Tagged: war

david bax / movies / reviews / Theatrical Review

July 16, 2020

The Painted Bird: An Eastern European Film, by David Bax

Before Václav Marhoul’s The Painted Bird (an adaptation of Jerzy Kosiński’s 1965 novel) is ten minutes old, our young protagonist (Petr Kotlár) has had his pet stolen from him and burned alive, been beaten, discovered the corpse of his abusive...

alexander miller / criterion predictions / movies

May 29, 2020

Criterion Prediction #244: Legend of a Duel to the Death, by Alexander Miller

Title: Legend of a Duel to the Death Year: 1963 Director: Keisuke Kinoshita Cast: Shima Iwashita, Mariko Kaga, Bunta Sugawara, Kinuyo Tanaka Synopsis: Toward the end of WWII, the Sonobe family is relocated from Tokyo to a farming village on...

david bax / monday movie / movies

May 18, 2020

Monday Movie: Catch-22, by David Bax

With the release of Václav Marhoul’s punishing adaptation of Jerzy Kosinski’s The Painted Bird on the horizon, I’ve been thinking of the all too common problem of celebrated novels becoming cinematic misfires. I haven’t read Kosinski’s book so I can’t...

david bax / home video hovel / movies / reviews

April 8, 2020

Home Video Hovel: The Cranes Are Flying, by David Bax

When you think of the dominant aesthetic of the Soviet Union, whether it be film, art from the Russian avant-garde and from socialist realists or even propaganda posters, you probably conjure up sharp lines, severe angles and figures in three-quarter...

alexander miller / criterion predictions / movies

March 13, 2020

Criterion Prediction #233: The Damned, by Alexander Miller

Title: The Damned Year: 1969 Director: Luchino Visconti Cast: Dirk Bogarde, Ingrid Thulin, Charlotte Rampling, Helmut Griem, Helmut Berger Synopsis: The Essenbeck family hits a tumultuous decline once they get into business with the Nazi party and their precipitating downfall...

david bax / movies / reviews / Theatrical Review

March 5, 2020

Come and See: 1943, by David Bax

Elem Klimov’s 1985 masterpiece Come and See, a new restoration of which opens Friday at the Laemmle Monica Film Center in Santa Monica, seems to have anticipated a 2010s trend by adopting the very hip 1.37:1 aspect ratio. But being...

alexander miller / criterion predictions / movies

February 5, 2020

Criterion Prediction #228: Camp de Thiaroye, by Alexander Miller

Title: Camp de Thiaroye Year: 1988 Director: Ousmene Sembene, Thierno Faty Sow Cast: Sidiki Bakaba, Ibrahim Sane, Hamed Camara, Phillipe Chamelat Synopsis: Camp de Thiaroye is a fact-inspired narrative recounting the events leading up to the massacre at Camp Thiaroye,...

movies / reviews / Theatrical Review / tyler smith / tyler's reviews

November 26, 2019

1917: Shallow Trench, by Tyler Smith

There is no denying that Sam Mendes’ 1917 is a technical triumph. A war story filmed in a series of long takes (with hidden cuts), the film actively works to put the audience in the shoes of our main characters...

2019 / david bax / movies / reviews / Theatrical Review / tiff / tiff 2019

September 12, 2019

TIFF 2019: A Hidden Life, by David Bax

Terrence Malick’s transcendent A Hidden Life is informed and bolstered in every way by Christian philosophy and yet, despite including numerous men of cloth as characters, none of them has the fortitude to fulfill the purpose of their vocation. But...

2019 / david bax / movies / reviews / Theatrical Review / tiff / tiff 2019

September 12, 2019

TIFF 2019: Jojo Rabbit, by David Bax

Jojo Rabbit‘s opening titles play out against stock footage of Germans “heil”ing Adolf Hitler soundtracked by The Beatles singing “Komm Gib Mir Deine Hand” and the sound of screaming fans. There is satirical potential in reducing Hitler to the level...

Tagged: war

The Painted Bird: An Eastern European Film, by David Bax

Criterion Prediction #244: Legend of a Duel to the Death, by Alexander Miller

Monday Movie: Catch-22, by David Bax

Home Video Hovel: The Cranes Are Flying, by David Bax

Criterion Prediction #233: The Damned, by Alexander Miller

Come and See: 1943, by David Bax

Criterion Prediction #228: Camp de Thiaroye, by Alexander Miller

1917: Shallow Trench, by Tyler Smith

TIFF 2019: A Hidden Life, by David Bax

TIFF 2019: Jojo Rabbit, by David Bax

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