Summary: The son of the Master of the Metropolis is intrigued by a girl and the message she brings. He follows her and discovers a whole underground world he never knew about. After seeing the hard labor the workers are put through and the conditions in which they work, he decided to confront his father. However his father is well aware of the underground city, and approves of such a society. Throughout the film, father attempts to prove that his methods are the best, while son tries to change the conditions and give a better life to the men who built his father's city. Along the way, a robot is invented and misused in order to make the underground workers rebel, thus showing that they should remain in the same place with the same conditions or else they will cause trouble. However the scientist who invents said robot does not exactly obey his orders. The robot he creates still causes plenty of trouble nonetheless.
Analysis: The story is interesting, but it is a bit difficult to follow. There were many times when I didn't really know what was going on. It is important to note the film is not restored in its entirety, which is why some parts may be missing or confusing. Despite the semi-confusing storyline, the sets were very nice looking and I really enjoyed seeing the artistic side of the film. I felt like the story could have been a bit more focused, especially in terms of characters. I wish there would have been more character development, and I felt this film had a bit too much action. Opinion: I thought the film was okay, but definitely not one of my favorites. I thought it was an interesting concept and I wish I would have liked it more. However I did enjoy the movie more than I had expected. The story seemed appealing enough, and it was intriguing to watch. The part I loved the most was the sets and props. I liked seeing how German filmmakers played with sets and used their imaginations. One of my favorites was the scene in city where the cars and planes are all represented by toy cars and planes. I thought that was very creative and I enjoyed watching that scene the most. I also liked the elevators in the apartment, especially how they continuously go one direction, but somehow people manage to get off and on. Personally the movie got a bit too strange for me. I would consider recommending this film to others, but would not watch it again myself.
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Summary: The story begins in 1952 during the Korean War. Sergeant Raymond Shaw and his platoon are on a mission when they are captured by enemy forces. However this platoon is not taken in as a regular group of hostages, and they are not treated like prisoners of war. Rather they are used as lab rats for a Communist organization. Through a series of experiments, the members of the platoon are brainwashed. Yet Raymond Shaw is much more valuable to the members of the conspiracy. They have not only brainwashed him, but have created an assassin, in their eyes a perfect weapon. He can kill basically anyone, and he won't remember doing it. He can do this without much suspicion, as he is beloved nationwide and regarded as a hero for his "efforts' in battle. Following their release, a recurring dream leads Major Bennett Marco on an adventure to prove that the images that wake him up at night are more than just dreams. Although he does not completely remember what happened when they were captured, he knows that something is off. It is a race against time for him and the other men investigating Shaw. As Shaw is sent on more "missions," Marco and his team work to figure out who is behind the scheme and how to make it stop.
Analysis: Overall the film was well done. I did not notice any major plot holes. The movie appears as an action packed thriller, and while there is definitely surprise and action in the film, there was not as much action as I expected.. The storyline is well written and well portrayed. Some points were predictable while others were very surprising. Aside from this, the main motif is the queen of diamonds playing card. This card is what triggers Raymond, what derails his focus on what he is doing and makes him key into his mission. I thought this was an interesting choice, and it fits in with the story well. The pace was kind of slow, but part of that was necessary for story development. Parts of the story were confusing at times, but overall it was easy to follow. Opinion: Overall I really liked the movie. I thought the story was interesting and I liked the way it was told. I thought the cast did well in portraying their characters. I also liked how Raymond was kind of a monster, but was also very human. It was sad to watch his character's story, as he was doing something horrible by no will of his own and without realizing what he was doing. On top of that, his mother and step father are power hungry liers who will do anything to be in the spotlight. While I don't condone the murders he committed, I did feel sympathy towards Raymond. I also liked Frank Sinatra's character Bennett. I wasn't sure what to expect from his character. At first, I thought he was the one who had been brainwashed and would become an assassin. However I was pleasantly surprised when he essentially became the hero of the story. I admired how he cared about Raymond despite saying that he was difficult to get along with and being the one to ask for Raymond to be investigated. I felt a bit of sympathy for him too. Towards the beginning of the movie, it is plain to see that Bennett is facing his own struggles and his nightmares are not . helping. I was happy for him when he met Eugenie, although at first I thought she was working for the enemy and was trying to turn him into their next assassin. In the beginning, Raymond's mother just seemed overbearing and needy, especially for public attention. Yet as the story developed I too began to strongly dislike her character more and more. I felt the same about Raymond's step-father. The two of them were disgusting, They would stop at nothing to get what they wanted, even if that meant using their son and not caring about the consequences. I was surprised at the end, but I was glad it ended that way. I don't think it could have or should have ended any differently. I only wish there had been a bit more action in the movie. I really enjoyed the movie and would recommend it to others. Frankenheimer, John, director. The Manchurian Candidate. Richard Condon, George Axelrod, United Artists, 1962 I absolutely loved this film, and I would say it is one of my top 5 favorites. I'd been wanting to see this movie for years, and when I heard it was going to be shown on the big screen at the movie theater I knew I had to go. I had high expectations for the film, and I was not disappointed in the least. It actually exceeded my expectations. It is understandable why this movie is considered iconic and a classic. The movie shows the struggles of teenagers in many ways and in an accurate way. Between Jim's issues with his parents not understanding him and not facing up to their own issues, Judy's father being cruel and trying to tell her ho she is why neglecting to show her any affection, and Plato basically not having any parents at all, especially after his mother went on vacation after cancelling his psychologist sessions because they were too expensive. I also loved how it showed how friendships can grow out of hardships and troubling experiences. This film is very important because it shows the emotions of teenagers in a way it had not been presented before. It shows the utter confusion, the frustration, and the anxiety teenagers face. It shows how teenagers struggle to find answers and figure things out for themselves as no one else truly understands. It displays how teenagers sometimes struggle to fit in in various ways, and how they struggle when trying to discover who they are and what they are supposed to do. It also shows how sometimes young people don't no where else to turn or what else to do, so they turn to rather self destructive methods. This is shown when Jim is drunk and wandering at the beginning, Spoiler: when Plato shoots the puppies out of frustration. This film opened up a new world in film and did something that hadn't been done before. It impacted teenagers of the time because it gave them something to relate to, it gave them characters portrayed by famous actors and actresses that they could relate to. It still provides something for teenagers to relate to. All teenagers can probably relate to one of the characters to some extent, I definitely could. I related to Jim, as he was upset, confused, and frustrated in trying to understand himself, the world, and what he is supposed to do, and how sometimes everything becomes too much and you just break down. While my relationship with my parents is considerably better than that of Jim and his parents, I still relate to the fact that though they try they don't always understand. It is also said that this movie helped inspire the later movements of the 1960's such as the civil rights movement because it showed teenagers that they were not alone in their struggles and their anger and that they could unite to fight for a cause. James Dean's performance was spectacular. He captured the emotions of a teenager perfectly in an honest and believable way. He was only 24 when the movie was filmed, so he was likely still struggling with some of these things as well. He really showed how many of us young people feel, and I honestly don't think he was acting at some points, as the breakdowns and .anger felt and looked very real. In fact, most of the lines in the movie were improvised, so it is possible that what he was saying at some points was also what he was feeling. In my opinion no one could have done it better. Aside from that, I just loved his character. The reason I loved Jim so much was because he seems so rough around the edges, yet when you get to know him is really sweet and caring. He will fight if he needs to, and gets in trouble sometimes, but that's only if necessary and it only scratches the surface of who he really is. He is so kind to Plato, even offering him his jacket before he even knows his name. He doesn't want any trouble, but it has a tendency to find him anyway. At one point, he had enough of his parents and he tells them that he always does something wrong, but for once in his life he wants to do something right. I felt a great deal of sympathy for Jim, it felt like no matter what he did it either wasn't "right" or wasn't good enough, but he was trying and he deserved to be happy, Ray, Nicholas, director. Nicholas Ray and Irving Shulman, Warner Bros. 1955.
I have never been a huge fan of the western genre of movies, and this film did not change my mind. I expected more from the movie, and it did not deliver. I definitely think it could have been better in many ways. It followed the typical western theme of "sheriff hunting an outlaw, sheriff and outlaw meet and have a shootout, sheriff wins," which I found dull and boring. I grew up watching John Wayne movies with my family, so I've seen my fair share of that typical plot, and I wanted something different from this film. I think the only points that distinguished it from the westerns I've seen was that the main characters were friends turned enemies, and that there was no clear hero and villain. It was hard to distinguish if the Pat Garrett was the hero or the villain, and the same with Billy the Kid. There was also less shooting than I expected, seeing as that is another typical theme in westerns. It's always interesting to see singers deviate from their careers and act in movies. There were two singers in this film, Kris Kristofferson (Billy) and a favorite of mine, Bob Dylan (portraying Alias). I thought Kristofferson gave a fairly good performance, being that he was the main character. To no fault of his own, his character was boring and I wasn't very upset about his fate. It seemed like Billy had no depth as a character, which made it difficult for me to stay interested in his story. On the contrary, I enjoyed Dylan's character and found myself hoping he would survive till the end of the story. I think this is partially because he was more of a minor character, which meant that he did not have as much room to disappoint. In fact, the only scene I enjoyed in the movie was centered around Alias. In the scene, Alias is asked to read the labels of the cans on the shelf while the sheriff talks to some other members of outlaw group. Dylan's character did not do a whole lot, which makes him sound boring, but to me it made him more interesting because when he could occasionally do something major I would be temporarily be pulled back into the story. Another distinguishing point of the film was the soundtrack. Composed completely by Dylan, it was different from the soundtracks I'd heard in other westerns. I felt that the music told more of a story than the film did. It set the mood for the scenes, which was helpful because without it I wouldn't have known what to feel, if I felt anything at all. This is one of the few films where I have watched it and not felt anything during the movie or after. I didn't even feel disappointment because I had few expectations for the film. I was especially disappointed not only at the dull storyline, but also that the most famous song from the soundtrack didn't make it in the movie except for a few seconds. The song I'm referring to is "Knockin' on Heaven's Door," one of my favorite Dylan songs.. I thought it would at least be at the end, but I was surprised when it wasn't presented in its entirety, and was placed at an awkward time in the film during an unnecessary scene (feature below, along with the full song on the right).
One of the main problems I had with the film was how dirty it was. I knew it was rated R, but I expected that was only for language, which might I add was quite vulgar and did not add anything to story. I found myself having to fast forward through a couple scenes because they were way dirtier than I expected and I did not need or want to see what was going on to say the least. Those scenes had no purpose whatsoever in the film..
Overall I did not enjoy the movie, and I would not recommend it to anyone. It was difficult to stay focused on the plot, and the storyline was typical, so I knew how it would end. I read some reviews, many of them singing the film's praises, so maybe I missed something,. It was hard to sit through the movie and I lost interest so either I missed the point or it wasn't there. If you're trying to branch out and watch a western film, I would advise you to not watch this one as it might ruin them for you. It have not written off the western genre as a whole, and I plan to review more westerns in the future, but this one definitely did not suddenly give me an interest in them. The only enjoyable parts were the ones with Alias, and the music made me feel more than the movie did, as well as conveying more emotion. This is easily one of the best movies I have seen all year. The film stayed true to the story of Winnie the Pooh but also added some great adaptations of its own. It is a truly heartwarming film for people of all ages. It made me cry at several points because it was so touching. For me the movie had an emotional connection to my childhood, as my mother used to read me the Winnie the Pooh stories and I loved the characters. I really liked that the movie drew me back to my childhood, and I think that was the purpose of the story. One of the best parts of the movie was how relatable the characters were. I could see parts of myself in each one of them. Christopher Robin (portrayed by Ewan McGregor) has grown up and taken on many responsibilities, as we all do as we get older. He is facing a lot of stress from work and his priorities are out of line. All of a sudden the characters from his childhood step back into his life at a time when it seems like that is the last thing he needs. These friends take him on a journey back to his childhood. He laughs and has fun for the first time in years, and is reminded of the joy of being a carefree child seeking adventure and making up stories. Through this he recognizes what is truly important in his life and that he needs to reconnect with both himself and his family. I am often stressed with school and life in general, just as Christopher is, and my priorities are always in the right order because of it. At one point Christopher tells Pooh that he is lost, to which Pooh replies "You need to remember who you are." Sometimes it is parts of our childhood that bring us back to where we need to be. When we start to lose ourselves, the happy memories and stories from our earlier years are just what we need to ground us again. Pooh is definitely my favorite character in the film. He is so innocent and precious, yet at the same time he is very intelligent and many of the things he says are very important life lessons. Pooh never gives up hope that Christopher will come back to the Hundred Acre Wood, and his hope and optimism reminded me that that is the outlook I should have in life. Pooh also lives in the moment. At one point when he and Christopher are discussing "today" Pooh says "Yesterday, when it was tomorrow, it was too exciting a day for me.” This is a good reminder that we need to live in the moment and not worry about what the next day will bring. This is something I think we as people struggle with. We have projects to do and deadlines to meet. However sometimes we need to take a step back and refocus on the present day as tomorrow is never guaranteed. Another lesson of Pooh's comes from when he says “I always get to where I am going by walking away from where I have been," which taught me that I need to keep moving forward if I want to get anywhere, and that I won't get there by dwelling on mistakes I've made in the past and living a life of regret. This is not to say that I don't need to better myself, but only that if I focus on past choices and actions, I will never be able to move forward and enjoy my life. Yet the most important lesson Pooh taught me was to find happiness in the little things in life. Slight Spoiler: At the train station, Pooh asks Christopher to get him a red balloon because it would make him very happy. Pooh greatly values the balloon, and knows that it will not only make him happy, but will make others happy. This also taught me that I need to consider what I place value on. In modern American society, value is placed on big houses, fancy cars, nice clothes, etc. However small, simple items can bring just as much, if not more, happiness to our lives, and Pooh reminded me of that. Pooh says he is "a bear of little brain," but in actuality he is the wisest character of them all. Moving on to Tigger, who also reminded me of a couple of things. First off, Tigger is a very adventurous character who isn't afraid of a whole lot. This reminded me to always have a sense of adventure and to be spontaneous and open to going where life takes me. Secondly, at one point Tigger is singing his famous song, in which he mentions that "the most wonderful thing about Tiggers is I'm the only one." This reminded me that each one of us is unique, and we should be proud of that. One of the best parts about us as individuals is that one of the most wonderful things about us is there is only one of each of us. Tigger also says "We just need a leap of faith," which reminded me that my future, despite how much I plan it, is unknown. Sometimes I will have to make difficult decisions, but I need to take a leap of faith every once in awhile. Adding to this, Tigger tells Piglet that he worries too much. This again reminded me that I often worry too much, and like Tigger and Pooh i need to focus on today. As a child, I always thought Eeyore was too sad and I didn't like that about him. Yet as I've gotten older I see more of Eeyore's characteristics in myself. Life has a tendency to wear us down, just as it has to him. Similar to Eeyore, we all feel depressed, humiliated, and hopeless. It is important to remember that when we feel like Eeyore, we also have friends like Christopher Robin to pull us out of the water (see clip below). Piglet, in all his fear, also taught me something. Throughout the story, Piglet displays his most famous attributes, worry and fear. Piglet often lets his fear control him, which is something I have a tendency to do as well. Needless to say, neither of us likes to step out of our comfort zone. It taught me that if I overcome my fears, just as Piglet does at some points in the film, I will be better and experience more because I made that decision.
Overall, this is one of my top 10 favorite films and although it goes without saying, it is one of the best movies I have ever seen. It is definitely my favorite Disney movie, and I highly recommend it to people of all ages. The sets were beautiful, and looked like they did in the books. The storyline stayed true to the original characters and portrayed them perfectly. Pooh's character melted my heart on multiple occasions, and each character has their own sense of humor which adds even more to the story. I think of the best parts was how relatable each character was. It took me back to my childhood and reminded me of those years in my life that I often do not have time to reflect upon. I felt a bit like a child again just watching it. I would definitely see it again and give it 5 stars. *Credit to Walt Disney Studios and Movie Clips Trailers for the movie scenes used above |
AuthorHello fellow film lovers! Just a little bit about me: I love movies from the Old Hollywood era, especially musicals. In general, my movie taste is a bit all over the place. I don't really stick to one genre, as I just watch whatever looks interesting! I look forward to broadening my horizons in terms of film and reviewing them to the best of my ability in an honest way. Reading another passion of mine, and I'm frequently told I have an old soul, so expect to see a lot of older films being reviewed. I hope you can find what you need here! Archives
May 2019
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