For Your Binge Consideration: The Neo-Western Brilliance of 'Hud' (1963)

Left to right: Paul Newman, Brandon deWilde, Melvyn Douglas, Patricia Neal 

It can be easy to see the 'Neo-Western' as a product of its time despite the very nature of the name; whereas 'Westerns' are often seen as timeless as period pieces, the integration of modernity and Western tropes together in a Neo-Western can come across as dated to modern audiences in certain contexts. And while I do agree that there are certain examples of the genre where this happens, Hud is one which surpasses this hurdle. Focusing on a Texan ranch belonging to the Bannon family, and the conflict between the titular Hud (Paul Newman) and the family patriarch Homer (Melvyn Douglas), the film  was directed by Martin Ritt, a versatile talent behind the camera whose focus was always primarily on the performances themselves in his films, though it's not to say he lacked in style, as this and The Spy Who Came in From the Cold, his two best films, creates a visually striking atmosphere for all characters involved.

It's a film which never draws attention to how good it looks but rather almost catches you off guard with how great some of the shots are. Whether it's the Texan landscape shots which capture that earthly aesthetic both at day or at night, or the simpler yet no less effective reaction shots of characters as they play off one another. It is atmospheric without overstating that element of the direction.

Meanwhile, the brilliant screenplay by Irving Ravetch and Harriet Frank Jr., adapted (though with variations apparently) from a Larry McMurtry novel, has some brilliantly written lines - 'monody gets out of life alive,' intones Hud. at. one point - and a meticulously sketched central conflict that is far from a black and white dispute, since while Hud is an unprincipled, rude and selfish individual and Homer is a straight-laced, moralistic and firm character, neither is a one-note caricature of good or bad. The conflict at hand - how to deal with an outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease among their herd of cows - is something that affects them both with equal severity. And the characters, in how they deal with this crisis, reveal so much about themselves. It even manages to fit into the narrative a rather fascinating exploration of masculinity and what it means exactly in terms of the differing perspectives on it presented by both men to their nephew and grandson, respectively, in Brandon deWilde's Lonnie

Newman uses that immense, overwhelming charisma he had onscreen to incredible effect here as Hud, who when you get down to it is a rather insensitive, lustful, reprehensible fellow, yet you see how his magnetism can draw others into siding with him, loving with him, and even his father who considers him an utter disappointment, not completely give up on him. Newman was always at the very least good in any film he was in, frequently great, but here he was at his peak as a truly nasty piece of work. with a lot of humanity within him.

Meanwhile Douglas is also brilliant as not some paragon of virtue, but a man who's lived a long life and seen many things upon which he has built his foundation of rigid principles. Principles he considers to be the unyielding core of what he is, and Douglas is brilliant in the role in showing this calm yet never one-note devotion to morality of this aged rancher. The way the two actors clash against one another in their opposed mentalities is a great showcase again and again throughout the film.

What takes Hud a step further as a film is that, while Newman v Douglas alone could've made for a great film, deWilde and Patricia Neal as the housekeeper Alma, step in to help complete its status as a masterpiece. It's a shame that deWilde was the only main player of the film who didn't get a nomination as his work as young Lonnie, who is caught between two worlds in effect, is crucial to the power of the film. The showdown scenes between father and son are undoubtedly great acting showcases for Newman and Douglas. But deWilde's reactionary work as the boy stuck in between is what makes these scenes soar all the higher: unsure of himself and equally compelled by either mentor figure at any given time,  and the slow maturation of his character over the course of the film is brilliantly done.

Meanwhile, Neal whose character is possibly the least directly invested in the film's central conflict, nevertheless makes a tremendous impact from. the outset as the wisecracking, headstrong Alma. She seems to have a snappy witty line for any occasion to retort against the boys, and delivers them all with aplomb, but as the film proceeds you get glimpses at the cracks in her facade, notably in any scene she shares with Newman. You see hints of a broken past she shields with her world-weariness and capturing an attraction between Alma and Hud that envelops into something quite difficult to watch.

The film strangely snubbed for Best Picture at the Oscars despite the film quite loving the film otherwise, being nominated for seven Oscars and winning three - for the performances of Douglas and Neal, and for James Wong Howe's cinematography. Nevertheless, it has stood the test of time and become a highlight of not only the career of everyone involved, but to become not just one of the American classics, but perhaps THE definitive Neo-Western.

For Your Binge Consideration: 10 'Unconventional' Biopics

10. 24 Hour Party People directed by Michael Winterbottom

What's the subject matter? The Manchester music scene from 1976 to 1992 through focal point of Tony Wilson's (Steve Coogan) Factory Records, all the way from punk rock to rave culture.

How is it 'unconventional'?  Rather than hitting individual story beats or ticking boxes of 'this happened' and 'that happened', the film spirals into a frenzied concoction of real-life events and urban legends, brimming with chaotic energy and irreverence that's so entertaining, with just enough substance brought largely by the devoted performances of a strong ensemble cast. Though its scope is occasionally too broad for the most part the approach works very well.

9. American Splendor directed by Shari Springer Berman and Robert Pulcini

What's the subject matter? Comic book writer Harvey Pekar (Paul Giamatti), and partially an adaptation of his autobiographical American Splendor comics.

How is it 'unconventional'? Using a rather daring device of having the real-life Harvey Pekar - as well as his wife and writer Joyce Brabner (Hope Davis) and frequent collaborator Toby Radloff (Judah Friedlander) - appear at regular intervals, this very dry, acerbic film provides a very vivid insight into Pekar's very particular mindset: sour, cynical, moody but also strangely likeable which the self-deprecating approach of both the direction and performances at hand utilise.

8. Lenny directed by Bob Fosse

What's the subject matter? Controversial stand-up comic Lenny Bruce (Dustin Hoffman) who butted heads with the law and establishment through his freewheeling, no-holes-barred routines over a range of social issues and was convicted in 1964 over obscenity charges.

How is it 'unconventional'? A terrifically edited and shot B&W biopic, the unique narrative structure here involving the exploration of both Bruce's fight against the system and his own personal demons and negative qualities is told through an effective framing device of his standup routines, all performed terrifically by Hoffman who puts his all in the role, and has an additional ace up the sleeve in Valerie Perrine's depiction of his wife Honey and their tumultuous relationship that forms the broken heart at the film's core.

7. Bronson directed by Nicolas Winding Refn

What's the subject matter? Britain's 'most violent' criminal Charles Bronson (Tom Hardy).

How is it 'unconventional'? Fittingly for such a larger-than-life, high profile personality, Refn presents us with what's almost a performance art piece almost with Hardy's Bronson performing a series of stage renactments and monologues about his life to an audience, interspersed with snippets of Bronson's upbringing and crimes both outside and most predominantly within the prison. This unique combination makes for a truly absorbing experience into the psychotic yet strangely relatable mindset of Bronson, and sets the stage for one of Hardy's best performances.

6. The Wind Rises directed by Hayao Miyazaki

What's the subject matter? Japanese aviation engineer Jiro Horikoshi who designed an array of WWII Japanese fighters, including the Mitsubishi A6M Zero.

How is it 'unconventional'? As is to be expected from Studio Ghibli, this delivers on being a great animated film, and particularly intriguing in its approach as a biography as both a tale of inspiration but also tinged with the troubles and tragedies fitting to the nature of the era and realities it takes place within. It's a great example of how you can craft a narrative that's light in tone while taking into account the darker elements, without letting one side compromise the other, a balance I feel more biopics should strive to achieve.

5. Love and Mercy directed by Bill Pohlad

What's the subject matter? Musician Brian Wilson who co-founded/led the Beach Boys in two stages of his life: as a young man with a promising career suffering from mental setbacks (Paul Dano) and an older, heavily medicated individual (John Cusack).

How is it 'unconventional'? We get a structure that is particularly remiscient of a Pet Sounds single: the two narrative strands operate on very different wavelengths, Dano's section focusing more on the glee and creative spark of the music production process, Cusack's on a burgeoning romance with a car saleswoman (a winning Elizabeth Banks), with the bridging factor being Wilson's struggles with mental illness and his subsequent slow recovery. It results in quite a unique biopic that doesn't tell a straightforward 'this happened, that happened' story but rather focuses on the experiences of Wilson and putting us in his shoes, so to speak.

4. I'm Not There directed by Todd Haynes

What's the subject matter? American singer-songwriter Bob Dylan.

How is it 'unconventional'? Haynes rather than trying to tell a biopic of Dylan directly, crafts six narratives with six different actors - Christian Bale, Cate Blanchett, Marcus Carl Franklin, Richard Gere, Heath Ledger, Ben Whishaw - as six different parts of Dylan's persona. This is an experimental technique put to great use here as we get six rather compelling stories for the price of one, all which cohere into a collective exploration of his musical identity as a poet, the different eras and phases of his music, and uses Dylan and his music as a platform for a rather intriguing exploration of the search for identity.

3. The Right Stuff directed by Philip Kaufman

What's the subject matter? The test pilots doing research for, and the seven military pilots selected as astronauts, in the formation of NASA's Project Mercury space programme.

How is it 'unconventional'? One of the great cinematic epics, though not in the way you might expect, since despite the epic length this is in many ways one of the most intimate and interpersonal biopics you'll ever see. You learn so much about the space programme itself, but so much time is also devoted to the Mercury Seven astronauts' personal lives and the way they approached their status as 'American heroes', which the film treats with humour, dignity, honesty and respect that is far better than the usual biopic over-reverence, as well as the legendary pilot Chuck Yeager, played brilliantly by Sam Shepard. Bolstered by some amazing technical elements, in particular that great Bill Conti score, this masterful space biopic flies right by you as a very entertaining film, but also a truly inspiring one without being schmaltzy or manipulative.

2. The Last Emperor directed by Bernardo Bertolucci

What's the subject matter? The life of Puyi (John Lone), the last emperor of China.

How is it 'unconventional'? As we follow the birth, brief reign in the Forbidden City, abdication, descent into becoming a puppet ruler by Japanese invaders and subsequent disappearance into obscurity, this is a fascinating biopic because it is essentially about a man in power who was essentially powerless throughout his reign as emperor. Lavishly costumed, designed, scored and shot, the film immerses you with period detail but most importantly creates a vivid realisation of not some vibrant, exciting life with lots of eventful happenings, but the powerlessness of both the ascent and descent of Puyi from power, despite all the appearances of power and wealth. The emptiness of the royal position given to him is what forms the crux of the emotional core to the narrative, amplified by John Lone's amazing performance, and as the film moves back and forth in time to show Puyi being imprisoned post-WWII, broken down by his experiences. It's an incredible film that deals with so many themes and issues through such a unique sort of protagonist for a biopic: a man defined not by his own actions, but the actions of others.

1. Ed Wood directed by Tim Burton

What's the subject matter? Cult filmmaker Ed Wood (Johnny Depp) whose 1950s low-budget campy features have become a staple of cult moviedom.

How is it 'unconventional'? One of my favourite films of all-time, this is quite possibly Tim Burton's magnum opus as it takes everything great about his style and implements it into a figure ripe for his treatment. The film is not just about Ed Wood, it breathes and lives through the spirit of Ed Wood and it's rare to see any film or biopic being treated with such love and care. With the cinematography and aesthetic choices all attuned to that specific era of filmmaking, it creates an often hilarious and strangely inspiring story of a technically incompetent and rather daffy filmmaker, and his gang of misfit cohorts who he strings along for his wacky, campy motion pictures. The recreations of each of these films is so different to most biopics' attempts as Burton doesn't simply try to replicate them, he creates an environment, a world of Ed Wood's own where all of his trademark styles are evident both in the films within the film and the film itself. It is a grand technical achievement but also a very sweet film where Ed's friendship with his biggest asset, fading horror legend Bela Lugosi (an Oscar-winning Martin Landau) is perhaps the strongest part of the film. I could go on and on all day about how great this film is, really.

For Your Binge Consideration: James Stewart

20. The Shootist 

A relatively small role in the grand scheme of things, but Stewart is one of the best things about this revisionist Western as ageing gunfighter J.B. Books's (John Wayne) doctor friend Dr Hostetler. The chemistry the two share is undeniable and while it is a small role, Stewart grants every small reaction of sympathy and nostalgia to his friend's plight with such poignancy.

19. The Man Who Knew Too Much 

Lesser Hitchcock (though it did introduce the iconic 'Que Sera, Sera' song to the world) and the least of his collaborations with Stewart, nevertheless ol' Jimmy once again is an anchoring, dependable lead to this suspense thriller along with Doris Day, and makes for an entertaining enough avatar to follow along in this decent but unremarkable mystery film.

18. The Greatest Show on Earth 

An overblown epic film affair but Stewart is its greatest asset. As Buttons the Clown, a performer at the titular circus with a particularly dark past, he grants so much characters in the margins of the film and I'd have gladly followed a whole film about his character.

17. You Can't Take It with You 

The film itself is one I highly recommend just as such a great example of early heartwarming Capra, and Capra and Stewart were indeed two of the great collaborators of pre-50s cinema. In this tale of rich snobbish family meets poor, but endearingly eccentric family, Stewart isn't asked to do much besides be utterly charming and sweet and he entirely deliver on that.

16. The Man From Laramie 

The final collaboration between Anthony Mann and James Stewart, this hardboiled Western is in some ways a product of its time but boasts gorgeous CinemaScope cinematography, and a rock solid turn from Stewart as a stranger from out of town who investigates a conspiracy regarding the sale of rifles. While the film's gritty tone never quite balances well with its overly simplistic view of morality, Stewart is a great lead in delving into this seedy underworld.

15. The Mortal Storm 

A quietly moving turn from Stewart in this small-scale story about a German family suffering from the rise of the Nazi party. Stewart's penchant for righteous indignation is well used here as a quietly unassuming anti-Nazi individual and is heartbreaking in one particular scene of an extreme loss at the hands of those he despises.

14. The Philadelphia Story 

James Stewart won his one and only competitive Oscar for his screwball comedy turn as somewhat obnoxious reporter Mike Connor who gets entangled in the affairs of wealthy socialite Tracy Lord (Katherine Hepburn) whose wedding he's covering. This is not one of Stewart's great performances but it's a strong one nevertheless in hitting both the comedic beats, the slight dramatic ones, and having good rapport with both Hepburn and Cary Grant.

13. Rope

Famed for the one-shot simulation through long takes and editing, Stewart's performance as cold, clinical former housemaster to two snobbish aesthetes turned murderers is not one of his more likeable characters. He does well with the role nevertheless in capturing a surprising amount of nuance to such a character, and delivering in both the cold incisive qualities and the realisation of how his teachings influenced such a horrifying mentality in the two men.

12. Winchester '73 

A Mann Western with a particularly stacked cast, Stewart once again delivers as Mann's Western lead Lin McAdams who's looking to settle a score. It is a bit of an overblown film and once again somewhat dated, but it's a compelling enough watch, and Stewart is particularly great in any instance where he shows the dark, brooding intensity of a man with little else but disdain for his opponents on his mind.

11. Destry Rides Again 

A perhaps somewhat overlooked film from the great year of 1939, this was an early display of Stewart's range as a legendary lawman's son, Tom Destry, in town to support the newly appointed sheriff. He's incredibly charming as the dashing, twinkly eyed man of the law sorting out some rascals while advocating non-violence, and handles the slapstick elements just as well as the later more dramatic elements as the situation grows more dire. Plus he has surprisingly good chemistry with Marlene Dietrich as saloon singer Frenchy.  

10. The Spirit of St. Louis 

An excellent and underrated film in Billy Wilder's career, Stewart's depiction of aviator Charles Lindbergh is not in some by the books biopic of the time but rather a very immersive following of Lindbergh's preparations and execution of his 1927 solo transatlantic flight. Stewart gives a rock solid reactionary turn in delivering all the emotions, the trials and tribulations, and the exhilaration of such a remarkable human achievement. It's terrific work as he manages to make just a man sitting in a cockpit so compelling through his screen presence and devotion alone to reflect the. real Lindbergh's determination.

9. The Naked Spur

A terrific performance by Stewart leads Anthony Mann's best collaboration with him, in this terse, intense five-hander where his morally grey Howard Kemp, determined to bring the notorious Ben Vandergroat (Robert Ryan) in. Stewart does well to not get in the way of Ryan's terrific, manipulative and dominating performance, and more than holds his own in the battle of wits as this man of both strict morals and a somewhat questionable way of going about them, and is particularly great in his dynamic interactions with Ryan.

8. Rear Window 

Though the film is in many ways a masterclass in directing by Hitchcock just in the use of the camera and space to create the voyeuristic tone, Stewart is also essential as L.B. Jeffries. Confined to his apartment, Stewart's depiction of Jeffries offers an interesting challenge as he is essentially the audience's point of view every step of the way. He's great at bringing a wry comedic energy to the role, the pivotal focal point in drawing us into the thriller element of the film as he suspects one of his neighbours being up to no good, and amplifying the tension with every reaction, whether it's to a new clue, a stare, or a voiceless phone call.

7. The Shop Around the Corner 

Stewart at perhaps his most purely charming best, in this delightful romantic comedy by Ernst Lubitsch that inspired the likes of You've Got Mail with its Budapest-set story about bickering co-workers Alfred Kralik (Stewart) and Klara Novak (Margaret Sullaven) who unwittingly begin to fall in love via anonymous correspondence. The film is a breezy, though not unsubstantial, affair and with a light touch of hand makes his verbal sparring with Sullaven so enjoyable to watch, his interactions with his boss (Frank Morgan) surprisingly moving at certain points, and his dealing with nastier lowlife sorts quite rousing. It's a terrific romantic comedy, one of my favourites led in the way only Stewart could've led it.

6. The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance 

Stewart's finest hour in the Western genre came here in this double-bill between himself and John Wayne, in this terrific revisionist Western that mourns the memory of the Old West through this nostalgic tale of two very different men intertwined by the titular outlaw (a terrifically sleazy Lee Marvin). Stewart plays idealistic attorney, Ransom Stoddard, whose strict moral code is challenged by a town crippled with fear of Liberty Valance. How Stewart's character plays off of Wayne's terrific portrayal of Tom Doniphon, the town badass and the only one brave enough to stand up to Valance, is a classic yin and yang that crackles with their differing approaches to the immortality represented by the town scum, and create true cinematic magic in the process. A fantastic film and featuring some of Stewart's best acting, particularly in the depiction of the titular event and the footnotes of an older Stoddard looking over his past.

5. Mr Smith Goes to Washington 

Personally I adore this somewhat cheesy yet undeniably powerful (and in some ways quite timely) film even though I completely understand how some might not. Stewart is sensational in a role he was born to play as upstanding head of Boy Scouts Jefferson Smith who is appointed as a US Senator by corrupt governers looking to take advantage of his naivety as a stooge. Only Stewart could make such earnest, moralistic righteousness so charming and compelling through his 'aw shucks' routine while dealing with some very shady politics and politicians. This all culminates in a breathtaking climax where Stewart has to defend his Bill in Congress against the machinations of the political machine, and he is amazing every step of the way in showing how his upstanding persistence drains him to his very core.

4. Harvey 

Grown man with a gigantic, invisible talking rabbit as a best friend? Seems like a recipe for disaster in the wrong hands and a tricky one even in the right ones, but luckily Stewart is more than up to task for the role of Elwood P. Dowd. He strikes the perfect balance between eccentricity and sweetness through the character of Elwood and really makes you feel right at home with the warm, cordial way he presents us with his worldview and pleasantries, and his titular best friend, and really makes you and the other characters buy into the concept of Harvey. The sheer delight of watching Stewart at the peak of his talents here is just remarkable as he carries you through every wacky moment of Elwood's life, and manages to somehow make his weirdness so approachable.

3. Anatomy of a Murder 

Playing a lawyer is just a great opportunity for any actor to go showboating, and Stewart certainly does a lot of that here. Mind you, not the obnoxious kind of showboating, but the brilliant, composed sort where he brings out of the character Paul Biegler what only Stewart could do. He is fantastic at showing the brilliance of Biegler as he goes about working on his case, and drawing on all possible sources for intel, and then as we move onto the court proceedings he's magnificent in holding the screen every second of the way as this dynamite, dynamic force to be reckoned with. The film itself is brilliantly directed, written and has a great cast, but Stewart is the one who takes it to altogether greater heights with his simple yet utterly brilliant portrayal of a genius lawyer.

2. Vertigo 

Stewart at his darkest here in Hitchcock's masterpiece, as private eye Scottie Ferguson who becomes enwrapped in the world of a bizarre case involving an old friend's wife and her erratic behaviour. Vertigo is a masterpiece for many reasons, its use of cinematography and colours, its cryptic yet narratively satisfying storytelling, Bernard Hermann's music, but it's greatest asset is perhaps Stewart's performance which starts off in his usual light Stewart fashion, albeit with the fear of heights that has haunted and will continue to haunt him, and as he spirals further and further into the mystery and becomes increasingly enraptured with Kim Novak's Madeline, Stewart's performance grows darker and intense in depicting the mental stress and the unhealthy obsessions that take a toll on his mind. It is a heartbreaking yet utterly chilling portrayal of mental degradation that Stewart gives here, and for many it would easily be the career highlight, except that...

1. It's a Wonderful Life 

...this is easily his best performance, and I love so many of his other performances. But George Bailey truly was the peak of Stewart's career, and of course this being my favourite film of all-time means that this only solidifies this as perhaps my favourite performance of all-time in any medium (though he faces stiff competition from Celia Johnson in Brief Encounter and Takashi Shimura in Ikiru). Stewart is on point every moment in this performance in delving into the complicated man George Bailey is. The generous man loved by all but also the resentful man underneath who's had to make so many sacrifices. The moralist but also the selfishness that comes out at sometimes inopportune moments. His interactions with everyone in the cast, small or big roles alike. The film represents to me everything I love about cinema and Stewart represents to me everything that is great about acting at its finest.

For Your Binge Consideration: The Before Trilogy

Many films before and after have tried, but few have captured the separate stages of human interaction blossoming into romance so vividly, so organically as Richard Linklater's Before trilogy. Each film carries on the same story of the same two individuals, Jesse (Ethan Hawke). and Céline (Julie Delpy) as they meet in Before Sunrise, reconnect in Before Sunset and go on holiday with them as a married couple in Before Midnight. Each film has its own distinct, unique tone, and each film builds upon the other so wonderfully well, creating a real sense of history across nine year intervals between the two.

Before Boyhood, Linklater's experimentation with gaps and building up narratives over real-time began in 1995 with Before Sunrise. Based on Linklater's own experience with walking around Philadelphia at night with a woman he'd met at a toy store, Linklater along with co-writer Kim Krizan transplanted his experiences into Before Sunrise where American backpacker Jesse and university student Céline, meeting on a train, get off at Vienna. 

This first meeting sets the stage for every interaction afterwards where everything is so organically handled. In terms of the dialogue, which is perfection in the right blend of being interesting and entertaining, but also realistically awkward and forced in parts to start off with as the strangers get to know each other; the performances, where Hawke's more earnest, youthful, somewhat pretentious yet utterly endearing energy playing off so well against Delpy's more measured, pragmatic yet also in her own way very playful approach; the direction where Linklater's light hand of touch just makes everything flow so smoothly and organically. 

The film is essentially just a set of conversations about a range of topics ranging from relationships, to religion reincarnation, to literature, to their pasts and future prospects, and features sequence after sequence of such memorable qualities. The way their first kiss is performed and directed, the 'fake phone conversation' scene, and really what it does is subvert the way characters in films 'get together' too quickly. It shows two very real, not always honest, flawed and very human characters come together and it doesn't hurt it's set against some gorgeous backdrops. 

Now I'll admit that the first film is my favourite, one of my favourite films it has to be said, but that's not too besmirch the other two films which are great in their own right, and most importantly for sequels do not compromise the first film but deliver a narrative which feels just like something that would happen, and has all the complicity of not just rehashing the same thing again and again, but as aforementioned building upon it. 

Before Sunset, is one where we essentially get the two characters reconnecting after losing contact (despite promising to do so at the end of Before Sunrise). 

What I really like about the sequel is it doesn't start off at square one. It builds off the goodwill and some of the insecurities and doubts that built off their interactions in the first film and the gap of nine years in between. It doesn't make their reconnection some joyous reunion, but something more casual, with of course the underlying tones of attraction pulsating through, but also a realistic depiction of their doubts about one another. Their time together in this one is one largely of recapturing nostalgia and expressing reservations and it's again done in such a realistic fashion, and how it all ends is again captured with the right amount of ambiguity.

Before Midnight is in many ways a bit of a different beast in that we have passed over a time span where Jesse and Céline have reconnected, married (with Jesse leaving an ex-wife and son in the wake), and there is a bit of a darker undertone to this one fittingly since it's not so much just a joyous one-off interaction now, it's a realistically depicted marriage with all the troubles and complications that could ensue as a result of it. We join the couple as they are on holiday in Greece and again everything that was great about the dynamic between the two persists on here, but what is particularly great is how Hawke and Delpy show how the characters have changed, reflected as well in the screenplay they helped to collaborate on with Linklater. 

Hawke showing how fatherhood has changed him in some ways into becoming more mature, yet how the boy underneath still comes out in trying to deflect from serious matters at hand. Delpy showing how she has grown to accommodate Jesse's tendencies in many ways but in the process how she might have also changed a bit from her more playful nature, but still so blunt and honest in her approach. The way this simple plot of them getting into disputes, reconnecting, dispute and a final ambiguous resolution here is fantastic. 

If you haven't seen any of these three films yet, the cumulative effect of watching them together is quite something in terms of getting to know Jesse and Céline in and out. 

For Your Binge Consideration: My 10 Favourite Italian Films

Honourable Mentions: Rome, Open City; La Dolce Vita (I actually highly recommend this but I want to re-watch because it's a hard film to discuss); Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow 

10. Life is Beautiful 

 A crowd-pleaser that's particularly interesting to examine in light of Jojo Rabbit, this is essentially a game of two halves by Roberto Begnini where the it starts off as a breezy romantic comedy and ends up becoming a quietly haunting yet relentlessly optimistic story of surviving through an internment camp. A take it or leave it approach, but one I do really enjoy still and Begnini's clownish antics do work well for the purposes of the film as it ends up being a funny, moving, and occasionally very clever tribute to positivity of human spirit.

9. Rocco and His Brothers

First of two films on this film involving French superstar Alain Delon dubbed into an Italian, this emotionally draining, often quite heavy drama is an expertly directed depiction of familial disintegration of a poor rural family. The ensemble here is particularly well acted, with Renato Salvatori, Annie Girardot and Katina Paxinou being particular highlights, and as you watch the brothers of the family try to make ends meet and see their dreams and hopes destroyed it's quietly devastating, never resorting to melodrama even when the stakes get higher and higher. Tough, but good watch.

8. Two Women 

Another fairly dark, especially for its time, picture as even though it's not particularly 'explicit' the implicit horrors it depicts does linger with you. Nevertheless, I highly recommend this Vittori de Sica feature for a brilliant Sophia Loren performance (won the Oscar!) in her depiction of a widowed mother, Cesira, trying to protect and raise her daughter amidst the horrors of WWII Rome. The brief hints of respite and joy coupled with the overall tragedy and the resilience of Cesira make for a devastating watch.

7. Nights of Cabiria 

Federico Fellini won his second Academy Award for this rather heartrending depiction of a prostitute (Giulette Masina) going around Rome getting into various circumstances. Despite the harsh conditions, this is a very loving film in many ways in its depiction of its protagonist, this feels almost like an Italian Charlie Chaplin film in many ways (though with more of a focus on the dramatic) as the endearing, expressive, spiritually pure protagonist we go through thick and thin in we grow to love. It has to be said too that it's just beautifully shot and costumed.

6. Divorce Italian Style 

Yeah, it's not all gloom and doom with this list because Pietro Germi dark comedy is a riotous affair. Marcello Mastroianni gives his greatest performance here as the rather despicable yet utterly charming impoverished nobleman Ferdinando who spends his days imagining murder scenarios for his wife and running away with his cousin. A reprehensible figure the film invites us to mock and laugh at but also join in his misadventures as this vain jerk whose every deadpan reaction to the increasingly dark situations he gets into are all comedic gold. An unlikely barrel of laughs.

5. Umberto D

Another de Sica film, and this is perhaps his bluntest and most unforgiving film, though not without optimistic streaks, in a tale of the titular old man and his dog, who faces eviction, poverty, and an unforgiving society. De Sica wisely doesn't overplay the misery but instead provides a balanced, often quite contemplative and lingering look at the old man's struggles as an honest reflection of his societal views, and while this is a sad film it is not a hopeless one as there is something quite sweet and earnest in its depiction of the central dynamic, which will definitely warm the hearts of pup lovers everywhere.

4. The Leopard 

A superb gorgeously shot epic from Luchino Visconti, this is a remarkable depiction of 19th Century Sicily in social upheaval, as an aristocratic family struggles to uphold their societal position in tumultuous times of conflict. As Don Fabrizio Corbera Burt Lancaster, despite being dubbed, carries such extraordinary presence and is our focal entrance point to this vividly detailed world of high society we are brought into, with extraordinary costumes, set design, and a real sense of place and time as we watch this slow, sumptuous depiction of changing times unfold, and really is just a transportive cinematic experience that needs to be seen to be believed.

3. La Strada 

Fellini's best film, in my opinion. This tale of a strongman (Anthony Quinn) and a young woman (Giulette Masina, incredible again) he purchases as a wife and performance partner is a transfixing blend of neorealism and surreal touches, notably in the circus scenes, as we get insight into tortured souls who perform against a backdrop of weird and wacky characters, beautiful yet bleak landscapes, and creates what is ultimately becomes quite the covertly powerful cinematic experience you might not expect. A fascinating exploration into a variety of topics, from masculinity to performance art, and amazing Nino Rota music to accompany it.

2. Bicycle Thieves 

Simplicity sometimes is best, and this regularly ranks among many top films list worldwide for a reason as the appeal of it is undeniably universal. A whole film about a man trying to find a bicycle with his young son in order to make ends meet: such a simple premise, yet undoubtedly a brilliant way for de Sica to shatter and warm your heart in equal measure. Each shot capturing the facial expressions of our two protagonists are cinematic magic, it is authentic cinema at its very best without losing a sense of style and cinematic flair, in giving a window into the lives of poor souls. It's an extraordinary picture with never draws attention to its strengths, and through its sheer modesty captivates so eloquently the struggles but also the strengths of the father and son at its centre.

1. Cinema Paradiso 

Not just my favourite Italian film but one of my favourite films ever, and I'd love to keep talking to anyone else who loves this film as much as I do, essentially a tribute to cinema and cinemagoers. There are two versions of the film, I think both are great in their own ways, the longer cut adds more and I don't think it clashes with the shorter cut but I prefer the latter, but whichever cut you choose the elements that make this a masterpiece are one and the same. That amazing score by Ennio Morricone, both soothing and gentle when need be and grand, with just the right touch of intimacy, when required. The three stages in the life of our protagonist Salvatore played perfectly by a trio of perfectly cast actors - Salvatore Cascio, Marco Leonardi, Jacques Perrin - and one heartwarming one by Phillipe Noiret. The different stages of Salvatore's growth into a man are all handled never with sentimentality or melodrama but with just such an honest, sincere understanding of the journey from boy to man into director, the love of cinema and the love of his mentor, all captured in what might be my favourite ending scene of all-time.