As a teenager, I did not think film was a serious medium. I went to see The Matrix and The Lord of the Rings. They were great. But this did not seem to add up to the claims made for film as art. Most of what I saw was fun, of a sort, but also mediocre. I thought
I'm delighed to see that you did discover film, and there are some brilliant titles on your list. May I suggest adding some of the Powell & Pressburger masterpieces to the mix? A Canterbury Tale, Black Narcissus, I Know Where I'm Going, and A Matter of Life and Death are my favourites (although I will be criticised, I'm sure, for omitting The Red Shoes). And some more of the Ealing comedies, too? (The Ladykillers is as dark as Brighton Rock when viewed in the right light.)
Seconded. I love Archers dearly. If you haven't seen it, check out The 49th Parallel - not as essential as your list but still excellent. And I certainly wouldn't omit The Red Shoes!
Funny, I just started showing Rear Window to my kids the other day! I’m a teacher and have run film clubs at school over the years to try and open up the wider range of cinema beyond Marvel and Pixar. My favourites to show is Night of the Hunter with Robert Mitchum and The Innocents based on Turn of the Screw. Bit worried that cinema is in decline due to streaming, gaming and general onlineness.
Oct 2, 2023·edited Oct 2, 2023Liked by Henry Oliver
The twentieth century was when film became an art form. My favourite actress is Bette Davis although there are many, many others, and strangely enough my husband's is Jimmy Stewart. Cary Grant was superb. Both of them made fantastic films with Hitchcock and others.
Rear Window is indeed a masterpiece. I mentioned it in an article on Hitchcock that I wrote earlier this year. There is just so much to discover. I am so glad that many of these classic movies have been preserved for future generations.
I know it's a shameful admission in some circles — perhaps even in yours — but I think Rear Wndow is a better film that Vertigo. It's the kind of film you can watch time and again and always find it fresh.
Totally agree - and I don't think there's such a thing as a guilty pleasure; certainly not when talking about Hitchcock movies!
Rear Window has many of the elements I enjoy in a movie, and as with "Rope", he sets himself some restrictions which give the film an added dimension. I too have watched it many times and it's a jewel.
I like Vertigo too. It's even darker than Rear Window. Even though RW contains a murder mystery, it's embellished with jokes, glamour, wonderful performances (Stewart, Ritter, Kelly). Near perfect, I think. With Vertigo you are watching a man disintegrate. RW ends on a joke at least!
Always enjoy your writing, Henry. And you have prompted the thought: If, indeed, "The movies were to the twentieth century what the novel was to the nineteenth," then what in the 21st century is to what the movies were in the 20th Century??? Cheers, Tony.
Ha, that's a depressing thought! As a published author but also someone who works with youth, I do fear desperately for the future of the (long-form) book. I suspect actually that movies will outlast it in terms of a mass media. Thanks for the prod to so many great movies.
Not *the* art form of C19 or C20, but I was at Peter Grimes last night & the audience was, indeed, mostly 50-plus. Is classical music really not finding a home among current youngs, as the govt philistines seem to believe? House was full, & applause for whole orchestra & chorus as well as soloists was very, very emphatic. Down with the Arts Council, everyone was visibly saying internally.
Rear window.... although I was already hooked on cinema, I went to see a release of that great movie at the cinema in 1981 or 82.......it only reinforced my addiction and I’ve never recovered.
An excellent article! Cinema was the first art I discovered, mostly by checking out loads of movies from the library.
It's good to see Rear Window and Powell & Pressburger getting so much love.
Recently, I've enjoyed The Ghost and Mrs. Muir, Terje Vigen, and Our Man in Havana a lot.
Iranian cinema is full of under-appreciated gems - I recommend the films of Abbas Kiarostami, with Close Up, Certified Copy, and Where is the Friend's House being perhaps the best entry-points.
It's probably not your kind of movie, but I wrote a sonnet about the art-house horror film Pearl when I watched it earlier this year that some Common Readers might like: https://letterboxd.com/bcopan/film/pearl-2022/1/
Late Spring is one of my all-time favorite films and would highly recommend it. I think of Ozu/Kogo Noda/Setsuko Hara et al as almost the Jane Austen of cinema.
I'm delighed to see that you did discover film, and there are some brilliant titles on your list. May I suggest adding some of the Powell & Pressburger masterpieces to the mix? A Canterbury Tale, Black Narcissus, I Know Where I'm Going, and A Matter of Life and Death are my favourites (although I will be criticised, I'm sure, for omitting The Red Shoes). And some more of the Ealing comedies, too? (The Ladykillers is as dark as Brighton Rock when viewed in the right light.)
Thank you, shall add them. Yes I like the ladykillers. Anything with AG.
“Anything with AG.” On the remote chance you’ve missed them, read his various autobiographies.
Seconded. I love Archers dearly. If you haven't seen it, check out The 49th Parallel - not as essential as your list but still excellent. And I certainly wouldn't omit The Red Shoes!
Seconded.
Funny, I just started showing Rear Window to my kids the other day! I’m a teacher and have run film clubs at school over the years to try and open up the wider range of cinema beyond Marvel and Pixar. My favourites to show is Night of the Hunter with Robert Mitchum and The Innocents based on Turn of the Screw. Bit worried that cinema is in decline due to streaming, gaming and general onlineness.
The twentieth century was when film became an art form. My favourite actress is Bette Davis although there are many, many others, and strangely enough my husband's is Jimmy Stewart. Cary Grant was superb. Both of them made fantastic films with Hitchcock and others.
Rear Window is indeed a masterpiece. I mentioned it in an article on Hitchcock that I wrote earlier this year. There is just so much to discover. I am so glad that many of these classic movies have been preserved for future generations.
I know it's a shameful admission in some circles — perhaps even in yours — but I think Rear Wndow is a better film that Vertigo. It's the kind of film you can watch time and again and always find it fresh.
Agreed
Totally agree - and I don't think there's such a thing as a guilty pleasure; certainly not when talking about Hitchcock movies!
Rear Window has many of the elements I enjoy in a movie, and as with "Rope", he sets himself some restrictions which give the film an added dimension. I too have watched it many times and it's a jewel.
I like Vertigo too. It's even darker than Rear Window. Even though RW contains a murder mystery, it's embellished with jokes, glamour, wonderful performances (Stewart, Ritter, Kelly). Near perfect, I think. With Vertigo you are watching a man disintegrate. RW ends on a joke at least!
Thelma Ritter adorns every film she's in!
She did. Remember her in All About Eve? Another masterpiece.
And you still have the silent movies to watch. I don’t mean the short comedies. I mean feature length. Buster Keaton in The General. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_General_(1926_film) Metropolis (the 2010 restoration) Nosferatu https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nosferatu City Lights There are tons more & repay finding a silent film society which can point you to the right versions and proper venues (film projection speed is important). Napoleon https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Napoléon_(1927_film)
Always enjoy your writing, Henry. And you have prompted the thought: If, indeed, "The movies were to the twentieth century what the novel was to the nineteenth," then what in the 21st century is to what the movies were in the 20th Century??? Cheers, Tony.
Good question… maybe we don’t know yet? AI seems like a possible answer
Ha, that's a depressing thought! As a published author but also someone who works with youth, I do fear desperately for the future of the (long-form) book. I suspect actually that movies will outlast it in terms of a mass media. Thanks for the prod to so many great movies.
Long form has done fine with the internet and TV so I figure it will continue to thrive?
Not *the* art form of C19 or C20, but I was at Peter Grimes last night & the audience was, indeed, mostly 50-plus. Is classical music really not finding a home among current youngs, as the govt philistines seem to believe? House was full, & applause for whole orchestra & chorus as well as soloists was very, very emphatic. Down with the Arts Council, everyone was visibly saying internally.
If you haven’t seen ‘cinema Paradiso’ and the three colours series, I recommend them
amen. White and #10 of the Decalogue with Stuhr and Zamachowski are so good.
Shall add them to my list, thanks!
Saw it last year—lovely film
This is lovely, Henry. Really interesting thought about being part of a community watching something being formed.
Thank you. If only I’d realised at the time!
BFI Southbank is about to have a Powell & Pressburger retrospective, by the way - you can't go wrong! https://whatson.bfi.org.uk/Online/default.asp?BOparam::WScontent::loadArticle::permalink=powellandpressburger
Unfortunately, I'm on the wrong continent for it but I preordered the book that goes with it months ago and should be getting it any day now (or more precisely I should have gotten it 2 days ago...): https://shop.bfi.org.uk/pre-order-the-cinema-of-powell-and-pressburger-hardback.html
I saw this and thought of you! Hoping to see a couple! Thanks for the link
Rear window.... although I was already hooked on cinema, I went to see a release of that great movie at the cinema in 1981 or 82.......it only reinforced my addiction and I’ve never recovered.
And the book to read on Silent Films is The Parades Gone By https://silentfilmquarterly.wordpress.com/2018/05/27/paradesgoneby/
An excellent article! Cinema was the first art I discovered, mostly by checking out loads of movies from the library.
It's good to see Rear Window and Powell & Pressburger getting so much love.
Recently, I've enjoyed The Ghost and Mrs. Muir, Terje Vigen, and Our Man in Havana a lot.
Iranian cinema is full of under-appreciated gems - I recommend the films of Abbas Kiarostami, with Close Up, Certified Copy, and Where is the Friend's House being perhaps the best entry-points.
It's probably not your kind of movie, but I wrote a sonnet about the art-house horror film Pearl when I watched it earlier this year that some Common Readers might like: https://letterboxd.com/bcopan/film/pearl-2022/1/
Thanks! I shall add those to my list, though I cannot watch horror. Too weak.
Have you ever gotten into the films of Yasujiro Ozu?
LOVE Tokyo Story, hooping to see more soon
Late Spring is one of my all-time favorite films and would highly recommend it. I think of Ozu/Kogo Noda/Setsuko Hara et al as almost the Jane Austen of cinema.