For the fourth week of June 2017 as part of the Thursday Movie Picks series hosted by Wanderer of Wandering Through the Shelves. We go into the woods where it’s either films about the woods or films set in the woods. Here are my three picks:
1. Ivan's Childhood
Andrei Tarkovksy’s first feature film is an unusual war film that is about a young boy who is a spy for the Russian army during World War II. It’s a film that largely features images in the woods as it would feature not just some incredible cinematography as well as these gorgeous images in the forest. Notably a scene where a nurse is being carried by an officer at a trench as it is one of these entrancing images as is the setting which has been imitated by many filmmakers including Jim Jarmusch and Lars von Trier.
2. First Blood
One of the definitive action films of the 1980s has scenes that is largely set in the woods as it relates to the character of John Rambo who finds himself being chased by local authorities who consider him a nuisance when he didn’t do anything wrong. Yet, they pissed off the wrong motherfucker who would use the woods as his fortress as he would grab anything he can find and use the woods as his weapons. Colonel Trautman was right, those fuck-heads needed a shitload of body bags for fuckin’ with Rambo.
3. The Revenant
From Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu is a film about survival as much of the action is set in the woods where Leonardo DiCaprio fights and nearly gets killed by a bear as he’s left for dead by Tom Hardy. It’s a film that features some beautiful cinematography from Emmanuel “Chivo” Lubezki that give the film a look that is ravishing while making the snowy woods an important centerpiece of the film.
© thevoid99 2017
Oh gosh...The Revenent is a great choice!...I found it brutal yet compelling. Now they don't even need a bear to act as it's all done with computers
ReplyDeleteI've only seen First Blood which was ridiculous and extreme but because of those things entertaining after a fashion.
ReplyDeleteThe Revenant just didn't appeal to me despite Tom Hardy in the cast. It just looked like a miserable couple of hours watching people suffer.
The other sounds worth checking out.
My first is an intense unusual drama that becomes even more so when you realize it some basis in fact. The second a familial drama with an amazing cast and the last pure adventure.
The Emerald Forest (1985)-Engineer Bill Markham is in Brazil with his wife Jean (Meg Foster) and young son Tommy (the film’s director John Boorman’s son Charlie) working on a hydroelectric dam on the edge of the rainforest. One day while the three are having a picnic near the site Tommy is taken by a forest tribe known as The Invisible People. Markham spends the next ten years searching the jungles for Tommy meeting many obstacles including the cannibalistic Fierce People along the way. Beautiful looking complex adventure based on true events.
Sometimes a Great Notion (1970)-The Stamper family, father Henry (Henry Fonda), oldest son Hank (Paul Newman), his wife Viv (Lee Remick), younger brother Leeland and nephew Joe Ben (Michael Sarrazin & Richard Jaeckel) are independent Oregon loggers. When the local union loggers go on strike against the corporate giant that controls most of the area they urge the Stampers to join them but being struggling independents they fear they won’t survive and refuse. The tensions that run high among them and the townsfolk is mirrored within the family leading to conflict and tragedy. Based on a Ken Kesey novel this is a sometimes slow but extremely well-acted (Jaeckel is a particular standout) complicated family drama.
The Edge (1997)-Uber rich Charles Morse (Anthony Hopkins) has gone with his model wife Mickey (Elle Macpherson) on a photo shoot to a remote mountain area along with photographer Robert Green (Alec Baldwin), who Charles suspects is involved with Mickey, and his assistant (Harold Perrineau). While Mickey stays behind the three men fly into the wilderness for nature photos but the plane crashes killing the pilot and the three men must struggle to survive not only the elements but the giant bear tracking them through the woods and ultimately each other.
Great call with The Revenant! I haven't seen Ivan's Childhood but that sounds like something I'd enjoy.
ReplyDeleteThe Revenant is such an intense movie. Glad to see someone pick it. And First Blood is still the best of the Rambo flicks by a huge margin. Haven't seen your other pick.
ReplyDeleteI ended up being very disappointed in The Revenant - if not for supporting cast I'd have trouble getting through this one - but it's a worthy pick for this theme for sure
ReplyDeleteI was happy to see First Blood listed, it was the first film I thought of when I viewed the theme.
ReplyDeleteGood call on First Blood! Never would've thought of that one. And The Revenant too! Hell yes.
ReplyDeleteFirst Blood would be among my choices too. Have you seen Tucker & Dale vs. Evil ? That's a fun comedy I enjoyed, which many seem to praise (and it's set in the woods)
ReplyDeleteNot seen these filmS. I avoided The Revenent, just not my thing. Ivan's Childhood looks interesting. Rambo passed me by but I guess I could always go back to see the fuss.
ReplyDelete@Birgit-They actually did use a bear during that film and it was a combination of visual effects and realness for that bear.
ReplyDelete@joel65913-I can't believe you've never seen Ivan's Childhood. It's Tarkovsky. I have seen The Edge which is an underrated film.
@Brittani-Ivan's Childhood might be a little complex but certainly worth seeing as I think it's Tarkovsky's most accessible film of his career.
@Wendell-Ivan's Childhood is an unusual film in some ways but certainly worth seeing though I think Solaris is the best film to be introduced to Tarkovsky.
@Sati-I can see why The Revenant isn't for everyone but it's the perfect film for that theme.
@vinnieh-You gotta have a Rambo movie in that list. It's fuckin' Rambo.
@Kevin-It's the best answer for anything within that theme.
@Chris-I haven't seen Tucker & Dale vs. Evil but I want to see it as I heard it's funny as fuck.
@Katie Hogan-See a Rambo film. They're just good fun and if you love film. You need to see at least one film by Andrei Tarkovsky.