Blog Update: Lent Reviews 2020

     Well it's that time of year again. For the past 6 years I have done weekly reviews of Religious movies throughout the season of Lent. I'm pleased to announce that I'll be doing this once again for the 7th year in a row. As usual my reviews of secular movies will be put on hold until after Easter.

     Stay tuned!

Fat Tuesday Special: The Tall T (1957) (Western Wednesdays)

     The Tall T was released on April 2nd, 1957. Directed by Budd Boetticher and written by Burt Kennedy it is the first film (or second if you count Seven Men From Now) in the Ranown cycle, named for producer Harry Joe Brown and star Randolph Scott. Here Scott plays Pat Brennan, a former ramrod who is trying to start his own place. On the stage into town Pat and the passengers are waylaid by a group of outlaws, led by Richard Boone's Frank Usher, who decide to hold Doretta Mims (Maureen O'Sullivan) for ransom when they discover that she is the daughter of a wealthy copper miner.

     As in their first collaboration, Seven Men From Now, Boetticher and Kennedy use the genre to explore masculinity in The Tall T. Usher despises the company of his two reprobate companions, the naive Billy Jack (Skip Homeier) and the sadistic, unhinged Chink (Henry Silva). He looks up to Brennan (not unlike Lee Marvin's character from Seven Men), who he envies for his independence and respects for his honor. Usher fancies himself an honorable thief, someone who might have been good friends with Pat under different circumstances, but Brennan sees through him. A man who wouldn't hesitate to kill innocent people just to make a quick buck is fooling himself if he thinks that there is but a slim difference between him and the rancher.

     In many ways, men in Boetticher films are defined by the way they treat women. Pat is the only character to treat Mrs. Mims with care and respect. He recognizes that her new husband Willard (John Hubbard) is coward who only married her for her money, but does not tell her in order to spare her feelings. Usher is disgusted by Willard, who informs him about her fathers fortune in order to save his own skin. Usher also expresses disdain toward Doretta, remarking how "plain" she looks, Billy and Chink share this sentiment. Nonetheless, Frank expresses a desire to be married himself,
telling Brennan, "Ain't right for a man to be alone."

     Of course Pat and Doretta eventually fall for each other (after her husband is killed and his cowardly betrayal revealed) in a scene that is slightly uncomfortable when viewed today. Brennan tells her "Sometimes you got to walk up and take what you want." and then rather forcefully kisses her. To be fair, the implication is that both characters are giving in to their feelings for each other, but the way it's presented is a little "rapey", for lack of a better word. Nonetheless, Doretta Mims is actually a fully realized character, despite spending much of the film in helpless self pity. She is able, with some encouragement from Brennan, to pull herself together and help him take down the gang. When he tells her to run away during the climax, she refuses, preferring to stay and help him.

     Boetticher directs with his usual sense of clarity and austerity. The cinematography by Charles Lawton, Jr. wonderfully captures the starkness of Lone Pine California, a location which perfectly fits the bleak story. This is an unusually violent and sexually explicit film for 1950's Hollywood. There's a decent amount of blood and the violent and sexual acts which are implied must have been shocking in 1957. Burt Kennedy's script is wonderfully frank. The male characters express their opinions freely and bluntly. Only in the scenes between Pat and Doretta is there a sense of tactfulness, one which disappears after Willard is killed.

     The cast is great all around. Randolph Scott brings his usual sense of taciturn, reserved coolness to the role of Pat Brennan. He's a likable guy but not someone you'd want to cross. He has good chemistry with his fellow actors especially Richard Boone and also Maureen O'Sullivan, who's actually pretty close to his age for once. O'Sullivan really breathes life into the frail, homely daughter of a rich miner, who finds eventually her courage. John Hubbard is suitably slimy as the cowardly, conniving husband who only married Doretta for her money and abandons her without a second thought. Richard Boone is magnificent as Frank Usher, another strangely compelling Boetticher villain. Skip Homeier and Henry Silva are, at times, unsettling as his good-for-nothing henchmen. Finally, Arthur Hunnicutt is his usual grizzled self as Rintoon, the stage driver with an attitude.

     The Tall T is a great western. With a sharp, nuanced script, economical direction and solid performances, this is one of Boetticher's best.

Score: 9/10

Fat Tuesday Special: Sword of the Stranger (2007) (Saturday Evening Cartoons)

     Sword of the Stranger was released on September 29th, 2007. Directed by Masahiro Andō and written by Fumihiko Takayama it is produced by the Japanese animation studio Bones (Fullmetal Alchemist). In it a young boy named Kotaro (Yuuri Chinen) and his dog, Tobimaru escapes from mysterious pursuers with the help of a ronin named Nanashi (Tomoya Nagase).

     Sword of the Stranger has a rather complicated plot. Taking place in the Sengoku period, a time of civil war in Japan, it involves several competing factions and our main characters are stuck in the middle of the conflict. On one hand there are the Chinese Ming warriors serving under Master Bai-Luan (Atsushi Ii) who are under orders from the Emperor to capture Kotaro and use his blood to create an elixir of immortality. Then there's the shogun Lord Akaike (Unshou Ishizuka), who plans to capture Kotaro himself and hold him for ransom. Serving under Akaike is Shogen Itadori (Akio Ōtsuka) who has ambitions to become a feudal lord himself. The film does a good job juggling all these threads while keeping the story centered on Kotaro and Nanashi.

     Nanashi is an really interesting character. At first he appears to be a fairly typical sword-for-hire, only interested in profit. He only agrees to help Kotaro get the wounded Tobimaru to a doctor when he is offered a substantial reward. As the film progresses we are given hints that he has a more complicated backstory. We find out that he was the sole survivor of a shipwreck and doesn't even know his true name (Nanashi means nameless). A foreigner, he dies his red hair black to blend in with the Japanese population. He has served as a samurai in a province which no longer exists, and received many scars in battle. It is later revealed (via flashback) that he once executed two children, after which he swore to never unsheathe his sword again. He breaks this vow to save Kotaro when he is captured by the Ming, redeeming himself in the process.

     Contrasting Nanashi is Luo-Lang (Kōichi Yamadera), a European mercenary working for the Ming. Though also brave he is completely self serving. The only thing he cares about is finding an opponent worthy of his skill. Shogen Itadori is also a highly skilled self serving figure. Between the three the film explores masculinity, honor, and the use of power. Itadori uses his strength and skills to advance his own power and position, Luo-Lang to challenge himself, and Nanashi to protect others. Other characters, like Lord Akaike and Master Bai-Luan, are without any sense of honor and simply use others to further their own ends.

     The film also explores loyalty. At the beginning of the film, the monk Shouan tells Kotaro to seek help from Master Zekkai (Jun Hasumi) at the Mangaku temple. When Zekkai decides to betray Kotaro to the Ming in order to protect their sect, Shouan protests, insisting that it is against the tenets of Buddhism, but goes along with his master's will. Later when the Ming take Kotaro and Nanashi questions Shouan, he expresses regret for his actions and ultimately hangs himself in shame. He put his loyalty above his conscience. Similarly, Nanashi was left mentally scarred because he obeyed his lord and murdered innocents. Itadori and Luo-Lang, on the other hand, shows no loyalty at all to their masters unless it serves their own ends.

     Despite it's complicated plot, Sword of the Stranger is a fast paced and it's story is told with great economy. It's a violent film and the action scenes are handled really well. Copious amounts of blood are spilled, limbs are hacked off, even horses are slain left and right. The animation is dynamic, especially in the use of light and shadow. The backgrounds are breathtaking at times, the sweeping vistas, along with the stirring score by Naoki Satō, offering a welcome relief from all the carnage.

     Fast paced, action packed, and featuring a strong story and wonderful animation Sword of the Stranger is an underrated anime.

Score: 9/10

Fat Tuesday Special: Funny Face (1957) (Musical Mondays)

     Funny Face was released on February 13th, 1957. Directed by Stanley Donen, it stars Audrey Hepburn as Jo Stockton, a shy bookstore assistant and amateur philosopher, who is swept up into the fashion industry by photographer Dick Avery (Fred Astaire). Initially put off by Avery and his fashion magazine's frenetic ways, Jo is convinced to become the company's new model when Dick indicates that they will be going to Paris, where her favorite philosopher lives, to shoot pictures for Quality magazine.

     What I found interesting here was the clash between American consumerism, represented by Avery and the fashion industry, and continental philosophy, represented by Jo and her empathicalism (there's also passing references to Jean Paul Sartre). These are two forces which have, over the past century, all but destroyed western culture. Here they are both presented as frivolous trends. In 1957 no one could have imagined the cultural impact these things would have. Nevertheless, the film has a healthy awareness about how empty both the fashion industry and Jo's philosophy are. This becomes especially apparent when the action shifts from Manhattan to Paris, a city filled to the brim with signs of real history and culture.

     In many ways it's the clash of worldviews that provides the impetus for Dick and Jo's blooming romance. Both have something the other needs. Dick, with his rather empty, frantic lifestyle benefits from Jo's love of life and contemplative nature while she benefits from Dick's strong work ethic and no-nonsense attitude. When the two begin there photo-shoot, Jo is quickly swept up in the glitz and glamour of the thing but when they go to the Château de la Reine Blanche, a lovely chapel situated on a pictereseque riverfront, she becomes agitated. Dressed in a wedding gown, standing in front of the church, she begins to long for something deeper and more meaningful. It's in this scene that she and Dick finally admit their feelings for each other. The film returns to this location at the end, where the two make up after a bitter quarrel, again suggesting something truly lasting: a marriage.

     Of course, as much I find these ideas fascinating, the filmmakers were not really interested in exploring them. The real reason this film exists is to function as a vehicle for the song and dance numbers, and they are pretty terrific. Stanley Donen, the director of such classics as Singin' in the Rain and Seven Brides for Seven Brothers definitely knows how to direct a musical. Astaire's talents as a dancer are well utilized, particularly during "Let's Kiss and Make Up". Hepburn's natural charm and energy are also fully on display especially in her dancing scene at the cafe. Hepburn and Astaire's relationship is surprisingly charming despite the nearly 30 year age gap between the actors.

     Five of the songs ("How Long Has This Been Going On?", "Funny Face", "He Loves and She Loves", "Let's Kiss and Make Up", and "'S Wonderful") are lifted from the 1927 Broadway Musical of the same name (which also starred Astaire but bears little resemblance to this film) and are written by George and Ira Gershwin. These are all uniformly great with energetic, jazzy rhythms and quirky, often clipped lyrics beautifully delivered by Hepburn and Astaire. The other songs ("Think Pink!", "Bonjour, Paris!", "Basal Metabolism", and "On How to Be Lovely"), written by Roger Edens and Leonard Gershe, fair less well in comparison but are not bad by any stretch.

     The cinematography by Ray June and set design by Sam Comer and Ray Moyer (who also worked on Breakfast at Tiffany's, Sunset Boulevard and The Ten Commandments among many others) is simply amazing. Visually the film is a sort of fashion magazine cover brought to life and the contrast created between the sterile, mod aesthetic of Quality's New York headquarters with the picturesque, classical quality of Paris is striking.

     Though it flirts with some deeper ideas, in the end, Funny Face is simply a really well made musical, one of the last of the classic Hollywood era.

Score: 9/10

Western Wednesdays: The Kid (2019)

     The Kid was released on March 8th, 2019. Directed by Vincent D'Onofrio, who also co-wrote the film with Andrew Lanham the film stars Jake Schur as Rio Cutler, a young boy who gets caught up in the conflict between Pat Garrett (Ethan Hawke) and Billy the Kid (Dane DeHaan) after murdering his abusive father and fleeing the scene along with his older sister Leila George's Sara Cutler.

     "A man's wrongs matter," Pat Garrett tells a young Rio Cutler early in the film, "but there's nothing as important as what he does next." This is in many way the central theme in the film. Violence matters, it leaves a mark, a psychological impact, that doesn't just go away. A man has to live with the violence he commits. Thematically The Kid is a very traditional western, one that explores the consequences and, ultimately, the necessity of violence in an imperfect world. In the film's opening scene Rio commits his first act of violence. We later hear about the first killing committed by both Pat and Billy recounted in their own words. Each man is shaped by what they did, for better or for worse.

     Rio is at first horrified that he has killed his father. His sister Sara tells him, "What you did, Rio, you had to do. You saved our lives." As the film goes on Rio continues to wrestle with what he's done. He is attracted to Billy at first in part because the outlaw seems so indifferent about his violent past. It is only in the climax that he finally comes to terms with the necessity of his act and is able to kill a second time, giving his uncle Grant (an almost unrecognizable Chris Pratt) his just deserts.

     Dane DeHaan's Billy is a man of contradictions. He's a violent man who can't escape his past but he seems to take things in stride, supremely confident that he will continue to elude justice. These qualities attract Rio to him. He seems to live up to the legend. Eventually we find that he's a far more vulnerable and regretful man then he at first appears. He tells Rio about the first man he killed and how it felt like "a part of me, pulled straight from my chest. This long, unendin' thing of my soul." The reason he has no fear is because nothing matters to him anymore.

     As portrayed by Ethan Hawke, Pat Garrrett is at first a bit of a mystery. When we first meet him he is calmly shaving himself while his men keep Billy and his gang pinned down in a shack. Afterwards, he is disturbed to learn that the man who agreed to turn Billy in was killed during the shootout. He appears to be an honorable man, taking Billy to Lincoln County for a trial despite opposition from Sheriff Romero (D'Onofrio) and his men who would like to see him hanged in Sante Fe. Like James Coburn in Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid, Garrett seems constantly at odds with himself here. Unlike Peckinpah's character however Hawke's Pat is not a mercenary concerned with his place in the "new west" but a man torn between his duty to the law and his personal conscience. When, in his absence,  Billy escapes and one of his men is killed, the Sheriff finally decides to kill his old acquaintance, rather then risk more bloodshed. By the end of the film his presence is reassuring. Having taken the high road he is determined to help Rio reunite with his sister.

     It's here that another theme emerges. After he kills Billy, Garrett tells his deputy, "I shot Billy the Kid" and there is a sense of importance in this rather banal statement. Pat understands that this will be his legacy and so he tells Grant Cutler, as the two are facing off, "It doesn't matter what's true. It matters the story they tell when you're gone!" This of course hearkens back to that classic western idea, best exemplified in John Ford's The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance that the judgement of history is based on legend as much as fact. If Grant runs away at this point, it will ultimately be viewed as cowardice in the face of the legendary lawman Pat Garrett.

     As much as I liked the film, I have to admit it is terribly flawed. In general, the film is not too subtle in the way it presents it's themes and, while this is helpful when writing a review, it can be rather heavy handed when watching the movie. There's also occasionally out of place and overly contemporary sounding dialogue (Billy says "Come on man" when asking the deputy to be let out to relieve himself). The pacing is really erratic at times. When Rio and Sara decide to stay in Sante Fe they are accosted, almost immediately, by Grant, who takes her away. Then, in a scene that feels like it takes place the next morning, Billy's companion Dave, who is about to be hung, gives Rio a message from Billy, telling him that Billy knows where Grant has taken Sara. Obviously a great deal of time must have past in order for this message to be delivered, but there is no transition to suggest this. In addition to this, the fact that Billy, who is in jail, just happened to obtain this information is incredibly contrived.

     Nevertheless, this is a well made western. The cast is terrific all around, especially Hawke and DeHaan, who both breath a lot of life into these well worn characters. The cinematography by Matthew J. Lloyd is excellent and D'Onofrio's unobtrusive direction allows the story to play out economically. There is a real clarity to the action which is told largely in wide shots, while the conversations are all done in intense closeups and mediums. The authentic costume and set design lend the otherwise philosophical film a sense of realism and history.

     All in all The Kid is a much better film then it's reputation would suggest despite its flaws.

Score: 8/10

Saturday Evening Cartoons: Lilo and Stitch (2002)

     Lilo and Stitch was released on June 16th, 2002. It is written and directed by Chris Sanders and Dean DeBlois (who would go on to create How to Train Your Dragon). It tells the story of Lilo (voiced by Daveigh Chase), a young Hawaiian girl living with her older sister, who adopts a pet she names Stitch (voiced by director Chris Sanders) who, it turns out, is actually an alien creature.

     Lilo and Stitch is, essentially a marriage of two plots, one of them heightened and over-the-top and the other relatable and down-to-earth. On the one hand there is Stitch's (known as experiment 262 on his planet) escape from an alien holding cell where he is being kept by the Galactic Federation as he is considered a dangerous and illegal genetic experiment. His creator, Dr. Jumba Jookiba (voiced by David Ogden Stiers) is sent to earth to retrieve him, along with the bumbling Agent Pleakley (voiced by Kevin McDonald), the Council's expert on Earth. On the other hand there is Lilo's relationship with her sister and guardian Nani (voiced by Tia Carrere). Nani struggles to provide and care for Lilo, who eccentricities often get her into trouble. When she loses her job at a local restaurant after an incident with Stitch, a social worker (voiced by Ving Rhames) threatens to take Lilo away if she can't find a new job. On paper this shouldn't work but somehow it does.

     The relationship between Lilo and Nani is really well done and heartwarming. It's rare to see a sisterly relationship portrayed so well in a major motion picture. Everything Nani does is to help ensure that her and Lilo can stay together despite the fact that Lilo and Stitch keep thwarting her unintentionally. The film was made during an economic downturn in Hawaii and the story touches on this in Nani's struggle to get a job to support her and her orphaned sister. The film handles it weighty subject matter with real aplomb. There is a sense of pain and loss beneath the film's cheery demear but it is very subtle, working more as subtext then an explicit theme.

     The antics with Stitch,  Dr. Jumba and Agent Pleakley stand in direct contrast to this. Though I would argue that the film spends a little too much time with them, at their best, these scenes are filled to the brim with manic energy and hilarious slapstick and call to mind absurdist sci-fi comedies like The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy and, especially, Men in Black. At the same time Stitch's own story arc is weaved brilliantly into Nani and Lilo's. When he is first adopted by Lilo, Stitch is simply a monster trying to escape his creators. He delights in causing mayhem and destruction. Through the course of the film however he begins to form a real relationship with Lilo, and to yearn for something greater then what he was created for: a family. Similarly, just as Ving Rhames' Cobra Bubbles eventually realizes that Lilo and Nani belong together despite their flaws, so also the Galactic Council begins to see that Stitch is more then just a mad scientist experiment.

     The voice actors all do a wonderful job with the material. Daveigh Chase, who was only eleven when this film was released, brings a lot of youthful energy to Lilo (In some ways the film is reminiscent of the Peanuts shorts, which also featured child voice actors). Tia Carrere's portrayal of Nani is really endearing and sympathetic, she is the film's protagonist in many ways despite her name not being in the title. Chris Sanders brings a lot of manic energy to Stitch, as do David Ogden Stiers and Kevin McDonald as Jumba and Pleakley. Ving Rhames is perfectly cast as Cobra Bubbles, the former CIA agent turned social worker. Jason Scott Lee rounds out the cast David Kawena, Nani's supportive (and often neglected) boyfriend.

     Lilo and Stitch has a really unique animation style. Because the film had a smaller budget than many of the studio's other output at the time, the pre-production team was relatively small, and they were isolated from Disney's upper management until the film went into full production. This allowed the filmmakers an unusual amount of freedom for a Disney feature. Director Chris Sanders's own personal artistic style was used for the characters and set design. He and co-director Dean DeBlois decided to use watercolor painted backgrounds for the film in lieu of the gouache technique which had been the standard for the studio since the late 40's. The result is a film that is more bright and colorful and much more distinctive looking then most of it's contemporaries.

     Lilo and Stitch is one of the the most creative and genuinely moving films I've seen in a long time. Highly recommended!

Score: 9/10

Western Wednesdays: Fort Yuma (1955)

     Fort Yuma was released on October 4th, 1955. It is directed by Lesley Selander (a filmmaker who got his start in series westerns) and written by Danny Arnold. In it a column of Calvary lead by Peter Graves' Lt. Ben Keegan travels to Fort Yuma to deliver supplies and ammunition in anticipation of an attack by the Apache.

     Fort Yuma is a much darker and more subversive film then I expected. Lt. Keegan is terribly racist, seeing the Apache as little more then animals but his commander (Addison Richards' General Crook) hopes to challenge his views, believing that peaceful co-existence with the Indians is the only way forward. He saddles Keegan with an Apache scout (John Hudson's Sgt. Jonas) despite his objections. Also along for the ride are Jonas' sister Francesca (Joan Taylor), who is in love with Keegan, and a missionary woman (Joan Vohs' Melanie Crown) who disapproves of Keegan's attitude and hopes to make friends with the Apache brother and sister. The relationship between these four characters is surprisingly complex.

     Keegan seems to have feelings for Francesca but his hatred of the Apache prevents him from admitting this, perhaps even to himself. Jonas disapproves of their relationship, believing (with good reason) that Keegan doesn't respect his sister and is with her only to fulfill his lustful desires. Jonas is is very conflicted character himself, believing that the Apache are wrong to fight the whites but feeling guilty for fighting against them. Melanie is, at first, rather naive in her perception of the Apaches. Her attempts to befriend Francesca are rebuffed as she sees the missionary as ignorant and her actions as patronizing. Jonas feels the same way at first but eventually begins to soften to her.

      The supporting characters are not without depth either. William 'Bill' Phillips as Sgt. Milo Hallock and James O'Hara as Cpl. Taylor serve as the film's comic relief but Hallock, in particular, is far from a simpleton. The sergeant desperately wants to become a Lieutenant but his lack of education prevents this. The Apache chief who decides to attack Fort Yuma (Abel Fernandez's Mangas) is even fleshed out to some extent. The film opens with he and his father coming to the fort to make peace when the chief is killed by a crazed white man. This action angers Mangas, who decides to attack the fort in retaliation. Though it's a bit contrived I appreciate that the film gives Mangas an understandable motivation for his actions, even if it sidesteps the larger issues of Native rights.

     This movie does not shy away from the brutality of the conflict. The film is quite violent at times for a movie made in 1955. There's a fair amount of blood and there's also a scene where an Apache is hanged under Keegan's orders. Most of the troop is massacred on the way to the fort and the deaths of Hallock and Taylor in particular are quite callous. Fort Yuma was originally denied a seal from the Production Code Administration and many scenes were edited or removed entirely in order to obtain approval. Among the deleted scenes were one where a man is torn apart by horses and a scene where Apache corpses are seen swaying from tree limbs.

     Salender directs with real vigor and the action scenes are routinely great (a few awkward hand-to-hand fights excepted). He also knows when to slow the film down and some of the more dramatic moments are handled in a subtle, quiet manner. The acting is solid all around and Gordon Avil's rugged cinematography fits the film perfectly. The films biggest weakness is it's occasional lack of subtlety. Danny Arnold's script, though wonderfully nuanced in some ways, comes across a little didactic at times. Paul Dunlap's score is also a little overbearing and generally innocuous.

     Fort Yuma is really underrated western. It's a bit rough around the edges to be sure but it's well worth checking out for it's tight direction and complex story.

Score: 8/10