The Films of Akira Kurosawa — Dersu Uzala
Why Dersu Uzala stands apart among Kurosawa’s films: simplicity, friendship, nature and the quiet dignity of a life lived close to the wilderness.
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DERSU OUZALA
Took time off to watch Dersu Ouzala again after nearly 16 years. There are some films which remain with you for a very long time. They become a part of you. They have touched a chord somewhere that defines your personality and existence. While a majority of films entertain you, these films have a meaning…
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Italian Neorealism and Vittorio De Sica
A reflection on Vittorio De Sica and Italian neorealism, where ordinary people, natural settings and unadorned truth become the substance of cinema.
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John Ford’s My Darling Clementine.
John Ford’s My Darling Clementine. I couldn’t spot the connection between the title and the story. Wyatt Earp (Henry Fonda) becomes Marshall of Tomb Stone along with his brother Morgan as law enforcer after their brother James is murdered by the Clayton gang and their cattle is stolen. Although Wyatt assumes the charge of Marshall…
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Silas Marner starring Ben Kingsley
I watched the movie Silas Marner starring Ben Kingsley. It made me reflect about the novel by George Eliot that I had read long ago. George Eliot’s simple story of a lost and found treasure which had been robbed from Silas Marner is a profound and moving tale about the humanism and honesty of the…
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Z and Rome, Open City
Could watch two films only recently (thanks to Youtube) and felt I have to share with all film enthusiasts. Z by Costa Gavras is an edge of the seat political thriller. What matters is that it’s a Director’s Film. It is slick and stylish and conveys a stark mood of corruption, depravity, cold-blooded harshness and falsehood. Amidst…
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The Revenant
The Revenant is about one man’s (Glass) resolve to seek revenge.He is the Revenant,the man who has returned from the Dead. The Dead have no words to speak and the living speak falsehood.The Revenant are the bridge between these two worlds. They have to straddle both these worlds. They must ensure justice for the Dead…
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Young Mr. Lincoln
I watched John Ford’s “Young Mr. Lincoln” starring Henry Fonda. The movie carries that distinctive stamp of John Ford’s genius. Young Mr. Lincoln is the story of Abraham Lincoln in his young years practicing as an advocate in a Country Court. Ford achieves the aura and the mood of those days when life was more…
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Claude Chabrol
A few years ago while trying to get to know more about international cinema,I got interested in French cinema. The only French movie of international fame that I had watched until then was Joan Renoir’ s Rules of the Game. As I went through the list of Directors that had several names of repute, I…
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Ritwik Ghatak’s Subarna Rekha: Ghatak’s style is different from Ray’s.
Ritwik Ghatak’s Subarna Rekha: Ghatak’s style is different from Ray’s. It is raw and edgy, replete with repressed energy. The film has a hopeful ending but Ghatak’s depiction of the social reality hits you hard. Caste prejudice, unemployment, poverty and migration are some of the themes. These forces were very strong in independent India as…
