My Week of Movie Watching
Little Fugitive – Little-known indie from 1953 tells the story of a seven-year old boy who is tricked into thinking he has killed his older brother and goes on the lam to Coney Island. Here he experiences what can only be described as the best day ever for a young boy. The death of the brother is quickly forgotten as he goes on rides and plays carnival games. Meanwhile, the brother is frantically looking for him. This is not a “great” movie, as the acting is somewhat amateurish. Where it really shines is as a postcard from a place and time – 1950’s Brooklyn and Coney Island. Even on the welfare budget, this is really beautifully shot, and as a portrait of a young boy, it’s utterly charming. After he is finally brought back home, his first words are “It’s 6 o’clock – My cowboy show is on!” Perfect. This film was reportedly a favorite of Francois Truffaut, and you can certainly see its influence in The 400 Blows. Recommended.
City of Missing Girls – Police drama from 1941 concerns a slavery ring dealing in…Wait for it…Missing girls. This is an example of why you shouldn’t watch something based solely on the title. City follows a dry-as-dust DA and his wise-crackin’ lady reporter girlfriend as they try to crack a kidnapping ring run by a slimy talent company manager. Not much to recommend in this B or C level drama. The supposed leading man (John Archer) is so crushingly dull that I wanted him off the screen, and the villain is so out front and obvious that the film doesn’t create any drama around him, either. Veteran Frank Capra favorite H.B. Warner stars as a police chief. Not recommended, despite the good title.
Le Belle Indifferent – Early (1957) half-hour short directed by Jacques Demy is essentially a brief stage play with a camera in front of it. An unhappy woman (Jean Allarde) delivers a full-length rebuke to her cheating husband (Angelo Bellini) who does not say one single solitary word. The harangue goes from sorrowful to angry to contrite, and illustrates a woman who hates her life, but ultimately feels powerless to take the step of repairing it. This little film points the way for Demy’s later examinations of love and heartbreak, such as The Umbrellas of Cherbourg and Lola. The brilliantly colored sets are also a harbinger of what would later become a visual trademark of Demy films. A bit contrived, but worth a look.
Uncle Silas – Above average Brit thriller from 1947. Jean Simmons plays a young heiress who is sent to live with her shady uncle after her father dies, and gradually comes to realize that she is in danger. The visuals in this are striking, and the villains are terrific, especially Katina Paxinou as a devious governess. In its day, this would have been called a good rousing thriller. The director was the little known Belgian Charles Frank, and I would venture that he spent some time looking at the early films of German Expressionist filmmakers like Lang and Murnau, because this film has that look all over it. Cinematography was by Robert Krasker, who also worked on stuff like The Third Man and Brief Encounter. Highly recommended. Watch it online here.
Le Collectionneuse – My first foray into the work of Eric Rohmer. A pair of French intellectuals (Patrick Bauchau and Daniel Pommereulle) meet for a vacation at a remote villa, and find that they have a third housemate: the sexy Haydee (Haydee Politoff), who entertains a steady stream of young men. Despite their haughty superiority towards her, they both become more and more infatuated. She, on the other hand, goes her own way, depending how she feels. Haydee is a fascinating character here. She is completely calm and self-confident, but smart and sexy as hell, but not in an overt way. It’s easy to see why men would get infatuated with her. What made this film a delight is the way Rohmer takes the narration of Adrian (Bauchau), and contrasts it with what we are actually seeing. Adrian feels that he is in control of Haydee, but the actual events belie this. Highly recommended.
