What ELSE (other than KUNG FU) has everyone been watching?

[masterofoneinchpunch]

Firefox (1982: Clint Eastwood): Continuing my effort to watch unwatched works of important directors. I had been meaning to watch this since the 1980s. I remember classmates telling of how good this was. It was a box office hit. I watched this between Always (Spielberg) and Boxcar Bertha (Scorsese). It was a rather untasty sandwich of cinema. This is not better than Always and is close to my least favorite Eastwood. Box office does not always mean good. 

Mitchell Gant (Clint Eastwood) is a retired and an adroit pilot (How would he fight against Maverick in Top Gun?) with PTSD (this only affects him when he is not in combat) who is the only one who can do what amounts to a suicide mission. He is to travel to Russia (he’s part Russian and can speak it) posing as a drug dealer posing as a businessman (this already sounds bad, almost like he is doing a Spies Like Us mission diversion) to eventually infiltrate a highly secure compound housing the Firefox plane which could turn the Cold War into a Soviet victory. He is to, of course, steal this and fly it away. 

For someone with PTSD and what amounts to a suicide mission Gant seemed rather eager (or at least very compliant) about going through with this. 

Notice that this film starts with a helicopter shot (and literally a helicopter in the scene).  Eastwood started so many of his films in the 70s and 80s with a helicopter shot. Once you notice this like Claudette Colbert favoring one-side of her face, you always notice it. 

This is a hybrid movie with a John le Carré style espionage thriller, mixed with the sci-fi of the Russian reading computer (it reads your thoughts, but only in Russian) of an advanced warplane and an action film.  For me the only aspect that worked was the action film – which luckily is the last part of the film. I have noticed that people will forgive a lot in a film if it ends well. 

https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/firefox-1982 Uh, Ebert gave this three-and-a-half stars.  I kind of like this statement “it looks as if Dirty Harry has died and gone to Atari heaven.” The nice coincidence here is that Atari released a laserdisc (remember Dragon’s Lair) Firefox (based on the movie) arcade game in 1984. How’s that for trivia. 

Blue Thunder, which came out the following year, would also use the PTSD with its main pilot Murphy (Roy Scheider) piloting also a very expensive flying machine. I prefer that movie to this one. However, Firefox was a box office hit. This movie is not even mentioned in the main text of Clint Eastwood’s biography American Rebel by Marc Eliot. I was hoping for some nice “making-of” story. The soundtrack for this is horrible and felt like it was made for the Atari 2600. 

[WangYu]

Sheena 1984

A film you’re not supposed to like once you turn adult but I swim against the current. Maybe it helps if you have seen this with your enthusiastic easily impressed kids eyes like I have. For me it keeps working, I love it.

This film not only boasts a good romance but also great exotic scenery, great work with real animals and actors and a superb soundtrack. I think Tanya Roberts does a very believable and charming Sheena and her chemistry with Ted Wass is splendid.

The finale is simply amazing starting with the jungle ambush and ending with the truly epic my life your life sacrifice. True love baby!

PS in the 80s female nudity in mainstream teenage centered films was still a thing, that is a big win for everyone, right?

Edited March 14, 2023 by WangYu

[WangYu]

The Island 1980

Weird, unique film starring Michael Caine in an always convincing performance. It starts out as a gory horror film, turns into an old school pirate film (in a modern day setting) and eventually ends in a way that would make John Rambo nod with approval.

Overall the plot doesn’t make much sense to me but if you’re just in for some well made original entertainment you can’t go wrong with this.

Michael Caine starred in some oddities in the 80s, apart from this film you also have the likes of “the hand”, the sex comedy “going to Rio” and of course the infamous Jaws 4

[AlbertV]

Saw a lot of movies, old and new as of late:

Linoleum (2023) - children's sci-fi show host loses job, finds satellite in his backyard and he tries to rebuild it as a rocket, but comes across a new neighbor and comes to terms with reality. Really good film that has a shocking twist at the end but has a great lead in comedian Jim Gaffigan, who plays it straight here. 

Jesus Revolution (2023) - the true story of the 1971 movement in Southern California where a conservative pastor invites hippies into his church and for one young man, his life changes forever. Great performances by Joel Courtney, Jonathan Roumie, and Kelsey Grammer along with Into the Badlands' Ally Ioannides as Grammer's daughter who falls for Jesus-wannabe Roumie. 

Mannequin (1987) and Mannequin: On the Move (1991) - revisited this and I love the 1st one, thanks to Kim Cattrall and the 2nd was ...okay, but a laughable villain in Terry Kiser's Count Spretzle. 

M3gan (2023) - loved this film about the AI doll willing to do anything to protect a little girl and be her friend. Amie Donald, a 12-year-old actor from New Zealand, did all the physical stunts for the doll thanks to her skills in gymnastics, contortionism, and martial arts. Jenna Davis's voice was at times cute but creepy but still an overall good film. 

Garden Party Massacre (2017) - a "so bad it's good" horror comedy about a housewarming party who gets an uninvited visitor with a pickaxe. It's not gory and there are a few twists at the end that make you go "what the f**k"?!

Cobra Strike Force (2023) - Dustin Ferguson's homage to 80's action film revolves more around the villainous female terrorist trio than the titular heroes, and is a time-waster, but still entertaining for a one-time watch.

Transfusion (2023) - Sam Worthington is great as a PTSD-stricken ex-soldier who questions his moral compass when he's offered to do a job while trying to be a single dad to his rebellious teenage son. Matt Nable (who wrote and directed) reminds me of Craig Fairbrass when it comes to playing Worthington's former CO turned gangster. Pretty good Aussie flick.

Wolf Garden (2023) - British horror film that meshes "The Shining" with "An American Werewolf in London" about a man who starts getting weird visions of his girlfriend disappearing and possibly being killed by a creature. Wayne David makes a pretty good debut both in front and behind the cameras in the lead role. 

Lonesome (2023) - LGBTQ+ Australian film about a small town man who finds a new life in Sydney and forms a bond with a local city boy with both the positive and negative aspects of their relationship seen. Pretty graphic at times but writer/director Craig Boreham intended to being a realistic vision of life as a LGBTQ community member in his homeland. 

Children of the Corn (2023) - released three years after its original intended release (due to COVID), this reboot of the Stephen King short story is quite interesting and good. In this one, a teenager coming into adulthood may be the only one to be able to stop the new children, led by a 11-year-old survivor of a massacre at an orphanage. Kate Moyer is the breakout as new leader Elly while Elena Kampouris is great as Bo, the teen who may be the key to stopping the children. We also get to finally see "He Who Walks" for the first time. Directed by Ultraviolet's Kurt Wimmer, who also wrote the screenplay.

Breaking Infinity (2023) - UK film about a man who constantly time travels and discovers he may have accidentally caused the Apocalypse and must use his time-travel skills to stop it. Some nice twists along the way with a great lead in Neil Bishop. The feature film directorial debut of Marianna Dean, who actually played Peter Quill's aunt in "Guardians of the Galaxy".

Righteous Thieves (2023) - A band of art thieves are tasked with a mission that is a personal one for the leader, as the pieces belonged to her mentor and are now owned by a Neo-Nazi after the pieces were stolen during WWII. Some unexpected good fight scenes here courtesy of Jaina Lee Ortiz's techie character, who does Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. Cam Gigandet gets to show his fight skills again and Carlos Miranda gets to play some comic relief in the film. Pretty decent action flick. 

Punch (2023) - A teenage boxer gearing up for his 1st pro bout struggles to find himself until he meets a local Maori boy who changes his life forever. Jordan Oosterhof gives a breakout lead role with Tim Roth as his trainer/dad who suffers from alcoholism. 

Hell Trip (2018) - Patrick Garcia's homage to classic horror films about a group of American tourists in Africa who find a dark secret in an abandoned cabin. Some great kill scenes with practical FX and the horror tropes are all there. Still enjoyable for a "hell trip" (pun intended). 

[DrNgor]

24 minutes ago, AlbertV said:

We also get to finally see "He Who Walks" for the first time.

I thought the monster shows up at the end of Part 3.

[masterofoneinchpunch]

Boxcar Bertha (1972: Martin Scorsese): Continuing on watching films from important directors that I had not seen and continuing on watching some of the worst films from these directors.  I had been meaning to see this for years.  This is his second feature film and one that started him on his path of 1970s glory.  However, it is the worst film I have seen from Scorsese and I’ve seen 26. 

It has some flair and some nicely directed scenes (like the escape and the running among piles of lumber) and points to later Scorsese especially with the crucifixion imagery.  But as Roger Corman is the producer and he wanted it to be an exploitation film (and was marketed as such) while Scorsese wanted it to be something else it has this uneasy duality that never quite gels for me. 

There is this great story written by Roger Ebert in his book on Scorsese which points to IMDB Trivia (which one should always take as apocryphal unless you can find the source) where “Scorsese showed the finished film to John Cassavetes, who hugged him and said, “Martin, you just spent a year of your life making shit!””  Now if you know the exact source, please tell me.  And Ebert barely goes over this film in his book. 

This is about Boxcar Bertha Thompson’s travels and exploits.  Obviously, she traveled by boxcar a lot.  Played decently by Barbara Hershey and her love is Big Bill Shelly (David Carradine; probably influenced by the real Big Bill Haywood) even though she might be with someone else due to circumstances but “It's not the same. Not at all.” 

This takes place in Arkansas in the early 1930s (check out the movie posters that are shown) and displays the racism of the south while being a pro-labor film.  But the film you might think of the most will be Bonnie & Clyde, except lower budget and not as interesting, when Boxcar, Big Bill, Rake (her in between lover) and Von Morton become their own gang. 

So look for the use of early Scorsese with the hand-held, black and white, zoom (has he every used zoom as much since), movement of camera and symbols.  But do not expect the plot to be too enthralling or new. 

[AlbertV]

4 hours ago, DrNgor said:

I thought the monster shows up at the end of Part 3.

I'll have to watch it again, but I'll take your word for it

[WangYu]

Pirates 1986

A Polanski film, it gets hated by default these days but this one was already hated back in 86. As is often the case I have a completely different opinion. I,don’t do this to be contrary but the film ticks all my boxes.

We have Walter Matthau as a pirate captain and he is brilliant, the costumes, locations and ship (which was especially built for this film) are stunning. All the actors look like they come from the 17th century, everything on screen completely immerses me and all of this without cgi obviously. Visually a tour de force! That shot of Matthau on the island at night during the thunderstorm is fantastic for example.

The movie goes slow, it takes its time and I love it because it means I have time to check out the scenery and the splendid acting. Todays audiences probably find this meandering but I like it, it is cozy. What it also is is funny, very funny in fact, largely thanks to Matthau. The scene where he eats the rat, scenes on the raft, in the bedroom of the Spaniard etc all great fun.

The film is also relatively plotless, there is no sense of urgency which is probably a other reason for its low ratings and bad reviews but if you are invested in it you don’t mind, at least I didn’t. I prefer it over the overtly convoluted plots of Johnny Depps pirate films.

Last but not least I love the ending, it is not your typical expected ending for this type of film which makes it easily stand out.

This is up there with the other underrated Polanski film the fearless vampire killers which I love even more. This is a great companion piece and both films are original for their genres.

 

Edited March 15, 2023 by WangYu

[WangYu]

Zulu dawn 1979

A prequel to Zulu (perhaps my all time favorite film). This time we get to see more of the tactical side of the war, where it goes awry for the English and some scenes explaining why the war is happening in the first place. It is all very interesting to me but it is described slow and bland by others.

Zulu was certainly easier to digest as it was basically a film of bravery and survival and had a lot of colorful characters. This film is about criticism for imperialism.

The final 30 minutes is reserved for the big battle and it is incredibly well shot. It is truly epic to see so many actors in one shot at times as the British get overrun. The cinematography is amazing!

This is recommended for people who love to watch historical epics. I’m surprised of the overal mediocre ratings as it is very well made, perhaps it lacks a couple of strong characters and people to root for.

[morpheus]

"I know you gentlemen have been through a lot, but when you find the time, I'd rather not spend the rest of this winter TIED TO THIS FUCKING COUCH!" -Donald Moffat as station manager Garry in.......

 

 

Edited March 15, 2023 by morpheus

[WangYu]

Greystoke: the legend of Tarzan, lord of the apes 1984

Incredible film with an oscar worthy performance of Christopher Lambert. I’m not gonna lie it was very emotional and heartbreaking but beautiful and breathtaking at the same time. Forget everything you learned from the Weissmuller films, don’t expect it to be the same, open your heart and your soul and immerse yourself in this cinema and storytelling of the highest calibre.

Also how fucking great were those ape costumes? What an achievement!

[AlbertV]

The Clown Chainsaw Massacre (2022): A 45-minute horror film that pays homage to the late John Wayne Gacy, The Texas Chain Saw Massacre and A Nightmare on Elm Street. Ten years after he butchered in a small town, Gilbert Gacy was taken by the local townfolk and was burned on a flagpole, vowing revenge. Present day, a group of college students have a Halloween party at an abandoned house, which was the home of Gilbert Gacy. The students are the children of some of the townsfolk responsible for his demise and now, he's ready for revenge. Yup, definitely cheesy fare but that is Dustin Ferguson's forte....he makes films because they are fun and still can be enjoyable, even if the quality is on the low. 

Headless Horseman (2022): The guys at the Asylum combine Ghost Rider and Wolverine with a taste of Dracula in the form of its titular hero. A man left for dead by the city's biggest drug dealer makes a deal with the devil. He has 24 hours to rescue the love of his life by brandishing a new claw for a weapon, the ability to have a pumpkin for a head, and must drink human blood to recharge his powers. If you know the Asylum by now, you know what to expect, but the saving graces are Michael Pare as the Devil, Nic Carruccio as Brandon the Headless Horseman, and Amanda Jones as Brandon's girlfriend Sofia. Ethan Daniel Corbett's villainous Angel could have been played by Kevin Durand as he has this striking resemblance to him and can play just as evil when Durand plays villains. 

Neon Maniacs (1986): Read a lot about production problems including a 3-month shutdown when the production ran out of money. The film is definitely cheesy, but it has its notoriety. Leilani Sarelle plays a young woman who survived a massacre at the hands of the titular mutants but no one believes her. She must rely on her new boyfriend Steven and horror fanatic BFF Paula to stop the menacing maniacs. Andrew Divoff, who would play the iconic Wishmaster, plays one of the Neon Maniacs in one of his first roles. 

Edited March 21, 2023 by AlbertV

[WangYu]

Of unknown origin 1984

Man vs rat, a single rat and it is great. Watch this if you enjoyed jaws, predator and even the conversation with Hackman.

Do not watch this if you fear rats. Actually you better not watch it at all because you will fear rats

I’m not sure if Weller as Robocop would have fared any better vs the rat.

Edited March 23, 2023 by WangYu

[Yihetuan]

The Replacement Killers - DIr. Antoine Fuqua [1998] (US)

I know quite a few HK action purists pooh-poohed this movie but I've always enjoyed it. I watched it again for probably the 4th time on home video (VHS, DVD & finally Blu Ray) after seeing it in the theaters at least twice. The only Chow Yun-fat Hollywood production that I enjoy and not regret watching like I did with that godawful The Corrupter & that one with Stifler from American Pie. I remember Tarantino blamed the box office failure of this movie solely on Chow Yun-fat but I seriously think he's just an insecure twat. He was dating Mira Sorvino during that time and probably was jealous of Chow Yun-fat's chemistry with her. Mira was also a Sinophile (speaks Mandarin, graduated with a degree in Asian Studies from Harvard) and that probably rubbed Tarantino the wrong way too.

[Yihetuan]

Barbarian - Dir. Zach Cregger [2022] (US)

It's sad what passes for American horror these days. Just another nondescript film that I regret watching. Hardly any suspense, tension or real horror elements other than the ludicrous McGuffin that comes mid way. Take Don't Breathe mixed with a bit of Wrong Turn with some attempted tongue in cheek humor & you get the idea.

 

 

[PandaPawPaw]

Infinity Pool - Shite boring horror. Mia Goth's voice is annoying (I actually thought she was American).

Bullet Train - Tries too hard to be cool and like a Guy Ritchie movie. Bad CGI too. Joey Kings character is annoying.

House Party (2023) - Ugh. I chuckled maybe twice but such a pointless movie.

M3GAN - I actually thought it was OK. Child's Play but with a female doll instead. Not amazing but not awful either.

 

[WangYu]

The final fight in M3GAN was when I was won over. You should have seen me grinning with enjoyment!

[masterofoneinchpunch]

Gumshoe (1971: Stephen Frears):  

I have had the DVD for quite a while. It was recommended to me by a friend who is a fan of crime films, so I needed to see it. Stephen Frears has directed several films I like including The Queen, Hero, High Fidelity (I’m not too keen on Philomena and I still need to see The Grifters) and I like Albert Finney. This is Frears first major directed movie and the major debut of Andrew Lloyd Webber. 

That IMDB rating (6.4) is too low. This is a fun film. It is quite an amount of pastiche, but there is a respectful reverence to the material. It is not a deconstruction of the film noir like The Long Goodbye (which this predates) but is a love letter to Dashiell Hammett and Raymond Chandler. Albert Finney is Eddie Ginley, a wanna be stand-up comedian who moonlights as an emcee, has a gift for gab (shouldn’t we all be this witty, like a sarcastic cross between Oscar Wilde, Humphrey Bogart and Richard Burton) and put an advert for his own detective agency (he needs the bloody money). This causes a whole chain of events to cascade into his once monotonous life. 

It all started with him being hired by a fat man (shades of a more corpulent like Sydney Greenstreet in The Maltese Falcon) who gives him a package of a gun, a photograph of a young lady and a lot of money. However, no instructions. Does he kill her or is there some sort of misunderstanding? This leads to blackmail, femme fatales, a brother who might be involved and his wife who he is still in love with. 

Here you get references to everything from The Thin Man to The Big Sleep (quite a lot from The Big Sleep) especially with this being someone of a complicated plot for a short running film. But the movie moves quickly Liverpool and London and is never dull. 

The dialogue and actions with this Scot (Fulton Mackay; also see Local Hero) is some of the highlights of the movie. 

But the major strength of this movie is Finney himself in a Humphrey Bogartish role, but sometimes even more acerbic. In ways it reminds me of the later films: Murder by Death and Foul Play (I still need to see The Cheap Detective) in the play between mystery and comedy. 

[Gaijin84]

Emmanuelle 2: The Joys of a Woman (1975: Francis Giacobetti)

Emmanuelle (Sylvia Kristel) moves to Hong Kong to be with her architect husband (Umberto Orsini taking over for Daniel Sarky) and falls in with a variety of horny ex-pats. Honestly, not a bad film, with great shots of 70s Hong Kong. Everyone is appropriately good looking and the scenes everyone will watch it for are tastefully done and actually quite cinematic. Plus you get to see the sheer perfection that was Laura Gemser in what I believe was her film debut. She of course went on to star as an alternate Emmanuelle in an series of spin-off films. So far, Emmanuelle 2 is the best "soft-core?" film I've seen to date, admittedly from a small sample size. Definitely a step up from the first film though.

Edited April 6, 2023 by Gaijin84

[masterofoneinchpunch]

Bad Boys II (2003: Michael Bay): while the first Bad Boys was an OK film that was full of pastiche and was somewhat perfunctory in the buddy cop subgenre, this one becomes its own for both good and bad reasons.  It is much more memorable, often more fun than the original and often more offensive. 

I see similarities here with Pain & Gain (which I had seen first), that I had not previously noticed.  This delves into the macabre, it is sometimes disturbingly crass that makes you wonder what the hell is wrong with Bay. 

Sometimes I want to yell at Michael Bay to stop moving the camera.  Do you have to move it for everything?  Sometimes he gets some nice shots, but excess has always been his trademark (reminding me of a funny South Park gag on him: https://youtu.be/hxgkXxa9c3s

Roger Ebert absolutely hated this film.  I understand his points, though I do not always agree. I do agree that a lowlight was the interrogation scene of a potential date of Marcus’s kid.  At some point you are thinking that kid would probably leave.  It just ended up being too cringe-inducing.  You can torture a potential date a lot better than that – or maybe not.  This just took Ebert out of the movie and was pretty much annoyed by everything before and after (yet no mention of dead bodies being used for car chase fun). 

I thought some of the car chases were good and there is a manic energy to them. A highlight was the moving semi carrying cars car chase scene.  So much destruction it reminded me of the safe scene in Fast Five.  The shanty town car chase later in the film was an homage to Police Story (see this if you have not) and was just a huge amount of destruction. 

I thought the chemistry between the two leads was there.  I guess there was a plot with them trying to take down a Cuban drug lord Johnny Tapia (Jordi Mollà) who has a penchant for having body parts cut off.  He does love his daughter and mom though so that is a plus. Still the scene where Russian mobster Alexei (Peter Stormare) doesn’t flinch has a Pulp Fiction “This is not the first time I’ve had a gun to my head.” vibes.   

So how do you even rate this?  I was entertained sometimes but recognize every single archetype and plot point here.  Some aspects were disturbing.  The film was bloated and sometimes repetitive.  But there was Henry Rollins. 

 

[Yggdrasil]

On 3/15/2023 at 7:43 AM, morpheus said:

"I know you gentlemen have been through a lot, but when you find the time, I'd rather not spend the rest of this winter TIED TO THIS FUCKING COUCH!" -Donald Moffat as station manager Garry in.......

 

 

Love that film. Seen it countless times, trying to spot or figure out who was The Thing first. 

[Jizzmaster Jerry]

Game Night 2018-  wasn’t expecting to like this one.  Dumb premise that’s been done to death.  Murder mystery game turns real.  But it’s one of the funniest movies I’ve ever seen. The bullet removal and then the accidental blood dripping scene had me laughing hysterically.  Definitely the funniest thing I’ve seen with Jason Bateman.  Rachel Mcadams is superb as his wife.  And Dexter shows up as the bad guy.  Also Jesse Plemons as the weirdo next door neighbor.  Took me a few minutes to warm up to him but he’s hilarious.  Loved him in Breaking Bad and Observe and Report and I’ve been waiting for him to have a great role like this.  
 

Vikings complete series.  Thought this was real cool in the first couple seasons.  Tons of battles and somewhat realistic savage Viking characters.   But it deteriorates.  When Ragnar leaves the series it goes way downhill.  But even before then it was on the decline.  Like when Ragnar has his big battle on the boat with his brother Rollo.  No thought was put into this even though it is a long and important fight.  Just 2 guys taking turns punching each other with single haymakers.  Embarrassing.  I should have known then to quit watching.  

Edited April 9, 2023 by Jizzmaster Jerry

[ChillyChong]

Getaway - Steve McQueen starring classic. Was not as action packed as thought but think haven`t seen it since kid days.

Mayans season 1 - dvd set was gathering dust years and finally gave it go. Not as great as Sons of anarchy but still solid stuff. Nice to see few SOA characters make quick appearances in very small roles. Definitely order today season 2

Without remorse - amazon produced movie about Tom Clancy created character John Kelly..Quite standard action flick about conspiracy among high politicians in USA and team of elite soldiers. No revisit material here but it served it`s purpose on spending some time quite smoothly.

Post credit sequence heavily suggests there will be sequel and if it happens will likely see it. But not really looking for it much.

Edited April 9, 2023 by ChillyChong

[Coliseum1972]

Who am I this time , 3/6 , TV movie with Walken & Sarandon......i kinda enjoyed it , Walken plays shy hardware guy turned amateur actor 

Gulltransporten 3/6 , true story about gold transport in ww2 Norway , sounds exciting on paper but i found it a bit meh

Grease 5/6 , altho ive heard of it many times i dont think id ever seen the whole thing , obviously a classic

Gremlins II , 4/6 , it parodies the franchise.....its decent

Edited April 11, 2023 by Coliseum1972

[masterofoneinchpunch]

L'Eclisse (1962: Michelangelo Antonioni: Italy): I have been meaning to watch this for years.  I like Antonioni, but I have always found something else to put ahead.  Working on the 1001 Movies to Watch Before You Die reminded me to see this now.   

The ennui present in L'Avventura (and so much of Michelangelo Antonioni’s films) is obviously here (I have not seen La Notte, the second film in this unofficial thematic trilogy.)  But what I notice now is how beautifully he sets up his compositions. Pay attention to the use of reflections and mirrors throughout the movie. 

Alain Delon gives a nuanced performance as Piero, a stockbroker, as the latest relationship with Vittoria (Antoninoni regular Monica Vitti) who just got out of a lethargic one with writer Riccardo (Francisco Rabal).  But like Dreyer’s Gertrud you get the feeling that no relationship will be perfect enough for it to work for her.   There is an ineffable aspect missing in her romantic relationships though she seems to have fun enough in her friendships. 

The stock market scenes are quite livid and realistic using real brokers (filmed on Sunday when it was closed) and certainly feels like a juxtaposition to Antonioni’s reputation as a filmmaker more than his actual output.   

There is a strange scene with blackface where she dresses in black paint and dances.  The biggest issue with this scene is not this but her newer friend from Kenya who loves that country but has an anger against the natives there.  I am not sure what to make of it other than just dialogue. 

The dubbing is so noticeable in Italian films of this period (that is not Delon’s voice reminding me of Burt Lancaster in The Leopard -- whose voice is also dubbed in the Italian dub). 

Here is a nice article by Jonathan Rosenbaum for the Criterion release (he also wrote the entry for the 1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die): https://bit.ly/43fP8D7 Read about how the themes of Eros change in Antonioni’s works. 

The ending is interesting because for almost seven minutes you get a stretch of montage that features neither of the leads.  What does this mean?  You know this relationship will not last because both stars ended their moments on film with a frown after what seems like a fake smile.  Does this ending summarize their time together?  I think that is true.  But does it have any broader implications? 

This is a film about emotion and/or the missing of some. It is beautifully directed with two great performances.  Easily worth watching. 

 

Edited April 12, 2023 by masterofoneinchpunch