Who Was That Masked Man: ‘The Mandalorian’ and Westerns
“A lot can be said about the aesthetics of ‘The Mandalorian’ as they relate to Westerns, but even more so can be said of the thematic elements that comprise the new series.”
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The Western Enters the 70s – Part 3: Expansion Pains
“The cowboy is an emissary of civilisation, enduring all the hardships the elements can throw at him to create a space in which civilised values can flourish unhindered. The symbolism of the cowboy is so potent that it continues to be invoked for political gain.”
The Western Enters the 70s – Part 2: Kicking Down the Doors
“With the Acid Western, the genre had once again proven itself capable of assimilating new grievances and anxieties.”
The Western Enters the 70s – Part 1: Sam Peckinpah’s Lonely Cowboy
“With his concern for the outsider, and his reorienting of the West’s perception in the American mind, Peckinpah helped to birth the Acid Western.”
A Lonely Breed: Sam Peckinpah’s Modern West(ern)
“Whenever they exist, wherever they roam, with this continuation of personality and principle, it is often as if Peckinpah’s characters were simply picked up from the past and dropped into another time, a time where the Western — and western — spirit remains.”
In an Excellent Debut, Writer-Director Nia DaCosta Explores ‘Little Woods’
“Sexism and toxic masculinity are not unusual in this genre, but DaCosta’s emphasis on sisterhood and the presentation of a female point of view turn ‘Little Woods’ into a fresh, must-see cinematic experience.”
Vague Visages Is FilmStruck: Jeremy Carr on Alejandro Jodorowsky’s ‘El Topo’
“El Topo’s twisted connotations maintain an enduring, mind-bending eminence, and its aesthetic allure persists because of the unrestrained possibility inherent in all that Jodorowsky does.”
Diary of a Vagabond: João Dumans and Affonso Uchoa’s ‘Araby’
“Uchoa and Dumans’ distanced, matter-of-fact portrayal of their vagabond renders ‘Araby’ an elusive and open film. It’s particulars aren’t always announced, because — as with Bresson — the text ask viewers to meet it where it stands.”
Vague Visages Is FilmStruck: Jeremy Carr on John Ford’s ‘The Searchers’
“Trailing World War II’s devastation and the associative confirmation of just what mankind can propagate, so much of the film’s constitution derives from a reflective glimpse at the challenging state of the American soul…”
Review: Scott Cooper’s ‘Hostiles’
“For all its attempts at dissecting human cruelty, there’s no human core to this story, which makes its 135-minute runtime feel twice as long.”