Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Apr 18, 2019 2:28:11 GMT
I think this thread is most fitting here - I'm sure it'll be moved if someone disagrees. 1. Le Cercle Rouge (Jean-Pierre Melville) 2. Leave Her to Heaven (John Stahl) 3. Journey to Italy (Roberto Rossellini) 4. Opening Night (John Cassavetes) 5. Wanda (Barbara Loden) Share your thoughts? Any surprises? Are any of these personal favorites of yours? Mattsby pacinoyes
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Post by pacinoyes on Apr 18, 2019 9:06:39 GMT
All fine films though I don't really quite get why Opening Night is so many peoples Cassavetes film of choice - to me his best work is earlier although I do like something in all his directed movies and it has some special scenes and Rowlands in a (yet another) tour de force. His list is an interesting mix of high style and realism. Love his number 1 and Leave Her To Heaven is a knockout by Gene Tierney and walks a really fine line between frightening and hilariously outdated too but is a kind of 50s classic in a way - I would love to have seen Douglas Sirk do this so poor put-upon Jeanne Crain would have someone who really understood what she went through!
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demille
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Post by demille on Apr 19, 2019 11:07:52 GMT
Interesting list.
Leave Her to Heaven is such a great film, and you can see its influence on Almodovar. I love Sirk, but for me it tops anything that he directed.
I think part of its beauty is that whilst it borders on trashy melodrama, the story is handled with respect and is technically very well executed. The direction, acting, art direction and cinematography is all of such a high quality, and it all works in harmony to give the story a lush romanticism and haunting beauty. I think it's that unusual mixture of trashy melodrama and elegant, sumptuous beauty that make it such an unusual and fascinating film... And Gene Tierney is just so good.
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Post by therealcomicman117 on Apr 20, 2019 23:37:10 GMT
An eccentric varied list from an eccentric filmmaker.
Leave to Her Heaven, Opening Night, and Journey to Italy are all excellent films, but I'm quite pleasantly surprised by the seemingly recent love for Wanda. That's a film that I discovered only a year ago, and it seemed for the longest time it was hard to find. It's a surprisingly really progressive and powerful "women's film" for the time, and the camera work, storytelling, and characterization is impeccable. It makes me wish Barbara Loden had both acted and directed in more features.
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Post by getclutch on Sept 19, 2019 16:40:22 GMT
Yes! I am a big fan of Jean-Pierre Melville films therefore this put a smile on my face. The big surprise for me is Wanda, an indie masterpiece. Phenomenal top five for Almodóvar, skol!
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Post by getclutch on Sept 19, 2019 16:42:47 GMT
An eccentric varied list from an eccentric filmmaker. Leave to Her Heaven, Opening Night, and Journey to Italy are all excellent films, but I'm quite pleasantly surprised by the seemingly recent love for Wanda. That's a film that I discovered only a year ago, and it seemed for the longest time it was hard to find. It's a surprisingly really progressive and powerful "women's film" for the time, and the camera work, storytelling, and characterization is impeccable. It makes me wish Barbara Loden had both acted and directed in more features. Could not agree more about Loden. Perhaps it had something to do with her marriage with Elia Kazan? I have no clue.
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Post by Tommen_Saperstein on Sept 19, 2019 16:51:11 GMT
only seen Journey to Italy which I found incredibly dull and Opening Night which was fine though the ending left something to be desired.
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Post by therealcomicman117 on Sept 19, 2019 18:12:32 GMT
An eccentric varied list from an eccentric filmmaker. Leave to Her Heaven, Opening Night, and Journey to Italy are all excellent films, but I'm quite pleasantly surprised by the seemingly recent love for Wanda. That's a film that I discovered only a year ago, and it seemed for the longest time it was hard to find. It's a surprisingly really progressive and powerful "women's film" for the time, and the camera work, storytelling, and characterization is impeccable. It makes me wish Barbara Loden had both acted and directed in more features. Could not agree more about Loden. Perhaps it had something to do with her marriage with Elia Kazan? I have no clue. From what I've read Kazan definitely played a big part in it. He was apparently controlling with her, and admitted as much in his biography that he didn't want her to act in much that he wasn't directing. A shame really, as she left a very short but memorable filmography.
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Post by getclutch on Sept 19, 2019 19:33:42 GMT
Could not agree more about Loden. Perhaps it had something to do with her marriage with Elia Kazan? I have no clue. From what I've read Kazan definitely played a big part in it. He was apparently controlling with her, and admitted as much in his biography that he didn't want her to act in much that he wasn't directing. A shame really, as she left a very short but memorable filmography. I'll take your word for it. Had a hunch Kazan was responsible for her short career. It is just not fair.
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