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"Does one have to constantly make observations about slavery? Depict it; That's enough!" - Gustave Flaubert, about why he disliked Uncle Tom's Cabin and Harriet Beecher Stowe's constant preaching against slavery.John Singleton's Rosewood is a powerful picture, that sheds light on a nearly forgotten tragic chapter in American history. The story concerns the massacre of the residents of Rosewood, Florida in 1923. It started, because of a white woman claiming she was beaten and raped by a black man. In reality, it was her white lover (Robert Patrick). The woman lied, so as not to get more severely beaten by her jealous husband. The results were horrific. Lynchings, torturings and killings of innocent people ensued in the following days. The state government declared a mere six people were killed, but the survivors of the massacre (most of whom were young children when their elders were killed) claimed as many as 50 to 250 dead in Rosewood.
Much of the opening half hour introduces us to the characters of the all-black town of Rosewood, and the poorer all-white town of Sumner. Among the various characters, there is Rosewood's town grocer and only white resident Mr. Right (Jon Voight), who wants to remain neutral in the whole matter, but gets caught up in the fire storm anyway. The WWI veteran Mr. Mann (Ving Rhames), who rides into town on a horse and who shows characteristics similar to that of the mythical Western cowboys, Shane or Woodrow F. Call of Lonesome Dove. And we meet a family that is the heart and soul of Rosewood, dominated by a kindly matriarch (Good Times Esther Rolle, in a heartfelt performance) and her son, the music teacher Sylvester (Don Cheadle).
There are dozens of memorable actors in this film, including Rhames (usually typecast as the heavy) in his first leading man role, and Voight whose character reminds me of Oskar Schindler, in the way that he helps out the black residents of Rosewood, even at the risk of being lynched himself by the racist, bloodthirsty mob, which is spreading terror throughout the county. By far Singleton's best work on film, he thoroughly visually captures the era of the 1920's, instilling heart and soul into this period of time. The sets, cinematography and the score by John Williams are all terrific.
But it's Singleton who does the greatest job, as he captures the pain and suffering the survivors had to go through and what a horror the South was at the time. There's also a subtle message about how the more things change, the more they remain the same. Such is the case of the woman who sets off the deadly chain reaction that destroys Rosewood. Her blaming a fake black man for her rape, is similar to Susan Smith's blaming a fake black man for the murder of her two children, when it was really Smith, herself, who killed them. Singleton does exactly what Flaubert wanted Harriet Beecher Stowe to do with Uncle Tom's Cabin. He depicts a real American tragedy. He doesn't constantly make asides to the audience of what tragedies are befalling his characters.
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Steven Spielberg's tribute to classic movie serials, Harrison Ford stars as Indiana Jones, archaeologist, adventurer and globe-trotter extraordinaire. His quest is to find the lost ark of the covenant (remember your Old Testament) and to get it out of the hands of the Nazis. But he just can't seem to avoid spine-chilling danger every step of the way. Still, he's always up to the challenge, as is his sidekick-lady fair (Karen Allen), who's tougher than she lets on to be.A perfect throwback to all those cliffhanger serials of the 1930's and 1940's, although this film manages to be much better. Ford offers one of his best roles next to Han Solo, as the adventurer who cannot be tamed by anyone. The visuals (special effects, art direction, cinematography) give the perfect feel of an old serial, while Spielberg holds the proceedings together with his usual magic touch. It has enough story for FIVE movies.
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One of those rare cases where the sequels are as good as the first, the story pits Indiana Jones (Harrison Ford) in even more grave danger then the last time. He must make his way through a forbidden fortress, which houses a killer cult, full of bloodthirsty assassins. Following Ford into danger is the heroine Willie (Kate Capshaw) and kid sidekick, Short Round (the talented Ke Huy Quan). The traps and obstacles that Ford has to work his way around are real doozies.This very nearly tops the first film when it comes to action and excitement. Ford is fine as ever, with great support by Capshaw (director Spielberg's real-life spouse) and Quan. The best action sequences come near the end, in which Spielberg pulls out a show stopping finale, full of suspense and special effects the like of which you'll rarely see nowadays. My personal favorite involves an underground roller-coaster chase, that manages to make a chase sequence on railroad tracks a real nail biter.
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Another well-known trilogy comes to an end, with this suitable climax. Harrison Ford returns once again as the unflappable title character. This time, Ford doesn't have a heroine or a young sidekick by his side. Instead, it's his father Dr. Henry Jones (Sean Connery), whom he must continuously save from peril. At the same time, he's trying to get on with his quest for the Holy Grail. But those darn Nazis just won't leave him or his father alone.It's great to see the talents of Ford and Connery work together so well. And once again, Steven Spielberg offers plenty of visual delights, that will keep you on the edge of your seat. An assault on a tank is a particular highlight, as is the usual free-for-all climax that has become an Indiana Jones series trademark. A perfect end to a great film series, full of excitement and wonder!!
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An excellent sci-fi tale from Steven Spielberg, about man's first contact with alien beings. Among the various people who witness this special occasion are Roy Neary (Richard Dreyfuss), an everyman who becomes obsessed in his quest to find a meaning to all this. Melinda Dillon is a mother, whose infant son is taken by aliens. She too goes in search of meaning, as well as a way to get her son back. And Teri Garr costars as Dreyfuss' wife, who is extremely skeptical about her husband's "close encounters" and is doubting his sanity as well.A spellbinding tale if their ever was one, this captures the awe one might have of coming in contact with creatures from another world. Dreyfuss, Dillon, Garr and Francois Truffaut as a top scientist, make their characters seem believable and Spielberg again handles everything in his usual flawless way. The best parts involve the special effects and a heartwarming climax involving the communication between species through harmonious synthesizers. John Williams-who scores most of Spielberg's work, offers another fine piece of music, that will surely become classic in years to come. For those of you who are interested, there is also a Special Edition of the film, which adds more depth to Dreyfuss' character and takes us inside the alien spacecraft.
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One of the world's most beloved films and THE highest grossing box-office champion domestically of all-time (until Star Wars was recently re-released that is), this is Steven Spielberg's childhood version of Close Encounters. It involves the friendship of a young boy (Henry Thomas) and a little lost alien, who go against all odds to get the little guy back home. In the meantime, Thomas and his siblings introduce E.T. to Earth life and teach him their language. They also have a tough time trying to hide him from the outside world, which makes for some humorous predicaments.This is something that Disney (had he been alive at the time) would have loved to have made. Spielberg offers a heartwarming fantasy, that knows the right buttons to push without having to make it too obvious. Thomas is perfect as Elliot, the boy who befriends E.T., and E.T. himself is a marvel to behold. There are so many memorable moments in this: The flying bicycles; The glowing finger curing a wound, etc. It is one of those films that is timeless. This gives the phrase "family film" a whole new meaning.
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After years of fantasies, Steven Spielberg took a stab at a serious drama. Based on Alice Walker's Pulitzer Prize winning book, it revolves around one black girl's (Whoopi Goldberg, in her debut performance) struggle into and through womanhood, for various years as she faces hardship after hardship. The story has many memorable performances, including Oprah Winfrey, as a woman who goes through as many hard challenges in her life as Goldberg does in hers. Danny Glover is truly hateful, as Goldberg's abusive guardian, who spends most of his life trying to keep her down. But in the end, she learns how to survive and overcome all that has kept her down for so long.Spielberg has offered many films with triumph-of-the-spirit type themes to them, but this somehow outdoes all of the previous and recent work he's done (save for Schindler's List, which this is certainly equal to). Besides the impressive performances, story and direction, it also features a fine score from the likes of Quincy Jones and Lionel Richie, and beautiful cinematography by Allen Daviau. This tale of a woman's hard journey is on par with films like The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman and Fried Green Tomatoes.
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