Thursday, October 27, 2005
Movie reviews over the century 21 XII '03
Let's suppose yours truly is closing out a 7 decade career, spanning two centuries, and try to pick out some of the landmarks.
This unofficial career begins and ends appropriately with a sailing ship saga, the first being 'Captain's Courageous,' and finishing with 'Master and Commander'. The first was in black & white, the latter of course, beautiful color with flawless photography. Lots of salt water, well, water anyway.
After all this time, the best (and only) recollection of your reviewer of his first film was the closing scene where we find Wallace Beery pinned to the deck by a mast or spar, and over the roar of the waves sloshing over him, ropes, rigging, everything. Beery is obliged to yell his soliloquy to a drenched little Freddie Bartholomew who stood by occasionally interjecting a remark which seemed to give Wallace new impetus.
The recent film, 'Master & Commander' is an interesting contrast that shows how films have changed or not changed in nearly 70 years. In both pictures, a square-rigged sailing ship was the centerpiece, and
Special effects have become virtually able to suggest or portray anything. But as the saying goes, some things never change. The flogging, although abandoned by the British Navy in 1936, still has a place in a sea/ship film. Perhaps the film makers found this is a valuable contribution to a film about the time when Britannia ruled the waves.
Recently a movie about Christ's passion was a big hit, using alot of flogging.
Let's suppose yours truly is closing out a 7 decade career, spanning two centuries, and try to pick out some of the landmarks.
This unofficial career begins and ends appropriately with a sailing ship saga, the first being 'Captain's Courageous,' and finishing with 'Master and Commander'. The first was in black & white, the latter of course, beautiful color with flawless photography. Lots of salt water, well, water anyway.
After all this time, the best (and only) recollection of your reviewer of his first film was the closing scene where we find Wallace Beery pinned to the deck by a mast or spar, and over the roar of the waves sloshing over him, ropes, rigging, everything. Beery is obliged to yell his soliloquy to a drenched little Freddie Bartholomew who stood by occasionally interjecting a remark which seemed to give Wallace new impetus.
The recent film, 'Master & Commander' is an interesting contrast that shows how films have changed or not changed in nearly 70 years. In both pictures, a square-rigged sailing ship was the centerpiece, and
Special effects have become virtually able to suggest or portray anything. But as the saying goes, some things never change. The flogging, although abandoned by the British Navy in 1936, still has a place in a sea/ship film. Perhaps the film makers found this is a valuable contribution to a film about the time when Britannia ruled the waves.
Recently a movie about Christ's passion was a big hit, using alot of flogging.
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