This week, Hidden Treasures takes a look at three Westerns directed by Anthony Mann, a versatile filmmaker whose career spanned a variety of genres, from film noir in the 1940’s (Railroaded, T-Men) to big-budget epics of the 60’s (El-Cid, The Fall of the Roman Empire). However, it’s the westerns, five of which teamed him with Hollywood legend James Stewart, for which Mann is best remembered. I’ve already presented one of them, Winchester 73, in a previous Hidden Treasures. Here are three more, each an excellent example of Mann’s preference for gritty realism over the more stylized Western “mythology” that many of his contemporaries chose to explore.
(As an added bonus, click on MORE below to view clips / trailers from this week’s films)
. The Furies (1950)
Unlike this week’s other two entries, The Furies was shot entirely in black and white; but then it couldn’t have been presented any other way. With a brooding story, populated by characters equally as dark, there were no colors in the spectrum that could have possibly penetrated this film.
The year is 1870, the setting, New Mexico. T.C. Jeffords (Walter Huston, in his final screen appearance) is a cattle baron who used his incredible wealth to construct an enormous ranch, which he named the Furies. His daughter, Vance (Barbara Stanwyck), has a lot in common with her father, including a love of the Furies. T.C., who has fallen on hard times and owes money all over the territory, has promised to turn the Furies over to Vance one day, whom he feels is the only person capable of running it the way it needs to be run. However, a love of the Furies isn’t the only thing they share; both are headstrong, and clash openly over everything from potential husbands for Vance to how to handle the squatters who have been trespassing on their land for years. When T.C. turns against a series of suitors for Vance, the stage is set for a face-off, one which ultimately threatens to destroy not only their relationship, but the Furies as well.
Huston and Stanwyck are absolutely stellar as T.C. and Vance, two individuals so incredibly alike, sharing the same boisterous, egotistical personality, that their eventual clash seemed inevitable. At the wedding reception of T.C’s son, Clay (John Bromfield), who has always taken a back seat to his more ambitious sister, a rival of T.C.’s named Darrow (Wendell Corey) unexpectedly turns up. T.C, who had killed Darrow’s father years earlier, insults Darrow and orders him to leave. At that, Vance turns to the unwanted ‘guest’ and asks him to join her in a dance. Before long, Darrow and Vance are seeing each other regularly, and even talking of marriage. It’s an open challenge to T.C., who earlier had presented Vance with a dowry of $50,000 that he promised to turn over only if he approved of her choice of husband (to which Vance snapped back that she’d marry whomever she pleased). Less a courtship than a showdown between father and daughter, it’s the first in what will become a series of standoffs between them.
Ultimately, there are very few likeable characters in The Furies, and while we do feel a certain degree of empathy for T.C. and Vance, it’s an empathy that shifts back and forth between the two, never once coming to rest on both of them at the same time. The two are like a dark cloud hanging over the film, in much the same way they hang over the Furies ranch and everyone who resides within it. From the moment we met T.C. and Vance and watched them interact, it was obvious that a storm was brewing, and heaven help anyone who got caught in the middle of it.
. The Naked Spur (1953)
As mentioned above, James Stewart and Anthony Mann worked together on five westerns, starting with Winchester 73 in 1950 and culminating in 1955’s The Man from Laramie. Aside from turning out five excellent films, this pairing also marked a change of pace in the career of James Stewart. Gone was the loveable underdog of Mr. Smith Goes to Washington, the disillusioned do-gooder of It’s a Wonderful Life and the eternal optimist of Harvey. With Mann, Stewart was exploring characters that had an edge, hardened by life and never afraid to do whatever it took to come out on top. Under Mann’s direction, James Stewart was given an opportunity to walk on the dark side, and he appeared to be just as comfortable in this darkness as he was in the light.
Howard Kemp (James Stewart), a bounty hunter from Kansas, has been tracking wanted murderer Ben Vandergroat (Robert Ryan) for hundreds of miles. Picking up two partners along the way; unlucky prospector Jesse Tate (Millard Mitchell) and dishonorably discharged Union soldier Roy Anderson (Ralph Meeker), Kemp is finally able to capture both Ben and Lina Patch (Janet Leigh), a young girl Ben has been looking after. Unfortunately for Kemp and his partners, the journey to Kansas to collect their reward is fraught with dangers on all sides, not the least of which is the danger they pose to one another. With greed rearing its ugly head, each of the three is tempted to somehow find a way to claim the $5,000 reward on their prisoner’s head for themselves.
As is Mann’s style, there are no clear-cut heroes or villains in The Naked Spur. Stewart’s Kemp is working to bring a wanted man to justice, but only so he can collect the reward. The fact that Ben may be innocent means nothing to him (“it’s him they’re paying the reward on”, he reasons). Kemp even tries to swindle Roy and Jesse, who helped him capture Ben, out of their share of the reward. On the reverse side of the coin, Ben is wanted for murder, but has also set himself up as a father figure to Lina, the daughter of his best friend, taking care of her when there was nobody else to do so (even if he does use Lina from time to time to stir up the tension between Kemp and his ‘partners’). Then there’s Roy, wonderfully played by Ralph Meeker, a soldier who was thrown out of the army for taking up with an Indian chief’s daughter (whether or not the chief’s daughter was a willing partner is never fully disclosed). Roy has a nasty disposition, and makes advances towards Lina every chance he gets. There are no trustworthy characters to be found on either side of The Naked Spur, bringing a level of unpredictability to the film. With each man capable of anything, good or bad, we simply don’t know what to expect with each new scene.
Therein lies the true appeal of an Anthony Mann western. Formulas be damned; here’s a director who’ll gladly guide his story in any direction it wants to go.
. The Man From Laramie (1955) The Man from Laramie marked Anthony Mann’s first experience with Cinescope, a widescreen format introduced in the early 1950’s. With the goal of filling the screen with action, Mann took his western in an entirely new direction. Within his typically well-composed tale of drama and intrigue, Anthony Mann introduced a level of art; giving his audience the added bonus of breathtaking imagery to coincide with a story they could sink their teeth into.
Will Lockhart (James Stewart) is searching for the man responsible for the murder of his brother, even though he’s not completely sure who that man might be. Knowing only that the killer trades guns with the Indians, Lockhart travels to Apache country to continue his quest. Once there, he runs afoul of the bad-tempered Dave Waggoman (Alex Nicol), son of powerful rancher Alec Waggoman (Donald Crisp). Left wounded by his run-in with the younger Waggoman, Lockhart learns that he has inadvertantly placed himself in the middle of a family struggle, with Dave Waggoman and his adopted brother Vic Hansbro (Arthur Kennedy) fighting each other for control of Alec Waggoman’s vast estates.
The Man from Laramie has all the elements of an Anthony Mann western, where vigilante justice is preferable to law and order, and family members fight each other for control of a piece of land. Throw in the added bonus of a wide screen, and you have a film that is truly unforgettable. Along with Director of Photography Charles Lang (who received 18 Academy Award nominations over his 47-year career), Mann utilized every inch of his available canvas to relate this story of deception and revenge. From the opening scene, where two horse-drawn wagons make their way across a desert landscape, it’s obvious that Mann plans to take full advantage of everything the Cinescope format has to offer. Even the moments of violence are stylized, such as when Lockhart, on his first meeting with Dave Waggoner, is roped by one of Waggoner’s henchmen and dragged ten feet across the dirt and sand. It’s a terrible scene, to be sure, yet presented here in such a way that it becomes equally as spectacular.
The Man from Laramie is an example of an artist working within a genre that he is wholly familiar with, while employing technology that is entirely new to him. The result is a film of incredible power, not to mention incredible beauty.
Click below to view clips from this week’s films (more…)
As far as I can recall, VIFF has always been heavy on the Asian cinema and this year’s festival is no different. Mixed into this years’ lineup for the Lions & Tigers program are a few international and world premieres. I’m particularly looking forward to Johnnie To’s Sparrow and Yim Phil-Sung’s excellent looking Hansel and Gretel.
The festival has also announced a number of the films in the Cinema of Our Time program and there are, as expected, some fantastic titles here. I’ve only casually glanced through and I’ve already picked out 10 must sees including Hunger, Happy-Go-Lucky and Wendy and Lucy. Also worth noting that the fabulous [REC] is on the lineup though I’ve already caught up with that. To see that list of films, scroll down or jump down.
China
24 CITY (Jia Zhangke)
Jia Zhangke’s most daring combination of documentary and fiction yet. The old socialist Factory 420 in Chengdu, Sichuan, is being replaced by ultra-capitalist luxury residences. Interviews with former workers recreate an entire lost world; appearances by famous actors (including Joan Chen) lace realism with poetry.
GOOD CATS (Ying Liang) - North American Premiere
Ying Liang’s savage, funny satire mocks corruption and greed in contemporary China. As ambitious young chauffeur Luo gets deeper into his boss’ schemes, he loses his wife, his money and his moral compass. With a rock band as its Greek chorus: very indie and very surreal.
JALAINUR (Zhao Ye) - World Premiere
Zhao Ye’s visionary film captures a strangely obsessive, beautifully dreamlike relationship between a locomotive engineer on the verge of retirement and his doggedly loyal apprentice. Visual poetry, set in the smoke, steam, and snow of wintry Manchuria.
KNITTING (Yin Lichuan)
An unusual comedy of poverty and romantic jealousy set in southern China. When Chen Jin’s flamboyant ex-girlfriend moves back in to his hovel, his current live-in girlfriend quietly, stubbornly resists. Director Yin Lichuan allows three-way rivalries to develop in unexpectedly intense and off-beat directions.
THE LONGWANG CHRONICLES (Li Yifan) - World Premiere
Li Yifan’s brilliant documentary-almanac chronicles a year in the life of a Chinese small town. Rival underground Christian cults, dubious local electioneering, indentured labour practices: the Chinese government’s policy of “building a socialist countryside” seems far, far away in this revelatory portrait of grassroots life.
THE LOVE OF MR. AN (Yang Lina) - North American Premiere
A documentary from China as intimate as it is revelatory. Filmmaker Yang Lina brings us romantically charismatic Lao An, an eighty-something charmer with a vivacious lover (in her youthful 60s) and a disgruntled wife. Love, sex, betrayal, death: this is real life, not melodrama.
PERFECT LIFE (Emily Tang) - China/Hong Kong - North American Premiere
Li Yueying is a repressed 21-year-old, just starting out in a new job as a hotel maid, living mostly in her own fantasy world. Emily Tang’s quietly masterful film (co-produced by Jia Zhangke) follows her from domestic disappointments through a tentative relationship to the surprises of encroaching middle-age, and counterpoints her life with that of a divorced mother-of-two living in Hong Kong. These women meet only once, very briefly, but have more in common than first appears. Dragons & Tigers Award nominee.
PLASTIC CITY (Yu Lik-wai)
Three generations of Chinese intellectuals, officials, and activists discuss China’s tortured post-1949 history and present possibilities in Wenhai’s remarkably incisive documentary. “Creatures of politics,” they call themselves, and we see how their remarkable histories animate their current beliefs. Living politics, at intimately close range.
SURVIVAL SONG (Yu Guangyi) - International Premiere
Yu Guangyi documents the disappearing lifestyle of a family of isolated hunter-trappers in the snowy wilds of northeastern China. But he uncovers the uncanny: their boarder Xiao Li, a nearly mute vagrant, whose wild, passionate singing is a cry, piercing unimaginable loneliness, for survival and dignity.
SWEET FOOD CITY (Gao Wendong) - International Premiere
Recut since its premiere in Berlin, Gao Wendong’s debut feature makes brilliant use of cinematic space. In the extraordinary setting of Dalian’s Sweet Food City, a housing/shopping development of the 1990s which is already a massive slum, a jobless chancer strikes up a tentative relationship with a tough hooker–until fate intervenes. Dragons & Tigers Award nominee.
THE EQUATION OF LOVE AND DEATH (Cao Baoping) - North American Premiere
A tour de force by China’s finest young actress, Zhou Xun, anchors Cao Baoping’s black comedy/thriller. She’s a tough cabbie, whose quest for her lost lover pits her against a couple of hapless drug runners. With a frenzied, labyrinthine plot that twists right up to the end.
UP & DOWN (Wang Wo) - International Premiere
A different way to look at Beijing’s Tiananmen and the Avenue of Eternal Peace that’s witty and slyly subversive to boot.
WE (Huang Wenhai) - International Premiere
Three generations of Chinese intellectuals, officials, and activists discuss China’s tortured post-1949 history and present possibilities in Wenhai’s remarkably incisive documentary. “Creatures of politics,” they call themselves, and we see how their remarkable histories animate their current beliefs. Living politics, at intimately close range.
One of the premieres at TIFF this year is Danny Boyle’s (28 Days Later, Sunshine) Slumdog Millionaire; based on the best selling novel “Q&A” by Vikas Swarup.
The story is of Jamal Malik, an 18-year-old orphan from the slums of Mumbai, is just one question away from winning a staggering 20 million rupees on India’s Who Wants to be A Millionaire? Arrested on suspicion of cheating (after all, how could an 18 year-old from the streets know so much?), he tells the police the amazing tale of his life on the streets which somehow manages to relate to each question he’s answered correctly. With 60 million people watching, will Jamal correctly answer the big money question?
Thanks to worstpreviews, we get to see a couple of images. They’re nothing overly special, but considering the stellar imagery of Boyle’s previous films, we’re probably in for a real treat and the story line sounds super intriguing.
Marina talked a bit about the upcoming Max Payne movie when the first trailer came out back in July. It looks like this is going to be a highly-stylized and very different video game movie. I don’t know if I want to throw the word “ambitious” out there, but “different” will suffice.
I loved the first two games back when they came out, having played through and beat both of them, and they were purposely very cinematic and unfolded just like a gritty film noir. With this adaptation, I don’t want them to simply rehash the video game, since it did play out like a movie itself and there wouldn’t be any surprises, but I’m still very curious as to what these winged creatures are - the only thing I can imagine and that would make them appropriate to the game is that they are drug-induced hallucinations (I remember there being a lot of drugs in the video game and I remember Max taking them at some points - don’t I?). They seem to play quite a big part in the trailer here.
The trailer doesn’t seem to confirm the rating, nor does the IMDb page, but I’m hoping they take this the R-rated route. I’m not saying this will be great, but I think it has the potential to be good, and for once, I’d like to see a good video game adaptation. The trailer is interesting, to say the least.
I posted this over on the TIFF section of the site but I wanted to highlight the meetup that is taking place on the 8th so here it is again.
Check out 1st Thursday for a nice map of the TIFF theatre locations that also includes the subway routes and some suggested restaurants.
Also there is a gathering of movie fans and bloggers on Monday the 8th at 6PM if you are interested in meeting a couple of the Row Three contributors and other cool people then send an email to john@rowthree.com and I’ll set you up with how to find us. Thanks go out to the Movie Moxie for setting it up.
P.s. you don’t have to be a movie blogger to come out. You just have to want to hang out with movie geeks.
As if it wasn’t already long enough, the Kevin Coster disaster which was Waterworld is getting a little longer.
At the time of release, the film carried the distinction of being the most expensive film ever made and likely one of the biggest box office bombs of all time. The production ran into continuous problems, likely to happen when you’re working with so much water, and there has been talk over the years that Costner had a big hand in directing the film. I won’t begin to know what happened but the final result is a bit of a disaster. The film had the potential to be Mad Max on water but between the shitty acting and shittier script, the entire thing was an expensive write off.
Unfortunately, someone out there seriously believes that the film is special because coming to store shelves on November 4th is an extended edition of the film featuring 45 extra minutes of footage. Yes, rather than 2+ hours to suffer through, you can now enjoy the pain for a full 3 hours.
To be fair, I don’t hate Waterworld. It’s not a good film but it’s one of those that for me, surpasses bad and goes back to good. I’m not quite sure what to make of the extra 45 minutes of footage but who knows, maybe it’ll actually help the film. I’m not holding my breath but it’s a thought. I’ve yet to add this to my collection and I’m not sure I’m ready to pay full price ($19.99), especially when there don’t seem to be any other extras, but I’ll be looking for it in the discount bins come Christmas.
It’s hard to believe that nearly a year has passed since I first encountered my local SIGGRAPH chapter which has, over the last 12 months, provided countless hours of learning and entertainment. To kick off their ‘08/’09 season, the local crew is back with “SPARK Animation ‘08: Celebrating Inspiration and Innovation.”
This year’s even will be highlighting some of the best animation of the past year including screenings of the delightful Kung Fu Panda (our review), Dr. Seuss’ Horton Hears a Who!, the documentary The Pixar Story and Bruno Bozzetto’s animated classic Allegro non Troppo. Along with the screenings, there is an impressive lineup of speakers which includes award winning animators, cinematographers, video game designers and animation historians.
SPARK runs September 10th to the 14th at the Vancity Theater. Schedule of events, speaker bio’s and ticket information is available at the event site.
Look for me in the audience. I plan on attending a few of the sessions and perhaps even a couple of the screenings. I could do with a little skadoosh action.
Orlando Bloom seemed to come out of nowhere in 2001 when Peter Jackson cast him in the role of Legolas in the first Lord of the Rings film. Bloom had little chance to really act but that didn’t stop girls from fawning over the handsome Brit. It’s fair to say that when Bloom popped up again in 2004, people were disappointed. For the most part, Troy was considered a disappointment and outside of a few good performances, one of which was not Bloom, the film is forgettable trash.
Among the other disappointments (Haven, Elizabethtown and his flat performance in the Pirates films) there have been a few minor successes. Granted, he may not be a great actor, but Bloom does have a little talent that goes further than just a few sultry looks. The low budget Australian film Ned Kelly, which also starred Heath Ledger, was much better than I had anticipated in large part due to the performances from both actors. And then there’s Ridley Scott’s much disliked Kingdom of Heaven. The final cut of the film was a disaster but it did showcase strong performances, including one from Bloom, and the director’s cut of the film really is worth a look.
Regardless of the good, Bloom is generally considered a poor actor and though that could mean career suicide for some, Bloom isn’t ready to sit back and let Hollywood cast him as the pretty boy. It was recently announced that Bloom would be stepping away from Hollywood and focusing on smaller productions, namely a new film by the talented Andrucha Waddington who impressed me with 2005’s House of Sand. The film is based on Bill Carter’s “Fools Rush In” which tells of Carter’s experiences living in the Bosnian capital Sarajevo during the 1992-95 siege.
It will be interesting to see how this project turns out. Waddington is a visionary director and I have no doubt the film will look fantastic but I’m on the fence as to whether Bloom’s acting abilities will meet the director’s talent. It’ll be a while before we see if he’s more than just a pretty face and until then, I’m happy to visit Legolas.
Everybody has probably heard or read by now how Jason Segel became interested in writing and starring in a new Muppet movie while working with the Jim Henson Co. on the set of Forgetting Sarah Marshall. In this new movie he is penning, Segel is taking the Muppet characters back to their roots, as they will reunite for one last variety show to save their ailing studio. Rumor has it, that if the movie is a success, this opens up the opportunity to lead them right into a brand new The Muppet Show, which Segel would also pen.
While there have been numerous spin-offs, including The Muppets Tonight in the mid-90s (which I was also a fan of), the original The Muppet Show ran from 1976 to 1981 and even won an Emmy in 1978 for Outstanding Variety, Music or Comedy Series.
In my opinion, the more Muppets, the better. Whenever I bring children of my own into this world, I want it to be a world where Kermit is king. And since Jim Henson is no longer with us, I think Jason Segel is just the man for the job.
When it was announced that Madonna had directed a film, and one titled Film and Wisdom, my first thoughts was “Wow, how appropriate.”
Reviews of the film have not been positive but with Madonna’s superstar name attached, it’s has managed to gain some legs, touring a few film festival and someone has decided that it’s worth inflicting on the general population. The film star a load of unknowns and is, surprisingly, a comedy about three flatmates living in London.
Looks like we’ll be needing Serena Whitney back for another edition of The Cinecast in the future. Word comes today that a sequel for The Strangers (our review) is in the works. Bryan Bertino is back to pen the script, but it’s unclear as of yet whether or not he’ll be directing.
The Strangers was Bertino’s directorial debut and it was quite a good one at that. While I’d hope that he would return to continue with the feel (and maybe improvements) from the first film, I’d be much more interested to see him try something new. I would think a brand new director would not want to get bogged down in the same franchise for years to come. But hey, if horror is his thing and he wants to stick with it, more power to him. I’m sure we’ll see some great things.
The Strangers became Focus Features’ horror subdivision, Rogue, first break-out hit. With a budget of only $9 million, but grossing over $54 million domestically (and getting an expanded UK release on Friday), it’s likely we’ll see this franchise again and again. Another Saw franchise maybe? Let’s hope not. But if the money keeps rolling in, you can count on it.
*If you’ve not seen The Strangers, details on the sequel might potentially be spoilerific* - show
Word is that Liv Tyler will be returning along with the original villains for the sequel.
The Furies (1950)
The Naked Spur (1953)
The Man From Laramie (1955)
