On this page, I'll highlight a number of movies which you've probably never seen but which I think you might really enjoy. You won't find reviews of Goodfellas, Schindler's List, The Silence of the Lambs, The Godfather or any of the other widely popular movies I consider among my favorites. Instead, I'll be focusing on titles that may be less well-known but that for one reason or another really impressed me. So, happy viewing!
See these movies!
A Bridge Too Far (United Artists, 1977)
In September of 1944, with their advances following D-Day stalling, the allies launched Operation Market-Garden. It would be the largest airborne operation yet, dropping tens of thousands of paratroopers behind the front line into Holland with the goal of seizing a series of important Rhine bridges. British ground forces would link up with them all and drive into into Germany's Ruhr Valley, potentially ending the war by Christmas. Things did not go as planned, however, and in the end the operation failed largely due to it's out-sized agenda and poor planning. Richard Attenborough directs a bevy of stars in a nearly three-hour film, which faithfully re-creates the hope, hubris and ultimate undoing of Market-Garden. The American actors, particularly Robert Redford and Gene Hackman (portraying a Polish general) seem out of place, but their British counterparts, especially Dirk Bogarde, Edward Fox and Sean Connery are outstanding. Despite its 1970s-era star-studded, blockbuster veneer, overall the film maintains a surprisingly intimate feel which, in the end, makes it a very rewarding experience.
Downfall (Constantin Film, 2004)
Downfall tells the story of the last days of World War II in Berlin and in the Fuhrerbunker. I have heard that this is the first German film to deal seriously with the subject of Hitler since the end of the war, and it lives up to that distinction. Downfall is, simply stated, a stunning and mesmerizing film. It deals unflinchingly with the subject matter, and paints a picture of increasing paranoia, panic and uncertainty as Hitler's and the Nazis' world comes crumbling down around them. Bruno Ganz' performance as Hitler is a marvel (many of you are probably familiar with the numerous YouTube parodies of a particular scene in which he rails against his own generals). The story is told from the perspective of Hitler's personal secretary, who appears at the beginning and end of the film in excerpts from an interview filmed specifically for this feature. The film is in German, with subtitles. One last note - there is little blood or actual violence in Downfall, which is good as it may get people who are normally put off by such things to watch the film. Despite this, it does contain the single most difficult scene I have ever had to sit through in a film (I honestly do not know if I could watch it again). Those of you familiar with the history of these days will recall that Josef and Magda Goebbels' five children came to live with them in the bunker right before the end. When it was clear Berlin was going to fall, to spare her children a life in a world without National Socialism, Magda murdered them all by poisoning them with cyanide. This scene is played out very deliberately in the movie, and is deeply affecting. In the end, perhaps, this is one of the film's greatest accomplishments - it shines a light not only on Hitler's sociopathy, but upon the deep and disturbing pathologies of his willing and eager followers, without whom he would not have been able to wreak as much havoc as he did.
The Caine Mutiny (Columbia Pictures, 1954)
The Caine Mutiny tells the story about a group of junior officers who take command of their ship from their C.O., and who then are tried for mutiny. Humphrey Bogart is all-to-often remembered today largely as a caricature of himself - more of a grim, scowling stereotype than a real actor. In The Caine Mutiny, though, he shines as the embarrassed and paranoid Captain Queeg, victim of the titular mutiny. One of his final speeches - about strawberries, a missing key and disloyal officers - is a work of art. Most people of my generation think of Fred MacMurray as the cardigan-wearing, homily-spouting Steve Douglas on My Three Sons. Well, in his days of film acting, he could be quite the heavy. Here, as the duplicitous, self-serving Keefer, he reminds the TV generation of the superb actor he was. Finally, Jose Ferrer is excellent as Greenwald, the J.A.G. officer who agrees to defend the mutineers. In his final scene, he drunkenly confronts his clients and delivers a much-needed lecture about how, despite their weaknesses and faults, officers like Queeg served and sacrificed on behalf of the U.S. and deserve more than just grudging respect.
A Face in the Crowd (Warner Brothers, 1957)
If you only know Andy Griffith as the sherriff of Mayberry or as Matlock, A Face in the Crowd will surprise and captivate you. Griffith appears as Larry Rhodes, a southern drifter who is plucked from obscurity to appear on his own radio show. His fame grows and he eventually becomes a national sensation, broadcasting from New York. Along the way, Rhodes comes to realize the power that fame and popularity convey, and begins to manipulate those around him. At his height, he is tapped for a political future, and wields his power to influence public opinion in a destructive and self-serving way. The story has powerful resonance today.
The Others (Las Producciones del Escorpion, 2001)
Featuring one of Nicole Kidman's strongest performances, The Others is a shadow-cloaked tale of a mother and her two young children living in a seemingly haunted English estate during World War II. One of the finest films of its genre I've ever seen, with an ending you won't see coming. It features wonderful performances by the two young child actors, as well as Irish character actress Fionnula Flanagan.