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franzleopold
Reviews
Cross of Iron (1977)
A glorious failure
This movie has enough comments but I couldn't let the last two go. But first the interesting question for me about this movie is would have it been worse if Peckinpah had had the budget he wanted. He had plans for a great set piece ending with countless T-34s. Instead he had to improvise what we get. But what an improvisation. Amongst war films this is unquestionably a masterpiece and perhaps the greatest American war film ever made. To situate this hyperbolic remark my faves are the like of The Cruel Sea, The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp, The Battle of Algiers, and Come and See. But until special effects came in I think this film best captured the nature of combat. If anything it is not boring enough. Bad editing? Postmodern cretinism. Movies do not have to operate simply within their own confined space. Occasionally they strive to represent life. This film tries to do that, and that resolve for me absolves it of its manifest failings. Because life always undoes representation. And for film to capture its undoing by extreme moments of life, such as combat, is rare. I think there are glimpses of that in this film.
Jean-Philippe (2006)
an utterly unexpected escape
Just seen this film on a long flight like a previous commentator. Know Lucchini as an actor who I can't abide but who makes good, perhaps great, films. Saw L'Homme du Train and was surprised by Hallyday but all rock stars have one good film in them (performance, The man who fell to earth, o lucky man, PG and Billy the Kid etc). But I found myself being utterly seduced by this film. There are twists and turns that are far too cute but the film just survives them. Hollywood claims to be the capital of feel-good sentimentality but I'm afraid, as in too many things but not as many as the French think, this trumps those films with Gallic ease. This will join 'Le Bonheur est dans le pre' as one of those films to reach for when the none too subtle indignities of everyday life reach an intensity that some sort of brief and simple escape is necessary. I've even started to listen to Hallyday's songs! For this film to have had such an extreme effect it must be at least bearable.