Aguirre: Wrath of God

Werner Herzog's, Aguirre: Wrath Of God  on the surface  is  a statement on the ineffable horrors  found in the ubiquitously terrifying South American jungle. The film and raft so prominently displayed is driven by Aguirre a man hounded by the goal of finding the lost city of El Dorado and finally conquering South America in its entirety. He does so at the behest of his own maddening delusion, even while protest from his dwindling crew ring in his ears. The jungle around him is assailing and suffocating, the danger of native tribes always on the mind and on tips of poisoned darts;  in this world, Aguirre will stop at nothing to succeed.

End Of Summer

Changing societies and cultures is at the forefront of one Ozu's last film, End of Summer. The film follows a fading and monetary deficient sake brewery and the family that is desperately trying to save it. Whilst this is happening, love and marital interests blossom for the three daughters of the carefree owner and father Manbei. However the film takes a tragic and ultimately fatal turn when the later suffers from recurring heart attacks.

Ali:Fear Eats The Soul

Lush and quietly devestating, Ali:Fear Eats The Soul is a scathing and pessimistic look at 70s German society and the inherent racism that lies within it.  The story follows Emmi (Brigitte Mira) who falls in love with an Arab foreign worker 20 years her junior, Ali (El Hedi ben Salem).   He is plenty in muscles but not in words, they intend to forge a new life together, however their passion cools with their own tepid insecurity and  hostile racism  from family, friends, and co-workers.  The film acts more as a play, with acts bookended with a series of tableauxs. However the cinematography and colours like the film it was inspired by (All That Heaven Allow's) manages to stir audiences.

Local Hero

Charming and optimistic, Local Hero manages to ilicit the feeling of a modern fairytale within traditional Hollywood storytelling. However, what is unique, is that it never manages to fall in the same pitfalls and conventional plot threads so persistent in this sort of film. Rather it brings forth an engaging, thorough provoking, charming, and  intriguing piece of Cinema, to warm the cuckolds of our heart.

Rome, Open City

“Rome, Open City”,  was truly a watershed film that would be a harbinger to independent and foreign cinema. Its use of true location filming, non professional actors, and on the fly non-studio shooting would be a hallmark for future films to follow. However all of the techniques that where utilized throughout the production of this piece of Cinema,  the core message which came down to religious faith remains almost equally as fascinating. The film tackles the lack of faith in Rome during the influx of Fascism and thus leading to a crisis of religious emptiness during the time of occupation.  This lack of faith is represented throughout the mise en scene, characters,  scenes, and the directors allegorical intent to give hope for the future. Lastly how Rossellini hints towards another occupation by Capitalist forces in the Allied invasion and how a religious society may shift towards a consumerist/capitalist one and this may not be a positive change.

All That Heaven Allows

All That Heaven Allows, the satirical and touching hallmark film of Douglas Sirk still manages to illicit emotional responses after 50 years of Cinema History.  A simple story of an older widow falling in love with a younger tree enthusiast, despite the backlash and hostility from upper class society.  The film utilizes its technicolour boundaries to its fullest degrees allowing for it to carry the thematic, and character burden that is ever present throughout the entire film. Albeit, this isn't the only noteworthy achievement of the film, but rather the directing, and costume/colour palette is  all worthy of discussion.

Kes

Kes, the 1969 British working class drama, is still timeless to this day, with its phenomenal use of lighting and directing which is elevated by the acting. The film follows Billy a 15 year old boy stuck in a perpetual cycle of abuse, neglect, and stagnation. These elements hound from him every facet of his life, from his abusive older brother Jed, his lackadaisical mother, and tormenting school teachers. His fate seems to be resigned to working in the coal mines near his house, until a fateful hawk enters his life.

Yellow Earth

Yellow Earth, the 1984 period piece foray into the struggling inception and indoctrination of Chinese Communism is deftly and critiquely handled by director Kaige Chen and cinematographer Yimou Zhang. The film placed in 1930s China follows Gu, a young impressionable Communist soldier as he tries to gather folk songs from a meager and desolate rural village, to boost Chinese nationalist moral in a time of war. However, when he arrives, he is greeted with desolation and extreme poverty, as he slowly but surely falls in love with Cuciqao the daughter of his host, who carries the mightiest singing voice in the village.