Film 14: Freaks (1932)

Netflix Summary: Director Tod Browning cast authentic circus folk, not actors, in this Greek tragedy about sideshow "freaks." Normal-sized trapeze artist Cleopatra marries diminutive Hans with plans to poison him, take his inheritance and marry the brute Hercules. When the freaks uncover Cleopatra's scheme and Hercules forces himself on an innocent girl, they gang up on the two miscreants. 


From Wikipedia: Freaks began filming in October 1931 and was completed in December. Following disastrous test screenings in January 1932 (one woman threatened to sue MGM, claiming the film had caused her to suffer a miscarriage), the studio cut the picture down from its original 90-minute running time to just over an hour. Much of the sequence of the freaks attacking Cleopatra as she lay under a tree was removed, as well as a gruesome sequence showing Hercules being castrated, a number of comedy sequences, and most of the film's original epilogue. A new prologue featuring a carnival barker was added, as was the new epilogue featuring the reconciliation of the tiny lovers. This shortened version - now only 64 minutes long - had its premiere at the Fox Criterion in Los Angeles on February 20, 1932.

Film Viewing Due Date: 6/9/10

M (1931) Review

Juror #3 says: This is the second time I've watched the film "M" by Fritz Lang.  It has a distinct European style to it, which at times I find awe inspiring in it's subtle pace and movements.  The shot of a balloon caught on a telephone wire, or panning up to an apartment from a playground where children sing a song about a killer.  But there are times in M in which I was bored.  I felt as though a point had been made and we could have easily moved on.  In particular, while demonstrating that everyone in the city was feeling the heat from the police as they chased down the child-killer.  Or when the movie wanted to show desperation by both the police and the mob at being unable to gain a lead on the suspect.  

The film does an amazing job of covering a variety of angles within society, and the effects a disruption like a serial killer would have upon it.  But lets cut to the chase - the film is worth every penny of admission for one scene alone. **spoiler alert**  The child-killer has been captured by an organized crime syndicate and he has been brought to a basement to "stand trial."  He is face-to-face with hundreds of criminals staring at him in silence.  Waiting to tear his limbs off.  Waiting to get their revenge. As the camera pans over the judging faces, in deafening silence, you feel a deep sense of doom for the man standing before them.  The reason I like M so much is that it's one of those films that makes it impossible not to discuss with friends after viewing.  You simply can't finish the film and NOT ask the person to your left, "should he go to a hospital because he's insane?  Or should he receive the death penalty?"  Or the bigger question, "Is he even to blame?" which relates to the last line in the film, "we too, should keep a closer eye on our children."  I have rated this movie 4/5 on Netflix


girl by locker says: Wow. I'm left absolutely speechless at the brilliance of M, and I knew in the opening scene that I was about to witness a masterpiece. Hearing the children singing a song about a killer and panning up to the apartment with Mrs. Beckman waiting for Elsie to arrive home, watching the clock, calling her name all the while watching the child walk away with the murderer. It was horrifying and brilliant and completely sucked me into the movie. 


Peter Lorre did an amazing job as M. His monologue at the end of the movie in which he confesses to killing the children tugged at my heart. I actually felt sorry for him and at the same time I could completely understand his "jury of peers", other criminals the organized crime unit brought together in order to judge. They wanted him dead. They wanted the "monster" to be wiped off the face of the planet so he couldn't take advantage of the system and kill again. Should he live or should he die? I can't answer the question. He's obviously insane and he probably knows how to take advantage of the system.


Aside from the story and the acting, the movie was just beautiful - simple, elegant and with a nice combination of  dialogue and visual "showing." I give this movie and 5 out of 5 on Netflix.

Film 13: M (1931)

Netflix Summary: Director Fritz Lang presents his first "talkie", and cinema's first serial killer, whose central villain was later used in Nazi propaganda films to illustrate the evils of sexual deviance. With a compulsion he can't control, plump pedophile Hans Beckert (Peter Lorre) escapes the eye of the law, but not the wrath of the Berlin underworld being blamed for his crimes.


From Wikipedia: M is supposedly based on the real-life case of serial killer Peter Kürten, the "Vampire of Düsseldorf", whose crimes took place in the 1920s, although Lang denied that he drew from this case. "At the time I decided to use the subject matter of M there were many serial killers terrorizing Germany — Haarmann, Grossmann, Kürten, Denke," Lang told film historian Gero Gandert in a 1963 interview.  Lang and his wife co-wrote the script.



Film Viewing Date: 5/24

Anna Christie (1930) Reviews

Juror #3 says: Immediately after finishing the film I went to my bookshelf and picked out my Eugene O'Neill plays to re-read over the coming weeks.  I love his writing, and it is precisely this writing that makes Anna Christie a compelling, insightful and deep film.  It's clearly theater on film BUT I thought the director did an amazing job of creating a distinct feeling with the set and his camera choices.  The film is about tough people who aren't so tough, and the actors do a very good job playing their roles.  I had never seen a Greta Garbo film yet her entrance in the film gave me chills.  It's amazing how some people have that attribute.  I had a similar feeling when Meryle Streep made her entrance in Woody Allen's Manhattan.  In any case, the film was billed as "Greta Speaks" as it was her first ever speaking role.  And what a role it is.  And what a choice she was to play the role.  I don't know many of the 1930's actresses but I can't imagine many would have been better suited for the role.  And I'd be remiss not to note the amazing performance by the supporting actress Marie Dressler.  I first thought she was a bit over-the-top, that was, until she broke my heart.  

I would love to go into detail about the subject and topics of the film but it would be too long for this blog.  What I can tell you is that Eugene O'Neill has a way with the darker side of humanity and this film touches on a variety of those dark places.  What is exemplary is that O'neil doesn't try to explain it, he just shows it to us and lets it be.  It just is.  If you aren't familiar with Eugene O'Neill's work, do yourself a favor and get a copy of Long Day's Journey into Night, or The Iceman Cometh, or rent this film - Anna Christie.  3/5 stars

girl by locker says: Greta Garbo’s first talking film…and it did not disappoint. There is a lot written on various websites about Anna Christie being filmed with static cameras and looking like a play made into a movie. I suppose I can’t argue, and I can also say that I don’t think it matters. To me, being one of the first “talkies”, the important part was the dialogue and that part rocked my world. Garbo was great but Marie Dressler was amazing. Her character as an old woman (Marthy) who has spent way too much time drinking was perfect and the opening scene in which the two women meet was electric. After this initial scene, we don’t see too much of Marthy, and I wish that we would have. 

We again come across the double standard that we saw in Way Down East in which it is okay for a man to sleep around pre-marriage, but it isn’t okay for a woman to do so. Both Old Chris (Anna’s father) and her new love, Matt, like to see Anna as a pure, young woman who needs to take orders and drink milk like a nice girl. In a climatic scene, Anna tells them that she doesn’t take orders from anyone and the fact that she used to work as a prostitute sends them both running to a bar in order to get drunk. In the end, however, Matt comes back to her. He has to massage his ego and assure himself that while she may have had sex with other men, she only loves him. I like the fact that the last shot was the two of them toasting a beer together showing that Anna is accepted for who she is and is loved despite a “murky” past.  
Since we are getting to our first talkies, it is also interesting to me how the transition from the silent era to talking films dramatically changed people’s careers. I read that strong silent movie actors had a hard time delivering lines, and it makes me think about the various accents floating around the US during that time period. I wonder if a weak command of the English language had something to do with it or if it was just a different art form to which people couldn’t adapt. Thoughts? 
Overall, I give Anna Christie 4 out of 5 stars on Netflix. Worth seeing if for nothing else the first half of the movie and the conversation with Greta Garbo and Marie Dressler. 

Film 12: Anna Christie (1930)

Netflix Summary: This classic drama based on the play by Eugene O'Neill stars Greta Garbo as Anna Christie, a woman with a murky past who finds true love with a sailor (Charles Bickford). The film features classic O'Neill themes of dispossessed, disenfranchised people trying nobly to persevere and advance "up the ladder." Garbo is luminous in her first talking picture.


From Wikipedia: Another adaptation by Frances Marion was released in 1930 directed by Clarence Brown, starring Greta Garbo, Charles Bickford, George F. Marion and Marie Dressler. This pre-Code film used the marketing slogan "Garbo Talks!", as it was her first talkie. Her first spoken line has become her most famous: "Give me a whiskey with ginger ale on the side, and don't be stingy, baby." George F. Marion performed the role of Anna's father in the original Broadway production and in both the 1923 and 1930 film adaptations.

Film Viewing Date: 5/12

Cocoanuts (1929) Reviews

Juror #3 says:
I understand that the title foreshadows a film full of crazy characters but I'm thinking this wasn't the best Marx Brothers film to start with.  I found it annoying actually.  And incredibly creepy - particularly Harpo. No, I didn't like this film at all but I think I should try one more of their films to see if this was an aberration.  I don't have anything good to say about this movie, not the acting, the script, the plot or the direction.  I rate it 1/4 stars.


girl by locker says:
We finally have talking in the movies!! Not knowing much about the Marx Brothers, I was expecting this to be one of the last silent films before they transitioned into sound so I was pleasantly surprised when they began talking. There were some great lines such as:

Hammer: I'm gonna put extra blankets, free, in all your rooms, and there'll be no cover charge.

I don’t think The Cocoanuts is their best film. I read it was originally a Broadway play with singing and dancing. That’s what the movie looked like – a Broadway play that was filmed and put on the big screen. It’s dated and stagy and, at times, Harpo’s silent shenanigans irritated me.  There is, however, an obvious comedic talent with the brothers so I would like to check out other films to see if I like them better. I give this one 3 out of 5 stars.