My Week of Movie Watching

The Testament of Dr. Mabuse – Fritz Lang classic from 1933 involves a mad genius planning the overthrow of the world, who manages to keep his plan going from beyond the grave. This was Langs last German film before he moved to America, and his disaffection with Germany is pretty plain here. The Nazis were growing strong in 1933, and Dr. Mabuse and his minions can easily be seen as Nazi surrogates. I found his plotline and presentation astounding, especially for a film from the thirties. After his death, Mabuse appears as a ghost, still giving direction to a psychiatrist at the asylum he was housed at. Nicely paced and edited. Recommended.

Madigan – I was in the mood for Richard Widmark, so I cued up this police drama from 1968, which I hadn’t previously seen. Widmark plays a detective who is good at his job, if not always content to operate within the rules. Henry Fonda plays a straight-arrow commissioner. The film revolves around the pursuit of a dangerous criminal, and features sidebar stories about a couple of the characters, including James Whitmore as Fondas lieutenant, and Inger Stevens as Widmarks wife. Everyone here has some sort of imperfection, even the self-righteous commissioner. Madigan is a better-than-average cop flick, and has some terrific some great location shots in Brooklyn. A minior quibble for me is the fact that Widmark and Fonda appear onscreen together only briefly. Directed by Don Siegel.

Kind Hearts and Coronets – A poor clerk (Dennis Price), furious because his mother has been shunned by her wealthy family, vows to murder everyone who stands between him and a huge inheritance. Alec Guinness plays eight different roles as the members of the D’Ascoyne family who are the intended victims. This is nominally a comedy, but it doesn’t really have any big laughs. The appeal of this film is the matter-of-fact way that Price’s Louis sets about his task. Some of the family are detestable, some are kind, and some are just plain ludicrous, it doesn’t matter – They have to go. The murders are over the top (exploding caviar?), and Louis grows more and more haughty the closer he gets to his goal. The movie delivers a couple of twists at the end that are just delicious. Recommended.

Day for Night – François Truffaut’s 1973 valentine to moviemaking. The film centres on the making of a soapy drama called Meet Pamela, and follows the machinations of several of the cast. Jacqueline Bisset as a big movie star fresh off a nervous breakdown, Jean-Pierre Leaud as a self-centred young actor, Valentina Cortese as an alcoholic veteran starlet, and Jean-Pierre Aumont as an aging leading man who has pretty much come out as gay. Truffaut himself plays the director. The joy of this film is the peek behind the scenes of a production: The timetables, the managing of egos, the constant disruption. I was reminded of the stories about Marilyn Monroe during a scene where Cortese has to have her lines taped to the wall, and finds it impossible to open the correct door. Highly recommended.

La Verite – 1960 drama from Henri-Georges Clouzot about a sexy wild child (Brigitte Bardot) who steals the boyfriend (Sami Frey) of her sister, with tragic results. The story is told in flashback during her trial for his murder. As the title (“The Truth”) suggests, the film is not just about the murder, but rather the young couple. Bardot loves the guy, but is unable to remain true. He is sexually obsessed with her, but is somewhat distant, and ultimately becomes abusive about her infidelities. A counterpoint is the two attorneys (Charles Vanel and Paul Meurisse) trying the case, who are amicable with each other, but at the same time are fierce rivals. Bardot is terrific in this role as someone who is impulsive and selfish, but carries a sense of self-loathing. The conclusion of the film is heartbreaking on a couple of different levels.

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