(Two threads started in one night - am I not but that species of troll that licks after the slime-trail of the slug of wisdom?)
In King County, Washington, the library has thousand of videos. My brother in Atlanta must eat his heart out at this knowledge - inquiring for videos at his library he was told (related with syrup-on-cracker accent) “Yuh wunt mah-oovies? Hyuck, hyuk, whul Blawk-buyster is jast daywn th’ stra-eet.” Translation: tough shit Yankee. But because my library system is so enlightened, I was able to have such family movie marathons as the “James Whale/Mel Brooks 3-feature Frankestein-fest.” and “Psycho/I/II/III” nights.
Tonight it was “She” night (you remember - step into the flame once and you’re a starlet with cheekbones like wheels of Gouda cheese; step in twice and you’re Helen Gurley Brown) - both the 1965 Olivia Hussey and 1935 Randolph Scott version (although not in the same role, unless Scott borrowed Helen Gahagen’s diaphanous gown to take home for a command performance for Cary Grant). I must report that the 1935 version was the abortion history records it to have been. Where the original novel offered an opportunity into late 19th century beaux-arts mysticism with set decorations by Aubrey Beardsley and Maxfield Parrish, Hollywood only supplied an eructating Jim Thorpe.
But, ruminating on the whole 19-century esthetic of art-for-art’s sake espoused by people like Oscar Wilde, James Whistler, Bernard Berenson and Isadora Duncan* I wondered what are among the most “Beautiful” movies that have ever been made.
Qualifications are as follows: Emotional beauty alone is not enough - movies are a combination of visual and musical and narrative: under this criteria “2001 Space Odyssey” is more beautiful than whatever romantic movie helped you through your high school breakup (even if Poole’s love with the pylon wasn’t consummated - at least on screen).
My offhand nominations are “The Red Shoes*,” and “Beauty and The Beast” (Cocteau’s, not Disney’s for God’s sake!). I wonder what other people would suggest?
*Odd how three of the 4 people cited are American expats, but the movies are both European imports.
I’d suggest “The Night of the Hunter”. The landscpaes, lighting, and everything just give it a really scary feel. It shows that a lot of effort went into the sets, camera angles, and everything else. The movie is sort of designed to imitate a child’s nightmares, and it’s very effective.
I think “Casablaca” is a beautiful film. I’m not a film expert, but the scenes are all beautifully shot. Some of those scenes live long in my mind even if it’s been a while since I’ve seen it. Ingred Bergman helps, of course, but there is a quality of the film that captures the entire sense of the movie, the longing and love and poignancy.
I will never, ever forget many of the scenes in “Shakespeare In Love”. Especially the one at the end, when Viola’s ship wrecks, and the sunlit water is shining through her blonde hair. The love-making scenes are breathtakingly beautiful as well.
Finally, “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon” is beautiful from start to finish. I know a lot of people think it’s overrated, but I did love the plot/dialogue, and the cinematagraphy is wonderful. The fighting scene in the trees, the scene in the cave at the end, and the scenes between Lo and Jen in the desert awe me.
Man, hands down it has to be…Blue Velvet. Erotic, disturbing, and gorgeous. Beauty shines through a prism of ugliness in this film, absolutely stunning!
All right, lemme explain. I’m thinking back to when I first saw it. Remember? Before the big fantasy/sci-fi kick. Back when the only reference point you had was 2001. That was cutting-edge special effects.
Starting from the first scene – which Lucas knew back then would make or break the movie, cause if you couldn’t buy into a battlecruiser the size of the World Trade Center, you’re not gonna like the rest of it – there were sequences of some exquisitely shot scenes (mixed with small bits of crap, like the movie’s last scene).
Luke standing on the edge of the dune, contemplating his future and watching the two sunsets (OK I know it’s impossible scientifically, I’m talking aestetics, OK pal?)
The jump into hyperspace, which built up into a sudden star-spinning release. Yeah it doesn’t look nearly as good the 13th time, but that first experience was still a rush.
Then there’s the complete world designed around the characters. Nothing looked so familiar, but neither did it all look so alien. It was like the creators had tapped into our imaginations and desires and drew from it.
Maybe it was just the setting, and the pretty boy/J. Crew model actors and actresses, but I thought The Talented Mr. Ripley was just the most amazingly beautiful film.
A Zed and Two Noughts. Recent review stunned me even more than it did the first time, as I realized that the perfectly symmetrical panning shots of the film are composed of different, symbolic elements on each side, which somehow balance one another both visually and symbolically. Truly the work of an artist, this quirky little gem by Greenaway. It’s a shame that even the letterboxed DVD does a little bit of shaving.
The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari. The Kino version has managed to pull off something few would dare. They brought their own graphic artist in to complement the incomparable abstract production and costume design of Walter Reimann, and succeeded. The film looks like a warped expressionist painting, deftly combining blue-tone and sepia to convey the nightime and day. Eve will kick me in the pants if I’m wrong, but I believe Reimann eventually was committed to an insane asylum.
Written and directed by Terrence Malick. Shot by Nestor Almendros and an uncredited Haskell Wexler. Haunting musical score. Truly a beautiful film.
Honorable mentions: Passion Fish and The Secret of Roan Inish, both from John Sayles: quiet, meditative, moving. Hoop Dreams, a documentary: simple, yet almost indescribably broad in its emotional scope. Ditto for Errol Morris’s Gates of Heaven.
I’d humbly offer Kurosawa’s Ran. Breathtaking visuals, haunting score, and a great plot (of course, it was originally Shakespeare’s plot, but Kurosawa made it uniquely Japanese). Not sure about the narrative aspects of it, since my Japanese is a little weak, but the movie is still one of my favorites.
Hannibal- Beautiful cintemography (sp?), all of it. That second scene, everything in Italy…I loved it. Sure would have been improved by following the book a BIT more closely but, eh, good enough.
Storm of the Century- Really well done, considering it was a made for TV movie…I liked.
