Being a frequent visitor to my local library, I tend to come across some interesting finds stashed away in the DVD section available for rental or purchase. Among these interesting finds are some films from the famous Criterion Collection. I recently came across three Criterion films that are worth writing about.
The first one is the 1953 French thriller Le salaire de la peur, and in English that translates to The Wages of Fear. The story is about four men chosen from an incredibly poor South American small town that are given the assignment to transport two trucks full of nitroglycerin across 300 miles of potentially dangerous mountain road. Since the trip is considered a suicide mission, they are each promised $2000 if they are successful, and $2000 is a fortune to these guys.
Now this sounds extremely thrilling, right? In reality, this film kind of is. My biggest problem is that there is waaaaaaaaaaay too much set-up, and the set-up gets really boring after a while. For a film that's about 2 and a half hours, this can be a long haul. Yes, we get to experience some really suspenseful scenes that can make your heart stop, but to get to them, you have to go through an hour of tedium. Another positive thing I'll say is that the performances are quite good. Some scenes require some pretty deep emotional output, and the actors do this very, very well. And I might be in the minority on this one, but I liked the ending. I completely understand why it can really piss some people off, but I dug it in a morbid humor kind of way. If this film was about 30 minutes shorter, I'd gladly recommend it, but thanks to the dull hour of set-up and a lack of pay-off, my verdict is a minor thumbs down.
The next film I randomly discovered is a Federico Fellini film entitled La strada (or The Road). This is supposedly the one that the famous director calls his personal favorite, and I can see why. It follows a young woman named Gelsomina (played by the director's real-life wife Giulietta Masina) who is purchased by a traveling showman named Zampano to be his assistant. Their personalities are a stark contrast. She is innocent, child-like, and has eyes that beam with wonder. He is cruel, a drunk, and a pretty rotten bastard that occasionally shows a sensitive side. Together they travel the Italian countryside getting into all kinds of different situations and encountering all sorts of people.
The real meat of the story is the relationship between Gelsomina and Zampano. They frequently clash physically, emotionally, and morally, but you can see a hidden respect for one another. It's a fascinating relationship that's given just the right amount of sentimentality, and is emotionally brutal when it needs to be. Some moments will make you squeal with delight, while others will shatter your heart into a million pieces. Unfortunately, there are times when it is too cute, and Fellini tries way too hard to make you like Gelsomina's innocence and cuteness, and it does start to get a little irritating after a while. I became immune to her doe-like eyes and happy-go-lucky attitude. And tragic as the final scenes are, I was very emotionally underwhelmed. The film's twilight minutes are a bit of disappointment compared to the great first act, but I would still give La strada a solid recommendation. I'll also point out that this was my first Fellini film, and it certainly won't be my last.
Finally, I'd like to talk about Akira Kurosawa's Throne of Blood, and it's easily my favorite out of the three. The tale is basically Shakespeare's Hamlet, but set against the backdrop of Feudal Japan. I'll cut to the chase; this a great movie. Great acting, great script, great costume design, great stunt work, great directing, and great music. It's a roaring epic about betrayal, deceit, destiny, madness, and the never-ending quest for power. Personally, it's even better than Seven Samurai, which is considered Kurosawa's masterpiece. It's pretty obvious, but I give this film a high recommendation.
Grade-wise, it goes like this:
La salaire de la peur: C+
La strada: B-
Throne of Blood: B+
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