Opuls brings a very distinctive European flair to this lurid noir about an isolated, at time alone, frequently ignored housewife who is trying to save her daughter from scandal by covering up her potential murder of her sleazy way too old boyfriend. His fluid and roaming camera work, paired with his compositions containing people within the entire depth of the frame are all trademarks of his very distinctive mis en scene that would reach immortal heights upon his eventual return…
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Phantom Lady 1944
One of the earliest noirs, it starts as a fairly unremarkable murder mystery. But something wonderfully strange happens when what we are lead to believe is the main character goes to trial. Not only does the narrative suddenly shift to his secretary who is in love with him, but director Siodmak suddenly turns on the German expression and in the process gives this film that classic noir style: the dark and shadowy lighting, the modernist interiors and sculptures, the charismatic…
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My Night at Maud's 1969
Of the classic cahiers du cinema film critics turned new wave filmmakers, Rohmer remains the one whose mis en scene is most deprived of an overt Hollywood influence. With Godard film noirs and Hawks are rampant, with Rivette it’s both Hawks and Langs work, while hitch’s influence is abundantly clear with both Chabrol and FT. Meanwhile with rohmer, the style is most indebted to Renoir and a film critic in Bazin. This is Bazinain cinema taken to its most extreme.…
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Flame of the Islands 1955
a Macmahonist special! For those unfamiliar, the Macmahonists were a group of french cinephiles and critics who frequented the Cinema Mac Mahon in Paris that specialized in American films and specifically a lot of B American films. Among the auteurs they championed was one Edward Ludwig whose career never had the same trajectory and appreciation as the auteurs championed by the french new wave filmmakers (Hawks, Fuller, etc.). I had not seen a Ludwig movie before, and thanks to the…
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