Directed by Oren Moverman and written by Moverman and James Ellroy, Rampart is the story of a corrupt LAPD officer who finds himself in trouble as he tries to redeem himself during the Rampart scandal of 1997 for the Los Angeles Police Department. The film is a character study of a man dealing with his own actions as he tries to defend himself and save his career amidst a tumultuous period in the city of Los Angeles. Starring Woody Harrelson, Ice Cube, Ned Beatty, Robin Wright, Anne Heche, Cynthia Nixon, Brie Larson, Steve Buscemi, and Sigourney Weaver. Rampart is a compelling yet flawed film from Oren Moverman.
Set in 1999 Los Angeles during a dark period for the LAPD who is dealing with the Rampart scandal, the film is about a dirty and corrupt police scandal whose actions have finally caught up with him. Rather than quitting his job, officer Dave Brown (Woody Harrelson) tries to save his job and avoid any jail time but he becomes more troubling as even those who once bailed him out are unable to help him. Yet, Brown is also someone who is really a man that is just born to undo himself where he would eventually bring discomfort to authorities that want to help him as well as bring shame to his family. The film’s screenplay doesn’t just explore Brown and the things he does as a police officer but also a person who likes to take the law into his own hands. Sometimes it would be in the most gruesome way where he would be caught on tape beating someone who hit his car though Brown had every reason to beat up the guy.
While the script does paint Brown as a man who just hates everyone while doing all sorts of things. There are elements to him that try to show some goodness to him but his faults would often overwhelm everything as his own eldest daughter Helen (Brie Larson) really hates him. While the script does nice work in fleshing out Brown and his complexities, the script however doesn’t do much to get the story to move forward or really go anywhere. Especially as it relates to what Brown is trying to do but it tend to slow things down as he is given options that could’ve helped him. Whenever Brown is given these opportunities to redeem himself, the results become very frustrating as it play more into his character as someone that is just stubborn and not willing to see the bigger picture.
Moverman’s direction has some very intense moments in the way it showcases late 1990s Los Angeles as a world that is quite dangerous and unpredictable. Shot on location in some of the urban parts of Los Angeles as well as some of its downtown areas, the film does play into a world where a man is convinced that he is doing good for the city but is extremely corrupt in his actions. Moverman’s usage of close-ups and medium shots are engaging though there are some moments that aren’t very good. Notably a sequence where Brown meets two attorneys where the camera is constantly moving around to focus on one character in a repetitive pan where it is very annoying. It’s one of the aspects of the film that didn’t work while the script’s lack of a strong narrative does falter the pacing. Though Moverman’s usage of crane overhead shots and other stylistic moments are good, the film’s resolution is lacking in terms of any kind of redemption could be made for Brown as it ends up being unsatisfying despite Moverman’s observation on its protagonist. Overall, Moverman creates a intriguing but lackluster film about a dirty cop’s attempt to make things right.
Cinematographer Bobby Bukowski does excellent work with the film‘s cinematography from the stylish usage of lights and moods for many of the interior/exterior scenes set at night along with some grainy film stock for scenes set in the day. Editor Jay Rabinowitz does nice work with the editing as it does have some stylish jump-cuts and some unique rhythms for the suspense and drama though it does falter in that sequence where Brown is being interviewed by two attorneys. Production designer David Wasco, with set decorator Sandy Reynolds-Wasco and art director Austin Gorg, does fantastic work with the look of the home that Brown lives in with this ex-wives (who are sisters) and the hotel rooms he would crash as well as the home of a lawyer he would sleep with.
Costume designer Catherine George does terrific work with the costumes as it is mostly casual along with the look of the police uniforms while the only character that plays into a sense of style is Helen. Sound designer Javier Bennassar does superb work with the sound in the way the police sirens and gunfire sounds along with the intimate moments at home and at the bars. The film’s music by Dickon Hinchliffe is brilliant for its somber-based score in the guitar and keyboards to play into the drama while music supervisor Jim Black creates a soundtrack that features a mixture of hip-hop, electronic, and Mexican music along with a song by Leonard Cohen.
The casting by Laura Rosenthal and Rachel Tenner is amazing as it features some notable small roles and appearances from Robert Wisdom as the Rampart station’s captain, Jon Foster and Jon Beranthal as a couple of fellow officers, Steve Buscemi as a district attorney official in Bill Blago, Stella Schnabel as Brown’s new partner early in the film who is perturbed by his actions, Sammy Boyarsky as Brown’s youngest daughter Margaret who questions about what her father has done, Audra McDonald as a one-night stand Brown would be with early in the film, and Ben Foster in a superb role as a homeless vet named the General who often hangs out at a fast food restaurant. Robin Wright is wonderful as the attorney Linda whom Brown would frequently sleep with while he is suspicious that she is spying on him. Ned Beatty is terrific as the former cop Hartshorn who tries to help Brown in any way including moments that would help him only to realize that Brown is his own worst enemy.
Cynthia Nixon and Anne Heche are excellent in their respective roles as the sisters Barbara and Catherine as two of Brown’s ex-wives who deal with the coverage of Brown’s activities with Nixon as the more calm of the two and Heche as the one who wants nothing to do with him. Brie Larson is fantastic as Brown’s eldest daughter who despises her father as she also feels humiliated and embarrassed by his actions where she also copes with his own hatred for everyone. Sigourney Weaver is brilliant as the assistant DA Joan Confrey who wants Brown to reveal all of his activities as well as give the man a chance to do what is right. Ice Cube is incredible as the investigator Kyle Timkins who works for the DA’s office as he also tries to implore Brown to do the right thing while revealing what is at stake. Finally, there’s Woody Harrelson in a phenomenal performance as Dave Brown as a dirty LAPD officer who finds himself a big target during one of the lowest points of the LAPD where Harrelson brings a very menacing performance as a man with very little care for the world where he is also his own worst enemy as well as be selfish to the point that he brings shame to his own family including his own daughters.
Rampart is a stellar yet flawed film from Oren Moverman. While it features a great cast led by Woody Harrelson along with Dick Hinchliffe’s score, it’s a film that had all of the tools to be an intriguing character study but it lacks a very cohesive narrative to keep things going. In the end, Rampart is a fine but underwhelming film from Oren Moverman.
Oren Moverman Films: The Messenger - (Time Out of Mind) - (The Dinner (2017 film))
© thevoid99 2016
Written and directed by John Woo, The Killer is the story of an assassin who decides to do one more hit in the hopes to redeem himself after an accident that left a singer nearly blind which he feels responsible for. The film is a story of redemption set in Hong Kong where a man’s mistakes forces him to try and do things right in a chaotic world while a cop tries to go after him and wonder why these acts of valor. Starring Chow Yun-fat, Danny Lee, Sally Yeh, Chu Kong, Kenneth Tsang, and Shing Fui-On. The Killer is a bloody yet exhilarating film from John Woo.
Following a botched shoot-out that left a singer nearly blind by a muzzle flash, a triad assassin tries to redeem himself by helping the singer in regaining her sight while he finds himself being pursued by a police detective following another assignment the assassin was involved in. It’s a film that plays into two men who live by a code of rules and honor in their respective work yet they’re dealing with a world that is ever-changing as it’s more about protecting the wrong people or making money by any means necessary. When the assassin Ah Jong (Chow Yun-fat) is asked to kill a boss only to be double-crossed where he kills those that try to kill him, he sees that a child was shot where he tries to save her by taking to the hospital. Upon arriving, he would be confronted by the detective Li Ying (Danny Lee) who wants to arrest him but realizes that Jong isn’t a villain for trying to save this little girl where the two realize that they share something that is lost in the bloody crime world of Hong Kong.
John Woo’s screenplay doesn’t just explore the themes of honor, valor, and respect but also play into that sense of a world that is ever-changing where Ah Jong wants out as he’s seen too much violence and too much death. Li Ying, meanwhile, is a man that wants to stop bad from doing things as he finds himself at odds with bureaucratic officials who want to things to be smooth and slow. Wanting to help this singer named Jenny (Sally Yeh) who is becoming blind and needs a cornea transplant, Ah Jong would reluctantly take the assignment that would eventually expose him and be double-crossed as he tries whatever he can to get out of the triad with the help from one of its elders in Fung Sei (Chu Kong) in getting the money as he too is at odds with the new ways of the triad. With Ying pursuing Jong, the two would eventually have encounters where they have their guns pointed at each other but it is clear neither man want to kill the other. Once Ying and his partner in Sgt. Tsang Yeh (Kenneth Tsang) realize what is going on in the triad as well as Jong’s true intentions. It is clear that Jong is trying to do the right thing where Ying finds himself targeted by the triad forcing the two to work together.
Woo’s direction is definitely stylish for not just the way he captures the vibrancy that is Hong Kong for its locations at night as well as the places where ordinary people live in and near the island. Hong Kong is definitely a character in the film as it displays that sense of conflict in modernism vs. tradition where both Ying and Jong are men who are modern men but with traditional values as they realize that those values are being pushed aside. Shooting largely on location in Hong Kong gives the film a sense of energy in the way some of the chases and violence is presented where it very stylized and at times, very brutal. Yet, Woo adds something where it’s not just this bang-bang, boom, pow mentality as there is a fluidity to the gun fights in the way the camera moves and captures the action. It’s as if Woo is creating a ballet of sorts with guns, bloods, and all sorts of crazy shit where it has a sense of beauty beneath this sense of chaos where lots of men are getting killed.
The usage of wide and medium shots would play into not just the look of the locations but also in the presentation of some of the massive sequences where the usage of some crane and tracking shots help play into some of the intense moments including the fluidity of the violence. Woo’s close-ups would play into the drama along with some of the medium shots including a three-way meeting with Jenny, Ying, and Jong where the two men pretend to be friends knowing that Jenny couldn’t really see anything. It has bits of humor in the film while its third act would slow things down a bit once Ying and Jong get to know each other as it is clear that despite being in different worlds of the law. They’re both men trying to do what is right as the film’s climax isn’t just operatic in its presentation but also has this sheer sense of brutality into what is at stake. Overall, Woo crafts a visceral yet enthralling film about an assassin’s attempt to find redemption with the help of a detective.
Cinematographers Wong Wing-hang and Peter Pao do amazing work with the film‘s colorful cinematography with its usage of neon lights for the much of the nighttime exteriors in the city as well as some low-key lights for some of the gun battles as well as the usage of filters for some of the scenes set in the morning. Editor Fan Kung-ming does brilliant work with the editing with its stylish usage of slow-motion cuts, jump-cuts, and dissolves as it plays into a sense of rhythm and fluidity for much of the action while being straightforward for the dramatic moments. Art director Man-Wah Luk and set decorator Jan-Ching Tai do excellent work with the look of the homes that Jong and his friend Fung Sei live as well as the church that the former likes to go to.
Costume designer Shirley Chan does nice work with the costumes as it is play into the look of the suits that Jong wears along with the more casual look of Ying. The sound effects of Siu-Lung Ching is terrific for the way a lot of the gun fire sound as well as the way some of the tires sound during the chases. The film’s music by Lowell Lo is fantastic for its electronic-based score with its soothing keyboards and bits of jazz while the soundtrack also features bits of jazz, classical, Cantonese pop, and some harmonica that Jong would often play in the film.
The film’s phenomenal cast include a few notable small roles from Barry Wong and Parkman Wong as a couple of top police officials Ying tries to deal with, Ricky Yi Fan-wai as a hitman Wong Hoi hires to kill Jong, and Shing Fui-on in a superb performance as the triad boss Hay Wong Hoi who is ruthless in his dealings as well as being someone that wants to rule Hong Kong with an iron fist. Chu Kong is excellent as Jong’s friend and triad elder Fung Sei as a man that is loyal to Jong as he is aware of what he had to do for Wong Hoi only to find himself in a moral conflict on what is the right thing to do. Kenneth Tsang is fantastic as Sgt. Tsang Yeh as a veteran cop who aids Ying in trying to catch Jong where he makes a discovery of his own as it relates to the triad and what Jong is trying to do. Sally Yeh is brilliant as Jenny as a club singer who becomes blind due to a muzzle flash as she copes with her ailment while falling for Jong unaware of what he did to her.
Danny Lee is amazing as Li Ying as this detective who likes to play by his own rules as he tries to catch Jong while realizing that Jong is a good man where he tries to help him where they reluctantly team up against the triad. Finally, there’s Chow Yun-fat in a sensational performance as Ah Jong as this assassin who finds himself in conflict over a botched assignment that left a woman nearly blind where he tries to get out only to become a target where he realizes that he needs Ying to help him as it’s a very calm yet powerful performance from Yun-fat in one of his most iconic roles.
The Killer is a magnificent film from John Woo that features great performances from Chow Yun-fat and Danny Lee. Featuring an incredible supporting cast, cool music, a compelling premise, and stylized gun battles. The film isn’t just a crime film that has a lot of power but also presented with a sense of beauty that isn’t seen much in crime and action films. In the end, The Killer is an outstanding film from John Woo.
John Woo Films: (The Dragon Tamers) - (Hand of Death) - (Last Hurrah for Chivalry) - (Laughing Times) - (Heroes Shed No Tears) - (A Better Tomorrow) - (A Better Tomorrow 2) - (Just Heroes) - (Bullet in the Head) - (Once a Thief) - (Hard Boiled) - (Hard Target) - (Broken Arrow) - (Face/Off) - (Mission: Impossible II) - (Windtalkers) - (Paycheck) - (Red Cliff) - (Reign of Assassins) - (The Crossing Pt. 1) - (The Crossing Pt. 2)
© thevoid99 2016
Written and directed by Sally Potter, Ginger & Rosa is the story of two young girls living in the 1960s as they cope with the threat of nuclear holocaust during the Cold War as well as a growing divergence between the two. The film is a coming of age tale set entirely in the year of 1962 Britain during the period of the Cuban Missile Crisis as a young woman fears about the concept of no future. Starring Elle Fanning, Alice Englert, Alessandro Nivola, Christina Hendricks, Timothy Spall, Oliver Platt, Jodhi May, and Annette Bening. Ginger & Rosa is a compelling and touching film from Sally Potter.
The film revolves around the lives of two 17-year old girls in 1962 Britain as they cope with the idea of nuclear holocaust as they both diverge into different paths where one of them tries to do something about it while the other falls in love. It’s a film that is a coming-of-age tale set in the backdrop of the Cuban Missile Crisis where two girls are trying to have fun but certain events in their lives would change things. While Ginger (Elle Fanning) and Rosa (Alice Englert) have many similarities in their personalities and adventures as they were both born on the same day to young mothers. The latter would find herself be drawn to Ginger’s free-spirited father Roland (Alessandro Nivola) in his views of being independent and wild as he encourages Ginger to do so. Yet, Ginger is becoming interested in poetry as she also tries to find herself through activism.
Sally Potter’s screenplay doesn’t just play into the relationship between the two girls but also the events that would drive them apart. Notably Rosa’s actions as she likes to drink and smoke while make out with boys while Ginger is confused if she wants that as she becomes more passionate about activism as well as poetry. While Rosa isn’t exactly a bad person but rather someone who does bad things, her lack of a father figure and need for one in Roland would create a schism in her friendship with Ginger who would also lash out over the state of the world. The film’s second half would have Ginger live with her father but it becomes clear that it’s not ideal where she turns to family friends including an experienced activist in Bella (Annette Bening) who knows what Ginger is dealing with but also tell her there is still a solution to the chaos of the world.
Potter’s direction is quite simple in terms of the compositions she creates yet does manage to create some dazzling visuals as it relates to the world that Ginger and Rosa are living in. Shot largely in locations near Kent in Britain, the film does play into a small-town yet post-war feel in a world that is changing but grounded as much of the film is set in a working class environment where kids are listening to jazz and rock n’ roll. While Potter uses a lot of wide shots to capture the scenes set on Roland’s boat and in some location shots, she maintains an intimacy with the medium shots and close-ups. Especially as it plays into Ginger’s own growing pains and confusion as it would culminate into the third act where she begins to realize that the world she is in as it relates to her father is just as complicated as what is happening around her. Even as Rosa becomes a more complicated person to the point that Ginger has no clue how to comprehend everything around her. Overall, Potter crafts a mesmerizing coming-of-age film about two teenage girls diverging into different paths amidst the growing threat of a nuclear holocaust.
Cinematographer Robbie Ryan does amazing work with the film‘s cinematography to create some very vibrant and colorful looks for many of the exterior scenes set in the day and night along with some low-key lighting for some of the interior scenes in the film. Editor Anders Refn does nice work with the editing as it is mostly straightforward with a few stylish bits such as an opening montage on Ginger and Rosa‘s lives as well as some scenes that play into Ginger‘s emotional turmoil. Production designer Carlos Conti, with set decorator Liz Griffiths and art director Andrea Matheson, does fantastic work with the look of Roland‘s home with its somewhat-Bohemian look that is a sharp contrast to the simplistic yet more spacious home that Ginger lives with her mother. Costume designer Holly Waddington does excellent work with the costumes with the look of early 1960s fashion including the turtleneck sweaters the girls would wear.
Hair/makeup designer Tara McDonald does terrific work with the hairstyles of Ginger and Rosa with the former having dyed red hair as well as the look of young men in Teddy-boy haircuts. Visual effects supervisor Martin Madsen does some fine work with some of the film‘s minimal visual effects which is just essentially bits of set dressing for some of the locations. Sound editor Eddie Simonsen does superb work with the sound in not just capturing some of the moments in the locations but also in the way the reports on the radio about the Cuban Missile Crisis is being presented. Music supervisor Amy Ashworth creates a wonderful soundtrack that features different kinds of music from classical, jazz, and rock n’ roll as it features contributions from Franz Schubert, Little Richard, Chubby Checker, Count Basie, Charlie Parker, Thelonious Monk, Duke Ellington, Sidney Bechet, Dave Brubeck Quartet, Miles Davis, the Shadows, Les Paul, and Django Reinhardt.
The casting by Irene Lamb and Heidi Levitt is brilliant as it features some notable small roles from Andrew Hawley as the lead activist Tony that Ginger befriends, Luke Cloud as Rosa’s father who is only seen briefly early in the film, and Jodhi May in a wonderful role as Rosa’s mother Anoushka who deals with her daughter’s behavior as well as the activities she is doing. Oliver Platt and Timothy Spall are excellent in their roles as two family friends named Mark who help Ginger in dealing with the chaos of the world as well as provide their own insight into the way things are. Annette Bening is fantastic as Bella as an activist friend of the American Mark who would help Ginger in answers about the ways of the world while calling out on some of Roland’s own bullshit idealism.
Christina Hendricks is amazing as Ginger’s mother Natalie as a former artist turned homemaker who becomes overwhelmed with her daughter’s activities and her husband’s infidelities where she struggles to maintain some sanity over what is happening in her family life. Alessandro Nivola is superb as Ginger’s father Roland who is this free-spirited pacifist who encourages his daughter to be independent and free but often does a lot of bad things as it includes sleeping with other women and students where one of them would be too much for Ginger to deal with. Alice Englert is remarkable as Rosa as a 17-year old girl who becomes more fascinated by boys rather than the reality of nuclear holocaust as she starts to dress more stylish and act a certain way where she would make Ginger feel uncomfortable. Finally, there’s Elle Fanning in an incredible performance as Ginger as a 17-year old girl dealing with the reality of what is coming as she leans towards her poetry to cope with not just that reality but also the one close by as it relates to her disintegrating friendship with Rosa and her relationship with her father.
Ginger & Rosa is a marvelous film from Sally Potter that features a mesmerizing performance from Elle Fanning. Along with a great supporting cast as well as a compelling premise that play into real world situations from the views of a young lady. It’s a coming-of-age film that plays a lot into what happens when a bomb will drop and two young girls different reaction to that reality. In the end, Ginger & Rosa is a rapturous film from Sally Potter.
Sally Potter Films: (The Gold Diggers) - (Orlando) - (The Tango Lesson) - (The Man Who Cried) - (Yes) - (Rage)
© thevoid99 2016
Based on the novel by Joe Connelly, Bringing Out the Dead is the story of a paramedic who copes with the lives he’s lost while working the graveyard shift of his job where he later sees ghosts. Directed by Martin Scorsese and screenplay by Paul Schrader, the film is an exploration of a man dealing with the severity of his work as well as his own faults where he would in the worst possible time with different partners. Starring Nicolas Cage, Patricia Arquette, John Goodman, Ving Rhames, Marc Anthony, Mary Beth Hurt, and Tom Sizemore. Bringing Out the Dead is a dark yet evocative film from Martin Scorsese.
Set in the span of three days in the early 1990s, the film revolves around the manic life of a paramedic who works the graveyard shift as he deals with the lives he wasn’t able to save and the emergence of ghosts that he sees including a young woman he wasn’t able to save. Along the way, he would work with three different partners as the craziness of three days would eventually take his toll while he would also encounter the daughter of a man he had just brought in who goes into a coma. Paul Schrader’s script isn’t just the study of a man that is just burned out as he is haunted by the ghost of a young woman whose life he couldn’t save. It’s also in the fact that he’s done this job for five years with mixed results but he past several months haven’t been good.
The script follows the three days in the life of Frank Pierce (Nicolas Cage) who would work with three different partners as well as encounter a strange group of people with only a patient’s daughter that he meets often as the only sense of normalcy he would have. The script also features a voice-over narration from Pierce as it expresses his sense of guilt and loneliness where he doesn’t get a lot of sleep and is numbing himself with alcohol and medication. Since it is set in early 1990s Manhattan in its most seedy and dark, the film also play into a world that is falling apart where a new drug has emerged and society is in chaos. A world that is starting to overwhelm Pierce as he becomes less confident in the lives he is trying to save while the different partners he work with don’t help matters either.
Martin Scorsese’s direction is very atmospheric for the way he presents early 1990s New York City as a world that is teetering on the edge where much of it is shot at night and in the early mornings. It’s a film that has Scorsese not only create something where there is a sense of danger and unpredictability in the course of three days but it’s also in showing a man that is about to fall apart. While Scorsese does include some wide shots and intricate camera angles in much of the shots with the city as its backdrop. Much of the film include mostly medium shots and close-ups to play into the sense of urgency that includes inside the ambulances and in the hospitals were doctors are struggling to save patients. Most notably this old man of a heart attack who keeps going back and forth into life and death as Pierce hears the old man who really just wants to die. Another person that frequently appears in the film is this brain-damaged man named Noel (Marc Anthony) who keeps asking for water as Pierce does whatever he can to help him.
The craziness in some of the moments in and out of the hospital has Scorsese using tracking shots to capture the action in a single take such as what goes on in ICU or what doctors had to do for one patient while several others are waiting. Scorsese does know when to slow things down as it relates to a key sequence in the second half where Pierce hangs out with the former junkie Mary Burke (Patricia Arquette) whose father is fighting for his life. The sequence would also serve as a wake-up call to Pierce as he is about to embark into his third night as it plays into his own revelations about himself and the guilt that consumes him. The film’s third act that includes a lot of manic shots and sequences that play into the craziness of the graveyard shift would say a lot into Pierce’s own views on death but also a chance that he could redeem himself. In the end, Scorsese creates a very eerie yet somber film about a paramedic coping with the insanity and darkness of his work in the span of three crazy nights.
Cinematographer Robert Richardson does phenomenal work with the film‘s cinematography with its emphasis on low-key lights and bits of brightness for many of the exterior scenes at night as well as the more bright look in the hospital scenes as Richardson‘s work is a major highlight of the film. Editor Thelma Schoonmaker does incredible work with the editing where it does rely a lot on style to play up the sense of the craziness of working in the graveyard shift with its jump-cuts, speedy montages, and dissolves. Production designer Dante Ferretti, with set decorator William F. Reynolds and art director Robert Guerra, does excellent work with the look of the hospital wards and ICU rooms to play into the craziness and chaos that occurs as well as that stench of death that looms throughout the film. Costume designer Rita Ryack does nice work with the costumes as it is largely casual that includes the uniforms that Pierce and his team wears.
Special makeup effects artist Manilo Rocchetti does fantastic work with the look of the Noel character with his dreadlocks and ragged look as well as the look of some of the patients Pierce would encounter. Visual effects supervisor Michael Owens does brilliant work with the visual effects as it relates to the manic hallucinations that Pierce sees including the ghosts as it relates to those whose lives he couldn‘t save. Sound editor Philip Stockton does superb work with the sound in creating some unique sound textures to play into the craziness of the streets and locations as well as the way the ambulance sounds when it is on the road. The film’s music by Elmer Bernstein is excellent as it is mostly low-key to play into the drama with its orchestral-based score as it also helps set the dark mood into the film. The film’s music soundtrack largely consists a diverse array of music from Van Morrison, Johnny Thunders, R.E.M., UB40, the Marvelettes, Martha Reeves and the Vandellas, Big Brother & the Holding Company with Janis Joplin, the Who, and the Clash.
The casting by Ellen Lewis is great as it features notable small roles from Michael K. Williams as a drug dealer who is dying over this mysterious drug, Cullen O. Johnson as the dying man Mr. Burke, Afemo Omilami as the hospital police guard Griss, Arthur J. Nascarella as Pierce’s boss Captain Barney, Julyana Soelistyo as Sister Fetus, Cynthia Roman as the ghostly young woman named Rose who is stalking Pierce, Phyllis Sommerville as Mary’s mother, Harper Simon as a rock star who had overdosed on this new drug, Judy Reyes as a ICU nurse, Sonja Sohn as a friend of Mary in Kanita, and as two different dispatchers that Pierce would listen to in Queen Latifah and Martin Scorsese. Other notable small roles include Aida Turturro as a nurse who is trying to keep up with the chaos of patients coming in, Nestor Serrano as the doctor who is looking after one patient after another, Mary Beth Hurt as a nurse who talks to patients in a very cynical yet comical manner, and Cliff Curtis as a drug dealer friend of Mary who gives Pierce a drug in an attempt to help him.
Marc Anthony is excellent as the troubled Noel as a brain-damaged man who constantly asks for water while being a danger to himself where Pierce is one of the few who actually tries to help him. John Goodman is fantastic as Pierce’s first partner Larry who is good at job though can be unreliable but is also the most level-headed guy that Pierce works with as he is aiming to become a captain. Ving Rhames is superb as Pierce’s second partner Marcus as stoic but cynical man that likes to preach Bible quotes as he is aware of Pierce’s depression and weariness only to not really make things any better. Tom Sizemore is brilliant as Pierce’s former partner Tom Wolls who would become his partner in the third act who is just as crazy in his thirst for blood while being the one guy who is more about the ride and chaos rather than saving lives.
Patricia Arquette is amazing as Mary Burke as a former junkie who deals with her father who might be dying or not as well as her own guilt about her relationship with her father where she befriends Pierce as the two both embark into their own journey into guilt and coping with death. Finally, there’s Nicolas Cage in a marvelous performance as Frank Pierce as this paramedic who is burned out, depressed, and guilt-ridden where he tries to deal with his work for three crazy nights in the graveyard shift where it is Cage being manic and somber as well as displaying a vulnerability to a man that is just about to crack.
Bringing Out the Dead is a remarkable film from Martin Scorsese. Featuring an eerie script by Paul Schrader, haunting visuals, a killer soundtrack, and a great ensemble cast led by Nicolas Cage. The film is dark yet intense film about a man teetering on the edge as he tries to save lives in the very late nights where he also deals with the specter of death. In the end, Bringing Out the Dead is a phenomenal film from Martin Scorsese.
Martin Scorsese Films: (Who’s That Knocking on My Door?) - (Street Scenes) - Boxcar Bertha - (Mean Streets) - Italianamerican - Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore - Taxi Driver - New York, New York - American Boy: A Profile of Steven Prince - (The Last Waltz) - Raging Bull - The King of Comedy - After Hours - The Color of Money - The Last Temptation of Christ - New York Stories-Life Lesson - Goodfellas - Cape Fear (1991 film) - The Age of Innocence - (A Personal Journey with Martin Scorsese Through American Movies) - (Casino) - (Kundun) - (My Voyage to Italy) - (The Blues-Feel Like Going Home) - Gangs of New York - (The Aviator) - No Direction Home - The Departed - Shine a Light - Shutter Island - (A Letter to Elia) - (Public Speaking) - George Harrison: Living in the Material World - Hugo - The Wolf of Wall Street - (The 50 Year Argument) - Silence (2016 film) - (The Irishman) - Killers of the Flower Moon - (An Afternoon with SCTV)
© thevoid99 2016
While being one of the finest filmmakers working today in cinema, Spike Jonze does still hold a special place for the world of music fans for the music videos he had created throughout the years. Especially as the videos defined not just the world of alternative rock in the 1990s but also for emerging artists or those who didn’t fit in with a particular genre. Even as they’re filled with dazzling videos and a sense of imagination that did more than just make the video a promotional tool for artist or for a song. This is a chronological list of 25 of his essential videos that he made from 1992 to 2004 as these are often regarded as some of his best work.
1. Sonic Youth-100%
Sharing duties with Tamra Davis in directing the film which also features future actor Jason Lee skateboarding in black-and-white clips. The video has the band playing in a house that is inter-cut with footage of skateboarders skating in the city. The song that is about the shooting death of a skateboarder isn’t about that person but rather the friendship of skateboarders. For those that is aware of Jonze’s work in skateboard videos will definitely see that the skateboarding footage in the video is definitely him with Davis shooting the scenes shot in color.
2. The Breeders-Cannonball
In a video shot with Sonic Youth bassist/vocalist Kim Gordon, the Breeders’ clip from their second album is considered one of the definitive videos of the 1990s as it was unlike anything that was being played on MTV. With its lingering footage of a bowling ball rolling on a driveway and the band doing dress-up and Kim Deal singing underwater. It is a clip that is very strange but also has a lot of fun where it really has something that is quirky in an age of expensive concept videos while the video is the antithesis of those concept videos.
3. The Beastie Boys-Sabotage
This is easily one of the best videos ever made. Based on 70s TV-cop shows, the video has the Beastie Boys pretend to be cops in the 1970s with Adam Yauch playing the dual role as Cochese and the villain Sir Stewart Wallace as himself. It’s a video that is just absolutely nuts with everyone just having fun as it played into every cliché that appeared on 70s television. There’s car chases, fights, and some weird moments where it is a video that is full of thrills, chills, and all sorts of excitement. All of which was done in a small budget.
4. Weezer-Undone-The Sweater Song
Now this is a video with an unusual opening where it goes into a hallway for a tracking shot which shows the band about to play but they’re upside down and then the camera turns upside down where it is this good trick. The hallway is shot in black-and-white but then goes into full color as it was all done in one take. For a video for a new band in their debut single, it’s a great first impression as it shows the band not really bothering to lip sync or be in tune with the song they’re playing as all sorts of crazy things happen.
5. The Breeders-Divine Hammer
Helmed once again with Kim Gordon as well as Richard Kern, the video maintains a sense of fun like Cannonball where Kim and Kelley Deal would be seen on wires pretending to fly while there is footage of the band playing but also in activities when they’re not playing. Shot in different film and video stock, it has a sense of creativity that feels very free and fun no matter what kind of mayhem the band is doing.
6. Weezer-Buddy Holly
Jonze’s second collaboration with the band from their 1994 debut album is probably the best example of using computer technology and visual effects where the band is scene performing on the set of Happy Days. With Al Molinaro making an appearance reprising his role as Al, the video was cleverly edited with footage from the show as the band plays at the restaurant where they get Fonzie to dance. It is one of the most creative and imaginative videos ever made as well as one of the best music videos of all-time.
7. Dinosaur Jr.-Feel the Pain
From the band’s 1994 album Without a Sound is a single that is probably Dinosaur Jr.’s most famous song though it’s really more of a song created by vocalist/guitarist J. Mascis. Still, the song is given a funny presentation that has Mascis and then-bassist Mike Johnson playing golf all around New York City in a game that is dangerous but fun while beating yuppies in the process while Jonze makes a cameo as a cab driver. It’s as if New York City is the golf course as it serves a strange take on a song that is quite dark.
8. The Beastie Boys-Sure Shot
The second of three videos Jonze made with the Beastie Boys is another example of Jonze’s collaboration with the group in making low-budget videos that didn’t need a lot of flash and big ideas. Instead, it had the band rapping in the song while in Las Vegas and do all sorts of things with montage-style cutting of pictures and such including one of fellow video director Tamra Davis who is married to Mike Diamond aka Mike D of the group. Shot in different formats, the video plays up that sense of fun as it is one of the band’s definitive videos.
9. MC 900 Ft. Jesus-If I Only Had a Brain
One of the few one-hit wonders that Jonze had made videos for, the one for this song by MC 900 Ft. Jesus (Mark Griffin) is definitely one of the more underrated videos of the 90s. It has a story about a guy who reads an ad for brains on sale as he puts himself in a box and hopes to go to the ride address for a brain. It’s a video that is very fun as it has MC 900 Ft. Jesus imagining himself in a box
10. Ween-Freedom of ‘76
If anyone here doesn’t think Ween is awesome, get the fuck out. Jonze definitely thinks they’re one of the best as he creates a hilarious video of the band trying to steal the Liberty Bell where they get caught yet some treat them as martyrs while they’re about to go to prison. It’s really a video that doesn’t get seen very much as it is one of the best that Jonze has ever made for a band that never gets the attention they deserve.
11. Wax-California
While Jonze has always been known for making videos that are quirky, lively, and odd depending on the artists/bands he worked with. This one is definitely his most controversial as it’s for the Californian punk rock band which is a simple slow-motion of a video of a man running while he is on fire. It’s a video that still has the power to shock as it’s one that is not for the faint of heart.
12. Bjork-It’s Oh So Quiet
This is truly one of the greatest videos ever made as who better to work with Jonze than Bjork. It starts off very grimy with Bjork in a bathroom that looks very dirty and then she walks out and it’s in a very sunny and clean street. It’s a song that starts off gentle and then becomes loud where the video captures that spirit as it has some amazing dance choreography and moments that are just off the wall. It’s a video that is just pure entertainment of the highest order as well as one of Jonze’s most definitive videos.
13. Elastica-The Car Song
From one of the definitive acts of Britpop comes a video that Jonze made that is quite unusual but also so engaging in its sense of style. Shot on location in Tokyo in a car that looks like it’s from the future, it’s a video that has the band trying to chase a ghost through the city and later confront a Godzilla-wannabe. It’s a video that is just so cool while it also indicates that maybe this is why Jonze’s then-wife Sofia Coppola wanted the video’s cinematographer Lance Acord to shoot Lost in Translation for her.
14. Sonic Youth-The Diamond Sea
In a shortened version of the band’s near-20 minute opus, Jonze’s video for the song would be shot from the band’s various performance in the year 1995 where they were headlining the Lollapalooza music festival. Shot in array of different film and video stock, the video plays into a look of the band on the road playing in different cities during that tour. Even in some of the chaotic moments that the band is often known for as they are often considered one of the premier acts of the alternative rock era.
15. The Pharcyde-Drop
This is definitely one of the most imaginative videos out there where it has a unique concept. Since Jonze would film everything and have the group lip-sync the song backwards. The presentation would be completely off the wall where the group are actually doing everything, except in the lip-sync, backwards. With cameo appearances from Mike D and Ad-Rock of the Beastie Boys, it is a fun video from an act that never got a lot of attention as they were overshadowed by that whole East coast/West coast bullshit.
16. R.E.M.-Electrolite
From what is definitely R.E.M.’s most underrated album New Adventures in Hi-Fi (from my point of view) is a video that is also one of band’s often overlooked singles. Sharing directing duties with longtime R.E.M. collaborator Peter Care, the video has band members set into different rooms where Michael Stipe and Bill Berry are shown upside down while Peter Buck is seen in a reverse shot. While it is obvious Care did much of the straightforward stuff, it’s Jonze that did much of the sequences involving visual effects and the band riding dune buggies as it’s one of their finest videos.
17. Daft Punk-Da Funk
There’s a lot of ways to introduce new artists who would shape the world of music but for a group as faceless as Daft Punk. There is a big challenge and Jonze was able to rise to that challenge with a video in which a man-dog is walking around in cast and a crutch on the streets of New York City with a ghetto blaster playing the song in the background as he meets various people. It’s an odd video but certainly one that really opens the door for a new form of music that would later become mainstream.
18. The Chemical Brothers-Elektrobank
Featuring Jonze’s then-wife/future filmmaker Sofia Coppola is a video that has Coppola playing a gymnast. The video features a coach who is a parody of sorts of Bela Karolyi as Jonze definitely goes for something a little simpler in this video as opposed to emphasizing highly on style and quirks. While the wide shots do show an actual gymnast pretending to be Coppola in the more dangerous stunts, the video does play into the intensity of the song as it also include some amazing edits. Yet, the video does have one final quirky bit which shows the Chemical Brothers as athletes in a trophy room picture.
19. The Notorious B.I.G.-Sky’s The Limit
As the second posthumous single for the Notorious B.I.G. comes one of the most creative and touching videos that Jonze has ever made. Most notably for the fact that he had children in the video playing not just Biggie Smalls but also Sean Combs, Lil’ Kim, and other luminaries from the Bad Boy label. While the video does feature a lot of visual touches that was common with much of the hip-hop videos of the mid-90s, Jonze would inject a sense of innocence while having a kid lip-syncing Biggie’s rhymes with such charisma as it feels very special as it adds a lot to the song.
20. Fatboy Slim-Praise You
Directed with his then brother-in-law Roman Coppola on grainy video, Jonze plays the role of choreographer Richard Koufey who acts as a dance troupe leader trying to dance to a song by Fatboy Slim in front of a movie theater. Shot on guerilla style on a budget of $800, the video is the antithesis of the flashy, high-concept videos that were being made in the late 90s as it also had a sense of realism. Notably in a brief moment where someone stopped the music player and the dancers are still frozen only to move when the music is played. It’s one of the best videos ever made as it deservedly won MTV awards for its direction, choreography, and breakthrough video.
21. Fatboy Slim-Weapon of Choice
Jonze’s second collaboration with Fatboy Slim comes another classic video that really defies description in every shape and form. The premise is simple. What happens when Christopher Walken is waiting in a hotel and he hears a Fatboy Slim song? The fact that Walken does some of his own choreography for the video and the fact that he is at the center of it makes it even more amazing as it’s easy to forget that a man who is known for playing psychos, weirdos, and other funny characters is actually the embodiment of entertainment. He flies and he dances as it’s just fun as the video would win a Grammy for Best Short Form video and 6 MTV awards for its direction, choreography, art direction, cinematography, editing, and for breakthrough video.
22. Tenacious D-Wonderboy
Made under the alias Marcus von Bueler, the video for the comedy-rock duo Tenacious D is probably one of Jonze’s most ambitious videos to date. Yet, the video is sort of a parody of the big concept videos where it has Jack Black and Kyle Gass in medieval clothing in a quest through the treacherous winter storm. It is a very funny video that plays into the fallacies of these big and epic videos where everyone tries to be so cool and so epic as Jonze manages to play into those silly ambitions.
23. Bjork-It’s In Our Hands
The second of three collaborations Jonze made with Bjork is probably one of their more obscure work as it was made for a greatest hits collection Bjork would release in 2002. Shot entirely in night vision with a visibly-pregnant Bjork walking around grass as if she had shrunk herself to the size of insects. The video is obviously an experimental piece that has Bjork and Jonze just go for something that is simple and to the point while playing around with visual effects and set design.
24. Phantom Planet-Big Brat
Another low-budget video that Jonze would make as it would be for the California band that once featured actor Jason Schwartzman on drums. The video concept is simple as it has the band playing the song in a house while they’re also making costumes and such with other people for what would be a zombie movie. It is a video that shows a band having fun and being very creative with other people as the zombie movie itself would come towards the end as it owes so much to the work of George Romero.
25. Yeah Yeah Yeahs-Y Control
Made for the NYC post-punk band, the video is definitely one of Jonze’s most controversial work as it relates to children doing graphic things such as carrying the body of a dead dog (it’s fake) or discussions of mutilation. With the band playing while the children do all sorts of things, it is a video shot in a low-budget as it is one that definitely will make any feel uncomfortable but that is the power of what a good music video does.
Spike Jonze Films: Being John Malkovich - Adaptation - Where the Wild Things Are - Tell Them Anything You Want: A Portrait of Maurice Sendak - Her - My Mutant Brain - The Auteurs #54: Spike Jonze
© thevoid99 2016
Based on the novel The Executioners by John D. MacDonald, Cape Fear is the story of a convicted rapist who has been released from a 14-year prison stint as he decides to go after the attorney who put him in jail through some moments of injustice. Directed by Martin Scorsese and screenplay by Wesley Strick that is based on James R. Webb‘s script of the 1962 film, the film is a remake/homage of sorts to the 1962 film of the same name as it plays more into a man who is hell-bent on making the life of a public defender and his family a living hell. Starring Robert de Niro, Nick Nolte, Jessica Lange, Juliette Lewis, Illeana Douglas, Joe Don Baker, and special appearances from Martin Balsam, Robert Mitchum, and Gregory Peck from the 1962 film. Cape Fear is a thrilling and mesmerizing film from Martin Scorsese.
The film is a simple story of a released convict who served a 14-year sentence for a rape charge as he decides to make the life of the man, who put him in jail for mishandling his case, a living hell. It is a revenge story of sorts as a battle of wits and wills between this convict and an attorney yet it is the convict that feels wronged where an attorney’s past actions are catching up with him. Even as the sins of this attorney named Sam Bowden (Nick Nolte) have his own family live in fear but also wonder what did he do as Bowden is driven to the edge to protect them with the help of a private investigator where things don’t go very well.
Wesley Strick’s screenplay doesn’t just explore the dynamics of two men but also a growing sense of distrust towards Bowden from his wife Leigh (Jessica Lange) and daughter Danielle (Juliette Lewis). Especially as the former is suspicious of Sam’s supposed infidelities while the latter would have her own meeting with the convicted man in Max Cady (Robert de Niro) who would charm her. All of which adds to Bowden’s determination to rid of Cady one way or the other but at the cost of his own reputation and who he is as a man.
Martin Scorsese’s direction is definitely very stylish for not just the fact that he pays homage to the original 1962 film by J. Lee Thompson. It is also a film in which Scorsese pays homage to the many thrillers and suspense films of the past while doing something that is an update of sorts to those genres. Shot largely on location in South Florida as well as some sequences shot in Universal Studios Hollywood, the film does set itself in the American South but in a more modern idea of the South as it tries to maintain elements of tradition but in a world that is ever-changing. With its stylish usage of wide and medium shots along with some close-ups, Scorsese would go for something that is very stylistic in the way he would put actors into a frame where one would be in the foreground and the other in the background.
Scorsese also provides these moments that are quite surreal with its usage of different film stocks, color schemes, and moments that feel very artificial as it relates to the fear that is growing in Sam and his family. It says a lot to this kind of reality that Bowden has created but one that feels false where Cady would come in and disrupt everything as if he is this wronged man that is trying to make their lives a living hell. Featuring some dazzling imagery that includes this exotic opening credits sequence created by Saul and Elaine Bass that serves as a homage to the works of Alfred Hitchcock. It would add to the film’s unique look with some stylish camera angles that Scorsese would inject as it would also play into the film’s climax that is set on a river. The impact of the violence as well as some religious-based imagery would say a lot into what is happening where it does take place on this houseboat where it is about not just some truths coming out but also what one is willing to do to survive. Overall, Scorsese creates an exhilarating yet provocative film about a convicted rapist stalking and preying on lawyer for the sins he had committed.
Cinematographer Freddie Francis does amazing work with the film‘s cinematography with its usage of different film stocks and lighting schemes for some of the surreal sequences while creating some moods in the lighting for some of exteriors scenes in the day and at night. Editor Thelma Schoonmaker does brilliant work with the editing with its stylish montages for some of the more eerie sequences that play into Bowden‘s fear as well as some stylish rhythmic cuts to play into the suspense, drama, and much of its dark humor. Production designer Henry Bumstead, with set decorator Alan Hicks and art director Jack G. Taylor Jr., does excellent work with the look of the Bowden home to play into its sense of artificial world that Sam lives in to the look of the houseboat for the film‘s climax.
Costume designer Rita Ryack does nice work with the costumes from the more casual and clean look of the Bowden family to the stylish clothes that Cady wears. The hair/makeup work of Ilona Herman does fantastic work with the look of Cady from his slick hair to the tattoos on his body that features a lot of religious text and imagery. Sound editor Skip Lievsay does superb work with the sound in the way some of the quieter moments such as Danielle‘s meeting with Cady sounds like in its intimacy to the chilling moments in the film‘s climax. The film’s music largely consists of the film score Bernard Herrmann made for the 1962 film as it is adapted by Elmer Bernstein which does maintain that air of suspense and high drama as it proves anything that was used in the past can still be used again while the soundtrack would also feature music from Guns N‘ Roses and Aretha Franklin.
The casting by Ellen Lewis is wonderful as it features some notable small roles from Zully Montero as the Bowden’s family maid Graciella, Fred Dalton Thompson as Bowden’s law partner Tom Broadbent, Domenica Cameron-Scorsese as Danielle’s friend, Charles and Catherine Scorsese as a couple of fruit stand customers, and Martin Balsam in a terrific cameo appearance as a judge who would disbar Bowden early in the film’s third act. Illeana Douglas is fantastic as the law clerk Lori Davis who is rumored to be Bowden’s mistress until she has a meeting with Cady that would prove to be extremely ugly. Gregory Peck is excellent in his brief yet mesmerizing appearance as Cady’s attorney Lee Heller who would defend the man after an assault as he would have this passionate plea to disbar Bowden. Robert Mitchum is brilliant as Lt. Elgart as this police detective who realizes what is happening to Bowden and what Cady is doing as he sort of plays the film’s conscience in telling Bowden to not descend into darkness which is a surprise since Mitchum played Cady in the 1962 film. Joe Don Baker is amazing as Claude Kersek as a private detective who tries to see what Cady is up to while realizing that he is in the middle of a game where does whatever he can to stop Cady.
Juliette Lewis is incredible as Danielle as this 15-year old girl who deals with the chaos surrounding her family as she becomes intrigued by Cady and the books she is given until she realizes the severity of his terror. Jessica Lange is remarkable as Leigh Bowden as a wife/artist who deals with not just Cady’s presence but also the sins of her husband as she has a hard time trusting him. Nick Nolte is marvelous as Sam Bowden as an attorney who is terrorized by a man he was supposed to defend only to bury evidence that could’ve given Cady a lesser sentence as he tries to outwit Cady only to realize the flaws of himself. Finally, there’s Robert de Niro in a phenomenal performance as Max Cady where de Niro brings a charm that just exudes in every moment he is in as well as a sense of terror that is menacing as it one of de Niro’s most definitive performances.
Cape Fear is a sensational film from Martin Scorsese that features great performances from Robert de Niro, Nick Nolte, Jessica Lange, and Juliette Lewis. In being an updated version of the 1962 film as well as a homage to that film, Scorsese creates a film that isn’t just a thriller that oozes with excitement and terror. It’s also a study of sin and what one man would do to make another man pay for his sins. In the end, Cape Fear is a riveting film from Martin Scorsese.
Related: Cape Fear (1962 film)
Martin Scorsese Films: (Who’s That Knocking on My Door?) - (Street Scenes) - Boxcar Bertha - (Mean Streets) - Italianamerican - Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore - Taxi Driver - New York, New York - American Boy: A Profile of Steven Prince - (The Last Waltz) - Raging Bull - The King of Comedy - After Hours - The Color of Money - The Last Temptation of Christ - New York Stories-Life Lessons - Goodfellas - The Age of Innocence - (A Personal Journey with Martin Scorsese Through American Movies) - (Casino) - (Kundun) - (My Voyage to Italy) - Bringing Out the Dead - (The Blues-Feel Like Going Home) - Gangs of New York - (The Aviator) - No Direction Home - The Departed - Shine a Light - Shutter Island - (A Letter to Elia) - (Public Speaking) - George Harrison: Living in the Material World - Hugo - The Wolf of Wall Street - (The 50 Year Argument) - Silence (2016 film) - (The Irishman) - Killers of the Flower Moon - (An Afternoon with SCTV)
© thevoid99 2016
Directed by Federico Fellini and screenplay by Fellini, Tullio Pinelli, and Ennio Flaiano from a story by Fellini, Pinelli, and Michelangelo Antonioni, Lo sceicco bianco (The White Sheik) is the story of a man who takes his new bride to Rome to introduce him to her family where things go wrong when she goes missing in her own search for a magazine idol. The film is a comedic story of a man who is eager for his family to meet his new bride where things suddenly go wrong as the family also wants to meet the Pope. Starring Alberto Sordi, Leopoldo Trieste, Brunella Bovo, and Giuletta Masina. Lo sceicco bianco is a delightful and witty film from Federico Fellini.
The film is a simple story of a newlywed couple who arrive in Rome to meet the groom’s relatives who are eager to see his new bride when she suddenly disappears when she learn that her soap opera magazine idol is nearby as she wants to meet him. Along the way, a lot of craziness ensues as the bride finds herself on a photo shoot and all sorts of craziness while the groom tries to hide the truth from his relatives as they’re all supposed to meet the Pope. It’s a film that plays into not just a concept of fantasy vs. reality but also a film that plays into two people who are quite different but also cope with what happens when they’re both away from each other. The film’s script does have a back-and-forth narrative as it relates to the adventures of Wanda (Brunella Bovo) and Ivan (Leopoldo Trieste) where the two deal with their own craziness. The former is a young woman that has never been to Rome as she lives through these soap opera magazines while the latter is very conventional with a bourgeoisie family who have connections to the Vatican.
Federico Fellini’s direction is quite lively for the way he captures life in the city of Rome from the perspective of newlyweds who had never been to the city. Shot largely on location in Rome with additional shooting in Vatican City and rural places such as Fregrene and Spoleto. The film plays into a look of Rome from an outsiders point-of-view but also with a sense of excitement as it relates to Wanda’s adventure when she learns that her favorite photo star in this titular character (Alberto Sordi) is in Rome at this studio getting ready for a photo shoot at the beach. Fellini’s direction is quite simple with its usage of wide and medium shots while he doesn’t use a lot of close-ups in favor of capturing a lot of coverage involving the group of people Wanda and Ivan are with.
Especially as it relates to Wanda as the people she’s with are these lively and fun characters who wear costumes and such for this photo shoot as opposed to Ivan’s straight-laced relatives. Yet, both characters would find faults in themselves as their respective journeys would also make them realize what is really important. Overall, Fellini creates a lively yet compelling film about the day in the life of a newlywed couple in Rome.
Cinematographer Arturo Gallea does excellent work with the film‘s black-and-white photography to play into the vibrant look of Rome in its exteriors with some unique lighting for many of the scenes set at night including the ones in the streets of Rome. Editor Ronaldo Benedetti does nice work with the editing as it has bits of style in a few transition wipes and a jump-cut as well as some exhilarating montage moments in the photo shoot sequence. Art director Raffaello Tolfo does terrific work with the look of the photo shoot set and the studio that Wanda goes to where she meets the magazine‘s author. The sound work of Armando Grilli and Walfrido Traversari do superb work with the sound as it plays into the atmosphere of some of the city locations as well as the moments where Wanda rides on a boat with the sheik. The film’s music by Nino Rota is amazing for its playful orchestral score that adds a lot of liveliness to Wanda‘s encounter with the Sheik and his entourage as well as the misadventures of Ivan.
The film’s brilliant cast include some notable small roles from Lilia Landi as a model for the soap opera photo shoot, Ugo Attanasio as Ivan’s uncle who works for the Vatican, Ernesto Almirante as the photo shoot’s director, and Fanny Marchio as the woman who writes the stories for these soap opera magazines. Giuletta Masina is great in her brief yet vivacious performance as the prostitute Cabiria who would meet Ivan in the film’s third act as she muses about his situation as it is an early version of the character she would play in another film of Fellini’s. Alberto Sordi is fantastic as the film’s titular character as a soap opera idol who is this Rudolph Valentino-type of man as he is merely Wanda’s idea of a fantasy but someone who is very flawed.
Brunella Bovo is excellent as Wanda as this young newlywed who arrives to Rome in hoping to meet the White Sheik by presenting a drawing she made as she then becomes confused and guilty over sneaking around to leave her husband with his relatives. Finally, there’s Leopoldo Trieste in an amazing performance as Ivan as this man who goes to Rome to introduce Wanda to his family only to deal with Wanda’s sudden disappearance and a sense of shame he might endure for himself and his family.
Lo sceicco bianco is a marvelous film from Federico Fellini. Thanks in part to its cast, Nino Rota’s winning score, and a premise that is witty and engaging. The film is filled with a lot of humor but also some heart as it relates to newlyweds who cope with expectations and desires. In the end, Lo sceicco bianco is a remarkable film from Federico Fellini.
Federico Fellini Films: (Variety Lights) - (L’amore in Citta-Un’agenzia matrimoniale) - I, Vitelloni - La Strada - Il bidone - Nights of Cabiria - La Dolce Vita - (Boccaccio ‘70-Le tentazoni del Dottor Antonio) - 8 1/2 - Juliet of the Spirits - Spirits of the Dead-Toby Dammit! - (Fellini: A Director’s Notebook) - Fellini Satyricon - (I Clowns) - Roma - Amarcord - Casanova - Orchestra Rehearsal - City of Women - And the Ship Sails On - Ginger and Fred - (Intervista) - (The Voice of the Moon)
© thevoid99 2016
