AMERICAN HISTORY X (1998)

“Hate is baggage. Life is too short to be pissed off all the time; it’s just not worth it.”

Derek Vinyard is scholar literature honors student and his fireman father was killed in nigger neighborhood by black men. Influenced and fired by the racist Hitler literature and reviews of Cameron Alexander he became a rebel face of white power, formed a gang of white young men harassed by niggers. One night under rage he killed black guys who came to steal his car and get arrested. After spending three years in jail, Derek is back with sea change transformation but what he sees returning his own home is unwanted picture. Now his gullible younger brother becomes the mouthpiece of Cameron’s racial army gang.

It’s a powerful film on the issue of racism focusing the emerging white power triggered by a fanatic ideology and followed up by bunch of frustrated, insecure young students joining the bandwagon. The film is questioning very pertinent contemporary problems of illegal immigrants and bunch of criminals threatening American society culture and economy. We read everyday facts in newspaper and it’s affecting every country in some or other way. It’s dark, unhealthy but a harder reality. Minority and majority of colors, creed or race are all bullshit because when you’re alone its you in minority and not any damn political ideology. The real truth is what the teacher told Derek in cell, “Your anger is shutting down the brain God gave you…you have to ask right questions like- Has anything you have done make your life better?”

In a skinhead, swastika tattoo clad chest Edward Norton delivered a performance of life time. Surely one of the great Hollywood acting I’ve seen in last decade. In both shades of his character he’s just matchless here. The rest of the cast i.e. Edward Furlong as Derek’s younger brother Danny or Beverly D’Angelo as Derek’s mother or any small or big character all acted their parts so convincingly.

Tightly scripted and brilliantly narrated in non-linear shifting black & white and color cinematography by cinematographer-director Tony Kaye, it’s a film which hits your head high with a message of universal brotherhood cutting lose to all our bias towards racism.

Ratings- 9/10

STRAW DOGS (1971)

Absolutely different from his stylized gun slinging violent classic ‘The Wild Bunch’, Sam Peckinpah’s ‘Straw Dogs’ is brilliant tense film where violence is slowly heightening its tension towards intense and awesome climax. Dustin Hoffman plays a mathematician too mild for her demanding hot young wife Susan George. Their arrival to town starts unhealthy sexually and psychologically boiling tension throughout the film. A bunch of street ruffians become part of their private life, becoming vigilante of the couple making both of them uncomfortable. The wife was terribly gang raped and the hubby is pushed to the limit and the rest is all Sam Peckinpah style shattering authentic portrayal of rough slow motion violence.

Hoffman is fine again but what I love the most is the way Peckinpah built the tension with young and ravishing character of Susan. She is very ambiguous character guided by her sexual urges often demanding attention with her skin projection provoking strangers. But as soon as we watch that terrible rape scene, she gains all our sympathy. Rape is more psychological torture than physical and Peckinpah made us felt that too. More than half an hour long climax inside Hoffman’s home is something only we can expect from Peckinpah. He’s original and master auteur as far as rough cinematic violence is concerned.
Strongly recommended to all violence suckers.

Ratings- 8.5/10

THE KITE RUNNER (2007)

The film version of Khaled Hosseini’s critically acclaimed and popular novel retained the original lines, narration and theme. Having read the novel I must say that director Mark Forster has almost faithfully adapted it on screen retaining most of the authenticity of original work with almost touching approach but still reading the book is more effective tracing the characters in our minds than on screen.

The film is about seeking redemption of one’s past mistake due to cowardice and the irremovable guilt attached with it. The devotion of friendship by an illiterate, slave Afghani minority boy Hassan with rich, affluent and reticent Amir is something so deeper in Hosseini’s this moving novel. Though most of the cast is relatively new, all of them gave balanced acts. I want to praise Mark for the perfect casting of child Hassan and shooting the key sequence of Hassan’s self sacrifice for his friend such a moving way. Both the characters bear huge dichotomy in terns of inherent characteristics as well as economic and social positions. The only area where the film fumbles is editing.

Ratings-7/10

AGUIRRE, THE WRATH OF GOD (German) (1972)

Every Herzog film is an absorbing experience and this one is no exception. The most striking elements are the way he portrays nature and his lead character in his films. Unlike usual films nature is not just beautiful and soothing canvas in Herzog films but mystery and absolutely indifferent one towards humanity. Herzog shot his films as raw as nature itself. Perhaps, it’s these impressive qualities which separate his cinema from rest of the auteurs of the World Cinema.

Men keep trying to fathom, exploit and challenge the nature from the very day he became part of this planet and till day nature remains an unsolved mystery to them. In Aguirre, Herzog takes us to the mid sixteenth century in the heart of jungle where a large group of Spanish explorers trying to search El Dorado, a land of gold located in depth of Amazon tributaries. The journey is full of misfortune as changing climate is taking toll, food ration is short and the terrain is difficult and hostile Indian territory. But still it’s not nature but human avarice and obsession which brought the biggest tragedy.

El Dorado is represented as an illusion, almost like mirage in desert. Aguirre is rebellion who became traitor and the precursor of tragedy making all others innocent victims. Herzog’s favorite Klaus Kinski’s presence is dominant all over the film as maniacal tormentor. It’s no easy film but disturbing parable of human vices. Striking visuals encapsulated the whole journey part from very opening long shot to its shattering end. The scene where Aguirre addresses, “I’m wrath of God’ in monologue with only presence of monkeys on raft is brilliant moment of irony. Human is back to his primate stage addressing primates.

Only Herzog can do this. While reading the book ‘Herzog on Herzog’, I come to know that his own life is almost as mysterious and natural as his films. It’s one more masterpiece of New German cinema. I would love to avoid rating it.

PLAY IT AGAIN, SAM (1972)

‘What you doing on Saturday night?’
-‘Committing suicide.’
‘What about Friday night?’

The film is Woody Allen’s finest & funniest tribute to great Hollywood legend Humphrey Bogart and classic ‘Casablanca’. The film was based on Allen’s self scripted play, directed on screen by Herbert Ross. More than idolizing he used Bogart as a guiding sidekick to upstart his already doomed pathetic life. Woody is at his wackiest best here!!! He plays insecure eternal neurotic loser obsessed with Bogart and having mental company of him. He’s messing up all available dates and ended up with his best friend’s wife. Watch the scene how get closest to the most romantic moment of his life with Diane Keaton and the early chemistry looks so young and refreshing one.

It’s a film where Woody treated the whole film with light and funny notes and less philosophizing. It’s raw Woody before he smelled the success of his bittersweet romance ‘Annie Hall’ or classy ‘Manhattan.’ Allen strikingly compared his uncommon weird persona which brings original self style much like Bogart. Watch the last scene where Bogart look-alike delivered that great line to disillusioned Woody - ‘Here’s looking at you kid.”

Another strong recommendation of great fun for all Woody Allen lovers.

Ratings- 8/10

CASSANDRA’S DREAM (2007)

A very unlikely dark tragedy from Woody Allen resembles much with Sydney Lumet’s underrated family crime tragedy ‘Before the Devil Knows you’re Dead’. Two brothers running short of hard cash, one is compulsive gambler & drunkard; the other too ambitious and madly in love with a dame. Their rich uncle came to help them but in return he needs their favor to settle a score of his rival. Initially they refuse it; but soon their need wins over their conscience. The rest film follows their struggle to commit the first crime of their life and its aftermath.

The film has lagging first half, besides there is no light moments at all what we usually expect from any Woody films. It’s more like those dark Greek or Shakespearean tragedies where blind ambition, guilt, dilemma plays pivotal role in making or breaking of the protagonist. Both Colin Farrell and Ewan Mcgregor acted their parts with utmost sincerity. Watch how one crime lead to another in the final fifteen minutes full of twist and tension, ended up with unfortunate family tragedy.

Ratings-6.5/10

PEEPING TOM (1960)

“Instincts are wonderful things, isn’t it…its pity it can’t be
photographed!”

A brilliant psychological thriller made by British filmmaker Michael Powell where a camera obsessed voyeur- psychopath killer capturing the last moments of his victims on handheld camera. It certainly stands next to any of classic psychological thriller whether it’s Polanski or Master Hitchcock’s best films, including ‘Psycho’ which was released in the same year.

The great thing about the film is Powell’s treatment; its almost told and shot from the point of view of voyeur named Mark who’s suffering from neurological disorder. Keeping Mike always focused as peeping Tom from various spaces, he’s compulsive voyeur who’s watching and filming everything about his subjects even after things were over. You can say that camera is his alter-ego and also an Achilles heel why cops sniff him. The dark past experience of his life was also told through the screening moments on projector where we witness his sadistic biologist father throwing lights or dropping lizards on his child’s bed to experiment reactions of the nervous system to the fear in young child.

The film also bears some interesting characters like the blind women whose sixth sense is more powerful than normal ones. There’re some lighter moments too where an old man hesitates to ask for erotic magazines; perhaps another social voyeur who’s seeking pleasure! It was shot almost in classic vibrant colors by Otto Heller keeping the thrilling atmosphere and tone throughout. The other film I would like to compare is Antonioni’s déjà vu classic ‘Blow Up’.

Director Sam Mandes paid homage to Powell’s this masterpiece in his ‘Road to Perdition’ where Jude Law’s psychopathic character is derived from Mike.

Need I write ‘Must Watch’!