2016 Blind Spot Series: “Paths of Glory”

February 21, 2016 by Keith Garlington

It was 1957’s “Paths of Glory” that first placed Stanley Kubrick among cinema’s prominent directors. It was his first true commercial success and critics praised it for its bold and unflinching anti-war message. But not everyone loved it. In a very crafty way the film would be banned in France until 1975 due to its depiction of the French military and government. In some ways you could say that is a testament to the power of its message.

The film is based on a 1935 novel by Humphrey Cobbs. MGM heads were impressed with Kubrick’s previous film “The Killing”so they hired him to write and direct a film which would later become “Paths of Glory”. But the project was almost derailed by MGM’s reluctance to finance another war picture. That changed when new heads were brought in and Kubrick was able to entice Kurt Douglas to star in the film. He and his production buddy James B. Harris were then given the green light.

The story is tight and straightforward. It’s about a French military unit led by Colonel Dax (Kirk Douglas) who are given an impossible mission. General Mireau (George Macready) is offered a nice promotion by his superior General Broulard (Adolphe Menjou) in exchange for taking a German fortification known as the Anthill. That would require Mireau’s men led by Colonel Dax to sustain substantial casualties.

There is a great early scene where Mireau weighs the loss of so many soldiers against the glory of a new promotion. In a cold and callous conversation he and Broulard estimate as many as 55 percent of Dax’s men would lose their lives. For Mireau it’s a worthy risk especially when the personal gain is so significant. He agrees to the mission knowing the costs but also aware of the probability of failure.

I won’t give too much away, but suffice it to say the mission goes poorly and a livid General Mireau takes action to protect his reputation and his promotion. Colonel Dax who has fought for his men on the battlefield now finds himself fighting for them in a kangaroo court of French military officers hungry to make examples. In many ways this battle is more appalling and vicious than the one on the battlefields. In one scene a general causally reasons “One way to maintain discipline is to shoot a man now and then.”

There are several different ways this movie could have went but Kubrick deserve credit for not caving in to a more conventional approach. I think I have been wired by many contemporary filmmakers to expect the routine and the predictable. Here Kubrick stays true to the film’s intent by not wimping out and abandoning the story’s sharp and pointed commentary. To have done differently would have dulled the edge and made this a much lesser picture.

The film also excels thanks to Kubrick’s visual choices particularly his decision to shoot in black and white. It is perfect considering the harshness of the material and the morally murky waters we navigate through. There are also a number of scenes that stand out due to Kubrick’s cameras. The well known battle sequence was shot with six cameras placed around a huge war-torn battlefield. It offers up one of the most intensely arresting war scenes you’ll see.

The ending is a bit of a strange shift that may at first catch you off guard. It features a young German woman singing a song to Dax’s men in a small club (the woman is Christiane Harlan who later married Kubrick). Within this scene is a subtle shift in mood that works perfectly as a conclusion to this story. It’s a satisfying fit with Kubrick’s fluid and economic storytelling and it ends this powerful film with a poignant prick of the heart.

VERDICT – 4 STARS

5 PHENOMENAL MOVIES FROM 1980

August 27, 2012 by Keith Garlington

A few weeks ago I decided to do a Phenomenal 5 centered around the movies of 1987. The choice of the year was completely random but it was a fun list to do. So staying in the 80’s, I’ve decided to look at 5 phenomenal movies from 1980. Over the next several months I plan on sprinkling in several of these lists that look at the best movies the years had to offer. So let’s get started. Naturally, when you’re dealing with an entire year’s worth of movies there are plenty to choose from. Therefore it would be pretty crazy to call this the definitive list. But there’s no doubting that these 5 movies from 1980 are absolutely phenomenal.

#5 – “FRIDAY THE 13TH”

Over time the “Friday the 13th” series became more of a cinematic joke. To be fair, it has been loved by its large number of fans and completely brushed aside by others. It’s sometimes easy to forget that the series was launched by a pretty solid first movie that set the table for Jason Vorhees and his appetite for killing brain-dead teenagers as well as a whole genre of rather mindless slasher flicks. But in the original it’s all about his mother and this first film probably features more genuine scares than the other movies combined. It’s not a flawless movie by any stretch but it is a significant movie for horror fans.

#4 – “THE BLUES BROTHERS”

When I first saw John Belushi and Dan Aykroyd as Jake and Elwood Blues I was just a kid. But I remember thinking they were both hilarious and extremely cool. “The Blues Brothers” is one part comedy, one part musical, and one part amazing, blow you away, car chase. The brothers are trying hard to save the orphanage they grew up in from being closed down. Their “mission from God” puts them at odds with neo-nazis, a crazed bazooka-wielding Carrie Fisher, and every single Illinois law enforcement officer in the state. The result is a wonderful and wild ride that’s still fun today.

#3 – “AIRPLANE!”

“Airplane!” remains to this day one of my favorite comedies of all time. It’s absurd, brash, and over-the-top and I love it. The hilarious cast makes this nutty material work, none better than Leslie Nielsen, Peter Graves, and Lloyd Bridges. “Airplane!” is a steady barrage of corny jokes and gags and the movie never (and I do mean never) takes itself seriously. This parody of the big-budget disaster pictures is still funny today and I can’t name a modern comedy that comes anywhere close to delivering the laughs of this true comedy classic.

#2 – “THE SHINING”

While I’m not a big Stanley Kubrick fan, he knocks it out of the park with the chilling horror thriller “The Shining”. Jack Nicholson shines as the caretaker of a creepy hotel with a very disturbing history. He and his family are trapped in the hotel after a huge snowstorm and soon the supernatural presence sensed by his ESP endowed son makes itself known. “The Shining” features so many memorable scenes and it’s still as spooky as when I first saw it. This is one of the best adaptations of a Stephen King novel and even though it was met with very mixed reviews at first, it’s now considered a horror classic.

#1 – “THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK”

Call me a fanboy, I don’t care. But for my money, “The Empire Strikes Back” is one of the greatest sequels in cinema history. Yes, I’m a huge Star Wars fan so my judgement may be tainted, but this film blew me away when it first hit the theaters in 1980. In fact, I was only 9 years old but I still remember seeing it on the big screen and being amazed by the special effects and deeply wounded by the sad and up-in-the-air ending. But there is a great story that unfolds as the movie progresses and for me this was the film that really gave the series a sense of weighty importance. I’ve seen this movie so many times and if I’m surfing the channels and see it on TV, I’m probably going to stop and watch it again. It’s that good.

There ya go – 5 phenomenal movies from the year 1980. What did I miss. Hey, even if you weren’t born then you’ve probably seen several that I didn’t mention. Please take time to share your thoughts.

MOVIE CONFESSIONS

July 27, 2012 by Keith Garlington

Well Nostra over at My Filmviews is at it again. The master blogathoner has put together a little thing called “Movie Confessions”. It’s a chance for movie fans to come clean and answer a series of questions that expose some of their cinema shortcomings as well as their past cinema vices. So I thought I should get in on the action. Nostra has asked and here are my answers:

1. Which classic movie don’t you like/can’t enjoy and why?

There are several that could easily be mentioned here – “Easy Rider”, “Toy Story 3”, “Fight Club”. But the main movie that instantly came to mind was Stanly Kubrick’s “A Clockwork Orange”. This is a movie that’s considered monumental for the science fiction genre but I thoroughly detest it, and I’m a huge sci-fi guy! I’ve tried on three different occasions to watch it all the way through and to see what all of the hype was about but I just can’t. Kubrick’s blabbering self-indulgence didn’t work for me at all and I don’t see myself trying to watch it again. I know most consider it a great film and it’s certainly garnered it’s share of accolades, but I promise you, it’ll never make my list of favorite movies.

2. Which ten classic movies haven’t you seen yet?

Sigh. To my shame, I’ve yet to catch “Lawrence”

Gulp! This was the question that I feared the most (Nostra, how could you ask such a question?). Anyway, here it goes:

“Singin’ in the Rain” (Sorry, I HATE musicals)
“Lawrence of Arabia” (I’ve seen bits but not enough to say I’ve seen it)
“My Fair Lady” (Yes, another musical. I’m sorry, ok!)
“All the President’s Men” (This just never appealed to me. I know, no excuse.)
“West Side Story” (Sense a trend here?)
“East of Eden” (Dean’s first major role. Again, I have no excuse.)
“The Lion King” (I’m always slow to animated features. It’s to my shame.)
“Dr. Zhivago” (Incredibly popular yet I’ve never seen it.)
“A Streetcar Named Desire” (Another that I haven’t seen enough of to say I have.)
Any of the “Harry Potter” films (It’s true…yes, it’s true.)

3. Have you ever sneaked into another movie at the cinema?

No. At least not to sit in and watch a full movie. Now I have walked into another room just to see what was happening on the screen. But I’ve never sneaked into a theater or another movie without paying. My hands are clean!

4. Which actor/actress do you think is overrated?

There are several actresses and actors that come to mind. Julia Roberts is certainly one. While she hasn’t been as big lately, she’s still considered a wonderful actress and honestly, I can’t see it. She’s a one-trick pony and so often her roles are just variations of the same performance. Jennifer Aniston is even more overrated. Sure she has the looks but at some point you have to be able to act. I think the roles she’s taking points to her serious lack of acting chops. But ahead of them both would be Angelina Jolie. Talk about someone getting roles for her looks alone (and now even her looks are long gone). She has flirted with decent performances but I’ve yet to see her do anything to warrant the attention she gets.

As far as actors go, Will Ferrell is popular and he seems to be a “love him or hate him” kinda guy. I’ve yet to see anything that earns him the praise he often gets. Worse than Ferrell is Seth Rogan. I know that since I don’t like raunchy comedies he naturally isn’t going to appeal to me, but does he really ever do anything else. Not only is he one-dimensional but I find him extremely annoying. But above all is Ashton Kutcher. Sure, I know he’s mainly reserved for TV these days but he still is a big attention-getter and people really like him. WHY? How does this guy have an acting career. I’ll never understand his popularity.

5. From which big director have you never seen any movie (and why)?

This one was really tough because I have seen films from most of the great directors. But one classic director that I have yet to see a film by is the Italian great Federico Fellini. He’s a highly accomplished and stylish film director and a winner of five Academy Awards. The sad part is that I have no good reason for not seeing any of his films, especially “8 1/2”, a movie that has been in my Netflix queue for months and months. I should have already watched some films made by this influential director.

6. Which movie do you love, but is generally hated?

Yes, I love “The Time Machine”. What of it?

One movie that comes to mind is “The Time Machine”. Now I’m not talking George Pal’s movie from 1960. I’m speaking of the 2002 film directed by Simon Wells and starring Guy Pearce. This adaptation from the H.G. Wells classic was generally panned by critics (its Rotten Tomatoes standing is an abysmal 29%) and by moviegoers alike, but I truly love the film. I whole-heartedly concede that the special effects in the second half of the film aren’t the best. But I still think Pearce was wonderful, the storytelling is strong, and it features a great score. And I still get a warm and almost misty feeling during the wonderful final scene. Yes, I know I’m one of the few, but I loved this version of “The Time Machine”.

7. Have you ever been “one of those annoying people” at the cinema?

I can honestly say no. My mom and dad began taking me to the theater at a very young age. They pretty much taught me early to be quiet, watch the movie, and not ruin it for others. That even stuck with me through my doofus teen years. And still to this day, I can’t stand people talking or being disruptive during a movie. It drives me crazy.

8. Did you ever watch a movie, which you knew in advance would be bad, just because of a specific actor/actress was in it? Which one and why?

Oh yes! I am a HUGE Humphrey Bogart fan. I have the majority of his films in my collection and there were a lot of them. I have even some of his older low-budget pictures and movies where he played only a small part. Some were, to be honest, real stinkers but I not only watched them but added them to my Bogart collection. Yes, I’ve actually watched films such as “Isle of Fury” and “The Return of Doctor X” solely due to Bogart’s participation.

9. Did you ever not watch a specific movie because it had subtitles?

I’m not going to say I never have, but as a big fan of foreign cinema, subtitles don’t bother me at all. In fact, I would rather there be subtitles that English voice-overs which do more to take away from the film than help it. So for me, subtitles are no problem at all.

10. Are there any movies in your collection that you have had for more than five years and never watched?

Hmmm, yes I have DVDs that I own and haven’t watched but they aren’t movies that I haven’t watched. These are DVDs of movies I have seen before but have never watched my copy. I’ve seen them but may have found them on DVD really cheap or they were given to me. But I don’t think I have a single movie that I haven’t at least seen.

11. Which are the worst movies in your collection and why do you still own them?

Yep, that’s “Van Helsing”!

I mentioned some of the earlier Bogart movies that are pretty terrible but I have them because they are Bogart films. But after briefly looking at my collection there were a handful of others that stood out. Movies like “The 13th Warrior” . I’ve watched it but never again. Then there is the Kevin Sorbo “Kull” movie. I’m not sure why I even bought it. Oh, and how about “Van Helsing” . Kate Beckinsale is in it so there’s the only reason for owning it….maybe.

12. Do you have any confessions about your movie watching setup at home?

I wouldn’t say there is anything I want to confess about it, but it works good for me. I have a 55-inch HD TV, a Playstation 3 for my Blu-Ray and DVD player, and Direct-TV’s HD package. That’s really it. It’s not the greatest setup but it certainly works for me.

13. Any other confessions you want to make?

Well, I’m definitely not the emotional type but good movies have a way of getting to me. If a film packs an emotional punch that’s well done, I’m certainly vulnerable to watery eyes. It may not be the most macho thing to announce, but it’s the truth.

And there it is. My movie confessions. If you’re interested in more information about Nostra’s blogathon, head over to his blog site My Filmviews . There you can find out how to participate and read the confessions of other movie-oholics like me.