My week of Movie Watching

Many Wars Ago – Biting anti-war film from 1970 directed by Italian master Francesco Rosi. Wars is set during WWI and tells the story of a group of Italian soldiers as they attempt to capture a mountain from Austrian forces. The mountain is well-fortified, and each attack results in massive casualties. At one point, the Austrians actually yell at the Italians to stop attacking, because they are getting mowed down so thoroughly. The action is told through the eyes of a pair of lieutenants; Gian Maria Volonte plays a socialist who begins to openly exhort his men to mutiny. Mark Frechette plays a more by-the-book soldier who struggles to stay true, even as he sees his men being used for cannon fodder. Alain Cuny has an important role as a pompous General who watches the carnage from afar, and believes men should sacrifice themselves without question. The films sour viewpoint would make it a good double feature with Kubrick’s Paths of Glory. It’s well acted, and the locations (in Serbia) and cinematography give it a cold, muddy authenticity. Recommended.

Inner Sanctum – High-falutin’ title aside, this Lew Landers-directed Noir from 1948 is a pretty simple little (62 minute) tidbit. A man (Charles Russell) kills his girlfriend, and then finds himself stranded in a boarding house with a young boy who was the only witness to the crime. The boy (Dale Belding) and the rest of the house only gradually come to realize the connection between the stranger and the heinous crime that eventually hits the news. The meat of this film is a bit uneven; Russell is not really villainous enough, and you never really believe that anyone is in danger. There is, however, one thing about IS that stands out, and that is the side-story told by a mysterious old man that begins and concludes the film. It’s kind of ingenious, and I’ve never seen it used anywhere else. Not a great or even very good film, but I give it a recommendation strictly for this unique storytelling method.

Watch it on YouTube