The Seven Year Itch Review- By Michael Carlisle

Title: The Seven Year Itch
Year: 1955
Director: Billy Wilder
Country: US
Language: English

Compared to modern Cinema, The Seven Year Itch may come off as a naive and innocent romantic comedy complicit with society's moral standards. However, this feature actually tested the limits of censorship in a time where Hollywood was ruled by a rigid and moral code. Based on George Axelrod's 1952 play, this subject matter may have appeased Broadway, but it was under heavy scrutiny by Hollywood. Many scenes and lines of dialogue were ripped away from Billy Wilder, though despite this challenge he was able to get it completed. 

With his family away for their annual summer holiday, New Yorker Richard (Tom Ewell)  decides he has the opportunity to live a bachelor's life - to eat and drink what he wants and basically to enjoy life without wife and son. He does his best to remain faithful, but the beautiful blonde (Marilyn Monroe) upstairs is testing his limits.

While Monroe is perfect for her role as the bubbly temptress- and it's difficult to imagine any other actress in that role- one wonders if Billy Wilder was in his right mind when deciding to make a picture with her. Monroe's lifetime bouts of depression and mental illness took their toll during filming; often leading to as many as 40 takes to produce a satisfactory scene. Her marriage to Joe DiMaggio fell apart, and it's well documented that Wilder couldn't stand the actress. To quote him "Hollywood didn't kill Marilyn Monroe, it's the Marilyn Monroes that are killing Hollywood"

Tom Ewell plays his role as the "everyman" quite well, it's easy to sympathize with him. The film's themes of fidelity, freedom and guilt stem from this character. He's a man with an active imagination. In one daydream he tells his wife that all the women in the world want him and makes up fantastical stories about rejecting beautiful nurses and neighbors. On this basis, it's quite logical to assume that the Marilyn Monroe character is not real, but rather part of his fantasy. What American man in the 50's wouldn't fantasize about having an affair Monroe? In my opinion, the film as fantasy is much funnier than a straightforward comedy.

In conclusion, though The Seven Year Itch is a bit dated and basically a G-rated version of Stanley Kubrick's Eyes Wide Shut, the film's themes are universal and will remain incredibly relevant into the future. It's a fun picture that is very well made and will have you guessing to the very end. I think the rigid censorship of the 50's hurt the picture, as it needed to be a bit darker and more sexual at times. Infidelity is not a light subject and seeing as how Wilder can make incredibly dark films even out of comedies I wouldn't put blame on the Director. 3.5/5

Sanjuro Review- By Michael Carlisle

Title: Sanjuro
Year: 1963
Director: Akira Kurosawa
Country: Japan
Language: Japanese

A companion piece for Akira Kurosawa's Yojimbo (1962), Sanjuro is not as acclaimed nor as well-made a picture, but it certainly is worth watching and is criminally underrated by critics and cinephiles alike. Kurosawa's fable about a strong and savy outlaw samurai was turned into another vehicle for legendary Japanese actor Toshiro Mifune, arguably the picture would have failed without him. The intensity he brings to his character is unmatched and could not have been mimicked by any other. 

Toshiro Mifune stars as Sanjuro, a crafty samurai who helps a young man and his fellow clansmen save his uncle, who has been framed and imprisoned by a corrupt superintendent.

Kurosawa's picture is a journey into the psychology of leadership. Sanjuro is able to lead men because he appears to be confident, regardless of if he actually feels that way. This is because the average soldier is a frightened herd animal, neither good nor evil, but acting in cowardice rather than morality. Sanjuro's very presence subjugates grown men, the same way grown men's presence subjugates little boys. Sanjuro is a calm cat with direction, whereas his men are barking dogs without direction. 

The abstract framing of each glorious shot removes the predictability of each scene, and makes Kurosawa's film seem like it is a free-for-all, an environment in which anything is possible and anything can happen. It is a fun film to watch, full of frantic energy and well choreographed sword-play. It lacks Yojimbo's wit, but it hits the jugular in terms of shock and suspense. His final showdown demonstrates the pure horror of senseless war.

In conclusion, though Samurai duels are shocking spectacles, Kurosawa's eye makes the combat look beautiful. Kurosawa and Mifune's film partnership has created a considerable amount of classics, Sanjuro certainly being one of them. It might not have much replay value, but it's certainly a must-see if you are a fan of Japanese Cinema. 3.5/5

Kagemusha Review- By Michael Carlisle

Title: Kagemusha
Director: Akira Kurosawa
Year: 1980
Country: Japan
Language: Japanese

In his later life Akira Kurosawa experienced great hardship, mainly because he could not find financial backing for his films. The great Director alienated the Japanese film industry, and not even the public was on his side. He had tried to make smaller films, like Dodes'ka-den, but they were ultimately box office failures. He would try to commit suicide, but failed. Kagemusha became his obsession, eventually he was finally able to make it only when major Hollywood Directors Francis Ford Coppolla and Martin Scorsese decided to help with financing.

In the picture, A petty thief (Tatsuya Nakadi) with an utter resemblance to a samurai warlord is hired as the lord's double. When the warlord later dies the thief is forced to take up arms in his place.

In his old age Kurosawa would turn to a pastime of his youth: painting. He was a great artist, and his visual imagination translated well onto the screen. Kagemusha is rich with impressive visuals, as well as stunning colors. Most of the film's scenes appear to be pulled directly from the imagination, unfiltered and free from the shackles of reality. It's is as Shakesperean as Throne of Blood, but perhaps more of an epic.

Armies of thousands throw themselves at the arms of death, for the sake of their pride. Epic battles wage on, glorifying the feudal samurai system. Kagemusha is an incredibly complex film about the power of belief  and the nature of a false hope. The samurai base their hope entirely on the fact that their warlord is alive, but when that belief is shattered real destruction occurs.

In conclusion, though Kagemusha is a decent film it suffers from a long running time and the fact that it's overshadowed by an even greater Samurai epic made a few years later called Ran. It's incredibly well made, but ultimately would have been forgotten if not for The Criterion Collection. The picture certainly has a body, but it has no legs. 3.5/5

The Hidden Fortress Review- By Michael Carlisle

 Title: The Hidden Fortress
Year: 1958
Director: Akira Kurosawa
Country: Japan
Language: Japanese

Best known for its influence on George Lucas' Star Wars, Akira Kurosawa's The Hidden Fortress is a thrilling epic set squarely within the Japanese traditions of "Chambara". This tradition is a mix of folklore and theatrical melodrama, typically set in the 16th Century Feudal period of Japan.Though most Chambara flicks are routine action pictures, Kurosawa's flick manages to stay relevant and entertain audiences the world over. 

Lured by gold, two greedy peasants escort a man and woman across enemy lines. However, they do not realize that their companions are actually a princess (Misa Uehara) and her general (Toshiro Mifune). Along the way, the General's prowess is put to the test through close encounters with the pursuing enemy, and out of difficult situations the bumbling peasants manage to get them into.

The Hidden Fortress' plot seems simple, but it actually quite elaborate. The seemingly straightforward narrative unfolds in a rather curious way onscreen, mainly because the story is told through the eyes of the peasants rather than their royal masters. They are at the mercy of circumstance, they've been exploited their entire lives. Kurosawa provides a celebratory and critical view of history by showing the excitement of 16th Century Japan while pointing out the ridiculousness of the feudal honor code.

Kurosawa balances valour with greed, seriousness and humour, while demonstrating the misfortunes of war. Using Cinemascope Fortress awes us with its mythical Shakespearean imagery, overwhelming the audience with a great quantity of physical and psychological details. Even the weather becomes part of the story. While a lesser Director would make this a pure action flick, Kurosawa infuses an exhibition of morality alongside its thrills.

In conclusion, The Hidden Fortress is a cinematic adventure that has influenced more than a handful of Directors, including Hayao Miyazaki and his anime feature Princess Mononoke. Kurosawa gave historical Japanese myths a new life that will continue to be reached by audiences around the world. Praise it! 5/5

Yojimbo Review- By Michael Carlisle

Title: Yojimbo
Year: 1961
Director: Akira Kurosawa
Country: Japan
Language: Japanese

While Rashomon (1950) was Akira Kurosawa's most popular film in the East, Yojimbo (1961) was his most popular film in the West. It deliberately combines the traditional samurai story with the American Western, so that any of the characters could have stemmed from John Ford's filmography. Ironically Yojimbo would inspire the West to create a whole new sub-genre called "Spaghetti Western" which would launch the careers of Clint Eastwood and many others.

Sanjuro (Toshiro Mifune) is a wandering samurai who enters a rural town in nineteenth century Japan. After learning from the innkeeper that the town is divided between two gangsters, he plays one side off against the other.

Despite the homage to the Western, Akira Kurosawa's protagonist is the anti-John Wayne.  He does not fit the handsome, clean-cut, peaceful and righteous hero nor does he have much grace in combat situations. He is a wandering samurai  with no class, and no loyalty to either side. His amorality is so complex that even a decent deed seems shocking. In Yojimbo there are no "good" guys, only bad. The characters act like gangsters rather than classic outlaws. 

Kurosawa infuses dark humor into this drama, and even embraces some slapstick. The great choreography is used as a joke, whereas the astonishing photography increases the tension. The widescreen creates great dramatic compositions; both armies face each other across empty space, fearful eyes gather an uncertain view of impending danger. The violence in Yojimbo is well managed; either happening offscreen or in the blink of an eye, which makes for an unsettling atmosphere.

In conclusion, though Yojimbo lacks an intellectual or moral challenge like the majority of his films do, it certainly is an unforgettable film that certainly has changed the world of Cinema. Though Toshiro Mifune was already a star by the 1950's, this catapulted his career to new heights. Praise it! 5/5

The Seven Samurai Review- By Michael Carlisle

Title: Seven Samurai
Year: 1954
Director: Akira Kurosawa
Country: Japan
Language: Japanese

Akira Kurosawa is the best known Japanese Director around the World. The Seven Samurai is his most endearingly popular and most widely seen masterpiece. It was inspired by the old John Ford westerns and then itself inspired a new generation of Western classics. Without it we wouldn't have The Magnificent Seven (1960), the most successful of the American pictures modeled after this work of art. The bold departure from typical Japanese Jidai-geki would prove to be an intelligent decision.

A veteran samurai, who has fallen on hard times, answers a village's request for protection from bandits. He gathers 6 other samurai to help him, and they teach the townspeople how to defend themselves, and they supply the samurai with three small meals a day.

The Seven Samurai represents a great divide in Kurosawa's craft. His earlier work subscribed to Japanese traditions of conformity, teamwork and loyalty. All his films from from Samurai on are about rebellion and non-conformity.Japanese critics were hesitant to embrace pictures that went against their socialized conventions. Each character in the film is bound by roles imposed on them by society, it is only when they break those roles that anything changes and the villagers can stand a chance against the bandits.

Samurai is a long movie (207 minutes) but the time is well spent. Kurosawa could not capture each character and each moment so well if the picture was shorter. It does not drag, rather the camera is tireless and overwhelms us with impressive visuals and a great sense of mystery. The use of deep focus is constant, Kurosawa allows the audience to follow simultaneous actions in the foreground, middle and background. Rather than heavy editing, he devises shots in which the camera follows the rush and flow of the action. 

In conclusion, though Kurosawa was steadily rejecting Japanese cinematic customs, it is fairly clear that he did so with purpose. "Japanese films all tend to be rather bland in flavor, like green tea over rice,” Kurosawa remarked in an interview, making a quip at his long time rival Yasujiro Ozo. “I think we ought to have richer foods, and richer films. So I thought I would make this kind of film entertaining enough to eat.” Indeed Seven Samurai is great meal that all will enjoy. Praise it! 5/5

High and Low Review- By Michael Carlisle

Title: High and Low
Year: 1963
Director: Akira Kurosawa
Country: Japan
Language: Japanese

Akira Kurosawa's habit of adapting European classics- such as Shakespereare's Macbeth (Throne of Blood)- earned him the Universal label as the most Western of Japanese film-makers. High and Low was not a European classic, but an American one; Ed McBain's King's Ransom (1959). It would be the only time Kurosawa would dabble in American literature, but his effort would prove to be quite successful. He could grip us with suspense in modern crime flicks as well as he could with samurai epics.

Kingo Gondo (Toshiro Mifune), the an executive of a shoe company, becomes a victim of extortion when his chauffeur's son is kidnapped and held for ransom. His resolution of this dilemma- the certain loss of the company vs. the probable loss of the child- makes for one distinct drama

Kurosawa uses this American material to produce an image of contemporary Japan. It ranges from the complacent and affluent “high” to the needy and nihilistic “low” of the film's title. This Japan is booming with a new era of economic development and prosperity, which brings along greed, uncertainty and isolation. We are not even sure Kingo Gondo is a good man, we sympathize with him because he is the lesser evil in this situation. 

The majority of the films is a careful, deliberately paced Police procedural. We are witness to the many steps it takes to catch a kidnapper. Kurosawa's flawless editing, freely cutting in and out of different spatial planes, gives the picture its great suspense. We are trapped in concentrated intensity which makes us feel like every moment is climatic. Toshiro Mifune's character also contributes to the suspense of the film; he is a proud man in an immoral and selfish world and must make an incredibly self-less decision which may harm every party in the long run. The stakes are sky high.

In conclusion, High and Low is a remarkable film that proves Kurosawa was as good a Director in the 60's as he was in the 50's. He could adapt any material and turn it into gold. Frame by frame the film is a constant play of body language and facial gestures, all leading us to an end that cannot be predicted. Praise it! 5/5

Ikiru Review- By Michael Carlisle

Title: Ikiru
Year: 1952
Director: Akira Kurosawa
Country: Japan
Language: Japanese

Though Japanese Director Akira Kurosawa is best known for his samurai epics (Seven Samurai, Yojimbo) which were influenced by the West, he was not principally concerned with movies full of blood and gore. He was a quite spiritual man, thus he made quite spiritual modern dramas. Ikiru, translated into English as "To Live", is a testament to the fact that great Kurosawa flicks don't need violence. 

Kanji Watanabe (Takashi Shimura) is a longtime bureaucrat in a city office who, along with the rest of the office, spends his entire working life doing nothing. He learns he is dying of cancer and wants to find some meaning in his life.

The pacing of the film is deliberately slow, Ikiru is a tragedy but not because the main character is going to die. Rather it is a tragedy because Watanabe has not lived. His job is to deal with citizen complains, but all he really does is take a small rubber stamp and press it against each one of the documents to show the problem shall be handled. His life is void of meaning, he has done nothing worthwhile. We see many of these people in our own lives, infact we may often feel like Watanabe. 

Much like most people throughout human history, Watanabe has an incredible desire to do something great before he dies. Kurosawa's flick is full of this man's suffering, but that was his point. To achieve anything worthwhile, one must suffer, but suffering does not always have to be negative, it can be used for good. Despite the fact that it's full of sorrow, Ikiru is life affirming and ultimately inspiring. He has a sincere belief that even the smallest of efforts can turn into something great.

In conclusion, Ikiru is a remarkable picture that could potentially change one's life. Shimura is a remarkable actor, who's face tells an enchanting story. Kurosawa puts his emotions on the table, and gives us his most tear-jerking film. Praise it! 5/5

The Pianist Review- By Michael Carlisle

Title:The Pianist
Year: 2002
Director: Roman Polanski
Country: US
Language: English

Roman Polanski was born into a Polish Jewish family living in Paris, France on August 18, 1933. In 1936 the Polanski family moved back to Krakow, Poland but unfortunately would eventually experience the horrors of the German Occupation. Roman would be expelled from school due to the Nazi racial purity laws, then forced into the Krakow Ghetto and spend the remainder of his childhood fleeing from German soldiers. Thus The Pianist is labor of love; it is important to Roman that the picture be as honest as possible.

Wladyslaw Szpilman is a brilliant pianist, a Polish Jew, who witnesses the restrictions Nazis place on Jews in the Polish capital. As his family is rounded up to be shipped off to the Nazi labor camps, he escapes deportation and eludes capture by living in the ruins of Warsaw.

The Pianist is based on a true story, and Director Roman Polanski does his best to conform to the original story as possible. The film is intelligent, but does not try to give a clear reasoning for why the Holocaust was allowed to happen. It is a picture about survival, yet it does not try to be a thriller nor does it give into suspense or become overly sentimental. Polanski emphasizes the great amount of  skill and luck one must have had in the Holocaust, rather than making a typical Hollywood picture about moral choice. Polanski knew that Jews trapped within a Nazi system removed the possibility of moral choice.

Cinematographer Ronald Harwood shoots the movie quite well. Rich dark browns with an edge of sepia- showing the moody color of history. Adrien Brody deserved his Oscar for his work. In order to connect with the feeling of loss required to play the role he got rid of his apartment, sold his car, and didn't watch television. It's not much, but at least he tried to method act. Szpilman is an effective character; not a fighter nor a hero- rather just a vulnerable man in a terrible situation.

In conclusion, though Polanski has made many great films throughout his long career, The Pianist is his greatest. It is incredibly detailed, making the audience feel like they are actually in WWII Poland. It should have won "Best Picture" in that year's Academy Awards and I'm disappointed that it didn't. Praise it! 5/5