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• Highway To Hell — for Devil's Doorway
  Written by lezard on 02.03.2023

  In september 1950, «Devil's Doorway», the first western by Anthony Mann came out. «Broken Arrow», the first western movie by Delmer Daves, had been released in july.
  Coincidence ?
  Something was in the air and the genre was ready for a new approach of the Amerindians.

  When Anthony Mann was given the script of the movie, he said it was the best he had ever read. He had already shot numbers of films noirs, nervous, violent and efficient. « Devil's Doorway » was his first western, shot in black & white.
  Robert Taylor, a great star of that time, embodied Lance Poole, a Shoshone Indian. After having gained the « medal of honor », the highest distinction in the US cavalry, Lance comes back to Wyoming (which in 1868 had just joined the Union). He is an idealist who dreams of expending his ranch, Sweet Meadows, and living in peace and harmony, helping his tribe.
  When he meets his father, they speakke Shoshone (contrary to the Indians in « Broken Arrow, by D . Daves). Then he meets Coolan in a saloon. This latter is filmed in the first ground, which is symbolic of racism as the first obstacle. In Mann's movies, antagonisms are immediate, violent. He hates Indians because « they stink » and have nothing to do in the army. He will do everything to disposess Lance of his ranch, using legal means.
  For, the « superiority » of Mann's movie, compared to Dave's, is that while Daves sets the problem in sentimental terms (The love of Tom Jeffords for Sonseeharay), Mann shows the problem lies in the law itself. Discrimination doesn't depend on people (the good or bad ones) but is imbedded in mentalities and is even one of the basis of the foundation of the nation. In Dave's « Broken Arrow », it's the white who is an idealist. In « Devil's doorway, it's the Indian who naively believes in the spirit of justice of white people. In Daves later movies homesteaders fight Indians for a piece of land. In Mann's movies, they fight them because they're inferior. Period !
  In a wonderful and powerful scene, Mann's evokes life in the reservations and shows a dying people, locked, neglected, forgotten and killed.
  Lance has to defend himself and chooses a lawyer...who happens to be a woman. It's a brilliant idea which shows that a discrimination can hide another : sexism and racism walk hand in hand !
  An untold, budding love story unfolds, but of course is never achieved. It is an inverted picture of « Broken Arrow »'s love story and is really thrilling because it is so subversive. Indeed, if Tom can hug, kiss Sonseeharay in the open and get married, the love between Lance and Orrie Masters(what a name!) can't be tolerated or even imagined and told because it is the supreme taboo : « Don't touch the white woman ! » For she is the symbol of the « purity » of the white race. Orries says ; « In a hundred years, it could have worked. ». It's far too optimistic and Mann knows this well. Let's just remind that, nowadays, the rate of « mixed marriages » in the U.S.A doesn't exceed 3% !!
  Orrie and Lance will be powerless against the law and Lance will have to fight and to die to keep what is his, while Coolan, the racist bastard will be helped by the US army, in the name of the law and of « The Manifest Destiny ». What is legal is not always fair !
  « We're all gone ! » says Lance while dying. A bitter and lucid statement.
  Mann's movie is shocking, disturbing and powerful. No wonder it met with little success. The audience preferred « Broken Arrow », a good optimistic movie which left their conscience at peace.
  The Devil's Doorway is clearly for the Indians. The Sweet Meadows, the stolen land is for the whites, if they can forget, which they did in no time.
  And when, in the 60's western movies « Soldier Blue » or « Little Big Man ») (began to really describe what conquest was like, the genre nearly died because nobody wanted to see and hear the truth.
  As a coincidence, an other movie set In Wyoming, dealt with a doorway or rather a gate. « Heaven's gate », this masterpiece by M. Cimino showed this time white people slaughtering other whites, for the sake of profit which was even more shocking than just slaughtering the Indians out of racism. Of course the movie was an even bigger failure.

• Arizona Dream — for Broken Arrow
  Written by lezard on 01.03.2023

  «Broken Arrow», the first western movie by Delmer Daves, was released in july 1950. In september came «Devil's Doorway», the first western by Anthony Mann.
  Coincidence ?
  Something was in the air and the genre was ready for a new approach of the Amerindians.
  D. Daves had already made 11 movies (remember Dark Passage?). He had lived with the native Americans when he was 22 and with his new film he wanted to change the audience's opinion about them.
  He chose James Stewart, a very popular actor, who had never played in a western before.
  The scene is set in Arizona where most of the movie was shot. Tom Jeffords, a former soldier fed up with the war is meant to promote peace between the US cavalry and the Apaches, led by Cochise. A very trivial plot : a conflict between the whites and the Indians. But this time, the story is seen from an Indian point of view. Daves wants to show the Indians, not as the stereotype portrayed them (blood-thirsty savages), but as a people with a culture, traditions and a vision of the world.
  Tom, during his mission, falls for Sonseeaharay, an Indian girl.
  Symbollically, the movie starts with the discovery of a young Indian, wounded. The Amerindians were at that time in a « bad shape » indeed : acculturated, plagued by alcoholism, disease, lacking education and jobs. They were litterally a dying people.
  Tom doesn't like the Indians but he cures the boy. To his surprise, he discovers he has a mother who is crying out of anxiety. After all these people could be human ! On his way to the boy's tribe he meets a bunch of them, on an avenging raid against cowboys.
  Throughout the first part of the movie, through Tom's look, we discover a way of life, rituals, a whole culture, a language. Like him the spectator can feel empathy for these people and when Tom falls in love, like many Americans, we think of John Smith and Pocahontas. Dave's tone is lyrical, the characters are sincere, the sceneries are beautiful and enhance the love story. Beauty is always contagious.
  At the center of the story, the topic of trust and of the word given. A classic in many westerns : the treaty, which is quite ironical when you know that 400 treaties were signed in the 19th century... and the white man didn't respect ANY OF THEM (source:Howard Zinn).
  We discover that the Indians fight but not out of savagery. Just to defend their land and a cause. The savages are the whites who want to lynch Tom, who speak of treason and betrayal, out of sheer hatred and who eventually kill love.
  Cochise, for his part is the figure of the wise man.
  We can notice that in the 50's (great period of segregation), a love story between a white man and an Indian woman was tolerated. But we must add that the story only works...if the Indian girl dies. We can see this in « Distant Drums », by R. Walsh, « Across the Wild Missouri », by W. Wellman and « Last Train from Gunhill », by J. Sturges, among others.
  Dave manages to show the Indians people with dignity, pride, and humane values.
  The movie was a great success and Daves shot quite a few other westerns (remember 3:10 to Yuma?).

• A visceral experience unlike any other — for Memoria
  Written by zigmul on 06.02.2023

  Memoria is one of the most memorable (ha) experience I've ever had in the theatre. The starting point of the film is that Tilda Swinton's character randomly hears this terrifying booming sound that she describes as a rock falling into a well, if memory serves. We don't know why she hears it or what caused it. Because Apichatpong Weerasethakul is one of the tenants of the "slow cinema" movement, the movie is very long, and composed with long shots that lull you into this transe-like sense of safety - until the sound happens out of nowhere. It's such a smart way to put the spectator in the character's shoes and experience what the she goes through. It made me jump out of my skin every single time. I saw it as a great way to talk about trauma and mental illness without really naming it (although it can be interpreted in many other ways). It's a wonderful movie and a very special experience, and I highly recommend it.

• The Great Beauty's tree... and the forest behind — for La grande bellezza
  Written by Simzilla on 27.01.2023

  In front of Jep Gambardella, Roma and its great beauty. Behind Jep and Roma, a paralysing atmosphere built with mundanities, classy boredom, and a sense of unfinished.

  This atmosphere is disguised behind Roma’s timeless appeal and Sorrentino’s pleasing light. The whole movie seems to be a declaration of love to Roma (the closing credits along the Tevere confirms it).

  It is also disguised by the Italian phlegm and class of Jep, by the odness of his life and by his eventful nights.

  However, the dichotomy is clear. Each time he wakes up, Jep is alone, getting older while he thinks about his first love and first novel, both reminding him happier days.

  Still this movie makes you want to speak Italian, dress well and live in Italy.

  In that way, as a very young and inexperienced cinephile, this film reminded me of Fellini’s 8 ½ . Women, childhood and religion (spirituality) takes a huge place in the main character’s philosophy. Poetic landscapes and powerful monuments both gives the character a great stature while reminding him of his human condition : you’re barely someone against the strength of time and History.

• The Great Beauty's tree... and the forest behind — for La grande bellezza
  Written by Simzilla on 27.01.2023

  In front of Jep Gambardella, Roma and its great beauty. Behind Jep and Roma, a paralysing atmosphere built with mundanities, classy boredom, and a sense of unfinished.

  This atmosphere is disguised behind Roma’s timeless appeal and Sorrentino’s pleasing light. The whole movie seems to be a declaration of love to Roma (the closing credits along the Tevere confirms it).

  It is also disguised by the Italian phlegm and class of Jep, by the odness of his life and by his eventful nights.

  However, the dichotomy is clear. Each time he wakes up, Jep is alone, getting older while he thinks about his first love and first novel, both reminding him happier days.

  Still this movie makes you want to speak Italian, dress well and live in Italy.

  In that way, as a very young and inexperienced cinephile, this film reminded me of Fellini’s 8 ½ . Women, childhood and religion (spirituality) takes a huge place in the main character’s philosophy. Poetic landscapes and powerful monuments both gives the character a great stature while reminding him of his human condition : you’re barely someone against the strength of time and History.