Fårö Document (1970)

☆ ☆ ☆ ½

Fårö Document (1970) – I. Bergman

Ingmar Bergman made two documentaries about the people on the island that he came to call home in the late 1960s, Fårö (which is a small island just off the coast of the larger island of Gotland, southeast of Stockholm in the Baltic Sea).  Bergman interviews a few of the 900 residents (a school-teacher, a 102 year old carpenter, a sheep farmer, a fisherman, a young couple just about to have a baby, an old retired woman with an amputated leg, some school children) and shows scenes from the island and its routines (graphic scenes of sheep being slaughtered by hand caused me to look away).  In 1969, the island was dealing with a decreasing population (as young people left for the mainland) and a decrease in autonomy as local services were becoming centralised in Gotland.  Bergman uses some of his questions to address the politics of the island (and of Sweden), advocating for the rights of his neighbours (the documentary was shown on Swedish TV).  Bergman is a good interviewer and the interviewees seem at ease and their reflections are intriguing – even if one knows nothing about Fårö, it isn’t hard to imagine their lives and concerns (and to see the universal human condition in them). Sven Nykvist’s cinematography, in both black & white and colour, elevates the picture to something more poetic than a series of talking heads.  Bergman made a sequel in 1979 (which I will turn to next).

Investigation of a Citizen Above Suspicion (1970)

☆ ☆ ☆ ½

Investigation of a Citizen Above Suspicion (1970) – E. Petri

Almost grotesque in its point-making, Petri’s film targets corruption, fascism, and power by showing that a leader of the police force might theoretically be immune from prosecution, even for murder.  Gian Maria Volonte plays said cop, the head of the homicide division (but promoted to the head of the political division as the film begins), who murders his mistress and plants obvious clues incriminating himself to test whether he really is “above suspicion”.  Rather garish to look at, as some Italian films seem to be, and full of travelling shots, flashbacks, and minor characters that clutter things up a bit, this is still Volonte’s show as he dominates everything (and even more so when he starts targeting subversives as a function of his new role).  I guess it is blackly comic how the police and surrounding bureaucracy do everything possible to deny Volonte’s guilt, even when he goes so far as to confess.  I didn’t think this at the time but perhaps Donald Trump’s ability to get away with the most heinous sexist and racist actions also fits this pattern…although in this case, actions have been minimized by supporters rather than completely denied (but this too would keep an authoritarian leader in place).

Taste the Blood of Dracula (1970)

☆ ☆ ☆

Taste the Blood of Dracula (1970) – P. Sasdy

One of the better Dracula sequels from Hammer Films (and there are a number of bad ones).  Christopher Lee was apparently reluctant to return – and he doesn’t have too many lines here (simply “the first”, “the second” and “the thirrrrrrrd”) -- but he is still a magnificently evil presence.  The plot revolves around three businessmen (in the early 1900s) who seek to experience thrills in this life, even going so far as to be willing to sell their souls to the devil.  Of course, when the ritual actually occurs they wimp out – the reconstituted blood of Dracula does not seem too palatable to drink (and a prelude to the movie shows us how it was obtained).  The grown children of the businessmen, two young women and two young men, add romance to the story but Dracula soon has the girls under his sway (‘natch).  As usual, Hammer’s production values are ace, lending spooky period atmosphere to the proceedings.  Worth a look if this is your thing.

  

The Vampire Lovers (1970)

☆ ☆ ½

The Vampire Lovers (1970) – R. W. Baker

At the start of Hammer Film’s decline, they took advantage of the era’s growing permissiveness to merge their longstanding interest in vampires (who are by nature the most erotic of monsters) with an effort to attract viewers with titillation (which admittedly wasn’t too far from their agenda with their previous period costumes for actresses). Here, Ingrid Pitt, with her Garbo-like Polish accent, makes a redoubtable lesbian vampire (from the oft-filmed tale by Sheridan Le Fanu), seducing (and killing) the young ladies of the village, under the watchful eye of Christopher Lee surrogate, John Forbes-Robertson. Unfortunately, the best and spookiest scene occurs before the opening credits roll and from then on in things are rather lacklustre, although presented with Hammer’s usual flair for set decoration. Peter Cushing makes what amounts to a guest appearance. Look elsewhere for your British horror thrills.

La Rupture (1970)

☆ ☆ ☆ ½

La Rupture (1970) – C. Chabrol

The late ‘60s-early ‘70s psychodramas from Claude Chabrol ranging from Les Biches (1968) to Just Before Nightfall (1971) – six films – all have something to offer.  La Rupture (The Breach) is a particularly weird one, starring (again) Stephane Audran (Chabrol’s then wife) as a young mother whose child is injured by her (depressed substance abuser) husband.  She seeks a divorce but the husband’s parents want custody of their grandchild; to discredit the mother, they hire a childhood friend of the husband (played by Jean-Pierre Cassel) to follow her and possibly to attempt to put her in a compromising position.  So, these characters are placed in some extreme situations (accented by intense electronic music) and viewers can expect to experience emotional stress at times.  This film is less Hitchcockian than some of the others from this period of Chabrol – perhaps we never quite expect Cassel and the in-laws to succeed so suspense isn’t built.  Yet, there is enough oddness here to hold your attention, especially if you have gotten the taste for Chabrol.

Beyond the Valley of the Dolls (1970)

☆ ☆ ½

Beyond the Valley of the Dolls (1970) – R. Meyer

Famously scripted by critic Roger Ebert, this was exploitation director Russ Meyer’s big shot at success, backed by a major studio.  However, today it comes across as terribly dated, half-baked, and, alas, pretty boring.  The stars weren’t exactly chosen for their acting prowess (given Meyer’s well-known predilections) and the camera tends to leer until the editor quickly cuts to something tamer (but too many quick cuts annoy this viewer).  The plot revolves around a girl rock band that travels to California and possibly gets an inheritance but certainly gets mixed up with some odd characters (one of whom spouts Shakespeare-sounding lines – Ebert’s contribution?), do a lot of drugs, and pretend they are the Strawberry Alarm Clock.  Originally rated X for violence (not sex, apparently, although don’t quote me on that).  Give it a miss.