Rio Bravo

Rio Bravo has many of the stereotypical elements of the classic western.  There are the easy to notice things like the six-shooters, the spurs, saloons, spittoons and cowboy hats.  It is set in the frontier west and has the maverick character with the trusty sidekicks.  The theme is basically typical of the classic western, civilized order versus the lawless frontier.  Sheriff Chance doesn't seem to want to settle down with Feathers (Angie Dickinson).  Some other themes are more difficult to spot.  Although John T. Chance is the main character, Dean Martin's character (Dude) seems to be  the nomadic wanderer.  The film revolves around Sheriff Chance and how Dude sobers up and returns to the law to fight for good.  The "bad guys" in this film are mostly immigrants (Italian, Spanish) which is typical of westerns of that time period.

Mon Oncle

Mon Oncle feels like a silent film reminiscent of Charlie Chaplin or and dry like a Wes Anderson film.  Jacques Tati's style is very meticulous and quite amusing.  It is not your average laugh-out-loud comedy but rather a beautifully scored, intricate comedic look at technology, status and every day life.  The theme is the differences between old/new, working class/upper class and how they live.  Just about every character in this film is endearing in some way or another.  This gives a light feel all around.  The family that lives in the fish fountain house are obsessed with status and anything modern.  They only time they keep the fountain running is when someone of status and wealth comes buy.  What is so funny about that is that they also have a mechanical door to keep people out until the fish fountain can be turned on (although they can see and hear it).  It has awkward moments like when they are having an outdoor dinner party and the woman gives the host rubber flowers.  This reminds me of the feel of The Life Aquatic or The Royal Tenanbaums.

When Harry Met Sally

The 1990's were when the most romantic comedies were released in a single decade.  Meg Ryan is the queen of this genre and has starred in three of the most successful films for this genre.  "Sleepless in Seattle" and "You've Got Mail" (both also starring Tom Hanks) were huge successes due to Meg Ryan.  She is perfect for these roles.  I believe that "When Harry Met Sally" started most of the cliches in romantic comedies.  Sally is a strong and confident women looking for a man in the big city.  Harry is a bit neurotic and desensitized to the dating scene.  He thinks he has it all figured out until, by chance, they meet for a second time.  One of the main cliches this film started is how the main characters do not get along with one another at first.  Over the course of the film, they become friends and start to realize how alike they are.  By the end of the film, they are n love and live happily ever after.  This film will stand the test of time because it is original.  The "Cheech and Chong" films started the stoner/buddy comedy genre.  Even though one would not think of those films as artistic, they were superbly original and will continue be the standard for judging films like it.  "When Harry Met Sally" is the same thing...it's the "Rom-Com" standard.  

The Thin Red Line

The Thin Red Line is a very different type of war film.  Unlike "Saving Private Ryan" (1998) or "We Were Soldiers" (2002), The Thin Red Line did not have any patriotism, much of a plot and didn't need one.  If a film is done right then a plot is not necessary.  I do not feel this film is anti-war because it is only showing war from a different perspective.  It wasn't all "Whoo aahh" and go American democracy.  This film moves along about as fast as molasses travels.  When the actions hits, it's good; like when C-Company overruns Hill 210.  Everything is on fire, bullets are a blazing  and there is a lot of intense hand-to-hand.  Every film made is subject to it's audience.  If I see a hilarious film just after attending a close friends funeral, I am going to take it a different way.  The same goes with anyone approaching a film case-by-case.  A film without a clear plot will have to be taken differently then say "Star Wars" (1977) which has a distinct plot after watching the first twenty minutes.  It is the responsibility of the filmmaker to make the film to the best of their vision.  What the audience takes from that is their own.    

Pan's Labrynth

I feel there is a great comparison between Pan's Labrynth and Robocop.  There are two very distinct types of violence displayed in these films.  In Robocop, the violence is somewhat fake.  Not to say the effects are not believable, but that it doesn't make the viewer feel anything but a bit of laughter.  In Pan's Labrynth the violence feels much more real.  In the scene where Vidal brutally kills the hunter and his young son, the viewer con not help but be a bit mortified by how real it feels.  Vidal takes a bottle of wine and smashes into the hunter's sons bridges of his nose and impales him.  The hunter cries, calls Vidal a murder and shoots him in the face.  Even when Vidal fights Mercedes towards the end of the film, the violence is actually quite realistic.  Mercedes slices Vidals cheek with a razor blade and the computer generated graphics are great.  All in all, Pan's Labrynth is visually stunning, super realistic and extremely violent.  Guillermo Del Toro set this dark fairy tale in 1944 Spain and did so to not stray too far away from reality.  It needed both the fairy tale and the real world to keep its validity.  It seemed that the theme of obedience vs. disobedience is prevalent in this film.  Ofelia, Mercedes and Carmen all have to remain obedient to Vidal because he wears a threat of death around his neck at all times.  He is a scary person that will not hesitate to harm anyone, even a little girl.

Voilence and Robocop

Paul Verhoeven's Robocop is ripe with gruesome and gritty violence.  Violence is to be expected from Verhoeven with films like Total Recall and Starship Troopers (which is very similar to Robocop).  Most of the violence in Robocop is fun violence with a lot of blood.  Whenever someone is shot, they are shot ten more times.  When Murphy is killed in the beginning of the film, his hand is blown off with a shotgun.  Then the rest of the the thugs unload their guns on him, about fifty shots.  As if that isn't sufficient, then he is shot in the head.  That's what is known as overkill.  The violence in Pan's Labyrinth is much more realistic.  When Vidal beats the nose in of the local hunter and then kills his father one can't help but feel sick because its so horrible and real.  I find myself rooting for Robocop due to how he was brutally murdered.  This makes it easier to laugh at the violence in this film.  Although this film is unique, it seems to appeal to more of a mass audience.  I guess that's why I've seen Robocop and Starship Troopers over thirty times combined.

Pee Wee Herman's Big Adventure

Pee Wee Herman's Big Adventure is a monumental film in many ways.  This would be Tim Burton's first film.  Danny Elfman, from an awesome 80's band named Oingo Boingo, has his debut score for this film.  Tim Burton is usually known for his dark and deep scripts but, this film is funny and weird.  Paul Ruebens is the only person for this role and had worked on it for ten years before it.  His HBO special, that was geared for adults, was amazing to say the least.  Big Adventure is still, to this date, Tim Burton's funniest film and least grim.  There are still elements of the dark side of Mr. Burton in the interrogation scene where he proceeds to accuse just about every one of his friends of stealing his bicycle.  As well as the Large Marge scene which depicts a very dark side of Mr. Burtons film making.  The way Tim Burton took the HBO special and the children's television show and turned it in to a film extremely worthy of viewing is something to look at.  In summation, the work of Tim  Burton is not very diverse, but Pee Wee's Big Adventure is the only comedy he has done, short of Mars Attacks!.   Enjoy!