Kick-Back Friday: May 2008 Archives
Henry II, Eleanor of Aquitaine, and their sons Richard (the gay Lionheart), Geoffrey, and John. To say this family is messed up is one historical understatement. For starters, Dad (Peter O'Toole) lets Mom (Katherine Hepburn) out of prison for Christmas, and they spend the holiday fighting in front of the kids (Anthony Hopkins, John Castle, Nigel Terry) over England's next successor.
Originally a play, The Lion in Winter showcases lengthy, razor-sharp dialogue that's delivered incomparably by the two acting legends. A TV remake in 2003 featured Glenn Close as Eleanor; and while Close is no acting slouch, her performance shows what a master Hepburn was.
Eleanor: What would you have me do? Give out? Give up? Give in?
Henry: Give me a little peace.
Eleanor: A little? Why so modest? How about eternal peace? Now there's a thought.
There are dozens of excellent war/anti-war movies to watch during the Memorial Day weekend (Paths of Glory, The Bridge on the River Kwai, The Great Escape), but if only one must be chosen, the Pathophilia blog recommends the brilliant and heartbreaking All Quiet on the Western Front. Just be sure to view the 1930 version (and good lord, not the Richard Thomas version) that was restored by the Library of Congress.
Poster image from Wikipedia and reproduced under fair use law.
From 1970, Bernardo Bertolucci's Il Conformista (The Conformist) is the story of a 1930s Italian assassin who simultaneously courts and abhors the bourgeoisie. For the average American viewer, the film may languish a bit too long in the gorgeous cinematography of Vittorio Storaro,* and its Fascist symbolism (such as blindness) may be heavy handed; but it is Italian cinema, after all.
Be sure to note the actor Gaston Moschin, who plays the thug Manganiello; he shows up 4 years later in The Godfather: Part II as the Black Hand, Don Fanucci.
*Storaro went on to win DP Oscars for Apocalypse Now, Reds, and Bertolucci's The Last Emperor.
The companion to the 1946 version of The Killers is Don Siegel's heavily revamped remake from 1964, starring Lee Marvin, Angie Dickinson, John Cassavetes, and future President Ronald Reagan (in his last film). Completely unlike the noir version, Siegel's movie—originally intended for TV—has all the production quality of a special "Batman" episode, which makes for a very high-camp viewing experience indeed. And yes, composer Johnny Williams is John Williams.
Poster image from Wikipedia and reproduced under fair use law.
Can't get enough of that funky noir stuff. This week's recommendation is The Killers* from 1946, based on Hemingway's 1927 short story. Edmond O'Brien (D.O.A.) investigates the hit of a down-on-his-luck ex-boxer played by Burt Lancaster in his film debut. An ingenue from North Carolina is the femme fatale, making her transition into movie star Ava Gardner.
*Not to be confused with The Killing, Raphe.
Poster image from Wikimedia and reproduced under fair use law.
