The Deer Hunter **** (1978)

The Deer Hunter (dir. MIchael Cimino 1978) follows the lives of three men from a small Pennsylvania town before, during, and after the Vietnam War. They work the night shift at the local steel mill.  After work they drink beer, watch football, sometimes go deer hunting.  The film begins as one of them’s about to marry.  Released 36 years ago, The Deer Hunter remains one of the finest examples of American cinema of any era with its authentic locations, outstanding acting and direction, and Vilmos Zsigmond’s beautiful cinematography.

Each act centers around a ritual: a wedding, a deadly match of Russian Roulette, and a funeral.

Written and directed by Michael Cimino and starring Robert De Niro (Michael), Christopher Walken (Nick), John Savage (Steven), Meryl Streep (Linda), and John Cazale (Stan),  The Deer Hunter earned the Best Picture Oscar in 1978.  The film also won Oscars for Best Director, Sound, Editing, as well as a Best Supporting Actor recognition to Christopher Walken.  

Like The Godfather, The Deer Hunter opens with an extended wedding sequence, illustrating how the Russian/Eastern European population of Pennsylvania acknowledge their old world heritage, while at the same time embrace America in a cinematic portrait of assimilation. From the perspective of 2015, the sense of a lost America seems even more striking.  The iron and steel industry forged the nation's backbone which sustained communities for decades has virtually disappeared.

Foreshadowing comes in flourishes during the wedding.  Nick seems unsure about their decision enlist, while Michael seems ok with it.  During the the reception Michael and Nick encounter a soldier at the bar on leave from Vietnam.  The soldier sits there like a sphinx. Michael tries to prod him about Vietnam’s like, but he reacts with disgust to their enthusiasm. He has endured too much to be put into words, something both Michael and Nick will tragically realize in time.

The film then shifts to Vietnam where Michael, Nick, Steven are captives of the Vietcong.  In a cringe inducing sequence they are forced to play a deadly game of Russian Roulette.  The sequence remains difficult to endure and controversial for its portrayal of Asians.  Many question if American troops were ever put through such an ordeal by their captors (most likely not).  However, as a metaphor of war, the scene works.  The act of going to war is like a game of Russian Roulette.  You might survive or get killed.  There’s no way of knowing.  The scene assaults the audience with the stark reality of war. Cimino went for metaphor instead of realistic depictions. 

The final act follows Michael when he returns home, where he learns Stephen lost both of his legs and Nick has gone MIA.  He begins a relationship with Nick’s fiancee Linda out of desperation.  While his friends want the good times to keep rolling like before, Michael realizes things will never be the same.  In a beautifully shot scene possibly modeled on The Wanderer Above the Sea painting by Caspar David Friedrich,  he comes upon a deer and aims to shoot, but pulls the gun away at the last moment, realizing he no longer wants to kill, choosing life over death.

Later, Michael returns to Vietnam to locate Nick.  He arrives in April 1975 as South Vietnam's about to fall.  He discovers Nick has gained a reputation in the Saigon underworld for playing Russian Roulette.  Michael confronts him, but Nick appears to have no memory of his former life.  Once again, Cimino asks the audience to suspend reality.  How could Nick have survived years of playing Russian Roulette?  How could Michael return to Saigon during such a chaotic time?  All I can say is sometimes the magic of cinema can even prevail over logic when the conditions are right.  Nick’s character arc plays like a Greek tragedy and symbolized what the war did to many American soldiers.

The final scene reunites all the characters after Nick’s funeral.  In their grief, they begin singing "God Bless America."  In the DVD commentary, Zsigmond recalls pleading with Cimeno to change the ending because it felt way too sentimental, almost laughable.  Cimeno replied, "the actors will make it work."  Cimino was right.  Roger Ebert said it best in his review,  "the lyrics of "God Bless America” have never seemed to me to contain such an infinity of possible meanings, some tragic, some unspeakably sad, some few still defiantly hopeful."

The entire cast had a magical chemistry.  John Cazale steals every scene he’s in as the loudmouth Stan.   Chuck Aspergen (Axel) a non actor who De Niro befriended while doing research in Pennsylvania, adds a presence.  Meryl Streep brought compassion and a quiet strength to the movie. De Niro carries the film in the lead role.  Both Walken and Savage exude a tragic lost innocence.

I would consider The Deer Hunter not so much a film about Vietnam, but a film about what Vietnam did to America.  Many films which came later dealt with the realities of the war such as Platoon or the PBS Series, Vietnam: A Television History.  

The war's legacy continues to divide Americans.  For some, the era left them cynical and skeptical about America’s future, while others held on even tighter to the old fashioned patriotism.  The Reagan campaign of 1980 capitalized upon the need to reboot the old values and pop culture followed right along in the new zeitgeist.  Films in the 1980s restaged the Vietnam War with a far more satisfying outcome.  The Deer Hunter ages well because of it’s ambivalent politics and bold attempt to make sense of a tragedy.

The Deer Hunter wears its heart on its sleeve and that's ok. An epic story with evolving characters and small moments - a classic

The Hobbit: Battle of the the Five Armies ***1/2

Peter Jackson's final installment to the Hobbit trilogy ends the saga on a thrilling note. The story picks up with Bilbo Baggins and company preparing to defend Middle Earth from an army of darkness.  The entirety of the film revolves around the battle, providing a strong narrative focus.  CGI effects are ideally suited for the fantasy genre and they are used to amazing effect in Battle of the Five Armies.  Many fantasy stories involve large scale battles which would be way too expensive to film with real actors - so I'm big fan of CGI when used to its full potential.  As the characters meet their fates the themes of heroism and sacrifice have an emotional resonance. Bilbo Baggins (Martin Freeman) journey from mild mannered hobbit to brave defender for good perfectly encapsulates the hero's journey.  Jackson also tied up all the loose ends to bring the entire six film saga to bring all the elements full circle.  All of Jackson's fantasy films hark back to the silent movie tradition - using moving pictures to present a spectacle on the big screen. Battle of Five Armies keeps the tradition alive and well.  Cecil B. DeMille would be proud.

The Theory of Everything ***

The Theory of Everything tells the moving personal story of physicist Stephen Hawking, who's theories changed our understanding of the universe, and his wife Jane who supported him through his physical affliction.  In time, Hawking became an unlikely pop culture icon with the publication of A Brief History of Time, a primer on modern cosmology.  While the structure of The Theory of Everything relies on the conventions of biographical films, the performances of Eddie Redmayne and Felicity Jones are well worth seeing.

Unfortunately, the science takes a back seat in the film.  Black holes are mentioned a few times. So, get a character study. We meet Professor Hawking during his college days as an eccentric student of Physics at Oxford.  He meets history student Jane and a relationship develops.  Then Stephen notices he's losing control of his motor skills and is diagnosed with Lou Gehrig's disease.  Given only two years to live, he advises Jane to find someone else, but she agrees to marry him.  At many points, their marriage was put to the test as Stephen's physical condition worsened. Despite his disability which took away his ability walk, speak, and eventually breath on his own - his work continued on.

The film's two themes of sacrifice and determination in the face of illness make for high drama.  As Jane and Stephen begin to drift apart we remember that even those with the best of intentions are mere human.  Both performances exude a compassion that goes beyond what Hollywood typically offers - and makes The Theory of Everything shine much brighter in retrospect.

Unbroken: Inspiring Story, Boring Film? **

Angelina's Jolie's second feature film, the highly anticipated Unbroken, tells the amazing true story of Louis Zamperini.  He survived starvation while being lost at sea for 47 days and then faced sadistic prison guards as a POW in Japan during the Second World War. Before Zamperini joined the Army Air Corps he participated in the 1936 Olympics in Berlin as a member of the U.S. track team.  While there are some excellent sequences, especially the opening 15 minutes, the film just drags on way too long without any emotional payoff.

Maybe a documentary would've better suited Zamperini's story? We never learn much about his life before the war, except for a few flashbacks. There's hardly any humor or memorable supporting characters.  The Japanese prison warden known as "the bird" has no humanity whatsoever. Jack O'Donnell gives an exceptional performance, but not enough to carry the entire film.  

Many classic WWII movies set in POW camps such as The Great Escape and Bridge on the River Kwai celebrated camaraderie and at least had interesting characters and themes. Even George Clooney's Monuments Men earlier this year, which illustrated why Fascism had to be defeated, wisely took a cue from those films. By limiting itself to a survival story, Unbroken puts the audience through an ordeal, instead of an enriching experience.  I've not read the Laura Hildenbrand bestseller the film was based on, but I sense the emotional impact the film lacked might be found in the book.

Exodus: Gods and Kings **

Ridley Scott's Exodus: Gods and Kings retells the story of Moses leading the Hebrews from bondage to freedom. With a subdued Christian Bale as Moses, Gods and Kings is more concerned with the psychology of the Old Testament, a fresh approach similar to Darren Aronosky's Noah.  Like in Gladiator, Scott relies too much on CGI effects which invoke no sense of wonder whatsoever. Despite its major flaws, Gods and Kings has a strong narrative and avoids being a complete disaster. 

Gods and Kings downplays the spiritual themes of the Exodus and is more concerned with political and psychological underpinnings.  Moses begins the story as the adopted (and favorite) son of the Pharoh Seti (John Turturro).  Seti's son Ramses banishes Moses when his Hebrew heritage is revealed, a race the Egyptians kept in slavery.  He builds a new life as a shepherd in the desert, marries, and starts a family.  One day Moses is called upon by the Hebrew God Yahweh to lead the Hebrews out of bondage and into the promised land of Israel.  God appears to him as a creepy and demanding little boy.  They don't like each other.  Portraying God as a child may offend some, but anyone who reads the Old Testament knows God had a serious mean streak.

Bale does a good job of portraying the conflicted nature of Moses: a man at odds with his God and the people he is leading to freedom.  The God "child" likes to play games and treats him like a toy, while the Hebrews have no respect for his authority.

The villain, Ramses (Joel Edgerton) lacks the charisma of Yul Brynner in the Cecil B. DeMille epic The Ten Commandments and comes off like a heel in the WWE.  Other important figures in the story such as Aaron and Joshua are ignored.  And way too much time is spent on the plagues, a mere showcase for the CGI effects.

The somber tone of Gods and Kings seems right for the story, but there's so much more to explore.  Four screenwriters received credit and the lack of unity shows. What about the transition to Monotheism?  Little is learned about the Hebrews themselves and why they stayed loyal to their God.  What sustained them during the Exodus?  

As a character study, Gods and Kings had great potential;  As a spectacle, it sputters.

Interstellar: A Second Look

A month ago, I attended the midnight showing of Interstellar with high expectations and came away with mixed feelings.  Nevertheless, the film stuck with me.  Therefore, I gave it another chance.  I'm glad I did.

Maybe having a blueprint of the plot in my head made it easier to process everything. Some movies are like that.
                                                

My God, It's Full of Stars!

Knowledge is highly valued in Interstellar.  Knowledge could save us all someday.  The first shot pans over Cooper's awesome library.  The room plays a pivotal role in the story.
                                              

Were all these books put here for a reason?  Stephen King's The Stand appears in several shots. Infinite Jest also caught my eye.

Reviewers tend to nitpick, in particular the frequent references to the Dylan Thomas poem, "Do Not Go Gentle into That Good Night." What's the problem?  It's a great poem and an eloquent expression of the themes in the film.

In my initial review I compared Interstellar unfavorably to Kubrick's 2001: A Space Odyssey.  I'll backtrack.  Both are great films.  Nolan puts humanity, instead of technology at the forefront.  Kubrick saw technology as a dehumanizing force, while Nolan's envisioned a more harmonious relationship. That's a refreshing take.

Chris Nolan and  Matthew McConaughey on the set of Interstellar.

                                               

The robot almost steals the movie! Like R2-D2 and CP-3PO in Star Wars, TARPS added some much needed comic relief.

                                                 

TARPS

In interviews, Nolan has cited The Right Stuff as an inspiration. He reportedly had the entire cast screen the film during pre-production.  Based on Tom Wolfe's book on the Mercury 7 astronauts, The Right Stuff successfully blended satire with the historical epic. McConaughey channels Chuck Yeager.  The movie opens with an all too brief flashback of Cooper reliving a horrific plane crash,  an excellent homage to Yeager's climatic flight in The Right Stuff.
                                                

Sam Shepard as Chuck Yeager in The Right Stuff.

                                            

Kip Thorne, an eminent physicist, acted as executive producer and script consultant, which provided some real credibility for the story. Interstellar explores various scientific ideas, ideas mainstream movies rarely take serious such as deep space travel, black holes, and Einstein's theory of relativity. Nolan placed ideas before special effects, a commendable decision.

                                     

Dr. Thorne explains quantum theory to Jessica Chastain.

Nolan's often criticized for not writing compelling female characters. Anne Hathaway plays Dr. Brand, the lead scientist on the mission.  Hathaway brought a strength and intelligence to her character.  She matched McConaughey scene for scene.

                          

Anne Hathaway as Brand.

Michael Caine is on hand to provide the exposition (he explains stuff). No one does it better.

Professor Brand

                                

Hans Zimmer's soundtrack adds a majesty to Interstellar.  A subtle pipe organ adds a mystical element, very much in the style of the John Williams score for Close Encounters of the Third Kind.
                                               

Check out the Soundtrack!

The most mind blowing moment in the film belongs to David Gyasi, who plays Romily, a scientist left behind on the ship when Cooper and the crew investigate a planet.  For each hour they spend on the planet, 7 years pass on the spaceship.  When a mishap extends their stay to three hours, they return to find poor Romily has aged 23 years!  That's a movie in itself!

                                         

Only three hours passed for Cooper (McConaughey); 23 years for Romily (Gyasi).

Finally, Interstellar achieves moments of genuine emotion.  My favorite moment occurs after Cooper's says goodbye to his daughter Murphy.  In an earlier scene, she sneaked onto his truck when he went in search of the secret NASA base.  After their difficult farewell, he checks the blanket she once hid under and she's not there.  A heartbreaking moment, but you have to pay close attention to catch it.

                                

A Sad Goodbye

Interstellar will be remembered as a classic.

Life in multiple dimensions.  Still trying to get my head around this concept!

                                              

Pontypool ***

The best horror films evoke a sense of dread.  And they never ease up the tension, there's no mercy for the weak!  Pontypool, a creepy Twilight Zone type story recalls  War of the Worlds and Night of the Living Dead. Starring veteran Canadian actor Stephen McHattie as Grant Mazzy, a morning DJ who likes to quote Norman Mailer and Anne Sexton.

The film opens on a bleak Valentine's Day morning.  On his way to work, Grant is flagged down by a woman. She speaks incoherently.  Once he arrives at the radio station, reports of odd behavior overrun the station. Without revealing anything more, Pontypool takes you on a ride.

Pontypool keeps you guessing and leaves everything to the imagination.  The gore is kept to a minimum and what goes on in your mind is far worse than anything on screen.

Finally, Stephen McHattie gives a great performance as a dying breed, the DJ who plays what he wants to play.  A worthy find on Netflix!