Yes, I do have two movies from the 1930s, both from 1938: Bringing up Baby and Holiday, both starring Katharine Hepburn and Cary Grant.
Bringing up Baby is a classic screwball comedy. Hepburn and Grant are a great pair, I don't know why they only made four movies together. But, after Spencer Tracy, Hepburn costarred with Grant the most often. Bringing up Baby is a classic black and white comedy, and one of my favorite movies.
Holiday is a black and white film, based on a play. It's a thoughtful study on life, class and the obligations that can trap you. It's as relevant today as it was in 1938. The three Seaton siblings and their father are wonderfully portrayed, as is the outsider Johnny Case, played by Grant. I come back to this film time and time again, because it is a beautiful film about the struggle of the human spirit to beat back social pressure and find your own path in life, and to be true to yourself above all else.
Monday, April 19, 2010
Thursday, April 15, 2010
Movie Marathon
So, for my next project, I have decided to watch all of my movies, every movie I own, in chronological order, and write a little review for each of them.
The oldest movie I own is The Passion of Joan of Arc made in 1928 by Theodor Dreyer, starring Maria Falconetti. It's a French, black and white silent film, with English subtitles.
It's a very passionate film, with intense close-ups that capture the beautiful performance of Maria Falconetti. The miracle of this film, is the fact that the original prints were all destroyed in a fire. Dreyer managed to patch together a version of the film with spare footage. The original version would have been lost, but a copy of the original version was found in a janitor's closet years later.
I highly recommend seeing this movie at least once. It's a powerful film, though not exactly a thrilling watch. It gets a little boring at times, I only watch it every once in a while. But it's well-directed with a stunning performance from Falconetti. It's great to see how far movies have come, and yet, how relevant a ninety-two year old movie can be.
The oldest movie I own is The Passion of Joan of Arc made in 1928 by Theodor Dreyer, starring Maria Falconetti. It's a French, black and white silent film, with English subtitles.
It's a very passionate film, with intense close-ups that capture the beautiful performance of Maria Falconetti. The miracle of this film, is the fact that the original prints were all destroyed in a fire. Dreyer managed to patch together a version of the film with spare footage. The original version would have been lost, but a copy of the original version was found in a janitor's closet years later.
I highly recommend seeing this movie at least once. It's a powerful film, though not exactly a thrilling watch. It gets a little boring at times, I only watch it every once in a while. But it's well-directed with a stunning performance from Falconetti. It's great to see how far movies have come, and yet, how relevant a ninety-two year old movie can be.
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