Classics: The Magnificent Seven (1960)

The opening theme of “The Magnificent Seven” is timeless. It instantly connects you to the wild west and the nostalgia of when westerns flourished in Hollywood.

In present day, westerns are few. And it’s sad to see the television show “Hell on Wheels” come to an end. But currently a remake of “The Magnificent Seven” is out in theaters and in the spirit of this 2016 remake, I chose to revisit this film.

Let’s talk cast:

Chris Larabee Adams: Yul Brynner
Vin Tanner: Steve McQueen
Bernardo O'Reilly: Charles Bronson
Lee: Robert Vaughn
Harry Luck: Brad Dexter
Britt: James Coburn
Chico: Horst Buchholz

The Story

When a poor Mexican down becomes prey to a group of bad cowboys, a few of the townsfolk seek help. They offer to pay gunslinger Chris to take care of the baddies once and for all. And in the wild west, that usually means a sort of hit men as it were.

Chris can’t do it alone. So he enlists others to help for a total of seven. He first teams up with Vin.

It was a joy seeing these two actors on screen. They were so young, brimming with talent. Yul Brynner played the role with gravitas. While Steve McQueen has a slickness to him, which helps make him memorable since he doesn’t have as much screen time as Yul. And the contrast between the two work well. 

The first half of the movie is about the team, about the seven coming together and teaching the town how to shoot guns. Because let’s face it, once the mission is complete, these townsfolk may have to fend off the next group of baddies that mosey on their way… after all, this is the wild west.

The only weak spot for me was Chico. A young man, overflowing with too much pride… So much so, that it feels unbelievable or overacted. Though as the story progresses, he tones down—thank goodness because he plays a big part in this movie since he’s given the love story. This segment was a bit predictable, but sweet at the same time.

I would have also liked to see a bit more Charles Bronson. Though, he made the best of what he had. Even if Steve McQueen did a better job of capitalizing on his limited scenes with cool quirks like playing with his hat.

The fight scenes are well done. It’s not just a shoot ‘em up. There’s strategy involved.

All in all, this classic will continue to live on. Great characters and fun interactions punctuated with exciting action sequences of horse riding and gunslinging.


 Score: 8.75/10 

 

Classics: Laura

“Laura” is an irresistible whodunit with a seductive style that heats up with every scene.

When a young woman is murdered, Det. Lt. Mark McPherson is called in to solve the crime. Dana Andrews plays McPherson. He’s slick and cool and knows how to play his suspects. But the hitch in his game is falling in love.

This isn’t just any murder victim—it’s her… Laura.

McPherson is haunted by the large picture of her that hangs in the living room. His life is set to pause as he practically lives at her apartment, looking through her personal affects—Laura’s pictures, diaries and letters written by her suiters. All this is necessary to solve the case but an obsession forms and it seems he can’t pull himself away.

Now, every mystery needs its cast of suspects. And this casts is highly entertaining…

There’s Waldo (Clifton Webb), the narcissistic writer who’s as wealthy as he is influential. He’s an older man obsessed with Laura. But it seems everyone is obsessed with her. Waldo snubs his nose at those beneath him, which means he does a lot of snubbing because he has the highest regard of himself.

Shelby (Vincent Price) is the unemployed boy toy who loves Laura while involved with another suspect Ann (Judith Anderson). He’s weak minded and needs to be kept to survive.

Ann is a rich woman who has no problem financially keeping her man. And she has her eyes set on Shelby.

There are twists and turns in this mystery, keeping you guessing at every turn. McPherson has a knack for keeping his suspects off balance with a provocative way of making them defensive while relaxing and keeping a sly coolness about him.

The tone has a sexy noir feeling. With enough rain to give that classic film aura usually found in this genre. Flashbacks are perfectly woven in to see how Laura fits into their lives. She’s a beautiful woman with a tremendous heart and a toughness that makes her difficult to tame, which is also part of her allure.

I’ve watched this film several times and I never tire of it. I wish it was longer because I can’t get enough of these characters and this world. The film centers on McPherson so we don’t see as much of the lives of the suspects except for how they connect with Laura. But that’s to be expected in a whodunit. It has a satisfying ending that makes sense and doesn’t feel forced. And the acting and character interactions are on point.


Score: 9.25/10

Classics REVIEW: Touch of Evil

“Touch of Evil” is worth the viewing if for no other reason than the opening sequence. It begins with a long one-shot scene that serves to fill the audience with dramatic tension as the camera travels along a street.

Orson Welles shows why he is known as one of the greatest directors to ever film. His varying of camera angles and use of bizarre close-ups help to create mood and dread. Though as with the sign of those times, some of the moments can be a little hokey or overacted with exaggerated expressions. But that’s to be expected.

The story is set on the Mexican-American border where a murder forces both sides to work together. It plays as more than a murder mystery with the issue of morality injected into the story where corruptness comes at the main character from different places.

Charlton Heston stars as Mike Vargas, a Mexican lawman. I admit, it’s a bit odd seeing him play a Mexican and I’m not a fan of whitewashing, but I can give this 1958 movie a pass. Though I had to keep reminding myself who he was playing, particularly during the scenes where he interacted with Mexicans. He’s a newly married man, who is asked to solve this crime. Though he’d rather spend time with his wife.

Orson Wells plays the American Police Captain, Hank Quinlan—a hardened man who may have been idealistic at one time; but there is no sign of that man in this film. However, there is a slight crack that shows he may have cared for someone once. He’s a recovering alcoholic who believes in doing whatever is necessary to get his man. And as the choices he has to make get difficult, he finds himself one step closer to the bottle.

The plot of “Touch of Evil” weaves in various characters and their motivations that, on the onset, don’t seem to connect until midway through the movie when both Quinlan and Vargas question a suspect.

There are seedy elements that come into play that try to influence the outcome of the investigation.

This Film Noir carries the mystery till the end, folding in some twists that alter the path of where you think the story is going to go. There are some very tense moments throughout, especially with Janet Leigh’s character, who plays Susan Vargas—the wife of Charlton Heston’s character.

Criminals use Susan as a tool to get to Mike Vargas. And this is where I think some elements veered off into…


The land of implausibility…


These moments are brief. But what makes them stand out is that they are essential to the plot or at least how Mike Vargas is affected.

Susan Vargas’ character is sort of stalked or harassed by a subplot. And there are moments that make me shake my head and ask:

• Why would she go off with them all alone?
• Why would her husband leave her in some isolated place?
• Why is this place kept by someone who doesn’t seem to know what the heck is going on?
• Also, when Mike Vargas goes to the hotel, he seems more upset about a missing gun than a missing… well… 

All in all, if you’re looking for a Film Noir, “Touch of Evil” offers both the tension and multi-layered story that has you wondering what will happen next. It’s unpredictable and very well acted.

Ending Questions

This movie leaves two questions:

1) Did they catch the killer? It would seem the answer is YES. It was mentioned that he confessed. Though I do wonder because Quinlan wanted the suspect to be pressed hard, to be broken because the suspect wouldn’t confess (at first). Just how hard was he pressed?

Considering this is a Film Noir, I think it fits better for the answer to be YES because it makes it all the more tragic at the end. They had the right guy all along, and so all that occurred after the scene with the explosives in the box didn’t need to happen.

That’s how I like my Film Noirs!

2) Was she raped? My guess is NO. But I think she was supposed to be assaulted in the original script. There were supposedly re-shoots. Add that to the fact that one of the characters wanted to “watch”. Surely she wasn’t there to “watch” nothing.

I think the studio changed its mind and so we have the conversation between characters that say she was just drugged to make her believe something bad happened. I think this was added later when the studio had changes made. I also think she was originally going to be drugged with something other than sodium pentothal.

Times were different back then. The fact they they had a lesbian was probably a bit much for them, let alone all the other things.


 Score: 9/10

Classics: The Treasure Of The Sierra Madre

“The Treasure Of The Sierra Madre” stars Humphrey Bogart in one his greatest performances as Dobbs—a man who plummets into greed laden paranoia.

Set in Mexico, Dobbs is an American beggar who meets and bonds with another down-and-out American, Curtin played by Tim Holt. The two men struggle to survive, begging for pesos and looking for labor, as they find themselves susceptible to con artists.

They stay at a Old Oso Negro…

…where they come in contact with an old prospector. Howard, played by Walter Huston who tells stories of his days as a prospector, digging for gold.

And it’s clear that he still longs for those days. But he also shares his experiences about fellow prospectors who’ve done bad things in the name of greed.

And here is where the story begins. Dobbs convinces Howard to take them gold digging. Though, it didn’t take much convincing. Walter Huston played the role with incredible charm and a laugh that brightens up the screen. His personality offered a great contrast to the seriousness of Dobbs impending insanity.

The three men trek through dangerous territory, inhabited by bandits. Until, Howard finds a great spot where all their dreams are about to come true.

But as the story progresses and the gold mounts up, Dobbs sees everything and everyone around him differently. The madness was an impressive thing to to watch and one can’t help but be glued to the screen waiting on the outcome.



**Spoilers**

Analysis/Dobbs:

Between the time Howard first tells Dobbs and Curtin about prospecting AND the time Dobbs convinces Howard to go with them, both Dobbs and Curtin have a private conversation.

“Do you believe what that old man, who was doing all the talking at the Old Oso Negro, said the other night about Gold changing a man’s soul so that he ain’t the same kind of a guy as he was before finding it.” - Dobbs

“I guess it all depends on the man.” - Curtin

“…Gold don’t carry any curse with it… Gold could be as much of a blessing as a curse.” - Dobbs

I ask myself, was it clear that Dobbs had it in him to descend into what he would become? Was he always this way or did he just flip out?

From how the story progressed, it was clear to me that Dobbs was a good guy. Plus, Howard (the voice of reason) said so even after all that had gone down. Before they left for digging, the three men discussed how much money they needed for supplies. Curtin fell short of the amount.

But Dobbs had won last night’s lottery and, without hesitation, offered to cover Curtin’s share of the expenses. So deep inside, he started out very honest with a hint of selflessness.

So how did he change?

One thing that is very consistent with Dobbs is his susceptibility to suggestion. When one guy mentioned a job, he quickly took it… okay, sure, he needed the work; but there’s something more.

The moment Howard talks about prospecting, it took all of a couple of minutes for Dobbs to get that glint in his eye. He wanted a piece of that action.  

Fast forward to the men finding gold and dividing it up into threes…

Howard shared another of his stories. He mentioned that some men like to hide their stash for fear that the other guys might steal from them. This triggered Dobbs hiding his portion of the gold under a rock. Though, Curtin did also. Both men unable to sleep, fearing the other would hunt for their stash. Howard didn’t seem to worry much. He slept fine, not getting involved in all this paranoia. And it felt like Curtin’s actions were in response to Dobbs.

But would Dobbs have hid his stash had Howard not put the idea in his mind? We won’t know the answer, of course. But I suspect, it would have taken a bit longer to get to that stage.

His change escalated when he brought up the money he put up for Curtin’s share. He felt he should get a bigger part of the gold than Curtin. But when Curtin offered gold, not just equal but more than what was given to him, Dobbs took it and dumped it on the ground as if to say he didn’t want it. Dobbs is teetering here… from greed back to normalcy.

But there came a point when he was too far gone.


Lack of water

Dehydrating is never good for anyone. It makes people see things that aren’t there. Now rewind a moment, there was a moment (before his madness), when Dobbs thought he found gold and splashed rocks with water to get a closer inspection of the sparkles. But it was fool’s gold instead and Howard gave him a warning.

“Water’s precious. Sometimes it’s more precious than gold.” - Howard

Add this to Dobbs’ building greed and paranoia and you can see his madness growing.

Why water didn’t affect Curtin that way? Each person is different. Dobbs was rather hyper and he was already weak of mind.

**end spoiler**


Conclusion

“The Treasure Of The Sierra Madre” was a fascinating study on the affects of greed lead by an accomplished actor. And the ending was both satisfying and tension-filled.


 Score 10/10

Classics REVIEW: What Ever Happened To Baby Jane?

Tremendous acting from two mega stars create an intense story of culpability and self-imposed misery instigated by jealousy and plagued with guilt. The film showcases the unsettling relationship between two sisters who are bound together through a history of sibling rivalry boiling over into emotional abuse.

Bette Davis plays Baby Jane, a has-been child star whose only positive memories reside in the dreams from that young girl she once was—while her adult life is burdened with the everyday chores of caring for a sister she resents.

Joan Crawford’s Blanche is confined to a wheel chair, held prisoner by a mentally ill sister and the stair case that looms below her second floor bedroom. Unlike Baby Jane, Blanche wasn’t a talented child; however, as an adult she came into her own and evolved into a talented actress with an incredible future ahead of her, until the car accident where the cops found her on the ground and a drunken Baby Jane missing from the scene.

Blanche watches her old movies and remembers those glory days while Baby Jane trashes those movies because she, the child star, was supposed to be famous. It should have been her, not Blanche. And so the two sisters are locked in a struggle where Baby Jane controls everything and torments her sister on a daily basis.



The contrast between the two actresses is electric. Joan Crawford is under the current. She performs with a controlled calmness. And in fear of her own life, she can’t help but crack and even crumble under the strain as she tries to tame her sister’s insanity. As opposed to Bette Davis, who’s portrayal of Baby Jane is like a storm brewing on its best days—and on its worse, a hurricane thrashing against the current.

Rumor has it that the two stars didn’t get along in real life and maybe that added to the brilliance displayed on screen.

The film delves into the psyche of Baby Jane that showed a descent into madness that was unnerving to watch. The focusing of the camera on things like the stair case, the phone and the mirror helped build the tension and, in some, cases create a creepiness that had you on the edge of your seat. And there were moments of shock and horror as the film progressed albeit with a couple of exaggerated incidences.

“What Ever Happened To Baby Jane” is a psychological horror that makes bold choices to demonstrate the extremes of an destructive rivalry between two sisters.


Score: 9.25/10

Movie Review: Sunset Boulevard

Score: 10/10

As part of the ‘First Thursday of Every Month’ Classics, I took a stroll down Sunset Boulevard and revisited an old friend, whose star has faded—like the once glistening pavement now marred by the passage of time.

…I’m talking about Norma Desmond.

She once was a silent-picture actress who used to be big. Though she’d defiantly tell you…

“I am big. It's the pictures that got small.” - by Norma Desmond

And so we witness the mental breakdown of a woman trapped in a past she could never go back to; after all, movies have words now.

There’s so much about this movie that is brilliant, including this one shot of Norma visiting the studio. A microphone passes overhead and gently bumps into her, sort of like a nudge, reminding her of something she angrily wants to forget… She is no longer a star and she never will be again.

It’s something that many can relate to albeit in a different way, without the cameras and such. Like working in a job until one day technology has gotten so that your skill is no longer required or you have someone become outdated, making you feel as if you’re being left to pasture.

A stranger comes a knocking

Our window into Norma’s world is seen through the eyes of a man who comes to her house. Joe Gillis finds himself unable to get through to her or unwilling to waste his time trying…

“You don't yell at a sleepwalker - he may fall and break his neck. That's it: she was still sleepwalking along the giddy heights of a lost career.” - by Joe Gillis

(some spoilers)

Joe is a broke screenwriter, who’s creditors are knocking. But without a screenplay that anyone wants to buy, he finds himself at her doorstep.

She’s wealthy and he can smell the money from her estate, which houses just her and her man servant, Max. Thinking he’s got one over on her, Joe convinces her to offer him a job to work on a screenplay that would be her comeback. But ultimately, he plays into her hands.

And so we watch as he ends up trapped in her web with a dark cloud blanketing him. He can’t seem to free himself.

But why does he stay?

It’s the question that makes sense when watching the film. He’s has no money. And aside from a few friends, he doesn’t seem to have much else in Hollywood. As so he believes he only has two options: stay there with her or go back to his small town home and start a new life.

Though, I think there’s something deeper. Her life is one of solitude and being around her taps into a similar feeling. It borders on a psychological issue for him. A sense of helplessness that festers into anger. Anger at himself and in Norma for being Norma. She can’t help who she is because she’s sick. And every minute he stays with her, makes him sick as well.

Until he sees a friend…

Betty represents the light. A wannabe screenwriter, who reminds him of how he used to be—filled with life and hope.

Sunset Boulevard is a compelling, yet tragic tale of two people who get what they want in the harshest way possible. Joe is part of the larger than life story and Norma gets to be in front of the cameras once more.

Rebecca

Score 10/10

Rebecca is a wonderful psychological thriller seen through the eyes of a mousy, unsure woman, played by Joan Fontaine. When we’re first introduced to her, she’s a companion for a rich, overbearing woman. She meets Maxim, played by Laurence Olivier, a rich widower whose beautiful deceased wife – Rebecca – drowned in a boating accident.

She falls in love and marries Maxim. And the story unfolds when Maxim brings her to Manderley, where she finds herself overwhelmed by the magnificence of the place, as well as the memories of Rebecca. She meets Mrs. Danvers, who manages the estate and has an undying devotion to Rebecca.

Her low self-worth becomes magnified. “How can she compete with Rebecca?” becomes the main angst in her life. The memories of Rebecca are everywhere. Maxim refuses to talk about Rebecca, making her even more paranoid, and Mrs. Danvers takes every opportunity to throw the perfection of Rebecca in her face.

Two scenes which demonstrate how uncomfortable she feels are as follows:

~ She answers the phone and proceeds to tell the caller that Mrs. de Winter has been dead for over a year. She hangs up the phone and quickly catches herself because she is the new Mrs. de Winter

~ She accidentally breaks a figurine and hides it in the back of the drawer for fear of getting caught.

With each scene, we are drawn into her world and her inferiority complex, until Rebecca’s body washes up on shore. At this point it feels as though things would get worse. The ghost that haunted their marriage returns as the body washed across the beach.

But instead, the shocking truth of Rebecca and Maxim unfolds…

At this point, her world turns right side up. She then transforms from a weak fearful woman into a pillar of strength.

Twists develop leading to a crashing end when Mrs. Danvers obsession with Rebecca destroys herself and any memories of Rebecca along with it.

Mrs. Danvers is a very interesting character. We’re never told about why she feels so strongly toward Rebecca. Is a motherly emotion? Attraction? Regardless, she’s a haunting figure.

BEAT SHEET