Hello, Film People.
This week, I want to highlight some films that really capture human emotion on an uncommon level.
MIDNIGHT COWBOY (1969) Director: John Schlesinger, Writer: Waldo Salt (based on a James Leo Herlihy novel). The standout here is John Voight as “Joe Buck.” He breaks your heart many times in this film with his innocent determination.
MINARI (2021) Director and Writer: Lee Isaac Chung. This film has some beautifully delicate direction. Steven Yeun as “Jacob” stands out as a devotee of The American Dream, and all the hard work, disappointment, and joy related to it overcoming it.
FISH TANK (2001) Director and Writer: Andrea Arnold. Katie Jarvis’ “Mia” is pretending to actually see, while propelling through her life via blind careening. Michael Fassbender’s “Conner” dangles his carelessness in that path and further derails her emotional train.
HEREDITARY (2018) Director and Writer: Ari Aster. Where to start with this film. It has some of the absolute best family dynamics in the history of film. Rich and devastating. Truly emotionally unforgettable. Toni Collette as “Annie,” Gabriel Byrne as “Steve,” Alex Wolff as “Peter,” Milly Shapiro as “Charlie.”
DAYS OF HEAVEN (1978) Director and Writer: Terrence Mallick. A real testament to Mallick’s directing. The performances are tactile and immediate, but Mallick’s directing and Néstor Almendros’ cinematography bind it all together in an emotional inescapable film. Richard Gere as “Bill,” Brooke Adams as “Abby,” Linda Manz as “Linda,” Sam Shepard as “The Farmer.”
THE RIDER (2018) Director and Writer: Chloe Zhao, Brady Jandreau as “Brady.” This film, with first-time actor and real-life horse trainer Jandreau, is one of the most beautifully emotional films out there.
BICYCLE THIEVES (1948) Director: Vittorio De Sica, Writers: Cesare Zavattini, Oreste Biancoli, Suso Cecchi D'Amico (based on the Luigi Bartolini novel). Lamberto Maggiorani as “Antonio” plays father to Enzo Staiola’s “Bruno,” and you’ve never rooted so hard for someone to find their bicycle, in your life.
2001: A SPACE ODYSSEY (1968) Director: Stanley Kubrick, Writers: Stanley Kubrick and Arthur C. Clark. Never has an actor done the range of emotional work with such minimal facial movement and dialogue as Keir Dullea playing “Dave.” Truly mesmerizing and impressive.
OLIVER TWIST (1948) Director: David Lean, Writers: David Lean and Stanley Haynes (based on the Charles Dickens novel), John Howard Davies as “Oliver” is going to bust your heart wide open. This is an example of building the audiences understanding of a character, so that later when they do that one gesture or initiate that one hug, the floodgates open for the audience, even though the actor is not at that moment doing anything particularly grand. It’s just a beautifully tracked performance.
GLORIA (1980) Director and Writer: John Cassavettes, Gena Rowlands as “Gloria” gives you cases and cases of emotional information. And every piece is laden with conflicting needs and concerns. Really a standout performance of emotion.
Last week in Film Club, we discussed François Truffaut’s THE 400 BLOWS (1959). This was Truffaut’s first film with actor Jean-Pierre Léaud. The two went on to make four more films with Léaud as “Antoine Doinel,” called the "The Antoine Doinel Cycle."
Next up in Film Club are the next two films in that “cycle,” the short film ANTOINE AND COLETTE (1962) and STOLEN KISSES (1968). Watch them beforehand and come discuss Monday 10/2, 4pPT on Clubhouse.
Regarding The Real:
Justine, you're right on target with these examples, yet the films are quiet and reserved in many ways: The Rider in particular and then there's 2001. BUT you're right! The emotions are deep and inside THE VIEWER and not necessarily on the screen. With 2001, it's so interesting you mention that - YES, it's intense and his emotions are in check with HAL is scrutinizing and manipulating all. He's got to keep his emotions in check, yet it's pretty emotional and his EYES show it during that odd Stargate sequence near the final act - a great performance. I'm going to add INTERSTELLAR as a film that is a corollary to 2001 and the Stargate Sequence: When McConnaughy stumbles into HIS Stargate, his view of his past decision and what it means to him emotionally, while not knowing his future nor is daughter's future, overcomes the viewer - or at least me, as a father of a daughter who has smarts and is figuring it all out as she grows "older" - in this case literally and beyond. And please don't mention HEREDITARY - just saying that title sends shivers up my spine, but you're right on there too. Aster uses McGuffins connected to siblings within a family unit, sending it up in flames and hysteria, to be engulfed in a new "family" - club, gang, cult...? ;-) It's so frightening.
I did not recognize Delphine Seyrig (Mrs. Tabard) as the actor from JEANNE DIELMAN, 23, QUAI DU COMMERCE, 1080 BRUXXELLES (1975, Chantal Ackerman), which, like THE 400 BLOWS, deals with confinement and its effects. I also didn't recognize her from the French New Wave visual stunner LAST YEAR AT MARIENBAD (1961, Alain Resnais). I see that she even starred in a 1970 TV movie based on Balzac's 'The Lily of the Valley', which Doinel read in the film.