Over the course of the long weekend, I had a film marathon. I tend not to post on here when I watch good movies, but maybe I'll try to do it more so you guys don't think I only watch crap...though I do watch a lot of crap.
I'll keep these short for brevity's sake:
Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (1931)
Ah, pre-code movies can be quite racy, and this one is no exception! Jekyll becomes Hyde as a way to let out his lust and his views on morality but ends up raping, murdering, and committing domestic abuse in the process. There are also some awesome transformation effects for 1931, with Jekyll transforming into Hyde in what appears to be a single take without any sort of cuts. I was highly impressed.
Pete Kelly's Blues
Jack Webb directed, produced, and starred in this film about a bandleader who gets shook down by the mob and forced into a bum contract during the heyday of Prohibition, until he finally gets fed up and does something about it. The dialogue is rapid fire the way I like it, survival is more important than morality, and Lee Marvin plays a supporting character. I loved it.
All Quiet on the Western Front (1930)
This is a classic anti-war film that does a good job removing the glamour of warfare while not belittling soldiers. There is no glory, but the friendships shared are real as they all just try to survive...but don't. I think I prefer The Big Parade, but this film's ending is spectacular and depressing.
The Broadway Melody
(The poster is put in spoilers because it's freaking huge.)
Two sisters try to make their way in the world of Broadway but one struggles with falling in love with the other's man. This is a bit of an awkward picture; it's a sound film, but from 1929, so it sits on a weird mix of silent style with sound performances and music. It is also one of the first musicals to use Technicolor, but unfortunately the color sequence has been lost, so only the black and white version is available. Technically it's a highly influential marvel, but I found its technical achievements too dated to make up for the dull plot.
55 Days at Peking
Charlton Heston and David Niven experience the Boxer Rebellion up close as Chinese peasants backed by the Qing dynasty lay siege to the diplomatic compound of the imperial powers in 1900, forcing the British, American, French, Italian, Russian, German, Austrian, and Japanese diplomatic core, military representatives, and non-Chinese civilians to work together alongside Chinese Christians to defend themselves. Sure, some of the usual faults are there(non-Asian actors playing the leading Chinese roles, some hammy scenes, etc.), but I was entertained. It isn't Zulu, but it's still harrowing at times.
A Man for All Seasons
This is a movie about a man who stands by his principles and convictions no matter the political climate around him and as a result is severely punished by the batshit English monarch, Henry VIII. Henry wants to marry Anne Boleyn, so he dumps the Catholic Church and forms the Church of England. Sir Thomas More refuses to support the marriage but also refuses to make a statement in the process. As a result, he is imprisoned and eventually sent to trial. What starts as a tale of political intrigue and moral principle eventually transforms into a courtroom drama as the one good man in the room refuses to say why he remains silent. I recommend it.
