Portraits of Women in Film Noir
“Film noir is all about questioning assumptions, and several of such films that feature portraits of women do nothing less.”
Review: Lynne Ramsay’s ‘You Were Never Really Here’
“Ramsay and Phoenix eloquently communicate the trappings of depression, and how it grips the sufferer.”
Parody of Power: Benny and Josh Safdie’s ‘Good Time’
“By exposing the falsehood of one’s presumption of power, the Safdies awaken viewers to the inescapable consequences of their actions and weaknesses, along with the vulnerability of their own fate.”
Living in the Model: The Comforts and Constrictions of Civilized Society in Tim Burton’s ‘Beetlejuice’
“Indeed, in a film that so gleefully satirizes and undermines any attempts to impose order on existence, Betelgeuse can be regarded as a subversive savior for the families of Ronald Reagan’s America as much as a harbinger of destruction.”
Every Fruit Has Its Secret: Ken Russell’s ‘Women in Love’
“‘Women in Love’ maintains, despite the passage of nearly 50 years, a thoroughly modern aura.”
Small Tokens of Faith in John Ford’s ‘The Fugitive’ and Martin Scorsese’s ‘Silence’
“In between Ford’s wide shots and Scorsese’s close-ups, there is an effort by each filmmaker to make faith real.”
Random Dating: ‘Where the Boys Are’ and the Evolution of Sex in Teenage Cinema
“Merritt establishes herself as more than simply the main character in a bubbly teen film. She presents a progressive face and viewpoint at a time when society was still struggling to evolve.”
Killing the Samurai: ‘Kuroneko’ and the Myths of Imperialism
“Kuroneko’s otherworldly visuals evoke a reality shaped by great and sinister powers, and a world where fate will always scupper the impudent plans of hubristic men.”
‘A Wrinkle in Time’ Missed the Stars but Aimed High
“‘A Wrinkle in Time’ is for kids, and I mean ‘made for kids’ in the supportive definition rather than the usual lazy and disparaging connotation that’s carelessly applied to more lukewarm family films.”
The Comfort of Shared Pain: Ingmar Bergman’s ‘Scenes from a Marriage’
“Bergman doesn’t need tricks because the simplicity of what he’s presenting will cut you to the core if you open yourself up and let it in.”
Music for a Brutal, Contemporary Planet: A Selective Alice Cooper Retrospective
Mike Thorn on Alice Cooper’s ‘From the Inside, ‘Special Forces’ and ‘Brutal Planet’
Film Theory Vérité: Introduction – On Lewis Hyde’s ‘The Gift’
“Even when it sparks anger, fear, silence or screams, the response is a gift, and what we do with that gift is integral to the future of criticism and filmmaking in general.”
Five Films to See at Rendez-Vous with French Cinema 2018
Marshall Shaffer’s Selections for Rendez-Vous with French Cinema (March 8-18, 2018)
Days of Future Past: History and ‘Blade Runner 2049’
“As ‘Blade Runner 2049’ suggests, perhaps the way forward into a future of possibility is through a deeper investigation of the past’s secrets.”
Faith and Survival: Celebrating Christopher Nolan’s ‘Dunkirk’
“I contend that not only has Nolan grown as an auteur, but that he has perfectly captured a universal truth to which all may relate and celebrate.”
Vague Visages Is FilmStruck: Marshall Shaffer on FilmStruck’s ‘Black in America’ Collection
The Conclusion of Marshall Shaffer’s #FilmStruckFebruary
On Growing Up, First Love and Learning in ‘An Education’ and ‘Call Me by Your Name’
A Comparative Essay by Ellie Steiner
Vague Visages Is FilmStruck: Marshall Shaffer on Ingmar Bergman’s ‘Silence of God’ Trilogy
“I’m convinced that understanding the progression is a crucial bridge in any attempt to understand how the two distinct portions of Bergman’s filmography interact.”
Vague Visages Is FilmStruck: David Pountain on Howard Hawks’ ‘Bringing Up Baby’
“‘Bringing Up Baby’ delves joyfully beyond the stiff pretences of modern life to reveal the wild and lustful animal that still lies beneath the surface.”
Vague Visages Is FilmStruck: Marshall Shaffer on Paul Robeson
“As both a man and an artist, Paul Robeson deserves more recognition in 2018 and beyond.”