North By Northwest

When it’s said that everyone should see this film once. there is a reason! It might not be seem hugely original or unique to have an ordinary guy stuck in extraordinary circumstances through fluky coincidences, recent releases ‘The Tourist’ or ‘Bourne Trilogy’ come to mind, but this is one of the first and best uses of that set-up.  Greatly helped by Cary Grant, Eva Marie Saint and Alfred Hitchcock this blows all other espionage thrillers out of the water.

The plot is light on complexity, with Roger Thornhill (Grant) being mistaken for George Kaplan, a man wanted dead by Phillip Vandamm (played by James Mason). The lead up to this mistaken identity happens in small steps, but done with great comical flare that reminds me of Shakespearean comedies such as ‘A Comedy of Errors’.  After a run in with Vandamm’s men, Thornhill tries to track down Kaplan and get some answers. Then on the train, in a scene everyone will recognise, Thornhill meets Eve Kendall (Saint), the blonde femme fatal that takes a little bit too much interest in him and puts a spanner in the works. The film is incredibly fast paced and every scene is about moving the plot forwards, which leaves little room for any characterisation. Back in 1959 that would not have been much of a problem, but modern audiences have a problem with films that are light on plot and depths. Films that mimic this formula, such as ‘The Tourist’ or the later Ocean’s films, are ripped apart because they lack anything beneath their shiny exterior. It seems that modern audiences like to know a bit more about the characters and so some might find this a little bit silly and empty to watch.

Saying all that Cary Grant plays his character fantastically well. Off screen his life might have been full of the sort of drama that keep editors of ‘Heat’ and ‘US Weekly’ happy, but on screen he portrays the ‘every man’ perfectly. A modern equivalent would be the bumbling Hugh Grant, as he has both the charm and the good looks; the same cannot be said for Johnny Depp’s  ‘every man’ (again in ‘The Tourist’-the parallels are so similar it is almost breaching copyright) who lacks both the conventional looks and the charm to pull it off. A problem with Cary Grant’s performance is the pace he delivers his lines. The dialogue flies thick and fast so that modern audiences might have difficulty keeping up and so will miss out on some of the clever lines. However, once you get used to the pace you can appreciate the witty and clever banter that occurs between the characters; it is the kind of script that likely inspired Aaron Sorkin, the writer of ‘The West Wing’ and ‘The Social Network’.

The other actor to comment on is Eva Marie Saint who plays the cold and mysterious Eve Kendall. Kendall is a great female part, one that is in control, dominant and opinionated. The flirting between Thornhill and Kendall is certainly led by her, a dynamic that is great to watch on screen. It is also a relationship that was not seen in similar films such as James Bond which still had the females act as damsels in distress.

The greatest thing about this film, and the reason that everyone must go and see it, is because of its importance to modern pop culture. Different scenes from the film have been recycled over and over again. The opening credits (Buried and The Tourist); the chemistry on the train (Casino Royale); the line ‘Beats flying, doesn’t it?’ (Virgin Trains advert); the plane flying across a corn field (The Simpson episode ‘Fear of Flying’); and the conflict on Mount Rushmore (Family Guy episode ‘North by North Quahog’). All these scenes stem from the iconic ones found in ‘North by Northwest’. In fact the last two examples are especially fantastic scenes if you remember that they were shot with no CGI. A real plane was used and a life-size model of Mount Rushmore was constructed all for the sake of realism.

‘North by Northwest’ is undeniably a classic and one of the most successful films of its type. Some modern audiences might not like the dated style of filming, but everyone should definitely see it to find the sources of many pop culture references.

Degree- 2:1

A fun, clever film that delivers what few films have

been able to since. A classic in every sense of the word

and one that has greatly influenced modern pop culture

(If you are confused about the rating system please click on the ‘About This Blog Page’ which will explain it all)

How To Make A Classic…Psycho-drama-The Taxi Driver Tangent

Martin Scorsese’s psycho thriller ‘Taxi Driver’ received four academy award nominations, including one for best movie, but why is a film about an unstable veteran turned taxi driver such a success? Why did it inspire John Hinckley, Jr to try and assassinate President Regan in 1981?  The answer lies at the feet of two men: Robert De Niro and his excellent character Travis Bickle, and Scorsese himself with his excellent directing.

Never before or since has there been a protagonist like De Niro’s Travis Bickle. After not being able to sleep at night  Bickle starts taking graveyard taxi shifts to cope with his insomnia. It is during his taxi work that Bickle shows us the darker side of human nature. From the extracts from his diary that he narrates we see Travis’ darker feelings as he points out what he calls ‘the scum of New York’;  prostitutes, murders and drug dealers, all of which disgust and frustrate him. His observations about these people are surprisingly perceptive for someone so unstable and illuminate what many of us choose to ignore around us. What is strange (and yet compelling) about Travis is that even though he despises the petty crime he does not interfere with it since he sees it as part of life. When a customer in the back of his taxi tells Travis he plans to shoot his wife and her lover Travis does nothing to stop him or help his wife, but instead simply drives away.  This disconnection is quite terrifying, but not nearly as terrifying as when Travis tries to help which always seems to end in violence and blood.  Through this creepy behaviour he does command respect and even manages to get interest from Cybill Shepherd’s Betsy who works for a senator and Jodie Foster’s Iris who is a 12-year-old hooker he wishes to save. All these aspects create a fascinating character that is impossible not to watch to see what he does or thinks of next.

Along with De Niro’s great character Scorsese also puts his own mark on this classic psycho-drama. He puts a great sound track in the film that conveys a huge volume of emotion in every scene. The chilling soundtrack was written by ‘Psycho’ composer Bernard Herrmann and was his last project before he died. Every time the terrifying signature song was played my blood went cold, and if you don’t believe me just take a listen the it down below. Scorsese, since he is a great director, tried to make all the characters as real as possible. This is no ‘Pretty Woman’; these prostitutes are young, scared and abused while being a taxi driver is not made to look like a glamorous profession. There is nothing attractive about the fact that Travis must wipe vomit and semen off the back seat of his cab every night. By including this realism the audience are hit a lot harder and given a better understanding of what Travis is seeing when he goes out to work each night.

Overall the film expertly delves into the psychology and mind of its complex lead character. Both Scorsese and De Niro take the audience into Travis’ mind and don’t sugar coat the horrors we find in it. This journey is unforgettable and is what makes ‘Taxi Driver’ one of the best psycho-dramas ever made.

How To Make A Classic…Cult Hit- The Rocky Horror Phenomenon

‘The Rocky Horror Picture Show’, like most cult films, didn’t make a lot of money when first released in 1975 and it isn’t hard to see why. Although the songs are catchy they don’t really make a lot of sense, the characters and the plot are even wackier and the controversy Tim Curry would have caused must have been astronomical. None of these elements spell out box office success, but they are the reason that the film has its cult following today.

The film is parodying many sci-fi and B horror movies and in doing so it goes beyond anything we usually see. Each character in Dr Frank-N-Furter’s castle is larger than life and wouldn’t look out of place at a Lady Gaga concert. The plot is even crazier with Dr Frank-N-Furter trying to create a living, breathing sex toy called Rocky. These bizarre aspects might not have gone down very well with a 70s audience, but in the modern day this sort of experimental creativity is not just accepted, but also greatly followed by fans.

Tim Curry’s Dr Frank-N-Furter is easily the most bizarre and controversial aspect of the film. To me he might just seem like another Soho regular, but for others, especially audiences in the 1970s, he is like nothing like anything they have ever experienced. He represents the very styles and sexual appetites that were all tightly ignored in 70s America, but as our society has grown more liberal Dr Frank-N-Furter has become the embodiment of being true to yourself and your sexual identity. He has also become a fantastic Halloween costume.

The final part of the film that makes Rocky Horror a cult hit is, obviously, the music. Very few musicals can make as little sense as this one, but by having memorable songs such as ‘Sweet Transvestite’, ‘Touch-a, Touch-a Touch Me’ and of course ‘Time Warp’ (if you haven’t heard this classic there is a treat for you at the bottom of this article), the film manages to get away with it. The songs work for the audience because their adult content make them different; instead of singing about love and loss the cast sing about sex and lust. These saucy undertones work in favour of the songs and make them stick in the audiences mind.

Like many films with the cult brand Rocky was made at the wrong time. Now it has its deserved following and success with many special screenings going on around the world at any one time. But it is interesting to question whether the film got its cult status from being made in the wrong decade and being underappreciated. Would it have done so well if it was made in 2010? I would like to think yes, but I’m not too sure.

The Shawshank Redemption

The Shawshank Redemption is the original dark, yet feel-good film based on Stephen King’s famous short story. From the starting court scene to the phenomenal ending the film shows the audience every aspect of the human character, both good and bad; it’s an engaging and touching journey. It is unfortunate that this great was released in the same year as Tom Hank’s ‘Forest Gump’ and Quentin Tarantino’s ‘Pulp Fiction’. These big names stole the limelight at the box office so Shawshank only made $18 million and lost out on all seven of the academy awards it was nominated for. However it has since grossed a huge DVD and VHS following and been ranked deservedly higher in the list of greatest films of all time.

The film centres on former banker Andy Dufresne, played by Tim Robbins, who is on trial for the murder of his wife and her golf-pro lover. Although Dufresne protests his innocence, his icy manner fails to convince either the jury or the audience and he is sentenced to two consecutive life sentences. He is sent to Shawshank Prison and behind these high stone walls are where almost all the film takes place. Robbins plays the intelligent and calculating Andy Dufresne perfectly; so much so that some critics have faulted him, claiming he never truly connects with the audience.  This distance however is simply as a powerful example of how Dufresne is distant from everyone around him. He is an island and Robbins plays him as such.

All the characters that Dufresne meets in Shawshank are richly filled out and layered: from the hypocritical warden Mr Norton, who is as flawed as the men he keeps locked up, to Brooks the institutionalised crook who will bring tears to your eyes. Each character grows organically during the film’s gentle unfolding. Within this great cast the stand out performance is easily Morgan Freeman. He plays Red, a man who can get you anything you need for a 20% mark up. Freeman’s portrayal of Red is raw, human and real; Freeman thoroughly deserved his Oscar nomination.  Freeman is also the film’s narrator; his silky voice is certainly music to the ears and gives a good insight into the emotions and psychology of a prisoner. It allows the audience to really understand what each character is going through.

When all is said and done, beneath Freeman’s silky voice and the country amble pace this is still a prison movie and like ‘Midnight Express’ before it, includes some horrible scenes that make you think twice about ending up there. From the guards’ verbal insults and physical assaults to the inmates deaths and the food they have to eat the film does not let up in showing us how truly awful people can be. The beating and rape of Dufresne by a group of prisoners called ‘The Sisters’ was particularly nasty and distressing to watch. But it is not these dark scenes that make ‘The Shawshank Redemption’ one of the 50 films Film4 say you must see before you die how these men rise above these obstacles is the true genius of the film. Throughout all he endures Dufresne never loses his creativity, generosity or integrity. The bond of companionship he forms with the other inmates is inspirational and the lengths he goes to in order to hang onto hope are incredible. The end of the film leaves you dumbstruck, in awe at what we are all capable of and determined to make sure you fulfil your own potential.

Degree: 1^st.

The film of a generation and one that has finally become recognised for the masterpiece it is.

Films since then, such as ‘Slumdog Millionaire’, have clearly drawn inspiration from it.

Get busy living, get busy seeing this film.

How To Make A Classic…Family Film- The Disney Equation

Walt Disney has made some of the most known and best-loved family films of all time. Success to them is a formula that works every time. Every classic Disney movie has several key aspects that make the movie a classic; they need an unoriginal story, adult themes and an amazing soundtrack.

The idea of using an unoriginal story seems a bit backward, but looking at all the Disney classics many, if not all, are based on old children’s books and fairytales: Aladdin, Hercules, Cinderella, The Jungle Book, Alice in Wonderland are just a few, but the list goes on ad infinitum. These stories work for Disney because they are timeless tales that are known to work. If these stories have survived decades (often centuries) of publishing then they can survive a Disney make over. As anyone will know, the success of Disney franchises tends to wane when the House of Mouse releases the sequels and prequels they develop themselves.

On top of the classic story a Disney family film will include adult content. Some of the most memorable scenes from Disney are also the most harrowing; the death of Bambi’s mother and of Simba’s father defines both films. These scenes work because they don’t treat the child watchers like idiots. Not only do these scenes leave a lasting impression on the children, but they also bring in the parents who can enjoy the film as well. But there is a limit. Bad deeds done to the protagonist are fine, since the protagonist can overcome them; bad deeds done by the protagonist cannot be so easily justified. In the Hans Christen Anderson version of the ‘The Little Mermaid’ the mermaid must murder the prince’s wife in order to remain human. She decides not to, but instead drowns herself in the ocean. Suitable content for a children’s film? I think not: Disney wisely decided to leave this story direction out. The final essential part of a Disney family film is of course the music.

All classic family films must have a great soundtrack that is so catchy that you will remember it years later merely seconds into the song. It is these catchy tunes and wonderful lyrics that have families coming back time and time again. The music and the happy ending.

This formula which Walt Disney first equated almost a century ago has been shown to child after child for generations. And how successful it has been!