Movie #202 Requiem for a Heavyweight *1962*

Written by Rod Sterling (of Twilight Zone fame) Requiem is the story of a boxer who has lost his last fight.  At least he lost it to Cassius Clay, who played the small role in the movie.  The Dr. has told him that he can no longer fight.  Another blow to the head and he could loose his vision or even die.  Now a lifetime fighter with a smashed up face is forced to seek out employment.  He is managed by Miash, Jackie Gleason in a sleazy role like I have never seen him in.  His cut man and actual best friend is played by Mickey Rooney in a performance that lights up the screen.

But make no mistake about it.  This is Anthony Quinn's show.  He is mesmerizing in the role of "Mountain".  He is such a lovable and sympathetic character.  You only want good things for him, but just like in the ring someone is there to knock him down every time he tries to get up.

He makes a connection with a lovely woman from the unemployment agency.  She begins by trying to find him a job in which he is suited.  She ends by running out of his life after a hormonal rush from the gentle giant.  The real relationship here is between Miash and Mountain.  Mountain believes that he is indebted to Miash for the years of faithful service.  We later find out that Miash my not always have the Mountain's best interests in mind, and eventually he ends up basically ruining what's left of his life.

I loved the opening shot of this movie.  It was a long black-and-white POV shot from Mountian's perspective.  He is fighting the man who would later go on to become Ali.  Other great things about this movie are:

• The incredible cinematography
• Fantastic makeup work.  Quinn looked like he really had been a prize fighter for the past 17 years.
• The way that Quinn stays framed throughout the entire film really makes him look HUGE in comparison to his surroundings.  That is until he becomes so diminished that he can no longer even hold up his head then he is shot to look like he is three feet tall.
• The beauty and the beast sub-plot was tender and honest.
• Miash was in big trouble with the bookies for betting against Mountain.  The mob boss was a woman played by Madame Spivy.  This woman might be the ugliest person I have ever seen in my life.  The only other movie I have seen her in is the original Manchurian Candidate.  She was fantastic in her role as well and stole a few scenes away from the heavyweights.

I have to say that I was shocked by the ending of this movie.  I was expecting another 20 minutes to wrap things up in a tidy little bow like so many studio movies of this time frame did.  I give Requiem for a Heavyweight ★★★1/2.

Movie #130 La Strada *1954*

Anthony Quinn - Zampano
Giulietta Masina - Gelsomina
Richard Basehard - Il Matto
Frederico Fellini (Director)

I watched La Strada over the course of a couple of days.  I kept getting pulled away for other things.  I think this would be better appreciated in one sitting, but here goes the review anyway.

La Strada is about a gypsy that buy a woman from her mother because the family is starving.  Traveling by a half motorcycle half mobile home he takes her all over Italy as his assistant.  He treats her like property most of the time, and occasionally acts out violently towards her. 

The woman is Giulietta Masina in the role of Gelsomina.  This is only the 3rd Fellini film I have ever seen, but it is far and away the most humanistic.  And that is due largely to Masina and her performance.  She reminded me of a female Chaplin.  She has one of the most expressive faces I have ever seen.  She can convey every thought, feeling, and yearning with a simple break of a smile or a turn of her head away.

Gelsomina doesn't want to admit it, but she enjoys the nomad lifestyle.  She even falls in love with Zampano although she never says it.  You can see it in her face.  It is an uncomfortable love.  He is her master for all practical purposes, but we can see that she is hurt when he "cheats on her" with women from the towns they visit.  She conveys the pain and disappointment in her by mearly dipping her head.  Maybe even shame and pity for him.

The him is Anthony Quinn who is good in his role, but pales in comparison to Masina.  Another performance is that of Richard Basehard as Il Matto or "The Fool".  He is charming and silly.  He is more like the Italian clown that I was expecting from this movie, but even his character has depth and resonance. 

This is the earliest of Fellini's films that I have seen. Often times with the first works in a directors cannon you can see their potential, but not their brilliance.  That is not the case here.  I would say that La Strada is no much like the other 2 Fellini films that I have seen (8 1/2 and La Dolce Vita).  I would rank 8 1/2 first (and one of the 10 best movies ever made), La Strada second and La Dolce Vita third.

I saw this picture on Netflix Watch Instant in High Def and it looked amazing.  It wasn't letter-boxed, but I didn't mind it so much after a while.  The cinematography was crazy good.  Fellini captured Italy in a way that few directors have been able to do with their films.  Even fewer when restricted to black and white.  Jules Dassin and Woody Allen both paid tribute to New York with Manhattan and The Naked City respectively.  

If this film did anything to me, it made me rearrange my Netflix Queue.  I now have Night of Cabiria in the #1 position.  It is another Fellini film staring Masina in a huge role.  She carries the film I am told.  I can't wait to see it and her again.  I give La Strada ★★★1/2.   La Strada is available on Blu Ray through the Criterion Collection.  Check out the Trailer Park to see for yourself.

Moive #126 Lust for Life *1956*

Kirk Douglas - Vincent Van Gogh
Anthony Quinn - Paul Gauguin
Vincente Minnelli (Director)

It is timely that I am reviewing this movie during the days leading up to the Oscars.  There is a term used now a days "Oscar Bait".  It refers to a performance that seems to be in line with what Oscar voters reward. 

These roles are: 

• Mentally or physically handicap
• The struggling artist
• Europeans
• Characters who must overcome insurmountable odds
• Characters based on real people

And so forth...

Any one of these gives you a leg up in the competition.  Combine these tropes to increase your odds.  This year we have Collin Firth playing the will-be King of England who happens to have a speech impediment, and will be taking over as king as Hitlers army's begin their attempt to take over the world.  That is why I have him as a lock in my Oscar pool.

I have to be honest and state that Lust for Life didn't hold my attention very well.  Usually I like to sit and watch an entire film in one sitting if possible.  If at home and I have to leave the room I will pause the movie.  During this movie I entered and exited several times.  I feel like very little was lost.

The movie is a very sterile 1950's Hollywood telling of the life and death of Vincent Van Gogh.  He began his work as a clergyman.  I didn't know that before the film.  Then he attempted to make himself a martyr for the small mining town where he was to be the priest.  A trend that would follow him throughout his entire life.  Another thing that I didn't know about Van Gogh was that he was not a brilliant painter from the first time he put brush to canvas.  I always assumed that he was.  I hear about the painting savants and I assumed he was one of them.  According to this movie he had to work and struggle to become a great artist.  

I think one of the shortfalls of the story is the lead actor.  That is rare of me to say about such a great talent as Kirk Douglas.  I think he was directed to be charming and a likable character.  Therefore, for me, when he would go on a rant or a "crazy spell" it was endearing and sympathetic when it needed to be violent and spiteful.  Another problem is the cleanliness of the movie.  These 50's MGM color roadshow attractions is that they were made to appeal to the largest audience possible.  You couldn't really show the grime and filth and debauchery that was prevalent during the days of Van Gogh.  Especially in Europe and even more so in Paris.

Quinn did provide a little life when he entered (he did win the Oscar for the role)  I wonder if maybe he had just gotten off the stage or if he was performing on a theater stage at night.  Because his performance was so large that  it was bigger than anything else on the screen.  He didn't fit in after a while and I grew tired of him.  There is not much of any real female presence in the movie.  And the music was hitting every emotional moment with a gong.  I like my music to be persuasive, not manipulative.  Even the sets are not good to the time period.  The entire movie had a very thrown together feel to it.

Another strange element of the movie was that it sort of served as a slideshow for Van Gogh's actual paintings.  There is a special message at the films into where they thank a series of different for their permission to shoot Van Gogh's art work.  I thought at first that this was going to be a cool interlude.  What ended up happening to me is that I felt like showing the art really made the movie choppy and messed with mood and pacing.

I have to give Lust for Life ★★.  Check out the trailer park to see for yourself.  I caught this film as part of TMC's 31 Days of Oscar programming.