Ramblings on Cinematic Matters
Next in my Zhang Yimou retrospective, I look at Shanghai Triad. Shanghai Triad (1995) marked something of a return to familiar territory for Zhang Yimou. After the near-docudrama of The Story of Qiu Ju and the sweeping family saga of To Live, Zhang once again made a downbeat period drama centered around a woman trapped …
Continue reading “No Honor among Thieves: Shanghai Triad Review”
In the next installment of my Zhang Yimou retrospective, I look at the magnificent To Live. To Live (1994) is a masterpiece. Director Zhang Yimou, screenwriters Lu Wei and Yu Hua, and the rest of the cast and crew have created a movie of great subtlety that packs an enormous emotional punch. Zhang has returned …
In the same month that brought the 80th anniversary of Pearl Harbor, I examine the life and work of a man who helped make that catastrophic event possible. Next in my Studio Ghibli retrospective, I look at The Wind Rises. Jiro Horikoshi was a Japanese aeronautical engineer who went to work for Mitsubishi in the …
Continue reading “A Head in the Clouds: The Wind Rises Review”
I generally do a poor job of keeping up with Oscar nominees, but I did recently catch (because the subject matter interests me) one of this year’s Best Picture nominees, The Trial of the Chicago 7. Here, a few days before the Academy Awards, I add my own small contribution to the related commentary. Dwight …
Continue reading “Amateur Dramatics: The Trial of the Chicago 7 Review”
Continuing with my retrospective on Studio Ghibli films, I turn to Grave of the Fireflies (1988). Released two years after Studio Ghibli’s debut feature Castle in Sky, Grave of the Fireflies is quite the contrast to Hayao Miyazaki’s rollicking science fiction adventure. Written and directed by Ghibli co-founder Isao Takahata, from a novel by Akiyuki …
Continue reading “Innocents in Wartime: Grave of the Fireflies Review”
The Berlin Wall came down 30 years ago this fall. To mark the anniversary, let’s look at a movie that takes us all the way back to the days when the Wall was being built, Bridge of Spies (2015), directed by Steven Spielberg from a screenplay by Matt Charman and Joel and Ethan Coen. In …
Continue reading “Cold War Intrigue in Berlin: Bridge of Spies Review”
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