spiderwort
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Post by spiderwort on Jan 1, 2019 21:11:29 GMT
I know this is a bit subjective. But in a time when what we think of as community seems to be losing its grip, because of the mobility of people and the explosion of social media, what are some films that you feel capture the old-fashioned world (even in newer films) of communities where people know each other, love and look out for each other, and sometimes even hate each other?
Small towns or neighborhoods in cities. Any kind of story, happy or sad. And not just families, but friends and neighbors, too (though families are often the anchor to the story).
I'll start with a few of my favorites, out of many:
The Last Picture Show (1971)
The Best Years of Our Lives (1946)
A Tree Grows in Brooklyn (1945)
The Human Comedy (1943)
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Post by OldAussie on Jan 1, 2019 21:33:37 GMT
Witness was first thought. Shane too.
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Post by kijii on Jan 1, 2019 21:42:11 GMT
Peyton Place (1957) was the first think that popped into my mind
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Post by koskiewicz on Jan 1, 2019 21:59:00 GMT
On the Waterfront
Once Upon A Time In America
Russian Ark
The Man From Snowy River
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Post by mattgarth on Jan 1, 2019 21:59:35 GMT
Kings Row Our Town It's a Wonderful Life
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Post by Chalice_Of_Evil on Jan 1, 2019 22:03:04 GMT
The Village (2004). Review below. When you’re desperate for medical supplies and your village is in the middle of a forest far away from civilization – send the blind girl for help... I was SO glad that I took a chance, and saw this film at the theatre. Not only was I pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed it, but it also introduced me to Bryce Dallas Howard - for which I'm forever grateful. She left a lasting impression with her role in this movie, playing Ivy Walker - a blind girl who "sees" (but just not as we see), Bryce is quite a wonder to behold. People will complain how, for a supposedly "blind" person, she manages to get around pretty easily/know where she's going and seems fairly familiar with her surroundings. If you actually pay attention, you will hear that she was not born blind. She obviously got to know the place where she grew up and familiarized herself with her surroundings/how to get places before she lost her sight. Even after that, she still "sees" people's "colours". So there's actually an explanation for the way she gets around, you just have to listen.
At its heart, this movie is a tale of romance (in its purest form). What holds the movie together is the love story between Bryce's Ivy Walker and Lucius Hunt (portrayed perfectly by Joaquin Phoenix. No wonder he's a perfect fit - as the role was apparently written for him). It's also no wonder that Shyamalan cast Bryce without an audition from her and after only having seen her on stage. She's quite the find. Her chemistry with Phoenix is a large part of what makes the film work. There's a purity and innocence to their love for each other. Their interaction/dialogue really gets to the heart of what love is/should be about. I especially liked her trust in him and his faithfulness and loyalty to her.
The rest of the cast also does well. William Hurt is excellent as Ivy's father, Sigourney Weaver is quite good as Lucius's mother, and Brendan Gleeson is great as always (though a little underused). Meanwhile, Adrien Brody has a tough role, playing Noah Percy (who is literally "the village idiot"). He'll probably get on some people's nerves, while some might just find him unintentionally amusing. I thought he played the role well, and I even felt a twinge of sympathy for him. Judy Greer is also good as Ivy's sister, Kitty (and she shares one especially amusing scene with Lucius. Both she and Phoenix are excellent in the scene where she makes her feelings known to him). Apart from the wonderful relationships of lovers, father and daughter and mother and son, there's also the love/relationship between two sisters on display.
The film itself looks great. Very moody and atmospheric, nicely gloomy and cast-over. The night scenes are brilliantly done - taking full advantage of shadows and the only light source being candles. I just cannot say enough about how good this film looks. It creates the sort of place one would almost want to step into, walk around in and be a part of. It has a mystical sort of quality to it, yet everything is grounded in a 'reality' of sorts.
Speaking of, the elements to this film that may feel 'supernatural' in nature are actually handled really well. There is an explanation for everything that happens in the film, but like with all good movies, you can't expect answers straight away. You have to pay attention and be willing to go along for the ride all the way. Obviously, after Shyamalan's other movies, people are expecting a 'twist'. Thing is, if you go into this movie for the sole purpose of *looking* for what the twist might be, then chances are you may figure it out. I myself went into the film not actively seeking out the twist, and was able to sit back and just enjoy the movie for the story it had to tell. The 'twist ending' is not the main thing you should be worrying about here. It's the story that matters - and it was a story that I thoroughly enjoyed. Some may possibly feel that the film just sort of ends abruptly, but I think that if you've been paying close enough attention to the journey that the character of Ivy Walker goes through, you'll realise that the somewhat open-ended final scene can only have one natural resolution. It's really left up to you to decide, but I know that I was happy with how I thought the film ended.
It is one of those cases where you either 'get' the film or you don't. And I absolutely 'got' it. It addresses issues about today's society and makes you really think about what the world has come to. What are people - as a whole - like nowadays? Not exactly the best examples of human nature are on display in today's day and age. People, in general, are deeply flawed, and The Village ponders what could be done about that to escape the unpleasantness. I very much appreciated this film and, after having recently re-watched it yet again on DVD, I love it just as much as I did the first time I saw it at the theatre (maybe even a little more). Out of all of Shyamalan's films that he's done, this one is easily my favourite. It's a truly under-appreciated gem of a film.
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Post by timshelboy on Jan 1, 2019 22:14:38 GMT
I'll add SHADOW OF A DOUBT and THE WICKER MAN and LE CORBEAU and strongly second KINGS ROW - I have just read the novel and am now on the sequel - the film was pretty dark, with madness, class snobbery, murder, revenge, etc etc but the book much more so - the film left out the racism, a capital punishment exercise, miscegination, a suicide, anti German(European) sentiments as we reach WW1, political corruption, several lapses in mental health, a same sex twinge or two and a gay character... and I'm not sure the Towers family problem is named as incest in the film. Also the Reagan Character - Drake- loses the big redemption scene where he shrugs off discovering his legs were needlessly amputated - in the book he never finds this horrifying fact out, and dies young of cancer anyway (thus setting up the sequel for best mate - doctor Parris (Robert Cummings in the movie) to play hide the stethoscope with glamorous and adorable real estate whizz widow Randy McHugh (Ann Sheridan).
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Post by politicidal on Jan 2, 2019 1:52:53 GMT
The Stepford Wives, The Truman Show, and Pleasantville are a nice twist on that.
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Post by RiP, IMDb on Jan 2, 2019 2:20:11 GMT
Over the Edge (1979).
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Post by Sulla on Jan 2, 2019 2:30:11 GMT
Local Hero (1983) Lars and the Real Girl (2007)
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Post by bravomailer on Jan 2, 2019 2:31:49 GMT
How Green Was My Valley
The North Star
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Post by hitchcockthelegend on Jan 2, 2019 6:42:50 GMT
The very definition of the subject is right here > The Titfield Thunderbolt (1953) - www.imdb.com/title/tt0046436/referenceYes, yes, she'll run. She's as good as she ever was. I'll stake my living on it! It's almost impossible for me to write a review of substance for The Titfield Thunderbolt, such is the love and unadulterated joy I have had with it for nigh on 40 years now. It was one of those magical moments in childhood when me, an obvious train set owner, caught this colourful (it was Ealing Studios first colour film) picture and took it all in like it was magic in a box. Of course back then I had no idea about the thematics of the picture, I just loved the train and the quirky characters that were making me laugh. But now here in a more modern age the film holds up better than most of its Ealing contemporaries, those themes back in the day are a reality. Villages are desperately clinging onto their identities, money mad conglomerates think nothing of heritage and the voice of the common man. And worst of all, the community spirit, the "tho shall not pass us" mentality has gone and in its place is fear and sadness. Aye, I wonder if T.E.B. Clarke had any idea when he sat down to write The Titfield Thunderbolt, that he was not just writing a quaint story about villagers rising up to save their own Branch Line Railway. But that it would also be a freeze frame of a golden age in Britain, a snap-shot of a transport industry that was still 10 years away from being torn apart. I love The Titfield Thunderbolt like a family member, I really do. I can watch it now and it takes me away from this big old world that has gotten itself in one big hurry and strife. I laugh, I even weep tears of joy and I even get angry at the villains in the piece. It's the power of cinema in its truest form when a little village, a small train and some plucky courage in the rolling countryside can instill such emotions in a human being. 10/10
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Post by timshelboy on Jan 2, 2019 8:29:37 GMT
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Post by timshelboy on Jan 2, 2019 8:34:25 GMT
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Post by Deleted on Jan 2, 2019 9:58:11 GMT
The Virgin Suicides
The Witches of Eastwick
The Witches of Salem
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Post by Deleted on Jan 2, 2019 10:44:16 GMT
Far From Heaven
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Post by rudeboy on Jan 2, 2019 11:08:53 GMT
Some favourites, chronologically
Only Angels Have Wings Went the Day Well? I Know Where I'm Going! Black Narcissus Dodes'ka-den The Tree of Wooden Clogs Local Hero My Life as a Dog Belle the Conqueror The White Ribbon
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Post by timshelboy on Jan 2, 2019 14:46:00 GMT
I'll add SHADOW OF A DOUBT and THE WICKER MAN and LE CORBEAU and strongly second KINGS ROW - I have just read the novel and am now on the sequel - the film was pretty dark, with madness, class snobbery, murder, revenge, etc etc but the book much more so - the film left out the racism, a capital punishment exercise, miscegination, a suicide, anti German(European) sentiments as we reach WW1, political corruption, several lapses in mental health, a same sex twinge or two and a gay character... and I'm not sure the Towers family problem is named as incest in the film. Also the Reagan Character - Drake- loses the big redemption scene where he shrugs off discovering his legs were needlessly amputated - in the book he never finds this horrifying fact out, and dies young of cancer anyway (thus setting up the sequel for best mate Parris (Robert Cummings in the movie) to play hide the stethoscope with glamorous and adorable real estate whizz widow Randy McHugh (Ann Sheridan). Love SHADOW OF A DOUBT, but regrettably don't know the others. Things to look forward to.
And I always thought KINGS ROW could handle a re-do, though I do love the 1942 version. I always thought there was more there (having grown up in a small town I know how those subterranean secrets can flow). And I would love to have seen at least one episode of the mid-50s television version. I suspect it was cleaned up quite a bit. I've been meaning to read the novel for decades, but now I don't think I will have to. You might want to put a spoiler alert on your excellent post.
Thanks for the great post.
I'm struggling - and failing - with the spoiler function. I can't seem to view anything when I'm in edit so just get random spoiler icons that don't do their job. Apologies. LE CORBEAU is another wonderful GLOUZOT movie - this one about poison pen letters in a small town - Preminger remake (1951's THE 13th LETTER with Darnell/Boyer is OK but original from occupation years the better movie )
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Post by bravomailer on Jan 2, 2019 14:48:39 GMT
The Human Comedy (1943)
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Post by mattgarth on Jan 2, 2019 14:51:51 GMT
I had a problem with mine -- the spoiler alert was put in when I had no spoiler to hide!
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