This review may contain spoilers. I can handle the truth.
Claymation doing what it does best! The film explores themes of self identity and acceptance, as well as community and family in an utterly charming way. Its humor has aged wonderfully (there are many films from its era that can't say the same), and kept me laughing and engaged.
There were some plot points that seemed a bit rushed, and the resolution between Ash and his Dad just didn't sit quite right with me; instead of using some other talent…
La Ciénaga is a slow exploration of a week or two in the life of one Argentinian family. It reminded me a lot of "Celebration" from our Dogma unit; it displays the relationships between characters, and gradually reveals their history and motivations over the course of the film. However, it lacks a central narrative. It is a collection of moments, unified only by time and (often) place in the summer heat. Despite this lack of direct narrative, each scene still…
A pretty bog-standard nature film by today's standards.
There are a few vaguely sexist jokes and culturally insensitive/demeaning remarks, but they aren't surprising for the time this was released, in 1954. That doesn't make them good or comfortable, but they are a time capsule of history and popular thought from then.
There are some fantastic shots and engaging camera work, with clean visuals that show off the animal's movement and life. The prairie dog dens underground were particularly fun and…
This review may contain spoilers. I can handle the truth.
Despite being an Indie film, Dead Man manages to just feel… generic. It’s not predictable, per se, but from the plot to the cinematography nothing seemed particularly interesting or revolutionary. Perhaps this was different at the time of its release, or is simply a product of trying to balance the style of Westerns and the film’s own purpose and vision.
The soundtrack stood out, with its solo electric guitar riffs accentuating the conventions of westerns in sonic form– lone protagonists…
