Movie #22: Casablanca. Or really, the one that got away.

Title: Casablanca

Starring: Humphrey Bogart, Ingrid Bergman

Directed by: Michael Curtiz

Year: 1942

Number on the AFI list: 3 

"We'll always have Paris."

Casablanca. What a beautiful, tragic movie. Casablanca houses many refugees from war hoping to travel to Lisbon and then to America to escape raging WWII. It is a representation of lives on hold. Many people have been stuck here for months, including Rick Blaine, played by Humphrey Bogart. Rick is an embittered man, closed off to friendship and love, occupying his time with running his nightclub in the middle of the city. When Ilsa Lund, played by Ingrid Bergman, enters the club, we find out that she is the love of his life, even though they only had a brief time together in Paris. She was and is married to Victor Lazlo, played by Paul Henreid. Loyalties and morality are frequently challenged for both Ilsa and Rick, with their relationship hanging in the balance by the end of the movie. Should they run off together, or should Ilsa remain loyal to her husband? I won't spoil the ending, but the transformation in Rick by the end of the film is wonderful. 

The whole ensemble cast in this film is fantastic; I especially loved Sam played by Dooley Wilson and Captain Renault played by Claude Rains. Beyond the love story, the question of who to be loyal to, the Nazi's or France, left me guessing throughout the film, especially with Captain Renault. His transformation by the end of the film is fantastic as well. Overall, this movie is beautifully directed, well acted (even Humphrey Bogart toned down his film-noirness), and an overall entertaining and satisfying story. 

"Here's looking at you, kid."

Favorite moment: What can I say, I'm a typical girl. The love story in Paris. There aren't any good videos of this on YouTube. :(

Will I watch it again: Absolutely! 

Movie #21: Sullivan's Travels. Or really, "there's a lot to be said about making people laugh."

Title: Sullivan's Travels

Starring: Joel McCrea, Veronica Lake

Directed by: Preston Sturges

Year: 1941

Number on the AFI List: 61

This movie is my favorite talking comedy on the list thus far. I had no expectations going into it: no idea of the plot, I didn't know who the director or starring actors were, and the poster doesn't do it justice. Joel McCrea plays John L. Sullivan, a Hollywood director who has had his life handed to him on a silver platter and wants to become homeless for two weeks in order to relate to the lower class, and thus make a movie appealing to them-O Brother, Where Art Thou, which ended up being a hilarious comedy starring George Clooney in 2000 (but that's a different story...and this is a run on sentence). On his first attempt at this journey, he finds himself back in Hollywood and meets a struggling actress, The Girl, played by Veronica Lake (so funny how often names are overlooked in movies). She falls for him and decides to go on this journey with him, but a few setbacks later they're back in Hollywood again. Finally, after a series of unfortunate events, Sullivan finds himself accused of battery and in a chain gang, where he really learns what it means to be homeless and without hope. However, he finds that laughter is really what the poor need, not a depressing film that reflects their hardship.

I could say a lot about how this movie inaccurately depicts the poor, but social commentary aside, this movie is quick witted, well acted (subtle, not overt), and fun. I'm in LOVE with McCrea and Lake as co-stars, especially Lake, who threw herself into hilarious physical comedy without batting an eye. The whole ensemble cast was fantastic, from the producers who lie about their own hardships to get Sullivan to rethink his own life, to the reporters following Sullivan around, to the hobo's on the train. Well done, Preston Sturges. 

Favorite moment: The car chase scene:

Will I watch it again: YES!

Movie #20: The Maltese Falcon. Or really, the stuff that dreams are made of!

Title: The Maltese Falcon

Directed by: John Huston

Starring: Humphrey Bogart and Mary Astor

Number on the AFI List: 31

Year: 1941

Well, this was a fun one! From the beginning I was hooked with the mystery and high energy dialogue. Humphrey Bogart as Sam Spade wears the detective hat well in this fast paced, whodunnit drama also starring Mary Astor as Brigid O'Shaughnessy. O'Shaughnessy was my favorite character of the film; her lies and manipulation had me believing her for most of the movie. I was humored by how every conversation had to have at least one person smoking a cigarette; even when Spade was beating up on Cairo in Spade's office, he had a cigarette in his mouth. I also loved the cool, collected way Spade handled every unfortunate situation he was thrown into without batting an eye. He knew he would figure out the truth among the lies and come out on top. 

I don't have much else to say about this one. I had a good time watching it and will look forward to seeing more of Bogart and his film noir films in the future! 

Favorite moment: "When you're slapped, you'll take it and like it!"

Will I watch it again: Yes! 

THIS WAS MOVIE #20! Therefore, it's time for me to again rank the movies I've seen thus far. Here goes (based on taste rather than artistic achievement):

1. City Lights

2. Modern Times
3. Sunrise
4. Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs
5. Wizard of Oz
6. Gone with the Wind
7. Citizen Kane
8. A Night at the Opera
9. Bringing up Baby
10. The Gold Rush
11. The Maltese Falcon
12. It Happened One Night
13. Mr. Smith Goes to Washington
14. The Grapes of Wrath
15. The Philadelphia Story
16. King Kong
17. The General
18. Intolerance
19. Swing Time
20. Duck Soup

Movie #19: Citizen Kane. Or really, is this about William Hearst?

Title: Citizen Kane

Directed by: Orson Welles

Starring: Orson Welles, Dorothy Comingore

Number on the AFI List: 1

Year: 1941

*WARNING: SPOILERS AHEAD*

Stylistically stunning, Citizen Kane is a masterwork of storytelling and cinematography from beginning to end. Flashbacks used in the relentless pursuit of the purpose behind Kane's final word, "rosebud," were thought provoking and completely engaged me in the mystery. Why was "rosebud" so important to Kane? Where did it come from? Why do I care about this rich tycoon who is frivolously spending his money and why didn't he care about his spending habits or other people? The simple answer isn't just that he was rich and "rich people don't care about others." He said in his conversation with Thatcher: 

Kane: You know... if I hadn't been rich I might have been a really great man.

Thatcher: Don't you think you are?

Kane: I think I did pretty well under the circumstances.

Thatcher: What would you like to have been?

Kane: Everything you hate. 

Citizen Kane is a story of a man deprived of a childhood, abandoned by his parents, brought up by people who only tried to convince him what to do with his money, and the after effects of what he does in order to feel fulfilled in his life. All he knows is his wealth, and yet he has the faint memory of home. He collects artwork, builds castles in the air, marries whomever he wants, runs a continually failing newspaper, and yet nothing is satisfactory to him-all is fragile, made of glass, as we see in one of the final moments of the movie. Even the snow globe representing his home is unsubstantial. 

I was unsympathetic towards Kane until the very last shot of the movie when we find out what "rosebud" represents. At that moment, everything in the movie clicked, and I did gain sympathy towards this harsh man who only keeps people around so he can feel loved and secure-beautifully explained by Susan as she leaves Xanadu:

Kane: Don't go, Susan. You mustn't go. You can't do this to me.

Susan: I see. So it is YOU who this is being done to. It's not me at all. Not how I feel. Not what it means to me. I can't do this to you? Oh, yes I can. 

To me, it is the loss of childhood. No amount of money can replace the warmth and love of family. Kane spent his life looking for that which was lost in money, fame, politics, marriage, but as he died he realized what he had been searching for all along was lost in his youth. 

This is my theory that I'm sure will change as I watch the movie again. The boldness in casting and directing of this film earned it the number one spot on the AFI list. While it's not my personal favorite, I can see why this film is so important to film history. 

(Also, shout out to William Hearst whom I didn't know this movie was partially based on but totally caught on within the first 10 minutes that it was inspired by him.) 

Favorite moment: There are SO MANY COOL SHOTS in this movie that it's hard to choose just one.  But the moment of Kane being essentially sold off to the bank stands out in my mind-the contrast between the young boy playing not knowing that his fate is about to change vs. the stoic mother who is resigned to sell off her child:

Will I watch it again: Yes! 

Movie #18: The Philadelphia Story. Or really, it's more than a love triangle, it's a love square!

Title: The Philadelphia Story

Directed by: George Cukor

Starring: Cary Grant, Katharine Hepburn, Jimmy Stewart, and John Howard (who I definitely thought was Clark Gable)

Number on the AFI List: 44

Year: 1940

I must say, this is another movie I need to re-watch to appreciate more. I didn't find the script nearly as funny as Bringing Up Baby, which probably added to my disenchantment with the movie. However, the cast is fantastic; how can you go wrong with Grant, Hepburn, and Stewart? But unfortunately the movie didn't hook me in right away so I was rather lost the whole time. This is what I get for watching movies tired! I will say, though, I have yet to see another movie attempt not a love triangle, but a love square, with three potential suitors for one girl (poor Liz). Jimmy Stewart out shined the rest of the cast with his colorful character, Macaulay Connor. It was nice to see him break away from his dramatic everyman roles and play someone more offbeat and humorous. I also absolutely ADORED Virginia Weidler as Dinah Lord. She tied the whole movie together with her sarcasm and playful antics, however, she was the voice of truth and reason when everyone else was blind to reality. Hepburn did a beautiful job with her character arch from snobby, perfectionist rich girl to down to earth, reasonable woman. Admittedly, Grant was a little one note to me; a stark, disappointing difference from his hysterical character in Bringing Up Baby.  

Favorite moment: Every time Dinah was on screen. 

Will I watch it again: Yes. I need to give it another shot :)