Exorcist (The)

Genre: supernatural thriller

With: Ellen Burstyn (Chris MacNeil), Max von Sydow (Father Merrin), Lee J. Cobb (Lt. Kinderman), Linda Blair (Regan), Jason Miller (Father Karras), Kitty Winn (Sharon), Jack MacGowran (Burke Dennings), William O'Malley (Father Dyer)

Director: William Friedkin

Screenplay: William Peter Blatty (based on his novel)

Release: 1973

Studio: Warner Bros., Hoya Production

Rating: 16

MBiS score: 8.9/10

That’s One Frightening Way to Get Religion!

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Story-line: while doing archaeological work in Iraq, Father Merrin is almost trampled by a horse-drawn cart. Actress Chris MacNeil, on location in Georgetown, notices that her daughter Regan is behaving erratically. Father Karras, a consultant at Georgetown University, is worried about his aged mother living alone in New York City. In a church somewhere, a statue of the Virgin Mary is desecrated. I ask you now… is there any sense to all of this?

Pluses: forceful performances by Ellen Burstyn, Max von Sydow and cast, superlative direction, a very clever and thoroughly effective ‟screamplay” offering original touches and a cunning buildup of tension, able cinematography and convincing special effects.

Minuses: don’t fret if the first act feels a bit disjointed… it’s a necessary set-up for the potent suspense to follow. The film score, which features fine music by Henze and Penderecki, makes little room for Mike Oldfield’s Tubular Bells, a composition indelibly linked with this legendary movie. A note for sensitive viewers: some scenes are spooky or disgusting but the movie overall is not repulsive.   

Comments: for years, I have had a completely false impression of THE EXORCIST. Instead of the full-fledged gorefest I expected it to be, it stands as a serious moral drama depicting one special predicament that science alone can neither explain nor alleviate. As a whole, it doesn’t disrespect religion (in spite of some foul language) and its heart-stopping ending squares nicely with an odd little episode of the New Testament (in the Book of Luke… but don’t look it up!). THE EXORCIST, dare I say, is a bona fide masterpiece informed by denial, hysteria, visions of hell and the power of faith. In appreciation of William Peter Blatty (1928-2017) for his extraordinary story.

MBiS

© 2019 – All rights reserved

Young Lions (The)

Genre: war movie (in black and white)

With: Marlon Brando (Christian Diestl), Montgomery Clift (Noah Ackerman), Dean Martin (Michael Whiteacre), Hope Lange (Hope Plowman), Barbara Rush (Margaret Freemantle), May Britt (Gretchen Hardenberg), Maximilian Schell (Capt. Hardenberg), Dora Doll (Simone), Lee Van Cleef (Sgt. Rickett), Liliane Montevecchi (Françoise), Parley Baer (Sgt. Brandt)

Director: Edward Dmytryk

Screenplay: Edward Anhalt (based on Irwin Shaw’s novel)

Release: 1958

Studio: Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation

Rating: -

MBiS score: 8.6/10

Matters of Duty, Love and Principle 

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Story-line: a frustrated German seeking a better future for himself, an indifferent Broadway singer and an awkward but courageous young Jew from California face moral dilemmas when they find themselves embroiled in World War II.

Pluses: a star-studded cast in top form, a psychology-driven screenplay about personal relationships, boot camps, combat and persecution, tight direction and faultless production values, Hugo Friedhofer’s musical score that captures every mood and fine cinematography by Joe MacDonald.

Minuses: the film’s running time is nearly 3 hours, so plan accordingly.

Comments: THE YOUNG LIONS is a remarkable, heartfelt epic that even those who don’t like war movies will feel fortunate to have seen. In particular, it gives sufficient room to its brilliantly written female characters and contains several affecting scenes you will instantly recognize as classic moments in cinema. ‟Are we human beings or wild animals?” says Brandt, the German sergeant. That is one question we should ask ourselves every day of our lives…

MBiS

© 2019 – All rights reserved

Il vangelo secondo Matteo

English title: Gospel According to St. Matthew (The)

Also known as: Évangile selon saint Matthieu (l’)

Genre: religious drama (in black and white) 

With: Enrique Irazoqui (Jesus), Margherita Caruso and Susanna Pasolini (Mary), Marcello Morante (Joseph), Settimio Di Porto (Peter)

Direction and screenplay: Pier Paolo Pasolini

Release: 1964

Studio: Arco Film, Lux Compagnie Cinématographique de France

Rating: -

MBiS score: 8.8/10

A Prophet for Hard Times

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Story-line: this Pasolini film recounts essential episodes in the life of Jesus of Nazareth.  

Pluses: credible acting, a well-constructed and serious screenplay faithful to Holy Scriptures, an unmistakably artistic point of view, proficient direction and an interesting choice of music (classics, Sometimes I Feel Like a Motherless Child).

Minuses: a heads-up to movie buffs: unlike some religious films made in Hollywood, this one is unadorned, unglamorous and unforgiving.

Comments: overall, I have seen four of Pasolini’s works and all were quite daring. Here again, he has taken an unusual path with this surprisingly stark portrayal of Jesus and Palestine twenty centuries ago. You won’t see much here that pleases the eye: dusty outdoors, drab locations, humble hamlets clinging to mountainsides and poor, miserable people. And while other films about Jesus (like the also excellent THE GREATEST STORY EVER TOLD) focus on his humanity, Pasolini shows him more as a protester confronting the religious authorities of his day. In such a light, one can easily imagine why the Apostles, whom Jesus had attracted in Galilee with his teachings and miracles, deserted him in Jerusalem when he openly criticized the religious Establishment; surrounded by soldiers, submitted to social pressures and stranded in a hostile metropolis, they naturally sought to flee. As a whole, THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO ST. MATTHEW is an admirable work and, I might venture, the most realistic of all movies about the Messiah.

MBiS

© 2018 – All rights reserved

Children’s Hour (The)

Genre: psychological drama (in black and white)

With: Audrey Hepburn (Karen Wright), Shirley MacLaine (Martha Dobie), James Garner (Dr. Joe Cardin, Karen’s friend), Miriam Hopkins (Lily Mortar, Martha’s aunt), Fay Bainter (Amelia Tilford), Veronica Cartwright (Rosalie Wells), Karen Balkin (Mary Tilford)

Director: William Wyler

Screenplay: John Michael Hayes (adapted by Lillian Hellman from her 1934 play)

Release: 1961

Studio: The Mirisch Company

Rating: 18A

MBiS score: 8.6/10

Consider the Damage that Words Can Inflict

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Story-line: times are good for Karen and Martha, headmistresses at the Dobie-Wright boarding school for young girls, as they are finally reaping the rewards of their new calling. Sadly, it is often at such a time that adversity strikes… and it will strike very close to home.   

Pluses: stellar acting by Audrey Hepburn, Shirley MacLaine, James Garner and a fine cast in psychologically nuanced roles, expert editing and direction, a realistic and well-developed screenplay that raises touchy issues and delivers a stunning ending.

Minuses: none whatsoever.

Comments: despite its age, this serious film about perceptions and relationships remains startlingly mature and quite topical in our era of private scandals and public denunciations. Upon its release, THE CHILDREN’S HOUR garnered several festival nominations but no official accolades… which is regrettable for a movie this valuable.     

MBiS

© 2018 – All rights reserved

De battre mon coeur s’est arrêté 

English title: The Beat That My Heart Skipped

Genre: psychological drama

With: Romain Duris (Thomas Seyr), Niels Arestrup (his father Robert), Jonathan Zaccaï (Fabrice), Gilles Cohen (Sami), Aure Atika (Aline), Emmanuelle Devos (Chris[tine]), Linh Dan Pham (Miao Lin), Anton Yakovlev (Minskov), Mélanie Laurent (Minskov's girlfriend)

Director: Jacques Audiard

Screenplay: Jacques Audiard, Tonino Benacquista and James Toback (from Toback’s screenplay for FINGERS, circa 1977)

Release: 2005

Studio: Why Not Productions, France 3 Cinéma et al.

Rating: -

MBiS score: 8.5/10

Time To Get On With Your Life

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Story-line: young Thomas is torn between the brutal world of his pushy father (an unscrupulous businessman) and the positive influence of his late mother (a concert pianist).

Pluses: powerhouse performances by a manic Romain Duris (part Mick Jagger, part Alex from A CLOCKWORK ORANGE), the awesome Niels Arestrup and a formidable cast (Jonathan Zaccaï and Mélanie Laurent especially), a screenplay chock full of drama, humour, outrageous events, vivid characters and priceless dialogues, Jacques Audiard’s fast-paced direction, an electrifying score, pleasing cinematography and an invigorating climax.

Minuses: I didn’t fully understand the real estate dealings at issue but this is a very minor complaint.
Comments: DE BATTRE MON COEUR S'EST ARRÊTÉ begins with the poignant monologue of a son taking care of his senile father and keeps you spellbound until the very end. I can’t compare this French remake with the original FINGERS but, on its own, it certainly stands as an eye-opening, hard-hitting and slightly crazy spectacle. You won’t risk a heart attack watching this film but you may experience shortness of breath… yes, Audiard’s work is that strong and vibrant.     

MBiS

© 2018 – All rights reserved