When summer comes and my schedule frees up, I'll discuss the works of my all-time favourite director in more detail. In the meantime, I'll just do a little introduction for anyone who may not be all that familiar with the man's magnificent filmography: how his different films suit different tastes, their various levels of accessibility, and in what order I'd recommend checking them out.
His most 'accessible' films - Yojimbo (1961) and Sanjuro (1962)
Yojimbo (1961)
Moving at an incredibly brisk pace, both films focus on perhaps the greatest hero in cinematic history, Toshiro Mifune's nameless ronin who uses his master swordsmanship to deal with various lowlife criminals and aid some poor villagers. Yojimbo is one of the greatest films of all-time; with the most basic of concepts and 'good v.s. evil', it creates a fantastic and tense atmosphere with Kurosawa's direction, with equal parts humour and intense action, courtesy of the one-of-a-kind screen presence of Mifune. I could watch his ronin trolling dumb criminals, perform swordplay, and subtly pull the strings around the manipulative Unosuke (a marvellous Tatsuya Nakadai) all day long. It's fun but also deeply involving, and is just one of the most purely entertaining films ever made. Sanjuro is not as amazing a film, but it's still a terrific sequel, more lighthearted (till an unexpected conclusion), and once again has Mr Mifune in tip-top form.
His 'masterpieces' - Rashomon (1950) and Seven Samurai (1954)
Seven Samurai (1954)
Rashomon is interesting in that it was the first Kurosawa film I saw, and it left me a bit cold the first time I watched it. I've since grown to appreciate it a lot more; I still don't think it's his best film, or even in his top 5 of all-time, but it's a taut, meticulously crafted piece of 'mystery' cinema that also packs quite the emotional punch with its conclusion. Seven Samurai is my preferred film of the two; it's a wonderful 'men on a mission' film that set the standard for everything from The Magnificent Seven to Rogue One. It features some of the most dynamic setpieces and cinematography of any Japanese film and its storytelling and characterizations are truly one-of-a-kind. These two are perhaps his most universally acclaimed films, and I must say they deserve that wholly even if they aren't quite my all-time favourites.
His epic, Shakespearean character studies - Throne of Blood (1957), Ran (1985)
Kurosawa loosely adapted Macbeth and King Lear for these two films, respectively, and it's pretty amazing what he does with the source material. The influence is there, but it all feels so fresh and with such unique, Kurosawa-esque spins on the material, for example in his immaculate handling of the final act of the deranged king's downfall in the former, and the terrific touches he places with the characters of Gloucester and Edgar in the latter. They're great companion pieces to the original plays but also so much more, and Ran in particular features all-time great costumes and cinematography - an assault on a castle makes for one of the most harrowing sequences in cinematic history.
His intimate character studies - The Quiet Duel (1949), Ikiru (1952), Kagemusha (1980)
Ikiru (1952)
I'll admit that The Quiet Duel is a step below the other two films. It's a solid and well-made film but lacking in originality and a bit too melodramatic at points. It's got Toshiro Mifune on top form though. The other two films present two other Kurosawa favourites as the leads. Kagemusha has Tatsuya Nakadai in a fascinating dual role of sorts as a powerful feudal lord and his secret double who is instated into power when the former dies. It's such an intriguing companion piece to Ran in that they both depict Japan in the Sengoku period of social and political upheaval, but with such different scopes and perspectives. And Ikiru is just a masterpiece, a masterclass in everything, direction, screenplay, and of course its toweringly meek lead performance by Takashi Shimura. It's one of the most unbearably tragic films of all-time, an unparalleled examination of dying and awaiting death, that becomes one of the most inspirational films of all-time as Shimura's Watanabe gradually finds the will to make the most of his remaining life.
His underrated gems - Drunken Angel (1948), Stray Dog (1949), The Hidden Fortress (1958), Red Beard (1965)
Stray Dog (1949)
These are all films rarely discussed when discussing Kurosawa's greatness, but they really should be. Drunken Angel is a brilliant sorta-crime film about a hardened gangster (Mifune) and his relationship with a drunkard doctor (Shimura). It's the first collaboration between Mifune and Kurosawa, and it's an effective low-key film which moralizes without forcing the message, and makes for a thrilling and heartbreaking fable. Stray Dog is a terrific crime thriller, a sort of Se7en before Se7en with its use of the wise mentor-eager rookie cop dynamic in a simple but unbearably tense cat-and-mouse game between the two policeman and a rogue guman through the streets of post-war Tokyo. Each scene builds up to something greater, and I particularly love it when the criminal/killer gets caught up to as it makes for some truly nerve-wracking scenes. The Hidden Fortress is just a good old-fashioned and enjoyable adventure/samurai tale that partially inspired Star Wars, it's slight but tremendously fun, and Red Beard is a tough watch, but a very rewarding one if you give it some time, but definitely one to watch only after Kurosawa's grown on you.
His true masterpiece - High and Low (1963)
See future blog posts for more info, but for the timebeing, watch it, now. One half a terrific acting showcase for a uniformly terrific ensemble, one half an amazing showcase for a director ramping up tension and the genre of the police procedural to its greatest heights, and throughout a tightly plotted, and intensely moving study of a good man doing the right thing against the odds, and a bad man doing the wrong thing with the odds thrust against him, and somehow managing to make both 'high' and 'low' equally sympathetic.
A mixed bag - One Wonderful Sunday (1947), Scandal (1950), I Live In Fear (1955), The Bad Sleep Well (1960)
The Bad Sleep Well (1960)
For someone I consider my favourite director of all-time, there's still a lot of his films I need to see. This lot is all a solid lot, but don't quite reach the heights of Kurosawa's best works. Scandal starts off strongly as a stire but ends up in a very tonally imbalanced state, in terms of tone and its performances, till its conclusion, which does admittedly work quite well. One Wonderful Sunday is a nice little film but never really stands out like the best of his work in any way. I Live in Fear is a very well-acted film but the central concept never really worked all that well for me, it kind of felt like Take Shelter but not nearly as memorable. The Bad Sleep Well is perhaps the strongest of this lot, a very well-made film and an effective pseudo-adaptation of Hamelt, but unlike the other two Shakespearean adaptations I never felt it went beyond that.
Rocky is one of those films I'd find impossible to not love. In fact, quite frankly I can't conceive why anyone would dislike the film. The iconic tale of Rocky Balboa (Sylvester Stallone), small-time boxer and debt collector, and his one shot at becoming the world heavyweight champion, is now the stuff of cinematic legend. It's also frequently lambasted as one of the worst Best Picture winners ever. I don't understand; it was a competitive year, yes, with All the President's Men and Network being two fellow worthy contenders, but standing on its own, Rocky is the little film that could, that beat all the odds to become an iconic, one-of-a-kind sports movie that set the standard for not only all boxing movies, but all underdog movies to come.
As I've mentioned, when a film wins Best Picture it's almost always going to be subject to backlash of some sort. With Rocky, it's that it was such a straightforward, conventional, feel-good and simplistic film in contrast to the taut, tight, intelligent thrillers of All the President's Men and Network. All I can say to that is, all three films are great films, but great in their own ways. Rocky is undeniably powerful as an ultimate crowd-pleaser, and its emotional punch is unparalleled to any other film of the 70's. And though in many ways it is a very simple and straightforward story, the way which it is told is rather underrated in its originality and freshness.
Stallone, back then a complete unknown in Hollywood, spent ages peddling around Hollywood, but only agreeing to sell it to United Artists and Chartoff-Winkler Productions under the condition that he would star in the lead role. The studio had of course envisaged the screenplay with a big star like Ryan O'Neal (who just wouldn't have worked), Robert Redford (excellent actor but would've been miscast), Burt Reynolds and James Caan (would've been in their wheelhouse). I don't think any of these choices would have bettered Stallone. Some of them are undeniably more versatile actors than Sly, especially Redford and Caan, but none of them could have embodied that good-natured, somewhat slow-witted, humorous and determined individual the Italian Stallion was in and outside the boxing ring. There's a reason Stallone's portrayal of Rocky sprung a whole franchise, and recently with Creed another extended franchise; it's a character that has really stood the test of time. He would mould the character into different variations over the years, but it is here in 1976 where he first formulated the unforgettable character of Rocky Balboa.
As perfect as Stallone's performance is, I think his greatest asset to the film is his work as a writer. The screenplay to Rocky is really underrated in how it tells the small and tender story of a boxer fighting for his dreams and pursuing a sweet romance with the shy shopkeeper girl Adrian (Talia Shire), but also conveying such a vibrant sense of place and time in the slums of Philadelphia. We see Rocky at work as a debt collector and his interactions with the underworld, which aren't as On the Waterfront-levels of bleak as you'd expect (ball-breaking and aggressive loan shark he is, Tony Gazzo is quite nice to Rocky). We watch as he not only brings Adrian out of her shell, but also deals with her deadbeat brother and his best friend Paulie (Burt Young). Rocky's life is spent doing very inconsequential and 'little' things, yet its also so realistically drawn, so naturalistic in its dialogue and discourses between characters, and most importantly you really grow to sympathize and love our titular hero.
We also see Rocky at the gym and his strained relationship with the former boxer and trainer Mickey (Burgess Meredith), and the 'bigger picture' of his opponent-to-be, Apollo Creed (Carl Weathers) planning out his next boxing match with his promoters. I'd like to draw particular attention to these contrasting scenes as we watch both boxers prepare for their inevitable head-to-head matchup. Rocky's preparations for the fight of his life are very deeply emotional and poignant scenes as we watch a man who's never really gotten much of a chance or much luck in anything, being presented with one shot at glory, one chance to prove he's not a nobody. Creed's scenes are brilliant and entertaining examinations of the boxing world and the business-minded ideas that go behind it. Creed comes across as almost more a businessman and entrepreneur than an athlete as he goes about exploring how he can make the most money and get the most media attention in his next bout. I absolutely love the infectious energy in these scenes of a man who lives for the showboating and glory that comes with being the heavyweight champion of the world. The character of Apollo Creed is one of the best elements of all the Rocky films, as it gave Rocky such a great foil to play off. Here he's an opponent, later on he's a friend, and in Creed he became the symbol of something more, something for Michael B. Jordan's Adonis/'Donnie' to aspire towards.
The writing behind his character is such a strong element through the films as he switches from adversary to closest confidant, but anyway here he's the opponent, but never just a straw man for Rocky to go against. Even in the later films in the series, the villains were always rather one-note (Rocky III and Rocky IV), downright awful (Rocky V) or just a bit forgettable, if serviceable (Rocky Balboa and Creed). In this film and its direct sequel, we get not only a worthy opponent, but one who is really a memorable person and character. Weathers is one point, as is Meredith as the gruff trainer, and really the whole cast is a great ensemble. One of the weaknesses of many boxing films nowadays is that besides the main boxer, and maybe his trainer, the other characters are either too thinly sketched or mere caricatures. These problems can sometimes be absolved with strong performances (The Fighter), but there's a reason why Rocky is still the masterpiece of the genre. A colourful supporting cast supports our underdog hero, and as we watch Adrian come out of her shell and Paulie become a slightly nicer fella, we really get invested in their little character arcs.
Of course, what is a boxing film if it doesn't deliver in the climactic match. Well I have to say that the climax to Rocky is the king of all climaxes. I'd say it begins even before the match officially begins, in that now iconic montage of Rocky training for the big fight to Bill Conti's rousing 'Gonna Fly Now'. Everything about that scene is perfect.
Then when we get down to the nitty gritty fight, it's fascinating watching how it begins as almost a theatrical show with Apollo pulling off some ridiculous showboating punches to toy around with the underdog Rocky, and gradually changing into a more primal, visceral and violent pummelling of fists against cheek, body shots, head shots.
There's so many great moments in this sequence, from Apollo's first fall, to Rocky getting up and gesturing for Apollo to do his worst, to the reaction shot of Adrian closing her eyes, fearing for Rocky's life, but continuing to support him. The boxing fight isn't just a montage of thrown punches and hits, there's little arcs to follow within it, culminating in that incredible ending. Rocky doesn't win, he loses by split-decision to Apollo, but he really couldn't care less, and nor could we.
As the winner's name resonates in the background, and we watch Rocky and Adrian embrace, the film's moral rings clearer than ever: winning or losing doesn't matter, as long as you've given it your biggest and best shot, you're a victor in everyone's minds, and a champion at heart.
Think Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner (1967)meets The Gift (2015), and you have the vaguest outline of what Jordan Peele’s, the MadTV alumni and one half of the terrific comedic duo Kay & Peele, directorial debut is all about. It takes the formula of the former – white wealthy young woman brings her black boyfriend to meet the parents – and subverts it by having the parents fully welcoming, fully ‘accepting’ of this young gentleman; before the film oh so cleverly turns these overt niceties and friendly rapport into something quite twisted. Like The Gift, Get Out is quite the assured horror/thriller debut from an established actor; but it goes further than just being a taut and stylish scary film, with a great deal of nuance to its social subtext and satire, and some truly (often unexectedly) hilarious moments.
Chris Washington (Daniel Kaluuya) is your average young American male, working as a photographer, going out with the rather sweet, if at times a bit too nonchalant and easygoing Rose (Allison Williams). Nothing stands out in particular about this young couple, and even the fact that they’re an interracial couple is brought up only in relation to how her parents will react; apparently he’s the first black guy she’s ever gone out with. The opening scenes of the film take a while to get going, admittedly, and Peele’s writing is perhaps a little less assured when trying to set up the plot, but once the couple arrive in high-end, very white suburbia to meet the folks (Bradley Whitford and Catherine Keener), Peele’s direction and script really gets going. You never feel like he’s going straight for the jugular just yet in these initial scenes, but rather eases the film into its horror tones, while also developing the other aspects of the plot and his themes with remarkable aplomb.
Even in the cheeriest conversations, there’s an underlying tension, and therein lies one of the film’s greatest achievements. Chris’s race is often brought up in conversation, and all the folks seem to make as evident as possible that they’re not racist. An elderly ex-golfer emphasizes how much he loves Tiger Woods; a family friend none-too-subtly asks Rose what makes Chris ‘different’ in bed; Whitford’s cool dad talks about how his own father’s claim to fame was being beaten by Jesse Owens in front of Hitler. These scenes are often rather funny, but also deeply uncomfortable to watch, because even though the satire may be exaggerated, it is very much a reflection of the all-too-easy trap of people trying to prove they’re not ‘racist’, but end up being rather off-putting in doing so. The Armitages also have a deadbeat, abrasive son (Caleb Landry Jones) who more incisively tries racially attack Chris, and two black helpers (Betty Gabriel and Marcus Henderson) who are the most obvious signs that something is really amiss. Peele crafts some rather compelling horror sequences with the interactions between Chris and these strange individuals, and one truly harrowing sequence as Keener’s psychiatrist hypnotizes Chris into quitting smoking, and something more.
Peele never overplays his hand in gradually building the film up to a pretty amazing final act where everything comes together, both in a way that makes sense, and in a way you might not expect. He never compromises the horror with the laughs, apart from maybe a slightly misplaced interlude with Chris’s concerned best friend (the hilarious Lil Rel Howrey) at the police station – although that scene, like all his little interludes, are rather delightful, it does ever so slightly slacken the watertight tension. Thankfully, errors are far and few in between with Peele’s filmmaking craft, and that extends to the excellent ensemble. Kaluuya, best known up to this point for his role on Black Mirror and supporting turns in Johnny English Reborn, Kick-Ass 2 and Sicario, carries the film remarkably well as the comedic straight man, the reactionary face to the horrors, and the intrepid hero we root for. Here’s hoping this excellent leading turn brings about a proper breakout. He’s ably supported by a cast of everyone’s favourite character actors, from veterans Whitford and Keener playing with their usual ‘types’ of characters rather effectively, to short but memorable appearances by Stephen Root as a blind art dealer, and the incredibly talented Lakeith Stanfield as a truly odd and troubling party guest. MVP of the film, though, has to go to Williams, who is truly a revelation in a role that requires a lot, and she totally nails it.
The film is at times truly terrifying, at times truly hilarious, sometimes both, but perhaps most impressive is its social subtext. The cool dad says he’d vote for Obama for a third term if he could, the Uncle Tom dynamic of the house servants, the faux friendliness and ‘acceptance’ of the black male descending into something quite unnervingly derogatory…it all comes together so well, and never feels forced. Even the little twist at the end, played for laughs and relief, brings to mind some very timely issues in America. This is an excellent horror film, a stellar comedy, but also very much a product of our times in the best possible way.
3. The Thin Red Line 4. Schindler's List 5. The Green Mile 6. Leon the Professional 7. Barton Fink 8. The Truman Show 9. Magnolia 10. Edward Scissorhands
11. Se7en
12. Fargo
13. The Crying Game
14. Ed Wood
15. Gettysburg
16. Jackie Brown
17. Silence of the Lambs
18. Boogie Nights
19. Toy Story 2
20. The Insider
21. The Shawshank Redemption
22. Dead Man Walking
23. Hamlet
24. The Remains of the Day
25. Misery
27. Braveheart
28. Pulp Fiction
29. Jurassic Park
30 Shakespeare in Love Best Director
Mudbound Dunkirk Call Me By Your Name
Katheryn Bigelow's 'Untitled Detroit Project' Wonderstruck Marshall The Kidnapping of Edgardo Mortara Darkest Hour Mary Magdalene The Snowman
Daring early prediction? I wouldn't say so. After the small-scale winners of Spotlight and Moonlight in the past two years, the Academy might look to go back to awarding the big boys, and they certainly don't seem to be getting any bigger than Christopher Nolan's WWII epic. As for the other nominees, they all seem to tick the award boxes, though I might switch the more unpredictable quantities of Wonderstruck and the possible late release of The Kidnapping of Edgardo Mortara for Battle of the Sexes and hm, you know what, maybe Logan could make a play for the big awards? Best Director
Luca Guadagnino, Call Me By Your Name Christopher Nolan, Dunkirk
Kathryn Bigelow, 'Untitled Detroit Project'
Steven Speilberg, The Kidnapping of Edgardo Mortara
Dee Rees, Mudbound
Like 2016, I expect all the Oscars to fall perfectly in line with the Best Picture nominees. Bigelow is the only one I'm extremely confident in, though. Speilberg hasn't had much success in this category as of late and I might replace him with perhaps Garth Davis for Mary Magdalene, or heck even Denis Villeneuve for Blade Runner 2049. Guadagnino has gotten early praise, so I'm keeping him in for now. Best Actor
Gary Oldman, Darkest Hour
Daniel Day-Lewis, 'Untitled Paul Thomas Anderson Project')
Timothée Chalamet, Call Me By Your Name
Tom Cruise, American Made
Chadwick Boseman, Marshall
Oldman's role as Winston Churchill looks like it could be quite something, and I certainly hope it actualizes into an amazing performance. Day-Lewis could get in and provide some stiff competition if his film comes out in time, Chalamet could be the newbie entrant, Cruise could make a comeback, and I'm actually fairly confident in Boseman's chances if his film does well enough, since the role of Thurgood Marshall, the first African-American Supreme Court Justice, seems pretty meaty, Look out too for Michael Fassbender in The Snowman. Best Actress
Emma Stone, Battle of the Sexes
Carey Mulligan, Mudbound
Rooney Mara, Mary Magdelene
Frances McDormand, Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri Annette Bening, Film Stars Don't Die in Liverpool
Bening failed to garner a nomination for her work in 20th Century Women this year which was a shame, and I feel like her next role as the cancer-striken, ageing Gloria Grahame might just be the thing to garner her that long-sought for win. Martin McDonagh has never had a performance in his films nominated for an Oscar and I'm looking to Frances McDormand to break that trend. The jury's still out on whether or not Mudbound is an ensemble film, but Mulligan's surprisingly only been nominated once so far in her career so look out for her, Mara is going to be carrying a religious epic on her shoulders, and Stone should be able to ride the La La Land momentum well enough to garner her third nomination with renowned tennis player Billie Jean King.
Best Supporting Actor
Jason Mitchell/Garrett Hedlund, Mudbound
Sterling K. Brown/Josh Gad, Marshall
Patrick Stewart, Logan
Ben Mendelsohn, Darkest Hour Armie Hammer, Call Me By Your Name
This is where things are always hardest to predict; last year around this time, I'd have never imagined that Liam Neeson would be shut out completely from the awards season, Mahershala Ali and Dev Patel would be battling it out, or that Jeff Bridges would be supporting. Anyway, for Marshall and Mudbound we'll have to wait and see who gets the largest amount of praise from the critics, if I had to pick now I'd say Mitchell and Gad, though who knows. This is the category I'm probably going to be provnen most wrong in since none of these gentleman have ever been nominated, or really even come close to, being nominated for an Oscar. I feel Ben Mendelsohn could find his way in if Darkest Hour does well enough, and I get the feeling that Call Me By Your Name is the Manchester by the Sea of this year. Hammer might be campaigned in either category, I'd imagine, so if he's campaigned in lead I'll switch him out for someone from Dunkirk, maybe Mark Rylance, maybe Cillian Murphy, maybe even Kenneth Branagh, it's too early to tell. And call me crazy, but I could see Patrick Stewart getting in; respected veteran who's never gotten a nomination giving career-best work. Best Supporting Actress
Mary J. Bilge, Mudbound
Julianne Moore, Wonderstruck
Kristin Scott Thomas, Darkest Hour
Melissa Leo, Novitiate
Lesley Manville, 'Untitled Paul Thomas Anderson Project'
Another unpredictable category. For now I'd consider Bilge the strong frontrunner, she's gotten a lot of praise for her work in Mudbound. Moore could find herself in the Oscar race again for a supposedly juicy role in another Todd Haynes film, though she might have competition with Michelle Williams, see thoughts above on Mendelsohn for Scott Thomas, and Melissa Leo is one of those actresses I always consider to be in award contention (and she's playing a Mother Superior of all things). Manville's the most unknown quantity, I imagine some other ensemble player in some other big film might find their way in instead, but I have a feeling PTA has crafted a juicy role for the veteran who's never been nominated. Best Original Screenplay
Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri Battle of the Sexes Marshall Dunkirk Downsizing
I'm expecting Dunkrik to be the huge award darling, so this extends to this category I'd say. But I think Marshall has the big chance in this category. The other nominees are fairly self-explanatory, and though I expect Downsizing to be one of those Alexander Payne films that misses out on the big categories, I'm sure he'll find traction for his screenplay as always. Best Adapted Screenplay
Mudbound Call Me By Your Name Wonderstruck The Kidnapping of Edgardo Mortara
Kathryn Bigelow's 'Untitled Detroit Project')
Again, I believe Call Me By Your Name will be the Manchester by the Sea this year, and this may well extend to its screenplay chances.
