The Age of Innocence, The Deer Hunter and Schindler's List - It really wasn't as depressing as it sounds

As I prepare to write these blogs, I often look at the selection of movies and ask myself what was I thinking. Then I sit silently waiting for me to answer. I told a friend of mine what I watched and I could see him shaking his head through the email 'What a depressing New Year's at your house'. It was a teeny bit less than gleeful, but not all that much different from a normal day.

12/29/13 The Age of Innocence, Best Costume Design, 1993

The costumes were nice.....

Oh, you probably want a little more than that, but I have to say, I wasn't all that inspired to write a lot more, but since you stopped by, I'll try. The Age of Innocence is set in late 19th century New York City and stars Daniel Day-Lewis, Michelle Pfeiffer, Winona Ryder and the narrative talents of Joanne Woodward. It's a story of a man who has to choose to do what society expects of versus what his heart desires. Yep, that's it. I don't have to have a movie with lots of explosions or plot twists, I like a movie that slowly unfolds, but please, for the love of Alfred Hitchcock, please make SOMETHING happen. It's beautifully filmed and as mentioned above, the costumes are pretty. Martin Scorsese directed, and it is different from The Departed and Goodfellas, that's for sure. Do yourself a favor and check out Pride and Prejudice or Sense and Sensibility instead.

12/31/13 The Wolverine, probably won't be nominated for anything, 2013

Carrying on a New Year's tradition from last year, I went to watch a movie at a friend's house and ate too much pizza and was home before 11:00. Do you remember when it was a big deal to stay up late on New Year's and ring it in with Johnny Carson? Then you got old and it's all you can do to stay up until 9:00? Yep, I'm there. In fact, I only went to my friend's house last year after she promised they would not be staying up until midnight. I think there's something wrong with me. Anyway, we watched The Wolverine and well, we didn't hate it. There was actually a lot going on in the story, and it seemed a little unfocused at times, or kind of like when you make an ice cream sundae and put too many toppings on with too many flavors of ice cream and your tastebuds are like "What the heck is going on?". But, I did like the take on The Wolverine's story which focused on his time in Japan (if you watch any of the animated Wolverine, there are several episodes that take place in Japan); I also liked the introduction of Yukio who was a great (female) foil to Wolverine. I haven't checked, but I hope she makes an appearance in the upcoming X-Men movie; the actress, Tao Okamoto was very good. I also liked Mariko, who, I believe plays Logan's love interest in the animated series); she was not helpless or frail, just needed some back up. The actress who played Viper was terrible. I'm sorry, but I cannot sugarcoat it. I don't think it's going to be nominated for any Oscars, even sound editing or effects, but I figure better safe than sorry. Is there anyone else on the planet who can play Wolverine beside Hugh Jackman? I think not. If you like the super hero genre or seeing Hugh Jackman without a shirt, or just like a good action movie, you should check it out. It was fun to watch and there is a scene that hints at X-Men: Days of Future Past.

1/1/14 The Deer Hunter, Best Picture, Best Director, Best Supporting Actor, Best Film Editing, Best Sound, 1978 #53 on AFI

The Deer Hunter is an incredibly intense three hours and I recommend that if you plan to watch it, just prepare yourself. It tells the story of a group of friends in a small Pennsylvania steel town, focusing on three of the men who went to Vietnam and are forever changed by their experience. The first part of the movie shows the guys working in a steel mill then horsing around at the local bar, and then one of them getting married (John Savage as Steven). The wedding and reception scene show the family ties the men have to one another. They share a Russian heritage and the wedding takes place in a real Russian Orthodox church in Cleveland, Ohio; several scenes were filmed in Cleveland and in other parts of Ohio. Mike (Robert DeNiro), Steven, and Nick (Christopher Walken who won the Oscar for Best Supporting Actor) join three other friends for one last deer hunt before they go off to Vietnam. John Cazale plays Stanley and this was Cazale's last role before he died of cancer; John (George Dzundza) and Axel (George Aspegren) round out the group. The scene jumps to Vietnam where Nick, Steve and Mike meet up and are eventually captured. The following scenes are probably some of the most intense you can watch. The prisoners are forced to play Russian Roulette against each other and Mike, who is clearly the leader in the group of friends, acts as cheerleader, coach and sergeant as he encourages Steven to be be brave and pull the trigger. Mike and Nick face off against each other, with Mike exhorting Nick. Mike has a plan and due to his bravado and guts, he makes it happen (I say bravado because I would imagine that Mike had to put on a strong front for his friends as well as the Viet Cong). The three friends escape and they all take different paths to freedom, and they lose track of one another. The last act shows the homecoming of Mike, a hero, who is very uncomfortable with being treated like one. Mike is welcomed home by Angela (Meryl Streep) who was engaged to Nick, but they comfort each other because Nick is missing.

There is almost as much myth surrounding the making of The Deer Hunter as there is around the movie itself. There is some great acting here with some of the best actors of the late 20th century, and the story is compelling, especially when you consider that in 1978 the Vietnam war was barely over (1975) and another Vietnam-era movie, Coming Home, was also nominated for several awards that same year. My issue, which is not original, either for me or for the movie, is that it could use some more editing; I think there were some scenes that did not add anything to the movie by being so long; I would have liked to have learned more about Steven, although he is clearly secondary to the relationship between Mike and Nick. My other issue are the scenes of the deer hunting (there is one in the beginning and one at the end) and that is only because the movie is set in western Pennsylvania, known for its coal country and steel mills, and to my knowledge, there are no mountains even close to the size of what is shown in the movie, and that's because those scenes were filmed in Washington state. It might be a small detail, especially if you're not familiar with that part of the country, but it bothered me. Anyway, this movie has become such a part of our cultural lexicon and is on so many lists for best films (#53 on the American Film Institute list of 100 best films) and it does show Christopher Walken and Robert DeNiro in amazing performances, it is a must see.

1/1/14 Schindler's List, Best Picture, Best Director, Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Original Score, Best Film Editing, Best Cinematography, Best Art Direction, 1993, #8 on AFI

I saw Schindler's List when it was originally released in theaters 20 years ago, and the thing I most remember is the absolute silence when it was over. We were all so overwhelmed. That is one of the great things about seeing movies in a theater mostly with people you don't know, you can share a communal experience, like exhilaration at the end of the last Harry Potter movie or collective emotional exhaustion like after Schindler's List or Boys Don't Cry. Schindler's List has been on television at least once or twice in the intervening two decades but I have not been able to watch it, it was just too hard (and it's 3 1/2 hours long). I don't know why I felt like I needed to watch it again at this time, but I am glad I did. Liam Neeson, in an Oscar-nominated role, plays Oskar Schindler, a member of the Nazi party, an unabashed capitalist and seeming womanizer turned humanitarian and Righteous Gentile. Ben Kingsley plays his trusted bookkeeper and 'adviser', Itzhak Stern. Ralph Fiennes gives a sublime performance as Amon Goeth, the sadistic camp commandant; Fiennes was nominated for a Best Supporting Actor Oscar (this was the year of Philadelphia with Tom Hanks and Denzel Washington). At first, Schindler embarks on a money-making enterprise to manufacture enamelware to sell to the German Army and he needs laborers; Stern helps him find workers among the Jews in the ghetto and destined for concentration camps. Eventually, Schindler finds a new motivation for his work - to save the Jews. Along the way, he bribes, cajoles and argues with different Nazi officials to keep his 'essential' workers; he even forms a strange, utilitarian bond with Goeth. Steven Spielberg directed Schindler's List and layers the symbolism using music, cinematography (especially the use of black and white film with subtle and limited use of color) in addition to the actions of the characters. The music is so powerful and it really is one of those scores that is inextricably linked to the film. The wonderful John Williams composed the score and Itzhak Perlman is the featured player; the music alone will make you weep. This movie is special and should be required watching for everyone over 16 because it tells a true story, and while it can be very graphic, it uses those images sparingly (I think the mini-series The Holocaust is much more graphic and over a longer period of time, over 6 hours of viewing); and there are not a lot of stories about those who risked so much to save strangers (Schindler did not know the people he saved until they began working for him); and there were people throughout Poland, Hungary, France and other countries who did this. I was fine watching the movie until the last scene which features the real life survivors and Schindler's widow placing stones on his grave, he is buried in Jerusalem. Placing stones on headstones is a Jewish tradition. I lost it; my heart of stone couldn't hold out anymore. As an aside, and if you would like to see Ralph Fiennes on the other side of the fence, so to speak, I highly recommend Sunshine in which he plays three characters from the same family of Hungarian-Jews; it is a semi-autobiographical film by Istvan Szabo, and one of the characters is in a concentration camp. I came across the movie by accident, but I am glad I did.