Post by idioticbunny on Jul 11, 2018 18:12:14 GMT
Well, for a year where there was a smorgasbord of fantastic options, I felt like it was a bit of a letdown. Roman Holiday was my one re-watch, and it was still better than most of what I watched for this year. I still liked some, but for how excited I was for this year, it didn't match my excitement.
Regardless, Ugetsu is probably my favorite Mizoguchi so far and while he doesn't have his usual long-take style that I've loved about his previous films, he's at least willing to do something different and when he cuts the frame, it cuts with a purpose. Loved every bit of this one. Makes me excited to see his two supposed masterpieces the following year.
I will say, the biggest surprise: I Confess. Considering Hitchcock hit his stride this decade from Rear Window onward, and this one never gets talked about, I figured there must be a reason for that. But I really don't see one - it's just as good as some of his best work in the previous decades. Maybe it's just overshadowed by what was to come? I don't know. But it might be my second favorite Clift performance so far, and it feels like one of the most intimate Hitchcock films made. Really makes me want to go to that small little town in the countryside.
Biggest disappointment is probably The Wages of Fear. As my favorite professor in college stated it was his favorite film and the man put me on to a whole new insight into cinema, I had high expectations. But hearing everyone call it a balls-to-the-wall thrill-ride, I felt it was anything but. Maybe in the second half, but that whole first half is such a waste and felt overbloated as hell that it was hard to enjoy the rest. Sad to say, but I'm actually more excited to watch Friedkin's Sorcerer (then again Friedkin is a top ten director for me so maybe that's not really much of an insult).
Also, Tokyo Story might be my favorite Ozu so far, but hearing everyone call it one of the best ever... I don't know. I enjoyed it, but it didn't really offer anything new. Had a lot of heart and the performances were strong, but I suppose Ozu just isn't my thing...
Overall, a bit of a let-down of a year, but maybe it's the stuff I opted out of seeing that might have made up for it. Still, a solid top three for sure (with some decent inclusions further down the line, and Hulot might be a grower for me too).
Best Picture:
01. Ugetsu.
02. Roman Holiday.
03. I Confess.
04. The Earrings of Madame de...
05. Tokyo Story.
06. Summer with Monika.
07. Julius Caesar.
08. Monsieur Hulot's Holiday.
09. From Here to Eternity.
10. The Wages of Fear.
-----------------
11. Stalag 17.
12. Shane.
13. Peter Pan.
14. The Band Wagon.
15. Fear and Desire.
Best Director:
01. Kenji Mizoguchi - Ugetsu.
02. Max Ophüls - The Earrings of Madame de...
03. Alfred Hitchcock - I Confess.
04. William Wyler - Roman Holiday.
05. Jacques Tati - Monsieur Hulot's Holiday.
Best Actor:
01. Montgomery Clift - I Confess.
02. Gregory Peck - Roman Holiday.
03. Montgomery Clift - From Here to Eternity.
04. William Holden - Stalag 17.
05. James Mason - Julius Caesar.
Best Actress:
01. Audrey Hepburn - Roman Holiday.
02. Danielle Darrieux - The Earrings of Madame de...
03. Harriet Andersson - Summer with Monika.
04. Cyd Charisse - The Band Wagon.
05. Kathryn Beaumont - Peter Pan.
Best Supporting Actor:
01. Marlon Brando - Julius Caesar.
02. Burt Lancaster - From Here to Eternity.
03. John Gielgud - Julius Caesar.
04. Vittorio De Sica - The Earrings of Madame de...
05. Charles Vanel - The Wages of Fear.
Best Supporting Actress:
01. Chieko Higashiyama - Tokyo Story.
02. Setsuko Hara - Tokyo Story.
03. Machiko Kyô - Ugetsu.
04. Deborah Kerr - From Here to Eternity.
05. Donna Reed - From Here to Eternity.
Best Original Screenplay:
01. Roman Holiday.
02. Monsieur Hulot's Holiday.
03. Tokyo Story.
04. The Band Wagon.
05. Fear and Desire.
Best Adapted Screenplay:
01. I Confess.
02. The Earrings of Madame de...
03. Ugetsu.
04. Summer with Monika.
05. Stalag 17.
Best Ensemble:
01. From Here to Eternity.
02. Julius Caesar.
03. The Earrings of Madame de...
04. Tokyo Story.
05. Ugetsu.
Best Editing:
The Wages of Fear.
Best Cinematography:
Ugetsu.
Best Art Direction:
The Band Wagon.
Best Costume Design:
The Earrings of Madame de...
Best Makeup:
Ugetsu.
Best Visual Effects:
From Here to Eternity.
Best Sound Design:
Monsieur Hulot's Holiday.
Best Original Score:
Oscar Straus & Georges Van Parys - The Earrings of Madame de...
Best Original Song:
"Your Mother and Mine" - Peter Pan.
Best Choreography:
Monsieur Hulot's Holiday.
And now back to our regularly scheduled program, would love some recs for 1954. A drastically less exciting looking year from 1953, but mainly because I've seen the big essentials already (Rear Window, Seven Samurai, On the Waterfront). And I've already re-watched them recently, so looking for a fresh ten to set me on my way.
Regardless, Ugetsu is probably my favorite Mizoguchi so far and while he doesn't have his usual long-take style that I've loved about his previous films, he's at least willing to do something different and when he cuts the frame, it cuts with a purpose. Loved every bit of this one. Makes me excited to see his two supposed masterpieces the following year.
I will say, the biggest surprise: I Confess. Considering Hitchcock hit his stride this decade from Rear Window onward, and this one never gets talked about, I figured there must be a reason for that. But I really don't see one - it's just as good as some of his best work in the previous decades. Maybe it's just overshadowed by what was to come? I don't know. But it might be my second favorite Clift performance so far, and it feels like one of the most intimate Hitchcock films made. Really makes me want to go to that small little town in the countryside.
Biggest disappointment is probably The Wages of Fear. As my favorite professor in college stated it was his favorite film and the man put me on to a whole new insight into cinema, I had high expectations. But hearing everyone call it a balls-to-the-wall thrill-ride, I felt it was anything but. Maybe in the second half, but that whole first half is such a waste and felt overbloated as hell that it was hard to enjoy the rest. Sad to say, but I'm actually more excited to watch Friedkin's Sorcerer (then again Friedkin is a top ten director for me so maybe that's not really much of an insult).
Also, Tokyo Story might be my favorite Ozu so far, but hearing everyone call it one of the best ever... I don't know. I enjoyed it, but it didn't really offer anything new. Had a lot of heart and the performances were strong, but I suppose Ozu just isn't my thing...
Overall, a bit of a let-down of a year, but maybe it's the stuff I opted out of seeing that might have made up for it. Still, a solid top three for sure (with some decent inclusions further down the line, and Hulot might be a grower for me too).
Best Picture:
01. Ugetsu.
02. Roman Holiday.
03. I Confess.
04. The Earrings of Madame de...
05. Tokyo Story.
06. Summer with Monika.
07. Julius Caesar.
08. Monsieur Hulot's Holiday.
09. From Here to Eternity.
10. The Wages of Fear.
-----------------
11. Stalag 17.
12. Shane.
13. Peter Pan.
14. The Band Wagon.
15. Fear and Desire.
Best Director:
01. Kenji Mizoguchi - Ugetsu.
02. Max Ophüls - The Earrings of Madame de...
03. Alfred Hitchcock - I Confess.
04. William Wyler - Roman Holiday.
05. Jacques Tati - Monsieur Hulot's Holiday.
Best Actor:
01. Montgomery Clift - I Confess.
02. Gregory Peck - Roman Holiday.
03. Montgomery Clift - From Here to Eternity.
04. William Holden - Stalag 17.
05. James Mason - Julius Caesar.
Best Actress:
01. Audrey Hepburn - Roman Holiday.
02. Danielle Darrieux - The Earrings of Madame de...
03. Harriet Andersson - Summer with Monika.
04. Cyd Charisse - The Band Wagon.
05. Kathryn Beaumont - Peter Pan.
Best Supporting Actor:
01. Marlon Brando - Julius Caesar.
02. Burt Lancaster - From Here to Eternity.
03. John Gielgud - Julius Caesar.
04. Vittorio De Sica - The Earrings of Madame de...
05. Charles Vanel - The Wages of Fear.
Best Supporting Actress:
01. Chieko Higashiyama - Tokyo Story.
02. Setsuko Hara - Tokyo Story.
03. Machiko Kyô - Ugetsu.
04. Deborah Kerr - From Here to Eternity.
05. Donna Reed - From Here to Eternity.
Best Original Screenplay:
01. Roman Holiday.
02. Monsieur Hulot's Holiday.
03. Tokyo Story.
04. The Band Wagon.
05. Fear and Desire.
Best Adapted Screenplay:
01. I Confess.
02. The Earrings of Madame de...
03. Ugetsu.
04. Summer with Monika.
05. Stalag 17.
Best Ensemble:
01. From Here to Eternity.
02. Julius Caesar.
03. The Earrings of Madame de...
04. Tokyo Story.
05. Ugetsu.
Best Editing:
The Wages of Fear.
Best Cinematography:
Ugetsu.
Best Art Direction:
The Band Wagon.
Best Costume Design:
The Earrings of Madame de...
Best Makeup:
Ugetsu.
Best Visual Effects:
From Here to Eternity.
Best Sound Design:
Monsieur Hulot's Holiday.
Best Original Score:
Oscar Straus & Georges Van Parys - The Earrings of Madame de...
Best Original Song:
"Your Mother and Mine" - Peter Pan.
Best Choreography:
Monsieur Hulot's Holiday.
And now back to our regularly scheduled program, would love some recs for 1954. A drastically less exciting looking year from 1953, but mainly because I've seen the big essentials already (Rear Window, Seven Samurai, On the Waterfront). And I've already re-watched them recently, so looking for a fresh ten to set me on my way.