Privilege (1967)

☆ ☆ ☆

Privilege (1967) – P. Watkins

Peter Watkins melds his faux documentary style (featured in The War Game, 1965, which shows Britain after a nuclear attack) with a more traditional narrative approach in this “near future” look at manipulation of the masses. Presciently, it is a pop star who is used, first, to encourage youth to release their violent impulses through music appreciation rather than protest, and secondly, to get them to embrace nationalism and religion – that is, a group of business leaders see the pop star as a way to set up a fascist government (coalition of tory and labor parties, as a matter of fact).  Only artist Jean Shrimpton sees through everything and convinces the wan Paul Jones (from Manfred Mann) to rebel against his minders.  A lot of good provocative ideas here but things drag a bit. I wondered too whether such centralized manipulation is even possible in this new age of social media and a thousand independent voices (but, yeah, they could just shut down the internet and be done with it, I guess).

The East (2013)

☆ ☆ ½

The East (2013) – Z. Batmanglij

Brit Marling (who also co-wrote the film) stars as an agent for a private intelligence firm that sends her undercover to infiltrate an anarchist group (“the East”) that is attacking corporations that have poisoned and polluted the environment.  Of course, she begins to feel a part of this group of warm and lovable rebels who really want the right things (but who are using the wrong methods).  Things unfold pretty gradually but with a slick thriller framework that means that deeper character development and the more serious implications of the issues at hand are foregone in lieu of pulse-quickening music and tense action scenes and some romance for good measure.  But even in the film’s quieter moments, you get the feeling that you’ve been here before (even if the surface details – a private spy agency? -- are rather new).  Nevertheless, a strong female lead in a thriller is always welcome; it’s just too bad that the script can’t quite rise above its schematic set up.  Perhaps too it is deeply ambivalent about whether evil corporations should be fought by any means necessary or not. The moral complexity of these issues deserves a more contemplative treatment than the Hollywood thriller format can offer.

Louisiana Story (1948)

☆ ☆ ☆ ½

Louisiana Story (1948) – R. Flaherty

Late film from Robert (“Nanook of the North”) Flaherty who is well known for “staging” his documentaries, thereby capturing the ecstatic truth rather than the accountant’s truth (as Werner Herzog might have it).  Here, Flaherty makes no bones about casting his nonprofessional (and therefore “real”) actors in a loose “fictional” story about a young Cajun boy who observes oil-drilling wildcatters in the bayou.  The plot’s suspense lies in the failure of the well to produce for most of the film, until the boy superstitiously throws salt and spits in the well to bring luck.  A subplot involves his pet raccoon that may or may not have gotten himself eaten by a giant alligator.  The story, simplified to sub-Disney levels and with very little dialogue, is not the point here.  Instead, viewers are advised just to gawk at the amazing images of the bayou and the oil rig (shot by Richard Leacock) and to see how the principles of montage are used in action (e.g., shot of boy looking; shot of alligator swimming; shot of boy’s alarmed reaction).  Even the chase sequences (alligator vs. raccoon and boy vs. alligator vs. father) use cross-cutting as D. W. Griffith would have, in order to keep things moving and to keep us interested.  Overall, something seems missing, however – maybe the real Louisiana?  Selected for the National Film Registry in the Library of Congress.

Autumn Has Already Started (1960)

☆ ☆ ☆

Autumn Has Already Started (1960) – M. Naruse

Mikio Naruse turns his depressive’s eye toward kids, showing how they must cope when buffeted by events beyond their control.  12-year old Hideo and his mother move to Tokyo from rural Nagano prefecture when his father dies of TB.  She leaves him with her brother’s family and begins work at a nearby inn.  Hideo gets teased by other boys but meets a young girl, Junko, a couple of years younger who befriends him.  It turns out that her mother is his mother’s employer.  This might be fine but Hideo’s mother suddenly disappears, apparently running off with a customer from the ryokan.  As it turns out, Junko’s father is only vaguely in the picture, he’s a married businessman from another city and only visits occasionally.  When he shows up with his other older kids, there is tension.  Neither Hideo nor Junko fully comprehend their circumstances but they have their friendship.  When Junko suddenly moves away, Hideo is alone again – and the film ends.  Sad, but rings true.  

  

Caged Heat (1974)

☆ ☆ ½

Caged Heat (1974) – J. Demme

Jonathan Demme’s directorial debut is an exploitation film, no doubt about it.  But it holds up pretty well and is a bit more engaging than most similar fare – not that I’ve seen too much.  As far as Women in Prison films go, Caged (1950) with Eleanor Parker has got to be the pinnacle – but that was more of a serious problem pic than a go-for-broke B-picture.  What more can be said? The trials and travails of a bunch of ladies in the slammer, with loads of gratuitous nudity, some violence (and fake blood), a couple of lobotomies and some shock treatment, a few gals in solitary, a breakout, a repressed and sadistic warden (Barbara Steele!), and some truly 1970’s low budget cars, clothes, and hairstyles.  Apparently John Cale wrote the soundtrack (!).  Amiable and fun, not sordid and lurid.

Party Girl (1958)

☆ ☆ ☆ ½

Party Girl (1958) – N. Ray

With Cyd Charisse in the lead, of course there must be dancing in the plot – even in a gangster flick (1950s gazing back at 1930s here).  So, she’s a showgirl and she falls for Robert Taylor’s mob lawyer (the kind of mob lawyer who is ashamed of what he does…or she makes him feel that way).  Critic Jonathan Rosenbaum suggests that this film fits in with director Nicholas Ray’s penchant for featuring flawed people learning to cope with life (and often coming together in the effort) although perhaps the widescreen technicolor presentation and Lee J. Cobb’s usual scenery-chewing distracted me from the smaller story.   Taylor is a fine actor but Charisse seems, um, less so … except in those dance sequences where suddenly her character seems to embody all of the intensity that is otherwise lost on the screen.  If only there were more of these sequences, the film might have become something stranger and more compelling.  As it stands, it’s enjoyable but doesn’t levitate you.

Tales of Terror (1962)

☆ ☆ ☆

Tales of Terror (1962) – R. Corman

Roger Corman directed this trilogy of Poe tales for American International Pictures following the success of The Pit and the Pendulum (also starring Vincent Price).  Other better Poe adaptations with Price were to follow but this triptych does have some charm.  Price is suitably haunted by the death of his wife, Morella, and the return of his long lost daughter in the first tale.  In the second, Peter Lorre takes center stage as a drunken reprobate who comically matches wits with Price’s expert wine-taster leading to a twist on The Cask of Amontillado.  Finally, Basil Rathbone appears as a mesmerist who offers the dying Price freedom from pain in exchange for the chance to hypnotize him at the moment of death (with hypnotic control extending beyond the grave).  Creepy fun for 90 minutes scripted by horror maestro Richard Matheson.