Judgment at Nuremberg (1961)

#10 on 10 Top 10: Courtroom Drama 

This was such a devastating film about humanity.  About rights and wrongs, and letting things go, and bringing justice to a situation where people just wanted to forget and move on.    It is a film about fear, and what letting it take over can do, as well as what happens when you ignore it.   It is a film about justice.  It was a film about truths that were too terrible to imagine.   In the special features the writer, Abby Mann, says that the villain of the film is patriotism. People did what they did in Nazi Germany because of patriotism.  I find it interesting that patriotism is one of those things that walks the fine line between good and bad, and I think of how I’ve seen this reflected in the modern day real world.

Set in 1948, and based on true events, this film shows the search for justice after the crimes of the Nazi party in Germany.  It does beg some questions, like are we just looking for as many people to blame for a horrific situation as we can?  Or is justice truly being served by prosecuting doctors who were upholding the laws of their country at the time?

Overall the acting in this was phenomenal.  Marlene Dietrich’s character just wanted to forget the unspeakable events that took place in her country.  She almost made me feel the same way.  I never could quite understand this perspective until I saw her performance in this film. But then Spencer Tracy brings it all home and reminds the viewer how dangerous that line of thinking can be. Tracy acted up to his usual caliber, but I was most impressed by Burt Lancaster and Judy Garland.  This was the first film of Lancaster’s that I have ever seen, and I had seen almost all of Garland’s screen work before seeing this film. The amount of emotion those two were able to bring to their scenes, and the way they were able to affect me as a viewer with their performances nearly brought me to tears.  (Also, young William Shatner, say what? I was more than half way through the film before I realized it was him.)

I noticed the absence of music a lot.  There was a point where there was musical emphasis when we first saw Judy Garland, but for the most part, not too many other places.  I also though that having headphones to represent when dialog was supposed to be in German was a neat  way to show that this was a bilingual trial, but without subjecting the viewer to subtitles every other minute. (I personally don’t mind subtitles, but that is neither here nor there.)

I will say that some of the camera angles, and the camera moving, and zooming in quickly for emphasis could be some what distracting at points.  But it also helped to show how few cuts were made.  Actors had to get things correct in a single take. Pay attention to movies that are made currently.  There is an almost constant stream of cutting between actors and frames and you don't often see a single uncut shot for very long, to the point where I wonder if the film stars of today could handle it. Spencer Tracy's closing speech was 11 minutes long, and filmed in a single take, no cuts.  If that isn’t winning, I don’t know what is. 

Favorite Quote:
 Capt. Harrison Byers: I trust you'll be comfortable in this room, sir.

Judge Dan Haywood: Captain, I have no doubt that the entire state of Maine would be comfortable in this room!

Beauty and the Beast (1991)

#22 on Musicals, #34 on Passions, #7 on 10 Top 10: Animated

Yes, this is the Disney movie.   Having recently seen the 3D release of Beauty and the Beast, it is on my mind.  I was excited to see it on the big screen. That sweeping ballroom shot is spectacular on any screen, but having it be on a screen the size of a wall made it that much more impressive. 

The danger with watching a movie you loved as a kid when you are an adult is that you have a hard time being objective about whether or not the film is actually good.  Luckily, Beauty and the Beast is good no matter what. By setting it in no time in particular, it can easily translate to any day, and be relatable: Being an outcast and finding someone else who understands you.  Whether you are the bookish smart girl, or the ill-tempered beast being judged by appearance (...and your angry outbursts).

I really love the voice acting that was done in this film.  Paige O'Hara gave Belle such intelligence and heart.   Jerry Orbach as Lumiere was hilarious and I had no idea it was him until a few years ago.  Robby Benson's voice was altered with growls and roars by animals, but through that his performance as the Beast really shines through.  Richard White had the perfect mixture of smarmy arrogance in his voice for Gaston. It made my skin crawl a little bit.

The songs are so much a part of the story that it is no wonder they were able to make this into a Broadway show. These are songs that help to carry the story forward, while still being catchy, and memorable.  Unlike some musicals, where a song seems to be stuck in there just for the sake of having a song.

Beauty and the Beast is also notable because it is one of 6 animated films to make The List, that is on lists besides the 10 Top 10: Animated list. Animation and voice acting is such a huge part of the film industry. It is nice to see that AFI recognizes that just because a movie is animated, or marketed towards a younger audience, does not mean that it is not a worthwhile contribution to the film industry.

Favorite Quote:

Beast: I want to do something for her... but what?
Cogsworth: Well, there's the usual things: flowers... chocolates... promises you don't intend to keep...

The Thin Man (1934)

#32 on Laughs

Right off the bat readers should know, that I don’t always check to see what list(s) a movie is on before I watch it. I just know that it is in my Netflix queue because it is on The List.   Usually I do not read a synopsis before viewing either.  Some films I have a basic knowledge of before hand, or who is starring in it.  I try to go into every movie as freshly as I can. 

That being said, I expected The Thin Man to be a really dark, film noir type of murder mystery.   Even the image on the dvd gave me that impression. So imagine my surprise when it turned out to be funny!  I actually stopped the movie about 15 minutes in to see what list it was on.   I was pleasantly surprised by how witty it was.  As Nick and Nora Charles, William Powell and Myrna Loy had some great moments of banter.  Even if Nick did keep Nora from being involved in a lot of the detective work, they still had great chemistry on screen. I’m wondering if the characters were ever sober in the film, because they always seemed to be having a martini (or five).

Either way it was really awesome, and I didn’t quite see the twist of who the killer was coming. 

               
(Random Trivia: The main characters in the film/book “Nick and Norah’s Infinite Playlist” by David Levithan and Rachel Cohn were named after Nick and Norah Charles.  Whilst I am a fan of the book, and the movie is something I will put in for background noise a lot, they are not nearly as fun as their namesakes.)

               
The Thin Man was the 200^th film I’ve seen from The List, and I have to say I’m glad it was such a good film to mark that milestone.   I’m open to suggestions on what the LAST film I watch from The List should be …

Favorite Quote:  

Reporter: Well, can't you tell us anything about the case?
Nick Charles: Yes, it's putting me way behind in my drinking.