Having watched Vertigo yesterday, I just felt like recommending some vintage movies because there's a lot of good shit out there
The Big Sleep - One of the classics of film noir-- like, this and Double Indemnity are the top of the "noir of all time" lists. Out of the two, this is easier to get into, and funner to watch. The film is famously not too concerned about figuring out the plot, and much more interested in the chemistry between Bogart and Bacall and simmering in one-liner after one-liner. It's a solid noir and a good time.
Rebecca - I don't think I really need to say anything about this one, its reputation fully precedes it. I will say, black and white sets a mood in a way color is hard pressed to match, and this film really takes advantage of that.
Some Like It Hot - comedies are touchy about aging, but this one absolutely still holds up. The first time I watched it with my sister it made her laugh so loudly she almost got us found out for watching tv after hours. Also the first thing I ever saw Marilyn Monroe in-- I'd never gotten the attraction before, but 20 seconds of screen-time and I was magnetized.
Gaslight - Without giving too much away, basically a new bride is slowly tricked by her husband into believing she's going mad. I don't need to talk about Bergman's acting skills, but seeing her go from happy and naive newlywed to neurotic wreck makes her ultimate role in the finale just feel fucking TRIUMPHANT. Also watch for Angela Lansbury as a BABY in what I believe was her screen debut.
The Innocents - an adaptation of The Turn of the Screw. I already mentioned the artistic effects possible with black and white-- I'm not sure I've ever seen them put to better use than in this film. From lush, dreamily shot scenes of luminescent white flowers and floaty dresses, to candle flames reflecting against wet black window panes, every shot is Art, and the full-on gothic imagery as the plot speeds along is gorgeous. The kid's performances are genuinely unsettling, and Debra Kerr's usually rational presence makes it all seem more plausible. Basically nearly everything that worked in Haunting of Bly Manor was lifted directly from The Innocents.
In a Lonely Place - another noir, this one of the not-even-flirting-with-a-happy-end variety. It's one of those movies where the chemistry between the leads makes or breaks it, and in this case, it's definitely the former. Watching these two sitting together at the bar, or making eyes across the kitchen, you KNOW they're in love, you want them to be happy together, and you still feel that way even as things escalate and you're yelling at Gloria Grahame to dump him and clear out of town as fast as possible.
Roman Holiday - simply put, a really lovely movie. Audrey Hepburn really is very likeable and fresh in this and the romance is sweet-- and then bittersweet. The setting of 1950s Rome is great for visuals and atmosphere, as well as opportunities for plot; if I was a depressed and overworked young princess, I too would want to play hooky in this dreamy city.
His Girl Friday - my mother dislikes this movie intensely because all of the characters are awful people. She's right, but that doesn't stop them being funny. Another comedy that still works-- the dialogue in this film is so sharp and the comedic timing is relentless. The plot revolves around a newspaper reporter, Hildy, her ex-husband (also a reporter), and her new fiancee; the ex and the fiancee jocky for position while the newshounds attempt to get the scoop on an important story, and the plot unwinds at breakneck speed, throwing out wisecracks like sparks as it goes.
45 notes
·
View notes
‘I was born when she kissed me. I died when she left me. I lived a few weeks while she loved me.’ IN A LONELY PLACE (1950, dir. Nicholas Ray)
56 notes
·
View notes