Katyn, Zorba the Greek and South Pacific

Sometimes the selection of movies does not lend itself to rave reviews or in depth analysis. I'm afraid this is one of those times. My apologies.
11/28/15 Katyn, nominated for Best Foreign Film, 2007

For some reason, I thought this was a documentary, not a feature film. It was based on historical events, that of the Katyn massacre in 1940. This is one of those historical events that can be very confusing to untangle because there was confusion at the time it happened. According to records of the time, over 20,000 Polish officers and citizens were killed by the Soviet army as it advanced into Poland. The Soviets blamed the Germans, which would have made sense as well because the Germans also invaded Poland. Katyn, which was nominated for Best Foreign Film of 2007, tells the story of the massacre mainly from the perspective of different family members of the officers, oftentimes as they are fighting with either the Germans or the Russians for truth about their loved ones or just to survive under the occupation. It was a little hard to get into and occasionally hard to follow, but it tells a story that may not be very well known in America, and shows the brutality of the Soviet forces. It's worth investing the time.

12/12/15 Zorba the Greek, Best Supporting Actress, Best Art Direction (B&W), Best Cinematography (B&W), 1964

 Alan Bates and Anthony Quinn star in Zorba the Greek, although I think most people only think of Quinn, who plays the energetic and enthusiastic Zorba. Bates is Basil, a half Greek, half English writer who returns to a small village where his father owned some land. I don't think I saw Basil do any writing during the whole movie. Lila Kedrova won the Oscar for Best Supporting Actress playing Madame Hortense, a lonely foreigner who runs a hotel and falls in love with Zorba. Both main characters undergo a metamorphosis, Basil loosens up a little (although one act of 'looseness' has fatal consequences) and Zorba experiences the darker side of the human condition. Things don't turn out exactly the way either two men hope, but the movie still ends on an up note. I didn't love it like some people do; this was the second time I have seen the movie, and I think I understood it a little better the second time around.

12/13/15 South Pacific, Best Sound, 1958

I am still watching South Pacific and I'm crying. Not because I'm moved or it's sad, but because I don't care. I don't care about the music, the characters or this ridiculous story, which is set on an island in the South Pacific during the Second World War. I don't even know what the story is, to be honest, there's some romance and people from different backgrounds that may or may not end up together. There is some annoying cinematography that uses filters and it seems to appear only during the musical numbers.  There is still another 90 minutes to go (that should indicate that it's already been 90 minutes of torture), and I don't know if I can hang on. I suppose there are some classic songs like "Some Enchanted Evening" and "I'm Gonna Wash that Man Right out of My Hair", but I don't care. I don't care about Nellie Forbush or Bali Hai or anything. To misappropriate Phil Collins "I Don't Care Anymore". It's off the list and that's my big accomplishment for the weekend.

Addendum: I'm hating my list right now. I'd rather watch highlights of the Cleveland Browns.

For a little levity and something different, please visit my blog on public transportation called Doing the Bus Run, observations on public transit and the people who take it.