Film 6: The Iron Horse (1924)

Netflix plot summary: In this epic silent Western from John Ford, railroad surveyor Davy Brandon (George O'Brien) must find a route through the Rocky Mountains and carry on the dream of his father, who died before he could see the country linked by a transcontinental train line. As the Union Pacific construction crew battles fierce weather and hostile Indians, Davy also tries to track down the mysterious two-fingered man who killed his father.

Filmsite.org review:  One of the great silent screen epics, John Ford's The Iron Horse, about the building of the transcontinental railroad, still packs a wallop today. In fact, there is almost too much of everything: Brave men fighting for the right of settlers to settle despite never-ending Indian attacks; nasty landowners attempting to misdirect the railroad for their own financial gain; more Indian attacks; quaint Irish characters singing quaint Irish songs when not battling the elements and each other; and still more Indian attacks. All of it filmed with John Ford's legendary feel for the land and its people. And in true Ford style, none of the grandeur is allowed to overshadow the human elements. Only in a Ford film will a fallen Indian be mourned by his faithful dog, as happens here. And only Ford would create an astonishing scene such as the one in which the laborers, without missing a beat, continue their arduous job of building the iron trail mere moments after having quelled a bloody raid by the evil Cheyennes. by Hans J. Wollstein, All Movie Guide

Film viewing date: 3/02/10

Next film released 3/03/10

Our Hospitality Reviews

girl by locker says:

"They" say that the three big actors of the 1920’s are Charlie Chaplin, Lillian Gish and Buster Keaton so it was with great anticipation that I awaited my first Keaton movie.  Our Hospitality is the story of a feud between two Southern families that has gone one so long no one quite remembers how it started. The entire movie was spent with the Canfield brothers trying to kill their dinner guest, the son of their sworn enemy. The movie was obviously well-made, good cinematography and overall I enjoyed the story. However, I didn’t love it and, to be quite honest, got bored at times with all the chase scenes.

We had a bit of a bonus movie this week since the DVD came with Our Hospitality and Sherlock Jr. This is the story of a young man who works in the movie theater but is studying to be a detective. I believe that he could be the first James Bond! The young man drifts off to sleep and fantasizes about being a debonair detective in a tux, solving crime and saving the ladies while also including a car chase with 007-like music playing in the background. To me, the music actually made the movie – very bluesy/jazzy.

I don’t think I am as impressed with Keaton as I have been with Chaplin and Gish, but he is still good. I give Our Hospitality 3 out of 5 stars and Sherlock Jr. 4 out of 5.   

Juror #3 says:

I have heard people say that Buster Keaton was a better entertainer than Charlie Chaplin.  After watching the double-feature Our Hospitality and Sherlock Jr., I would say that Buster Keaton was possibly a better director than Chaplin, or a better editor, or even a more daring entertainer, but not a better entertainer.  Overall I found Our Hospitality a technically sound movie (well choreographed edited and directed) but mostly boring.  The story was much simpler than any Chaplain movies I've seen.  It seemed like each joke was run over and over until it died on screen and a new joke rose from the ashes only to die a similar death.  The stunts and choreography in the final scene were exceptional but, in my opinion, wasn't enough to make up for the rest of the film.  AlthoughOur Hospitality is the widely recognized classic, I enjoyed Sherlock Jr. much better.  I don't know the history of surreal film but I'll assume that Sherlock Jr. was an inspiration for those to come after him (Fellini? Bergman?).  A majority of the film takes place in a dream with exceptional camera tricks, dream-like music and a wonderful grasp of the subconscious at work.  I really liked this film and don't think it could be created any better if done today.  I'd rate Sherlock Jr. 4/5 stars and Our Hospitality 2/5 but seeing as though this is a double-feature and I need to rate them together, I'll split the difference - 3/5 stars. 

FIlm 5: Our Hospitality (1923)

Netflix plot summary: Silent-film master Buster Keaton directs and acts.This classic film showcases Keaton's amazing physical comedy and captivating personality. In Our Hospitality, Keaton resurrects a long-standing Southern feud when he falls for a gal on the wrong side of the fence. 


Filmsite.org review:  Though it was not his first multi-reel movie, Buster Keaton hit his feature-length stride with this period comedy. Set in the carefully recreated 1831 South and shot on location near Lake Tahoe, the film turned the legendary feud between the Hatfields and the McCoys (re-named the Canfields and the McKays) into a send-up of Southern politeness. Two exterior sequences became vintage Keaton. Precisely duplicating one of the first-ever trains (the "Stephenson Rocket") and hiring his vaudevillian father to play the engineer, Keaton turned the crudeness of early train travel into a dreamlike and hilarious trip southward over rough yet beautiful forested terrain. And the final river rescue showcased Keaton's agility, as he snatches his beloved (played by then-wife Natalie Talmadge) from a waterfall; it also inadvertently revealed the risks of Keaton's drive for authenticity, as he almost drowned on camera. The potentially lethal work paid off, as Our Hospitality became a box office hit and confirmed Keaton's talent for integrating comedy into a larger narrative rather than simply stringing together gags. by Lucia Bozzola, All Movie Guide

Film viewing date: 2/20/10

Next film released 2/21/10

Nosferatu Reviews

juror #3 says:

Although I can certainly appreciate the time period in which Nosferatu was produced, it's the first movie in our film study that I didn't like.  Various reviews stated that it is "one of the scariest movies ever made" but I was never scared at all.  Horror movies have clearly evolved.  However there were moments of appreciation, for instance, the music.  The soundtrack facilitated the mood of each scene and it's easy to see its influence on modern horror films.  Additionally, the art direction (costumes, makeup, locations) were really well done.  There were a couple scenes with fantastic images that got me excited but I eventually felt disappointed.  One such scene is where a real estate salesman is getting edgy as the sun goes down while he rests in the guest bedroom at Count Orlok's castle.  The salesman opens the bedroom door to check the hall and there stands a creepy Nosferatu.  The music adds to the chilling scene.  But overall the movie bored me.  I gave it a 2/5 stars

girl by locker says:

Perhaps because the first three movies of our cinema course were so awesome, I had higher expectations than usual. Either way, the scariest Dracula adaptation ever? I don’t think so. While I can say Nosferatu was creepier looking than any other Dracula I have seen, it just wasn’t frightening. In fact, I think I even dozed off in what I later read was a climatic scene in the movie – Nosferatu’s journey on the ship toward the new village where he was going to live. What I actually did really like was the music. It went well with the various scenes and sounded, for lack of a better word, progressive to me. Overall, I gave this a 2 out of 5 on my Netflix ratings. 

Film 4: Nosferatu

Plot Summary from Netflix:
Many horror freaks call F.W. Murnau's silent German classic the scariest Draculaadaptation ever. The bone-chilling tale kicks off when a sailor on a ghost ship opens a coffin, thereby releasing a vampire named Count Orlok who sets off on a rampage of terror aimed at a real estate agent and his comely wife. The creepy caped one is played by Max Schreck, sporting grotesque makeup that transforms him into a symbol of pestilence and decay.


And from Filmsite.org:
Shot on location, it was an unauthorized film adaptation of Stoker's Dracula with Max Schreck in the title role as the screen's first vampire - a mysterious aristocrat living in distant Bremen named Count Graf Orlok (Max Schreck). Because of copyright problems, the vampire was named Nosferatu rather than Dracula, and the action was changed from Transylvania to Bremen.


Film viewing due date: 2/10/10

Next film released on: 2/11/10

Film 3: The Kid

Here is the plot summary from Netflix:

Considered one of Charlie Chaplin's best films, The Kid also made a star of little Jackie Coogan, who plays a boy cared for by The Tramp when he's abandoned by his mother, Edna. Later, Edna has a change of heart and aches to be reunited with her son. When she finds him and wrests him from The Tramp, it makes for what turns out be one of the most heart-wrenching scenes ever included in a comedy. Chaplin also directs.

Viewing Due Date: 1/31/10

Next Film Released on 2/01/10

Way Down East Review #2

I was fascinated by the movie Way Down East for two main reasons: 1) the production value is extraordinary considering the time it was created and 2) having recently watched Birth of a Nation it was apparent that D.W. Griffith had matured into what I will now consider one of the greatest directors of all time. 
The story is complicated but told in a fluid fashion.  The acting is really well done.  I remember being infatuated with Lillian Gish after seeing the film Broken Blossoms several years ago where she played an abused woman who falls in love with someone of a different race.  She nailed that role and I was amazed at what she could do sans words.  Her performance in Way Down East is heartwrenching at times - she plays "wounded" with as much sympathy in her face as I've ever seen.  I'm going to arbitrarily credit her with creating the term "puppy dog eyes."  The only comparable performance that comes to mind is from Bjork in Dancer in the Dark.
Girl by Locker did a great job summarizing some of the more powerful scenes.  And yes, the final action sequence on ice is all the more amazing when you learn it was shot on location.  That's dedication to the craft.  What I've really enjoyed about the first two movies in our study group is that they both have a specific message that the writer/director wants to tell.  I don't agree with the Birth of a Nation message but I applaud the fact that both these films were made because the writer/director had a message to tell.  You get the sense that Griffith would say that the movies HAD to be made.  You can sense the passion.  They are the types of movies that are perfect for running next door to the local watering hole and sharing a pint over in-depth discussion.  Love those movies.  In any case, I rated it a 3 out of 5. 

Next movie will be released this evening.  Stay tuned...