Written and directed by Richard Linklater, Dazed & Confused is the story of a group of high school kids celebrating the last day of school in the summer of 1976 as they deal with what is ahead in the course of an entire day. The film is an exploration of kids getting ready for the summer where some are ready to embark their final year in high school with some ready to become freshmen and deal with the hell that is high school. Starring Jason London, Matthew McConaughey, Joey Lauren Adams, Ben Affleck, Milla Jovovich, Cole Hauser, Nicky Katt, Parker Posey, Wiley Wiggins, Rory Cochrane, and Adam Goldberg. Dazed & Confused is a wild and rapturous film from Richard Linklater.
Set on the last day of school in a small Texan town in 1976, the film is a simple story about the day in the life of a group of kids who are about to become seniors later in the fall as some would take part in hazing kids who would become freshman as they spend the entire day partying and thinking about what will happen. It’s a film that has a simple story with a lot of subplots where kids who are to become freshman deal with not just hazing but also what will happen in high school. Some would deal with partying and seeing what will happen while one of them in a high school quarterback finds himself needing to sign a piece of paper to prohibit him from using drugs and alcohol from his coach.
For that character in Randall “Pink” Floyd (Jason London), he refuses to as he just wants to live freely while some friends wonder why he won’t do it while some say he should stand up for his own beliefs. He would also help out a freshman in Mitch Kramer (Wiley Wiggins) whose sister Jodi (Michelle Burke) is about to become a senior as she would help out a freshman in Sabrina (Christin Hinojosa) in understanding what would happen in high school. Mitch and Sabrina would endure brutal forms of hazing with the former being targeted by this asshole senior in O’Bannion (Ben Affleck) who has failed to graduate as he takes pleasure in hazing seniors by beating them in the ass with a paddle. The film’s third act would be set in a keg party as it involves a lot of characters where there’s some fights but also discussions on what will happen after high school.
Richard Linklater’s direction is quite simple for the way he presents 1976 Texas as it is shot in areas near Austin, Texas to express a world that is quite vibrant but also not do too much to make it feel like a period film. Much of the compositions are simple but also has this sense of energy in how they’re shot and the scenes that are created. Notably the way the young girls are being hazed by these older girls as they would be humiliated in such a way that is comical but also horrific. The usage of close-ups and medium shots help play into some of the intimacy but also in some of these raucous moments that happen in the film as it’s presented with some humor. The direction does have a few wide shots but it is mostly about the parties and characters just talking with one another. Even as there’s a few fights and moments that play into the world of youth as they all deal with the emergence of adulthood. Overall, Linklater creates an exhilarating and heartfelt film about a group of kids getting ready for the summer on their last day of school.
Cinematographer Lee Daniel does excellent work with the film‘s cinematography as it‘s largely straightforward with some naturalistic shots for much of the film‘s daytime scenes with some lighting to play into the interior/exterior scenes set at night. Editor Sandra Adair does amazing work with the editing as it is largely straightforward with some rhythmic cuts to play into the humor as well as some of the action with a few slow-motion cuts. Production designer John Frick, with set decorator Deborah Pastor and art director Jenny C. Patrick, do fantastic work with the look of the pool hall some of the people hang out at as well as the school halls and some of the props that are created to recreate the world of the 1970s.
Costume designer Katherine Dover does brilliant work with the film‘s costumes as it plays into the look of the 70s from the ragged look of the stoners to more stylish look of the shirts and bellbottoms some of the characters wear as well as the nightmare that was the leisure suit. Sound editors Sandy Gendler and Val Kuklowsky do nice work with the sound as it is very natural and straightforward while providing some mixing and edits in some of the parties that happen throughout the film. Music supervisor Harry Garfield does superb work with film’s music soundtrack as it features a lot of the music that was playing during that time from acts such as Aerosmith, Sweet, KISS, Alice Cooper, the Runaways, Dr. John, Black Oak Arkansas, Seals & Croft, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Black Sabbath, War, Nazareth, Ted Nugent, ZZ Top, Edgar Winter Group, the Steve Miller Band, Bob Dylan, and Peter Frampton.
The casting by Don Phillips is incredible for the large ensemble that is created for the film as it would include many actors who would later become big stars in their own right. Notable small roles include Kim Krizan as a history teacher, Mark Vandermeulen and Jeremy Fox as a couple of freshmen kids who are trying to avoid being hazed, Deena Martin and Christine Harnos as a couple of senior friends of Jodi, Catherine Avril Morris as a sophomore who takes a liking to Mitch, Esteban Powell as a freshman friend of Mitch who has been targeted by O’Bannion, and Jason O. Smith as a friend of Pink who also takes part in the hazing but is kinder to the freshmen. Other noteworthy small roles include Joey Lauren Adams as Pink’s girlfriend Simone, Nicky Katt as a tough guy in Clint, Cole Hauser as fellow football player Benny O’Donnell, Sasha Jenson as the comical football player Don Dawson, Shawn Andrews as a stoner friend of Pink in Kevin whose plan for a house party falters, and Milla Jovovich as Kevin’s girlfriend Michelle who is kind of the silent hanger-on.
Ben Affleck and Parker Posey are fantastic in their respective roles as the bullies O’Bannion and Darla with the former being a complete asshole who takes pleasure in beating up boys while the latter is on a power trip to humiliate young freshmen girls. Adam Goldberg, Anthony Rapp, and Marissa Ribisi are excellent in their respective roles as the intellectuals Mike, Tony, and Cynthia as they often observe everything around them while daring to ask big questions about their future. Christin Hinojosa and Wiley Wiggins are brilliant in their roles as the freshmen Sabrina and Mitch as two young kids who are about to enter high school as they encounter partying but also some of the dark aspects of high school.
Michelle Burke is wonderful as Jodi as Mitch’s older sister who has some feelings for Pink while trying to help Sabrina get ready for the realities of high school. Rory Cochrane is superb as the stoner Ron Slater as this comic relief that likes to smoke weed and do some funny shit. Jason London is amazing as Randall “Pink” Floyd as a football star who finds himself compromised by his coach about his lifestyle as he begins to think about his own life. Finally, there’s Matthew McConaughey in a phenomenal performance as Wooderson as a guy in his early 20s who hangs out with the guys as he is kind of a philosopher while being the coolest motherfucker in the room.
Dazed & Confused is a spectacular film from Richard Linklater. Featuring a great cast, a fun soundtrack, and many different stories set in the span of an entire day. It’s a film that isn’t just funny but also allow to ask big questions about growing up and living in the moment. In the end, Dazed & Confused is a magnificent film from Richard Linklater.
Richard Linklater Films: It's Impossible to Learn to Plow by Reading Books - Slacker - Before Sunrise - subUrbia - The Newton Boys - Waking Life - Tape - School of Rock - Before Sunset - The Bad News Bears (2005 film) - A Scanner Darkly - Fast Food Nation - Me and Orson Welles - Bernie - Before Midnight - Boyhood - Everybody Wants Some!! - The Auteurs #57: Richard Linklater Pt. 1 - Pt. 2
© thevoid99 2016
Directed by Steven Spielberg and written by Robert Rodat, Saving Private Ryan is the story of an Army captain and his squad who trek through World War II-era France to find a lost paratrooper as he is the last-surviving brother of a group of servicemen. The film is a World War II story where a man and his team trek through treacherous battlefields and events to get a young man back home during a very tense moment during the war. Starring Tom Hanks, Edward Burns, Tom Sizemore, Vin Diesel, Jeremy Davies, Giovanni Ribisi, Barry Pepper, Adam Goldberg, and Matt Damon as Private James Ryan. Saving Private Ryan is a thrilling yet visceral film from Steven Spielberg.
The film is a simple story set in World War II in France in the aftermath of D-Day where an Army captain is assigned to retrieve a young private whose brothers had already been killed as he is to return home. Joined by his squad, Captain John Miller (Tom Hanks) treks through war-torn France to find Private James Ryan as they travel by foot. During this treacherous journey, the men endure many chilling events as well as false discoveries where they would eventually find Private Ryan who is bewildered into why he has to go home and not everyone else. Robert Rodat’s screenplay definitely plays into the scary themes of war and the sacrifices men make as Captain Miller and his men are just normal men that also want to go home but know they have a duty to their country. Even as not everyone is on board to sacrifice their lives to bring one man home as does Captain Miller but knows he has a duty to get Private Ryan home.
The film’s screenplay doesn’t start off with the actual story but opens with a present-day scene of an old man (Harrison Young) in modern-day France as he looks into the Normandy American Cemetery Memorial as it would then shift to the actual battle that Captain Miller and his squad were fighting in. The main story comes in when Captain Miller is asked by his superior in Lt. Col. Anderson (Dennis Farina) to retrieve Pvt. Ryan after three of his older brothers had been killed in different parts of the war as the orders are from General George C. Marshall (Harve Presnell). Though it’s a big deal, Captain Miller takes the mission with his small squad as it would include a newcomer in Corporal Upham (Jeremy Davies) who is an accomplished interpreter but lacks combat experience as he is treated with some disdain by the squad he joins in because of his inexperience. Still, they all have to work together as they would encounter some horrible moments in battle as they would fight Germans through dark parts of France where not everyone is able to cope with.
Steven Spielberg’s direction is definitely intense in terms of his depiction of the battles and war scenes. Though it does start off in a somber manner, it then shifts into what is truly one of the most visceral sequences ever that is the battle at Omaha Beach in Normandy where Captain Miller and various soldiers go into battle. It’s 23 minutes that is definitely uneasy to watch as it is war at its most horrific as Spielberg definitely makes no qualms into how gruesome it is in terms of the impact of its violence. One of the aspects of the film that is interesting is how he is able to shift tones into one sequence into another yet maintain a balance as he does shoot many scenes in very different ways. The scenes of war and engagement are shot with hand-held cameras and frenetic cuts to play into its sense of terror and uncertainty. Spielberg’s usage of close-ups and wide shots into that sequence and other moments of battles with some slanted camera angles definitely add something that feels real where it does imply that war is indeed hell. While much of the film is shot partially in Normandy, much of the battle scenes including the Omaha Beach sequence were shot in Ireland yet Spielberg does manage to make it feel like it’s the actual battle.
While it is a war film, Spielberg does balance that aspect of war’s horror with elements of sentimentality as it plays to what is at stake in Captain Miller’s mission. Notably as Spielberg isn’t afraid to create something intimate whether it’s scenes set in the U.S. involving Private Ryan and his family to the moments where Captain Miller and his squad are walking through France. Spielberg’s approach to close-ups, medium shots, and wide shots definitely add to this feeling that it’s a film about brothers but men who are willing to put their lives for one another. Even as that bond becomes intense in its third act where the men eventually find Private Ryan who is also trying to do his own duty in this band of brothers as he and Captain Miller would have to work together to fight against the German in a climatic battle. Overall, Spielberg creates a very exhilarating yet rapturous film about war and a man trying to fight for his life to bring a young man back home.
Cinematographer Janusz Kaminski does incredible work with the film‘s cinematography as Kaminski brings a desaturated look to its colors from its very harrowing Omaha Beach sequence to some striking lighting for some nighttime interior scenes where the men rest during their journey to find Private Ryan. Editor Michael Kahn does phenomenal work with the film‘s editing with its frenetic approach to cutting for some of the battle scenes including the Omaha sequence as well as some more methodical and straightforward cuts for the dramatic moments including a montage which plays into the decision to bring Private Ryan home. Production designer Thomas E. Sanders, with set decorator Lisa Dean and supervising art director Daniel Dorrance, does brilliant work with the look of destroyed buildings in France as well as the battle trenches for the Omaha Beach sequence. Costume designer Joanna Johnston does excellent work with the costumes from the design of the uniforms as well as the officer uniforms for the scenes in the U.S.
Makeup work by Lois Burwell, Conor O’Sullivan, and Daniel C. Striepeke do amazing work with the look of war in terms of its chaos where soldiers would lose limbs or have major wounds to play into its horror. Visual effects supervisors Stefen Fangmeier and Roger Guyett do fantastic work with some of the film‘s minimal visual effects in terms of the battle sequences including the very gruesome look of the Omaha Beach sequence. Sound designer Gary Rydstrom and sound editor Richard Hymns do spectacular work with the film‘s sound to create that horrific atmosphere of war from the sound of gunfire, cannons, and grenades to play into its chaos while going for more low-key sound effects in the non-battle scenes. The film’s music by John Williams is superb for its triumphant yet melancholic score as it features some lush string arrangements as well as drum cadences to play into the sense of war and duty as it’s one of his finest scores.
The casting by Denise Chamain is wonderful as it features notable small roles from Amanda Boxer as Pvt. Ryan’s mother, Dale Dye and Bryan Cranston as two officers from the war department, Harve Presnell as General George C. Marshall, Joerg Stadler as a German soldier the men would capture whom Cpl. Upham would converse with, Leland Orser as a glider pilot Miller meets during his journey, and Nathan Fillion as a young soldier who also has the same surname in Ryan. Other noteworthy small roles include Dennis Farina as Captain Miller’s superior in Lt. Col. Anderson and Ted Danson as a captain whom Captain Miller meets during a battle as two men who understands the severity of what Captain Miller has to endure, Max Martini is terrific as a corporal in Ramelle that Pvt. Ryan fights with while Paul Giamatti in a funny performance as a staff sergeant who also fights in a battle as he complains about his feet. Harrison Young is excellent as the old man in the beginning of the film and Kathleen Byron is radiant as that old man’s wife.
Giovanni Ribisi is fantastic as the medic Wade who is trying to make sure all of his band of brothers stay alive as he has a great scene involving a mother he meets in a church. Vin Diesel is superb as Pvt. FC Carpazo as an Italian-American rifleman who looks tough and is quite funny but also display some sensitivity as he is someone that is loyal to his squad. Adam Goldberg is amazing as Jewish rifleman Private Mellish who takes Corporal Upham under his wing to show him what to do in battle as he also has some very big reasons to keep on fighting. Barry Pepper is brilliant as the sharpshooter Private Jackson who is a man of faith as he always prays before he shoots as he’s a skilled marksman that does whatever it takes to protect his band of brothers. Edward Burns is great as the cynical Pvt FC Reiben as he is a BAR gunner that isn’t happy about taking on the mission as he definitely gets the ire of Captain Miller yet does have some valid reasons into why they shouldn’t do the mission.
Tom Sizemore is incredible as Sergeant Horvath as Captain Miller’s second-in-command as someone who had been through all sorts of battle with a massive collection of dirt as he is seen by the squad as the older brother. Jeremy Davies is phenomenal as Cpl. Upham as an interpreter/cartographer who may outrank most of the squad but his inexperience in combat showcases someone who is scared of fighting as he copes with the horrors of being in the battlefield as it’s a really chilling performance of someone who displays the sense of fear in war. Matt Damon is marvelous as Private James Ryan as the young man Captain Miller and his squad had to retrieve as Damon displays some charm as well as a stubbornness as someone that wants to keep on fighting and do his duty as a soldier. Finally, there’s Tom Hanks in an outstanding performance as Captain Miller as this man who is tasked to bring a young private home as he copes with the severity of his mission and wonders if he will get to go home. Hanks also displays a sense of leadership in his role where he manages to be the big guy but also one that carries respect and cares for those in his squad as it’s one of his most iconic performances.
Saving Private Ryan is a magnificent film from Steven Spielberg. Armed with a great ensemble cast as well as some amazing technical achievements, the film is undoubtedly one of the finest war films ever created in terms of displaying its sense of duty and the fear of being in a war. It’s also a film that displays the concept of brotherhood as soldiers do whatever to fight for each other in a war. In the end, Saving Private Ryan is a triumphantly powerful and riveting film from Steven Spielberg.
Steven Spielberg Films: (Duel (1971 film)) - (The Sugarland Express) - (Jaws) - (Close Encounters of the Third Kind) - (1941) - (Raiders of the Lost Ark) - (E.T. the Extraterrestrial) - (Twilight Zone: the Movie-Kick the Can) - (Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom) - (The Color Purple) - (Empire of the Sun) - (Always) - (Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade) - (Hook) - (Jurassic Park) - Schindler’s List - (The Lost World: Jurassic Park) - (Amistad) - (A.I. Artificial Intelligence) - (Minority Report) - Catch Me If You Can - (The Terminal) - (War of the Worlds (2005 film)) - (Munich) - (Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull) - (The Adventures of Tintin: The Secret of the Unicorn) - (War Horse) - (Lincoln) - (Bridge of Spies) - (The BFG)
© thevoid99 2014
Written and directed by Richard Linklater, Waking Life is a film that explores the lives of many individuals through dreams as they discuss many topics from existentialism to dreams all told in a surreal, animated format. The film features many segments where various individuals talk about certain things as it breaks away from conventional narrative while allowing segments to flow freely as if it was told in a state of consciousness. With appearances from filmmaker Steven Soderbergh, Ethan Hawke, Julie Delpy, Kim Krizan, Nicky Katt, Wiley Wiggins, and Adam Goldberg. Waking Life is an exotic yet exhilarating film from Richard Linklater.
The film revolves around a young man (Wiley Wiggins) who would have many strange encounters in his dreams as he meets various people discussing all sorts of topics. Some of which includes existentialism where this young man goes in this weird journey that where the lives of other people are presented including the characters of Jesse (Ethan Hawke) and Celine (Julie Delpy) from the Before films where they talk about reincarnation. With comments from various people throughout the film including Steven Soderbergh sort of playing himself and Richard Linklater making an appearance. The film doesn’t have a conventional script as it’s very loose and free-form to play up the sense of a dream world where there’s no such thing as a structure. The screenplay is all based on improvisation that recalls some of Linklater’s early work as the dialogue is very talkative and rhythmic while playing up the sense of something that feels real.
The lack of a conventional script allows Linklater to create a film that plays an element of surrealism. If it was told in a live-action format, it would’ve been Linklater repeating himself like he did with his earlier work. By going into animation, he creates something that feels like a world that is dream-like and doesn’t play to anything that is based on reality. With the help of animation/art director Bob Sabiston and a team of animators including Wiley Wiggins, the film has this very strange two-dimensional hand-drawn animation style that is off-the-wall and is often moving around. Even with the use of roto-scope drawings on the actors, it does create an element of surrealism where Linklater and producer/co-cinematographer Tommy Pallotta use digital cameras to create some strange movements and compositions to set the mood of these scenes.
The direction has Linklater also taking on different styles of animation through Sabiston’s work where it has elements of water-color drawings, abstract cube art, circular drawings, and scratchy art work to play up some of the tone each segment. The direction maintains an air of unpredictability into the fact that it’s a dream world where there is no idea what’s going to happen next or how it will look. Overall, Linklater creates a sensational and mesmerizing film about dreams and humanity.
Editor Sandra Adair does brilliant work with the editing in the way it plays to the sense of unpredictability from segment to segment while it features some rhythmic cuts to play up the rhythm of the conversations. Sound designer Tom Hammond and sound editor Wayne Bell do fantastic work with the sound to create moods in the sound to match up with the visuals. The film’s music by Glover Gill is superb for its tango-based music with an orchestra that plays up some of the film’s humor as well as some of its drama.
Waking Life is a phenomenal film from Richard Linklater. With its unique approach to animation and its ability to be an experimental film that is also accessible due to its themes from philosophical to existentialism. It’s also a film that proves that animated films can be told for adults without playing to convention and just stick to bigger ideas. In the end, Waking Life is a spectacular film from Richard Linklater.
Richard Linklater Films: It’s Impossible to Learn to Plow by Reading Books - Slacker - Dazed & Confused - Before Sunrise - subUrbia - The Newton Boys - Tape - School of Rock - Before Sunset - Bad News Bears (2005 film) - A Scanner Darkly - Fast Food Nation - Me and Orson Welles - Bernie (2011 film) - Before Midnight - Boyhood - Everybody Want Some!! - The Auteurs #57: Richard Linklater Pt. 1 - Pt. 2
© thevoid99 2013
Directed by Richard Linklater and written by Linklater and Kim Krizan, Before Sunrise is the story about an American man and a French woman who meet on a train to Vienna as they spend the day in the city walking and talking about life, love, and all sorts of things. The film is the first of a series of films that explores the lives of two people who meet on one entire day in Vienna where they fall in love and deal with the ideas of love. Starring Ethan Hawke and Julie Delpy. Before Sunrise is a charming yet sensational film from Richard Linklater.
The film is the simple story about an American named Jesse (Ethan Hawke) and a French student named Celine (Julie Delpy) who meet on a train to Vienna as they chat about love and all sorts of things where they arrive to Vienna as they spend the entire day in the city. During the course of the film, the two go into various conversations about the idea of love as the cynical Jesse doesn’t believe in true love due to his experience of going through a bad relationship as well as the fact that his parents have divorced. Celine is more idealistic as she had just gone to Budapest to visit her grandmother as the two spend all of Vienna encountering a few people and talking about the ideas of love.
The screenplay by Richard Linklater and Kim Krizan doesn’t really have much of a plot as it’s more driven by dialogue and how the relationship between Jesse and Celine evolves in the course of an entire day. Notably as it plays to the sense that these are characters in their 20s both trying to find some idea of love no matter how dreary it can be or the kind of happiness they can bring. Jesse and Celine may have opposite views but they share the idea of love as they both are yearning for something that can bring them happiness. Even as these two try to ponder about everything had been through up to this day where they meet and spend the entire day and night in Vienna.
The direction of Richard Linklater is quite simplistic and to the point as he does make Vienna a character in the story. Yet, he goes for a sense of looseness in the direction where he tries to see how these two people will react to a situation or a place they’ve been through. While there are moments that are dramatic, there’s also some light-hearted moments including a conversation where they both pretend to be each other’s friends about the day they’ve experienced. Linklater knows where to place the camera in these intimate moments with medium shots and some wide shots to capture where they at. It does play to the idea that these two people are experiencing something that can probably happen once in a lifetime and might happen all over again. Overall, Linklater creates a ravishing yet engaging film about romance and its ideas.
Cinematographer Lee Daniel does excellent work with the film‘s cinematography to capture the beauty of the city with its daytime and nighttime exterior scenes along with a few interior settings to enhance its mood. Editor Sandra Adair does fantastic work with the editing as it‘s very straightforward without delving into style except for a montage in the end. Production designer Florian Reichmann does wonderful work with some of the minimal set pieces from the record store to a club Jesse and Celine go to. Costume designer Florentina Welley does nice work with the costumes to play up the sense of casualness in the characters. Sound editor Tom Hammond does terrific work with the sound to capture some of locations and places the characters go to. The film’s music soundtrack consists of some original score music by Fred Frith that is low-key in its classical setting while the rest of the soundtrack consists of classical music by Johann Strauss, Johann Sebastian Bach, Antonio Vivaldi, Henry Purcell, and Ludwig Van Beethoven along with some contemporary music ranging from rock to folk.
The casting by Alycia Aumuller and Judy Henderson is brilliant as it features some notable appearances from Adam Goldberg as a sleeping train passenger, Dominik Castell as a street poet, Tex Rubinowitz as a man on the bridge, Erni Mangold as a palm reader, and Andrea Eckert and Hanno Poschl as a bickering couple on the train. The film’s best performances definitely go to Ethan Hawke and Julie Delpy in their respective roles as Jesse and Celine. Hawke brings a coolness to Jesse as a guy who seems jaded but also has a sense of charm as he’s willing to see what could happen in Vienna. Delpy is more reserved but also playful as Celine as a young woman pondering about life as well as the idea of romance. The two together have a tremendous sense of chemistry where they can be very funny but also dramatic as they make one of the great couple in film.
Before Sunrise is a phenomenal film from Richard Linklater that features amazing performances from Ethan Hawke and Julie Delpy. The film is definitely a film that really displays the true ideas of what it’s like to fall in love and the experiences that can happen in the span of a day. It’s also a film that is very accessible without delving into elements of pretentiousness while not falling prey to conventions. In the end, Before Sunrise is a glorious film from Richard Linklater.
Richard Linklater Films: It’s Impossible to Learn to Plow by Reading Books - Slacker - Dazed & Confused - subUrbia - The Newton Boys - Waking Life - Tape - School of Rock - Before Sunset - Bad News Bears (2005 film) - A Scanner Darkly - Fast Food Nation - Me and Orson Welles - Bernie (2011 film) - Before Midnight - Boyhood - Everybody Want Some!! - The Auteurs #57: Richard Linklater Pt. 1 - Pt. 2
© thevoid99 2013
