Movie Review: Plastic Bag

The opening shot is of a brown plastic bag on the shore of the Pacific Ocean. We hear the voice of famed director Werner Hezog in that thick German accent and his hypnotic, poetic way of speaking. He is our guide throught the eyes of this little insignificant plastic bag who means nothing to anyone, but will live forever.

The world of a plastic bag is not something I would think would peak anyone's interest, when director Ramin Bahrani pitched this as a short film, I could hardly think people were jumping for joy to get behind it. Even when he would say Werner Herzog would be narrating, they would probably think this film couldn't get any weirder.

Yet behind Bahrani's capable hands, he has created a mini-masterpiece of understatement and beauty, at the end of its 18 minute running time, you can actually feel something for this inanimate object. I hardly think anyone else could make you feel anything for this plastic bag, even if it were a cartoon made by Pixar, it would still be more difficult than say talking toys.

What Bahrani does though is find the tragedy in this small story, a plastic bag is something that serves its purpose, the is discarded, but must wait for eternity to decompose.

We see the bag in the beginning of its life in a grocery store, where the super market attendant opens it up, "My first breath" as described by Herzog. The bag is taken home carrying groceries, he recognizes the woman who takes him home as his maker. She uses hims throughout the weeks as something to carry her lunch in, or to use as an icepack for her sore leg.

But pretty soon, the bag outlives its usefulness and after picking up after his master's beastly dog, he is thrown in the trash. He is taken to the trash bin and after being run over by bulldozers discovers his invincibility. After time he takes off on the journey to find his master again.

We see the bag wave around in the wind going from place to place, and perhaps you might not've thought about it but plastic bags do get around. Even when it is caught on a branch and stays there for a long time, the wind moves to a different direction and it is free to roam again. The bag has a brief fling with another red bag and they are filmed together in the sky flying around in a ballet of sorts.

The bag soon learns of a vortex in the Pacific Ocean where there are others of his kind so he will not be so alone, once there he is happy, but he is left with the same feeling of where to live out the rest of his long existence.

"Plastic Bag" is the perfect example of what film can do better than any other medium, taking a small, simple idea like the life of a plastic bag and making it into a very moving, human story.

"Plastic Bag" is a very modest film, it deals with objects and movement, not so much with actors and dialogue, and it uses this to tell its story, it's the very essence of what film is all about. You are still moved by this story and its images enhance it greatly such as seeing the bag fly around with red bag in perfect unison, how could you choreograph that? There is also seeing the bag in the bottom of the ocean where you see it along with the jellyfish that inhabit it. Bahrani is able to film the bag in a very similar fashion as the sea creatures and to us it looks to be alive.

I first saw "Plastic Bag" as a video on Youtube, I saw it at no multiplex, or film festivals, it reminded me of a film I saw last year under almost the same circumstances, an animated film called "Sita Sings the Blues". With that film, the director let you download it on her website for free simply because she just wanted to get it out there for people to see.

"Sits Sings the Blues" was one of the most original and best movies of last year, and "Plastic Bag" is probably the best film I've seen this year which makes me think that the most creative films being made today are right in front of you on your laptop. These are films by people who may be desperate to find a venue for their films and what better place than on the Internet where there could be the possibility of thousands of people coming across it.

Perhaps this is where the future of cinema is, maybe it's the only place where films like these can still find a home. As long as short, yet inspiring films like "Plastic Bag" are shown on the Internet, then there's hope for all budding filmmakers out there.

The Best Films of the Year So Far

It's the end of June, which means this year is half way over, there have been an awful lot of movies that have come out, for my money way too many have been trash, some of it good trash, and others I haven't even bothered to see. All this being said, Hollywood hasn't really dished out a lot of great movies this year, I think they've been too busy promoting their new 3-D toy in films that didn't necessarily need the upgrade. If you want my advice, I say stay away from the multiplexes and perhaps seek out quality at your arthouses, or if you live like me, you might just have to wait for the DVDs to come out. I myself still have to catch up on films like "Fish Tank", "Ghost Writer", and "Girl with the Dragon Tatoo" which are all films I want to see. But since this is 2010's hump month, I thought I would just share films with you I've seen that are worth mentioning.


1. Plastic Bag: The future of film isn't in 3-D, it's probably nowhere near your multiplex, it's on DVD, on your computer, on Youtube. I scan Youtube almost daily and I've seen some pretty inventive short films or documentary series that have kept my interest. I have to say the best film I've seen so far this year is the 18 minute short "Plastic Bag". The film directed by Ramin Bahrani (Goodbye Solo) and narrated by the legendary Werner Herzog is the story of the lifespan of a plastic bag as it goes searching for its master after she abandons it. In the precious 18 minutes, we see the bag struggle with loss, love, despair, and finally its own immortality. This is one of the most surprisingly moving films I've ever seen and proves that length in film is irrelevant.

2. Shutter Island: In my opinion, this is the best of the Martin Scorsese/Leonardo DiCaprio collaborations. In many ways a throwback to 1950s film noir, and psychological horror, but Scorsese always puts his personal stamp on his projects. In this case we see a hero trying to solve a missing person's case inside a mental asylum, but he's also struggling to overcome a guilty past. Scorsese has learned from the masters like Nicholas Ray, Anthony Mann, and Douglas Sirk by using genre to explore darker issues hidden underneath, "Shutter Island" is Scorsese's best film in a long time.

3. Toy Story 3: Although I wouldn't say this is as strong as the last few Pixar outings, "Toys Story 3" proves once again that its studio is still the one to beat when it comes to animation. There are many things to admire in this latest outing from the Pixar franchise. Woody, Buzz must go through seeing their owner Andy grow up and leave home. The last third of the film was most effective for me as the toys must face their own mortality in one of Pixar's darkest scenes ever involving a garbage incinerator, and just try to hold the tears back in the last moments.

The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance

John Ford’s “The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance” is the story of the old and the new, it’s about transition, nostalgia, the necessity of progress, but a lament to the past. This was a pinnacle film for Ford, it was one of his last westerns, the final one to be filmed in black and white. It was also the final film he did with his constant star John Wayne, a man he made a star, and whom he made an entire film history with, but “The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance” also showed a darker and sadder version of the west than Ford was used to up to that point.

The film begins in the western town of Shinbone, times have changed, the town is now modern, the place of homesteaders, railroads, and phone lines. The town’s most famous citizen Senator Ransom Stoddard (Jimmy Stewart) comes off the train one day, the local news gets word of this, and since the Senator coming to town is news, they must find out what for. The Senator is rather cryptic as for his reasons to come, but soon the truth comes out, he’s here to come to a funeral, to bury a man by the name of Tom Doniphon. The newspaper editor has never heard of Tom Doniphon before and demands for Ransom to tell the story of who he was. Ransom then becomes the narrator, as we flashback to when he first came to Shinbone as a young lawyer. Ransom comes in by stagecoach which is then held up by the infamous Liberty Valance (Lee Marvin), a nasty gunslinger with a bad temperament. During the hold up, Ransom is badly injured from a whipping by Valance, but he is rescued by Tom Doniphon who we find out is played by John Wayne.

Tom brings Ransom into town where he is cared for by the local restaurant owners and Tom’s girlfriend Hallie (Vera Miles). Being a lawyer, Ransom’s first instinct is to put Liberty in jail and to act within the law. Tom on the other hand feels the only way to get Valance is by force, and using a gun, this is something Ransom refuses to do, he’s come to Shinbone to start a law office and to bring a little civilization to the region. While to subject of Liberty Valance stays at the for- front of the film, an even bigger debate is happening throughout the territory. A political movement is happening where farmers are demanding statehood, which would later mean more roads and settlements, and the taming of the west in essence. Ransom soon becomes the spokesmen of this movement, and he calls upon the town of Shinbone to vote for Statehood which would mean more opportunities for the people, and less violence in the streets by people like Liberty Valance.

I think it’s important to put a film like “The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance” in context at the time it was made. John Ford was a man who made a career in westerns, it was what he was known for. Most of his westerns were sort of celebrations of the past, he loved his characters in these films and what they stood for, they were about an American ideal, and his films actually created an American myth. At times Ford would celebrate this myth, but other times he would condemn it, but either way he looked at it, there was a connection to this past that fit with his sensibilities. “The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance” was made in 1962, and Ford himself was in his sixties, and times were changing. Ford and his films were no longer thought of as popular entertainment, the youth were seeing other types of films, and although its stars Wayne and Stewart still held box office appeal, they were mostly for the older folks, and didn’t have much relevance anymore. However Ford still had something to say about the west, in a way this was the beginning of the end, he was intelligent and he knew things couldn’t stay the same. “The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance” was one of the few westerns Ford filmed on a studio and not on his famous Monument Valley landscape that you could see in a number of his films. This film seems domesticated in comparison, it’s about the people who changed the west from that open, romantic atmosphere that Ford celebrated into the safe haven for future generations.

For change, there had to be bloodshed, Liberty Valance represents a past that had to be defeated before anything else could happen, and the two ideals represented by Wayne and Stewart’s characters are essential to the story of modern times. Stewart represents the future, but Wayne is the past, and just like his character he portrayed in “The Searchers”, he sees no place for himself among the homesteaders, he’s a loner, and it is in his character Ford seems to relate to. Tom is a relic of the old west, there’s no place for him in the future, he has to step aside for the new order. In the film’s most despairing scene, a drunken Tom steps into a cottage he has been building for him and Hallie, and coming to a realization that his future is gone forever, he throws a lantern to the cottage setting it on fire, so it’s lost forever.

The ending of “The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance”, is a sad but essential one, Ford knew this, I’m sure if it were up to him, there would be no need for progress and change, but in order for civilization to keep going, he knew it was needed. The film is more than just good guys against the bad guys, it’s about the turning of the tide, out with the old and in with the new, but Ford always gave the past the dignity it deserved, there was no shame in that, it was Ford’s life and so many others, without the heroes of the past, there would be no future.

The Best Years of Our Lives: A Second Look

I'm continuing with my ongoing series of films I am taking a second look at, since I hadn't made my mind up about them the first time. This time I'm examining "The Best Years of Our Lives".

"The Best Years of Our Lives" was a film I first looked at while in high school. I had heard about the film through its reputation as a bonafide classic, it was the Best Picture winner of 1946, a year that also produced memorable titles like Capra's "It's a Wonderful Life", Hitchcock's "Notorious", Ford's "My Darling Clementine", and Hawks' "The Big Sleep", just to name a few. Even today, "The Best Years of Our Lives" is well received and is the touchstone movie about men who are coming home from war, and what awaits them when they arrive.

When I first saw the film, I felt it to be a far too sober drama for my taste, since it was released at the very end of World War 2, the subject matter was treated with great sensitivity, almost to a degree of too much self-awareness. At times it felt all too real, almost as if it was meant to be a documentary, everyone in the film acted so seriously all the time, there was no room to breath, it was almost as if the film was made a certain way where you had to like it, and if you didn't, then you had to admire it.

To me, "The Best Years of Our Lives" was the perfect example of the prestige picture, even today not much has changed, there are still those films that get made with a serious subject matter, and serious acting, and they seem to be the ones who sweep the awards. This was the way I thought about it when I first saw it, however enough time has passed, I felt it deserved a second try.

Unlike most prestige pictures who have the tendency to become dated over time, "The Best Years of Our Lives" has remained in the public consciousness. It has appeared in numerous "Great Movies" lists, and still remains a popular classic. Recently Roger Ebert wrote how it deserves to be given the criterion treatment, so its picture and sound quality could be restored to its old glory. All of this warranted a second look, as I felt I must've missed something. It had been years since that first viewing, and I have become a different person, who perceived films differently as well, so watching it again was almost like watching it for the first time.

To begin with "The Best Years of Our Lives" is a better movie than I remember it, it's full of very powerful, poignant scenes that although may seem old fashioned, feels very fresh and new compared to many contemporary cinema. Much of the scenes such as Frederick March's return home to surprise his wife played by Myrna Loy was so simply done, and the acting so honest and sincere, it's hard not to get choked up at it. The film was directed by William Wyler, a major filmmaker to some winning Oscars three times for this, "Mrs. Miniver", and "Ben Hur". Wyler works well in mise en scene, carefully composing shots, and feelings through image and acting, the most powerful moments are the ones where very little dialogue is given.

For those who don't know "The Best Years of Our Lives" follows the story of three soldiers returning home for the first time. There's Al (March), Fred (Dana Andrews), and Homer (Harold Russell). Each man struggles to find their place in the world post war. Al comes home to find his children all grown up and seem to know more things about the world than he does, he works in a bank and soon becomes disillusioned with it as his job becomes approving loans to war veterans with no collateral.

Fred comes home to his wife who he married right before he left home, at the start he can't even find her, but soon discovers she has been working in night clubs, and she soon becomes a different woman than what Fred remembers, or perhaps Fred is just a changed man now that the war is over. He actually becomes more infatuated with Al's young daughter (Theresa Wright) who works as a nurse and seems to understand him better.

Homer comes home looking different than he was, after being wounded in the war, he has lost his hands and comes home wearing hooks. Although his family knew about this, the initial shock of them seeing his hooks leaves a mark on Homer, he doesn't want to be though of as cripple, and he decides to isolate himself putting a wedge between him and his fiancee who still loves him.

For the most part, "The Best Years of Our Lives" juggles the storylines rather nicely, we see each man struggling with their own demons. Al drowns his sorrows in alcoholism, Fred is still traumatized by events from the war and can't seem to find decent work since he has no experience, meanwhile Homer struggles to find peace in his situation.

The ending leaves the viewer with a happy but an uncertain one for some of the characters, it remains hopeful but with a sense of cautiousness. I suppose the one storyline that sort of disappears without any conclusion is March's character. At the end Al still seems dissatisfied with his job, and still drinks, perhaps this was his character before the war as well, but there isn't any finality to it, and somewhere the film just drops it. However March shares some of the most loving moments with his wife, played by the wonderful Myrna Loy, their marriage seems to be the most real relationship in the whole film, they have spent a lifetime together and after one scene where Loy confesses how hard their lives have been to their daughter, you get the feeling how hard they really had to work to stay together. In the end despite all of Al's faults, you get the feeling his wife will stand by him no matter what.

I'm convinced "The Best Years of Our Lives" deserves to be a classic, it's hard not to sympathize with what these men are going through, and perhaps even to identify with them on a certain level. "The Best Years of Our Lives" tells its story simply and economically, its images remains powerfully real. My problems with it are I suppose more on the superficial level, I don't expect it will become a film I intend to see over and over, it's something I respect because of its acting by the whole ensemble and its direction which is nearly flawless. "The Best Years of Our Lives" hold up because it has integrity, it told an important story in a very heartfelt and sincere way. It's hard not to see the impact this film would've had on audiences in 1946, and its message remains all the more timeless as years go by.

Movie Review: 7 Women

I have recently just watched John Ford's final film "7 Women" on TCM this afternoon, and I feel compelled to write about it. This is indeed one last great film from one great filmmaker, and perhaps his darkest one ever.

The story takes place in China circa 1935 in a christian mission. It is run by a stern head mistress (Margaret Leighton) who runs everything within the christian way of life. She has high hopes for one of her assistants the young Emma Clark (Sue Lyon)to follow the way of God. The mistresses affection for Emma reaches to a somewhat sexual frustration.

All is not well in the mission, the lone male missionary (Eddie Albert) has a middle aged wife who is ready to give birth, and there is talk of a villainous Chinese bandit who may be coming in their direction. The mistress is convinced they are safe as they are American citizens and are protected by the Chinese army.

Soon, a doctor arrives on the scene, however while they were expecting a man, it turns out to be a tough independent woman named Cartwright (Anne Bancroft in one of her greatest roles.) Cartwright is established right away as someone the head mistress would clash with, she's an atheist, she's cynical, and she doesn't follow orders. However when a plague breaks out in the mission, it is Cartwright who stays rational through it all, even as people begin to die, and some of the missionaries begin to question their faith.

"7 Women" isn't a routine picture, by the sound of it, you may find it to be a clash of ideals between two strong willed women, and by the end you might think they come to an understanding, and accept the other for who they are. However, Ford has different plans, he has chosen at the beginning who's side he's on, as the film begins to focus more on Bancroft's character, and soon Leighton's once stern and sacred missionary becomes a sick-minded religious zealot who condemns her, even as the other woman look to her for strength.

Bancroft's Cartwright represents a change in shift in Ford, many of his film dealt with religion and christian belief as a form of comfort, and many of his heroes kept to that ethic. "7 Women" was Ford's last film, and is a departure in many ways. He chooses to focus on women, but also people who become disillusioned with their faith, they have seen horrors, and things beyond their control, the film makes a bold move for its time by choosing an atheist as the heroine to a bunch of Christians.

By this time, Ford was an older man, he had lived through two wars, and by the time this film was made, Vietnam was at its height. His other masterpiece made around this time was "The Man who Shot Liberty Valance", about the death of the west, and the rise of a new civilization. Ford must've felt his time was ending, and a new generation had taken control. "7 Women" is a very angry film, but there is still grace in it, this time Ford sees it in the sacrifice of others rather than in the divine. The final image should be remembered as well as that of "The Searchers", it's use of composition and light is remarkable.

Let's not forget Ford was a master of using space within the frame, "7 Women" was shot in a widescreen format, and is mostly made up of great master shots, and very rarely does he move in for a close-up. It has been said that Japanese master Akira Kurosawa was a great admirer of Ford, and in this film, I think the feeling was mutual, The way the women stand outside in front of their temple, or the art direction of the mission itself evokes scenes from "Yojimbo" or "Seven Samurai",(perhaps even the title of this film is a reference to the latter.)

Ford was America's greatest cinematic poet, and in this film, he shows he has lost none of his skills for depicting tender, and brutal moments using just the image.

"7 Women" shows a director who was perhaps very angry and cynical in the end, but he never lost his sense of grace, it's a film that shows much horror, but also the strength of what human beings can overcome.

A Question Answered

A friend of mine sent me this question via postcard, and I now will attempt to answer it.

In any particular order, what are some films that you have seen yourself reflected, or projected in?

In truth I find this an open ended question as there are many films I've seen that although I can't say I have shared the same experience, I always go back to them because of they reflect or project a certain feeling I share, or if I can indulge, a certain philosophy. Here are some as followed.




City Lights: How often have I found myself in the Tramp's shoes, but perhaps no more than in this film. Charlie Chaplin has created in my mind the most sensitive and moving romance in film history. All the more poignant because Chaplin used the power of image and acting rather than words. Being a romantic at heart, I am almost touched by this, and it strikes a chord in me all the time.



Jules and Jim: Speaking of romantic, what could be more ideal than having a life long friendship, sharing the same woman, and living in the French country in a cabin doing nothing all day but make love, talk about art, and books, only to have your lover commit suicide taking your life long friend with her? Perhaps not the happiest of endings, but "Jules and Jim" is so carefree in its storytelling, and so pleasant, you forget you are watching a tragedy unfold because these are people who feel so real.



The Three Colors Trilogy/The Dekalogue: Maybe I should just say the complete work of Krystof Keislowski who along with Yasujiro Ozu is the one director who's entire body reflects a certain reality or a certain philosophy I have found to fit with my own ideas. "The Three Colors" and "The Dekalogue" is all about love, life, death, the universe, the unanswered questions, but it comes down to feeling a connection which I think we all yearn for. These films cheer me up immeasurably when I am feeling the most bleak.



The Films of The Marx Brothers:: They reflect my inner smart ass, my inner anarchist, my inner jokester. Comedy is such a cure for the blues and more than anyone, The Marx Brother fill me with laughter.



It's a Wonderful Life: A film so close to my heart, the one that made me love movies, love Frank Capra, love Jimmy Stewart. It encapsulates my hopeful youth, and my disillusionment of the world over time. However it teaches what it means to have hope, and to choose it over despair. It carries a profoundly powerful message underneath it's holiday cheer facade, and that's why I keep returning to it.



Tokyo Story: If I were to name a film that I think was the epitome of what life was all about, I would look no further than "Tokyo Story". It's the story about family, about life, about death, about the tiny little moments that mean the world to the people who live them. "Tokyo Story" helped me look at my own life more closely and also at the other people around me. It's the film with the most humanity and wisdom I've ever seen. I will continue to praise it and its maker for as long as movies live on.



My Dinner With Andre: Speaking of those little moments in life, "My Dinner With Andre" is about one such moment, a chance dinner with an old friend, an exchange of ideas, it's about listening, communication, chit chat, weird looking waiters, and how precious it is to talk about life, and art, in a world that gives you little time to do so. When I watch it, I just want to join in the conversation everytime.

Fargo

"Fargo" is a film that begins and ends as it should. You have no idea where it's heading, you are surprised by it, warmed by it, humoured by it, that when it gets to its final destination, you are left completely satisfied.

"Fargo" is still a film that surprises, it has lost none of its originality over the years, you turn it on and you're completely hypnotized by it. Of course this quality doesn't come by accident, it takes gifted filmmaking and of course the people responsible for the film are The Coen Brothers, two of the most gifted filmmakers around.

"Fargo" is the story of Jerry Lundegaard (William H. Macy) a man with a scheme. Jerry's in a bit of a jam, he's in debt, so he concocts a plan to kidnap his wife in order for his father in law to pay the ransom. Jerry hires two low lives (Steve Buscemi and Peter Stormare) to kidnap his wife and keep her secluded until his father in law pays the ransom.

Things don't go as planned, when Buscemi and Stormare are stopped by a local trooper and the murders begin. Enter Marge Gunderson (Francis McDormand) the perky, pregnant sheriff of Brainerd Minnesota who's in charge of the case. Marge waddles her way through the bloody awfulness with her Minnesota charm, and some real police savvy.

So much of "Fargo" depends on the tone of the film, at times it works as a noirish crime drama, other times it's comedy of manners in the way it depicts people from Minnesota. The Coens work on a tightrope balancing between genres, but everything stays true and genuine. The Coens even go further with the realism by stating in the beginning of the film that this was all based on a true story. It was only later this statement was discredited, however it isn't hard to believe what happens in the film could be true. As the Coens state in a documentary about the film, "Fargo" belongs in the "stranger than fiction" genre and indeed it is one of those. The events play like a story you might read from a newspaper about multiple murders, or stolen money, or a kidnapping, it isn't hard to imagine a Jerry Lundegaard, or a Marge Gunderson in real life, and it's a credit to the Coens as writer's and filmmakers who make us believe in the film's authenticity.

This authenticity is achieved through the film's use of setting and of characters. Fargo of course is a real place, and it's really only referenced once, the real setting is in Minnesota and the people who inhabit there. While "Fargo" has been criticized for characterizing people from the Midwest, I found The Coens depiction of them to be very human and sweet. This is mostly portrayed through Marge and also her husband Norm (John Carroll Lynch. Using only a few words to define their relationship, we can feel a real love between them. The film itself ends on Marge and Norm cuddled up together in bed closing a film that had no problem depiction the ugliness of human nature into a state of warmth and safety. It is probably the sweetest closing in any Coens' film, and showed where the real heart of it was.

"Fargo" is hypnotic, it's delicate, yet hard, funny, yet tragic, shocking yet comforting. It's all these things, wrapped up in the brilliant words and vision of two great filmmakers at the height of their powers. I go to "Fargo" often, it's modern American cinematic poetry at its finest.

Gone With The Wind

Few films carry the reputation of "Gone With the Wind", in fact few films can carry the entire scope and magnificence of "Gone With the Wind". It stands as a class by itself, it's one of those bonafide classics like "Casablanca", "The Wizard of Oz" and "It's a Wonderful Life", that has made its way into our pop culture, and has still surpassed all the blockbusters that came after it to still be the most popular movie ever made.

I'm not sure what else to say about "Gone With the Wind" that already hasn't been said, it's been almost a decade since I've seen the film so I decided to revisit it. It has lost none of its majesty on me, I still remember seeing it on tv as a kid, being impressed by it even then. I had no idea what technicolor was, I thought the film couldn't have been that old since it looked so modern, and it was so big compared to the other films of that time, or any time for that matter.

Of course I can't look at "Gone with the Wind" as simply as I did back then, seeing how it is a film that does rewrite history in many ways, it romanticized the south during the civil war, depicting African Americans as ones who seemed to not mind being considered slaves, or being even dimwitted. The most demeaning depiction in the film is the part of Prissy played by Butterfly McQueen who would later state she hated playing the role that way. Of course there was Hattie McDaniel who played Mammy and would go on to win the Best Supporting Actress Oscar. To give credit where it was due, McDaniel never really fell into stereotype and brought with her a feeling of dignity to the part, you couldn't ask more than that back in those days.

I always felt it's so easy to find flaws in "Gone with the Wind" if you were to deconstruct it. It's a conflicting feeling, since there are so many things wrong with it, yet you can't deny all the things that are right with it.

"Gone with the Wind" works because it's such a lesson in storytelling, telling a big story for a long time while keeping you interested. This was mostly due to the vision of Producer David. O. Selznik, who had a one track mind. "Gone with the Wind" is Selznik's legacy, sure he made other great classic movies, but this one more than any others had his own stamp on it.

Selznik was one of the moguls of old Hollywood perhaps the greatest mogul, he was an independent producer, and he fought tooth and nail to get "Gone with the Wind" made his way. The film had multiple directors work on the film at one time or another, and Selznik would change when necessary. When all was said and done, it was Victor Fleming who took the credit and the Oscar. Ironic it was Fleming since he also took over the directing duties of "The Wizard of Oz" that same year almost under the same circumstances.

The film is a technical triumph, with iconic moments like the burning of Atlanta, to that large tracking shot of wounded soldiers as highlights. The use of color is wonderfully done, no better I think than that dark night where Rhett carries Scarlett up the stairs to the bedroom. The scene is drenched in passionate red to show off both characters burning desire, and also there heated personalities.

I suppose "Gone with the Wind" couldn't have been the film it was had Selznik not gotten the cast he wanted. Vivian Leigh was a British actress relatively unknown, but she owns the role of Scarlett, she carries all four hours of the film on her shoulders and pulls it off beautifully. To me Scarlett O'Hara is one of the great female roles in history. Scarlett is one of those great heroines who is difficult to root for on the page, but Leigh brings out her strength, her charm, and her vivaciousness wonderfully it's hard not to get on her side.

Unlike Leigh, who had to be searched for in order to find the right person to play the part, Clark Gable was the only one to play Rhett Butler. Had he not been cast, there would've been an outcry of injustice by the public. Gable was the biggest movie star of the time, and this was his role, and he did the most with it, he could be charming, but also downright frightening at times.

There is so much to say about "Gone with the Wind", it's such a huge movie, it's technically brilliant, wonderfully acted, and keeps your interest. It's a yarn, an entertaining yarn, and something Hollywood did all the time with its assembly line of films. To make "Gone with the Wind" today would cost hundreds of millions of dollars, and I fear the story would get diluted.

"Gone with the Wind" was made by people who cared about movies, for the producers they were sold as entertainment, but they also had respect for the artists who brought it to life, there's a reason they call in The Golden Age. "Gone with the Wind" is the epitome of that age, and today few movies have dared to try and touch it's scope and imagination.

My Darling Clementine

I first saw John Ford's "My Darling Clementine" very early on, when I was still exploring the great director's career. When I first saw it, I was caught off guard, here was this story of told many times, the story of Wyatt Earp, Doc Holiday, The Clanton gang, and the town of Tombstone, brought to life, but the emphasis this time is more on love.

"My Darling Clementine" is indeed a love story, and about friendship, and about camaraderie in the west. The Wyatt Earp and Doc Holiday in this story barely resemble their legendary status, and the gunfight at the O.K. Corral seems to be only put there by necessity. Perhaps by using the names of Earp, and Holiday, Ford was able to market the film better to the general public, you sort of get the feeling, these men could've been fictional characters from any western.

John Ford was a complicated man, he was a perceived as a man's man, but inside lurked the heart of someone with sensitivity and a poet, and "My Darling Clementine" couldn't have been made the way it was by anyone but.

The film begins as most generic westerns do, Wyatt Earp (Henry Fonda) is a cattlemen along with his brothers. Earp was the legendary sheriff of Dodge City, but when he enters the town of Tombstone, which is a rough place indeed, he wants to leave that life behind him. He quickly turns down the job, until his youngest brother Morgan is killed by some cattle rustlers.

Wyatt quickly takes the job as sheriff only until he can hunt down the men who killed his brother. It's no secret who the killers are, it's the Clanton gang lead by Pa Walter Brennan. For most of the film, the Clantons stay in the background, they bark and growl at Earp for the time being, but there isn't anything Wyatt can do since he can't prove they killed his brother.

For the moment, Wyatt continues being the sheriff, but suddenly the story makes a shift when he meets Doc Holiday (Victor Mature). Doc is the local gambler and the town sort of looks up to him as the unofficial man in charge. At first Doc and Wyatt aren't sure if they should trust one another, they sort of size eachother as is usual in these films.

It isn't soon however the two become friends, it is never said what brings them together it's an unspoken bond, but you believe in it, and stick with them. Doc has a girl in town named Chihuahua (Linda Darnell) who loves him immensely. She's a lounge singer who gets little respect from him until the very end. For Chihuahua, Doc is an unrequited love, we get the feeling he will never love her as much as she would like.

Another woman comes into Doc's life, this is Clementine, the character from the title (Cathy Downs), she is a nurse who Doc left behind, she represents a past he's trying to forget. Wyatt however is the first person to meet her in town and we see instantly falls in love with her, however he stays loyal to Doc at all times.

"My Darling Clementine" is a film full of tender moments, and gentle humour, and that is what I think the film is mostly about. Perhaps the most famous scene in the film is of Wyatt stretched out on his chair resting his legs against a post. Ford lingers on this scene and it actually happens twice, once where Fonda does an amusing balancing act with his legs as he rotates his feet resting on the post.

There are also very quiet moments between Wyatt and Clementine and Doc and Chihuahua, and also with Doc and Wyatt. There is even a scene where Doc and Wyatt listen to an actor reciting Shakespeare. You can sense Ford had a genuine affection towards these type of people, and also this way of life.

John Ford was a man of westerns, there is always a sense of nostalgia that comes with them, they distinctly represent a time and a people that have gone by. In his later films like "The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance", Ford shows a sadness of the changing world as he seemed to know things could never be as simple as this again.

"My Darling Clementine" remains his most pleasant western and also within his top five greatest films he ever made, he was America's cinematic poet and created an America that became mythic in the movies. In other films Ford explored the darkness of this myth, but with this, he showed its beauty and warmth.

Going to the Movies: A Long Dry Spell

I haven't gone to the movies in a long time, at least a month or a month and a half. I'm pretty sure the last movie I saw in the theatre was "Date Night" with Steve Carell and Tina Fey. I used to go to the movies at least once a week, maybe twice, maybe two movies in one day, but now I don't feel the need to.

What is out there for me? Am I going to see "Iron Man 2" or "Robin Hood", or "Shrek Forever After"? See these movies don't appeal to me, I'm not saying I don't see mainstream blockbusters, but these movies just look so boring, like you already know what's going to happen.

I think I'm not the only one, this summer is already shaping up to be a major disappointment, with the Memorial Day Weekend being the smallest it has been in 17 years. You see studios no longer know what makes an audience go to the movies, it used to be about excitement, that's what it was to me. I feel no excitement about any of the movies coming out, or any of the ones I've seen. It's going to take more than 3-D to get me into the seats and shovel out 13-15 bucks plus extra on popcorn.

Lately I've just been going back to my personal library to watch films, luckily I have a wide variety. If I have the choice between seeing "Robin Hood" on the big screen, or "La Dolce Vita" on a relatively smaller one, I would choose the latter everytime, at least then I know I'm getting the bigger bang for my buck.

I like to be surprised when I go to the movies, I like to be moved, and touched, I like the movie to invite me in rather than feeling forced to view it. It's been too long for Hollywood to get the picture, they really have to wake up.