“The Maries, and ‘Daisies’ itself, are quintessential fruits of the Czech New Wave, deconstructing social hierarchies while embodying the free-flowing, iconoclastic ethos that roused and buoyed 1960s Czechoslovak cinema.”
“‘Z’ is thoughtful, provocative, impassioned entertainment, stylish and teeming with conviction.”
“‘Greed’ is like the gold within the soil, a gem that must be mined from its sullied context.”
“As the artist who painstakingly moved her hand-cut figures frame-by-frame, Reiniger’s presence is impossible to ignore while watching her films.”
“Communication — or the lack thereof — is key to ‘Black Moon.’”
“It is, quite simply, one of the most engaging and most charming movies ever made.”
“In both ‘T-Men’ and ‘Raw Deal,’ Alton and Mann take what is already a heightened genre and somehow intensify its formal qualities.”
“The moments of realization transcend the typical viewing experience.”
“Fellini’s films often flourished with acute ruminations on life and society, but rarely would his work achieve this degree of pure emotion.”
“Answers don’t come easy, but they do come if you’re looking for them.”
“The film goes beyond strict and narrow generic classification and touches upon something universal, something profound about undying affection and the unreliability of reality.”
“Maybe the best way to counter ridiculousness is with ridiculousness.”
“He may be suggesting that emotional and social anxiety is widespread and prevalent, but the key distinction is that not everyone can translate these uncertainties into comedy gold.”
“‘L’Atalante’ is a movie defined by it moments, images and emotive strength, not its ostensible plot.”
Marshall Shaffer Reflects on a Full Month of FilmStruck
“If Ozu has taught us anything, it’s that life doesn’t get any easier. But life does go on.”