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.

R.I.P. Dennis Hopper

Dennis Hopper was a true original, a radical Maverick with a capital "M". He could be quiet and brooding, or over the top and down right weird, but he was always interesting.

Hopper was a direct link between new and old Hollywood, having small parts in some pretty classic films of the 50s like "Rebel Without a Cause" and "Giant", both with James Dean.

In that magical year of 1969, Hopper helped ring in a new era of cinema with his youthful "Easy Rider" which crashed the Cannes party that year.

In later years he was Marlon Brando's wacked out disciple in "Apocalypse Now", Gene Hackman's drunk but loyal assistant coach in "Hoosiers" (His only Oscar Nomination), and of course Frank Booth in David Lynch's "Blue Velvet".

By the time the 90s came around, Hopper was the go-to villain in blockbusters such as "Waterworld" and "Speed". He balanced that with edgy indie movies like "Red Rock West", and "True Romance".

Hopper always was a powerhouse, even when he was reduced to appear in shit, he often made in more appealing. let's not forget his accomplishments as a director, choosing tough projects that no one else would do or would ever do.

Hopper was an individual and a hell of an artist, he will be missed.

40 Inspirational Speeches in 2 Minutes

It Happened One Night

"It Happened One Night" is one of those films that even if you haven't seen it, you'd swear that you have, it has that certain familiarity to it. It has scenes such as "The Walls of Jericho", or "The Hitchhiking" scene that have been re-done, or paid homage to in countless other films, it's like they have always existed. But there is always an original, and like most, the original is the true classic, and the one that remains the most true, the most fun, and the most charming.

To describe the basic plot of "It Happened One Night" is to describe any other romantic comedy that came after it. A runaway heiress escapes her father in order to marry the man she loves, one the way to meet him, she runs into a newspaper reporter who wants nothing more than to write a story about her. She hates him, he hates her, but in the end you know they are going to end up together.

The heiress in this film is played by Claudette Colbert, and the reporter is played by Clark Gable. The two won Oscars for their performances, and you can sense by their chemistry that one made the other look better and vise versa. Their on-screen relationship is a true partnership, they are the heart and soul of it. The film is really a series of misadventures they share, and how they fall in love in the process, it's as simple as that.

Colbert's character Ellie Andrews is seen as a spoiled rich girl in the beginning, who disobeys her father by running off to be with the man she loves. This man is a famous aviator who is described by everyone but Ellie as a phony. Gable's character is Peter Warne, a man of principle, who is very down to Earth and sees Ellie as nothing but a "brat" which he calls her on more than one occasion. In order to hide from Ellie's father, she and Peter pose as a married couple to most places they know. This requires them to share a motel room where "The Walls of Jericho" come into play. This is where Peter ties a rope between his bed and Ellie's then throws a blanket over it so they don't see eachother undressing. This gesture is both a funny and truthful example of Peter and Ellie's relationship, and soon the walls must tumble.

"It Happened One Night" remains a touchtone in romantic comedies, it is sometimes regarded as the first of its kind although that's not necessarily true. What I do know is this is a film that got it right, it still remains fresh and modern to this day. The difference between "It Happened One Night" and the romantic comedies being made today is simple: you can actually see these two characters gradually falling in love with one another. The comedy is never broad, I found it to come from situations that seemed real such as the wonderful hitchhiking scene which is really a wonderful compact comedic moment where Gable tries to show Colbert the right way to hitchhike, when it is in fact she who has the fool proof way.

"It Happened One Night" was directed by Frank Capra, who had a knack for putting in the right amount of humanity in his films, and you can really see that in a lot of the scenes, which make you fall in love with these characters even more. However Capra had a great and unique sense of humour, they were always based on character traits and motivations, it all rings so true. The film would be the first of only three to win all five major Academy Awards, Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor, Best Actress, and Best Screenplay, you can sort of tell by that just how irresistible this it was back then.

"It Happened One Night" holds up as a classic because it never seems old, I've watched it since I was a kid and the characters and situations always seem new to me, even though I can probably recite the film line by line. The romantic comedy is a dying breed these days. that's because they have taken scenarios like this film and stripped it of its essence. The elements are always there but the magic isn't, "It Happened One Night" keeps its magic by remaining so effortless, and charming, it's hard not to fall in love with it.