killing. You shouldn't have been...you shouldn't have been that sentimental."
---Scottie Ferguson, Vertigo
---Scottie Ferguson
Alfred Hitchcock's most personal film is arguably Vertigo, his masterpiece about love, obsession, loss and psychological warfare. The main themes are said to parallel Hitchcock's own psyche: his obsession over molding beautiful blonde actresses into the unattainable "ice queens" that the director could only admire and obsess over from afar. He chose everyman actor James Stewart to portray the character of John "Scottie' Ferguson, a man who tries to mold a woman into the love he lost to supposed suicide and madness. The obsession storyline does not take place until halfway through the film, but the passion behind it is what most people take away by the end. For me, the obsession is a little off-putting, mostly because it is strange to see paternal actor Jimmy Stewart in such an unsettling role. I suppose that is part of what makes this film so great: the actors embody the characters so well that we truly believe they are playing themselves, even if they are not the people we like or relate to.
Vertigo is almost painful to watch upon third or fourth viewing because the first half is an elaborate web of deceit that will ultimately crush Scottie Ferguson's character. You sit there and you know that Madeleine Elster (Kim Novak) is not at all whom she seems and you wish you could tell Jimmy Stewart to get out of her web and save himself from heartache. The film is hard to watch if you think about the love his character is building up for her, and how he will become psychologically unhinged as soon as she leaves his life. Then when the character Judy (also Kim Novak) comes into the plot, the difficulty is to sympathize with her as Scottie's obsession with the lost Madeleine takes over and he tries to make Judy into someone she is not. When he finally realizes the Madeleine he loved does not exist anymore, he reaches the ultimate point of madness and the audience is scared that Jimmy Stewart is going to do something he does not do in movies: kill someone out of pure madness.
Obsession is a dangerous but complicated part of human nature. This Hitchcock film is probably his most complex film thematically, and that is why Vertigo is recognized as his best work. I personally prefer the Hitchcock-Stewart team in Rear Window, a film about witnessing a murder but being unable to do anything about it. However, the twists and unexpected resolution in Vertigo keep it one of the most enjoyable movies to watch with someone who has not seen it before.
FUN FACT: Alfred Hitchcock appears about 11 minutes into the film, walking outside Gavin Elster's (Tom Helmore) shipyard before Scottie meets with him for the first time!
FAVORITE QUOTE: "You shouldn't keep souvenirs of a killing. You shouldn't have been...you shouldn't have been that sentimental."
---Scottie Ferguson, Vertigo
Friday, October 1, 2010
#8 SCHINDLER'S LIST (1993)
"Power is when we have every justification to kill, and we don't."
---Oskar Schindler
Director Steven Spielberg's goal in making Schindler's List was not simply to make a movie about the Holocaust. He wanted to present a story about the triumph of good people over terribly evil situations. To exemplify this idea, he chose the real-life Oskar Schindler's kindness and humanity as the focal point of the film: Schindler (Liam Neeson) is a German businessman and member of the Nazi party who chooses to ignore the Nazi doctrine and protect over a thousand Jews from certain death in the concentration camps. Though the reasons behind Schindler's good deeds are not explicitly said, one can believe that he made his choices out of his love for his fellow man, regardless of their religion or race. His character is a hero to an audience who cringes at the inhumane acts of other Germans in the story.
Oskar Schindler acquires his Jews originally for a factory he decides he wants to run manufacturing pots and pans. Though they are just labor workers to him (as well as financiers) at first, when they are taken away by the Nazi government he makes the choice to fight for their freedom. His Jewish manager Itzhak Stern (Ben Kingsley) quickly learns that Schindler is not doing this for his own gain because he spends millions in money and goods to save each of the 1,200 Jewish men, women, and children.
Schindler's character is the complete opposite of the Nazi general Amon Goeth (Ralph Fiennes), a man who runs a work camp where he kills Jews randomly and treats the living ones like animals. Schindler pretends to befriend Goeth but his motives reveal that he bribes Goeth in order to secure the specific Jews he needs to run his manufacturing plant. Goeth is too stupid to realize that Schindler is saving these Jews, not working them for his own gain, and he allows Schindler to take over a thousand of them from his control. The character of Schindler stands out as a representation of good without the juxtaposition of Goeth as the representation of evil; however, the Goeth character provides the audience with a necessary feeling of "putting one over" on the bad guy. It is comforting to know that even in the destructive German fascist rule of the late thirties and early forties, there were still people who recognized right from wrong and helped out the people who were being persecuted. Schindler's List is a prime example of the love for humanity we should all have.
FUN FACT: The real-life surviving Schindler Jews appear at the end of the film as the line of people putting rocks on the grave of Oskar Schindler!
FAVORITE QUOTE: "I could have gotten one more person...and I didn't! And I...I didn't!"
---Oskar Schindler, Schindler's List
---Oskar Schindler
Director Steven Spielberg's goal in making Schindler's List was not simply to make a movie about the Holocaust. He wanted to present a story about the triumph of good people over terribly evil situations. To exemplify this idea, he chose the real-life Oskar Schindler's kindness and humanity as the focal point of the film: Schindler (Liam Neeson) is a German businessman and member of the Nazi party who chooses to ignore the Nazi doctrine and protect over a thousand Jews from certain death in the concentration camps. Though the reasons behind Schindler's good deeds are not explicitly said, one can believe that he made his choices out of his love for his fellow man, regardless of their religion or race. His character is a hero to an audience who cringes at the inhumane acts of other Germans in the story.
Oskar Schindler acquires his Jews originally for a factory he decides he wants to run manufacturing pots and pans. Though they are just labor workers to him (as well as financiers) at first, when they are taken away by the Nazi government he makes the choice to fight for their freedom. His Jewish manager Itzhak Stern (Ben Kingsley) quickly learns that Schindler is not doing this for his own gain because he spends millions in money and goods to save each of the 1,200 Jewish men, women, and children.
Schindler's character is the complete opposite of the Nazi general Amon Goeth (Ralph Fiennes), a man who runs a work camp where he kills Jews randomly and treats the living ones like animals. Schindler pretends to befriend Goeth but his motives reveal that he bribes Goeth in order to secure the specific Jews he needs to run his manufacturing plant. Goeth is too stupid to realize that Schindler is saving these Jews, not working them for his own gain, and he allows Schindler to take over a thousand of them from his control. The character of Schindler stands out as a representation of good without the juxtaposition of Goeth as the representation of evil; however, the Goeth character provides the audience with a necessary feeling of "putting one over" on the bad guy. It is comforting to know that even in the destructive German fascist rule of the late thirties and early forties, there were still people who recognized right from wrong and helped out the people who were being persecuted. Schindler's List is a prime example of the love for humanity we should all have.
FUN FACT: The real-life surviving Schindler Jews appear at the end of the film as the line of people putting rocks on the grave of Oskar Schindler!
FAVORITE QUOTE: "I could have gotten one more person...and I didn't! And I...I didn't!"
---Oskar Schindler, Schindler's List
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