EugeniaH
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Posts posted by EugeniaH
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I hadn't heard of this movie and looked it up on IMDB. It looks interesting; the kind of movie I might watch, even if it is as recent as 1999.
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Ambiguity may further a director's or scriptwriter's point rather than using a straightforward approach. For example, if the author wanted to make a certain statement, instead of strongly forcing it on the viewers, he/she can make the film in such a way to draw the viewer in to ask questions. I'm thinking of the movie *12 Angry Men*. Nearly the entire film is set in only one room with twelve characters, but it's a fascinating look at one simple question: did an accused man commit murder? There are strong opinions, but no one knows for sure and there are a lot of questions raised on many levels. Each juror brings his own perspective into the mix, objective and subjective, leading the viewer to ask even more questions.
And the ending is ambiguous because even though the jurors have come to an agreement, we don't really know if the person is truly guilty.
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I'm glad that people are also bringing up more modern movies and shows, because the one film that keeps coming to my mind is *The Blair Witch Project*. The whole movie is suspenseful from the beginning. You have a group of kids in the woods (which can be a "scary" environment at times), with no one (including the principles) knowing what they are going to uncover - they are pretty much vulnerable. At the end -
*SPOILERS*
they run in a house, there is a scream, there is a figure standing there, the camera drops, the movie ends. No explanation.
That movie literally gave me nightmares. Brilliant!
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(EDIT: The link is wonky - you need to look on the left hand side for the title, "Should a Director Explain His Film"?, and click on that.)
Okey doke - here it is.
Edited by: EugeniaH on Oct 12, 2012 7:15 PM
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Interesting answers, everyone.
As said, I got this idea from another classic movie board. The original question that this poster put out was, "Do you feel a director or script writer should offer the movie fan an explanation of their film"? Is it better or more fun to exercise your mind with an ambiguous film? Another possible interesting topic for discussion.
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*The Birds* is another example of ambiguity in a great film. We are so strongly drawn into this mass attack, but why are they there? No explanation. And the film doesn't end neatly with the birds being destroyed (or whatever issue resolved).
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I came across this topic on another classic movie board. There are some films that are straightforward, with a clear beginning, middle and end, and others that are ambiguous, that leave you with more questions than answers. (And when I talk about "ambiguous", I'm still referring to well-made movies, not implausible ones with huge plot holes.)
Which do you prefer, and what examples come to mind for you?
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Hi Burton,
For me, there are some good actors and movies in modern Hollywood but like you, my main interest is classic films. Hope you enjoy it here with the rest of us Old Hollywood fiends!
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*He has nothing on Karl M.*
Mr. Jimmy Durante is also no slouch
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Hey, this thread is getting better and better!
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Not being a football fan, I read this title and thought you were referring to our wonderful poster "mongo". It was an awful few seconds before I realized this was someone else.
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Thanks, fellow dog lover! Well, truthfully, I'm not a fan of Taylor as an actor but he's in the Stanwyck thread because he's one of her husbands.
Here's a picture of Stanwyck and John Wayne for you, from *Baby Face* (this isn't at all to derail your thread - look forward to your next installment):
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Nice photo, Jake. Is that you in the (first) picture?
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Awesome song, cl. I like the original Katrina and the Waves version. Was a good rockout tune for me in 1985.
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Agreed - dance music in general (70s, 80s, 90s) is perfect for any kind of aerobic movement. Songs that I wouldn't listen to just 'casually' (especially disco) are perfect to hear when I'm working out.
1970s (I still like this song you introduced me to, finance):
1980s:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eomxwZcrvlY
1990s:
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Maybe this wouldn't be considered "best", but certainly one of my favorites - Ruth Gordon in *Harold and Maude*. Abolutely delightful!
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Sorry to say I haven't seen these films, but last night I saw *Virtue* for the first time (I bought the Columbia Pre-Code DVD Collection). Though I primarily love Lombard's later films, this wasn't such a bad movie. Interesting pre-code stuff - the scene where Jack LaRue viciously cuts Shirley Grey's leg to get at some money she has under her stocking, to where blood is running down her leg, and the scene where Lombard slaps Grey repeatedly (though I have to say it looked to me like Lombard was trying not to hit too hard, to her credit.
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*so I can strategically avoid hearing and seeing Drew*
I hadn't admitted this before, but Drew does kind of annoy me (her voice,etc.)... In the end the movies are what's important to me about this channel and I don't focus a lot on the hosts themselves, but it's nice to see more 'sophisticated' people like RO hosting.
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Mine's a toss up between the 1930s and the 1940s. I like movies in other decades, but the bulk of my favorites fall in these two groups.
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I agree with much of your post, princessananka. I felt that Perkins was a bit of a misfit. I don't think that she portrayed the complexity that the real Anne Frank probably had (based on her journal).
Still, I'm sure it was not easy to cast the right young actress in this role...
I've also read that Anne took great pride in her long hair.
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I might be in the minority here, but I didn't like 1959 movie (I haven't seen the Melissa Gilbert version). I'm biased in that Anne Frank's diary was one of the most influential books in my life, and the movie version did not seem as powerful in comparison.
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*178*
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This is just a general FYI, and I'm guessing that the TCM web team is already aware of it, but lately, when I'm curious to see which users are online and go to take a look, I get the error message, "Zombies Ate This Page" (Page Not Found)...
I know there have been a lot of technical issues with the boards lately and I appreciate the effort being made to fix things.
Off Topic: Favorite Music?
in Your Favorites
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Wow, color me impressed that a marching band can play something like "Thriller" and make it work!