First up was M, the 1931 German thriller directed by Fritz Lang (best known for his sci-fi masterpiece Metropolis). I saw part of M many years ago, and for whatever reason, never got around to finishing the movie. This time around, I did it all in one shot. I must confess that I was a bit underwhelmed with M. While I can give credit for creative camera-work, lighting, scene set-up, and choice of actors, I found the whole thing too slow; too many long dull scenes that didn't seem to advance the story nearly forced me to quit early. M is creepy and tense here and there along the way, aided by the unsettling silence and especially Peter Lorre's performance. But what could have been a decent police procedural fell apart as things proceeded too haphazardly. Not quite the classic I expected.
I learned of the 1967 Taiwan wuxia film Dragon Inn as I pored over the Criterion Collection website months ago. It sounded so intriguing that I tracked down a decent-looking version - without subtitles, mind you - on Youtube. I loved the movie, even without any translation for the Mandarin dialogue. The story and action-packed visuals were that strong! More recently, the Criterion company released Dragon Inn on home video, so I snapped that up and re-watched it, again enthralled with the visuals but this time understanding far more through the English subtitles. Director King Hu blended elements from American westerns and traditional Chinese martial arts and opera. Hu's technical skills and creative abilities were key to the success of Dragon Inn, which was a turning point for Chinese cinema. Lots of fun with clever and humorous bits alongside the breathtaking action scenes. I really enjoyed all of the actors' performances... and I think this is one of my favourite martial arts movies now.
Smiles of a Summer Night, on the other hand, is a 1955 comedy out of Sweden. Directed by the master Ingmar Bergman, Smiles is a light and clever story of love and complicated relationships. Despite its age and country of origin, the film holds up amazingly well for this modern Canadian viewer. I laughed often at the characters, the dialogue, and the scenarios. Bergman obviously had the gift, for regardless of genre, he deftly and confidently created films that "captured and illuminated the mystery, ecstasy and fullness of life" (Mick LaSalle, American film critic). And Smiles of a Summer Night is a cheerful celebration of life, even - no, especially - in its focus on dysfunctional relationships.
Another wonderful discovery by director Bergman was Fanny and Alexander. The first chunk of this 1982 historical period drama was captivating, whimsical and fascinating, almost fantasy-like; then the story veered into a bleak world that while almost painful to watch, was engrossing. Set during the early 1900's in Uppsala, Sweden, the movie is semi-autobiographical, depicting something of Bergman's life. I watched the 320-minute cut of the film (one of the longest in the history of cinema); a trimmed-down version was released theatrically. My Criterion Collection blu-ray contains both variants, and I chose to see the longer of the two. Again, Bergman is the master of all things cinematic... the camera as an eyepiece to this semi-fictional world of fascinating characters, locations, and relationships. The script, the music, acting, the artistry behind the camera. No wonder Fanny and Alexander is so highly regarded. I'm a fan.
Thelma is a 2017 supernatural thriller from Norway. The synopsis I read led me to believe this would be a good choice. Thelma started off decently, and I thought it might be promising, but the last act or so left me struggling with its underdeveloped horror. I guess the intent was to focus on the love story and the mystery. All was handled well enough, with a disquieting and even sad tone and an atmosphere that held promise, but I feel it erred on the side of restraint rather than excess. Probably the better choice, though it left me wanting something more. The idea of the young woman discovering her telekinetic abilities reminded me of some of Stephen King's stories, like Carrie, The Dead Zone, and Firestarter, and I thought something more dramatic could have come about here. Still, not a bad flick.
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