"Do the Right Thing" Fight the Powers that Be

I personally can't think of any other film that truly captured the essence, theme, and visuals of an era, while the architect of such a film is living in the heyday of said era. It’s as if Spike Lee was able to create a period piece with "Do the Right Thing," while living in the period itself. Granted there are a plethora of other period pieces that are considerably more award worthy then Spike Lee's classic, but I still can't think of a single movie which captured an era before its height. “Do the Right Thing” was seamlessly able to capture the social injustices and subsequent underlying racial tensions in the microcosm of Bed-Stuy, Brooklyn. Throughout the film we are introduced to a host of characterize who are most certainly made into caricatures of actual members of this elusive society, yet still portray a dream like reality of what it was like to be a minority trying to just survive in late 1980s New York . Spike Lee literally delivers to us a cultural masterpiece which, through film, holds a mirror to our prejudices and forces us to ask ourselves “am I comfortable with who I am looking at.” Over the course of the film it is obvious that Lee understands the American desire to just give the benefit of the doubt and let sleeping dogs lay, or whatever platitude people like to hide behind when presented with considerably difficult social issues. Instead Lee forces us to decide, forces us to choose, he forces us to act, but also leaves us with the question of what is the right thing to do? We can act like a collective mob who goes out and destroy that which has been created from our racially divided society, or we can appreciate the favorite pizza shop and instead look to find change within ourselves. Lee accurately portrays the frustrations which accompany the socially repressed, but he also includes the idea of alternatives, options that should meticulously be sifted through and chosen to relieve ourselves from this plight. “Do the Right Thing” as long as you know the right thing.

"This Film Is Not Yet Rated"

Attention any and all aspiring film makers looking to break through in the industry, remember that film is exactly that, an industry. Countless kindred spirits break out onto broken streets looking to make it big in LA or New York or wherever their weary feet may want to take them, but many forget that one of the most important and necessary features for making it in the film industry is to be a savvy business person. As exquisitely accounted for in the documentary "This Film is Not Yet Rated" there is a vast assortment of suit wearing, card carrying, tycoons of the film industry that care not for any artistic vision or lofty dreams coming to life on screen, there is only the profit motive which drives them to establish each and every 35mm frame to produce the every dollar it can squeeze in. The Motion Picture Association of America has graced its presence in the industry of film since 1922 and since then it has been driven by the prospect of the dollar for each of its members. And I'll give them due credit, because on their backs the money poured in to make film what it is today, but that's not to say I only give credit for the positive features of film today, because I equally blame them for the negative aspects of film today. You know the big budget summer block buster’s which are completely absent of any cultural or historical influence from the true essence of film and instead have been breed from the dark abyss of Dr. Frankenstein’s layer. The MPAA, an institution that you can’t live without, yet can’t stand to live with…

"Vertigo" Hitchcock's Best?

Alfred Hitchcock, the man, the myth, the legend, a pioneer in the film industry, and a revolutionary in the methods of storytelling. I myself am obsessed with a good story, which could probably account for my deep passion for all things history. But where history is weighed down with antiquated fact checking, film ascends to a place where we can see and interact with a completely different world. Film isn't weighed down with the menial fact finding and source referencing, and Hitchcock is probably the most skilled director of the 20th century capable of fully exploiting this opportunity. What I find most captivating of Hitchcock’s work is the fact that in the worlds that he creates reality is always at the forefront. It is as if these events had occurred in some time or place outside of our cognitive reality, but still remain inside the realm of possibility. Vertigo is a prime example of Hitchcock’s skill coming to fruition and is easily described as a cornerstone in film and story making. What entranced most about Vertigo is the fact that this film uses very little dialogue, yet is still able to tell an engaging and captivating story. For instance the sequence in which James Stewart's character John 'Scottie' Ferguson is following Kim Novak's character for the first time it seemed that there wasn't a lick of dialogue for over 10 solid minutes, yet the story continued to unfold, the character developed rapidly, action was guiding this story forward and I didn't have to endure a lecture to understand what was going on in front me. So how does one go from appreciating historical accounts, storytelling, and a movie that heavily relies on observing behavior and action to move a film forward have anything to do with another. Well quite simply it is a highly complex process to account for and tell of a single individual trying to make any sense of who he is, how he came to be, and what he wants most out of life. Hitchcock brings all elements together seamlessly with Vertigo and so I give my seal of approval to the master of suspense and mystery the well earned title of master story teller.

"The Rules of the Game" A RomCom even guys can enjoy

More often than not when my girlfriend wants to go out to the movies or stay in and rent one for a quiet night alone to enjoy each other’s company, she usually lobbies for the newest romantic comedy that has come out. You see romantic comedies are the easiest genre of film that is not limited to seasonal release such as the box office action smashes of the summer, or the Oscar bidding dramas that are released in the dead of winter. Romantic comedies are the safest bet for a quick cash in at the box office. To my unfortunate displeasure it seems the RomComs of today seriously lack any creative appeal or worthwhile story capable of keeping me enthralled in what’s going on. RomComs have effectively become the tail end of cinema and maybe falling above the genre of comedy. But then I had the pleasure of sitting in on a film made in 1939 named “The Rules of the Game,” which is in its own right the first romantic comedy delivered to us by acclaimed film director Jean Renoir. The story is fairly simple enough following the quirky and unconventional lifestyle of French aristocrats just prior to the invasion of France by Nazi Germany. A love quadrangle is exposed when a close group of rich friends meet at a French chateau along with their servants. Debauchery runs rampant; chaos brings the chateau to its knees, and hilarity ensues all of which carries the light tone of the theme to a morbid and abrupt ending. But what was most striking to me was the smirk I carried on my face from beginning to end and the awe I was left in while I laid my eyes upon the alluring soft glow which radiated of each of the actors gentle facial features. The noire atmosphere coupled with an engaging and lighthearted screenplay that doesn’t have to try and keep you engaged so much as keep you strapped to your seat while it takes you on a ride. Even compared to the standards of today, "The Rules of the Game" somehow seems to outdo contemporary RomComs through its lighthearted and a carefree approach to the trials and tribulations of the aristocratic lifestyles and relationships of those who lived in pre-WWII France.

"Man With a Movie Camera" 'Nuff Said

Never have I seen a film that could chronologically portray the daily routine of a Soviet citizen in such a brilliantly captivating while simultaneously mind numbing way. From the minute the first reel came upon the screen and the invisible audience members took their seats then rose from their seats, and then sat down once again, I was entranced and curious as to what exactly the hell I was actually watching. In retrospect looking back I always did wonder what it would be like to watch a movie that had the simple and strait forward plot of following the daily routine of an individual. In "man with a Movie Camera" we are invited to observe what the daily norm is for a Soviet worker in early 20th century Russia. When I'm watching a movie I have to admit that besides a solid story the most thrilling movies have dynamic and well thought out shots. When I'm watching a film and I see a scene that the director just seems to nail and capture the essence of the film, I stop, take a moment, pick my jaw up off the ground, and admire the wonder before me. If a movie can do that for me and tell a fascinating and thought provoking story I am quick to join the bandwagon and quickly run to my local Wal-Mart so I can add it to my collection. Of course when I was watching "Man with a Movie Camera" it appeared to lack any discernable plot or dynamic group of characters. I was quickly assuaged though by this lack of content in the movie by the broad sweeping and amazingly modern shots Dziga Vertov was able to capture. Then upon my second run-through it dawned on me that there was indeed a plot and an ensemble cast, albeit in the most rudimentary form conceivable, but a plot and cast none the less. Watching more intently and yearning for some sort of narrative that could explain to me what the hell was actually going on I realized that the plot was simply a day in the life of Soviet citizens and maybe it’s because I never lived in the years of the "Red Scare" or the era of the Cold War or whatever you want to call it, but watching these people simply enjoy their lives touched on a human element that I have never seen in another film. My immediate first impression after I realized what I was actually watching was, "really? This is what brought the industrial world to the brink of nuclear holocaust? Common workers, who head to the bar to drink beer that directors seem to rise up out of and bare breasted women frolicking on the beach? What a joke." Then I began to notice that aside from the citizens themselves and the obvious presence of the director, there was a hidden and more dynamic character at the heart of this avant-guard documentary that was more critical and pertinent to the cohesiveness of the film; the camera itself. I realized that this whole experiment was entirely contingent on the scenes the camera captured and at certain points the camera itself was shown to have its own life. Without this pivotal character there would be no film for the images of culture and daily work for a modernizing Soviet Union requires a "Man with a Movie Camera" nothing more and certainly nothing less.

"Dr. Caligari" A Modern Film Before The Modern Film Era

Winding alleys, twisted buildings, overtones of dark ambient imbued in the imagery, and a profound tone of the elusiveness of comprehending a truly insane mind. These are all characteristics of the prevailing theme of "The Cabinet of Dr. Calagari," yet each, within the limitations words are innately confined to, are not sufficient in providing a broad and general understanding of the true meaning of the film. What is clear is the tremendous influence the overall composition of the story has had in contemporary film. My initial reaction to the film when witnessing the first flash back and subsequent immersion into this fantastic world, was that this was probably the first film director Tim Burton viewed when he decided that film making would be his fated life work. Every aspect of the film from its sinister undertones of dark fantasy and the potential for spiritual phenomenon which was then supported by an artistic sense of design and overall composition of the film, it all just seemed to be a vision Burton would idealize to include in his earlier works.
Now to be perfectly fair and honest I must admit that upon initial exposure to "Dr. Caligari" the thought of having to sit through over an hour of dialgoue which was provided only in the form of cue cards and 19th century style piano chords drifting and floating me along this nostalgic revisting of early film was not exactly the most thrilling of experiences I looked forward to having. i mean I was obviously intrigued once I started paying attention to the overall artstic design of the film and the fact that it seems so out of place for the era, but it wasn't until we are first introduced to Cesare that I thought "wow this movie is way more then I ever anticipated." I mean the actors capacity to capture the essence of a dead corpse returning to life to deliver a message to the living from the careful fluttering of his eyes opening once again, to the look of astonishment on his face that life had in deed returned to his rigid corpse, to his slow and eery stride toward the front of the stage, the whole performance just emmerses you into the film. Its here where I began asking myself "what the hell is actually going on here?"
Although I rarely found "Dr. Caligari" to be a horrofying or frightening  film, I completely approve of its categorization as a horror film. The eery atmosphere that is so delicately strung together, the hollowed and engaging performances of the actors involved, and the profoundly scencere message of questioning what madness looks like contrasted to what madness is, it all comes together in this brilliant and intriguing piece of film. After the film ended I was left astonish by the notion that these individuals were capable of creating something so creative, so expressive, just so artistic in a time when film is just beggining its rise.
"Dr. Caligari" is truly a film ahead of its time and it is a story, given a few modern film cosmetic updates, that could easily thrive in our current film market. With such limited knowledge and exposure to other movies in its time, this particular film is truly unique. "Dr. Calagari" is not the height or precedent of film in the early 20th century, it can better be described as a catalyst for films evolution or better yet the exceeding of the limits of the potential behind film making.