Tag Archives: war

3 things about Dick Powell’s THE ENEMY BELOW

The Enemy Below [1957] 1. Navy-branded cup and saucer, white china with a blue anchor. 2. One sailor is reading Gibbons, and the other’s reading Little Orphan Annie. 3. Oil coursing down the depth gauge.

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3 things about Orson Welles’ THE STRANGER

The Stranger [1946] 1. “They look like other people and act like other people, when it’s to their benefit.” 2. He holds the burning paper in his hand for a moment, as a confirmation, then inserts it into the stove. … Continue reading

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3 things about Robert Aldrich’s TWILIGHT’S LAST GLEAMING

Twilight’s Last Gleaming [1977] 1. “With that rhetoric, he could be elected governor in ten states.” 2. Joseph Cotten’s cloudy eyes. 3. They walk in an irregular twirling pattern to frustrate the snipers.

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3 things about Peter Weir’s THE WAY BACK

The Way Back [2010] 1. Birch bark snow masks. 2. “We’ve all done terrible things to someone. But don’t ever lie to me again. We’ve had enough of lies.” 3. Fields of green leaves as far as the eye can … Continue reading

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3 things about Henry Hathaway’s CHINA GIRL

China Girl [1942] 1. The hotel is reminiscent of the Bradbury Building. 2. “She’s in Kunming. Your little Chinese pumpkin face.” 3. He finishes reading the line from the poem and then is buried under a mound of debris.

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3 things about Francine Parker’s FTA

FTA [1972] 1. Jane wears her Klute haircut. 2. The only film in the history of motion pictures to feature a song called “I’m Tired of Bastards Fuckin’ Over Me.” 3. Disturbingly cheerful narration at atomic bomb museum in Hiroshima.

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3 things about Christian Petzold’s PHOENIX

Phoenix [2014] 1. He reaches from behind her and feels the pockets of her coat. 2. Without looking up at her he answers, “A slip, I guess.” 3. Soft focus, cut to black. Perfect ending.

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3 things about Mike Nichols’ CATCH-22

Catch-22 [1970] 1. The portrait behind his desk: FDR changes to Stalin. 2. Chocolate-covered cotton. 3. “You can’t let crazy people decide whether you’re crazy or not, can you?”

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3 things about Alain Resnais’ HIROSHIMA MON AMOUR

Hiroshima Mon Amour [1959] 1. Every morning at 4 o’clock, someone passes by her window, coughing. 2. Casablanca. An empty nightclub. A deserted bandstand. The only light seems to come from behind the bar. 3.”I will remember this affair as … Continue reading

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3 things about Jerry Blumenthal, Peter Gilbert & Gordon Quinn’s VIETNAM LONG TIME COMING

Vietnam Long Time Coming [1998] 1. He greets and plays with a little girl at the airport. Later he says, “Killed a girl like that. She came out of the village, holding grenades. I killed that girl. Fucked up things … Continue reading

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