Sunrise: A Song of Two Humans

Credible Credits

Year: 1927

Director: F.W. Murnau

Starring: George O'Brien, Janet Gaynor, Margaret Livingston, and a drunken pig (don't ask)

Tagline: N/A
Synopsis: A wayward husband reconnects with his long-suffering wife, falling in love with her all over again.

Review

It is time again for another film school flashback.  This time we're going all the way back to the silent film era.  Sunrise: A Song of Two Humans is often cited as being not only one of the best films of that era, but one of the greatest films of any era.  I watched quite a few silent films during my time as a film student, and Sunrise was hands down my favorite.  It is simply a beautiful film.

Cinematic storytelling has changed a lot over the decades.  Just to put this in context, Sunrise came out the same year as The Jazz Singer (the first "talkie").  And although it is a silent film, it was one of the first to incorporate a proper soundtrack with sound effects.  But what little dialogue there is comes from title cards.

The director, F.W. Murnau, was a master of German Expressionism and this film is simply a Hollywoodized version of that movement.  What that means is, if you are looking for realism, this isn't the film to choose.  Sunrise isn't about reality in the sense of being a completely realistic story set in the world as it literally is.  It is expressive by design and an exaggerated portrayal of reality.  What's truly real are the emotions.

The film's subtitle is A Song of Two Humans, and that is an apt description.  The story is kind of like a song, or perhaps a fable, rather than the normal narrative structure you'd see today.  The main characters are more archetypes than fleshed out people.  They are never even given names.  They are simply the Man, the Wife, and the Woman from the City.  But just because the Man could be any man and the Wife any long-suffering wife doesn't mean you don't connect with them as humans with genuine feelings and emotions.  The beauty of the film is that you do connect with them.  Perhaps it is not that the characters are realistic portrayals so much as they are true portrayals (if you want to have a nice philosophical discussion on the difference between real and true let me know).

Since there is hardly any dialogue in the film, the brunt of the storytelling and character development comes from body language and facial expressions.  The Man's change is the most dramatic.  At the start of the film he is beaten down by life and having a fling with the visiting Woman from the City.  He doesn't walk, he trudges.  His entire frame bespeaks his guilt and shame and turmoil.  As he hits rock bottom, he is hunched over with downcast eyes.  But then things change.  He realizes he still loves his wife and is horrified by what he has done (and almost done).  I can't help but smile as I watch him transform.

The bulk of the film is dedicated to that transformation, as the Man comes to his senses, seeks forgiveness from his wife, and rekindles their romance.  It is a beautiful portrayal of repentance/forgiveness as you see the burdens fall from the Man.  He begins to walk taller and straighter.  He gets a shave and a haircut.  He laughs and dances.  For her part, the Wife goes from worn down to terrified to forgiving to flirtatious and joyous.  And you can believe every moment of it just from her body language and face.

But the film doesn't end with the couple's reconciliation.  They must first weather one more storm, literally.  It isn't so much a final test for the Wife as it is for the Man.  And there is a dramatic irony to the situation that unfolds.  As the title implies, after the long and stormy night is over, a new day dawns for the Man and his Wife.  And the seductress heads scowling back to the city from whence she came.

There are so many wonderful moments in this film that make it a joy to watch.  The scene in the church, where the couple watches another couple exchange wedding vows is a brilliant and believable catalyst for the Man's continuing change of heart.  But my favorite scene is probably when they go to a photographer to have a portrait done.  It's just a wonderful, playful scene that helps lighten the mood and shows why the couple fell in love in the first place.

So there you have it, my favorite silent film.  I know it isn't a movie for everyone.  Silent films require a lot more patience than modern ones.  But if you do decide to hunt down this film (which just got easier since it came out on Blu-ray), remember, this isn't a story about the roaring 1920s, it is a story from the 1920s.  Trying to impose modern sensibilities would be a disservice to the film.

Quotable Quotes

• "For wherever the sun rises and sets, in the city's turmoil or under the open sky on the farm, life is much the same; sometimes bitter, sometimes sweet." -- Title Card
• "Forgive me!" -- The Man

ISFS

Frozen: Let It Go

Credible Credits

Year: 2013

Director: Chris Buck & Jennifer Lee

Starring: Idina Menzel

Music/Lyrics: Kristen Anderson-Lopez & Robert Lopez
Synopsis: After Queen Elsa's icy powers are revealed, she flees into the mountains and begins to explore just what she is capable of.

Review

Nope.  I'm not one bit ashamed to admit that I saw Frozen for the third time today.  I still think it has some flaws, but I love it anyway.  And I just really wanted to see it one more time on the big screen.

As the post's title suggests, this is only a review of one particular segment.  I actually had many of the following thoughts related to "Let It Go" a few weeks ago.  So I thought I'd put my film school knowledge to use and share.

It truly is a powerful segment, as the outstanding visuals and soaring music forward both the story and Elsa's character development.  I've read the equivalent section of the novelization (What?  It's a good story.) and it isn't nearly as awe-inspiring or revealing.

The segment is about liberation.  Elsa starts out feeling isolated and like a failure for having accidentally revealed her powers.  For years she has abided by her parent's well-intentioned counsel to "conceal it; don't feel it."  But now her secret is out.  And with it comes a sense of exhilarating relief.  She no longer has to keep this enormous secret.  She no longer has to live in fear of discovery.  And though she is alone, she thinks she no longer has to fear hurting Anna or anyone else.

At long last, Elsa lets go of her fears and the constraints she has lived under (symbolized at that point by her remaining glove and cloak which both blow away in the wind).  Instead, she embraces the incredible power she was born with.  As soon as she relinquishes her fears and embraces who she is, the snowstorm around her stops and the night becomes crystal clear.

It is very appropriate and telling that almost the first thing Elsa does as she embraces her powers is to build Olaf.  She has never forgotten the lopsided little snowman (who likes warm hugs) she and Anna once built as children.  Olaf in a way becomes a living reminder of not only the sisters' bond, but also of Elsa's inherent goodness.

As Elsa is liberated (or rather liberates herself) from her fears and the constraints on her powers, she also undergoes a transformation.  Timid steps become an excited run.  Her confidence grows along with her ice palace.  And lastly she transforms herself, freeing her hair and changing her gown to become a crystalline, shimmering complement to her powers.

But there is an undercurrent to the segment.  It took a few viewings before I picked up on it.  For almost the entire sequence, Elsa is moving from right to left across the screen.  Because we are a left to right reading society, right to left is often considered the "wrong" direction, or it implies moving backward.  (In The Hobbit, for example, the characters are almost always moving from left to right on their journey.)  So having Elsa move from right to left is a subtle, subconscious commentary within the film.  Yes, she is excited and feels free.  Yes, she is becoming empowered and confident.  She genuinely feels like she is on the right path.  And certainly her motivation of protecting Anna and Arendelle from herself is well-intentioned.  But ultimately, she is going the wrong way.

The audience has already begun to know what Elsa doesn't: that Arendelle is in a deep freeze.  Elsa may think she can be free from her past, but she will ultimately have to face not only her past but all her fears in order for everything to be set right.  Running away to be alone isn't the answer.  And I love that the sequence subtly shows that.

Quotable Quotes

• "A kingdom of isolation ... and it looks like I'm the queen."
• "My soul is spiraling in frozen fractals all around."
• "Let the storm rage on!  The cold never bothered me anyway."

ISFS

The Secret Life of Walter Mitty (2013)

Credible Credits

Year: 2013

Director: Ben Stiller

Starring: Ben Stiller, Kristen Wiig, Shirley MacLaine, Patton Oswalt, and Sean Penn

Tagline: Stop dreaming; start living
Synopsis: When an important photo goes missing, Walter Mitty must stop living in daydreams and start adventuring in real life. 

Review

Did you know this is actually the second film adaptation of James Thurber's short story?  For that matter, did you know it was based on a short story?  I first read Thurber's tale in my 9th grade English class.  I don't remember much beyond the premise: a timid man spends a lot of time daydreaming.  Well, the premise is about all the films and the short story have in common.  The first adaptation was in 1947 and is a comedy featuring the inestimably talented Danny Kaye.  It's terrific.  So I was very leery when I learned a few years ago that a new adaptation was in the works, especially when I saw that it would be Ben Stiller starring and directing.  And then I saw the movie trailer.

If the Academy Awards had an Oscar for Best Movie Trailer it should go to The Secret Life of Walter Mitty.  The various trailers are beautiful, touching, epic, witty, and unlike the cookie cutter trailers you see everywhere else.  And they perfectly utilize their songs.  One view of the trailer and I was sold on seeing the film.  With each successive trailer my hopes climbed higher.

I can't say that the film is perfect.  It has its flaws, its moments that are slightly jarring, its inconsistencies and illogicalities.  But I can forgive all that.  Because overall it is a beautiful, touching, and humorous film that puts a smile on my face just recollecting it.  It isn't so much a film about daydreaming so much as it is a film about becoming.

Ben Stiller's Walter Mitty isn't henpecked by his wife (like the story) or his mother (like the first film).  Instead, you might say he is henpecked by life.  He is quiet and shy and has a frequent tendency to "zone out" as he daydreams about being more than he is.  But we find that he wasn't always quite so reserved and afraid of life.  Circumstances in a sense knocked the adventure out of him until he became overly sensible and reserved.  And then throughout the film, more circumstances bear down on him: a merger at work, a lost photo, and an insensitive jerk who holds Walter's job -- and the jobs of his friends -- in his obnoxious hands.  Necessity is the mother of invention, and apparently the mother of adventure as well.  But the story isn't simply about finding the lost photo.  It is about Walter finding Walter.  And watching Walter learn to love life and truly live it is wonderful to behold.

While the film is certainly about Walter, he is surrounded by some great supporting characters.  His mom is empathetic and encouraging.  It is through her that we start to understand Walter better.  Sean O'Connell is the adventuresome photographer Walter must track down.  He also serves as an inspiration to Walter, helping him to see what matters.  The most humorous character is Todd, a customer service representative from eHarmony who becomes phone buddies with Walter.  And then there is Cheryl, the girl of Walter's dreams and daydreams.  What makes their relationship work is that it is shown early on that while she may think Walter is a little odd ("Where do you go?" she asks after he has zoned out), she starts to like him even then.  Her real life encouragement is genuine, so when Walter conjures her as his inspiration to help him on his journey, it works.

The film itself is also beautiful.  Ben Stiller did a terrific job directing.  The scenery, as Walter is skateboarding through Iceland or trekking through the Himalayas, is truly stunning.  But it is also fun to see the ways in which Stiller used the scenery.  For example, films usually start off with titles about who the production company is and what the name of the movie is.  In The Secret Life of Walter Mitty, those titles appear as though written on the street as seen from a bird's eye view, or on train station signs.  They are absorbed into the world.  Words from the motto of Life magazine are shown on the walls of the airport and then within the plane's cabin as Walter first embarks on his adventure.  My favorite was when Walter receives a text message which the audience gets to read etched onto the side of a mountain.

My favorite part of the film may actually be the soundtrack.  Partly because the songs used in the film (e.g., "Dirty Paws" by Of Monsters and Men, "Wake Up" by Arcade Fire, and "Step Out" by Jose Gonzalez) are great songs.  But mostly because they are absolutely perfect for the tone of the film.  I was so excited to discover the two songs that helped the trailers work so well were actually part of the soundtrack ("Dirty Paws" and "Step Out").  Movie trailers often use completely unrelated music.

The Secret Life of Walter Mitty won't appeal to everyone.  It has kind of an indie feel to it.  And it does have its flaws.  But as long as this post is, I still feel like I could go on and on about it.  It it is a fantastic film that I look forward to seeing and reliving again and again.

*** Spoiler Section ***
The film's "MacGuffin" (a film term for the plot device a protagonist/antagonist is after) is a lost picture that is meant to be on the cover of the very last issue of Life magazine.  Walter spends the bulk of the story trying to track it down.  It is the catalyst to get him to start living.  The fact that Walter has the picture in his wallet all along is a nice touch.  As is the fact that his loving mother -- who he has clearly spent a lifetime sacrificing for -- is the one to rescue it after a discouraged Walter throws his wallet in the garbage.

The film spends a lot of time building up the wonder of the missing picture.  It is described by Sean O'Connell as the "quintessence of life."  They did so much to build it up that by the end I was thinking there was no way they could truly live up to the expectations they'd set.  I almost hoped they wouldn't show the picture.  I thought they should just show people's reactions to it and let the audience imagine what they would.  But when they did reveal the picture, on the cover of the last issue, it truly did work.  It's not a picture of an exploding volcano, a storm-tossed ship, or an elusive snow leopard.  It is the "quintessence of Life" magazine: a candid shot of Walter, outside the Time & Life building, eating lunch, and scrutinizing a sheet of negatives.  For all the grand adventures both Sean O'Connell and Walter Mitty have, there is a beauty in the simplicity of life: dedication to a job well done.

Quotable Quotes

• "That's a shark!" -- Ship captain
• "Have you done anything noteworthy or mentionable?" -- Todd
• "Beautiful things don't ask for attention." -- Sean O'Connell

ISFS

The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug

Credible Credits

Year: 2013

Director: Peter Jackson

Starring: Martin Freeman, Ian McKellen, Richard Armitage, Benedict Cumberbatch, Orlando Bloom, and more dwarves than anyone can keep track of

Tagline: N/A
Synopsis: Bilbo, Thorin, and the rest of the dwarves continue their quest to reclaim Erebor whilst Gandalf sets off on a journey of his own.

Review

Yes, I have actually read The Hobbit.   It has been a number of years, though, so I don't remember all the details.  My main recollection is that the dwarves got captured a lot and Bilbo/Gandalf rescued them a lot.  The films have certainly been true to that aspect of the story.

I'll admit, I was a bit surprised when it was announced that The Hobbit was going to be split into not two but three movies.  And they are not short movies either.  But, for the most part, The Desolation of Smaug doesn't feel too long.  I love Jackson's interpretation of Tolkien's world and enjoy the time I get to spend there.  The scenery is astounding -- both the real places and the ornate sets.  Both Thranduil's elven kingdom and the dwarf kingdom Erebor have an epic grandeur to them that is unique to the culture and temperaments of their occupants.  Every place characters visit feels different, which just makes this world feel that much more real.

I think Desolation of Smaug is an improvement upon the first film.  It keeps the pace going nicely and has some terrific action sequences (like the river chase).  There were a few minutes when it felt like it started to lag.  But not many.

While the film is mostly true to the book, Peter Jackson has certainly taken some liberties: some to round out the story more and others to tie it in more to Lord of the Rings.  Most of the subplots with Gandalf, Radagast, and the Necromancer are additions.  And I think they work.  In the book, the Necromancer is only mentioned briefly and we are told little if anything about what Gandalf was up to when he left the dwarves.  In the book it felt a little bit like a plot device to make things more difficult for the dwarves.  But Jackson has used it to greater effect.

I was a little nervous when I first learned that Legolas would be in the film, since he is not in the book whatsoever.  But then I learned he is the son of Thranduil, king of the woodland elves that the dwarves have a run in with.  That seemed like decent justification.  And Legolas is indeed put to good use.  Tauriel, who is completely made up for the films, is another interesting character.  She's a fun addition who manages to bring some much needed heart and conscience to the woodland elves.  I'm not entirely sure how I feel about her subplot though.  I guess we'll see how it plays out in the third film.

The very best part of the film is Smaug.  As dragons go, he is stupendous (to borrow Bilbo's description).  Benedict Cumberbatch is utterly brilliant as the voice: equal parts intelligent and menacing.  He also did motion capture to make Smaug's facial movements and expressions more realistic.  I love the way his chest and throat begin to glow before he breathes fire.  The whole scene in the treasure room with Smaug and Bilbo is terrific.  Speaking of Bilbo, Martin Freeman continues to do an excellent job as the titular hobbit.  He is clever, witty, and optimistic.  But it is also interesting to watch as the One Ring does begin to affect him.

As the middle part of a trilogy, Desolation of Smaug does a pretty good job.  It isn't nearly as strong as, say, The Two Towers (which is the film that turned me into a Lord of the Rings fan).  But it carries the story along and builds things up for the finale.  Sadly, we have another 11 months to wait before the Battle of Five Armies.

Quotable Quotes

• "I am fire ... I am death." -- Smaug
• "I ... found something in the goblin tunnels."  "What did you find?"  "My courage."  "Good.  You'll need it." -- Bilbo and Gandalf
• "When did we allow evil to become stronger than us?" -- Tauriel
• "What have we done?" -- Bilbo

ISFS