Change Your Image
Robert-159
Lists
An error has ocurred. Please try againReviews
La strada (1954)
Anthony Quinn (1915-2001)
I'm sorry to hear of the passing of Anthony Quinn. As I recall, the first time I saw him was when I was in grade school and thumbing through a book about old movies. I came across an article about "La Strada," and I was instantly impressed (maybe a little scared) by his taut, darkling, weatherbeaten face. Seeing his movies, I also became very impressed by his voracious vitality.
Quinn may have won Oscars for "¡Viva Zapata!" and "Lust for Life" (the perfect choice to play renegade painter Paul Gauguin!), but to me, his best performance was in Fellini's "La Strada." His dynamic embodiment of the brutish Zampanò is, to me, one of the all-time great appearances in film history.
I once saw him in person here in L.A. I was buying a movie ticket and saw him standing off to one side while someone (a relative or an assistant) bought a ticket for him. I was tempted to go up to him and say, "Ciao, Zampanò," but I thought it would be inappropriate. I never got the chance again. So, now that he's gone, I'll say it: Ciao, Zampanò. Thanks for all the great memories.
Snow Falling on Cedars (1999)
Casting contradicts film's anti-racist message
I think that "Snow Falling on Cedars" could have been a great film.
Based on a well-told and thought-provoking best-seller, this film
bravely stuck to the book's non-linear plot line. The lush
cinematography and demanding editing -- both of which are vital to
keeping the audience following the non-chronological narrative --
are highly praiseworthy. However, what ultimately killed this movie
for me was its wrong-headed casting.
In part, "Snow Falling on Cedars" seeks to shed light on a dark
corner of U.S. history: the unconstitutional internment of 120,000
Americans of Japanese ancestry into prison camps during World
War II. What led to this internment? It was the racially
discriminatory assumption that American citizens of Japanese
ancestry (and Asian ancestry in general) aren't "really" Americans
because of their racial features. In other words, if you're an Asian
American, you aren't a "real" American. By throwing a critical eye
onto this disreputable episode of American history, "Snow Falling
on Cedars" could have helped to debunk this myth. Instead, the
movie helped to reaffirm it.
"Snow Falling on Cedars" features the first Asian American female
lead to appear in a major Hollywood movie since "The Joy Luck
Club" (1993). The character of Hatsue is born in Washington
state, grows up there, and goes to school there. The role would
have been a God-send to any of the dozens of Asian American
actresses who are so undeservedly underutilized by Hollywood.
But how did "Snow Falling on Cedars" cast the role? It brought
over Youki Kudoh -- a Japanese actress who already has a
flourishing career in Japan -- tried to teach her to speak with an
American accent, and cast HER as Hatsue. Although she makes
a valiant effort to fake an American accent, Kudoh speaks her lines
with an accent that's noticeably Japanese.
What's wrong with this picture? If the character had been white,
would Scott Hicks have cast the part with an actress who spoke
with a European accent? Not bloody likely. The audience would
have probably been saying to itself: "The character is born in the
U.S., grows up in the U.S., and goes to school in the U.S. Why is
she speaking with a European accent?" However, if the character
is a U.S.-born Asian, that character is expected to speak with a
foreign accent. In reality, the overwhelming majority of U.S.-born
Asian Americans speak with American accents just like any other
American.
By casting a Japanese-accented actress as an Asian American,
"Snow Falling on Cedars" (inadvertently?) drives home the very
misperception that the story originally set out to correct: that
American citizens of Asian ancestry are "really" foreigners. This is
especially infuriating because there are so many Asian American
actresses out there who speak with ready-made American
accents and who could have played the role of Hatsue as the
American character that she was meant to be. As is so often the
case, Hollywood had a golden opportunity to increase understanding about Asian Americans, and -- true to form --
Hollywood blew it. Despite the film's many positive aspects
(challenging story, camerawork, editing), I can't get past "Snow
Falling on Cedars'" egregious miscasting of Youki Kudoh.
The Bridge on the River Kwai (1957)
Sir Alec Guinness (1914-2000)
August 7, 2000: I just want to say how sorry I am to hear of
the passing of Sir Alec Guinness. He was always one of
my very favorite actors, and he always astounded me with
his quiet, understated brilliance. From the Ealing comedies to "Star Wars" to his late work for British television, Sir Alec never ceased to endow his characters
with charm and muted nuance. But of all his performances, his Colonel Nicholson in "Bridge on the River Kwai" remains perhaps his most remarkable achievement. So, it's fitting that this is the film for which he
received his Academy Award. Film-goers around the world
are very fortunate that Alec Guinness left behind such a
large and impressive body of work.
Good night, sweet prince, and flocks of angels sing thee to
thy rest.
Sans soleil (1983)
A film about memory that you won't forget
With "Sans Soleil," Chris Marker skillfully blends image, sound, and voice in a powerful way that I've never experienced before or since. No mere description can begin to convey this film's stunning effect on my intellect and my senses. Not quite a documentary, not quite fiction, Marker's film emerges as a mesmerizing meditation on the meaning of time, space, and memory. "How," he asks, "does one remember thirst?" A film you won't forget.
Tomorrow Never Dies (1997)
Gripe about inaccuracy
I would just like to make one gripe about an inaccuracy in "Tomorrow Never Dies." One of the movie's set pieces is a motorcycle chase throughout Ho Chi Minh City (formerly Saigon) in Vietnam, which was actually shot in Thailand. During the chase, James Bond and Wai Lin pass many billboard signs. Due to decades of French occupation, the Vietnamese language is written in the Roman alphabet (the same alphabet that this commentary is written in). However, all of the many signs seen in the chase scene are written in either Chinese pictographs or Thai script. Isn't it strange that -- in all of Vietnam's largest city -- there wouldn't be a single sign in the Vietnamese l
Chiu kup gai wak (1993)
An arresting action yarn with a strong set-up
This spin-off of "Supercop" is one of my favorite Hong Kong action movies. "Once a Cop" ("Chao ji ji hua") kicks off with a rousing high-energy title sequence and never lets up. The story is meatier than most action yarns: a Chinese policewoman (Michelle Yeoh) tracks a gang of bank robbers to Hong Kong, unaware that their ringleader is her fiancé, an ex-cop (Yu Rong-Guang). This intriguing set-up searches the emotions of the main character as it explores the cultural clash between get-rich-quick Hong Kong and the duty-bound mainland. There's also a sympathetic subplot about a Hong Kong cop who's attracted to Yeoh but feels intimidated by both her and her fiancé. The action sequences are all superbly executed, credibly grounding their martial arts in the actors' own athletic abilities (rather than falling back on wires and special effects). And Yeoh's graceful gymnastic prowess has never been used to better advantage.
Unfortunately, not everything about "Once a Cop" clicks. The relationship between Yeoh and Yu isn't developed as deeply as it could be (though it's still more interesting than most action-movie romances), and it ultimately doesn't make the most of the premise's irony. Jackie Chan's cameo (reprising his "Supercop" role) is awkward and not well integrated into the story. And Alain Guernier as the central villain gives the worst impersonation of an Englishman I've ever seen (even if John Malkovich's Dr. Jekyll in "Mary Reilly" comes pretty darn close). But pound per pound - and punch per punch - "Once a Cop" is as thrilling and exciting as any reality-based martial-arts movie to come out of the Crown Colony. Anyone wowed by Michelle Yeoh's work in "Tomorrow Never Dies" should definitely check out this
Cánh dong hoang (1979)
An unusual and absorbing war drama
To an American audience, "The Abandoned Field: Free-Fire Zone" is an unusual movie in many ways. First, this Vietnamese film tells a story of the Vietnam War through the eyes of Viet Cong guerillas. Instead of the camera hovering above the ground in the U.S. helicopters, it's in the rice paddies looking up at those lethal machines. Second, it depicts the effects of war on a family (mother, father, and child) whose daily life is made unpredictable and uncertain by the whims of battle. Granted, the father and mother are VC guerillas who voluntarily put themselves and their child in harm's way, but this touches upon another uncommon element: Hollywood audiences aren't used to seeing a woman (the wife) as a protagonist in a war drama. These qualities alone would make "The Abandoned Field" of great interest, but the film also does more. This movie is quite well made. The story is briskly paced, but it still takes time for quiet observations of the couple's frugal family life as they hide from the choppers. The film's visual surface appears equally frugal. The hand-held black & white cinematography gives the images a rough-hewn feel that captures the spirit of the 1960s New Wave and resembles early newsreels of the war. This visual approach might have been completely determined by the economic realities of the time, but the film's low-tech look seems to stand in defiant opposition to Hollywood's high-gloss surface. It's as though director Hong Sen Nguyen wanted to utilize a "guerilla" visual style to match the content of his story. Of course, being from Vietnam, "The Abandoned Field" wants us to side with the guerillas, but the movie also acknowledges the humanity of an American soldier and presents him as an equal victim of the war. Certainly, the movie is more even-handed than most American films about Vietnam, especially those of the Rambo/Chuck Norris variety. The movie's biggest drawback for U.S. audiences is that its American characters are played by Vietnamese actors (some of whom look racially mixed) speaking in the Vietnamese language. Of course, this instance of unbelievable casting arose from Vietnam's lack of access at the time to professional American talent. The American viewer simply has to accept it as a convention. Another admirer of "The Abandoned Field" is director Oliver Stone, who also bemoans the film's lack of authenticity in things American. He once remarked at a UCLA panel that he wished he could have been the film's technical advisor. But its inaccuracies didn't interfere with his enjoyment of the movie. (Stone would go on to direct his own war drama told from the perspective of a Vietnamese woman: 1993's "Heaven & Earth.") "The Abandoned Field" offers American audiences an unusual and absorbing story. Coming to the movie with an open mind, viewer
Tarzan's Greatest Adventure (1959)
Lives up to its title
I haven't seen this movie for a while, but it's the Tarzan film that I remember with the most affection. "TGA" was the first Tarzan movie to be produced by Sy Weintraub (who took over the franchise from Sol Lesser), and the new producer wanted to take the character in a new direction. He succeeded admirably. After "Tarzan and His Mate" (with its notorious nude scene) in 1934, the series had been geared mostly towards younger viewers.
Weintraub wisely sought to reclaim a more mature audience. "TGA" is the first Tarzan film since the 1930s to have the apeman speak in complete sentences, and Gordon Scott relaxes into the role more than he had in his earlier, less articulate efforts. It's a credit to Scott's acting that he was able to make the transition so well from the "ooga-ooga" Tarzan to "TGA's" more thoughtful, more cunning interpretation of the character. The film even hints at a sexual relationship between Tarzan and Angie (Sara Shane), who is more feisty and more fun to watch than any Jane. (In fact, a kissing scene between Tarzan and Angie was left on the cutting-room floor).
But most important of all "TGA" still stands up as both an adventure movie and a character study. While not quite as polished as a prestigious A-picture, the story and the action scenes still grip the viewer. The psychological deterioration and in-fighting between the bad guys is very believable. Anthony Quayle brings as much seriousness and credibility to the role of the ringleader as he brings to his Shakespeare work, and even though his time on the screen is relatively brief, a young Sean Connery still shows early glimmers of the brilliant charisma that would make him one of the world's most enduring stars. "TGA" makes good use of its cast, and the movie strikes an exciting equilibrium between its dialogue scenes and its action scenes. You can imagine this film working as an adventure drama even if Tarzan weren't in it. And perhaps to signal the series' more adult-oriented emphasis, Tarzan's yodeling ape call is voiced only once: at the very end of the film. There's only one thing regrettable about this movie: it got so many of its adventure elements right that the rest of the films in Weintraub's Tarzan series had a hard time living up to it.
Striking a good balance between action and drama--and boasting a very watchable cast--"Tarzan's Greatest