Arts and Faith Top 100

[Sam the Cinema Snob]

The Straight Story

A sweeping epic about a man and his lawnmower.

I knew you would love it. Now join me by putting it on your top 100.

It's certainly a strong contender for my new additions to the top 100.

[smirnoff]

This is a movie I can get behind

[1SO]

The Straight Story just missed my Top 10 for 1999. Congratulations on being the only review of the film that does not contain any reference to David Lynch.

[Sam the Cinema Snob]

I thought about mentioning that he directed the film, but I figured that everyone else would have probably already latched onto this point. I prefer to be different whenever possible instead of just retreading well-covered ground.

[Sam the Cinema Snob]

Crimes and Misdemeanors

A Woody Allen film I liked? Say it ain't so.

[Dave the Necrobumper]

I will enjoy following this marathon. I am particular hopeful that your review of 77. Ostrov (2006) with convince more people to this great film.

[oldkid]

I found Crimes and Misdemeanors to be Allen's most satisfying film intellectually.  And it's the only one that I'm thinking about watching again.  There's a lot to mull over there and Martin Landau's character is possibly the best in any Allen film I've seen. 

[MartinTeller]

I don't think the two halves of C&M are as at odds as they appear.  For one thing, the duality of the film is implied right there in the title.  Also, Alda's mantra of "comedy is tragedy plus time" is kind of a sly commentary on the Landau story.

[Sam the Cinema Snob]

The Searchers

This isn't the Western I've been searching for...

[1SO]

Sam, you nailed what I still have problems with about John Ford, his desire to be complex while always copping out to the audience friendly solution. Maybe you'd be better off with Howard Hawks stuff like Red River or El Dorado.

However, Wayne is set up as a tragic figure. I wonder where the unwarranted ending is for you because the iconic final shot should have been the payoff you were looking for.

[Sam the Cinema Snob]

I guess I was expecting something a bit more...fatal...

My problem is more that [spoiler]he saves the girl instead of killing her[/spoiler] which seemed oddly out of character.

[sdedalus]

Sam, you nailed what I still have problems with about John Ford, his desire to be complex while always copping out to the audience friendly solution. Maybe you'd be better off with Howard Hawks stuff like Red River.

Haven't seen that for awhile, have you?


I think the ending of The Searchers is fully earned, both in its happiness and its complexity.  I'm surprised that you'd read it as Wayne being able to reside in the safe comfortable place in the end, considering he explicitly does not get to return to the home in the final shot, but is instead left outside the family unit.

I also certainly don't think the film ever justifies the racism the white people show against the Indians, which you characterize as "The film slid(ing) back into the easy place where it becomes clear to denote good and evil, right and wrong and see that in the end, those Comanches had it coming and by golly, good thing those cowboys showed up when they did."  There are evil Indians to be sure, but good ones as well, same with the white people.

[Sam the Cinema Snob]

I'm not sure how people are reading that I think Wayne gets the happy ending, I'm just saying that he still gets to be the hero. And yes, he can't be a part of the family unit, but I that's an actual trope of the Western Genre, the hero's inability to be part of the society he saves.

[sdedalus]

Maybe I'm misinterpreting this?

I certainly appreciate that films like this began to complicate the Western, but if you can’t follow through on the setup, all the audience is going to remember is how great it was to get the happy ending and how Wayne can still reside in the safe place of comfortable here, instead of the ending that surprised them and forced them to reevaluate what they expect from the Western.

[Sam the Cinema Snob]

Part of that is my grammar sucking, I've really not been keen on some of the stuff I've written lately, I need to start going through it more rigorously. Part of it just bad wording.

Does this make more sense:

but if you can’t follow through on the setup, all the audience is going to remember is how great it was to get the happy ending and how Wayne can fulfill the hero role, instead of the ending that surprised them and forced them to reevaluate what they expect from the Western.

All this talk, and a piece roujin linked me, has me tempted to revisit this film on bluray.


In any case, I'm gonna keep moving forward for now with:

Sullivan's Travels

Sometimes, the destination is better than the journey.

[sdedalus]

Ah, gotcha.  That makes more sense.

I still think the happy ending works.  Ethan evolves as the film goes on: it's his relationship with Marty that tempers his racism.  Plus finally seeing debbie in person, and recognizing that she's still the same girl, is enough for him to gain a degree of sanity.

[Sam the Cinema Snob]

I guess I wouldn't have a problem with that if there wasn't the whole scene at the river. Maybe I just wasn't paying enough attention to the last act to notice that. I did see the Wayne character begin to become vulnerable, but not to the extent that the ending seems to suggest.

[sdedalus]

I think it definitely is a film that grows with repeat viewings.  I hope you do give it another try sometime.

[oldkid]

What you wrote about Sullivan's Travels is exactly my read of it.

[Sam the Cinema Snob]

The Flowers of St. Francis

Escapist entertainment at its finest!