EyeShotFirst said:
Any good underrated 50's to 70's films, preferably films depicting the period in which they were filmed, or depicting a period within that time frame?
I like that period of film making, and like watching films set in those times. I'd just like to know about the films that aren't popular, I'm also counting films that have gone on to become cult classics as too popular.
So many to list...I'll try and come up with some.
DrCrowTStarwars said:
Well one of my favorite film of the 1950s is the Billy Wilder film Ace in the Hole. I don't know if it is well known but I am the only person I know who has seen it so I am guessing it wasn't a huge hit when it came out. It's set in the time period it was made,the 1950s and it a great film. It some times also goes by the name The Big Carnival. It's worth checking out IMO.
Kirk Douglas's best performance, Billy Wilder's best film..and that's saying a whole hell of a lot, gorgeous B&W cinematography, dialogue that'll make your mouth water, and easily the most scathing film noir ever made. An unforgettable masterpiece that is one of the few times someone has actually taken an unflinching gaze at the inherent pitfalls of our society. One of the GREAT films. It took me years to see as a kid and I will never forget it.
I finally went through the Jimmy Stewart-Anthony Mann westerns, and again found that the more classic Westerns I watch the more and more I find that they represent the best cinematic canvas for moral parables.
In Mann I found a kindred spirit to my own tastes of narrative storytelling; these pictures look, sound and feel real instead of breathing canned studio air. He definitely deserves to be in the high pantheon of the revered directors, as some of these are masterpieces, and are extremely overlooked.
Winchester '73-A masterpiece, perfect narrative that finally showed the West as the gritty and desolate place it was. Here is where Jimmy Stewart finally broke free of his pre-war image fully and it is a doozy. He plays variations of this nasty embittered character in the four following films with Mann. This film was such an unexpected hit that it revived the failing genre while accidentally promoting the star percentage system deal where the star receives box office percentage points in lieu of a large salary.
4 balls out of 4. One of those rare perfect films.
Bend of the River-A more typical Western, this time dealing with a former outlaw attempting to go straight by leading a group of settlers to the new territories. But the tone is just gorgeous; the film is full of moral temptations, greed, murder and the plot takes quite a few turns that keeps the feature engaging throughout. Wonderful color cinematography.
4 balls out of 4. It isn't fully perfect, but so damn good that you find it staying in your memory.
The Naked Spur-a small drama focusing on a handful of central characters much like a stage play. The film revolves around the Stewart character who has tracked outlaw Robert Ryan to the ends of the earth for a bounty, no matter what the costs, and now must take him back while grappling with two others who have claim to this prize, the crafty needling outlaw, the woman who loves the outlaw and his own blackened heart.
This is a complete story with a beginning and end that reflects the entire purpose of the typical Western film. It feels less like a simple movie and more like great literature.
4 balls out of 4. One of the great westerns.
The Far Country-the least of the five, but still perfectly engaging and watchable. Here Jimmy is a complete loner who is forced to deal with those who would manipulate settlers in the gold territory of the Yukon, but perhaps more importantly his own soul. A good little picture made all the better by Stewart and on location photography.
4 balls out of 4.
The Man From Laramie-A Western King Lear of sorts, in early Cinemascope on a vast canvas. Dark, violent, honest and a narrative that rings true form a truly great picture and sadly the last of these incredible Westerns.
4 balls out of 4.
Night Passage-A film supposed to have been directed by Mann, who thought the story was too silly and opted out. This is a typical Western, mostly forgettable save for the few moments where the Mann-Stewart world appears for an instant. It's thankfully shrot enough that it doesn't really grate on one's nerves, but it does feature several instances of Jimmy playing the accordion. Oh dear.
2.5 balls out of 4.
Shenandoah-this feels more like TV than a movie at times, the direction is not very engaging, but instead of being a Civil War picture, it is more of a melodrama that focuses on a family that struggles to keep out of the war despite being in the middle of Virginia. There are some surprising bits of violence that contribute to an anti-war feeling, and of course a strong central Stewart performance. I just wish the film were better overall and less simple standard fare. It also seems to be the direct inspiration for The Patriot.
3 balls out of 4.
