All Consuming : dkp

A review of "Lawrence of Arabia (Limited Edition)"

nobody@allconsuming.net (dkp) — Sun, 09 Jul 2006 20:05:22 GMT

Bold cinematography makes Lawrence of Arabia (1962) worth watching. Although its plot and characters are riveting, it is the film’s cinematography that stays with you. Director David Lean and cinematographer Freddie Young use the desert landscape to provide a sense of scope in this epic. Briefly, the film centers on the actions of T.E. Lawrence, a WWI British Army officer. Both a charismatic hero and near-delusional narcissist, Lawrence attempts to unite various Arabian tribes and convince them to establish a nation, to fight the Turks and (perhaps) to resist British colonial interests.

You should watch this film because of and not despite its nearly 4-hour running time, especially if you consider yourself a cinephile. (I can’t believe it took me this long!) The length provides the film with its depth and the audience immersive experience in the visual (and aural) experience of cinema; I’m just sorry to say I saw it at home on DVD instead of in a theatre. There are so many beautiful shots that it’s hard to pick a favorite, but I’ll mention one that has been touted by many: the jump cut between Lawrence (Peter O’Toole) and the desert’s rising sun is stunning. As addeed incentive to see the film, many directors-~~among them Scorcese & Spielberg (and who were instrumental in restoring this film to Lean’s original vision)~~-have been influenced by the film.

Also worth noting is the bold characterization of Lawrence and others, notably Sherif Ali (Omar Sharif), Prince Feisel (Alec Guiness) and Auda abu Tayi (Anthony Quinn). Lean and the actors provide us with rich, complex performances, made all the more compelling by the fact that these characters are not drawn in the blockbuster-heroic mode. They are alternately inspiring and repulsive, capable of both high- and small-mindedness. They are altogether contradictory and maddenly all-too-human and, in Lawrence’s case, rather unlikeable. These performances makes one appreciate the film’s ideological choices even more, because they highlight Lean’s critique of colonialism, of war, of discourses of heroism and nationalism. And for those interested in issues of historical accuracy and of authenticity, these decisions reflect the contradictory responses to the real-life Lawrence. True, there are debates about elements of Lawrence’s life that are alluded to or rendered as subtext-~~such as his sexuality, being raped in a Turkish prison, or questions of his death as a suicide~~-but these elements are legible to the experienced film viewer.

The film deserves its status on best-films lists and its label as a masterpiece. You deserve to watch it.

Goal: 43 films
To Date: 26 seen
Remaining: 17 films

A story about "Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West"

nobody@allconsuming.net (dkp) — Sun, 15 Jan 2006 05:30:40 GMT

Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West

by Gregory Maguire

More clever in concept than in execution. It’s worth a read, though, especially if you want to consider the continued cutural capital Baum’s work-~~and the film~~-hold over American culture. Not sure I’ll bother with Son of a Witch, though.

A story about "On Bullshit"

nobody@allconsuming.net (dkp) — Sat, 05 Nov 2005 23:53:34 GMT

On Bullshit

by Harry G. Frankfurt

Thoughtful, intellectual without being pretentious, and a quick read, Bullshit is a thinking and drinking-person’s inspiration for provocative conversations with like-minded people. )(For those in academia, it reads like an engaging conference or seminar paper.)

A story about "Touch of Evil (Restored to Orson Welles' Vision)"

nobody@allconsuming.net (dkp) — Sun, 16 Oct 2005 07:14:13 GMT

Touch of Evil (Restored to Orson Welles' Vision)

I’ve seen this film several times, and I’m always blown away by it. The film is characterized by all the wonderful excess we associate with Welles: the extreme angles, the deep focus, the rich mise-en-scene, the powerful character whose downfall seems both inevitable and elegaic.

What’s more, this film is arguably the last class film noir and it sends out the style in, well, style. Pay particular attention to the opening sequence (about 3 minutes). That tracking shot is an auteur at work. If you’re not particularly invested in the visual style of film, you can always concentrate on the menagerie of characters gathered here: Charlton Heston (looking a little out of place in obviously racialized makeup, and with a bad Spanish accent); Janet Leigh; Dennis Weaver; Zsa Joseph Calleia; Akim Tamiroff; Marlene Dietrich; and, of course, Welles himself. They are quite an ensemble, all working to enhance the script.

And the script works within the best noir traditions, updated. Here, we have a compelling variation of good cop/bad cop played out in terms of border politics—the border being not only US/Mexico, but past/present. It’s worth watching not only for its entertainment & aesthetic value, but to see how the cultural anxieties of the period (1958) are presented; and for me, that’s part of the film’s entertainment/aesthetic value.

A story about "The Plot: The Secret Story of The Protocols of the Elders of Zion"

nobody@allconsuming.net (dkp) — Sun, 16 Oct 2005 06:59:26 GMT

The Plot: The Secret Story of The Protocols of the Elders of Zion

by Will Eisner

This isn’t Eisner’s strongest work, which is kind of sad as it is his last major one. It’s a highly didactic piece and well-intentioned. But it lacks some of the energy and visual interest of his earlier or more famous work. Read only if you’re familiar with, and love, the rest of Eisner’s work.

A story about "Shadow of a Doubt"

nobody@allconsuming.net (dkp) — Tue, 04 Oct 2005 02:17:32 GMT

Shadow of a Doubt

Although this film is a favorite of Ebert’s, it’s not one of mine. Still, even a secondary Hitchcock film is far better than most of the drivel out there. I certainly like his noirish look at Main Street America.

A story about "The Da Vinci Code"

nobody@allconsuming.net (dkp) — Mon, 19 Sep 2005 01:24:36 GMT

The Da Vinci Code

by Dan Brown

Eh. It’s decent enough beach reading, though I read it at the gym. Nice short chapters, plot-over character-driven. Its greatest strength is that the book caters to readers’ presumptions of their own intelligence, while managing to provide supposedly “new” knowledge without exposing the readers’ ignorance. In sum, it’s really pretty much of a no-brainer, casual reading kind of book, and I’ll remember it more for its best-seller status than for the quality of its writing. (Interestingly, I think it might make a better film than book.)

A story about "Umberto D. - Criterion Collection"

nobody@allconsuming.net (dkp) — Mon, 19 Sep 2005 01:09:50 GMT

Umberto D. - Criterion Collection

by Vittorio De Sica

I’ve just finished watching this film by director Vittorio De Sica, who also made The Bicycle Thief. It’s a truly touching film, a description I don’t offer lightly, and a stunning example of Italian Neo-Realist cinema.

An overview of the film from the DVD: Shot on location with a cast of nonprofessional actors (this is one attribute of neorealism), Vittorio De Sica’s neorealist masterpiece follows Umberto D, an elderly pensioner, as he struggles to make ends meet during Italy’s postwar economic boom (another attribute). Alone except for his dog, Filke, Umberto strives to maintain his dignity while trying to surve in a city where traditional human kindness seems to have lost out to the forces of modernization (a common trope). Umberto’s simple quest to fulfill the most fundamental human needs—food, shelter, companionship—is one of the most hearbreaking stories ever filmed an an essential classic of world cinema. (I concur.)

Of course, this does not begin to cover what makes the film memorable, but it does offer a tantalizing summary. Let me just say that Umberto’s attempts to maintain his essential humanity in a world which is becoming more callous, one where he is increasingly invisible because of his age and economic class (the latter being another concern of neorealism), is difficult to watch. Scene after scene shows Umberto trying to reach out to others in his time of need, only to be rebuffed. There are fewer light moments than in The Bicycle Thief, which is not exactly a light comedy, and the end is as painful. (Indeed, I found it difficult to watch.) Yet there’s also a touch of hope in the film, one which is as beautiful as the cinematography.

One last word: some critics have leveled the charge of sentimentality at Umberto D. I disagree. I watch a lot of films, and I have very little patience with sentimentality (though I enjoy a good, classic melodrama). Whenever I feel its presence, I immediately adopt a critical stance. For this film, I did not do so. What’s more, I never felt the need to do so.

Watch this film. To paraphrase a line from a mediocre movie, “It will make you want to be a better person.”

A story about "Double Indemnity"

nobody@allconsuming.net (dkp) — Sun, 18 Sep 2005 02:03:25 GMT

Double Indemnity

by Billy Wilder

...are intertwined in this great, classic film noir. Forget anything you’ve thought about Fred MacMurray if your primary association with him My Three Sons or Disney. In this movie we get to see him go toe-to-toe with Barbara Stanwyck and win…and lose.

If you haven’t seen this Billy Wilder film because they’ve been lax about releasing it to DVD (there was a short release in the late 1990s, but they’re hard to come by…even Netflix doesn’t carry it), you’re missing out. Go ahead, rent it on VHS. It’s classic noir and worth every grainy image.

A story about "Affluenza: The All-Consuming Epidemic"

nobody@allconsuming.net (dkp) — Fri, 09 Sep 2005 18:37:56 GMT

Affluenza: The All-Consuming Epidemic

by John De Graaf

Ran across this in the library when I was looking for another book. I’d seen the PBS show and meant to get around to reading the book, but it slipped from my top-ten list, as these things sometimes do. So I checked it out and consumed it in a couple of days. It really has me thinking about stuff I’m already concerned with—mindful consumption v. conspicuous consumption, the environmental cost of our consumption, keeping up with the Joneses, the Voluntary Simplicity movement. An earlier post on this provides an overview and a lot of details on the book, so I won’t repeat those points. I will say this: if you’re concerned with both your quality of life and how you live with (and not on) the earth, read this book.

A story about "The Big Sleep (Snap case)"

nobody@allconsuming.net (dkp) — Fri, 09 Sep 2005 18:31:18 GMT

The Big Sleep (Snap case)

by Howard Hawks

I just watched The Maltese Falcon and The Big Sleep back-to-back. The films, based on novels by Dashiell Hammet and Raymond Chandler respectively, offer Humphrey Bogart the opportunity to set his reputation as a private dick in what would become known as film noir. They’re both excellent films.

What makes The Big Sleep memorable are several things. First, there’s the convuluted plot…no one I know can actually figure out the mystery with any certainty. But that’s certainly not the point. Instead, the detective narrative seems to be an excuse to let Philip Marlowe (Bogart) and Vivian Rutledge (Lauren Bacall) start a romance. And what a romance it is—filled with witty banter, whisky voices, and innuendo (similar to their relationship in To Have and Have Not). They have, for lack of a better word, the chemistry lacking in so many contemporary romances. And did I mention that Bogart has a fine sense of comedic timing? Watch for his turn as an undercover book collector!

In fact, the bottom line? Just watch it. You won’t be disappointed.

A story about "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (Book 6)"

nobody@allconsuming.net (dkp) — Fri, 02 Sep 2005 22:00:25 GMT

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (Book 6)

by J.K. Rowling

It’s been said before, that Rowling’s strengths are in characterization and plotting. The same can’t be said of her use of exposition. These strengths and weaknesses are present in Half-Blood Prince, as they are in the rest of the series. To be sure, if you’re still with the series now, you’ll be favorably inclined toward Book 6 and will read Book 7. And certainly, Rowling is a stronger genre writer than many who publish in the fantasy market. And it seems to be fairly well-done for the children’s/youth book market. But is Harry Potter great literature? I don’t know yet; I think much will depend on the last book tying things together.

As for Half-Blood Prince specifically? Well, the plot is relatively light for this one and the exposition even heavier than in other books. It seems to be primarily a set-up for the final book in the series. It answers peripheral plot questions about romantic relationships, it does the job of moving Harry from angsty adolescence into the beginnings of adulthood, and provides what it now the expected cliffhanger moment which moves the books’ fans into tears. But, for this reader at least, Half-Blood Prince was a disappointment. It was structured in such a way that it relied too much on Rowling’s weaknesses and even seemed to cater to fan questions instead of moving the overall narrative arc forward.

A story about "Detour"

nobody@allconsuming.net (dkp) — Fri, 02 Sep 2005 21:44:26 GMT

Detour

by Edgar G. Ulmer

Ulmer’s 67 minute cult masterpiece, Detour is almost a textbook example of classic film noir. Al Reynolds (Tom Neal) decides to hitch a ride to Hollywood to meet up with his lady love. Some substantial obstacles threaten Al’s plans, but he manages to almost overcome them when he runs into Vera (Ann Savage), the femme fatale. As you might, that’s when things get really interesting.

Although the DVDs are made from prints of the film that are of pretty bad quality, the film itself is quite good. It’s really impressive, and the film is made even more so if you know Ulmer filmed Detour in under a week and on an extrordinarily low budget. If you’ve been curious about what film noir is, you could do a lot worse than to start with Detour.

A story about "The Thin Man (Snap case)"

nobody@allconsuming.net (dkp) — Fri, 02 Sep 2005 21:33:45 GMT

The Thin Man (Snap case)

by W.S. Van Dyke

Based on Dashiell Hammett’s light and airy recounting of Nick and Nora Charles, the film is a bit of tasty froth. First, who could fail to appreciate the snappy exchanges between the married couple, Nick a “retired” dectective and his socialite wife? Although the mystery to be solve never gets down to the nuts-and-bolts of the genre requirements, I found it hard to feel deprived. In its place, we have a nice amusing character types, an endless supply of alcohol, banter in the best sense of the word, and the pure eye candy of the costumes and set.

A story about "The Complete Peanuts 1950-1954 Boxed Set"

nobody@allconsuming.net (dkp) — Fri, 02 Sep 2005 21:26:07 GMT

The Complete Peanuts 1950-1954 Boxed Set

by Charles M. Schulz

I grew up reading Peanuts and, although I liked the comics, I never really bonded with them. Sure, I could see why comics artists were appreciative of Schulz’s work, even laudatory. He influenced generations and the strip had a clean line and almost archetypal characters. But as I came of age, Schulz’s humor seemed to change; it became more nostalgic and almost sentimental. I didn’t see him tackling the existential issues some critics had attributed to his style. Plus, I was ruined by the animated television specials, which in turn specialized in schmaltz and not Schulz.

But then I made a commitment to read the strips once I heard the entire collection was going to be released. NOW I understand why Peanuts holds the place it does. The characters in
Schulz’s earliest strips are more volatile, they’re darker, they’re struggling with their identity. I understood their conflicts and complexities, which are made all the more compelling because of Schulz’s style. And in turn, I now appreciate the later strips because I have a better undertanding of Peanuts; it was a comic that continue to grow and challenge the artist and his audience over its entire production run.

I’m now truly a Peanuts’ convert. Buy the books, read them, share them with your friends and loved ones.

A story about "The Maltese Falcon"

nobody@allconsuming.net (dkp) — Fri, 02 Sep 2005 21:16:38 GMT

The Maltese Falcon

by John Huston

What more is there to say? This is Humphrey Bogart’s first role as a lead actor, even though he’d been a contract actor for years and had received lots of good press for The Petrified Forest and High Sierra. It was John Huston’s directorial debut. Huston also wrote the screenplay, and was smart enough to keep novelist Dashiell Hammett’s terse and evocative dialogue for his adaptation. (The Maltese falcon had already been adapted for cinema twice before, but Huston made it work, by the way.) In addition to Bogart, the film stars Mary Astor, Sydney Greenstreet, and Peter Lorre.

It’s got a lot of the elements you expect in noir—the lighting, the camera angles, the hard-boiled detective and the femme fatale. There are witty exchanges, dark city streets, and enough smoking and drinking to make you feel positively decadent just for watching it.

A mere 1 hour, 40 minutes, you’ll wish it were longer.