Walnut Watchers Month 13: Films From the Golden Age of Hollywood
Oh this is SO good. Framing a mob story through the lens of the people affected creates such a strong emotional connection and makes Terry's moral dilemmas feel incredibly genuine. The fact that On the Waterfront manages to develop such a strong protagonist while also dedicating enough screen time to the mob so that it's not some generic shadow organization is just masterful.
It's also a technical marvel. It…
Describing Anatomy of a Fall as a courtroom drama feels disingenuous, because in reality the trial is just an initial hook so that the screenplay can reveal its true intentions: dissecting the complexities of the characters and their relationships. The entire film centers on the idea that humans are not defined by discrete moments or interactions. Any desired analysis can be justified by holding up a magnifying glass to specific events or aspects in a relationship, but it's the sum…
Fuck it 5 stars this is a remarkable achievement. I had to pee the whole time but every time a new scene would start I was like "oh shit this scene is so good" and I did not get up the entire movie.
"Who gives a fuck if you love it? What matters is that other people love you doing it" remains the single most interesting angle a musical biopic has ever taken
