Based on the novel by Cecil Saint-Laurent, Lola Montes is the story of the life of the Irish dancer/courtesan who would embark on scandalous affairs with many men as she would later work for a circus where its ringmaster would tell her life story. Directed by Max Ophuls and screenplay by Ophuls and Annette Wademant with dialogue by Jeff Natanson, the film is the look of a woman’s journey as she tries to find herself in a decadent world as the titular character is played by Martine Carol. Also starring Peter Ustinov, Anton Walbrook, Will Quadflieg, Oskar Werner, Ivan Desny, and Henry Guisol. Lola Montes is a ravishing and elegant film from Max Ophuls.
Set during a circus performance in the mid-19th Century, the film is about the life of a courtesan who has become a circus performer that has her telling her many exploits with different men where she was once revered for her dancing and role in high society and then fall from grace due to scandal. The film is told in a reflective back-and-forth narrative where the main body of the story is set at a circus with the titular character thinking about her past exploits that added to not just her legend but also notoriety. The film’s screenplay by Max Ophuls and Annette Wademant takes this back-and-forth narrative that has Montes not just thinking about moments in her life but also having to display them in some kind of performance for the circus with the ringmaster (Peter Ustinov) is being a narrator of sorts for these exploits. Notably as it would involve the composer Franz Liszt (Will Quadflieg), her mother’s boyfriend in Lt. Thomas James (Ivan Desny), the famed conductor Claudio Pirotto (Claude Pinoteau), and King Ludwig I (Anton Walbrook).
Ophuls’ direction is definitely lavish and stylized in the way he presents the story of this woman’s exploits. Shot on various locations in Paris, Nice, and Munich with several scenes shot on studio soundstages, the film definitely play into this world of fantasy that is presented in the circus scenes that is mixed in with this reality that is full of elegance but also decadence. Ophuls’ precise usage of compositions whether it’s in the wide shots, medium shots, and close-ups help play into the attention of detail over not just the set pieces of the circus and what goes on behind the scenes. It’s also in the world that Montes had lived in where much of her journey has her riding in this spacious carriage with a couple of longtime servants as each journey and lover would represent a chapter in her life.
Ophuls’ direction also has him playing with aspect ratios throughout the course of the film though much of it is shot on a Cinemascope aspect ratio to get much attention to detail on the locations and much of the setting that Montes would be in. Particularly as the settings would play into not just Montes’ development as a person but also the realization that her presence would often cause a lot of problems. Particularly in the final story that involves King Ludwig I as it would cause scandal as well as a revolt where Ophuls would put some historical context into the story as Montes being a reason for the March Revolution of 1848. The direction also have Ophuls mirror the scenes of what Montes has experienced in terms of what she is about to perform though it does play into not just her decline in stature but also emotional as she becomes trapped into what she has become in the end. Overall, Ophuls creates a majestic and riveting film about the wild life of a courtesan in the mid-19th Century.
Cinematographer Christian Matras does incredible work with the film’s cinematography with its gorgeous usage of colors to help set the mood for a scene as well as the lighting in some of the film’s circus scenes including a few moments backstage. Editor Madeleine Gug does excellent work with the editing as it is largely straightforward with a few rhythmic cuts to play into the drama. Production designer Jean d’Eaubonne and set decorator Robert Christides do amazing work with the set design from the look of the state sets at the circus to the places that Montes goes to including the palace of King Ludwig I and the interior of her carriage.
Costume designer Georges Annenkov does brilliant work with the costumes from the look of the clothes that the men wore as well as the stylish and lavish dresses that Montes wore throughout the course of the film. The sound work of Hans Endrulat, Jean Neny, and Antoine Petitjean do fantastic work with the sound as it play into the atmosphere of the circus as well as some of the tense sound of rioting during the film’s third act when rioters throw rocks at the palace. The film’s music by Georges Auric is superb for its rich and soaring orchestral score that ranges from being playful in some parts including scenes at the circus to some somber moments as it relates to the drama.
The film’s wonderful cast feature some notable small roles and appearances from Claude Pinoteau as the famed conductor Claudio Pirotto, Paulette Dubost as Montes’ maid Josephine, Henri Guisol as the carriage driver Maurice, Lise Delamare as Montes’ mother Mrs. Craigie, and Oskar Werner in a terrific small role as a young German soldier that Montes would meet on her way to Munich as he would later help her flee the city in the third act. Will Quadfieg is superb as the famed composer Franz Liszt who would be inspired by his affair with Montes to create music that would make him famous. Anton Walbrook is fantastic as King Ludwig I of Bavaria as the Bavarian king who is smitten by Montes in her beauty and work as a dancer unaware of what he’s doing to his own people.
Ivan Desney is brilliant as Lt. Thomas James as the lover of Montes’ mother who becomes concerned for Montes’ well-being only to marry her where it eventually becomes toxic. Peter Ustinov is excellent as the ringmaster who is the film’s narrator of sorts during the circus scenes as he tells Montes’ story while would also meet her in making an offer to join his circus. Finally, there’s Martine Carol in a radiant performance as the titular character where Carol brings this elegance and melancholia to the role as a woman who had been through so much adventure and was full of life during her time as she is a shell of her former self. It’s a performance that has Carol display charm and liveliness whenever she’s happy while being restrained in her sadness that includes that eerie moment in the film’s ending as it is an incredible performance from Carol.
Lola Montes is a phenomenal film from Max Ophuls that features a sensational performance from Martine Carol in the titular role. Along with its ensemble cast, gorgeous visuals, sprawling set design, complex storylines, and a luscious music score. It’s a film that is rich in its look but also this evocative story of a woman’s life that is full of wonder and sorrow as it’s told in style. In the end, Lola Montes is a spectacular film from Max Ophuls.
Max Ophuls Films: (The Bartered Bride) - (The Merry Heirs) - (Liebelei) - (A Love Story (1933 film)) - (Everybody’s Woman) - (The Tender Enemy) - (The Trouble with Money) - (Yoshiwara) - (The Novel of Werther) - (Sarajevo (1940 film)) - (The Exile) - (Letter from an Unknown Woman) - (Caught (1949 film)) - (The Reckless Moment) - La Ronde - Le Plaisir - The Earrings of Madame de... - (The Lovers of Montparnasse)
© thevoid99 2018
Written and directed by Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger, One of Our Aircraft is Missing is the story about a British bomber crew who try to evade from the Nazis with the help of the Dutch underground. The film is a story of survival as it involves an entire group of men who have to work together and deal with the Nazis during World War II. Starring Godfrey Tearle, Eric Portman, Hugh Williams, Bernard Miles, Hugh Burden, Emrys Jones, Googie Withers, and Pamela Brown. One of Our Aircraft is Missing is a marvelous suspense-war film from Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger.
During this tense period of World War II where Nazi Germany has occupied many countries to maintain their rule, there is always an underground force to resist the powers of the Nazis while helping the Allies in defeating the Germans. The film is about a British bomber crew whose plane has been shot down following a raid in Stuttgart, Germany where the six men land in Nazi-occupied Netherlands. Yet, one of them is separated from the rest of the gang leaving five of them to find shelter in a local village where a schoolteacher named Else Meertens (Pamela Brown) helps them as they’re lead to seek help from the Dutch underground that includes a woman named Jo de Vries (Googie Withers) who organizes their escape. Yet, all six men realize what is at stake as they do whatever to help not just themselves but the Dutch who are dealing with the control of the Nazis.
While it is a film that does support the Allies cause against Nazi Germany and to support the Dutch resistance, it is a film about men trying to survive in war and helping out the Dutch resistance who are helping them get back to Britain. These six men not only count each other for help and support but also are aware that they’re in danger and could lose all hope if they’re captured. While they do struggle with a few language, cultural, and religious barriers with the Dutch, they do accept it as a way to survive while getting a chance to realize the kind of the help they needed. Even as they help expose a Dutch Nazi sympathizer (Robert Helpmann) who is confronted by both these men and his own countrymen as he realizes he’s fucked. Still, Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger slowly take their time with the script to explore the men in their situation as well as what the Dutch have to go through under Nazi occupation.
The film’s direction by Powell and Pressburger is quite simple as it doesn’t play to any kind of conventional tactics as well as the lack of a music score. Instead, they aim for a realism from the use of tight close-ups and claustrophobic framing to capture the atmosphere of what it would be like in a bomber plane. Things do get looser once they’re in the Netherlands though it’s shot in Britain due to the fact that the Netherlands was occupied by the Nazis during the film’s production. Yet, there is an air of suspense that occurs throughout the film as well as bits of humor such as the discovery of the lost sixth member of the crew. The film’s third act which is about the escape that involves these intricate moments of how to escape through the canals and to the sea are very intense as Powell and Pressburger create unique camera angles and framing to play out the sense of danger that is happening. Overall, Powell and Pressburger create a fascinating and intense film about war and the urge to survive.
Cinematographer Ronald Neame does excellent work with the film‘s black-and-white photography to create some amazing lighting schemes in the canal scenes to maintain that air of suspense as well as some light-hearted moments in some of the daytime exterior scenes. Editor David Lean does terrific work with the editing to play out the suspense in a very slow yet meticulous manner to see how things are planned out and what the men do to kill time as well as rhythmic cuts in some of its more eerie moments. Art director David Rawnsley does wonderful work with the set pieces from the look of the Dutch homes and their underground canals. Sound supervisor A.W. Watkins does nice work with the sound to capture the atmosphere of war with air sirens and gunfire.
The film’s cast is brilliant as it features some notable small roles from Robert Helpmann as Dutch Nazi-sympathizer who gets himself in trouble, Hay Petrie as a local Dutch official, and in his film debut, Peter Ustinov as a priest who helps out the British. Pamela Brown and Googie Withers are excellent in their respective roles as Else Meertens and Jo de Vries who help out the British men in their chance to escape. In the roles of the bomber crew, there’s Bernard Miles as front gunner Geoff Hickman and Godrey Terle as the rear gunner Sir George Corbett as they are excellent as is Emrys Jones as the wireless operator Bob Ashley who is a football fanatic. Hugh Williams is wonderful as the observer/navigator Frank Shelley who is also an actor as he observes everything around him. Hugh Burden and Eric Portman are superb in their respective roles as the pilots in John Glyn Haggard and Tom Earnshaw who lead the escape while making sure everything goes well.
One of Our Aircraft is Missing is a remarkable film from Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger. While it’s kind of a propaganda-war film for the British and their Allies, it is still a captivating piece for how a group of men struggle to evade the Nazi and help out the Dutch resistance in the fight against Nazi Germany. It’s also a film that doesn’t play to conventions as far as war and suspense films go by allowing the audience to be engrossed in the situation and the people in the story. In the end, One of Our Aircraft is Missing is a superb film from Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger.
Powell/Pressburger Films: The Spy is Black - (The Lion Has Wings) - Contraband - (An Airman’s Letter to His Mother) - 49th Parallel - The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp - (The Volunteer) - A Canterbury Tale - I Know Where I’m Going - A Matter of Life and Death - Black Narcissus - The Red Shoes - The Small Black Room - (Gone to Earth) - The Tales of Hoffmann - (Oh… Rosalinda!!!) - (The Battle of the River Plate) - Ill Met by Moonlight - Peeping Tom - (They’re a Weird Mob) - (Age of Consent) - (The Boy Who Turned Yellow)
© thevoid99 2013
Based on the novel by Howard Fast, Spartacus is the story of a slave who leads a revolt against the Romans during first century B.C. Directed by Stanley Kubrick, with additional work by Anthony Mann, and screenplay by Douglas Trumbo, the film is an epic about a man who becomes a gladiator and the voice to slaves as he fights off against his oppressors. Starring Kirk Douglas, Laurence Olivier, Jean Simmons, Charles Laughton, Tony Curtis, Peter Ustinov, and John Gavin. Spartacus is a grand yet adventurous epic from Stanley Kubrick.
After being a slave for all of his life, Spartacus (Kirk Douglas) is sold to Roman businessman Lentulus Batiatus (Peter Ustinov) where he’s to be trained as a gladiator to fight against others in the arena. Despite dealing with abuse of trainer Marcellus (Charles McGraw), Spartacus is able to make friends with a few slaves while falling for a serving woman named Varinia (Jean Simmons). When Roman senator Marcus Licinius Crassus (Laurence Olivier) arrives for a visit, he asks to see what Batiatus has to offer where he has four gladiators fight to the death. Spartacus pairs up with the African Draba (Woody Strode) where the two have a good fight but Spartacus is nearly killed by Draba only for Draba to do something that would unfortunately lead to his own death. After learning that Varinia is being sold to Crassus, Spartacus revolts against Batiatus and Marcellus where he and the slaves decide to fight for their own freedom.
With Spartacus gathering an army to lead his revolt, the Romans including Gracchus (Charles Laughton) are aware of what Spartacus is doing as he decides to have Julius Caesar (John Gavin) to control the Roman army. Spartacus manages to gain more numbers including Varinia who had fled Batiatus while they also gain a young slave named Antoninus (Tony Curtis) who had just been a slave for Crassus. After defeating an army led by Marcus Glabrus (John Dall), Glabrus returns to Rome to unveil what happened to him. A power struggle happens in the Senate where Caesar learns about Gracchus’ bribery on the Cilicians to get Spartacus and the slaves out of Italy. Caesar reveals Spartacus’ plans to Crassus who would make a move on his own as Spartacus finds out from Cilician envoy Tigranes Levantus (Herbert Lom).
Realizing that they’re trapped and nowhere to go, Spartacus reveals to the slaves that the Romans are coming and there’s no choice to fight them all the way to Rome. A battle finally ensues where the results fall in favor of Crassus as Batiatus is also there to identify Spartacus. Unable to find him, they were able to find Varinia and her newborn baby where Crassus decides to take her for his own to the disgust of Batiatus. With Crassus having full control and Caesar joining Crassus, Gracchus realizes what Rome is becoming as he starts to lose control of his power. In a final act of defiance against Crassus, Gracchus organizes a plan to retrieve Varinia and her son from Crassus and take her to freedom with Batiatus to accompany her. Spartacus faces Crassus for the first time as he becomes fully aware of his fate while he begins to ponder if there was any good that came out of his rebellion against Rome.
The film is an epic story about a slave who rebels against his masters and the rule of Rome where he leads a revolt against slavery in hopes to bring Rome to its knees. Meanwhile, a power struggle occurs inside Rome as two politicians try to out-do one another in how to handle Spartacus’ revolt. One of which wants nothing to do with the revolt knowing that Rome is already in enough trouble with other countries while the other is hoping to maintain control of Rome and put things back in order with more restrictions. Eventually, all of these events would collide where many would question abut everything that had happened where one faces death, another faces an uncertain future, and one rises to power all of which contain an element of ambiguity.
Dalton Trumbo’s screenplay is very multi-layered in the way it establishes a lot of what was happening in Rome as it begins with narration by Vic Perrin to unveil a lot about Spartacus’ early life. This is a man who has only known oppression his entire life as he is aware of the cruelty he faces not just to himself but those around him. When he’s sold to a businessman in Batiatus, Spartacus learns the art of being a gladiator as well as finding someone like Varinia who represents a world that is away from oppression. After a fight where his opponent shows compassion and spirit, it gives Spartacus a lot of reasons to rebel where he leads a revolt. Despite his courage and ability to lead the people, Spartacus is fully aware that he’s also uneducated and wants the freedom to not just live a nice life but also the freedom to learn.
Varinia and Antoninus would be the two people in Spartacus’ life that would provide him not just intelligence but also compassion and to be a man of the people. This would raise the ire of the men of Rome who realize how dangerous Spartacus is to not just the ideals of Rome but also the lifestyle they live in. Crassus and Gracchus are two men with very different ideas of politics who are both aware of the kind of power Spartacus would have. The latter is a man who knows that Spartacus is a threat who just wants freedom where would do things that would undermine the ideas of politics just so that he wouldn’t have to deal with Spartacus as well as the lives of Roman soldiers. Then there’s Crassus who is the main antagonist of Spartacus who wants to maintain the kind of control of Rome as he realizes that without slaves, Rome would fall. Crassus and Gracchus would fight for the control of the Roman Senate and its army through political means where part of this is a young Julius Caesar.
Then there’s the character of Batiatus who is just a man that wants to run a house of gladiators where he would prod and do whatever to break Spartacus’ spirit. Yet, it would cost him everything he would have where he also realizes that whatever information he gives wouldn’t necessarily give him any kind of power. After realizing all of that and the kind of humility that Crassus would bring, he begins to understand what Spartacus is all about as he would team up with Gracchus in order to do something about Crassus’ tyranny. Notably in one of the film’s big moments where many slaves say “I am Spartacus” as an act of defiance as it would carry many allusions to what witch-hunt trials that were happening in the 1950s. Trumbo’s screenplay definitely carries references to a lot of what was happening in the 1950s to parallel what was happening during the age of Rome. Yet, there would be some semblance of hope about how people would do in the face of oppression while defying those who want them to do the wrong thing.
Stanley Kubrick’s direction is definitely vast in terms of the presentation that is created for an epic film. While the film doesn’t feature a lot of the visual trademarks and eerie directing style that Kubrick is known for. It is still engaging for the way he creates scenes on a large canvas to showcase a wide depth of field for many of the film’s locations set in Californian desert, parts of Spain, and bits of it in Death Valley, Nevada. With the exception of the film’s opening sequence that was directed by Anthony Mann who was fired after a week, Kubrick’s direction for the rest of the film carries a lot of the visual attributes of the epic film.
Kubrick’s direction definitely has more interesting compositions in some of the film’s more intimate moments involving the Senate meetings and the scenes in some of its interior settings. Largely in where he places the cameras to establish the world of the Romans and how they conduct their lives. Kubrick also uses a lot of close-up and medium shots to help create a mood for some of these scenes while many of the film’s exterior settings do have a lot of amazing imagery. Notably the final scene that features a very hopeful ending despite the ambiguity that it carries. Overall, Kubrick creates a marvelous and exhilarating epic film about oppression and rebellion.
Cinematographer Russell Metty does brilliant work with colorful cinematography to capture the beauty of many of the film‘s daytime exterior locations to the more intimate yet lush lighting schemes for the film‘s interiors including its scenes at night. Editor Robert Lawrence does excellent work with the editing to create rhythmic cuts for some of the action scenes along with more methodical ones in its dramatic moments while utilizing fade-outs for the film‘s transitions. Production designer Alexander Golitzen, along with art director Eric Orbom and set decorators Russell A. Gausman and Julia Heron, does superb work with the set pieces such as the homes of the Romans as well as the Senate room as well as the tents that the slaves live in during their trip towards the sea.
Costume designers Valles and William Ware Theiss do nice work with the costumes from the robes that the Romans wear to the more rugged clothing of the slaves. The sound work of Joe Lapis, Ronald Pierce, Murray Spivack, and Waldon O. Watson is fantastic to capture the intimacy of the Senate meetings as well as the big scenes in the film‘s climatic battle. The film’s music by Alex North is amazing for the bombast that is created in its orchestral presentation as well as more serene and sweeping score pieces to help play out the drama.
The film’s ensemble cast is phenomenal where it features some notable small roles from Woody Strode as the African gladiator Draba, John Ireland as the gladiator Crixus, Herbert Lom as the Cilician envoy Tigranes Levantus, Charles McGraw as the brutish gladiator trainer Marcellus, John Dall as Crassus’ friend and military leader Marcus Glabrus, Nina Foch as Glabrus’ wife Helena, and John Gavin as a young Julius Caesar who tries to deal with the role that he’s set to play. Tony Curtis is brilliant as the young slave Antoninus who provides Spartacus a world outside of violence with stories and songs as he becomes a son of sorts for Spartacus. Peter Ustinov is great as the businessman Batiatus who deals with the rebellion that he unknowingly caused as well as Crassus’ cruelty where he deals with humility but gain something far more valuable.
Charles Laughton is superb as Gracchus who tries to create many political maneuvers to usurp Crassus only to deal with the dark future that lies ahead where he would make moves that would redeem him. Jean Simmons is wonderful as Varinia who would become the woman that would be on Spartacus’ side and broaden his view about a life that could be so much more. Laurence Olivier is fantastic as the villainous Crassus who is cunning in his ambitions but also insecure about the fact that someone like Spartacus could ruin things where Olivier displays a great presence as well as make his character larger than life. Finally, there’s Kirk Douglas in a magnificent performance as the titular character where Douglas displays a lot of charisma to the character as well as something that is larger than life. Douglas also display a sensitivity to the character that balances the kind of man Spartacus is where it’s really one of Douglas’ great performances.
Spartacus is an exquisite yet majestic epic from Stanley Kubrick that features Kirk Douglas in a towering performance as the titular character. Armed with amazing images, Dalton Trumbo’s complex screenplay, thrilling music, and a top-notch supporting cast that includes Laurence Olivier, Jean Simmons, Charles Laughton, Peter Ustinov, and Tony Curtis. It’s a film that is definitely carries a lot of strong themes about rebellion and oppression as it is still relevant more than 50 years since it’s release. While it may not be a film that features a lot of visual attributes of Kubrick, it is still a very strong to film to be engrossed by. In the end, Spartacus is an incredible film from Stanley Kubrick.
Stanley Kubrick Films: Fear & Desire - Killer's Kiss - The Killing - Paths of Glory - Lolita - Dr. Strangelove, or How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb - 2001: A Space Odyssey - A Clockwork Orange - Barry Lyndon - The Shining - Full Metal Jacket - Eyes Wide Shut
Related: Stanley Kubrick: A Life in Pictures - The Auteurs #18: Stanley Kubrick
© thevoid99 2012
