Dov'è la libertà...? (1954)

English title: Where Is Freedom?

*spoilers ahead*

A barber (Salvatore) is facing trial for having sneaked back into prison. He spent 22 years in prison for killing a man who, according to Salvatore's wife, had attempted to rape her. He was released on parole, but did not adjust well to life out of prison. First, he associated with a group of ballroom dancers, but they were swindled by their impresario and he must find another place to stay. He took a room in a boarding house, but was expelled when his room was needed for a richer customer. He then by chance encountered his former in-laws (his wife had died while he was in prison) who invited him to stay with them, and even encouraged him to take Agnese, a young friend of the family, out on dates. It turned out, however, that said young woman was pregnant by a member of the family and they wanted to find someone to marry her so as to evade legal responsibilities. Furthermore, Salvatore learned that his wife had not suffered a rape attempt, and that the man he had killed had been her lover. More sinisterly, during the war his in-laws had denounced a Jewish family to the Nazis and stole their money. They almost tricked Salvatore into killing the only surviving member of that Jewish family (Abramo), but when Abramo told him what really happened he backed down on his intentions. Then he concocted a plan to get back into prison. While the prison manager was sitting with friends in a café, Salvatore stole his overcoat and hat, and managed to impersonate him before the prison guards, who let him in. At the trial, the judge imposes a fine on him but no prison sentence. On the way out, he assaults his own lawyer, succeeding thus to be sent back to prison.

This is a rather unremarkable little comedy with a very good leading actor, who is alternately funny and pathetic as the situation requires. The humor is for the most part obvious, and, while the premise may be somewhat unconventional, its development is not. It's not an unpleasant film, though.

Rating: 41

L'avventura (1960)

Second viewing; previously viewed on November 25, 2005; earlier still, I had read the published screenplay in June, 1995

English title: The Adventure

A group of friends are visiting a volcanic island and one of them (Anna) disappears. No one know what happened to her -- accident, suicide, or maybe she left on a boat with smugglers. Anna's boyfriend and Anna's best friend start a relationship which is somewhat troubled by the tragedy at its inception.

In theme and tone, this bears some resemblance to La dolce vita, which came out on the same year. The frivolity of the upper class is the object of critique. The psychological analysis is centered on Anna's best friend who seems to experience survival guilt related to the probable death of Anna. The absence of the death rites lends it a certain air of absurdity. They exist precisely to establish a separation from the dead one; they signal that life must go on. The atmosphere of boredom and luxury reflects a time of prosperity which Europe was going through at last after the horrors of World War II. But I guess every period has its own peculiar horrors. The film's reception seems to mirror its theme; people at first rejected it, and then probably felt guilty about it and overcompensated it by making it into one of the world's most lauded films. It's a slow episodic film with very nice imagery which border on gratuitous aestheticism. The IMDB site has some very funny reviews from users who gave it 1 and 3 stars; I couldn't bring myself to dislike this film that much, but can't deny that there is a grain of truth in them.

Rating: 62 (down from 79)

The Omen (1976)

 Second viewing; previously viewed between 1983 and 1986

An American diplomat adopts an infant after his own son dies (allegedly) at childbirth. But strange occurrences keep happening which lead him to suspect the adoptee is an evil creature.

This is a mechanical horror movie which is very well filmed. It lacks internal logic as to the modus operandi of the evil forces at play: alternately, supernatural psychological action (the nanny), strictly natural physical action (Mrs. Thorn) and supernatural physical action (Jennings the photographer). Most horror movies tap into deep human fears, and this is no exception (fear of adoption and fear of nannies are two that come to mind). Its use of apocalyptic mythology, however, is clearly detached from the mainstream one; nowadays (and perhaps even at the time of the film) that book is associated with the New World Order, Globalism, totalitarianism, etc. We see nothing of that in the movie. Also, it has a certain naiveté regarding how the world works. For example, why would the Antichrist choose a diplomat as a means of making a fortune, instead of a business magnate or a stock market billionaire? Also, style is favored over common sense: why doesn't the main character buy a gun to protect himself? I guess that's because it would take it out of the horror domain and into a Death Wish-type action film. Of course a gun does play its part in it, eventually.

Rating: 38 (up from 29)

Se Meu Dólar Falasse... (1971)

*spoilers*

A socialite asks the owner of a shop in which she buys clothes to meet with the seller of a Chinese statuette and buy it for her. It's done. Next, the socialite asks the same person to deliver the money in payment for that statue. An accident occurs, though, and the box containing the money is thrown out with the garbage. Some bums who habitually scour the trash dump for food and valuables find some of the bills and, as they are in foreign currency, they exchange it at the bakery. Meanwhile, the shop owner is trying to locate the money. She decides to hire a detective, but he is dishonest and intends to keep the money for himself. After the payment deadline for the statuette is not met, the seller sends some thugs after the shop owner. A detail: the statuette is filled with cocaine.

Poorly made comedy with some famous names of Brazilian comedy. A few sequences are funny, e.g., the one at the psychedelic nightclub; on the whole the film is slightly curious but not very attractive.

Rating: 31

Hell Bent for Leather (1960)

*mild spoilers ahead*

 A man (Santell) is attacked in the desert by a fugitive (Travers) who approached him for water. While running away in his helper's horse, Travers drops his fancy rifle which is picked by Santell, who then goes to the nearest town and is mistaken for the fugitive. A marshal from another town who was after Travers decides he will capture Santell while pretending he did recognize him as Travers.

Western with some far-fetched plot turns. It might entertain those who don't regard logic as an essential attribute and are more interested in pace and action. The rocky landscapes are also impressive, lending the film some very nice visuals.

Rating: 31

Seven Years Bad Luck (1921)

 After breaking a mirror, a man fears he will have seven years of bad luck. He tries to avoid that curse, but everything he does only aggravates his problems. He quarrels with his fiancée, is robbed of all his money, and is chased by a train conductor for not having a ticket.

Enjoyable comedy which explores a theme which was (apparently) inaugurated by the Oedipus myth. It concerns a philosophical problem regarding prophecies and predestination, namely that a prophecy, to be successful,  must take into account all the events, including its communication and the ensuing efforts to prevent it from being successful. This film has numerous hilarious moments, and if I had to choose just one I would pick the absurdist interactions between Max and a housemaid (and fortune teller), which begin with palm reading and ends with Max turning his fiancée's house into a dancing hall.

Rating: 63

Un condamné à mort s'est échappé (1956)

English title: A Man Escaped

A member of the Resistance is imprisoned. He befriends several people in jail. His obsession is to escape. He finds a way to escape from his cell, and subsequently comes up with a plan to escape from the prison complex. The unexpected arrival of a cellmate poses a dilemma.

The book, which I read in 1996, is an account of a real prison escape in 1943; the film is a faithful adaptation and just as entertaining. It's really the opposite of Hollywood productions because there is no sensationalism and also, let's admit it, because this is no Alcatraz, but a shoddily guarded prison. The film's subtitle -- The Wind Blows Where It Wants, from the Gospel of John -- is the classical excuse that Christians bring up for God's apparent indifference to man's prayers; here the irony is evident, since the film's main character is a person of action in whose life God plays at most a secondary part. 

Rating: 66

Uma Verdadeira História de Amor (1971)

*serious spoilers ahead*

A middle-class man in his early thirties falls in love with a poor shoeshine boy. He adopts the boy and fights his desire for him, all the while feeling guilty for it, and suffering the anger and suspicion coming from his neglected rich fiancée and his pretty mistress. The boy, who appears to be in his mid-teens and has an androgynous appearance, is revealed to be really a girl and a little older than he looks.

Thematically close to Death in Venice, it explores the quandary of a man in an impossible emotional situation. Rather than taking the nightmarish labyrinth in which it puts its protagonist to its ultimate consequences, the film chooses to defuse the aporia by a last-minute plot switch (actually, attentive spectators will see it coming earlier through various plot details -- the cramps of which the boy complains, the bleeding in the bathrom, and the fact that he claims to not know his real age). A side issue which the film explores is social inequality in Brazil, though the choice of an actress with European features and soft skin to play a migrant from the poor Brazilian Northeast makes it somewhat less convincing. The film is rather lazily scripted, and some of the notions in it are intriguing, e.g. a selection for a directorship at the protagonist's company is decided through a car race where the drivers of the competing cars are their respective engine designers. The catchy musical theme ("Passion Love Theme") was released in a double-compact record and was a great hit in Brazil.

Rating: 31

Panca de Valente (1968)

 A gang of outlaws terrorizes a small town. They coerce a clumsy young man (Jerônimo) into becoming the sheriff. Jerônimo tries to rise up to the exigencies of his new job.

Dismal Western spoof which may at most entertain very undemanding kids. The actor who plays the leader of the bandits is quite good in this, though.

Rating: 23

Le déjeuner sur l'herbe (1959)

English title: Picnic on the Grass 

An anthropologist advocating widespread use of artificial insemination is a favorite candidate for the presidency of the European Union. While in the country celebrating his engagement to a girl-scout leader, he meets a country woman with whom he falls in love.

Curious, and curiously dated, comedy which purports to be about the equilibrium between science and nature. It's a poorly written film, and, arguably, not exactly well directed either. It seems to conflate three concepts -- eugenics, the repression of emotions, and assisted reproduction -- for some reason which perhaps only people contemporaneous with the film could explain. To be fair, it is not exactly an unpleasant watch, thanks to its nice imagery and its -- once we dismiss the nonsensical details -- reasonable fundamental thesis.

Rating: 35

Nana (1926)

 A pretty yet talentless variety actress attracts several men but gives them nothing in return. Her stage career does not last. Rich men support her but she drives them to ruin. Her own fate is nothing enviable either.

While it is easy to point out flaws in this film, particularly regarding the protagonist's psychology, which is absolutely one-dimensional, the film is impressive for its lavish production values and is mostly well directed. The main actress is very effective in her role, especially when one recalls that her previous role in La fille de l'eau, in which she was also convincing, was the exact opposite of this one. In fact, all the cast is superb. The film is also impressive for its seminal role in spawning countless others featuring similar female protagonists, The Blue Angel being the most obvious one. Christopher Mulrooney has a fine review of sorts for this movie.

Rating: 60

La fille de l'eau (1925)

English title: Whirlpool of Fate

*mild spoilers ahead*

A young woman lives on a barge with her father and her uncle. Her father dies. Her uncle spends her inheritance and tries to force himself upon her. She flees and lives with some gypsies for a little while. They are forced to move and leave her behind. She becomes homeless until a rich young man takes pity on her and employs her as a maid. Her uncle comes back to torment her.

The misfortunes of the weaker sex were a very frequent theme of early cinematic productions. This one is not badly made, despite its rather clichéd script.

Rating: 40

Walking Tall (1973)

A former wrestler moves back to his hometown, and gets into a conflict with local gangsters. He runs for sheriff and is elected. He tries to clean up the place.

This film is not bad as a depiction of a certain type of personality. However, everything in it is exaggerated and caricatural, and the result is certainly amusing, to a certain extent. In an exchange between the protagonist and his black friend, the latter says that the secret to success is organized group action; we don't see anything of that sort in the movie, though. If we did, it would be a leftwing movie, instead of a rightwing one praising individualism. It is a very well directed film.

Rating: 50

Une ravissante idiote (1964)

US title: Agent 38-24-36; UK title: The Ravishing Idiot; Other English titles: Bewitching Scatterbrain; The Warm-Blooded Spy; Adorable Idiot

After an English bank employee of Russian descent is fired he decides to spy for the Soviets. His new girlfriend is willing to help him steal a dossier from the house of an aristocrat by using her job at a gown shop of which the aristocrat's wife is a client. Unbeknownst to them, the dossier is fake and just a decoy for getting at the head of Soviet espionage in the UK.

Spy farce which is neither funny nor entertaining; though it's not badly directed, there is something quite boring about it.

Rating: 32

The Martian Chronicles (1980)

 This is a delayed logging.

Mini-series in three episodes:
(1) The Expeditions (viewed on May 24, 2020)
(2) The Settlers (viewed on May 25, 2020)
(3) The Martians (viewed on May 27, 2020)

Previously viewed in an abridged version on June 30, 1991.

IMDB shorter summary: "In the 21st century, Earth begins the colonization of Mars. However, things do not go as planned, at first due to the hostile Martian natives and later because of the self-destructive Earthmen."

Despite having better than average production values for a TV mini-series, I couldn't bring myself to like this, mainly due to my natural antipathy towards its literary author. I don't consider him a real science-fiction writer, seeing as his writing is guided mostly by his sentimental obsessions without much (or perhaps any) regards to real scientific or even political issues. The time lapse between my viewing and now makes it impossible for me to deepen my analysis.

Rating: 32 (up from 17, but not really comparable since I saw two different versions)

Golf (1922)

 Second viewing; previously viewed (but not reviewed) on February 19, 2020.

*spoilers below*

A series of disasters and conflicts involving golf players. The central character this time is not the girl's boyfriend, but rather her brother. There are two suitors, one a plumpish guy who is reciprocated by the girl, and the other an even plumper one who is not reciprocated by her. The protagonist incurs in the plumper guy's wrath by playing golf upstairs while the other one is dining below. A whole in the floor is made to that purpose, causing the ball to fall on the downstairs dweller's soup. He tries to avenge himself later by inserting nitroglicerine inside his enemy's golf balls, but it hits an obnoxious player instead. In between those episodes there is, among other incidents, a fight with a gopher who keeps stealing the ball and even steals the protagonist's gun -- and fires it!

Unremarkable yet mildly pleasant slapstick comedy.

Rating: 43