Reviews

In my opinion, 'Basic Instinct' is one of the most well-known movies in the world. People remember it for lascivious images of Sharon Stone's exposed slender leg and an attractiveness that could attract any man. Like Anthony Hopkins, Sharon Stone created her own persona Catherine Tramell.

After watching the film, I changed my mind about blonde girls. Before watching the film, I thought blonde girls were cute, buxom and kind. There brilliant's was not a issue. Catherine, however, was more brilliant than I expected.

She can brain-wash others an even control them. Although I saw it many times, I am still confused who is the real criminal. Maybe murder itself was not the issue. One thing I can sure about is that she made people confused very often. Because she sometimes spoke very ambiguously.

Anyway, I learned that the most kind of brilliant criminal is a girl, because she can use her sexual charm. I think that through it, Sharon Stone created a new persona and developed her career as an actress.

Marilyn Monroe is famous for the image of her dress blowing up above her waist by passing train underneath the subway grate she is standing on. Like her, Sharon Stone is famous for crossing and uncrossing her legs revealing the fact she was not wearing any underwear while being questioned by the police.

I would say, 'Niagara' made Marilyn Monroe a star and God Created 'Basic Instinct' for Sharon Stone.

What do you think about Marilyn Monroe? Maybe millions of people imagine her voluptuous slender body, adorable lips, blonde hair and untouchable beauty. Even Kim Basinger, Debbie Harry, Heidi Klum and Anna Nicole Smith never reached Marilyn's position, fame, popularity or beauty. Marilyn Monroe was the most adorable actress in film history.

In her thirties, we can see her sexual side through film. However as time went by she took a challenging film in 1956. She showed us a versatile and mature actress. In 1955, she was a 29 year old girl who stimulated a man's desire and instinct. Yet within a year she portrayed a versatile and surprisingly mature side to us. 'Bus Stop', proved to be her new calling.

While watching 'Bus Stop', I thought more about Marilyn's character itself, rather than plot. it was very different from her roles in 'Niagara' and 'River of No Return'. Marilyn expressed a pure and fragile side of herself in character for the very first time. In the scene, when I saw her sing a song in the bar, I honestly felt that I wanted to take care of her, from the bar owner who abused her mentally and physically.

Appearing as the character of a Bo Decker, played by Don Murray, was a perfect choice to star opposite Marilyn. Because her character, Cherrie, needed a man who gave her : love, dedication and stability.

Marilyn expressed her role very well, by showing how felt on the inside Cerrie. Marilyn was a young and rising star, who started off in juvenile roles.

She eventually developed into a mature adult playing in roles that matched her abilities. Hollywood's 'It'girl makes a grand entrance with her most sophisticated character as Cherrie in 'Bus Stop'.

Rope(1948) is an Alfred Hitchcock film notable for its single location covered in what appeared to be one continuous shot. When I saw it, I was very surprised at the single location. What single location means is that Alfred Hitchcock decided to imitate a requisite of the play. Therefore, when I watching this movie, I felt that I was not actually watching a movie, it felt as if I was watching a Broadway play.

Talking about the small piece, its cyclorama was much better than I expected. Cyclorama presented day and night very well, if I wasn't watching it intently I would be fooled into thinking that cyclorama was real New York skylines. And refrigerator, do not have a freezer not like now.

Plus who buys cigar cases in 2006? Only in 1948 was it possible. Anyway, if 'Rope' actors costume look 2006 style, can anyone distinguish very easily this movie's release date from now? Let's get to the movie, Brandon's(John Dall) behaviour reminds me of bloodless Nazi major(Sorry. Germans). He intentionally flirted with Jan(Joan Chandler) to pretend to not commit a crime, subtly drops hint throughout the party about the murder of David, and begins a discussion on the art of murder.

In this movie, John Dall's acting as great as Jimmy Stewart. May be Hitchcock cast Jimmy in order to use his toll of being a celebrity. Anyway, Hitchcock's movie always expected me to see a masterpiece. 'Rope' wasn't an exception.

One of the greatest directors in American film history is Frank Capra. He has produced 'Mr. Smith goes to Washington D.C(1939)' and 'Mr. Deeds goes to town(1936)'. One of the indiscriminating factors of these two movies is Jean Arthur's performance(Lovely Jean Arthur. Her characters reminds me 1930's ambitious career woman)

Go back to the movie, Mr. Longfellow Deeds, naturally kind, pure and good. When he heard about his dead rich uncle who gave him $20 million(2005 standard : $1.286 billion-using nominal GDP), he was never surprised at that good news, he acted like Buddha or Jesus Christ. He utilized his money for others like Bill Gates, Warren Buffett and George Soros.

In contrast, we can see lots of greedy people in movies. Jean Arthur was no exception. She exploited him for her own promotion and paid holiday. When Gary Cooper, however, gave her a poem what he wrote for her, that bloodless blonde news reporter began to regret her mean behavior, fall in love with him and proceed to speak on his behalf at the court for him.

I saw a beautiful scenery of Riviera, France, Grace Kelly's hot body and her crafty eye sight liked like Heidi Klum on Alfred Hitchcock's 'To Catch a Thief'. Although Alfred Hitchcock likes to use Grace Kelly and Cary Grant in his movies, hiring them in this movie was inadequate. Because a 26 years old, blonde and blue eyed, slender beauty fell in love with a 51 years old guy? I think it was literally adultery.

Anyway, I gave it 7 out of 10. Casting was good. And Grace's gorgeous bathing suit, her slender body and lovely tanned back and arm gave me a joy as same as when I saw the Victoria's Secret models. May be Marilyn Monroe had watched it, she felt strong jealousy about this German American(Marilyn Monroe was a Norwegian American), graceful blonde beauty.

Come to think of the director, Marilyn Monroe never noticed any jealousy about her. Because Marilyn's movies are remembered by Marilyn's performance itself but lots of Grace's movies are remembered by a Gary Cooper(High Noon-1952), Frank Sinatra and Bing Crosby's(High Society-1956) performance or an Alfred Hitchcock's product.

Think about the movie itself, the plot was terrible. Even though film was very colorful and of high quality. Why? first, scale was small. At least to catch a murderer or suspicion are much appropriate than to catch a thief. And I don't like the title. Like Alfred Hichcock's 'Wrong Man' or 'I confess', if he named its title as 'I'm innocent', or 'Innocent Man', these are much nicer than 'To Catch a Thief'

Last, I want to ask Grace if I could go back to the 1955. Can your slender body compete with Marilyn Monroe? You are in perfect conditions sexually. Then why don't you show to the public your personality in movies? I mean, do not accept chastity or elegance role, how about accepting more serious roles like vivacious or dangerously voluptuous?

In 1995, I saw River of no return on KBS. Surely, it was dubbed into Korean. When I saw this movie on a 14 inch Samsung color TV(produced in 1988), I was overwhelmed by Marilyn Monroe's physical attractions and North America's spacious and prodigious scenery. Well, I have never found those kind of sceneries in my country.(Later, I found out that the filming location wasn't America. It's Canada)

In this movie, we can see two of the greatest characters. Marilyn Monroe and Robert Mitchum. Both of them are enormously talented. Anyway the one funny thing from this movie was a prejudice which I have had was American girls are as beautiful as Marilyn Monroe.(1995. I was 10. it was real. Those fantasies were broken in 2001)

River of no return's plot, however, was very monotonous that I was terribly disappointed when I focused on the plot in itself although I like Marilyn Monroe and western movie so much. But Monroe and Mitchum made this simple western movie plot as a romantic western movie. It's totally different from John Wayne's western style. For foreign movie viewers, like me from Asia, it's a good chance to see a voluptuous American girl, spacious U.S field(not like Arizona, it's just desert where John Wayne appeared.)and different western style in itself. River of no return was released in 1954 when Marilyn Monroe was young and attractive.

So I found that Marilyn's physical attraction made people to move to the theatre to see this movie. But that's valuable in itself. Why? people love Marilyn Monroe now and then. Sometimes we want to see her in her twenties or thirties. It just showed her twenties.

Whether she abused her attraction or not, Marilyn had to change her role for survival. So that's why she went to Lee Strasberg's acting school, Michael Chekhov's for learning her ability and career.

In 1967, Sean Connery must have been slightly crazy. Because he appeared in You Only Live Twice. His other 007 series Diamonds are Forever(1971), Thunderball(1965) and Goldfinger(1964) were nice. No one blames him about those 3 James Bond movies. But You Live Only Twice definitely annihilated James Bond.

First, I was totally disappointed with the movie's background and scenery. James Bond went to Japan to investigate why U.S' and Soviet's spaceships had disappeared. This movie showed Japanese scenery. That's a bad thing. No one wants to see Asia's scenery. Japan isn't America, France, British and Russia. Well, in the Diamonds are Forever, we can see U.S' great scenery. But in this movie, we can't. I'm Korean. Although Japan and my country are totally different, somethings are similar. So Japanese scenery doesn't give me a strange feeling as much as when I see western scenery.

Second, It shows the impossible to happen. How did specter launch their rocket so easily? Even in NASA, they set up huge machines to fire the rocket. Launching the rocket isn't an easy job. Firing the rocket at 11.2km per second isn't easy. We can see specter's humble machines fire the rocket. Then, Japanese technologies are much higher than U.S in the 1960s? Very Interesting.

Third, the movies plot isn't good. Toyota 2000 GT is an eye-catcher. But with only a TV attached? cigar-rocket was great? A More terrible thing was Ninja. Ninja appeared in 1967 with a sword, foes have machine-guns. It's ridiculous in itself. And when the Japanese agent shows Bond a Ninja, Why did the Ninja kill other Ninjas? Last, we still thought that James Bond was a playboy. What is a playboy? Enticing a beauty, staying in expensive hotels like the Trump plaza hotel, Going to casinos to earn extra money and driving a nice V8 car. But in this movie I didn't know if 1960's Japan was very poor or not, I never found out skyscrapers or tall buildings(except the Osato building) like U.S, even V8 or V6, and beauty blonde. Japanese girl? They looked like living next door to poor neighbors. James Bond wasn't the James Bond we know.

How about this. James Bond rides a horse with a blonde cowgirl, armed 6 revolver, playing the guitar and singing Rocky Mountain High. Bond girl sang The Tide Is High. That's much better for Bond. Instead of going to Japan.

Have you ever been to Tiffany? Well, I never have been there. But I saw Tiffany with Audrey Hepburn and George Peppard. What am I doing? O.K Let's talk about 'Breakfast at Tiffany's'with me.

Suppose Marilyn Monroe appeared as Holy Golightely(Truman Capote wanted Marilyn to appear), movie's allure might be declined. why? Marilyn really wants to change her images, not a blonde bombshell, as a mature lady, not depending on her physical attraction, but her acting attraction.

I think Holy Golightely had a slightly naughty girls images, so directer chose her.(MM worked at 20th Century Fox, AH worked at Paramount. That's the main reason even Capote wanted MM) Anyway, Audrey Hepburn never disappointed movie viewers. Although she have never been a sex symbol, her plain image makes people love her.

By her plain image, people thought that she never been contaminated by desire, greed and corruption.(I mean some actress looks like nymphomaniac, you know, but Audrey, I never find out that kinds of things) That movie showed Audrey's allure. She never becomes a bad girl in any movie.(She never enticed any men) So that's why she is well-known as an ambassador of UNICEF

'Love is never having to say you're sorry' Maybe it is the most famous sentence in film history. And Love Story was a surprise hit in 1970. After watching this movie, a lot of couples questioned what were the love meaning. What made 'Love Story'so heartfelt? I think that one of the main reasons of Love Story's success was its tragic characters and characters who surrounded by good circumstances. Those two contradictory factors made Love Story a surprise hit. Oliver(Ryan O'Neil), and Jennifer(Ali MacGraw), both of them, were Harvard Students. Although a Harvard diploma doesn't take a rose-colored view to their future, at least they can come up in the world.

Finally, they did it. Oliver became a lawyer in the Law firm and Jennifer became a school teacher(Wow. she had a very nice job. She never worry about being fired, good salary(25 year-career school teacher's annual salary is approximately $52,000~$53,000 in Korea. My country recorded just 40% of US' GDP per capita in 2005.) stable job, wonderful pension and retirement condition(62-year retire, until death, they'll receive $2,200 per a month) so that's why women school teacher become more popular in Korea)

In contrast, Characters implied tragic factors. First, Oliver's father(Ray Milland) doesn't want them to marry. Second, Jennifer's sacrifices and dedications to Oliver. She doesn't want to be a teacher. She really wants to study with Nadia Blanche, a famous French Pianist, who lived in Paris, France. Their married life was very hard. They bought an apartment in NY by themselves.How happy they were? Jennifer's sickness, however, totally ruined everything. her dedications and sacrifices became meaningless. How could she be compensated for her efforts?

Suppose Ray Milland should have respected Ryan's decision and supported them, Ray doesn't have to say I'm sorry to Ryan, Ryan doesn't have to remember his lover Ali in front of ice-skate link, and he doesn't have to saw TWA ticket to Paris.

Marilyn Monroe's first color movie,Niagara, attracts me at first sight. Because in this movie, she portrays a dangerously voluptuous girl, Rose Loomis. In contrast, her husband George Loomis(Joseph Cotten) shows us his unstable circumstances.

I think her destiny was to die. Because she was so attractive, so voluptuous and so luscious that the rest of the people weren't ready to receive her charm.

One thing I want to know is about her salary at that time. I heard that her salary was less than her make up artist during filming Niagara. I wish it wasn't true. If i were the director of Niagara, I would have been willing to pay her at least 1 million dollars. I think that it's not undue payment, come to think of her charm.

Anyway, I think George had an unpredictably mercurial temperament and Rose doesn't have an understandable attractions to the others. Those two characteristics are definitely annihilated Mr & Mrs Loomis' life. Also we can predict Mr & Mrs Lommis' destiny. It was totally predictable by their dispositions.

Whoever has watched this movie, could felt that Niagara was a very suspenseful movie. And Rose runaway from George at that scene, she wears a black suit. What does that mean? May be she must die. In western society, the visitors who goes to the funeral must wear a black suit. right?

I saw this movie in Aug 4,2005. And I saw it again yesterday. Yes. this is one of the most hilarious movies I've ever seen. Marilyn's acting role, as Amanda Dell, was great. Here in this movie, Marilyn Monroe was not the Marilyn Monroe we know.

In Niagara(1953) and The seven year itch(1955), both of these movies, she portrays as sexy-starlet. But in this movie, she is a very pure and fragile theater-actress Amanda Dell. Well, we know her platinum blonde hair attracts a lot of men, but her character,in this movie, is very friendly to girls. May be many girls lost their feeling of inferiority after watching this movie.

And I saw Marilyn Monroe, Yves Montand, Tony Randall, Frankie Vaughan and Wilfrid Hyde-White plus Milton Berle(40 million Americans call him as a Uncle Milky?) Bing Crosby(i love his song 'White Christmas')and Gene Kelly. These luxurious casting combination is very fantastic.

I never expected Crosby and Kelly to appear. I saw a preview version of Let's Make Love, in there, no cameo appearances of in the preview. But Kelly and Crosby's cameo appearing made my eyes happy.

I think Marilyn's acting career is more valuable in her 30's than 20's.Because in her 20's, she portrayed us her physical attraction. Sometimes she enticed a man(Niagara), Sometimes vivacious(How to marry a millionaire), and sometimes valiant(River of No Return).

But in her 30's her character showed fragile, pure and vulnerable. I found out these phenomenon in this movie,Let's Make Love. So I can figure it out her acting was changed.