#245 Shoot the Piano Player (1960)

Directed by: Francois Truffaut
Starring: Charles Aznavour and Marie Dubois
Genre: Film Noir
IMDB

Truffaut came up with the idea for Tirez sur le pianiste because he wanted to try his hand at a genre of film he despised (a noble goal), taking it and deconstructing it while at the same time remaining true to some of the genre specifics. What he churned out was a critically acclaimed box-office flop that has aged better than almost any film from the time period and is now considered one of cinemas greatest treasures. The critical reception of the film scarred Truffaut to the point that he never tried anything as fun or experimental again.

The film tells the story of a lowly and emotionally troubled piano player who gets caught up in his brother’s dealings with a couple of thugs and is forced to fend for himself while at the same time cultivating a relationship with a beautiful young woman. The set up is pure noir, but the execution is where Truffaut distances himself. The film vacillates between the hilarious bordering on slapstick and the truly heartbreaking. It really is a one-of-a-kind genre piece that is the obvious stylistic forerunner of films such as Pulp Fiction and Lock Stock & Two Smoking Barrels. Truffaut’s nouvelle vague roots bubble to the surface in brilliant ways including a magnificent scene with Charlie and Lena in bed where he jump cuts between the two talking to each other and silently holding each other and an ahead-of-its-time inner-first person narration by Charlie where he neurotically tries to decide whether or not he should take Lena’s hand as the two walk along the streets of Paris. I constantly go back-and-forth trying to decide whether I prefer this or Jules et Jim. That is about the highest praise I can give a film.

#174 Days of Heaven (1978)

Directed by: Terrence Malick
Starring: Richard Gere, Sam Shepard and Brook Adams
Genre: Drama
IMDB:

Does it matter that the acting isn’t really that great? Does it matter that the plot moves a bit too quickly and the ending seems rushed? Does it matter that Malick’s use of voiceovers here wasn’t nearly as developed and substantial as when he used them twenty years later in The Thin Red Line? (You can probably see where I’m going with this). The answer is “no”. None of those things matter. Despite them, there has only been one (yes, one) better American film made since Days of Heaven was released over 30 years ago. The reason that this film remains so intensely good despite its flaws is that it isn’t so much a movie as it is a moving painting; a living, breathing portrait of hardship, love and heartache.

If there was one Blu-Ray disk I could take to Cowboys stadium and watch on their glorious HD screen it would be this one. Days of Heaven is the type of film that, when you think back about it, you conjure up certain cinematic images rather than plot points or character interactions. When I think about Days of Heaven I see the train, overflowing with people, slowly chugging across the brilliant sun-drenched landscape. I see Richard Gere tenderly washing Brooke Adams feet and legs in the shallow creek. I see Gere running through the woods to escape the authorities, and I’m reminded of Pvt. Wick being pursued by the Japanese through the jungle of Guadalcanal in The Thin Red Line. I see that iconic image of Gere’s face hitting the water after he’s been shot, an image that Malick brilliantly captured from underneath the water. And of course, I see the fire.

I could write an essay on the fire because, for my money, it is the greatest sequence of shots, both technically and cinematically, in film history. From the close-ups of the locusts before the fire, to the image of the workers throwing hundreds of buckets full of locusts into the fire, the flames snapping and cracking as they consume the insects, to the out-of-control blaze, the way it sets a cart on fire and the terrified horses pull the flaming cart through the wheat fields, spreading it far beyond the reach of the workers. Throughout all this Malick pulls us back to the feuding men, Gere afraid and confused, Shepard enraged yet mournful for the distruction of his livelihood. Malick and his DP Nestor Almendros capture hell on Earth in those five minutes, in a series of shots that, from a technical perspective, should not be possible. Coming in at just over an hour and a half, this film feels epic and immense because of its images. It is absolutely essential viewing for anyone and everyone.

#117 Out of the Past (1947)

Directed by: Jacques Tourneur
Starring: Robert Mitchum, Jane Greer and Kurt Douglas
Genre: Film Noir
IMDB

Let’s see. Robert Mitchum is my favorite actor. Film noir is my favorite style of film. This film is my favorite film noir. I will try to refrain from overloading this review with too many superlatives. Out of the Past tells the story of Jeff Bailey, a former private eye, turned straight, but forced back into the life in order to search out the woman who shot and stole money from his old boss (a fantastic Kurt Douglas). It’s a tried and true noir setup, but it’s the three leads that truly set this film apart.

Mitchum plays cool better than anyone on the planet, but he infuses Bailey with a slight vulnerability that seems to extend even further than his attraction to femme fatale Kathie Moffat (Jane Greer). Speaking of Greer, her portrayal of the cold hearted and beautiful Moffat makes her, for my money, the best femme fatale of all time. It’s one of history’s biggest disappointments that her career never took off (rumors were that her refusal to sleep with Howard Hughes was to blame), because had she gotten more roles, I believe we’d be talking about her along with Bacall and Taylor as the greatest actresses of her generation. A flawless film with enough depth to its style to really give you something to chew on. I’ve probably seen this film more times than any other film, and I still find it popping into my head on random days and just begging me to sit down and watch it again.

#89 Last Year at Marienbad (1961)

Directed by: Alain Resnais
Starring: Giorgio Albertazzi and Delphine Seyrig
Genre: Drama

If I ever sat down to create a list of my favorite films of all time and Last Year at Marienbad didn’t at least crack the top 10, I’d know something wasn’t right. More than any other film, Resnais’ masterpiece of experimental storytelling got me into challenging and artsy films. I hated it upon first viewing as I’m sure most people did/will. I’ve come to realize that it’s only after two viewings that I can really come to a clear understanding of films like this (and usually more; I’m still not sure I totally get Marienbad). When you first watch Marienbad it is very hard to reconcile the simple story and setting with the thousands of questions the narrative begs.

On second viewing you begin to realize that Marienbad isn’t asking you to understand, it’s merely asking you to give in to the experience. In fact, to overanalyze this film is to completely miss it’s point (not to mention it’s an exercise in futility as the film’s plot is made to confuse, not show or describe). The acting is top-notch, the directing is flawless and the cinematography is some of the best ever committed to celluloid. While not everyone will enjoy it, everyone should at least see it. If you can keep an open mind, Marienbad can change your entire relationship with film.