Archive for the 'WWI' Category

Lawrence of Arabia

Published
by
Chalupa
on July 30, 2005
in Adventure, Based on a book, Biography, British, Classic, Drama, Middle East, WWI and War
. 0 Comments

Here’s a classic I probably never would have rented, but thanks to Netflix I’ve now seen it. For starters, this movie is 3 hours and 47 minutes long so either be ready to camp out on your couch for a while or take a break at the intermission.

For those that didn’t know, this movie stars Peter O’Toole, Alec Guinness (Obi-Wan Kenobi) and Anthony Quinn. I’m always surprised in older movies when they get actors to play characters whose nationality and/or ethnicity is completely different from their own. In other words, there were white British guys pretending to be Arabs here.

This was a wonderful movie - even though it was long. I know some people will be turned off by it just because of the length. This is an epic story about an officer in the British army that is stationed in the Middle East. Lawrence is really looking out for the Arabs and is pretty much disgusted with the way his fellow countrymen treat these people. The timeframe for this film is back when England was still trying to colonize the world. Some of the Arabs didn’t accept him because his skin was white and some of the Brits didn’t accept him because he dressed like an Arab. There were even several times where he was treated quite poorly by men of lesser rank in the British army because he wasn’t wearing his uniform and they assumed he was a ‘bloody wog’.

This film reminded me of other movies and books I’ve read in the fact that someone tries to be a human and reach out to another people group. They do amazing things that most couldn’t ever dream of doing because of their unwillingness to see other people as fellow human beings. Why is it that people are always striving to be better than somebody else? Dances with Wolves is one movie that came to mind as being similar. I’m sure you can come up with others.

If you’re into movies you should definitely see this one. It’s said to be one of the classics and I’d have to agree. This is one of those movies on the same plane as Spartacus.

A Very Long Engagement

Published
by
Neville
on December 5, 2004
in Based on a novel, Drama, Foreign, Mystery, Romance, WWI and War
. 3 Comments

Don’t hate me because I saw this movie before you.

Yes, this movie was only playing in two theaters in all of L.A., but I was determined to see it before I went home and so, after church today, I did. Audrey Tatou teams up with the brilliant and visionary Jean-Pierre Jeunet (yes, the wonderful director of “AMELIE”) to bring the world yet another glorious, rapturous, gorgeous film. This time though, Jeunet has decided to take on World War I, and a love between two people that began when they were young.

Tatou is luminous once again, playing the role of a woman stricken with polio, who’s waiting at the homefront for good news from the war regarding her fiancee. Unfortunately, all news coming to her is not so good. But that will not destroy Tatou’s character’s hope, which is what the movie is really all about: the will and hope and desire and fight to live, whatever the circumstances.

Once again, Jeunet has created a story that builds up so much suspense along the way, the final moments of the movie are literally, viewed while holding one’s breath [see the "AMELIE" final scene where Amelie meets Nino in that no talking, silent, face-to-face match up in her apartment:)---only a cat getting sleepy-eyed can break such bottled anticipation and excitement]. With this movie, it’s funny in parts, despite its heavy and dismal subject matter at times…but this makes it a nice mood change (and shift) from Jeunet’s previous work in “AMELIE.” Here, the romance is still there, but it carries much more weight this time around. But the production of “A VERY LONG ENGAGEMENT” is nothing short of breathtaking. It would be a travesty for it to be overlooked in either best set/art director or best cinematography categories for the upcoming Oscars.

I wouldn’t say that I liked “A VERY LONG ENGAGEMENT” more than “AMELIE,” but I will say that it was a worthy follow-up for Jeunet. It’s as sad as movies can get, yet, at the same time, it’s a movie that makes you want to look to the sky and think that tomorrow may very will be a much better day.