Produced by Dino De Laurentiis, Le streghe (The Witches) is an anthology film consisting of five comic stories relating to witches all starring Silvana Mangano as it mixes horror and comedy. The anthology film features the work of five different filmmakers with a different cast as it plays into the world of witches who all disguises themselves as different kinds of women. The result is a witty though messy anthology film from producer Dino De Laurentiis.
The Witch Burned Alive
Directed by Luchino Visconti. Written by Giuseppe Patroni Griffi and Cesare Zavattini. Edited by Mario Serandrei. Music by Piero Piccioni. Starring Annie Girardot, Francisco Rabal, Massimo Girroti, Marilu Toto, Nora Ricci, and introducing Helmut Berger.
The film revolves around an actress who stops at the home of a friend in the Austrian mountains as a party is being held yet is pursued by men at the party with women being jealous of her. It is a short that plays into an actress taking a break from work to see a friend whom she realizes is in a crumbling marriage as she wants to spend time with her but there’s a party at the home as she gets drunk and things don’t go well. It is a film that has some humor and some dramatic tension though there are moments where things drag as Luchino Visconti doesn’t do much to make the sexual tension more prominent as it relates to its protagonist Gloria. Notably as Gloria’s beauty is also the source of tension among the women at the home with Gloria’s best friend Valeria (Annie Girardot) defending her while lamenting her own issues with her husband Paolo (Francisco Rabal). Girardot is the standout in the segment as it also include some fine supporting work from Nora Ricci as Gloria’s secretary and Helmut Berger in his debut film appearance as a hotel page who brings things to Valeria’s home.
Civic Spirit
Directed by Mauro Bolognini. Written by Agenore Incrocci, Furio Scarpelli, and Bernardino Zapponi. Edited by Nino Baragli. Music by Piero Piccioni. Starring Alberto Sordi.
The segment revolves around a man who is injured in an auto accident as a woman offers to take him to the hospital only to drive somewhere else to her own destination. It is one of the shorter segments of the film as it is more of a comedy in which Alberto Sordi plays this man who is severely injured and is losing a lot of blood with Mangano as this woman who is in a hurry as she is driving ferociously through Rome. Featuring some amazing editing by Nino Baragli, the film is a comical short that has Mangano being this woman that is more concerned about going to a building than helping this man as it a hilarious segment by Mauro Bolognini.
The Earth Seen from the Moon
Written and directed by Pier Paolo Pasolini. Edited by Nino Baragli. Music by Ennio Morricone. Starring Toto, Ninetto Davoli, Laura Betti, Luigi Leoni, and Mario Cipriani.
A man and his son both travel around the streets of Rome to find a woman for the man so he can create a new family as they chose this mysterious deaf-mute woman. It is a short that is comical but also stylish with Toto playing the father and Ninetto Davoli as his red-haired son wearing a New York City sports team sweater as Pasolini brings this sense of absurdity into the film. Notably as there’s a key scene at the Coliseum involving the mute woman known as Absurdity who takes part in a scheme of theirs. Featuring some great art direction and Baragli’s offbeat editing as well as Morricone’s wondrous music score that stands out from the rest of the music score in the film. This short is easily the best one in the film.
The Sicilian Belle
Directed by Franco Rossi. Written by Agenore Incrocci, Furio Scarpelli, and Bernardino Zapponi. Editor Giorgio Serralonga. Music by Piero Piccioni. Starring Pietro Tordi.
A woman has been humiliated by a man prompting her father (Piero Tordi) to find out who he is as he would massacre the entire family. It is the weakest short of the film series as it doesn’t really much of a story as it is a more dramatic story that has some dark humor but it doesn’t really give Mangano much to work with.
An Evening Like the Others
Directed by Vittorio De Sica. Written by Cesare Zavattini, Fabio Carpi, and Enzo Muzii. Editor Adriana Novelli. Music by Piero Piccioni. Starring Clint Eastwood, Valentino Macchi, and Pietro Torrisi.
The final short of the series revolves around a housewife imagining herself as a woman being swept off her feet by her husband yet the reality is that her husband is content and prefers to work and sleep though he wants to do things for her. Even as the fantasy has him becoming desperate for her attention as it plays into some comical moments but also lavish scenes of her wanting to be the center of attention towards all men with the husband unable to get her attention. It is a film that has a lot of humor though Clint Eastwood’s performance as Charlie is odd considering that isn’t known much for comedy as he’s a bit miscast though there is a brief moment of him playing a cowboy while his scenes set in reality as the husband has him playing it straight where he does manage to hold his own with Mangano.
As a film overall, it is a messy one with Pasolini’s segment being the best of the bunch while the segments by De Sica and Bolognini are strong with the latter being the shortest. Visconti’s segment is a bit dull in parts though it does feature some unique visuals with Rossi’s being the weakest as it wants to be funny but it never hits. All of the segments were shot by cinematographer Giuseppe Rotunno whose photography does add a lot of vibrancy to the film with some low-key work for Visconti and De Sica’s segments to more wondrous colors in Pasolini’s segments. Art directors Mario Garbuglia and Piero Poletto, with set decorators Emilio D’Andria and Cesare Rovatti, do amazing work with the sets with the design of the gravestones for the Pasolini segment being the highlight of the film. Costume designer Piero Tosi does excellent work with the many dresses that Mangano wears in her different characters including the layers of gowns she would wear for De Sica’s segment.
Makeup artist Goffredo Rocchetti does nice work with some of the makeup with the look of green hair and heightened makeup in Pasolini’s segment being the standout. Special optical effects work by Joseph Nathanson is good for the scene in De Sica’s segment in a stadium as it plays into Mangano’s character as the object of desire. The sound work of Vittorio Trentino is terrific in playing up the locations as well as some sound effects in the film. Much of the film’s music by Piero Piccioni as it has its moment in its playful music along with some low-key pieces for the dramatic work yet it is Morricone’s score for the Pasolini segment that is the real standout of the music.
Le streghe is a stellar though flawed anthology film. While it features great performances from Silvana Mangano along with some nice technical work along with standout segments from Mauro Bolognini and Vittorio de Sica as well as a great short from Pier Paolo Pasolini. It is a film where there are things to watch though there are bits that don’t make it work. In the end, Le streghe is a good film from producer Dino De Laurentiis.
Vittorio De Sica Films: (Rose scarlatte) - (Maddalena, zero in condotta) - (Teresa Venerdi) - (Un garibaldino al convento) - (The Children Are Watching Us) - (La porta del cielo) - (Shoeshine) - (Heart and Soul (1948 film)) - Bicycle Thieves - Miracle in Milan – Umberto D - (It Happened in the Park) - (Terminal Station) - (The Gold of Naples) - (The Roof) - (Anna of Brooklyn) - Two Women - (The Last Judgment) - (Boccaccio ‘70) - (The Condemned of Altona) - (Il Boom) - Yesterday, Today, and Tomorrow - Marriage Italian Style - (Un monde nouveau) - (After the Fox) - (Woman Times Seven) - (A Place for Lovers) - (Sunflowers (1970 film)) – The Garden of the Finzi-Continis - (Lo chiameremo Andrea) - (A Brief Vacation) - (The Voyage)
Pier Paolo Pasolini Films: (Accattone) – (La Rabbia) - Mamma Roma - (The Gospel According to St. Matthew) - (Location Hunting in Palestine) – (Love Meetings) – (The Hawks and the Sparrows) – (Oedipus Rex) – Teorema - (Porcile) – (Medea (1969 film)) – (Appunti per un film sull’India) – (Notes Towards an African Orestes) – The Decameron - The Canterbury Story - Arabian Nights - Salo or the 120 Days of Sodom
Luchino Visconti Films: (Obsessione) – (Giorni di gloria) – (La Terra Firma) – (Bellissima) – (Appunti su un fatto di cronaca) – (We, the Women) – Senso – White Nights (1957 film) - Rocco and His Brothers - (Boccaccio ’70-Il lavoro) – The Leopard - Sandra – (The Stranger (1967 film)) – The Damned - Death in Venice - (Alla ricerca di Tadzio) – (Ludwig) – (Conversation Piece) – The Innocent (1976 film)
© thevoid99 2023
Directed and starring Clint Eastwood and written by Michael Butler and Dennis Shryack, Pale Rider is the story of a mysterious gunslinger who arrives in a mining town to help the innocent deal with the corrupt people running the mines. The film is a western that involves a man who is quite religious as he tries to help those in need of saving in a world that is quite corrupt. Also starring Michael Moriarty, Carrie Snodgress, Chris Penn, Richard Dysart, Sydney Penny, Richard Kiel, Doug McGrath, and John Russell. Pale Rider is a rich yet eerie film from Clint Eastwood.
The film revolves around a small community living nearby a creek in Northern California where they’re being harassed and attacked by thugs working for a businessman as the community get unexpected help from a mysterious drifter who is also a preacher. It’s a film that play into this struggle of a group of people trying to find gold in their own land nearby a small town that is largely owned by this mining businessman. Though this community have a legal claim to the land, the businessman hires thugs to try and get rid of them until they meet trouble in this mysterious drifter known only as the Preacher (Clint Eastwood). The film’s screenplay by Michael Butler and Dennis Shryack is straightforward in its narrative while not doing much to reveal the identity of the Preacher other than he arrived as if he answered the prayer of this 14-year old girl named Megan (Sydney Penny) whose dog was killed by thugs during an attack.
When a man named Hull Barrett (Michael Moriarty) goes to town for supplies and to pay off some money he owes to its merchant, he is attacked by those same thugs until the Preacher comes in. It would set the story in motion as the Preacher would be a source of inspiration where he doesn’t kill anyone at first while remaining very little about who he was. Even Megan’s mother Sarah Wheeler (Carrie Snodgress) has her suspicions but eventually warms up to him once he shows his worth and willingness to stand up to the thugs who work for the businessman Coy LaHood (Richard Dysart). Adding to this growing conflict between LaHood and the small community of settlers is the fact that LaHood is trying to take control as well as embark on a new venture that does more harm to the land than good through strip mining.
Clint Eastwood’s direction is mesmerizing for not just its setting but also for the haunting tone of the film as it relates to the Preacher’s mysterious presence. Shot on various locations in Idaho such as the Boulder Mountains and the Sawtooth National Recreation Area as well a few scenes shot at Tuolumne County in California. Eastwood sets the film at a time in the mid to late 19th Century during the final days of the California Gold Rush as Eastwood would shoot on locations around creeks and canyons to play into the life of settlers as well as what they do when they go to this small town with some caution due to the fact that LaHood’s men are lurking wanting to cause trouble and get the settlers out for good. Eastwood’s usage of the wide shots play into the vast look of the locations including the land that LaHood’s worker led by his son Josh (Chris Penn) is watching over as it showcases this piece of land being stripped by these hydraulic water pipes that play into this idea of modernism as there’s a scene of the Preacher looking at this with immense disgust. Eastwood would also use medium shots and close-ups to help characters interact with one another including a tense scene where the Preacher meets LaHood for the first time in LaHood’s office as the former is given an offer by the latter.
The direction also have these elements of mysticism as it relates to the Preacher where is seen in a shot at a certain position in the frame and then when it goes in the same shot on that location, he’s not there. It also play into Megan’s need for salvation although she is unsure if the Preacher would really do good as there’s still a lot of anger towards LaHood and his thugs. The film’s third act relates to the arrival of a corrupt marshal in Stockburn (John Russell) who is hired to take care of business as he is aware of the Preacher but isn’t sure if he remembers him. The film’s climax with Eastwood’s careful approach compositions and suspense help play into the excitement of the film as well as this sense of justice where it is about one man versus an order of greed and corruption. Overall, Eastwood creates an evocative yet exhilarating film about a drifter helping out settlers fight off a gang of thugs.
Cinematographer Bruce Surtees does brilliant work with the film’s cinematography with its emphasis on natural lighting for some of the exteriors in the daytime and some of its sunny look to the usage of grey skies for the scenes during the winter as well as low-key lighting for scenes set at night and in the interior settings. Editor Joel Cox does excellent work with the editing as it is largely straightforward with some rhythm cuts for some of the action scenes. Production designer Edward C. Carfagno and set decorator Ernie Bishop do amazing work with the look of the sets from the design of the town to the strip mining camp that Josh LaHood runs.
Costume designer Deborah Hopper does nice work with the costumes as it is largely straightforward to play into the look of the times with the exception of LaHood who is often wearing a suit. Sound mixer C. Darin Knight does superb work with the sound as it is straightforward with some textures into the way some of the locations sound such as the strip mining camp and in the film’s climax. The film’s music by Lennie Niehaus is wonderful for its orchestral score that play into the air of bombast and eerie string arrangements as well as some cadence drum sounds for the film’s climax.
The casting by Phyllis Huffman is terrific as it feature some notable small roles from Billy Drago as one of Stockburn’s deputies, Doug McGrath as a settler named Spider Conway, Jeffrey Weisman and Chuck Lafont as Conway’s teenage sons, Charles Hallahan and Marvin J. McIntyre as a couple of LaHood’s goons, Fran Ryan and Richard Hamilton as local merchants who help the settlers as they don’t like LaHood but are afraid of him, and Richard Kiel as a gigantic hood of LaHood in Club who doesn’t say much yet his presence alone is intimidating. Chris Penn is fantastic as LaHood’s son Josh as a young cowboy who help take charge of the thugs and the mining where he tries to intimidate the Preacher only to get his comeuppance. Sydney Penny is excellent as Megan Wheeler as a 14-year old girl who prays for help and is fascinated by the Preacher to the point of infatuation. John Russell is superb as Marshal Stockburn as a notoriously corrupt marshal that is known for taking care of business as well as being extremely skilled in killing people where he is bewildered by the mention of the Preacher.
Richard Dysart is terrific as Coy LaHood as a mining businessman that wants to have control of all lands nearby just to make money by any means necessary as he also wants to intimidate the settlers any way he can. Michael Moriarty is brilliant as Hull Barrett as a settler who is trying to mine for gold to have a decent life as he also pines for Sarah Wheeler and befriends the Preacher whom he sees as a source of inspiration. Carrie Snodgress is amazing as Sarah Wheeler as a woman who is suspicious about the Preacher and his motives as she is also wondering if he is really a man or something else. Finally, there’s Clint Eastwood in an incredible performance as the Preacher as a mysterious man who wears a preacher’s cloth as he helps out Barrett and Wheeler with their troubles while also not being intimidated by everyone by playing it cool and knowing when to strike as it is Eastwood at his best.
Pale Rider is a phenomenal film from Clint Eastwood. Featuring a great cast, gorgeous visuals, an eerie music soundtrack, and a compelling story. It’s a film that play into the many tropes expected in a western while showcasing a darker side into the world of corruption, greed, and the fallacy of modernism. In the end, Pale Rider is a sensational film from Clint Eastwood.
Clint Eastwood Films: (Play Misty for Me) – High Plains Drifter - (Breezy) - (The Eiger Sanction) - (The Outlaw Josey Wales) - (The Gauntlet) - (Bronco Billy) - (Firefox) - (Honkytonk Man) – Sudden Impact - (Heartbreak Ridge) - (Bird) - (White Hunter Black Heart) - (The Rookie) – Unforgiven - (A Perfect World) - (The Bridges of Madison County) - (Absolute Power) - (Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil) - (True Crime) - (Space Cowboys) - (Blood Work) - (Mystic River) – Million Dollar Baby - Flags of Our Fathers - Letters from Iwo Jima - Changeling - Gran Torino) – (Invictus) – (Hereafter) – (J. Edgar) – (Jersey Boys) – American Sniper - (Sully) – (The 15:17 to Paris) – (The Mule (2019 film))
© thevoid99 2018
Directed by Buddy Van Horn and screenplay by Steve Sharon from a story by Sharon, Durk Pearson, and Sandy Shaw, The Dead Pool is the story of a police inspector who learns he’s part of a dead pool in which celebrities are targeted for murder as the man learns he’s also a target. The film is the fifth and final film of the Dirty Harry series that finds Harry Callahan become the target as he tries to protect others that is part of this dead pool as Callahan is once again played by Clint Eastwood. Also starring Patricia Clarkson, Liam Neeson, Jim Carrey, and Evan Kim. The Dead Pool is an exciting and dazzling film from Buddy Van Horn.
The film revolves around a death list created by a horror filmmaker as a joke to see what celebrities would be killed as the pool unfortunately turns real as Harry Callahan’s name is in the list as he’s already being targeted by mobsters for putting a mob boss in prison. It’s a film that has Callahan already being this unlikely public figure who is hounded by the press for an interview which he repeatedly declines though he would befriend a reporter in Samantha Walker (Patricia Clarkson) who would also receive this list as she realizes some of the fallacies of what she does. Steve Sharon’s screenplay starts off with Callahan being commended for his work in putting a mob boss to prison where it seems that he’s adapting to the ways that the San Francisco Police Department wants but trouble often follows him. Especially as there are those who think he’s next in this hit list created by the filmmaker Peter Swan (Liam Neeson) who is seen as a suspect as the murders were done in the same way he has characters killed in his films. Yet, Callahan doesn’t think it is Swan at all though he still doesn’t trust him while Callahan’s new partner Al Quan (Evan Kim) would make a discovery into who it might be.
Buddy Van Horn’s direction is quite simple in its approach to action and suspense while also playing into this growing culture of horror films and music videos as well as the increasing reliance of the news wanting to get exclusives. Shot on location in San Francisco, the film definitely go for something that is straightforward in its visuals as Van Horn would use wide shots for some of the locations but would use close-ups and medium shots for some of the suspense including the killing of a few victims. One sequence that is one of the most exciting involves Callahan and Quan in their car as they find themselves being chased by a remote-controlled car with a bomb as it is fun to watch. Though the film’s climax is predictable and a bit lacking in terms of high-octane action, it does have a payoff as it has Callahan be the badass despite the fact that the reveal of the film’s killer is disappointing. Overall, Van Horn creates a thrilling and fun film about a police inspector targeted as part of a death pool gone horrible wrong.
Cinematographer Jack N. Green does excellent work with the film’s cinematography as it is straightforward for many of the scenes set in the day with some lights for some of the interiors as well as scenes at night. Editors Ron Spang and Joel Cox do terrific work with the editing as it play into the action and suspense with some rhythmic cuts for the chase scenes. Production designer Edward C. Carfargno and set decorator Thomas L. Roysden do fantastic work with the look of the film sets that Swan is creating as well as the police station where Callahan works at. Sound editors Robert G. Henderson and Alan Robert Murray is superb for the sound effects that are created as well as the natural sound such as the gunfire and such that is captured. The film’s music by Lalo Schifrin is wonderful for its jazz-based score that feature some synthesizers and orchestral elements to play into the suspense and drama.
The casting by Phyllis Huffman is great as it feature some notable small roles and appearances from the rock band Guns N’ Roses as themselves, Bill Wattenberg as a victim of the killer who is killed by a bomb, Ronnie Claire Fisher as a local film critic who is on the death pool list, Michael Currie and Michael Goodwin in their respective roles as Callahan’s superiors in Captain Donnelly and Lt. Ackerman who are more concerned with the positive public image of the San Francisco Police Department rather than doing their job, Anthony Charnato as the mob boss Lou Janero that Callahan sends to prison as he is forced to make a vow for Callahan during his prison sentence, David Hunt as a troubled fan of Swan, and Jim Carrey in a terrific small role as a troubled rock star in Johnny Squares that is dealing with his drug addiction.
Evan Kim is fantastic as Al Quan as Callahan’s new partner as a Chinese-American who is a resourceful man that could kick some ass as he becomes the most stable partner that Callahan has while also being someone who knows how to stay alive. Liam Neeson is excellent as filmmaker Peter Swan as this arrogant horror filmmaker who created the list as a joke but suddenly goes wrong as he becomes a suspect as he tries to defuse the problem only to make things worse for himself. Patricia Clarkson is amazing as Samantha Walker as a local news reporter who is trying to do her work and get an exclusive interview with Callahan only to share in his views about the media. Finally, there’s Clint Eastwood in an incredible performance as Harry Callahan as the no-nonsense police inspector whose weapons are his wit and his .44 Magnum pistol as he copes with the sensationalism of the media coverage around him as well as the new and unknown enemy that is trying to kill him as it is Eastwood just playing it cool.
The Dead Pool is a remarkable film from Buddy Van Horn that features a winning performance from Clint Eastwood as Harry Callahan. Along with strong supporting performances from Patricia Clarkson and Liam Neeson as well as some fun action scenes. It’s a film that does what it needs to do in being in a thrilling suspense-action film. In the end, The Dead Pool is a marvelous film from Buddy Van Horn.
Dirty Harry Films: Dirty Harry - Magnum Force - The Enforcer - Sudden Impact
© thevoid99 2017
Directed and starring Clint Eastwood and screenplay by Joseph Stinton from a story by Earl E. Smith and Charles B. Pierce, Sudden Impact is the story of a detective who is investigating a series of murders of men who were part of a gang rape as one of the women who was raped is going after them. The fourth film in the Dirty Harry series has Eastwood reprise his role as Harry Callahan as he once again explore the world of vigilante justice as it involves a woman who is dealing with the trauma and injustice that was done to her. Also starring Sondra Locke, Bradford Dillman, Albert Popwell, and Pat Hingle. Sudden Impact is an evocative and gripping film from Clint Eastwood.
The film follows Harry Callahan who is assigned to a murder case at a small town in Southern California after angering his superiors, once again, while he’s unaware that the killer is a woman seeking revenge for a gang rape that she and her sister were victims of a decade before. It’s a film that explores not just vigilante justice which Callahan isn’t fond of but also know that his tactics in just bringing criminals down isn’t enough anymore due to the need for courts who unfortunately don’t do their job in putting criminals in their place. It’s something this woman in Jennifer Spencer (Sondra Locke) is aware of as she knows the men who raped her and her sister not only weren’t put into justice but were able to walk away free.
Joseph Stinton’s screenplay, with un-credited work from Dean Riesner, goes back and forth into Callahan dealing with his suspension due to his often troubling encounters with criminals going after him and Spencer killing off the men who raped her one-by-one by returning to the town of San Paulo, California. When Callahan is sent to the town from San Francisco to work a case, he has to contend with its local chief Lester Jannings (Pat Hingle) about Callahan’s tactics despite the fact that it worked once he arrived in stopping a bank robber. He would meet Spencer but is unaware of what she is doing yet does find a connection into the men who are killed and who could be the next victims. There is also a subplot involving those who were participants in that rape coming together led by a local figure in Ray Parkins (Audrie J. Neenan) in preparing for a showdown with Spencer but also realize the trouble that is Callahan.
Clint Eastwood’s direction is definitely stylish as it has elements of film noir in terms of some of the visuals he would create. Though some of it is shot on location in San Francisco, much of the film would be shot in Santa Cruz, California as it would mark a change of pace for the film series as much of it was set in San Francisco. While Eastwood would use some wide shots to establish some of the locations, he would go for more intimate shots in his approach to close-up and medium shots to play into the suspense and some of the drama. While there are moments in the film that are humorous which includes a pet bulldog Callahan receives from a friend as well as the moment he arrives at San Paulo where he stops a robber while driving a small bus for retirees. The film does remain serious as it relate to Spencer’s flashback about the gang rape she and her sister were victims of as it is quite brutal with Eastwood’s usage of handheld cameras and close-ups to play into the drama. The film is still quite violent in the way Spencer confronts her rapists while the film’s climax at an amusement park is definitely stylish where Eastwood’s approach compositions and building up the suspense is key to what makes the moment so thrilling. Overall, Eastwood creates an engrossing yet exhilarating film about a police inspector investigating a series of murders from a woman taking revenge for the rape she and her sister were victims of.
Cinematographer Bruce Surtees does brilliant work with the film’s cinematography as it has an element of style for many of the scenes at night with its usage of intricate lighting to help set a mood for some scenes including the film’s climax. Editor Joel Cox does excellent work with the editing as he would use some stylish jump-cuts for some of the action including the chase sequence in San Paulo as well as some rhythmic cuts to play into the suspense. Production designer Edward C. Carfango and set decorator Ernie Bishop do fantastic work with the look of the hotel room that Callahan stays at in San Paulo as well as some of the locations in the city including bits of the amusement park. Sound mixer Donald F. Johnson does nice work with the sound as it is quite straightforward with the exception of the film’s action scenes as well some of the scenes at the amusement park. The film’s music by Lalo Schifrin is wonderful for its jazz-funk score that play into the suspense and drama as it includes a song sung by Roberta Flack.
The casting by Marion Dougherty is amazing as it feature some notable small roles and appearances from Lisa Britt as Spencer’s catatonic and traumatized sister Elizabeth, Matthew Child as one of rapists in Alby, Nancy Parsons as the mother of one of the rapists who runs a fishing company, Mark Keyloun as a local San Paul police officer who helps out Callahan, Michael Currie as one of Callahan’s superiors in Lt. Donnelly, the trio of Paul Blake, Wendell Wellman, and George Wilburn as a trio of the more brutish rapists, and Michael V. Gazzo in a terrific small appearance as a mob boss Callahan confronts at his granddaughter’s wedding. Albert Popwell is superb as a fellow detective of Callahan who would give him a bulldog as a present to keep Callahan company while Bradford Dillman is fantastic as Captain Briggs who doesn’t like what Callahan does and wants him suspended.
Audrie J. Neenan is excellent as the tough local crime boss Ray Parkins as a woman that likes to do bad things to people while Jack Thibeau is brilliant as the most vicious criminal Kruger who is the most crazed of the group of people that raped Spencer and her sister. Pat Hingle is marvelous as San Paulo police chief Lester Jannings as a man who is suspicious about Callahan’s presence in his town but also know that Callahan is a persistent man that is willing to find answers as he also holds a secret about the case Callahan is on. Sondra Locke is remarkable as Jennifer Spencer as an artist who is trying to move on with her life until she sees one of the men who raped her as she goes on a journey for vengeance as it’s very calm yet eerie performance from Locke. Finally, there’s Clint Eastwood in a phenomenal performance as Harry Callahan as a police inspector with unconventional methods in taking down criminals as he is forced to take a case out of San Francisco where he makes some chilling discoveries but also be aware of what is really going on as it is Eastwood at his finest.
Sudden Impact is an incredible film from Clint Eastwood that features top-notch performances from Eastwood and Sondra Locke. Along with its great supporting cast, eerie visuals, and a chilling score, it’s a film that explore the world of vengeance and a cop trying to understand this woman’s motivation as well as her need for justice. In the end, Sudden Impact is a sensational film from Clint Eastwood.
Dirty Harry Films: Dirty Harry - Magnum Force - The Enforcer - The Dead Pool
Clint Eastwood Films: (Play Misty for Me) – High Plains Drifter - (Breezy) - (The Eiger Sanction) - (The Outlaw Josey Wales) - (The Gauntlet) - (Bronco Billy) - (Firefox) - (Honkytonk Man) - Pale Rider - (Heartbreak Ridge) - (Bird) - (White Hunter Black Heart) - (The Rookie) – Unforgiven - (A Perfect World) - (The Bridges of Madison County) - (Absolute Power) - (Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil) - (True Crime) - (Space Cowboys) - (Blood Work) - (Mystic River) – Million Dollar Baby - Flags of Our Fathers - Letters from Iwo Jima - Changeling - (Gran Torino) – (Invictus) – (Hereafter) – (J. Edgar) – (Jersey Boys) – American Sniper - (Sully) -(The 15:17 to Paris) - (The Mule)
© thevoid99 2017
Directed by James Fargo and screenplay by Stirling Silliphant and Dean Riesner from a story by Gail Morgan Hickman and S.W. Schurr, The Enforcer is the story of Harry Callahan teaming up with an inexperienced yet determined woman detective to take down a terrorist ring. The third film in the Dirty Harry series has the often-prejudiced and cynical Harry team up with a woman for the first time as he shows her the ropes in the world of homicide and crime as he’s once again played by Clint Eastwood. Also starring Tyne Daly, Harry Guardino, Bradford Dillman, and DeVeren Bookwalter. The Enforcer is an exhilarating and intense film from James Fargo.
The film revolves a terrorist plot in which a group of people claiming to be revolutionaries as they demand a huge ransom prompting the police to try and stop things with Harry Callahan trying to find their identity after one of his colleagues was killed during a theft. While it’s a revenge movie of sorts, it’s also a film that explore a cop trying to do what is right but know he’s dealing with something different as well as coping with some of the politics in the police force. Joining Callahan in his pursuit is his new partner in a female rookie in Kate Moore (Tyne Daly) who has been selected as part of a new affirmative action enforced by the mayor which makes Callahan uneasy due to Moore’s inexperience on the field as she spent much of her work in records.
The film’s screenplay doesn’t just explore Callahan’s reluctance in taking in someone inexperienced as his partner but also the fact that he’s dealing with a group of people who are just causing terror. When Callahan talks to a black militant leader in “Big” Ed Mustapha (Albert Popwell) who knows a former member of his group that is part of the organization. Things become complicated behind the scenes as it’s an election year where Callahan’s superiors want to make Callahan and Moore as poster-people for all that is good yet neither of them are proud. Especially the former who sees what he does is just a job and nothing else as commendations and such don’t mean anything other than see that justice is served.
James Fargo’s direction is quite simple in terms of the compositions he creates as it doesn’t have any kind of stylish angles though it begins in a darkly-comical manner in which two men from a gas company pick up a gorgeous woman wearing scantily-clad clothing. Of course, they are just pawns in the game of these individual who practically kill them and use their truck for other means as it establishes who the antagonists are and what they aim to do. Much of Fargo’s direction has him use medium shots and close-ups to focus on some of the action and interaction between characters while he would a lot of wide shots for the many locations in and around San Francisco where the film is set. Fargo’s approach to the action is intense as is some of the violence where there are moments that is quite graphic in how some people are killed which is something that Moore is being introduced to in such a big way. Even as the film include a bombing and a scene early in the film in which Callahan disrupts a robbery by giving them what they want as it shows his no-nonsense approach to getting the job done. The film’s climax at the island of Alcatraz prison where it is this big showdown between this gang of terrorists and the duo of Callahan and Moore as it’s all about trying to save San Francisco. Overall, Fargo creates a thrilling and gripping film about a cop and his new partner taking down a terrorist group wreaking havoc in San Francisco.
Cinematographer Charles W. Short does excellent work with the film’s cinematography as it is quite straightforward in the way the daytime scenes look as well as the usage of low-key lights for the scenes at night. Editors Joel Cox and Ferris Webster do nice work with the editing as it is straightforward for its approach to the action and suspense. Art director Allen E. Smith and set decorator Ira Bates do fantastic work with the look of some of the places the characters go into such as a church, a mysterious brothel, and a porno film set during a chase scene.
Costume designer Glenn Wright does terrific work with the costumes from the ragged hippie/army-like clothing of the terrorist group to the more straight-laced look of Callahan and Moore. The sound work of Bert Hallberg is superb for the presentation some of the action as well as way gunfire and rocket launchers sound. The film’s music by Jerry Fielding is amazing for its jazz-driven score that help play into the suspense and some of the film’s action scenes as it is a highlight of the film.
The casting by Mary Goldberg is brilliant as it feature some notable small roles from Joe Spano and Rudy Ramos as a couple of liquor store robbers that are taken down by Callahan, M.G. Kelly as a corrupt priest who is helping the terrorist group, Jocelyn Jones as the scantily-clad woman that is actually part of the terrorist group, Samantha Doane as another female member of the terrorist group named Wanda, Michael Cavanaugh as the terrorist group’s second-in-command, and John Mitchum as Callahan’s old friend and partner Frank “Fatso” DiGiorgio. John Crawford is terrific as the mayor who sees the pairing of Callahan and Moore as good publicity that he wants to use for his re-election while Albert Popwell is superb as the black militant leader “Big” Ed Mustapha who would help give Callahan some information as he sees Callahan as one of the few white people he can trust.
DeVeren Bookwalker is wonderful as the crazed terrorist leader Bobby Maxwell as someone who is just trying to pretend to use a cause for his actions when he is really just about money. Harry Guardino is excellent as Lt. Bressler as a superior of Callahan who is a man of reason as he’s trying to make sure Callahan doesn’t go overboard. Bradford Dillman is fantastic as Captain Jerome McKay as Callahan’s top superior who doesn’t like Callahan or his methods as he tries to make him the poster-boy for accepting this new wave of affirmative action as he’s more concerned with advancing his career prospects rather than do what is right. Tyne Daly is amazing as Inspector Kate Moore as a police officer who transferred from records to homicide in this new affirmative action initiative is someone who is determined to do her job and impress Callahan as well as get into the real aspects of her work in homicide. Finally, there’s Clint Eastwood in a marvelous performance as Harry Callahan as the no-nonsense police detective who knows how to get the job done as he’s trying to fulfill his duties for justice while being reluctant in taking in a new partner as he also copes with the loss of a friend and refusing to become some poster-boy for one’s political gain.
The Enforcer is a remarkable film from James Fargo that feature top-notch performances from Clint Eastwood and Tyne Daly. Along with some thrilling action and suspense scenes as well as a look into the world of homegrown terrorism and political ambition. It’s a film that explore a man dealing with changing times but also knowing that justice still matters. In the end, The Enforcer is an excellent film from James Fargo.
Dirty Harry Films: Dirty Harry - Magnum Force - Sudden Impact – The Dead Pool
© thevoid99 2017
Directed by Ted Post and screenplay by John Milius and Michael Cimino from a story by Milius with ideas from Terrence Malick, Magnum Force is the second film in the Dirty Harry series that has Harry Callahan dealing with renegade cops who have taken the law into their own hands seeing his own ideas become distorted. The film is an exploration of vigilante justice and its fallacies as Clint Eastwood reprises his role as Dirty Harry Callahan as someone who has his own methods of justice is trying to make sure it’s done for the right reasons. Also starring Hal Holbrook, Robert Ulrich, David Soul, Mitchell Ryan, Felton Perry, and Tim Matheson. Magnum Force is a thrilling yet eerie film from Ted Post.
Following the death of a mob leader after he was acquitted for a crime he did commit, the film revolves around Harry Callahan trying to investigate these murders as he believes that it’s not in the hand of criminals but rather people in the San Francisco Police Department. Notably as they’ve taken on the idea of vigilante justice which makes Callahan uneasy though others believe the murders are in the hands of rival mobsters and such which is something Callahan doesn’t think is true. The film’s screenplay by John Milius and Michael Cimino doesn’t just explore this wave of vigilante justice that is causing trouble but also Callahan’s own reaction to it as some believe that he started it. Callahan doesn’t get involved in the investigation due to having to work another assignment as he takes a closer look at these killings where he finds himself having to spar with his new superior in Lt. Briggs (Hal Holbrook).
With his new partner Earlington “Early” Smith (Felton Perry) helping him, Callahan doesn’t just try to do his job and take down criminals but he is someone that is aware of his limitations. One of the themes in the film is limitations as the line “man’s got to know his limitations” is something Callahan would often say as it would also refer to Lt. Briggs who tries to maintain some control. The script also play into Callahan’s personal life as he does live alone while also helps out the wife of a fellow officer in Charlie McCoy (Mitchell Ryan) who is becoming unhinged through alcoholism. McCoy is initially a suspect since the script reveals that the killer is a traffic cop often riding a motorcycle but Callahan doesn’t think it’s him as he catches the eye of four new traffic cops who would compete with him in a shootout contest.
Ted Post’s direction does have some elements of style as it starts off with a sequence at San Francisco’s City Hall where a trial had just finished where he uses hand-held cameras to get through the crowd and then follow into this sequence of a mobster in his car with his attorney and two associates as they’re stopped by a traffic cop who kills them. Shot on location in San Francisco and areas nearby, Post’s direction would have him use a lot of wide shots for some of the locations but also in scenes that play into the suspense such as an attack on a pool party or a hit from a penthouse with the cops watching from a building across the street. Yet, he favors more intimate shots in close-ups and medium shots while putting in bits of style such as the low-camera angle shots or high angle shots for some scenes as it relates to the investigation.
The close-ups are a big deal for some of the violence such as the first kill and other kills as it help obscure the identity of the killers. The moments of violence are far more intense as it relate to what the killers are doing in comparison to what Callahan does when he has to deal with criminals. The third act isn’t just about the reveal of who are the vigilante cops but also their ideas of justice which doesn’t sit well with Callahan as it reveal what kind of man he is and why he will always do what is right no matter how much he can disagree with the ideas of the law. Overall, Post creates a chilling yet engaging film about a police investigator dealing with the idea of vigilante justice.
Cinematographer Frank Stanley does excellent work with the film’s colorful cinematography with the look of the daytime exterior scenes as well as the usage of low-key lights for some of the interiors in the day and night. Editor Ferris Webster does some nice work with the editing as it is quite straightforward with some rhythmic cuts for some of the suspense. Art director Jack T. Collis and set decorator John Lamphear do fantastic work with the look of the offices of the police as well as the apartment home of Callahan. The sound work of James R. Alexander is terrific for the way gunfire sounds as well as some of the intense action that is presented. The film’s music by Lalo Schifrin is amazing for its jazz-driven score that help play into the suspense as well as some of the film’s action scenes.
The casting by Nessa Hyams is superb as it feature some notable small roles and appearances from Suzanne Somers as a topless pool girl killed in a massacre, Adele Yoshioka as a neighbor of Callahan who flirts with him, Richard Devon as a mob leader who is acquitted and then killed early in the film, Tony Giorgio as a mob leader who is suspected for all of the killings, Christine White as McCoy’s wife, Bob McClurg as a cab driver befriending a hooker who is later confronted by her pimp, Margaret Avery as the hooker, Albert Popwell as the pimp, John Mitchum as Callahan’s fellow inspector Frank “Fatso” DiGiorgio who would stakeout one of the mob targets who would be assassinated, and Mitchell Ryan as Callahan’s troubled traffic cop friend Charlie McCoy who is unraveling through his alcoholism as he becomes a suspect because he’s a motorcycle cop.
The quartet that consists of Kip Nevin, Robert Ulrich, Tim Matheson, and David Soul are fantastic as rookie traffic cops that intrigue Callahan as Soul’s character John Davis is the big standout as someone who is very good with a gun. Felton Perry is excellent as Callahan’s new partner Early Smith as a man who is new to the world of homicide as he is also quite resourceful in getting the job done and handle things under pressure as he is one of the few who sticks with Callahan’s views on what is really going on. Hal Holbrook is brilliant as Lt. Neil Briggs as Callahan’s new superior who tries to instill his own ideas of enforcement where he makes Callahan uneasy but is willing to listen to what Callahan is thinking about. Finally, there’s Clint Eastwood in an incredible performance as Harry Callahan as the no-nonsense investigator whose weapon is a .44 Magnum as he is aware of what is happening but also uses his instincts to know something is off as he believes that the killer or killers aren’t hitmen but rather someone in the police force as it’s Eastwood at his best.
Magnum Force is a sensational from Ted Post that features an iconic Clint Eastwood in one of his defining roles. Along with its strong ensemble cast, a gripping screenplay by John Milius and Michael Cimino, and top-notch action. It’s a film that explore the ideas of justice and how it can be distorted for some forcing Dirty Harry to set things right. In the end, Magnum Force is a remarkable film from Ted Post.
Dirty Harry Films: Dirty Harry - The Enforcer – Sudden Impact – The Dead Pool
© thevoid99 2017
Directed by Don Siegel and screenplay by Harry Julian Fink, Rita M. Fink, and Riesner from a story by the Finks and Jo Heims, Dirty Harry is the story of a San Francisco cop who tracks down a killer while breaking all of the rules to do so. Based on the real-life Zodiac killings in the late 1960s/early 1970s, the film is an exploration of a man who will do whatever it takes to track down this killer sniper as the character of Dirty Harry Callahan is played by Clint Eastwood. Also starring Andy Robinson, Reni Santoni, Harry Guardino, and John Vernon. Dirty Harry is a gripping and thrilling film from Don Siegel.
A killer sniper is on the loose and demands $200,000 as the San Francisco police try to stop him yet there is one person who is willing to go after him without the need of jurisdiction or what the law says. All Harry Callahan needs is a .44 Magnum pistol and his hunch into capturing this mysterious killer known as Scorpio (Andy Robinson). The film is about a detective trying to catch this killer who has been using the city as his playground where he would hide from certain distances and kill whoever he sees as panic is looming all over the city. The film’s screenplay, which would feature some un-credited contributions from such noted-filmmakers like John Milius and Terrence Malick, starts off with the search for this killer known as Scorpio who would send a message to the city as its mayor (John Vernon) tries to figure out what to do as well as police officials. Lt. Al Bressler (Harry Guardino) would assign Callahan to the case as Callahan reluctantly takes a partner in Chico Gonzalez (Reni Santoni) who is new to the force.
The character of Harry Callahan is kind of a loner who prefers to do things his way despite the fact that there’s rules into dealing with criminals and such. Yet, he is someone who know a thing or two about the criminal operates as well as the fact that things such as trials, juries, and all of these things won’t stop them. His new partner Gonzalez would understand why others call him Dirty Harry since Harry does play dirty as well as the fact that he’s prejudiced and quite cynical but knows what to do when the city is in trouble. Especially as the killer Scorpio is killing everyone as the second act revolves around Callahan and Gonzalez trying to find the killer who has kidnapped a young woman as they race to save her life. Yet, it is followed by this third act in which Harry’s tactics would cause some trouble due to legalities and such as Harry know that it would only cause more trouble forcing him to take the law into his own hands.
Don Siegel’s direction is definitely entrancing for the way the film opens with this massive wide shot of San Francisco seen from a tower as it follows a killer who would look into scope to target a woman swimming on a pool at a rooftop as he then shoots her on her back as she would die. Much of the film is shot on locations in San Francisco and areas nearby including Marin County as well as a scene in Universal Studios in Hollywood where the city of San Francisco is a character in the film where Siegel takes advantage of many of its sites and locations to play into Callahan’s search for Scorpio. While Siegel would use some wide shots to establish some of the locations, he favors more intimate shots in the action and drama as well as some of the moments of suspense. Notably in the medium shots in which Siegel would use for much of his compositions as it relate to multiple characters as well as close-ups for some shots including Callahan’s own idea of chance whenever he confronts a criminal.
The direction has Siegel take on some very intense moments as it relate to the violence as a sequence in which Callahan stops a robbery with just his gun is an indication of what kind of man Callahan is. Especially as he’s someone who doesn’t like to waste time while not afraid to break rules in moments that are very serious and crucial. There is also a moment in the third act that relates to Scorpio in what he would do to get himself out of trouble as it is quite violent yet it shows that this is a man that is very smart in what he needs to do survive. All of which lead to a showdown between him and Callahan as the latter knows that if something needs to be done and done right. You might have to break some rules in order for justice to be served. Overall, Siegel creates an exhilarating and confrontational film about a police inspector who does what it takes to get the job done to stop a killer from wreaking havoc in San Francisco.
Cinematographer Bruce Surtees does excellent work with the film’s cinematography with the usage of low-key lights and such for many of the film’s nighttime interior/exterior scenes with some natural lighting for the daytime scenes. Editor Carl Pingitore does brilliant work with the editing as it is straightforward for the dramatic moments but has an element of style in its approach to rhythm for the film’s suspenseful moments. Art director Dale Hennesy and set decorator Robert De Vestel do terrific work with the look of the police offices as well as the mayor’s office and the place where the killer lived. The sound work of William Randall is fantastic for the way gunfire sounds as well as some of the chaotic moments that goes on during some of the film’s action scenes. The film’s music by Lalo Schifrin is amazing for its jazz-driven score that play into the action and the suspense as it is a major highlight of the film.
The film’s superb cast feature some notable small roles from Lois Foraker as a local dame known as Hot Mary, Ruth Kobart as a school bus driver, William Paterson as a judge, Albert Popwell as a bank robber wounded by Callahan, Woodrow Parfrey as a diner owner friend of Callahan, Lyn Edgington as Gonzalez’s wife, John Larch as the police chief, and Josef Sommer as the district attorney who would mess things up for Callahan in the film’s third act. John Mitchum is terrific as the homicide inspector Fatso DiGiorgio who helps Callahan in some of the investigation as he shares some of Callahan’s views on the law. Harry Guardino is fantastic as Lt. Bressler as Callahan’s superior who doesn’t like Callahan’s methods but is aware that they work as he also tries to make sure that Callahan doesn’t get into any trouble. John Vernon is excellent as the city’s mayor who is trying to not to worry the public as he has a liking toward Callahan’s views but doesn’t want him to go too far. Reni Santoni is brilliant as inspector Chico Gonzalez as Callahan’s newly-assigned partner who learns a lot about what Callahan does as he also try to make an understanding of what is happening as well as be new into the world of homicide.
Andy Robinson is amazing as the killer sniper known as Scorpio as this psychotic madman that has no qualms in killing everyone with a sniper rifle as well as whatever he can find just to terrorize people. Finally, there’s Clint Eastwood in an outstanding performance as Harry Callahan in what is definitely one of his most iconic roles of his career. It’s a performance that has Eastwood be no-nonsense as well as show a sense of cynicism about the ways of the world with a dark yet dry wit that is engaging as well as be a total badass who refuses to take shit from anyone.
Dirty Harry is a magnificent film from Don Siegel that features a tremendous performance from Clint Eastwood in the titular role. Along with its brilliant supporting cast, an incredible film score, dazzling locations, and a riveting story. It’s definitely not just one of the finest crime films ever made but also a film that explores a man trying to hold the law without any compromise. In the end, Dirty Harry is a phenomenal film from Don Siegel.
Dirty Harry Films: Magnum Force – The Enforcer – Sudden Impact – The Dead Pool
Don Siegel Films: (Star in the Night) – (Hitler Lives) – (The Verdict (1946 film)) – (Night unto Night) – (The Big Steal) – (The Duel at Silver Creek) – (No Time for Flowers) – (Count the Hours) – (China Venture) – Riot in Cell Block 11 - (Private Hell 36) – (The Blue and the Gold) – (Invasion of the Body Snatchers) – (Crime in the Streets) – (Spanish Affair) – (Baby Face Nelson) – (The Lineup) – (The Gun Runners) – (Edge of Eternity) – (Hound-Dog Man) – (Flaming Star) – (Hell is for Heroes) – (The Killers (1964 film)) – (The Hanged Man) – (Stranger on the Run) – (Madigan) – (Coogan’s Bluff) – (Death of a Gunfighter) – (Two Mules for Sister Sara) – The Beguiled (1971 film) - (Charley Varrick) – (The Black Windmill) – (The Shootist) – (Telefon) – (Escape from Alcatraz) – (Rough Cut) – (Jinxed!)
© thevoid99 2017
Based on the novel A Painted Devil by Thomas P. Cullinan, The Beguiled is the story of a wounded Union soldier who is taken in to an all-girl’s school in Mississippi during the American Civil War where he finds himself in serious trouble due to his infatuation with some of the women at the school. Directed by Don Siegel and screenplay by Albert Matz and Irene Kamp, the film is an exploration of temptation where a small school filled with women and young girls deal with a man in the house as their intentions to help him suddenly goes wrong. Starring Clint Eastwood, Geraldine Page, Elizabeth Hartman, and Jo Ann Harris. The Beguiled is an entrancing yet gripping film from Don Siegel.
Set during the American Civil War at a remote all-girl’s school in rural Mississippi, the film follows a wounded Union soldier who is found by a young girl and brought to the house where he is to tended and rested despite the reluctance of its headmistress. It is a film that play into the sense of temptation and the struggle to help someone even though he is the enemy and could possibly kill them. Though there are some good intentions at first from both sides, it is clear that things are going to go wrong due to not just temptations but also for the sense of longing and anguish. The film’s screenplay by Albert Matz and Irene Kamp, with re-writes by Claude Traverse, doesn’t just explore the reluctance of the school’s headmistress Martha Farnsworth (Geraldine Page) in taking in this wounded Union soldier in Corporal John “McBee” McBurney (Clint Eastwood) but also how his arrival seems to disrupt a certain status quo in the school that is kind of isolated from everything else.
Throughout the course of the story, there are glimpse of who Farnsworth and McBurney really are through flashbacks as the former seems to have something as it relates to her reluctance in bringing McBurney in while the latter is shown as someone who isn’t he says he claims to be. Still, he manages to charm one of the teachers in Edwina Dabney (Elizabeth Hartman) who is reluctant to express her feelings due to her own history with men while one of the school’s older students in Carol (Jo Ann Harris) wants him for herself. Though Farnsworth initially wants to turn McBurney in to the Confederates, she would eventually see his worth as it eventually leads to a very complicated web of lust and temptation. It would lead into this very chilling third act where it is about power but also anguish and regret over what had happened. There is also this theme about innocence loss as it relates to the young girl Amelia (Pamelyn Ferdin) who would be the one to find the wounded McBurney as she thinks he’s a good man yet would see some of the darkest aspects of humanity.
Don Siegel’s direction is definitely intoxicating in terms of its Southern Gothic setting with its evocative usage of super-imposed dissolves and dream-like tone. With many of its exteriors shot on location near Baton Rouge, Louisiana with interiors shot at soundstages at Universal Studios in Los Angeles, California. The film does play into this world of the American South during the Civil War where it is quite tense but also has something that is quaint in its location where these women are in a world that is completely isolating from the chaos of war though it’s happening a few miles away. Siegel’s usage of close-ups are quite intense as it relates to the drama as well as in the suspense where it would come to ahead for its third act. The direction would also have these moments where Siegel would create these flashbacks that play into the past of both McBurney and Farnsworth as it is quite dream-like but also unsettling. One notable sequence during the film’s second act involves a surreal dream sequence as it relates to temptation.
The sequence also has a little moment where it is also quite taboo for its time which adds to this air of surrealism but also would lead to a key plot-point that would change the film’s tone into something much darker. Some of the camera movements that Siegel makes with the crane shots definitely have an air of beauty from the way he shoots scenes on the roof of the house overlooking the landscape to a shot directly at the stairs. There are also moments in the film that are unsettling during the third act but also would have an air of innocence in one sequence relating to Amelia as it goes back to what she was doing at the beginning of the film. Another aspect of the film that is unique which also plays to its dream-like tone is the usage of voiceovers as it showcases the thoughts and temptations of the characters and how it would undo them leading to this very intense climax which is really a battle of dominance. Overall, Siegel crafts a very eerie and ravishing film about a Union soldier taking advantage of the hospitality of women at an all-girl’s school in the South.
Cinematographer Bruce Surtees does amazing work with the film’s cinematography with its usage of sepia-drenched film stock for the film’s opening and closing shots as well as the usage of candle lights and natural lighting for some of the interior scenes set at night. Editor Carl Pingitore does excellent work with the editing with its stylish usage of jump-cuts and dissolves to help play into the drama and suspense. Production designer Ted Haworth, with set decorator John P. Austin and art director Alexander Golitzen, does brilliant work with the look of the many rooms inside the house as well as some of the exteriors of the house where Farnsworth runs her school.
Costume designer Helen Colvin does nice work with the costumes in the way the women dress during those times as well as the ragged clothes of McBurney. The sound work of John L. Mack and Walden O. Watson is terrific for some of the natural elements presented on location with a few sound mixes to help intensify some of the suspenseful moments in the film. The film’s music by Lalo Schifrin is fantastic for its orchestral-based score that is calm at times but also eerie and unsettling which help play into the drama and suspense as it is one of the film’s major highlights.
The casting by Robert J. Lasanka is marvelous as it feature some notable small roles from Charles Briggs as a Confederate captain, George Dunn as a Confederate soldier, Matt Clark as a Confederate militia, and Patrick Culliton as Farnsworth’s brother from the flashbacks. Other noteworthy small roles include Pattye Mattick and Darleen Carr in their respective roles as the teenage students Janie and Doris who don’t like McBurney because he’s a Yankee while Melody Thomas and Peggy Drier are wonderful in their respective roles as the young students Abigail and Lizzie. Pamelyn Ferdin is excellent as Amelia as a young girl who would be the one to discover McBurney as she befriends him while trying to comprehend some of the things he does as a man. Mae Mercer is brilliant as the African-American maid/slave Hallie who is charmed by McBurney but also becomes aware of how troubling his presence is as she isn’t sure if some of the things he says are true.
Jo Ann Harris is fantastic as the 17-year old seductress Carol as a young woman with a crush on McBurney as she would do whatever she can to claim McBurney for herself as well as cause trouble. Elizabeth Hartman is amazing as Edwina Dabney as a virginal teacher that is groomed to become the school’s headmistress as she becomes torn for her love for McBurney and devotion to the school as it is a very heart-wrenching performance from Hartman. Geraldine Page is incredible as Martha Farnsworth as a school headmistress who is trying to maintain order in her school as she is reluctant to heal McBurney where she is intrigued by him as it relates to the loss she carries as it’s a very dark but compelling performance from Page. Finally, there’s Clint Eastwood in a phenomenal performance as Corporal John “McBee” McBurney as a wounded Union soldier that is tended to as he charms the women around him yet would cause trouble with his presence as well as his own desires as a man as it is a very dark performance from Eastwood.
The Beguiled is a tremendous film from Don Siegel that features great performances from Clint Eastwood, Geraldine Page, and Elizabeth Hartman. Along with a brilliant supporting cast, gorgeous visuals, a gripping story, and a chilling music score, the film is definitely an intense suspense-drama that explores temptation and anguish during the American Civil War. In the end, The Beguiled is a sensational film from Don Siegel.
Related: The Beguiled (2017 film)
Don Siegel Films: (Star in the Night) – (Hitler Lives) – (The Verdict (1946 film)) – (Night unto Night) – (The Big Steal) – (The Duel at Silver Creek) – (No Time for Flowers) – (Count the Hours) – (China Venture) – Riot in Cell Block 11 – (Private Hell 36) – (The Blue and the Gold) – (Invasion of the Body Snatchers) – (Crime in the Streets) – (Spanish Affair) – (Baby Face Nelson) – (The Lineup) – (The Gun Runners) – (Edge of Eternity) – (Hound-Dog Man) – (Flaming Star) – (Hell is for Heroes) – (The Killers (1964 film)) – (The Hanged Man) – (Stranger on the Run) – (Madigan) – (Coogan’s Bluff) – (Death of a Gunfighter) – (Two Mules for Sister Sara) – Dirty Harry – (Charley Varrick) – (The Black Windmill) – (The Shootist) – (Telefon) – (Escape from Alcatraz) – (Rough Cut) – (Jinxed!)
© thevoid99 2017
Based on the memoir by Chris Kyle, Scott McEwen, and Jim DeFelice, American Sniper is the real-life story of Chris Kyle who would become the most revered marksman in history of U.S. military as he did four tours during the Iraq War. Directed by Clint Eastwood and screenplay by Jason Hall, the film is a study of a man who would become a hero to many as he struggles to find solace in his life outside of war as Kyle is played by Bradley Cooper. Also starring Sienna Miller, Luke Grimes, Jake McDorman, Cory Hardrict, Kevin Lacz, Navid Negahban, and Keir O’Donnell. American Sniper is a gripping and fascinating film from Clint Eastwood.
During the War of Iraq that began in 2003, Chris Kyle was known as being the deadliest sniper in the history of the American military with a reported 160 kills during four tours of the war. His skill as a marksman is considered legendary yet the film is about his life as a sniper and his struggle to find life outside of war as a husband and father of two children where he is haunted by the men he couldn’t save. Jason Hall’s screenplay showcases Kyle’s humble beginnings as a skilled marksman from being a skilled hunter as a kid while spending some of his early adult life as a ranch handler before joining the Navy SEALS in his late 20s. During that time, he meets and fall for a woman named Taya (Sienna Miller) who would later become his wife as she struggles with his absences and the idea of him being killed in the battlefield.
Hall’s script doesn’t just display the complexities of Kyle but also his flaws as someone who is very patriotic and believes he is doing a great service but not everyone shares his feelings of duty including some of his own soldiers. At the same time, he’s in denial over what he’s experienced in the battlefield as he would kill many people including his first being a mother and child who were trying to kill soldiers by throwing a grenade. He has to shake off what he’s experienced but some of it becomes intense as he’s afraid to talk about it. Especially after his final tour where he continuously finds himself going into a battle against another sniper known as Mustafa (Sammy Sheik) who is considered the best and was an Olympic medalist in being a marksman. Kyle would be forced to face his own reality but also find a way that would give him fulfillment in helping others and find that balance in being a soldier and a family man. While Hall’s script does take some dramatic liberties into what really happened as the Mustafa character is really a fictionalized version of an assassin. It still plays into some of the realities that Kyle did face in war and at home.
Clint Eastwood’s direction is stylish in not just the way he portrays war and what a man does to kill people from afar with a rifle. With scenes set in the U.S. shot in California and scenes in Iraq shot in Morocco, Eastwood goes for something that is really an exploration of a man trying to find himself in the need to do something with his life. Much of the direction has Eastwood using some wide and medium shots to play into the world that Kyle is in whether he is enduring the most brutal form of training to him being in the battlefield going after whoever he sees as a threat. The war scenes are intense as well as bloody while Eastwood doesn’t shy away from the fact that innocent people do get killed where Kyle is unable to save some because he is being targeted by this sniper. It’s one of these moments in the film that is very chilling along with these intense scenes of violence as the film opens with Kyle on the day of his first kill where he sees a mother and her son walking out of a building where they’re carrying a grenade as Kyle had to make a decision whether or not to kill them.
The direction also has Eastwood use close-ups to get a look into how Kyle would see things in battle as he is looking for a target to kill as well as some of the moments at home where it is intimate but also unsettling. Especially in a scene at an auto shop with his son as Kyle is hearing a drill as it gives him war flashbacks until he meets a soldier whose life he saved where he is back to reality. Some of the scenes at home are a bit flawed such as a moment where he is with his newborn daughter where it is obvious that a fake baby is used where it is sort of a distraction but it doesn’t deter what is happening as it shows Kyle’s disconnect from his family life. Much of the direction set in Texas are much simpler while having some rich images to play into Kyle trying to get adjusted to civilian life. Overall, Eastwood creates a compelling yet intense film about the life of a sniper and his encounter with war.
Cinematographer Tom Stern does brilliant work with the film‘s cinematography to play into the sunny yet eerie look of the scenes in Iraq along with some desolate lighting for some of the scenes set at night. Editors Joel Cox and Gary D. Roach do excellent work with the editing as it is largely straightforward while utilizing rhythmic cuts to play into the action and war scenes without deviating too much into fast-cutting styles. Production designers Charisse Cardenas and James J. Murakami, with set decorator Gary Fettis and supervising art director Dean Wolcott, do fantastic work with the look of Kyle‘s home in Texas as well as the look of the places in Iraq including the homes of some of its citizens where the troops would stake out at. Costume designer Deborah Hopper does nice work with the costumes from the casual look of Kyle and his family in Texas to the look of the uniforms he wears when he‘s in the battlefield.
Special makeup effects artist Koji Ohmura does terrific work with the look of some of the wounds that some of Kyle‘s soldier friends would sport in the aftermath of war. Visual effects supervisors Phillip Feiner, Michael Owens, and Matt Seckman do amazing work with some of the visual effects as it includes the sandstorm sequence during the fourth tour as well as some of the moments in the battles that Kyle faces. Sound editors Bob Asman and Alan Robert Murray, along with sound designer Tom Ozanich, do superb work with the sound as it plays into the chaos of the violence and what happens in gunfights as well as how Kyle would remember certain sounds that would trigger terrible memories. The film’s music soundtrack is wonderful though it doesn’t feature a lot of music though Clint Eastwood does compose a soft orchestral piece as a theme for Taya as well as a few orchestral pieces from Joseph S. DeBeasi along with some country and rock pieces played in the background and a score piece by Ennio Morricone for the film’s closing credits.
The casting by Geoffrey Miclat is great as it features some notable small roles from Ben Reed and Elise Robertson as Kyle’s parents, Cole Konis as the young Kyle, Luke Sunshine as the younger version of Kyle’s brother Jeff, Marnette Patterson as Kyle’s then-girlfriend early in the film, Leonard Roberts as a drill instructor, Max Charles and Madeleine McGraw as Kyle’s children in their respective roles as Colton and McKenna, Mido Hamada as an associate to a renowned terrorist that is called the Butcher, Navid Negahban as an Iraqi who reluctantly helps the Americans, and Sammy Sheik as the assassin known as Mustafa who tries to go after Kyle and kill whoever he can. In the roles of some of Kyle’s fellow soldiers, there’s Kyle Gallner as his spotter Goat-Winston, Kevin Lacz as Dauber who helps Kyle in the last 2 tours, and Cory Hardrict as Kyle’s spotter in the last tours who would help him as well as get him home.
Keir O’Donnell is superb as Kyle’s younger brother Jeff who would also go into service as he would return home disillusioned about being a soldier. Jake McDorman and Luke Grimes are excellent in their respective roles as soldiers Biggles and Marc Lee with the former being the upbeat of the two as he would be wounded during the third tour with the latter being a superior of sorts for Kyle as he would become disillusioned with war and duty itself. Sienna Miller is amazing as Kyle’s wife Taya as the woman who would ground him but also call out on him being in denial as well as often worry what would happen to him whenever he calls her from afar. Finally, there’s Bradley Cooper in an incredible performance as Chris Kyle as he displays a sense of restraint and anguish into a man troubled by war while being calm and cool as he is fighting while knowing when to act out when things go wrong as it’s Cooper at his best.
American Sniper is a sensational film from Clint Eastwood that features a remarkable performance from Bradley Cooper. Featuring a great supporting cast that includes a fantastic performance from Sienna Miller as well as a compelling story about duty and a man’s struggle to serve his country. It’s a film that doesn’t have a political agenda while exploring a man trying to find himself as a soldier. In the end, American Sniper is a phenomenal film from Clint Eastwood.
Clint Eastwood Films: (Play Misty for Me) - High Plains Drifter - (Breezy) - (The Eiger Sanction) - (The Outlaw Josey Wales) - (The Gauntlet) - (Bronco Billy) - (Firefox) - (Honkytonk Man) - Sudden Impact - Pale Rider - (Heartbreak Ridge) - (Bird) - (White Hunter Black Heart) - (The Rookie) - Unforgiven - (A Perfect World) - (The Bridges of Madison County) - (Absolute Power) - (Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil) - (True Crime) - (Space Cowboys) - (Blood Work) - (Mystic River) - Million Dollar Baby - Flags of Our Fathers - Letters from Iwo Jima - Changeling - (Gran Torino) - (Invictus) - (Hereafter) - (J. Edgar) - (Jersey Boys) - (Sully) - (The 15:17 to Paris) - (The Mule)
© thevoid99 2016
