Vague Visages Is FilmStruck: Jeremy Carr on Sergei Eisenstein’s ‘Strike’
“As it’s applied to ‘Strike,’ Eisenstein’s methodology is generally simplified, with an occasional leaning toward crude hyperbole.”
Vague Visages Is FilmStruck: Kate Saccone on Charles Walters’ ‘Summer Stock’
“I’ve always had a soft spot for ‘Summer Stock’ — it may not be the most innovative or exciting of Kelly’s films, but it’s an unpretentious movie that delights in the pure pleasure of musical entertainment, from the outright silly to the romantically sincere.”
Vague Visages Is FilmStruck: Marianna Aloisio-Seale on Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger’s ‘Black Narcissus’
“No matter the fantasy and clash of culture that swirls around ‘Black Narcissus,’ it is probably best that The Archers did not revisit Orientalist ideas, and that they stuck to what they knew best — the human interest and depths of United Kingdom and European issues.”
Vague Visages Is FilmStruck: Sara Clements on Agnès Varda’s ‘Cléo from 5 to 7’
“The first word that comes to mind when describing ‘Cléo from 5 to 7’ is escapism. Not only is it an escape for the audience, with Agnès Varda’s documentary style taking viewers on a tour of one of Paris’ many districts, but it explores the title character’s need to break free.”
Vague Visages Is FilmStruck: Ciara Pitts on John Sayles’ ‘Lianna’
“Sayles’ wonderful gem might not receive the attention it deserves — even in the realm of LGBTQ cinema — but it contains a message that undoubtedly resonates today: no one needs to apologize for who they love.”
Vague Visages Is FilmStruck: Stefen Styrsky on Takeshi Kitano’s ‘Boiling Point’
“Kitano possesses an eye for color and mise-en-scène. Passages often become works of visual art in themselves.”
Vague Visages Is FilmStruck: Ciara Pitts on Donna Deitch’s ‘Desert Hearts’
“Deitch’s trailblazing film demonstrates that representation will always be essential.”
Vague Visages Is FilmStruck: Stefen Styrsky on Elia Kazan’s ‘Splendor in the Grass’
“The movie isn’t just about the way it was, the prudish hypocrisy of an earlier time, or outdated sexual mores. For all its provincialism, ‘Splendor in the Grass’ is a story for the ages.”
Vague Visages Is FilmStruck: David Pountain on Takeshi Kitano’s ‘Sonatine’
“From its hypnotic style to its pessimistic plot and languid pacing, ‘Sonatine’ is a mesmerizing manifestation of the troubling logic of Murakawa’s final decision.”
Vague Visages Is FilmStruck: Ciara Pitts on Abdellatif Kechiche’s ‘Blue Is the Warmest Color’
“‘Blue Is the Warmest Color’ might be most well-known for its lengthy sex scenes, but the gripping romance, elaborate imagery and realistic demonstration of the human experience are what truly keeps the film’s legacy alive.”
Vague Visages Is FilmStruck: Stefen Styrsky on John Huston’s ‘Reflections in a Golden Eye’
“Lending the story a rarefied patina is the cinematography.”
Vague Visages Is FilmStruck: Marshall Shaffer on FilmStruck’s ‘Black in America’ Collection
The Conclusion of Marshall Shaffer’s #FilmStruckFebruary
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.”
Vague Visages Is FilmStruck: Marshall Shaffer on Agnès Varda’s ‘Mur murs’
“New York might have the physical structure where one can project themselves onto a city, but Los Angeles’ mutability allows people to graft their life into its cultural fabric.”
Vague Visages Is FilmStruck: Marshall Shaffer’s #FilmStruckFebruary – The Beginning
Marshall Shaffer’s 2nd annual #FilmStruckFebruary begins!
Vague Visages Is FilmStruck: Natalia Winkelman on Věra Chytilová’s ‘Daisies’
“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.”
Vague Visages Is FilmStruck: Jeremy Carr on Costa-Gavras’ ‘Z’
“‘Z’ is thoughtful, provocative, impassioned entertainment, stylish and teeming with conviction.”
Vague Visages Is FilmStruck: Jeremy Carr on Erich von Stroheim’s ‘Greed’
“‘Greed’ is like the gold within the soil, a gem that must be mined from its sullied context.”