War Horse (2011)

I'm told the play is amazing. Spielberg should have honoured it by leaving it as a play instead of turning it into a sappy flick. While there is some genuinely beautiful images in the movie, I had a hard time focusing on the story, themes and characters with all the sweeping, epic, emotional music backing the whole thing - not to mention the slow motion sequences and drawn out telling.

The Iron Lady (2011)

This film didn't try to accomplish too much by critiquing British Prime Minister Thatcher's policies, laying out her legacy and analyzing the woman herself. Instead it succeeds by focusing on the latter almost exclusively and through the frailty and vulnerability of an old Margaret Thatcher who is battling dementia and recalling her life as one of the most powerful women of the 20th Century and certainly one of the most steadfast British PMs.

Watching the film, you would forget you are watching Meryl Streep as she so boldly portrays such a cultural icon. The Iron Lady doesn't tiptoe around some of Thatcher's controversial decisions either, they just let her tell it as it is. As one who was not a great fan of many of Thatcher's policies, I did gain a appreciation for the love of country and for her sacrifice in public service.

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Ningen No Jôken (1959)

The Human Condition, a Japanese saga lasting 9 hours 39 minutes, gives a sobering look at empirialism, socialism, and humanism.

It is set during the 2nd World War in Manchuria where the Japanese have set up labour camps among the Manchus. Kaji, the lead character, is young and idealistic believing that the world can be better and people will respond well if they are only treated with basic dignity. He is placed as a supervisor over a team of coal miners and is continually at odds with his fellow supervisors. As such, he makes several enemies. The epic story takes Kaji away from his wife and into the infantry where he is put into training, then battle. The story spirals into despair as the Japanese lose ground and later the war. Kaji struggles with his ideals and how they collide with the brutality surrounding him.

The film is black and white and could be accused of being a little melodramatic, but the story and struggle is superb giving the viewer a lot to mull over.

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The King's Speech (2010)

Splendid telling of a personal struggle of a public man. The acting in the film is so good, I have trouble reconciling that Colin Firth wasn't the actual King of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.

A commoner is solicited to help a prince with his speech impediment. The resulting relationship crosses the lines of tradition, status and doctor/patient.

Very inspiring - as the speeches of old often were.

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Bent (1997)

So many films have been made about the Holocaust, but the subjects have typically been Jews. This film focuses on the persecution of homosexuals in Germany prior to and then during the war.

It is based on a play, so the film is beautifully composed and the dialogue is rich. Clive Owen and Canadian actor Lothaire Bluteau provide powerful bodies and characters to bring the story to life.

It is a desperately sad story, nearly devoid of hope.

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Inglorious Basterds (2009)

This is the biggest surprise I've had in a long while. Because of the marketing surrounding Quentin Tarantino, I thought the film was going to be an ultraviolent blood bath. It wasn't! Instead, I found brilliant dialogue, intense cinematography and some very funny characters.

In occupied France, a Nazi becomes so notorious for his ability to sniff out hiding Jews that he is nicknamed the "Jew Hunter." In reply, an American platoon composed entirely of Jews terrorizes the German army by ambushing small groups of soldiers and brutally killing them. But this is really just the back story. A Jewish girl hiding out in Paris running a cinema plots her own vengeful massacre of the German high command.

As I mentioned the dialogue makes this film a winner. I loved that Tarantino didn't use the English language as a crutch - half the film is spoken in French and German. The final scene is the most brilliant and the most disturbing - well almost.

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Shutter Island (2010)

Martin Scorcese has made another remarkable film with his muse Leonardo DiCaprio as the follow-up to his Oscar winning film The Departed.

Widower and U.S. Marshall, Teddy begins an assignment to find a missing violent psychiatric patient who has escaped from her ward on Shutter Island. He, with his partner, quickly find that something is not quite right on the island and the investigation spreads to other aspects of the mental institution. They find that the possibility of leaving may be diminishing by the hour - and finding this patient might be more difficult than they had first imagined.

First, the film is stylistically a classic thriller using many of the elements that Alfred Hitchcock used - clues and foreshadowing abound in the first 10 minutes. The fact that it is set in 1954 and that it feels like a 1954 movie is awesome. Second, the writing is gripping and when the end occurs, you end up retracing your footsteps to the beginning and recalling all of the events. Third, the actors perform amazingly, stirring emotions of sadness and fear to extreme levels.

Brilliant!

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Underground (1995)

Also known as Once Upon a Time there was a Country, this artsy and comedic biopic of the 20th Century life of Yugoslavia touches on both the pathos of its history and the resilience of the population.

Two scheming brothers in Belgrade end up fighting German invaders when the Nazis attack in the early 1940's. Leading them is the fearless and legendary Tito (shown in archive footage between eras) and surrounding them are people from every ethnic group in Yugoslavia who have joined together for a common cause. One brother is badly injured and is kept in a bomb shelter with other resistance fighters where they produce weapons while the other brother profits from their work long after the war is over as their only point of contact on the outside.

The film becomes much more surreal and it crosses path with a film crew producing an epic battle (which was in reality more humourous than heroic) before entering into the early 1990's when the two brothers end up on opposite sides of the civil war.

Rather than rendering a clear synopsis of Yugoslavia, Underground speaks of humanity and inhumanity between brothers. The film deserves the accolades it received.

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Youth Without Youth (2007)

Writer and Director Francis Ford Coppola uses his fame and money to put produce a film that perhaps only he can understand.

When an elderly Romanian professor is struck by lightning and survives only to become young again, but retaining all of his prior knowledge, people take note (especially Nazis who are after the secret of perpetual youth). As he no longer ages, he devotes himself to learning languages and science better than anyone else. A woman joins him on his quest as she experiences trances that bring her closer and closer to the dawn of humanity.

The story is very convoluted and some of the only redeeming factors are the great acting from Tim Roth and the hope that something will be explained in the end.

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Die Fälscher (2007)

The Counterfeiters is another holocaust film. It won an Academy Award for Best Foreign Film and thoroughly deserved it. 

A master counterfeiter is imprisoned in Nazi Germany and put into a concentration camp during the war. Along with other Jewish prisoners who have expertise in printing and bank notes, he is conscripted by the German army to produce foreign currency to fund the war and as a weapon against other countries by generating inflation. The dynamics within this small team of counterfeiters is the focus of the film as they work for their tormentors for an end they despise while at the same time doing so in order to survive.

The lead actor, Karl Markovics, deserves a nod for his stoic performance as one who can not lose as everyone around his loses.

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Every Time We Say Goodbye (1986)

This is a unique tale of forbidden love set in Palestine during World War II. 

An American airman serves in the British forces as the Americans had not yet joined the war. He is stationed in North Africa and goes to British controlled Palestine during his leave. He meets and falls in love with a Jewish woman whose family is dead set against the relationship - for several reasons.

The film isn't really shy about even admitting that this relationship isn't really meant to be: he's lonely and homesick, she's fascinated with this foreign character. There is even a side story of their friends who marry and split during the tale. But it seems to be a realistic depiction of war time love as that was the norm as service men left many pregnant women or well-intentioned engagements unfulfilled. 

Nothing beats a good love story though.

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Indigènes (2006)

Algerian men served under French command during World War II only to be unfairly treated and then discarded by the army they served.

The film follows a band of Muslim North Africans who display bravery in their fight to liberate an occupied France. As their French comrades are given home leave every few months, they don't return once during their 2 years of service. They are placed on the front lines with little support. When Algeria gains its independence from their tyrannous colonizer, the soldiers' pensions are cut off. We watch injustice after injustice on the screen, but the Algerians display grace and fortitude throughout.

While the story is tremendously important and the acting is superb, the film does lack momentum. There is the constant tension you would expect from this story, but it doesn't build very much through the story.

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Australia (2008)

I highly anticipated this film from Baz Luhrmann (Moulin Rouge). He adds unrestrained style and flair to his films which is refreshing since so many films cater to as broad an audience as possible and become bland as a result.

The story centres on a woman who, after just arriving in Australia, becomes the manager of a cattle ranch in the outback. The ranch provides the only competition to a massive cattle producer during wartime. A relationship forms between the Mrs. and her drover. But the film doesn't end there. Luhrmann tackles several historical elements of his native land - the main one being the whites' relationship with aboriginies and those of mixed race. 

The film goes on for 2.5 hours and the climaxes don't necessarily increase. Many of the performances are superb and there is hardly a boring moment in the film. I found the computer generated cattle somewhat unbelievable, but it is hard to find good bovine actors. 

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Hotaru no haka (1988)

Grave of the Fireflies tells the tragic tale of two Japanese orphans during the last days of World War II. While history has been faithful in telling the stories of the victims of war on the winning side, it has often neglected the innocent victims on the losing side.

Depicted in beautiful Japanese animation, we are thrust into the towns the allies firebombed. The two children, Seita (10) and his sister Setsuko (4), use whatever skills and resources they can muster in order to survive while adults around them struggle too. Ultimately, the story spirals into despair and loss. We are soberly reminded that this is the plight of war orphans around the world, throughout history and today.

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Casablanca (1942)

I find this film to be tremendous for two reasons: it's moral stance and it's historical significance.

Declared by many to be the greatest love story of all time, we don't see the lovers succumbing to their carnal desires, but rather to the will to honour each other. This is very admirable - and rare. Bogart and Bergman show cause for true love, though some today would say they are protecting an archaic understanding of marriage.

The fact that this film was made just after the United States had officially entered World War II makes this a war document in and of itself. No one knew how much longer the war would go on nor who would ultimately win. The Germans are clearly depticted as the bad guys, but not nearly as callous as they are in future films. It is more an issue of nationalism during the making of the film - which is superbly depicted in the bar scene where the French overwhelm the Germans in song.

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Atonement (2007)

This is a majestic love story set against impossibility and memory. It stands far above other films in its genre.

A couple unites briefly and passionately out of class division in 1930's Britain. A lie and war subsequently and tragically separate the two.

As the film is based on a novel, it is structured as such and brings out a major theme that we see in recent novels: memory and it's own version of events. Atonement becomes a dreamlike walk through some events that are partly shaped by a young girl's perception. The dream is accentuated by flowing camera work and a unique soundtrack that incorporates much of the sounds in the film, especially the click of the typewriter, implying that the story is being written as we watch it.

The other events are implied deeply by the players attitudes, expressions and interactions - and are they ever done well! James McAvoy stands tall in a variety of circumstances.

Truth: There is little we can do to atone for our sins except confess with a contrite heart as the hurt inflicted can run very deep with lasting consequences.

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De Tweeling (2002)

A tragic film of twin German sisters who are separated in childhood when their parents die. It proves a study in humanity and the brotherhood and sisterhood that exists among all people, but the sad reality that we allow things like nationalism to separate us.

The girls grow up on opposing sides in World War II, one in poverty in Germany, the other in an affluent Dutch home. They are reunited on three occasions in adulthood, but bitterness keeps them separated. We get an intimate view of both sides of the war. An S.S. officer who only joins because he can be decommissioned earlier and a jew sent off to Auschwitz form the romantic sides of the sisters. These traits alone prove to be divisive despite expressed support of the sisters reuniting and seeking understanding.

Twin Sisters is told very well, blending memory with three pairs of terrific actresses to represent the sisters during different epochs.

Truth: If we lay down our own pride and seek to understand who our enemies are, we may find that they are our brothers and sisters.

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The Third Miracle (1999)

I'm very skeptical and so it's difficult for me to enjoy a film about saints that people pray to. The story is compelling, though contrived, and the characters honest enough, so the film is passable.

Although I'm certain that many people can enjoy this film, the writing takes on too many cliché characters: the faithless priest (saw him in The Exorcist and Signs), political church leaders, the unholy temptress, the abused teenage girl, the faithful monk, the saintly woman, etc. And while I accept these characters, I would expect them to stray a bit from established ones.

The story weaves in and out from the past and flashbacks and adds the mysticism of a statue of Mary shedding tears of blood. Viewers are inevitably drawn into the question as to whether the claimed miracles are real or not, whether the saintly woman will be beatified, whether the priest will fall in love with the temptress, whether the girl will die, whether the political clergy will be overruled, etc. But it is all quite melodramatic. We are not watching a new story.

The acting is commendable; Ed Harris reveals his doubt dramatically on various occasions. The film is set in 1977-1981, but the costumes and styles seem a bit too modern.

Truth: Faith is given purpose and strength only when it is tested.

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Judgment at Nuremberg (1961)

Weighing in at 3 hours, you have to give yourself time to digest this movie. I'm at a disadvantage watching this film as so many of the questions it asks were already posed during my university history classes. The film does an excellent job at dramatizing these important issues though and they should continue to be brought up.

Eighty per cent of the film takes place inside a Nuremberg court room. Three American judges preside over the trial of four German judges charged with crimes against humanity for their roll in enforcing laws of the Third Reich. It is already more than three years since VE Day and the world isn't interested, in fact the world's eyes are not squarely focused on the brewing Cold War a few miles away.

We are offered several tragic personal stories of racism, sterilization, and political persecution along with documentary footage of the concentration camp at Dachau. Striking a magnificent contrast to this is the happy German people singing in a tavern and the upbeat defense lawyer who says that if these judges are to be convicted, then the entire world ought to be as well for their complicity with Hitler on various levels.

There is very little that I can critique the film of. One minor thing would be the inclusion of some mundane and repetitive scenes, without which may have shortened the film by 20 minutes, making it more palatable to a larger audience. It was also shot in black and white, though technicolor had existed for several years already (probably a budgetary constraint).

The acting in the film was superb and I would watch it again just simply to watch these classic actors take on such emotional roles. The camera almost never stands still. It rolls around the courtroom during long dramatic questioning and monologues.

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Letters from Iwo Jima (2006)

I don't know if I am hardened or what, but this film, though quite tense and graphic, was remarkable gentle. I think it had something to do with the dutiful characters in the film; since they were able to press on into sure death, so was I able to follow with my eyes.

I was both eager to watch Letters and dreading the viewing. I knew the outcome as do most people, so it's a pretty grim story to sit yourself down to watch. Clint Eastwood does an apt job of following a young baker through the battle defending Iwo Jima near the close of World War II. This baker/soldier carefully walks a line of being a devout Japanese empirialist and being a man of reason; willing to die for no reason and willing to avoid dying if he has the chance.

This pointed contrast is what truly marks this film as foreign. Western viewers just don't 'get' kamikaze fighters. I don't personally see honour in sacrificing yourself for your country when there are viable alternatives to you dying. What was made clear in the film was the pressure placed on the Japanese soldiers and generals by their superiors. If you failed in a mission or defence, you had one option and that was suicide (or honourable beheading that could be performed on the spot by a friend or superior).

I felt strong sympathy for the Japanese soldiers. Here they were fighting a battle for an empire that was using them as fodder knowing full well that the war would be lost within a few months. The film makes a strong statement on war and the perpetrators that go so far to get nowhere.

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