Post by idioticbunny on Mar 9, 2019 6:14:48 GMT
Whew, okay. Another long time in between years, but I finally managed to catch as much as I could. Certainly not a bad year, and I feel the whole decade is going to be something truly special, but this year had a few more "letdowns" per se than last year (or currently 1962 as I skipped ahead a little while waiting for my last movie to become available).
Probably the biggest takeaway for me here is both Masaki Kobayashi and Tatsuya Nakadai. The Human Condition trilogy is one that hit me hard from the start and never let up, but good god damn I never expected such a film both so satisfying in its cinematic quality and beautifully, utterly moving in the way it leads to its conclusion. I highly expect that a future re-watch of this trilogy could determine it as all-time great for me. Especially amazing how slowly it builds up throughout the trilogy to a brutal finish, especially in Nakadai's performance who barely made my top 8 for the first film but who could quite easily take my win for the decade here (and now makes me feel I was unfair to his first performance in the series). Also helps seeing a drastic change of pace with his antagonistic performance in Yojimbo where he was a ton of fun. Additionally, Kobayashi may well be that poetic and majestic force rising against society that has been sorely missed since completing Kenji Mizoguchi's filmography in '56. I've enjoyed Kurosawa and Ozu well enough, but they each lack something of which Mizoguchi (and now Kobayashi) really excel. That blend of pure cinema with a poetic sense of conveying (often bitter) feelings of social or political constructs. Ahh, but I could really go on for days about these films and how much I love them.
And I could easily speak just as much to West Side Story which I had the opportunity to see (as a first watch) on the big screen in 35mm. I went in hoping for a nice, breezy little musical, but did not expect every second of it to be everything I hope for from a musical. Astounding choreography, brilliant musical set pieces, lovely cinematography, and strong performances all around. Aside from the whitewashing of the cast, I could hardly find a fault. And it took me weeks before I got "Maria" out of my head, but talking about this movie again has gotten it stuck in there again. Great.
Only true disappointment was Breakfast at Tiffany's which... was something. Hepburn is fantastic in it and Mancini's music deserves all the praise ("Moon River" is seriously one of the most beautiful songs from cinema). But what in the holy fuck was happening for the better part of that first half? I really couldn't tell you. It might have been risque at the time to show that sort of fast life in New York City, but I don't understand why about half that movie was necessary to show. Then again, I went in completely with the expectation of a cheesy romantic comedy - which is what the second half was at least. And also again, why the plu-perfect hell with Mickey Rooney? Contender for worst performance (and overall decision) ever.
Overall, a decent year, though very top-heavy. Hell I hardly got to go into that incredible ensemble cast of Nuremberg (and that's saying something considering I thought without a doubt that The Hustler would be my winner there) or the brilliant direction and child performances of Innocents or the moving and groundbreaking Chronicle of a Summer, etc etc. May be another hiatus as I'm in the middle of a project, but at least in the time it takes for stuff to render on my computer, I have time to watch a movie
Here are my line-ups:
Best Picture:
01. The Human Condition III: A Soldier's Prayer.
02. West Side Story.
03. The Innocents.
04. Judgment at Nuremberg.
05. Chronicle of a Summer.
06. One-Eyed Jacks.
07. La Notte.
08. 101 Dalmatians.
09. Last Year at Marienbad.
10. A Woman is a Woman.
-----------------
11. Through a Glass Darkly.
12. The Hustler.
13. Yojimbo.
14. Il Posto.
15. Viridiana.
16. Lola.
17. Pit and the Pendulum.
18. Adventures on the New Frontier.
19. Breakfast at Tiffany's.
Best Director:
01. Masaki Kobayashi - The Human Condition III: A Soldier's Prayer.
02. Robert Wise & Jerome Robbins - West Side Story.
03. Jack Clayton - The Innocents.
04. Jean-Luc Godard - A Woman Is a Woman.
05. Jean Rouch & Edgar Morin - Chronicle of a Summer.
Best Actor:
01. Tatsuya Nakadai - The Human Condition III: A Soldier's Prayer.
02. Paul Newman - The Hustler.
03. Marlon Brando - One-Eyed Jacks.
04. Toshirô Mifune - Yojimbo.
05. Spencer Tracy - Judgment at Nuremberg.
Best Actress:
01. Deborah Kerr - The Innocents.
02. Harriet Andersson - Through a Glass Darkly.
03. Jeanne Moreau - La Notte.
04. Audrey Hepburn - Breakfast at Tiffany's.
05. Anna Karina - A Woman Is a Woman.
Best Supporting Actor:
01. Martin Stephens - The Innocents.
02. Maximilian Schell - Judgment at Nuremberg.
03. Montgomery Clift - Judgment at Nuremberg.
04. Russ Tamblyn - West Side Story.
05. George C. Scott - The Hustler.
Best Supporting Actress:
01. Rita Moreno - West Side Story.
02. Piper Laurie - The Hustler.
03. Hideko Takamine - The Human Condition III: A Soldier's Prayer.
04. Judy Garland - Judgment at Nuremberg.
05. Monica Vitti - La Notte.
Best Original Screenplay:
01. Yojimbo.
02. A Woman Is a Woman.
03. Through a Glass Darkly.
04. Il Posto.
05. Lola.
Best Adapted Screenplay:
01. The Human Condition III: A Soldier's Prayer.
02. Judgment at Nuremberg.
03. The Hustler.
04. The Innocents.
05. One-Eyed Jacks.
Best Ensemble:
01. Judgment at Nuremberg.
02. The Hustler.
03. West Side Story.
04. The Human Condition III: A Soldier's Prayer.
05. Through a Glass Darkly.
Best Editing:
The Human Condition III: A Soldier's Prayer.
Best Cinematography:
*TIE (again because I'm indecisive) - West Side Story // The Human Condition III: A Soldier's Prayer.
Best Art Direction:
West Side Story.
Best Costume Design:
West Side Story.
Best Makeup:
The Human Condition III: A Soldier's Prayer.
Best Visual Effects:
Pit and the Pendulum.
Best Sound Design:
The Innocents.
Best Original Score:
Hugo Friedhofer - One-Eyed Jacks.
Best Original Song:
"Moon River" - Breakfast at Tiffany's.
Best Choreography:
West Side Story.
Very excited to (continue to) dive into 1962, especially since I can finally start my marathon of all the James Bond films (since the oldest one I think I had seen so far was parts of a Roger Moore one and I barely remember it). So, so, so excited to start that run.
Only film I probably won't get around to is Lawrence of Arabia simply because I've vowed to not see that film until I can see it on the big screen in 70mm as I've heard it's meant to be seen. Yeah, stingy, but what can I say. We'll see if I change my mind, considering I'm very excited to watch it, but doubtful I will.
Send me your recommendations!
Probably the biggest takeaway for me here is both Masaki Kobayashi and Tatsuya Nakadai. The Human Condition trilogy is one that hit me hard from the start and never let up, but good god damn I never expected such a film both so satisfying in its cinematic quality and beautifully, utterly moving in the way it leads to its conclusion. I highly expect that a future re-watch of this trilogy could determine it as all-time great for me. Especially amazing how slowly it builds up throughout the trilogy to a brutal finish, especially in Nakadai's performance who barely made my top 8 for the first film but who could quite easily take my win for the decade here (and now makes me feel I was unfair to his first performance in the series). Also helps seeing a drastic change of pace with his antagonistic performance in Yojimbo where he was a ton of fun. Additionally, Kobayashi may well be that poetic and majestic force rising against society that has been sorely missed since completing Kenji Mizoguchi's filmography in '56. I've enjoyed Kurosawa and Ozu well enough, but they each lack something of which Mizoguchi (and now Kobayashi) really excel. That blend of pure cinema with a poetic sense of conveying (often bitter) feelings of social or political constructs. Ahh, but I could really go on for days about these films and how much I love them.
And I could easily speak just as much to West Side Story which I had the opportunity to see (as a first watch) on the big screen in 35mm. I went in hoping for a nice, breezy little musical, but did not expect every second of it to be everything I hope for from a musical. Astounding choreography, brilliant musical set pieces, lovely cinematography, and strong performances all around. Aside from the whitewashing of the cast, I could hardly find a fault. And it took me weeks before I got "Maria" out of my head, but talking about this movie again has gotten it stuck in there again. Great.
Only true disappointment was Breakfast at Tiffany's which... was something. Hepburn is fantastic in it and Mancini's music deserves all the praise ("Moon River" is seriously one of the most beautiful songs from cinema). But what in the holy fuck was happening for the better part of that first half? I really couldn't tell you. It might have been risque at the time to show that sort of fast life in New York City, but I don't understand why about half that movie was necessary to show. Then again, I went in completely with the expectation of a cheesy romantic comedy - which is what the second half was at least. And also again, why the plu-perfect hell with Mickey Rooney? Contender for worst performance (and overall decision) ever.
Overall, a decent year, though very top-heavy. Hell I hardly got to go into that incredible ensemble cast of Nuremberg (and that's saying something considering I thought without a doubt that The Hustler would be my winner there) or the brilliant direction and child performances of Innocents or the moving and groundbreaking Chronicle of a Summer, etc etc. May be another hiatus as I'm in the middle of a project, but at least in the time it takes for stuff to render on my computer, I have time to watch a movie
Here are my line-ups:Best Picture:
01. The Human Condition III: A Soldier's Prayer.
02. West Side Story.
03. The Innocents.
04. Judgment at Nuremberg.
05. Chronicle of a Summer.
06. One-Eyed Jacks.
07. La Notte.
08. 101 Dalmatians.
09. Last Year at Marienbad.
10. A Woman is a Woman.
-----------------
11. Through a Glass Darkly.
12. The Hustler.
13. Yojimbo.
14. Il Posto.
15. Viridiana.
16. Lola.
17. Pit and the Pendulum.
18. Adventures on the New Frontier.
19. Breakfast at Tiffany's.
Best Director:
01. Masaki Kobayashi - The Human Condition III: A Soldier's Prayer.
02. Robert Wise & Jerome Robbins - West Side Story.
03. Jack Clayton - The Innocents.
04. Jean-Luc Godard - A Woman Is a Woman.
05. Jean Rouch & Edgar Morin - Chronicle of a Summer.
Best Actor:
01. Tatsuya Nakadai - The Human Condition III: A Soldier's Prayer.
02. Paul Newman - The Hustler.
03. Marlon Brando - One-Eyed Jacks.
04. Toshirô Mifune - Yojimbo.
05. Spencer Tracy - Judgment at Nuremberg.
Best Actress:
01. Deborah Kerr - The Innocents.
02. Harriet Andersson - Through a Glass Darkly.
03. Jeanne Moreau - La Notte.
04. Audrey Hepburn - Breakfast at Tiffany's.
05. Anna Karina - A Woman Is a Woman.
Best Supporting Actor:
01. Martin Stephens - The Innocents.
02. Maximilian Schell - Judgment at Nuremberg.
03. Montgomery Clift - Judgment at Nuremberg.
04. Russ Tamblyn - West Side Story.
05. George C. Scott - The Hustler.
Best Supporting Actress:
01. Rita Moreno - West Side Story.
02. Piper Laurie - The Hustler.
03. Hideko Takamine - The Human Condition III: A Soldier's Prayer.
04. Judy Garland - Judgment at Nuremberg.
05. Monica Vitti - La Notte.
Best Original Screenplay:
01. Yojimbo.
02. A Woman Is a Woman.
03. Through a Glass Darkly.
04. Il Posto.
05. Lola.
Best Adapted Screenplay:
01. The Human Condition III: A Soldier's Prayer.
02. Judgment at Nuremberg.
03. The Hustler.
04. The Innocents.
05. One-Eyed Jacks.
Best Ensemble:
01. Judgment at Nuremberg.
02. The Hustler.
03. West Side Story.
04. The Human Condition III: A Soldier's Prayer.
05. Through a Glass Darkly.
Best Editing:
The Human Condition III: A Soldier's Prayer.
Best Cinematography:
*TIE (again because I'm indecisive) - West Side Story // The Human Condition III: A Soldier's Prayer.
Best Art Direction:
West Side Story.
Best Costume Design:
West Side Story.
Best Makeup:
The Human Condition III: A Soldier's Prayer.
Best Visual Effects:
Pit and the Pendulum.
Best Sound Design:
The Innocents.
Best Original Score:
Hugo Friedhofer - One-Eyed Jacks.
Best Original Song:
"Moon River" - Breakfast at Tiffany's.
Best Choreography:
West Side Story.
Very excited to (continue to) dive into 1962, especially since I can finally start my marathon of all the James Bond films (since the oldest one I think I had seen so far was parts of a Roger Moore one and I barely remember it). So, so, so excited to start that run.
Only film I probably won't get around to is Lawrence of Arabia simply because I've vowed to not see that film until I can see it on the big screen in 70mm as I've heard it's meant to be seen. Yeah, stingy, but what can I say. We'll see if I change my mind, considering I'm very excited to watch it, but doubtful I will.
Send me your recommendations!
