Possibly My Nerdiest Post Yet! As I Take A Close Look At Batman Begins!

Batman Begins
Originally uploaded by livingfilm.

I was very pleasantly surprised last night when I saw Batman Begins. I have to admit, I was very skeptical, particularly after seeing the trailer. Thankfully my suspicions were put to rest when I was treated to possibly the most complete vision of Batman ever filmed.

Batman has always been my favorite of the major super heros, and his screen and television incarnations have rarely done him the justice he deserves. Not unlike many people my age I became obsessed with the Tim Burton film when I was 11, and up to that point, I feel, it was the greatest portrayal of Batman on the screen. It was a darker and more threatening Batman than we had previously seen, and set to Danny Elfman's brilliant score I was swept away. 15 years later that film is certainly dated, but it still holds a place in my heart, warts and all. I felt that this incarnation reached it's zenith in it's sequel Batman Returns, before Joel Schumacher's sequels destroyed the series.

I was skeptical of Christopher Nolan as the director chosen to resurrect Batman. Of his films I've really only seen Memento, which I thought a decent film, but the hyperbole surrounding that film caused me to dismiss it, and credit it's enormous success to an obvious and flashy gimmick that caused every asshole on the street who had seen it believe he was an expert in mise en scene. This judgment (though knee-jerk, I admit) was solidified for me when Nolan followed that success up with the big budget American re-make of Insomnia. Frankly, I have a hard time with anyone who gives Robin Williams a job.

Well, to my pleasant surprise Batman Begins was a clever and pretty faithful re-interpretation of the Batman legend. This Batman is a little less stylized than it's predecessors, and time was taken to firmly ground the origins of Batman in a believable way. All in all creating a believable, if fantastic story. Christopher Nolan's direction was very solid, this film felt as if it had been finely crafted and less indulgent (I might even go so far as to say under-stated) than most action based films. This is a newer, and exciting trend in the mostly American made big budget action films. Don't get me wrong, there have been intelligent action films in the past, but I think that there is less of a need to dumb films like this down to reach a wider audience, as there was in the past. The shift seems to be towards being more faithful to the source material, pulpy as it might be, without excusing it with irony. Also, the fan base of comic and graphic material has become considerably more mainstream during the past 15 years, possibly creating a more sophisticated audience that is more willing to follow a story without being slapped in the face with a constant barrage of cheap and inappropriate bits of "entertainment value", loud noises, cheap gags, one-liner etc.. One example I would use of this trend would be Sam Raimi's Spider-man films which though far from understated, and often corny, are pretty accurate adaptations of the original comics, mixed with a cinematic vision of modern mythology worthy of Fritz Lang. I would also point out The Lord of the Rings Trilogy and even George Lucas' latest Star Wars film, as further examples of this trend. And though none of these films are completely free of dumb moments, I feel they are considerably more sophisticated than most films of their variety made during the past 15 years.

Of the very large all-star cast of Batman Begins the only person who I felt was mis-cast was Liam Neeson, who I find has less screen charisma than a game of Uno. A true Douche Bag. Besides that, everyone else impressed me particularly Christian Bale, who actually seemed perfectly cast as Bruce Wayne, which is kind of the hardest part of his role if you think about it. I mean The Rock could play a muscle bound freak, but you would never believe he was born with a silver spoon in his mouth. I'm also excited to see Gary Oldman's Commissioner Gordon move up in rank and grow as this films continue. I will say very little about Scarecrow, so as to let you experience him first hand.
That being said, (God I'm so long winded!) I feel that Batman Begins, is that rare object, an intelligent and exciting Hollywood Summer Blockbuster. Highly Recommended.

House of Bamboo

House of Bamboo
Originally uploaded by livingfilm.

Recently I've become obsessed with Samuel Fuller's 1955 film House of Bamboo. I've watched it three times in as many days.

In true Samuel Fuller fashion, House of Bamboo is a very a-typical Film Noir. It is set in Tokyo -actually it was the first American Movie Filmed in Japan, the cast is mostly American, it is filmed in vivid color by DeLux, almost all of the action takes place in the daytime, including the heists, and instead of the ever present Femme-Fatal we are given Robert Stack as a sort of Male-Fatal. Samuel Fuller loved subverting expectations, and this film is beautifully unusual.

Robert Ryan plays Sandy Dawson, leader of a gang of ex-army thugs who use their military trained skills to rule a portion on Tokyo's underworld -there is no Yakuza in this film. He loses it all when he gets eyes for the rakish Eddie Spainier Robert Stack, who replaces Sandy's right hand man Griff, to become Sandy's "Ichibon". Little does Sandy know that Eddie is really an undercover US Army police officer.

The photography in this film is really beautiful. Fuller studied the Japanese masters before making this film, in particular Mizoguchi, yet, his style would influence modern Japanese directors such as Seijun Suzuki, who would make a mark in the Yakuza genre ten years later. Full of exciting and wonderful scenes, and a very memorable climax! This film is a must see. Highly recommended!

RoboCop

RoboCop
Originally uploaded by livingfilm.

I love RoboCop. I think it is a great movie, that deserves to be looked at as more than just a run of the mill 80's action movie. I really haven't watched many of Paul Verhoeven's film's, besides Basic Instinct and Showgirls, and I think both of those movies are punishing. Actually Verhoeven seems to be most associated with Erotic thrillers, a genre I really don't care much for. I usually think sex in film seems cheap, boring, and is quickly dated (see my post on Last Tango in Paris). Films like Loves of a Blonde or Onibaba would be couple of exceptions, but those each deserve their own posts. RoboCop fortunately leaves Eros out in the cold. Sort of.

RoboCop is a wonderfully hilarious, and even thoughtful satire, of modern America and it's attraction and dismissal to brutality. The use of the media as a sort of Greek chorus, is really brilliant. Through out the film we are given a vision of the future via the ever present media, from News Broadcasts that break the film into 3 acts including a commercial interruption for a family game called Nuke-em! to a Benny Hill type program (that seems to be played 24 hours all over the city with it's lead star looking at the camera with silly glasses and saying "I'd buy THAT for a dollar!" over and over.

RoboCop very effectively utilizes elements of several popular genres, from Science Fiction, to the Western revenge story, Film Noir (Peter Weller's Alex J. Murphy is the perfect noir protagonist caught in an existentialist Hell), and 80's American action film, all swirled together in one biting black comedy.

Many of you have already seen this film, and if it has been a while, I suggest watching it again. I think you will find that it satisfies.

Jules and Jim

Jules and Jim
Originally uploaded by livingfilm.

So I now have to talk about another of my Favorite films Francois Truffaut's Masterpiece Jules and Jim!

This film must be seen by anyone with an interest in film, Hell, an interest in Life! One of the most disgusted moments of my reading career that began sometime during the early 1980's, was a review by the stupid Entertainment Weekly critic Owen Glieberman, who when asked by a reader what "classic" film did he enjoy the least, and he answered "Jules and Jim". He then described all of his lame excuses for disliking the film. I will not repeat any of his blasphemy here, but remember to never take that man seriously. The man has never even seen Stagecoach for christ's sake!

Anyhow, Truffaut made the most lyrical film about love and humanity this side of Jean Renoir, who himself was jealous of the films beauty! Based on Henri-Pierre Roche's novel of the same title, Truffaut made a film about a tragic love triangle where all of the characters are sympathetic. Now you may not feel that way the first time you watch it, but in subsequent viewings I have sympathized deeply with each character. Much like in Renoir's film The Rules of the Game, we are reminded that everyone has their reasons, and the tragedy is that sometimes there is no easy solution. Jeanne Moreau gives one of the most enigmatic performances in the history of film, as Catherine the woman who comes to love both Jules and his best friend Jim. I cannot easily describe the beauty of this film. So you must watch it yourself! Then watch it again, and again. Then you should watch Truffaut's film Two English Girls, written also by Roche, but this time the triangle is Two Girls and One Man. Highest Recommendation!

1930's Hollywood! a subject too great for one post!

I am a Fugitive from a Chain Gang
Originally uploaded by livingfilm.

For those of you that have been reading this blog for awhile know, films from the 1930's have a special place in my heart. Actually, to be fair you could say that for most decades, so I guess I will need to explain why this era in particular has earned my devotion.

During the silent era, film had come from crude experimental films, to what is quite possibly the pinnacle of cinematic expression, there are several films that I could personally site -and I will be the first to admit that my knowledge of silent film is limited at best- that could still hold their places as the greatest films ever made. When you watch the best of Murnau, Lang, Pabst, Strohiem, Griffith etc. you can still be awe struck at the visual brilliance of these films.

Then, like a wrench through an immaculate stained glass window came Sound.

Many filmmakers both behind, and in front of the camera were understandably skeptical of the new medium. In many ways the crudity of the new technology would limit both the stylistic and financial aspects of current filmmaking. Yet, in many ways that very crudity, would cause many directors to develop new and creative techniques of cinematic expression. This would contribute to a creative rebirth of the cinema.

Because early talkies used live sound, movies would be filmed several times in different languages, usually with different actors, to sell them in the international market. Subtitles or dubbing the sound would not come into practice until much later. Actually, if a film was to have a score, a band would need to play behind the camera during the shooting of the scene. As you can imagine musicals were very difficult to film at the time, but that didn't stop any of the studios from making them. The sweeping camera movements associated with the silent era, were also for a time, a casualty of sound. With camera movements now limited to keep microphones strategically hidden, early talkies are often known for their static frames. Location filming was almost out of the question, films would now be shot almost entirely on soundstages.


By reinventing Hollywood film style, some filmmakers created films so fresh and inventive that watching then today you can still feel the spirit in which they were made. I get the same feeling from early French New Wave films and early Punk Rock from the seventies. Actually I feel the low budget films made at Warner's from the early 1930's have the same sparse explosive power and energy of Punk music in the seventies, the counterpoint to the big and epic qualities of the silent era, as Punk Rock was to Prog Rock. On the other hand there is Paramount, The studio that I feel managed the most successfully to keep the baroque feeling of the silent era while adding more sex and sophistication making their films feel more modern. There were of course several studios in Hollywood, but for the sake of this post my comparisons will be between Warner Bros. and Paramount. I feel that these two studios are at stylistic opposites. Warners was Tough, Explosive, Sensational and American, while Paramount was Sophisticated, Exotic, Witty and European. Yet, each studio was able to flourish during the early 1930's.

Studios now struggling to keep audiences in the theaters during the early years of the Great Depression, became more daring and sensational, turning to subjects and themes that were more controversial and mature, hoping to strike a chord with a weary audience. Films made previous to the enforcement of the notorious Production Code in 1934, or Pre-Code Films as they are often referred to as, usually display a sophistication and maturity that would soon be repressed for decades. Characters now seemed charmingly amoral and lusty. Women in particular were portrayed stronger, more independent and often more complex than they had ever been. This caused more than a little disgust from conservative groups around the country.

It was popular at studios like Warner Brothers for their films to reflect the times they were made in, subjects were often "Ripped From the Headlines". Darryl Zanuck head of production at Warners would take this philosophy with him when he left to start 20th Century Pictures a few years later. Warner Brothers made a name for themselves during the early 1930's with their string of powerful Gangster films. Even Warner Brothers' Busby Berkeley musicals, though on one hand escapist entertainment would reflect the desperation of their times. The theme of the 'Forgotten Man' a Veteran of WWI who was now left penniless in the depression, was a popular subject at the time -My Man Godfrey made at Universal would play with this theme with great humor-. Films such as I am a Fugitive from a Chain Gang would use the Forgotten Man subject to great effect. This theme would also inspire one of the most moving cinematic scenes during this period, the "Remember My Forgotten Man" number that closes Golddiggers of 1933.But more about that later.

Paramount's films would reflect an Exotic and often European flair. Directors such as Ernst Lubitsch, Josef von Sternberg and Rouban Mamulian created an unmistakable style, often characterized by wit, sophistication, and often more than a little innuendo. Stars such as Mae West, Marlene Dietrich, Maurice Chevalier and Gary Cooper could be found living indecently in locations all over the world, in Paramount films. Even The Marx Brothers, Paramount's films would push the envelope.

As I get this far, I find that I cannot really write about all of the greatness to be found in the films of this period, in this post. It will need to be done piece by piece. I want to share my enthusiasm for the films of the thirties with everyone. But I know it will take time. Alas, I must leave you at this point and I promise to continue this subject further in the future.