Tag Archives: war

3 things about Arthur Dong’s COMING OUT UNDER FIRE

Posted on November 21, 2021 by robchristopher

Coming Out Under Fire [1994] 1. Incompatible. 2. Using the word “darling” in a letter was a giveaway. 3. Mimeographed bulletin, “The Myrtle Bitch Beach.” Invaluable.

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3 things about Errol Morris’s THE UNKNOWN KNOWN

Posted on July 26, 2021 by robchristopher

The Unknown Known [2013] 1. Safely far away in Brussels while the scandal erupted. 2. He claims he never read the memos. Yet he knows the exact number that were written. 3. “That’s a vicious question.”

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3 things about Jasmila Zbanic’s QUO VADIS, AIDA?

Posted on July 18, 2021 by robchristopher

Quo vadis, Aida? [2020] 1. A toy helicopter lies abandoned on the steps. 2. Soldiers toss loaves of bread into the crowd. 3. A couple sitting on a balcony idly watch the condemned being herded into the building.

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3 things about Ingmar Bergman’s SHAME

Posted on June 26, 2021 by robchristopher

Shame [1968] 1. He fails to shoot the chicken. He succeeds in shooting the man. 2. “Don’t play tennis for a few weeks.” 3. A sea of soldiers. Genuinely stunning. The last time I felt this way after a film … Continue reading →

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3 things about Paul Verhoeven’s BLACK BOOK

Posted on May 22, 2021 by robchristopher

Black Book [2006] 1. A sensitive whistler. 2. He pulls down her panties and says, “You’re a perfectionist, aren’t you?” 3. Screwing down the lid of the casket using her locket.

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3 things about Errol Morris’s STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURE

Posted on May 18, 2021 by robchristopher

Standard Operating Procedure [2008] 1. He outlines the subtle differences between “Criminal Act” and “S.O.P.” 2. If she could take it back, she wouldn’t have joined the army. 3. Upset that the “No Photographs Allowed” sign was violated. 3 other … Continue reading →

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3 things about Elem Klimov’s COME AND SEE

Posted on May 4, 2021 by robchristopher

Come and See [1985] 1. A single backwards glance at the back of the barn. 2. Scrubbing out the cauldron with pine branches. 3. Sign on a corpse: I INSULTED A GERMAN OFFICER THIS MORNING.

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3 things about Errol Morris’s THE FOG OF WAR

Posted on March 24, 2021 by robchristopher

The Fog of War: Eleven Lessons from the Life of Robert S. McNamara [2003] 1. On the roof of a trolley, a crowd of people wearing masks and cheering the end of the Great War. 2. Telegram to his fiancée: … Continue reading →

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3 things about Spike Lee’s DA 5 BLOODS

Posted on January 20, 2021 by robchristopher

Da 5 Bloods [2020] 1. Rusted-through bottom. 2. Hedy. 3. “You’re gonna fly.”

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3 things about Terrence Malick’s A HIDDEN LIFE

Posted on December 2, 2020 by robchristopher

A Hidden Life [2019] 1. She tries to comfort her. Mud-caked fingers on her head. 2. “Sign this, you’ll be free.” “I am free now.” “Then why am I here?” 3. A room entirely in black with a wet floor.

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