The Old Man and the Sea

 

I watched this years ago. Indeed this is one of my first memories sitting down on a Saturday or a Sunday watching this film with my father. I was confused when Spencer's Old Man described the fish as his brother. I even asked dad -how can a fish be his broher I remember Spencer's old man praying. Noting that  My father told me they were Atlantic Marlin. Which he claimed people had seen in Irish waters. A quick search leaves me sceptical. I am however describing events from decades ago. Close to 50 years

The cast is slim, Spencer's Old Man , the boy, and a cafe owner, and a black man the Old Man wrestles with in Casablanca..

Cuba looks beautiful. It is a hard life the Old Man lives, but not without its comforts. The Old Man speaks about baseball, he remembers seeing several greats in Cuba he has a beer and the boy has a soda

The Old man lives in a shack=sacred heart of Jesus picture. The universalness of the Church

I liked the meditation on aging- do old men rise early because they want more of the day? The Old Man not dreaming of faces, or women but the African coast- he knew as a stevadore. The lions playing on the coast- we see a tabby cat later- a bit of mirroring 

The Marlin is huge- I had forgotten how damn big it is, Sharks are an eternal enemy. Unlike the Lion, they cannot be forgiven. They are relentless like Measles or exposure

A delighful performance by Spencer Tracey

 

North by Northwest

After being unsettled by Vertigo it was a relief to be thrilled by North by Northwest. 

This is another technicolor delight. A New York of brightly painted taxi cabs and marbled hotels. Leather lined libraries, and cocktails. If Don Draper takes a 32&you DNA test then I am certain you will find Grant in his DNA. 

The prairies are wondrous A vast horizon over a sea of grain. The centre of the USA and Grant is as alone as a shipwrecked sailor on a raft

I didn't review it here. I have  within the last year watched His Girl Friday. I was amused by Grant's performance in that. Nearly 20 years later  Grant sill has it 

VanDam well...

I liked the fact that Grant's mother was a constant hindrance. Her disapproval and disdain never far away

It is despite being nearly a 75 years old  film is often funny - I particularly liked the auction sequence

One of the OAS, CIA agents is 

The scene when Grant escapes in the Taxi in NYC, and is asks off the driver If he can do anything about it. The Driver says yes...

Eve Sant Marie is radiant. Hitchcock's women always are 

I  am using the first names of the cast, as I have forgotten the names of the characters. Both Vertigo and NNW have a young blonde woman as the female lead. I did note that Eve and Kim despite being the same age.( They are both 26) It is apparent that Eve has more agency than Kim. Yes they have different backstories and backgrounds. Yet both are being used by men. Is perhaps class the difference-Kim is fleeing an abusive stepfather. Kim never reproaches Jimmy Stewart despite his public domination of her Eve lashes out at Grant in the auction scene Eve is able to use her attractiveness to manipulate the villain, and the hero in this story. Eve is spared the fall. 

I did'nt like the ending I thought Hitchcock cheated us 

I wonder why people don't use Mount Rushmore more often as a location- did NNW spoil it ?

A great adventure, a great film. 

Vertigo

 This is a film I think I admired rather than enjoyed

It looks radiant- this is a love letter to San Francisco written in ``glorious technicolor''  Stewart is driving a bottle green car- there is a lot of verdant green in this film - We even see the red words

It starts with a fall scare- despite the special effects being three quarters of a century out of date- the policeman falling, set my heart racing 

I think Barbara Bel Geddes doesn't get praised enough for her supporting role. Her tantrum after she lets Stewart see the painting was well done. One might use an anachronism -A situationship. Midge dotes on Stewart taking him to the doctor after his breakdown but she confesses Stewart is in love with someone else

There are a lot of discussions of women's underwear in Hitchcock

Kim Novak plays two roles. I was struck by how young she is Her character must be close to 20 years younger than Stewart. I found a niavete in her. She was pathetic in the greek sense. So eager to please- A tool used by older and more powerful men 

Stewart descends into a cold blue eyed maddness. You can see the formely professional and genial police officer- lose himself in maddness. 

I don't know if I will rewatch. A beautifully carved ornate gargoyle of a film 

Robert Redford

 August 18, 1936 – September 16, 2025

The Sundance kid, goes off into the sunset

Actor, University of Colorado alumni, Frat Brother, Father, 

The Sting!

 I missed this when it was broadcast in the 1990s on channel 4, the whole dorm but myself seemed to be watching it. With the passing of Robert Redford today- I made the decision to see it. I wanted to watch it, it had been penciled in, but no time like the present

Well this film paired the two, swapped the Old West, for the Depression Midwest

Like the Western, the Sting looks great, the clothes are a spectacle You have men wearing cyan coloured hats. Redford wears a striped burgundy suit The streets are full of vintage automobiles, everything is varnished. 

So this is a story of two grifters in the Depression - who meet up and go after a big mark. Though I notice it is a very bright and beautiful depression. I looked at the signs offering bumper cars and fairground rides. Indeed the working girls actually ride on a Merry Go Round in a scene. The black family live in a large apartment-with a telephone booth on the bottom floor. The streets are as I have said  full of cars. Yet there are no beggars, no binfires Oh and lots of telephones. Now maybe America was just that richer, but it seems this is the 60s 

Redford or at least his stunt double does a hell of a lot of running in this film

Redford learned his trade from a black man. We see Redford interact with his family- They are leaving to  play church Bingo Refdord is told by his old mentor, that the old man knows his time is up

For Newman this is a redemption story. His character tried to grift a Florida politician and came under the scrutiny of Hoover. Newman faces off against the mark in a poker game played on a train. Newman is completely obnoxious in that scene. 

Newman is getting back his mojo, his zest. His manhood, for both Newman and Redford it isn't really about the money. Redford is scolded for spending like a pimp. 

I wondered about how the con, that this motion picture depicts- holding the results of a horse race allowing one to bet for or against the house in complete certainty, will evolve now there will be A.I 

I noticed that the radio or bookie's annoucer also was silent, during a bit of dialogue while the mark was being preped

It is a largely male cast, and not to be ungallant but the two female supporting actresses are not as pretty as Catherine jones

There is one twist I did not see coming. One I did. I enjoyed this, I don't think it is up there with Butch and Sundance- Lightning not quite striking twice Though  this did end with them both being shot

Robert Shaw does not do a great Irish accent

Citzen Kane

 Well, I can cross it off my list.

I enjoyed it quite a bit. I don't think I have anything particular meaningful to say here  I did see a spotlight on the gilded age. Opera, Newspapers, trust busting, schools in Switzerland and dalliances with dancers

Young Kane, shouts For the Union-in his log cabin

Florida seems dark and distant in Kane. A land of swamps and stone. Far away from the shining sea which Miami 

I am pretty sure the young lady who goes to the dentist is after cocaine

Kane's first wife  Who is the niece of the president, is beautiful. Her debut role I believe

Orson Welles is very tall. Or has he chosen shorter co stars, I am trying to remember now This is something that struck me  As aside from the Third Man I am used to seeing him sitting down, or gorged in later life. I quite liked his on stage persona, he is quite charismatic 

There is a lot of Orson Welles in Frasier Crane. Well if you are going to steal, steal from the best

Silence

 A powerful metaphor for Christ's suffering on Cross

We see all manner of torture- the cross, the pit, beheading  this is a a film about persecution -the long dark garden 

Two Jesuits volunteer to go to Japan to find information about a missing priest. ( Who is played by Liam Neeson )As the Japanese persecution of the Christians is a in full swing 

I thought Adam Driver gave a great performance. He successfully does a foreign accent - I also think he looks the part. His face is looks pock marked in a scene or two Driver is not a naturally good looking man- I buy Driver as a Portugese Jesuit, it is a bit harder to have 

Garfield does a good job too-Though I think his accent disappears in the film 

The Inquistor is well performed too - his is a jolly almost genial evil. His voice almost sounds comic

The is a Judas,  a christian who keeps apostasing and begging to confess. There is a remarkable scene at the beginning where the judas and Liam Neeson is playing the devil- someone who fell from grace. Like in the wilderness it is Neeson who points out that the Japanese may have misunderstood christanity- he actually argues that the Japanese have no soul- They only understand nature Like the last temptation of Christ. Neeson gives up his office as a priest and has a family.

The Inquistor actually notes the fact the Japan is in the middle of a struggle between European powers This is happening in the background

I note also that the Japanese bo staff has no point, no blade. The samurai don't trust their guards. 

Christianty here is the religion of women and slaves. The fishermen are near naked. 

In the end, the Shogunate falls and the cross triumphs, as it did in the acatcombs