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Post by Fading Fast on Nov 7, 2022 11:17:57 GMT
Paths of Glory from 1957 with Kirk Douglas, Adolphe Menjou, George Macready, Wayne Morris and Richard Anderson
It's really amazing what can be accomplished on film in only eighty-eight minutes.
In that short time, director Stanley Kubrick, in Paths of Glory, delivers what is widely considered one of the great anti-war movies of all time.
It's trench warfare in WWI and orders come down from the French General Staff to "take the Ant Hill." Adolphe Menjou plays a general on the Staff who passes the order down to another general played by George Macready.
Macready initially refuses the order because he believes his troops have no chance to capture the Ant Hill; even worse, he believes many of his soldiers will be senselessly killed in the effort. Yet when Menjou dangles a promotion in front of him if the attack is successful, Macready changes his mind.
Macready meets the same resistance that he first showed to the order when he passes it down to his colonel, played by Kirk Douglas, in charge of the troops, but an order must be obeyed.
The attack itself is an unmitigated disaster as the first company out of the trench is so badly slaughtered that the second company refuses to leave the trench, prompting Macready to, get ready for it, order his artillery to fire on his own men in the trenches for "refusing to fight."
In a beautiful moment of a junior officer calmly standing up to a general, the captain of the artillery dispassionately demands a written and signed order from the now-screaming general before he'll take such action.
With that setup, the second half of the movie is the fallout from the disastrous raid, which includes Macready trying to save his skin by court marshalling many of his troops for cowardice as Douglas tries to save his men by having the blame placed where it belongs.
Menjou, meanwhile, with a frightening dispassion, sits above it all, moving people around like chess pieces as he decides who will be the fall guy.
Kubrick brilliantly personalizes this powerful story for the audience as, at the open, we meet the men in the trenches rightfully scared and disgusted by the senseless war of attrition.
Those trench scenes are as powerful today as any that have been filmed since, despite lacking the post-1960s filmmaking fashion of showing overwhelming amounts of killing, maiming, violence and blood.
Equally impactful is the presentation of the officers including Douglas as the honorable man stuck in a dishonorable chain of command and Macready as the sociopath who sees his men as disposable bodies to advance his career.
Menjou, though, is perhaps the worst one of all as he absolutely knows the callous inhumanity of what unfolded, but he sees it as just part of a game he plays better than anyone else.
There are too-many other outstanding performances to note them all, but Wayne Morris deserves mention as the cowardly Lieutenant Roget who probably would be a nice guy if life hadn't put him in an extreme position calling on reserves of courage he doesn't have.
Richard Anderson's performance also deserves mention as Macready's bootlicking, but sinister Major who ruthlessly cleans up after "his" general.
Throughout, Kubrick uses the movie's beautiful black and white cinematography to emphasize the theme of good versus evil as he almost always keeps his camera in reasonably close, except to periodically pull it way back - as he does during the battle scene and court martial - to remind us of the larger context in which these harrowing personal events are playing out.
Paths of Glory stands out amongst anti-war films as it doesn't preen in its denunciation of war. A denunciation that is easy, but often cheap, as most men of good will are philosophically against war, but that doesn't tell us how to stop the Napoleons, Hitlers and Putins of the world.
Paths of Glory, instead, gives us a tangible evil of war to fight: leaders who see their men as fodder to advance their military careers.
Wars have to be fought until bad men stop starting them, but putting the good of the fighting men (and women, today) ahead of their leaders' personal glory and career aspirations is an honorable objective we can try to achieve now, while still fighting those unavoidable wars.
The word classic gets tossed around today, but Paths of Glory fully deserves that honor as it uses every minute of its eighty eight to deliver a powerful rebuke to narcissistic military leaders who fail to sincerely respect the lives of the men and women they command. |
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Post by hoganman1 on Nov 7, 2022 22:03:21 GMT
I just finished viewing THE INVISIBLE MAN recorded last week off TCM. I'd forgotten how good it is since it's been years since I last saw it. Claude Rains is great and for 1933 the special effects are amazing. Rains also appeared in THE WOLFMAN as Larry Talbots's father. I wish I had recorded it as well since it followed THE INVISIBLE MAN in the line-up. Lon Chaney Jr. is great in that film.
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nickandnora34
Full Member
I saw it in the window and couldn't resist it.
Posts: 103
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Post by nickandnora34 on Nov 7, 2022 23:57:33 GMT
I just finished viewing THE INVISIBLE MAN recorded last week off TCM. I'd forgotten how good it is since it's been years since I last saw it. Claude Rains is great and for 1933 the special effects are amazing. Rains also appeared in THE WOLFMAN as Larry Talbots's father. I wish I had recorded it as well since it followed THE INVISIBLE MAN in the line-up. Lon Chaney Jr. is great in that film. I actually just watched a handful of the Universal monster movies last month for Halloween; enjoyed most of them quite a bit. The Invisible Man by H.G. Wells is one of my favorite books of all time. Solid story with ample suspense. |
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Post by nipkowdisc on Nov 8, 2022 2:59:38 GMT
the late great Richard Anderson is from my home state of NJ. |
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Post by cineclassics on Nov 8, 2022 23:25:59 GMT
Recently I re-watched On Dangerous Ground. A unique film noir by Nicholas Ray starring Ida Lupino and Robert Ryan. Strong recommendation for unique setting, story, and phenomenal performances by the cast.
Currently re-watching Clash by Night on TCM. Another film noir and fairly unknown Fritz Lang film. It's lesser Lang, but that's only because his filmography is so strong. Still a solid film noir from the 1950s with Stanwyck, Robert Ryan, Marilyn Monroe, and Paul Douglas.
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nickandnora34
Full Member
I saw it in the window and couldn't resist it.
Posts: 103
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Post by nickandnora34 on Nov 10, 2022 4:31:30 GMT
My great aunt Bonnie recently passed away, and as a result, I watched parts of the 1955 movie "I'll Cry Tomorrow" which she had a bit part in. She is the blonde little girl on the far right. The very beginning of the movie. Thought it was cool and wanted to share.  |
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Post by mrminiver on Nov 10, 2022 5:06:23 GMT
Just when you think you've seen them all.
I just watched "Only Angels Have Wings" and realized I had never seen it before!
What a great film and another feather in Hawks under appreciated hat.
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Post by Fading Fast on Nov 10, 2022 9:36:07 GMT
Just when you think you've seen them all. I just watched "Only Angels Have Wings" and realized I had never seen it before! What a great film and another feather in Hawks under appreciated hat. |
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Post by cineclassics on Nov 10, 2022 13:44:12 GMT
Just when you think you've seen them all. I just watched "Only Angels Have Wings" and realized I had never seen it before! What a great film and another feather in Hawks under appreciated hat. Yes, not just a great Hawks film but another classic from 1939. For some reason, Only Angels Have Wings has flown under the radar when it comes to great films from the studio era. The Criterion blu-ray renders a great visual presentation of the film if you have a blu-ray player. There's only one thing that annoys me about this otherwise fantastic film: Jean Arthur's character seems to profess her love after about 1 day. I just suspend my disbelief and substitute the word "love" for "care" and it goes down a lot easier for me. |
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Post by dianedebuda on Nov 11, 2022 4:28:17 GMT
Knocked off another on my list. This time an old favorite, Father Goose (1964). A stranded French teacher (Leslie Caron) and her girls join an island beach bum (Cary Grant) paid in booze to spot enemy planes.
Cary displays his mastery of comic timing and Leslie shows herself to be talented in that area too. I remember reading that he was trying to change his image from a suave leading man to more mature character parts. Sadly, the critics and public couldn't seem to accept the change and he only made 1 more film. Script won an oscar, with gems like "Coconut milk. Mmmm. Young coconuts must love it."  |
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Post by Fading Fast on Nov 15, 2022 18:07:29 GMT
 Seven Thieves from 1960 with Edward G. Robinson, Rod Steiger, Joan Collins and Eli Wallach
Seven Thieves is a heist movie with an impressive cast, an interestingly planned and executed crime, compelling interpersonal dynamics and a few intriguing last-minute twists that makes you wonder why this charming and quite-engaging movie isn't better known.
Edward G. Robinson plays a disgraced-for-some-not-explained-reason former professor who assembles a team of insiders and experienced crooks to rob a Monte Carlo casino. He is a thinking man's criminal who is respected by the other criminals for his intelligence and integrity.
His team includes Eli Wallach playing a nervous musician and Joan Collins playing a street-smart risque dancer, both of whom will be part of the heist's deception plan. The team also comprises an insider at the casino, an experienced safecracker, a driver and, the last to join, Rod Steiger playing Robinson's second in command and confidant.
As with any heist team, the personalities rub up against each other a lot, which is Seven Thieves' biggest appeal. You are drawn into the story as you see friendships develop and conflicts build as personal alliances are formed and broken.
Steiger, even more than Robinson, sits at the center of the group as he is smart, menacing and doesn't suffer fools lightly, which you feel he, initially, believes is everyone else but Robinson.
Collins, the only woman in the group, and a woman you can't help noticing is a woman, fires up the sexual tension because, not surprisingly, several of the men are interested in her.
As the group plans its heist, which is well thought out but not that original for a 1950s/'60s heist movie, the fun is seeing all the personalities mix, especially as Collins' character emerges from the pack both because of her revealing dance numbers, she's sporting quite a body, and because, as we come to see, she's whip smart and cool headed.
Collins also deserves credit for holding her own in scenes with acting giant Robinson and acting pros Steiger and Wallach. Whatever cartoon Collins became of herself in the 1980s, doesn't change the fact that she had real acting chops when she started out.
The heist scene itself is engaging with plenty of tension and wrinkles, but the movie kicks to a higher level with several post-heist twists that have to be seen fresh to enjoy as they give Seven Thieves its own unique take on how to wrap up a heist movie.
Director Henry Hathaway, smartly balancing the tension of the heist with the pressures and frisson of the interpersonal relationships, really made a movie about several people at a crossroads where a heist becomes the catalyst for those characters to make life-altering decisions.
Hathaway also fully leverages the acting talents of Robinson, Steiger, Collins and Wallach, plus the beautiful on-location French Riviera setting, which is wonderfully captured by the film's crisp black and white cinematography.
Seven Thieves, is, yes, a good heist movie, but its unique ending and complex and often charming interpersonal relationships make it a movie that deserves to be better known today than it is.
Joan Collins preparing to rob a casino.
N.B., For a noirish French take on a similar story, check out the outstanding 1956 movie Bob le Flambeur (comments here: link ) |
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Post by hoganman1 on Nov 15, 2022 22:27:11 GMT
I just finished MURDER, MY SWEET. It's from Raymond Chandler's great novel FAIRWELL, MY LOVELY and is great. Bogart will always be my favorite Philip Marlowe, but Dick Powell is really good in this film. However, Claire Trevor steals the show. Her Helen/Velma portrayal finishes a close second to Barbara Stanwyck's role in DOUBLE INDEMNITY for the consummate femme fatale. This film is definitely in my top ten favorite film noirs.
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Post by Andrea Doria on Nov 16, 2022 1:09:39 GMT
I just watched "The Children Act," on Tubi. Emma Thompson stars as a judge who must decide whether or not to allow a hospital to perform a life saving blood transfusion on a 17 year-old boy whose parents are Jehovah's Witnesses. I found it very compelling, but I'm a big fan of Emma Thompson and will watch anything she's in. It might seem a bit slow and depressing to some.
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Post by topbilled on Nov 16, 2022 4:02:21 GMT
Seven Thieves from 1960 with Edward G. Robinson, Rod Steiger, Joan Collins and Eli Wallach
Seven Thieves is a heist movie with an impressive cast, an interestingly planned and executed crime, compelling interpersonal dynamics and a few intriguing last-minute twists that makes you wonder why this charming and quite-engaging movie isn't better known.
Edward G. Robinson plays a disgraced-for-some-not-explained-reason former professor who assembles a team of insiders and experienced crooks to rob a Monte Carlo casino. He is a thinking man's criminal who is respected by the other criminals for his intelligence and integrity.
His team includes Eli Wallach playing a nervous musician and Joan Collins playing a street-smart risque dancer, both of whom will be part of the heist's deception plan. The team also comprises an insider at the casino, an experienced safecracker, a driver and, the last to join, Rod Steiger playing Robinson's second in command and confidant.
As with any heist team, the personalities rub up against each other a lot, which is Seven Thieves' biggest appeal. You are drawn into the story as you see friendships develop and conflicts build as personal alliances are formed and broken.
Steiger, even more than Robinson, sits at the center of the group as he is smart, menacing and doesn't suffer fools lightly, which you feel he, initially, believes is everyone else but Robinson.
Collins, the only woman in the group, and a woman you can't help noticing is a woman, fires up the sexual tension because, not surprisingly, several of the men are interested in her.
As the group plans its heist, which is well thought out but not that original for a 1950s/'60s heist movie, the fun is seeing all the personalities mix, especially as Collins' character emerges from the pack both because of her revealing dance numbers, she's sporting quite a body, and because, as we come to see, she's whip smart and cool headed.
Collins also deserves credit for holding her own in scenes with acting giant Robinson and acting pros Steiger and Wallach. Whatever cartoon Collins became of herself in the 1980s, doesn't change the fact that she had real acting chops when she started out.
The heist scene itself is engaging with plenty of tension and wrinkles, but the movie kicks to a higher level with several post-heist twists that have to be seen fresh to enjoy as they give Seven Thieves its own unique take on how to wrap up a heist movie.
Director Henry Hathaway, smartly balancing the tension of the heist with the pressures and frisson of the interpersonal relationships, really made a movie about several people at a crossroads where a heist becomes the catalyst for those characters to make life-altering decisions.
Hathaway also fully leverages the acting talents of Robinson, Steiger, Collins and Wallach, plus the beautiful on-location French Riviera setting, which is wonderfully captured by the film's crisp black and white cinematography.
Seven Thieves, is, yes, a good heist movie, but its unique ending and complex and often charming interpersonal relationships make it a movie that deserves to be better known today than it is.
Joan Collins preparing to rob a casino.
N.B., For a noirish French take on a similar story, check out the outstanding 1956 movie Bob le Flambeur (comments here: link ) |
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Post by Moe Howard on Nov 16, 2022 17:05:46 GMT
Seven Thieves, is, yes, a good heist movie, but its unique ending and complex and often charming interpersonal relationships make it a movie that deserves to be better known today than it is.
Sounds like a good one. Haven't heard of this one, adding it to the top of my must see list. |
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