What classics did you see last week ? (14 Apr - 20 Apr 2019)
Apr 23, 2019 23:06:34 GMT
spiderwort, wmcclain, and 3 more like this
Post by manfromplanetx on Apr 23, 2019 23:06:34 GMT
A belated hi & catch-up from OZ , last weeks nightly views were a highly entertaining mix of Soviet era classics, Outstanding films drawn from some impressive literary sources...
Po Zakonu , By the Law (1926) Lev Kuleshov. Adapted from the Jack Londonshort story "The Unexpected", the thrilling silent drama tells the tale of five gold miners from Western Europe who have travelled to the remote Yukon in the hope of finding their fortune in gold. As the stress and abuse mounts, in a moment of madness one of the group shoots two of his comrades. Once disarmed the surviving members face a serious moral dilemma, do they administer justice themselves or will they risk waiting for the thaw for a return to civilization so that the prisoner can face the Law...
Lev Kuleshov decided with this his third feature project to make a film using minimal resources and just a small number of actors. With an extraordinary visual style Kuleshov maintains dynamic tension throughout with a seamless editing rhythm of quick cuts. There is no respite, an atmosphere of apprehension & restlessness grips to the thrilling very last moments... Excellent !!
Vooruzhyon i ochen opasen , Armed and Dangerous (1977) Vladimir Vajnshtok . Adapted from the writings of Bret Harte who featured in some of his writings the miners & gamblers the romantic figures of the California Gold Rush. This action packed gritty western is an unusual Soviet, Czechoslovakian and Romanian co-production with the non Russian actors dubbed, it was filmed in some spectacular central European landscapes, and is accompanied with a wonderful soundtrack which at times sounds almost reggae !
The setting is late 19th century in the Wild West of America where greed, blackmail and passion erupt on the wild frontier.. While I am no gun enthusiast, of interest also is the attention to detail, the film is listed on a site ifmdb, having a unique collection of antique firearms used throughout... Excellent !!
Begushchaya po volnam , The Wave Runner (1967) Pavel Lyubimov Adapted from Alexander Grin the Soviet writer best rembered for his romantic novels and short stories, mostly set in an unnamed fantasy land. Begushchaya po volnam is a Soviet, Bulgarian co-production beautifully filmed tale with a terrific soundtrack. The story tells of of a burnt out young concert pianist who disembarks from his train and heavily booked schedule, at a mysterious seaside town...
Also of note and recommended , the Science fiction film Chelovek-Amfibiya , Amphibian Man (1963)
and the excellent satirical film Lyоgkaya zhizn , An Easy Life (1964) A chemist by training struggles to manage a Moscow dry-cleaning operation, but he does live a very comfortable life by taking orders on the side for his speculative "private enterprise," However after a series of lies he is drawn further and further into complicated troubles... Starring Yury Yakovlev who has a unique and original comic style, I suspect John Cleese may have seen this one !....
Po Zakonu , By the Law (1926) Lev Kuleshov. Adapted from the Jack Londonshort story "The Unexpected", the thrilling silent drama tells the tale of five gold miners from Western Europe who have travelled to the remote Yukon in the hope of finding their fortune in gold. As the stress and abuse mounts, in a moment of madness one of the group shoots two of his comrades. Once disarmed the surviving members face a serious moral dilemma, do they administer justice themselves or will they risk waiting for the thaw for a return to civilization so that the prisoner can face the Law...
Lev Kuleshov decided with this his third feature project to make a film using minimal resources and just a small number of actors. With an extraordinary visual style Kuleshov maintains dynamic tension throughout with a seamless editing rhythm of quick cuts. There is no respite, an atmosphere of apprehension & restlessness grips to the thrilling very last moments... Excellent !!
Vooruzhyon i ochen opasen , Armed and Dangerous (1977) Vladimir Vajnshtok . Adapted from the writings of Bret Harte who featured in some of his writings the miners & gamblers the romantic figures of the California Gold Rush. This action packed gritty western is an unusual Soviet, Czechoslovakian and Romanian co-production with the non Russian actors dubbed, it was filmed in some spectacular central European landscapes, and is accompanied with a wonderful soundtrack which at times sounds almost reggae !
The setting is late 19th century in the Wild West of America where greed, blackmail and passion erupt on the wild frontier.. While I am no gun enthusiast, of interest also is the attention to detail, the film is listed on a site ifmdb, having a unique collection of antique firearms used throughout... Excellent !!
Begushchaya po volnam , The Wave Runner (1967) Pavel Lyubimov Adapted from Alexander Grin the Soviet writer best rembered for his romantic novels and short stories, mostly set in an unnamed fantasy land. Begushchaya po volnam is a Soviet, Bulgarian co-production beautifully filmed tale with a terrific soundtrack. The story tells of of a burnt out young concert pianist who disembarks from his train and heavily booked schedule, at a mysterious seaside town...
Also of note and recommended , the Science fiction film Chelovek-Amfibiya , Amphibian Man (1963)
and the excellent satirical film Lyоgkaya zhizn , An Easy Life (1964) A chemist by training struggles to manage a Moscow dry-cleaning operation, but he does live a very comfortable life by taking orders on the side for his speculative "private enterprise," However after a series of lies he is drawn further and further into complicated troubles... Starring Yury Yakovlev who has a unique and original comic style, I suspect John Cleese may have seen this one !....