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Of all the great Italian filmakers, Federico Fellini is certainly the best of the best. This was the first film to receive the Academy award for Best Foreign film, and the first of Fellini's work to gain him international acclaim. The story is relatively simple. A brutish Strongman (Anthony Quinn) takes a naive young girl (Giulietta Masina, Fellini's wife) from her home and family, to be part of his travels across the country. Masina becomes part of Quinn's traveling act, which consists of Quinn breaking strong chains by expanding his chest. But Masina really steals the show from Quinn, with her almost natural ability to perform as a clown. She becomes the chief asset to the act, though Quinn doesn't treat her that way. He hardly appreciates her at all and handles her brutally. Things change for the worse, when a traveling acrobat-clown (Richard Basehart), becomes friends with Masina, but by doing so becomes an enemy of Quinn's. Tragedy results from Basehart's interference into Quinn's savage world.<
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What can I say? A true delight, with Fellini's usual brilliant mixing of divine comedy and tragic drama. His visuals are (as always) imaginative, and the acting is superb. Quinn has never been more towering, but Masina is the real star. Her excellent pantomime brings to mind a female version of Charlie Chaplin. This was the film that got me interested in Fellini. If you have never seen any of his movies, then you should start with this one.
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Vittorio De Sica, one of the great post-war Italian neo-realists, turns a relatively simple story into an epic motion picture. It deals with a workingman (Lamberto Maggiorani), who goes on a search throughout Rome to find his stolen bicycle. This bicycle means everything to him, since it's the only way he can earn a living and help feed his family. Joining him on his seemingly hopeless quest is Maggiorani's young son (Enzo Staiola), a lad who gets his father out of bad jams, due to his father's desperate bicycle search.It still amazes me, even after seeing the movie over and over, how it holds your interest to the bitter end. Even though the story doesn't sound like much when first described, it continues to surprise you with good acting, a great script, fine black-and-white photography and one hell of a directing job by De Sica. It seems that he poured his heart and soul into this project. His outpouring shows through and greatly enhances the script. My kudos to a great filmaker and to a stunning masterpiece, that will remain near the top of my movies to watch again list for years to come.
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Swedish director Ingmar Bergman is one of the great masters of European cinema, and this spellbinding fantasy shows you why. The plot takes place in the middle ages, and follows the adventures of a young knight (Max Von Sydow) and his cynical squire (Gunnar Bjornstrand), as they travel across a plague ravaged countryside. They meet various characters, who join them on their journey. Among the travelers, there is an acting troupe (Nils Poppe and Bibi Andersson) and a young peasant girl (Gunnel Lindblom), to whom Bjornstrand takes a fancy. Von Sydow, in the meantime, is trying to cheat death (Bengt Ekerot) in a game of chess. He is losing the game however, and is putting his new found traveling companions in danger as well.Brilliant in it's storytelling, with excellent visuals to boot. The best performances I've ever seen from Von Sydow, Andersson and especially Bjornstrand, who provides the film with it's few moments of comedy. Ekerot is perfectly creepy as the benevolent Death. Not quite Bergman's masterpiece, but certainly close, you should definitely see this to get the idea of what Bergman's pictures are like.
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Ingmar Bergman has been known to make pessimistic psychological dramas. However, Bergman presents a rather touching semi-autobiographical tale of two young children, growing up in turn-of-the-century Sweden. It follows the trials and tribulations of the two title children (Bertil Guve and Pernilla Allwin), and the various burdens that descend upon their families' lives over passing years.Incredible is too small a word to describe this feast for the eyes. Bergman has said that this would be the film to finish his career (though he made one other film after this), and it ends a remarkable career of one of the greatest masters of cinema. A perfect film that should go along nicely with previous Bergman films, like Wild Strawberries, The Seventh Seal and Persona.
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One of the most stylish, outlandishly original French films of the decade, this sidesplitting black comedy takes us on a tour of a desolate post-apocalyptic neighborhood. It introduces us to the various tenants of an apartment building, and the demented landlord (Jean-Claude Dreyfus) who chops up various people and serves them at his delicatessen to the tenants in his apartment building. Things go awry when Dreyfus' daughter (Marie-Laure Dougnac) falls in love with her father's next intended victim, a lovable clown (the extremely funny Dominique Pinon).Probably one of the most insanely entertaining black comedies about cannibalism to ever pop up in cinema. The directors, former French animators Marc Caro and Jean-Pierre Jeunet, present a nightmare world that would have made George Orwell run for cover and still make it grimly comical. The brilliant set pieces provide some of the finest hilarious moments that you'll ever see in your entire life. For those of you who worry about this being violent and gross, I promise you that there is little of either. The story is a lot more subtle then you'd expect, but you will still enjoy it. Even if you don't prefer films about cannibalism, you would still be able to enjoy this, because it sucks you in from the first alluring moment to the fantastic climax.
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One of Luis Bunuel's sexiest comedies, Catherine Denueve portrays the title character, a rather plain ordinary woman, who works the day shift as a prostitute in a popular Paris brothel. She does this, unbeknownst to her ever gullible husband. Her extra-marital job provides her a way to live out her most wild and passionate fantasies, while becoming involved in disturbing incidents that will change her life forever.Probably Bunuel's most outstanding work, it has dry black humor, Bunuel's usual attacks on upper class lifestyle and a brilliantly seductive performance by Denueve. This appeared in theaters recently, but I believe you can find it on video. It is rather tough to find film. If you do find it, don't miss the opportunity to see it!
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A recent Academy award nominee for best picture, this touching story centers on an Italian postman (Massimo Troisi), who acquires lessons on love from famed Nobel prize winning romantic poet, Pablo Neruda (Philippe Noiret). These lessons lead to some sardonically funny moments, but also create a special bond between the simple Troisi and the highly educated Noiret. Their association becomes more then just a teacher to student relationship. They become life-long friends, who have an understanding trust for one another, and a belief that both will succeed one day in life.The movie ends on a rather sad note, considering the well-known fact of the brilliant actor Massimo Troisi's death during the making of this film. However, despite his obvious on-screen ailment, he pulls off his performance flawlessly and gives us a magnificent last performance. The script is both humorous and sad, for you can tell that Troisi had the talent to break through to American audiences. He did do it somewhat, but he died without ever receiving that acclaim personally. But this performance, his last, will remind us of all the hard work and amazing devotion he put into his work on this film, and of the brilliant result. This showing will remain his greatest triumph and will insure the endurance of his legacy as an actor on countless generations to come.
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