HONEST FILM REVIEWS
DRAMA FILMS
THE BETRAYAL (JAPAN 1966) Directed by Tokuzo Tanaka
From Radiance Films, comes this gorgeous restored classic of Japanese chanbara cinema – The Betrayal – the story of a naïve and honourable young samurai who soon learns that his moral principles set him aside from those around him, while his peers mock and abuse him dishonourably, which eventually sees him forced into taking the blame for a murder he did not commit in the name of love. Soon, samurai Takuma learns how ugly the real world is and must fight for his life and honour as everyone around him closes-in...
Produced by the now defunct and popular Daiei Film Studio and a remake of a Japanese silent film from the 1920s, The Betrayal was made in 1966 and sees the late-great Raizo Ichikawa deliver yet another show-stopping role as the young samurai known as Kamuse Takuma. The star of the fantastic Shinobi-no-mono film series – which has also been released on Blu-ray by Radiance Films - Raizo Ichikawa was one of the biggest stars of his time. Throughout his short-lived career, this Kyoto born actor impressed in many films including The Loyal 47 Ronin (1958), Ambush At Iga Pass (1958), Kazuo Mori's Samurai Vendetta (1959), Satan's Sword (1960) and it's sequels, and hugely popular film series such as Sleepy Eyes Of Death (1963). Of course, I can't forget about his fantastic roles in Kon Ichikawa's 1963 classic An Actor's Revenge and The Sword soon after. Unfortunately, in his mid-thirties, Raizo was diagnosed with rectal cancer which caused his physical strength to fade. Towards the end of his career and life, he would star in two more films for Kazuo Mori with the brilliant spy thrillers, A Certain Killer and A Killer's Key, in 1967 although would go onto appear in at least 7 more features until his passing in 1969. A fighter and professional until the end, this illustrious performer starred in over 150 titles throughout his career as well as countless theatre productions where he first made his name.
Here, as Kamuse Takuma, Ichikawa shines and is engrossing to watch right through to his incredibly poignant final moment. The Betrayal sees him joined by many of his past (and future) co-stars such as the prolific Saburo Date, Takuya Fujioka, Ryutaro Gomi, Sei Hiraizumi, popular actress Kaoru Yachigusa, and the lovely Shiho Fujimura who stars as his wife. Throughout her career, Shiho starred with Raizo many times, including the Shinobi-no-mono series, and had unfortunately passed just one month before I wrote this. Prolific director Tokuzo Tanaka, who worked as an assistant director under Akira Kurosawa on Rashomon (1950), and Kenji Mizoguchi on Ugetsu (1953) and Sansho the Bailiff (1954), delivers what is possibly his most underrated piece and shows that he can deliver as strong a film as his peers if called for. Of course, Tanaka had worked with Raizo on other titles over the years, including Sleepy Eyes Of Death: The Chinese Jade (1983), Shinobi No Mono 4: Seige (1964) and more. It's also worth noting just how beautifully shot this film really is – with it's bold black and white imagery leaping off the screen thanks to this gorgeous new restoration. This is all thanks to Makiura Chikashi, the same man behind the lens for most of the Zatoichi movies; from The Tale of Zatoichi (1962) right through to Zatoichi: The Blind Swordsman (1974-79) TV series. He also captured classics such as Raizo's very own Sleep Eyes of Death: The Chinese Jade (1964) and it's sequels, as well as his Shinobi No Mono 5 (1964), The Snow Woman (1968), Ghost of Kasane Swamp (1970), Lone Wolf & Cub: Sword of Vengeance (1972) and it's many sequels, Hanzo The Razor (1972) and many more.
While simple in it's story, The Betrayal is so wonderfully acted and directed, you can't help but feel that you are getting so much more out of it overall. While it does offer ample samurai action throughout, the film is heavy of drama and runs at a steady pace. Raizo delivers one of his finest ever performances and plays Takuma with class – a broken man whose life has been stolen because of the lies and betrayal's made by false friends. Although he stays on the move, he is soon cornered in a small town where he is attacked by both his own clan and that of the man he is said to have killed. In what is undoubtably one of the greatest, longest and most exhilarting action finales of all time, Takuma stands strong against this small army blades and weapons – one man against many – in a wonderfully executed and incredible 20 minute climatic battle. Kudos must go to the late Raizo for his physical prowess as his fights, ducks and weaves around the town square; at one time physically pulling his cramped fingers open to release the broken sword in his hand. It really was quite gripping to watch and should be remembered as much as any lengthy end fight from countless kung fu classics!
Overall, The Betrayal made for an amazing first time watch and is a filmI look forward to going back to in the near future. Extra features with the Radiance Films Blu-ray release include about 41 minutes of select-scene audio commentary with Japanese cinema expert Tom Mes, who delivers plenty of insightful pieces on the studio, the history of film from this period and it's stars of course. The Path to Betrayal is a 10 minute video essay by Philip Kemp, a critic who compares The Betrayal with the original 1925 film, Orochi the Serpent, which makes for an interesting watch, while Tom Mes offers his own video essay on director Tokuzo Tanaka – The Four Elements of Tokuzo Tanaka – that runs for a similar time frame and is only narrated by text over film clips. While I would love to have had an audio commentary to complete things, the Radiance Films Blu-ray release of The Betrayal is still very much well worth picking up...
Rating: 4.3 / 5 George @invincibleasia​
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THE SONS OF GREAT BEAR (GERMANY 1966) Directed by Josef Mach
Adapted from Liselotte Welskopf-Henrich's book of the same name, The Sons of Great Bear tells the story of Tokei-Ihto, a Native American warrior from the Dakota tribe who witnesses his father's murder at the hands of Jim Fred Clark – a feisty cowboy known by many as Red Fox. Suspecting that there is gold to be found on the Dakota tribe's land, Clark leads a band of men into a small war with the Natives only to find Tokei-Ihto and his brothers are ready for them...
Recently released on Blu-ray and in the UK for the first time ever, courtesy of Eureka Video, The Sons of Great Bear was my first time ever seeing a German-Western. And what a surreal experience it was! Almost every weekend of my childhood (throughout the 80s and early 90s) was spent watching classics Westerns with my grandparents. It was never a genre I was hugely into, but I do remember enjoying the stories of 'cowboys and indians' whether I was engrossed or not. From the exciting shoot-outs to the horse chases, the dusty landscapes to the knee-slapping scores, and the natural beauty of the Native American's home and villages – watching Westerns all those years ago became like something of a comfort blanket to some degree. That said, it has been some time since I last watched a classic Western which gave me the same feeling. Thankfully, The Sons of Great Bear did just that!
Granted, it took a moment to get used to watching this very American-looking set-up in the German language, but it quickly passed. Delivered in a gorgeous 2K restoration, The Sons of Great Bear was one of the first Western-based movies from East German production house DEFA – the same studio behind the fantastic Heart of Stone and collection of sci-fi movies found in the Strange New Worlds; both of which are also available from Eureka. The film is presented only in it's original language with newly revised English subtitles, although there is a decent and informative audio commentary available for your second watch by Western-genre expert Jenny Barrett. For completists and cinephiles who want to learn a little more, author Austin Fisher discusses the film in an extra called World Wide West, while author Lee Broughton offers a great video essay on the depiction of Native American life as seen throughout it. Finally, an archival newsreel gives us a look at an original report on The Sons of Great Bear, while two trailers – one original and one new – help flesh things out.
Delivered as number 321 on the Masters of Cinema Series, The Sons of Great Bear led to a great range of Westerns from DEFA and some of their most successful productions. Lined with socialist undertones, the film was directed by Czech filmmaker Josef Mach – the same man behind films such as Playing with the Devil (1956), Bitter Love (1958), and Palette of Love (1976) among many more. A commercial success upon release, DEFA wasted no time in getting some sequels in order bringing leading man Gojko Mitic back to star as a Native American hero time and time again; a role he continued to play almost 60 years later. Of course, it's easy to see why as his role here as Tokei-Ihto is both entertaining and convincing, helping to make The Sons of Great Bear a highly enjoyable classic of the Western genre and a wonderful introduction to the surreal world of German 'cowboy' movies...
Rating: 4 / 5 George @invincibleasia​
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HIGH NOON (USA 1952) Directed by Fred Zinnemann
In this classic Western of Hollywood's Golden Age, long-time Hadleyville Marshall, Will Kane, must think twice about hanging his boots up when he gets word that a brutal criminal that he once sent away to be hanged, is on a mission of revenge. After retiring his badge right after he is wed to pacifist Quaker girl Amy Fowler, Marshall Kane is very quickly torn between his honour and his wife. Encouraged to leave by most of the townsfolk and Amy, the lawman makes his choice and is soon trying to pull together a team of Deputies in a bid to stop criminal Frank Miller on his arrival at noon. But, even after years of protection and keeping the law, it seems that Will Kane may well be on his own at high noon...
Western icon Gary Cooper leads an all-star cast in this 1952 production, with the beautiful Grace Kelly playing his newly wed (Amy) and stars such as Lloyd Bridges, Lon Chaney Jr., Ian MacDonald, Thomas Mitchell, and Lee Can Cleef who made his debut here. helping to flesh things out. It's been decades since I last saw High Noon – no doubt catching it on daytime television while staying with my nan, a pastime that was a part of many British and Irish households throughout the 80s and early 90s. Back then, I wasn't even aware of just how impressive or important a film such as this really was, but I could understand how tense, well made, and wonderfully acted it really was. Now, High Noon gets a gorgeous 4K UHD release, and my latest viewing really did make me sit up and take notice. While, unlike many other Westerns that came before and after it, there wasn't any real 'cowboy' action until the final scene, I was still pretty hooked on it's real-time story, with Gary Cooper delivering such a commanding performance (even in ill-health) and it's restored black & white images looking just incredible. Grace Kelly is wonderful as his new young wife; a pacifist who eventually understands the situation and steps beyond her beliefs in order to save her husband. While she had been on stage and in television shows for a few years leading up to this, High Noon would mark Grace Kelly's feature film debut – launching her career and giving her one of the most memorable scenes of the film.
The film was directed by Fred Zinnemann, in what would be the only Western film of his career, based of a script written by Carl Foreman – the very same man behind classics such as The Guns of Navarone (1961), The Bridge on the River Kwai (1957), and Young Winston (1972). Having just faced one of the most gruelling periods of his career due to political issues and back-lash by John Wayne who ran the anti-communist organisation for the film industry, Foreman bounced back with a vengeance when High Noon was so warmly received and highly respected. While low-budget in some respects, it's clear to see why the film went onto win four Academy Awards and received many nominations for more. Regardless, Carl had already been blacklisted and fled to England at the time of the movie's release but he made sure his thoughts would forever be made clear, with High Noon standing as an allegory for the failure of Hollywood's film community to stand up against McCarthy's communist witch-hunt. Beautifully shot and wonderfully scored, High Noon is still very much respected today as a genuine classic of Western cinema and one of Zinnemann's finest moments. Referenced over the years in many ways from pop-culture to political movements, and with director Mel Brook's spoofing one of it's scenes in the highly entertaining Blazing Saddles, High Noon has been hailed as the favourite movie for a number of US presidents – and it's easy to see why. Simple yet strong, the film is a fine example of what made Hollywood great at a time when storytelling was the backbone of any picture...
Recently restored and released in 4K UHD by Eureka Video, the High Noon release also features two interesting and very informative audio commentaries; the first from historian Glenn Frankel, a US author who also wrote a book on the film, and the second from Western film authority Stephen Prince. J.E. Smyth delivers a video essay called Women of the West that offers a feminist's approach to the film, which actually proves to be quite interesting and runs for close to 20 minutes. An interview with author Neil Sinyard runs for almost half an hour, while an archival audio interview (from1969) with writer Carl Foreman runs three times as long – played over the film that works almost like an audio commentary and was pretty amazing to hear. This is followed by three features that focus on the 'making of' side of things. The first is Inside 'High Noon', a 50 minute documentary on the film and it's making featuring Bill Clinton as well as the sons of both the writer and director, among others. Then there's The Making of High Noon, a 22 minute piece from 1992 which was nicely put together. And finally, Behind 'High Noon' from 2002 is a short piece hosted by Gary Cooper's daughter, that also features interviews with both Carl Foreman and Fred Zinnemann's sons on each of their careers and how it came about. And to finish things, the original trailer tags along at the end. Although HD because of the 4K disc, the trailer itself is unrestored and definitely worth checking out before going into the main feature so that you see the incredible difference. But overall, a fantastic release for a fantastic movie that is a great addition for any Western fan or in any 4K collection!
Rating: 4 / 5 George @invincibleasia​
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THE EEL (JAPAN 1997) Directed by Shohei Imamura
After catching his adulterous wife cheating with another man, white-collar worker Takuro Yamashita attacks them both with a knife. Stabbing the man once in the back, Takuro goes onto repeatedly knife his wife to death as her lover escapes from the house, raising the alarm as he runs. Accepting his fate, the husband immediately hands himself in at the local police station, where he is then sent to prison. Many years, Takuro is released on parole and goes onto open a small barbershop in a rural area where he starts to meet new people, although only really converses with a pet eel that he befriended whilst in prison. Soon after, he finds the unconscious body of Keiko – a young woman who had attempted suicide. Reminding him of his wife, Takuro gets her some help and, after she has recovered, Keiko starts to work at his shop in return for his kindness. As time passes, she falls in love with Takuro but because of his shame and self-resentment, he finds it difficult to return her love...
Recently restored and released on Blu-ray by Radiance Films, this was a first time watch of The Eel for me, and although it was slow at times – I was pretty intrigued for the most part. Directed by the late Shohei Imamura – mentor to the infamous Takashi Miike and the same man behind Japanese classics such as Endless Desire (1958), Pigs & Battleships (1961), Intentions Of Murder (1964), and The Pornographers (1966) among others – The Eel was filmed in the Chiba prefecture of Japan before going onto do a modest run at the box-office. While slow-burning, the film still proves to be a haunting experience laced with dark humour and effective perception of humanity, not to mention the terrific performance of it's leading man, Koji Yakusho, who stars as the unfortunate and troubled Takuro. Born as Koji Yakusho, the prolific star took on the name of Yakusho after he began acting. Throughout his career, which began in television, Koji went onto impress in films such as Tampopo (1985), Kiyoshi Kurosawa's fantastic Cure (1997), Lost Paradise (1997), Shall We Dance (1996) – which was such a big hit that it inspired a ballroom dance craze across the country – later going on to be remade in Hollywood. Later he would star in 13 Assassins (2010), The Third Murder (2017), The Blood Of Wolves (2018), and again for Kiyoshi Kurosawa in Pulse in 2001.
He is joined by the lovely Misa Shimizu who stars as Keiko. Having began her acting career just a decade before, Misa has went onto become prolific on both the small and big screen starring in titles such as Sumo Do, Sumo Don't (1992), Okoge (1992), Dr. Akagi (1998), Crosspoint (2024), and Shall We Dance with Koji Hashimoto the year before this. Here, as Keiko, and much like her co-star, Misa does another fantastic job. Actors Mitsuko Baisho, Akira Emoto, Fujio Tokita, Makoto Sato and Sho Aikawa also help flesh things out in their own entertaining ways among many others. While simply shot, the film is beautifully captured by Shigeru Komatsubara, a small time cinematographer who made his debut with Imamura's award winning film The Ballad Of Narayama in 1983 before going on to capture films such as Zero Woman: Assassin Lovers (1996), Dr. Akagi (1998), Moonlight Whispers (1999) and Samurai Cat (2014) to name but a few. These visuals are highlighted even more so on the gorgeous new UK Blu-ray release from Radiance Films, accompanied by a great interview with critic Tony Rayns and another with screenwriter Daisuke Tengan. Tom Mes delivers a neat visual essay on 1997 as the year Japanese cinema saw a turning point, and the obligatory trailer is also available. The release is limited to 3000 copies, each of which also come with a neatly designed and informative book featuring a newly translated archival interview with the director himself. All in all, The Eel a classic of Japanese cinema and a Blu-ray worth getting your hands on!
Rating: 4 / 5 George @invincibleasia​
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A TALE OF SORROW & SADNESS (JAPAN 1977) Dir. by Seijun Suzuki
Directed by the prolific Seijun Suzuki, in what would be his first film after a decade of silence, A Tale Of Sorrow & Sadness marked a welcome return for the critically acclaimed director and still proves, even today, to be an interesting and beautifully directed title from his lengthy filmography. The film plays like a satire of consumerism, the obsession with idols, and even the film industry itself as it tells the tale of a female model, Reiko, who is recruited by the editor of a fashion magazine, and groomed to become a professional golfer for their agency. Proving to be quite successful during her first tournament, Reiko is soon in high demand winning over a new fanbase, the praise of her mentor, and more. But after a hit-and-run incident, she soon starts to question her new found fame as one of her obsessed followers starts to threaten her with blackmail and more...
With shades of Play Misty For Me (1971) and What Ever Happened To Baby Jane? (1962), A Tale Of Sorrow & Sadness is as humorous as it is sinister, camouflaged as a sports-drama yet gives it's audience so much more. Prior to this, Suzuki had been blacklisted by every major Japanese film studio after suing the Nikkatsu Company for wrongful dismissal among other things – apparently their president Kyusaku Hori wasn't a fan of his absurd, surreal and unconventional (yet gripping) style of film-making; claiming often that Suzuki went too far in his execution. A young soldier on the front line in 1943, Seijun Suzuki was no doubt affected by the horrors of war yet at the same time, adapted a wicked sense of humour that helped him get through what he was experiencing. This, in turn, carried over to his directorial efforts and while not for everyone, was a fundamental element in his style of film-making as seen in films such as The Naked Woman & The Gun (1957), Underworld Beauty (1958), Fighting Delinquents (1960), Youth Of The Beast (1963), Gate Of Flesh (1964), Tokyo Drifter (1966) and Branded To Kill (1967) which has been considered his masterpiece by many. And while A Tale Of Sorrow & Sadness may not been seen by many as one of his finest, it still proves to be highly enjoyable – in that Suijun Suzuki kinda way.
Little known actress Yoko Shiraki does a fantastic job as Reiko Kashiwagi, accompanied for the most part by the late and hugely prolific Yoshio Harada – star of films such as Lady Snowblood 2 (1974), 9 Souls (2003), Azumi (2003), Izo (2004), The Hunted (1995), Shogun's Samurai (1978), Ronin-Gai (1990), Manhunt (1976), The Trail Of Blood (1972) and so much more including other Suzuki titles. They are joined by fellow actors such as Kyoko Enami, Masumi Okada, Koji Wada, Shuji Sano, and Noboru Nakaya to name but a few. Adapted from a popular manga, albeit with a few wild plot twists courtesy of Suzuki, A Tale Of Sorrow & Sadness is stunningly shot by Masaru Mori – a popular cinematographer of the infamous Pink Cinema sub-genre of Japanese cinema. In fact, these visuals are even more glorious than before thanks to the wonderful new Blu-ray release by Radiance Films that comes complete with a hugely informative audio commentary by Samm Deighan, as well as a fun and insightful 20 minute interview with veteran Suzuki editor Kunihiko Ukai and a trailer – quite possibly the finest release of this great movie to date and limited to only 3000 units. Almost 50 years later, A Tale Of Sorrow & Sadness still stands strong as a fantastic piece of classic Japanese cinema from a director that defied the odds, and gave the world some highly memorable works of film!
Rating: 4 / 5 George @invincibleasia​
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POOR THINGS (USA 2023) Directed by Yorgos Lanthimos
Bagging star and producer Emma Stone an Oscar for her performance at the 2024 awards, Poor Things has certainly become the new marmite film for movie-goers with its bizarre Frankenstein-inspired tale, dark humour, and fantastical set pieces that sees Stone play Bella Baxter – a dead woman who was reanimated after having her unborn baby's brain transplanted in her. It's certainly not for everyone and will confuse the majority of its audience in its opening chapter – but there is definitely something that grabs you; intrigues you, and makes you want to know just what the feck is going on!
I went in blind to Yorgos Lanthimos' latest offering completely unaware of the storyline, sexual content, and dodgy accents – but I'd be lying if said I didn't like it. While I don't think it was worthy of a an Oscar win and strongly believe that had the very same work been delivered by an equally talented unknown cast, the film would have been completely shunned and panned, Poor Things was definitely a bizarrely enjoyable experience often coming across with the same amount of artistry and insanity as the finest works of Tim Burton or Terry Gilliam. Proving to be as equally twisted as his peers, Lanthimos delivers a witty, depraved, and original tale that's only really downfall for me was the casting of Mark Ruffalo – a man who clearly didn't know where his character was from, let alone deliver his lines clearly which made for a lot of confusing moments. Personally, I feel that someone such as Hugh Grant or Richard E. Grant would have been a much better choice in his place (both of whom could also deliver a proper English accent without effort).
While I may never return to Poor Things, I would recommend a viewing of it to all – if not to experience Willem Dafoe's great performance, the utterly wild sexual content, and gorgeous production design that makes the story of Bella Baxter's evolution an original and entertaining journey. Voyeuristic, yes. Hilarious, yes. Weird, absolutely. But there's so much more to it, such as seeing past the lab experiment to catch the real monsters of the piece, and ignoring the controversy to experience the adventure. You won't forget it...
Rating: 4 / 5 George @invincibleasia
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STRANGER IN MY OWN SKIN (UK 2023) Directed by Katia DeVidas
Released on most digital platforms, Blu-ray & DVD by Dazzler Media, Peter Doherty: Stranger In My Own Skin is an intimate, intriguing, and revealing insight to the troubled and controversial life of The Libertines frontman – someone I've generally never been a fan of, although have admittedly enjoyed numerous songs that he has put out over the years. With that said, I still felt the need to keep watching this new docu-film made by his wife, Katia DeVidas, which revealed quite the journey combined from over 200 hours of footage she had been shooting over a 10 year period (which probably would have made for a more interesting piece had it been a six-part series on Netflix)!
While it features some brutal scenes of Doherty's drug use, the addiction itself and fight to break it, including his unfortunate auctioning of guitars and artwork to fund his rehabilitation, and his unsettling state of life in general, the film tends to avoid numerous tabloid nightmares such as the death of Mark Blanco; a man who tragically died after falling from a balcony in East London during a party at a flat where Doherty himself attending. His rocky relationship with Amy Winehouse is also brushed over, as his current relationship with the director. While it most definitely feels like viewers are getting an all-access pass, one can't help but feel like there was so much more that really could have made this a 'must see' documentary, although I mean that respectively.
The life of a rock-n-roll star has long been the subject of myths, legends, and front page headlines, but Pete's is definitely one of the most unfortunate and darker tales I've ever seen. There's a weird likeability about him, often coming across like a blend of Russell Brand and Jack Whitehall, yet at the same time he proves to be equally disgusting, selfish, and lost – a broken genius of sorts who has, like many similar artists before him, fallen far to deep down the rabbit hole. It's a fascinating piece that reminds us all just how fragile we can be, with the evils of peer pressure, the highs of being a celebrity and the costs that come with it. Thankfully, the story does end on a positive note and the scene of Pete's parents joining him on stage to surprise him was especially touching. Stranger In My Own Skin won't be for everyone, but it definitely holds your attention and makes for an interesting, if not eye-opening, 90 minutes that will sit with you for some time.
Rating: 3.5 / 5 George @invincibleasia
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PADRE PIO (USA 2022) Directed by Abel Ferrara
World War One has ended. Italian soldiers return home to find their villages broken by wealthy landowners forcing its people into poverty and sickness. A free election threatens to pull them apart while a young troubled priest, Padre Pio, fights to help them while dealing with his own inner demons. Based on the real life stories of Padre Pio himself, and the supposedly true event that caused the stigmata, Padre Pio isn't the kind of film you would want to watch should you need to lift your spirits. In fact, it's quite the opposite!
Directed by praised New York film-maker Abel Ferrara, the very same man behind hit films such as Driller Killer, King Of New York, and Bad Lieutenant, Padre Pio is a dark and intriguing film that got so deep it saw its leading man (the controversial Shia LaBeouf) convert to Catholicism after production. Shooting in and around the home and locations of where the real Pio had lived and walked – with Shia going as far as to sleep in the priest's real bedroom – rumour has it that Willem Dafoe himself suggested to Ferrara that Shia would be best for the role. Clearly engrossed in the story and character of Padre Pio, LaBeouf went on to do the project for free (granted he only flits in and out of the story for about 20 minutes of its running time), and while he does give a powerful performance for the most part, makes no attempt to disguise his American accent like most of his co-stars, which is quite unfortunate.
While I most certainly applaud the effort that went into the production itself, and Abel's decision to deliver it in somewhat of a docu-film style, it would only be fair to say that Padre Pio makes for a hard watch and won't be everyone's cup of tea. It's dark. It's slow. It's depressing. But it's also intense, modest, and clearly a labour of love for those involved. While it made a hugely positive splash during its festival run, it's fair to say that a commercial hit it is not! Still, for someone who has no idea who Padre Pio was, it kept my interest and let me see that LaBeouf can deliver when he has to. Out now across the UK & Ireland courtesy of Dazzler Media...
Ratings: 3 / 5 George @invincibleasia
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PATHS OF GLORY (USA 1957) Directed by Stanley Kubrick
(G) Stanley Kubrick's highly praised anti-war film from 1957 is delivered in a new stunning 4K restoration as a UHD release on February 26th, courtesy of Eureka Entertainment as part of their Masters Of Cinema series. The film was initially released on Blu-ray by them back in September 2016 (also carrying the same number of 155 from the series), with the new 4K release containing the very same special features as its previous release. These include an informative audio commentary with film scholar Adrian Martin, Interviews with Kubrick scholar Peter Kramer and filmmaker Richard Ayoade, and critic Richard Combs, as well as the original theatrical trailer along with an isolated music & effects track. As always, Eureka provides a wonderfully designed and healthy booklet to accompany the release – but its real highlight, of course, is the new 4K print which looks fantastic!
This was a first watch for me, although I had a few flashbacks of catching it as a kid on television. But for a dedicated first time viewing, Paths Of Glory proved to be an incredible watch. While it caused some controversy upon its release, and more-so with the French to the nature of its story that saw it banned both there and in Spain, its probably less offensive today although its message and significance is still pretty clear. Based on the novel of the same name by Henry Cobb, Kubrick delivers an almost perfect film with Kirk Douglas leading a stellar cast who provide great performances all round. While watching it, I had the impression that it would have made a fantastic stage play and have since learned that it did indeed have a very short run on Broadway back in 1935. Perhaps with today's budgets and theatrical ingenuity, Paths Of Glory would prove a much bigger success as a live show.
Regardless, this 4K UHD release has certainly given me the ultimate experience of this classic film and I'd highly recommend it. Paths Of Glory is powerful, atmospheric, and shocking, offering some emotional performances, fantastic set pieces on the front line, and stunning cinematography, which certainly comes across very clear on this release. It questions humanity and war, based on true events from WWI, that is a definite must see for any true cinephile... (4.5/5) George @invincibleasia
(A) Combining the harsh, brutallic and claustrophobic nature of trench warfare and shedding a light of higher societic negotiation, and opinion on valour, rank, status… Stanley Kubrick’s ant-war feature Paths of Glory showcases the utmost ridiculousness of the First World War, condemning the actions and the privileged notions taken by the higher ranking officers and their ability and downright mockery to waste the lives of thousands of men just to stroke their own ego and valour as they hide in luxurious comforts, whilst lesser-men do their fighting for them.
And, I think that is very poignant when watching Paths of Glory. Kubrick’s message of the film isn’t about the valour, adventure and great service for their country as many men were first led to believe when they intentionally signed up for war, during the Great War, it was a lie sold to them by men deeming it so, and retrospectively speaking audiences and people know and understand the repercussions of World War I , such as the PTSD, shell-shock and living conditions of trench-warfare… but back then the opinion of soldiers that were affected where considered cowardly and met punishment worse that what ‘the enemy’ could provide… abandonment by one’s own country!
Paths of Glory is still to this day a memorising feature that leaves audiences wishing they could look away but just can’t, and along with the visionary direction, grey narrative and bold, commanding performances by all involved, Paths of Glory is not a film should be experience, its a film that needs to be!
Rating: 5 / 5 Adam @secondviewing
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BLACK TUESDAY (USA 1954) Directed by Hugo Fregonese
Violent mobster Vincent Canelli is serving time on death row, complete with a set date for the electric chair. But he is not finished with his reign of terror and in an attempt to evade his execution, plans a jailbreak for the night before. Helped by his lady on the outside, a gangsters moll named Hatti, and joined by a fellow death row inmate named Manning, Canelli launches his plan which results in them taking a few hostages along the way. But the feared gangster has other plans for his new friend, with hopes of finding out where Manning has hidden his stash of stolen loot before getting rid of him. Naturally, his plan comes with a host of problems!
Coming in at only 80 minutes, Black Tuesday is a riveting classic of 50s gangster noir-cinema directed by Argentinian film-maker Hugo Fregonese; the very same man behind films such as Man In The Attic (1953), Marco Polo (1961), and The Secret Of Dr. Mabuse (1964), with a great and menacing performance by Edward G. Robinson, one of the most popular actors of stage and screen from Hollywood's Golden Age and star of classics such as Little Caesar (1931), The Man With Two Faces (1934), and Key Largo (1948) to name but a few. In Black Tuesday, Robinson is joined by a cast of class such as the wonderful Peter Graves, Jean Parker, Milburn Stone, Warren Stevens,and Jack Kelly among others...
Intensely written by award winning scribe Sydney Boehm, who also gave us Side Street (1950), When Worlds Collide (1951) and The Big Heat (1953), Black Tuesday also keeps it's audience glued to the screen with it's beautifully captured visuals courtesy of prolific cinematographer Stanley Cortex – the man behind the lens of many great films shot between 1929 and 1980. In fact, the first time I ever saw this gem, was via its stunning new Blu-ray release by Eureka Video, which allowed my debut viewing to be even more impressive in glorious HD from a 2K scan. Interestingly, when released in Germany, the film's title was changed to Black Friday and was initially banned by the Memphis Censor Board for it's brutality. Exciting and tense, Black Tuesday is an exciting crime thriller which still manages to entertain over 70 years later – holding it's own against many modern films of a similar vein. Limited to 2000 copies, the Eureka Video Blu-ray release also carries a host of features such as a great audio commentary with Sergio Angelini, an interview with film historian Sheldon Hall, an informative video essay by Imogen Sara Smith, and more – making this one of their Master of Cinema titles well worth picking up.
Rating: 4 / 5 George @invincibleasia
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