Jules and Jim
(1962)
Directed by
Francois Truffaut
* * * *
They first met in 1912, a shy
Austrian with little luck with the ladies and an extroverted Frenchman with plenty of luck with the opposite sex –
Jules and Jim, respectively (Oskar Werner and Henri Serre). The match of
friendship strikes, and we follow them through their escapades and their
various interactions with women, eventually crossing paths with Catherine (Jeanne
Moreau), who becomes Jules’s wife. Unfortunately, the Great War explodes
throughout Europe, and Jules and Jim are called to duty – on opposing fronts,
no less. Thankfully, they make it out of the war alive and eventually reunited,
but their friendship reaches unsteady ground when it becomes clear that Jules
and Catherine’s marriage is quickly dissolving.
The French New Wave, as much
as I respect it for its countless contributions, has never been one of my
favorite periods of cinema. Many of the techniques that were so progressive and
advanced at the time now come off as outdated, forced, and sometimes
pretentious – this is why I always had a difficult time getting into Jean-Luc
Godard (yeah, I said it. Crucify me). I walked into Jules and Jim not really sure if I was looking forward to it, but
when I was finished, I knew I had just seen one of the greatest films of all
time. Yes, it was progressive in the traditional French New Wave style, but it
still holds up exceptionally well. At times, I forgot I was watching something
from 1962. The way it was shot, the editing, the pacing, everything about this movie on a technical level was absolutely
perfect.
But what is a great film
without substance? Well, I’ve already addressed that Jules and Jim is, indeed, a great film, so the presence (and
quality) of substance goes without saying. I don’t want to spoil the drama that
unfolds in the second half, but it really forces the viewer to confront whether
they really want what they think they so deeply desire – love being said object
of desire here. It’s not particularly pleasant to think about (or watch, for
that matter), but Jules and Jim nonetheless
truly blew me away. It’s often considered quintessential cinema – there’s a
reason for that.
The Last Dragon (1985)
Directed by Michael Schultz
* * *
Taimak is Leroy Green, a
starry-eyed trainee in martial arts who dreams of becoming like his idol Bruce
Lee (Leroy’s nickname is “Bruce Leroy”). As traditional with martial arts
movies, Leroy’s trainer explains that to achieve the next level will be evident
by exhibiting a phenomenon known as “The Glow” (it is exactly what it sounds
like), and to achieve the next level must be discovered by Leroy on his own.
So, he sets out on his journey to achieve the next level through Harlem, which
is complete with slimy gangsters, a beautiful TV host, and a rival martial arts
expert known only as Sho’Nuff (Julius J. Carry III), who vows to defeat Leroy.
The Last Dragon is what happens when fans of Bruce Lee, Motown,
Synthpop/New Wave, and cocaine are put in charge of making a movie. As far as
all of the different styles, cultures, and themes thrown together all at once,
this is one of the most outrageous movies I’ve ever seen, but I will be damned
if I didn’t have a bloody-good time. The
Last Dragon is always aware of just how ridiculous it is, goes with the
flow, and the result is pure schlocky fun. There’s an energy present where
everybody involved was having a great time, and the audience can’t help but
contract that energy – Carry as Sho’Nuff is the
embodiment of what makes The Last
Dragon so much fun. The soundtrack, in all of its ‘80s cheesiness, really spices things up – best of luck
getting “The Glow” stuck out of your head.
If I do have any legitimate
complaints, it is regarding the side plot involving a gangster and his
aspiring-popstar-girlfriend. I don’t know what it is, but every scene involving
them drags the movie down something fierce, but I must say that sitting through
their antics is worth it for not only a terrific climactic showdown, but Faith
Price’s wonderfully terrible “Dirty Books” music video. But I digress: in all
of its shameless schlock, all The Last
Dragon wants is to have jolly-good fun, and I can’t fault it for that,
especially since I had fun myself.
Quadrophenia (1979)
Directed by Franc Roddam
* * * ½
An adaptation (of sorts) of
The Who’s seminal rock opera, Quadrophenia
tells the story of Jimmy (Phil Daniels), a young Mod who kills time in 1964
London by riding his scooter at night, popping Blues, causing a ruckus with his
lads, clashing with the rival Rockers on occasion, or finding solace from his dreary
life in rock and roll records. It doesn’t take long before he finds his life
spiraling out of control. Is he mentally ill? A product of a bigger problem? Or
just another punk kid?
The Who have never been one of
my favorite rock groups, but I can say that I do think Quadrophenia is an exceptional record, and I’ve always found the
idea of adapting an album into a narrative feature film a compelling concept (if
you know me, you know that Pink Floyd:
The Wall is one of my all-time favorite movies). I must say that even as a non-fan, I really enjoyed this film adaptation of Quadrophenia. Before anything else, even
taking priority as a rock film, Quadrophenia
is simply a British kitchen-sink depiction of directionless and
disenfranchised youth – a terrific one, at that (and a particularly
claustrophobic one). The weight of this film rests on the shoulders of leading
lad Phil Daniels, and he absolutely nails it (why haven’t I seen him in
anything else?).
Because Quadrophenia is so concerned with the real-life drama that it
centers on, of all people that I’m not sure to recommend this film to, it is
actually fans of The Who. Sure, the film’s soundtrack is comprised almost
entirely of The Who, but most of the time it is simply background music, and
the story is told like a traditional narrative (unlike The Wall, which is told exclusively by Pink Floyd’s music). I also
feel that the final third of the film feels quite rushed, but that is a
criticism that might wane with subsequent viewings. Otherwise, Quadrophenia is one of the most riveting
kitchen sink dramas and coming-of-age films I’ve seen, which really took me by
surprise.
No comments:
Post a Comment