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| Syd |
 Posted: Sun May 12, 2013 5:29 pm |
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Joined: 21 May 2004
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Location: Norman, Oklahoma
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When a Woman Ascends the Stairs: Hideko Takamine plays Keiko (affectionally nicknamed "Mama"), a bar hostess who, at the age of thirty, is nearing the point where her looks will start to fade and she's facing the necessity of either marrying a client or starting her own bar. Since she's still devoted to her late husband, starting her own bar seems the better option, but it's difficult to get the money and she has to beg her clients while other financial problems keep coming up.
This is an excellent movie by Mikio Naruse which is a bit weaker toward the end when plot mechanics get in the way, but that's a quibble. Hideko Takamine, who I'd previously only seen in The Human Condition: A Soldier's Story (and promptly forgot I had), is wonderful, and the movie is full of great supporting performances by the likes of Masayuki Mori, Daisuke Kato, Tatsuya Nakadai, Reiko Dan and Keiko Awaji. Naruse has a considerably different directing style than Mizoguchi, with more cutting and camera movement. The movie isn't quite as strong on cinematography as Mizoguchi, but I think Naruse's a bit better with actors. Or maybe it's because he has Takamine as his leading lady. (8.5 of 10)
Edit: Watching it with commentary on, I notice Naruse doesn't actually move the camera much, it's that the editing makes it seem like he does.
Edit2: As near as I can tell through Search, this is the first time Mikio Naruse and Hideko Takamine have been mentioned on Third Eye, which is odd for such a major director and actress. |
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| Syd |
| Posted: Sun May 12, 2013 11:47 pm |
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| Hideko Takamine (or Takamine Hideko) as a child actress was the "Japanese Shirley Temple." Interestingly, during World War II, she was a Japanese pin-up girl, which I guess makes her the "Japanese Betty Grable" as well. |
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| gromit |
| Posted: Mon May 13, 2013 8:31 am |
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Joined: 31 Aug 2004
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Location: Shanghai
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Sounds like what I recall of When a Woman Ascends the Stairs. Strong lead. Interesting buildup, loses steam a bit. Despite the potentially lurid subject matter, it's a film about making a living, trying to get ahead, survival.
I fell behind on watching classic Japanese cinema.
I'm not that into Kurosawa, except for Stray Dog which I love. I'm not that into Ozu, except for There Was a Father, which I love.
I'll have to check if I've seen any other Naruse.
And I'll have to check what Mizoguchi I've seen.
I like what I've seen from the early Shimizu and Yamanaka (Humanity and Paper Balloons).
I prefer the crazy Japanese New Wave more than their classical directors. Teshigihara, Imamura, Oshima, Ichikawa, Kobayashi ... |
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| gromit |
| Posted: Mon May 13, 2013 12:13 pm |
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Location: Shanghai
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Joe Vitus wrote: Pinocchio is way too into its heavy Germanic sentimentality.
I'll have to watch it again to see what you mean.
But there is definite Germanic heroic mythos on display in Bambi in most of the scenes with the bucks.
I really enjoyed Bambi. It's very nice to look at, has a nice pace, its cutesiness works, a good sidekick in Thumper, a great look, a nice sense of discovery.
It's interesting how Bambi says very little -- mostly just repeating the names of things -- and Dumbo says nothing.
Disney loves having small, cute, talkative sidekicks.
Dumbo was all right. The Pink Elephants on Parade segment is easily the highlight, but it's fairly tangential to the rest of the film. Dumbo wraps up in a slightly odd, big hurry -- he can fly, and gets revenge by becoming a big star andthattakesalloftwominutes, The End ...
Bambi is really good. |
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| Syd |
| Posted: Tue May 14, 2013 11:45 pm |
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Joined: 21 May 2004
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Finally watched Out of the Past. Jane Greer must be the most fatal femme fatale I've ever seen.
Out of the Past asks the question: Would a beautiful woman who fired four bullets at her boyfriend, stole $40,000 1947 dollars and fled to Mexico be someone with whom to have a lasting romantic relationship? How about if you're the boyfriend she shot? Love is so complicated. |
Last edited by Syd on Fri Feb 24, 2017 7:29 pm; edited 1 time in total
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Rocky Laocoon foretold of Troy's doom, only to find snaky water. They pulled him in and Rocky can't swim. Now Rocky wishes he were an otter! |
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| billyweeds |
| Posted: Wed May 15, 2013 5:31 am |
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Joined: 20 May 2004
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Location: New York City
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| Syd--Finding it very hard to believe you'd never seen Out of the Past. Well, I'll just have to deal with it. |
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| Syd |
| Posted: Wed May 15, 2013 10:06 am |
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billyweeds wrote: Syd--Finding it very hard to believe you'd never seen Out of the Past. Well, I'll just have to deal with it.
I haven't seen The Asphalt Jungle, either, which is even more amazing to me. I suspect every film buff has odd gaps. |
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| marantzo |
| Posted: Wed May 15, 2013 11:03 am |
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| I never saw Out of the Past in the theatre and didn't even know about it. About 20 years ago I was looking for a movie to pick up at are neighbourhood library and picked up OotP. Was I surprised. It's a classic and I'd never heard of it. The Asphalt Jungle had a very different history for me. I saw it in the theatre when I was 9. |
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| gromit |
| Posted: Wed May 15, 2013 11:03 am |
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Joined: 31 Aug 2004
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Location: Shanghai
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Out of the Past is quintessential noir.
Love Mitchum there.
There's a very fine noir box set with:
The Asphalt Jungle • Gun Crazy • Murder My Sweet • Out of the Past • The Set-Up
http://www.dvdbeaver.com/film/DVDReview3/noirbox1.htm
I like the Gun Crazy still, where the string of light bulbs looks like bullet holes surrounding the one character. Which is easier to notice right when it's juxtaposed with the menus which feature bullet holes. |
Last edited by gromit on Wed May 15, 2013 5:35 pm; edited 1 time in total
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| Joe Vitus |
| Posted: Wed May 15, 2013 11:27 am |
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Before reading this thread, I'd never even heard of Out of the Past.  |
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| marantzo |
| Posted: Wed May 15, 2013 11:43 am |
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Joe Vitus wrote: Before reading this thread, I'd never even heard of Out of the Past.
Let's see, are you around 52 now? If you are, then you are finding out about Out of the Past around the same age as I had found out about it. 
Get the disc or check out TMC when it's Mitchum's birthday. |
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| billyweeds |
| Posted: Wed May 15, 2013 2:51 pm |
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Joined: 20 May 2004
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Location: New York City
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Out of the Past is one of the two or three best film noirs of them all, and without question the purest example of the genre. The Asphalt Jungle is extremely overrated, probably because it was directed by John Huston and was therefore considered good even though only fair. The Killing, one of Kubrick's earliest features and still my favorite Kubrick of them all, is the Sterling Hayden noir of choice--not TAJ.
My favorite film noir is D.O.A., starring Edmond O'Brien. It's just a great film, as are Out of the Past and The Killing. There you have it: the three best film noirs in my book.
In a different genre, Arthur Penn's Night Moves (starring Gene Hackman and featuring a very young Melanie Griffith) is the only great film noir in color. It's haunting, disturbing, and altogether a mindblower. |
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| gromit |
| Posted: Wed May 15, 2013 4:25 pm |
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I started a Noir List at some point, but didn't flesh it out.
1. Kiss Me Deadly
2. Out of the Past
3. The Third Man
4. Ace in the Hole
5. In a Lonely Place
6. Double Indemnity
7. Stray Dog
8. Sunset Blvd
9. Nightmare Alley
10. Strangers on a Train
Not the most adventurous list, I'm afraid.
Some good lesser known noirs: Night and the City, Force of Evil, The Lineup |
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| billyweeds |
| Posted: Wed May 15, 2013 5:02 pm |
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Well--if we're counting such great and amazing A movies as The Third Man, Double Indemnity, Strangers on a Train, Sunset Blyd., and In a Lonely Place as noirs, I would rethink my "best noir" list. I think of noirs as B movies, some of which became great.
Kiss Me Deadly is a genuine noir by my definition. |
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| gromit |
| Posted: Wed May 15, 2013 5:30 pm |
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Location: Shanghai
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Yes, there are definitional issues.
I think a noir = dark themes, shadows and shadowy motivations, a femme fatale, a murder, a convoluted plot with twists, a little deceit and double-crossing never hurt ...
Many/most noirs were of the B variety, but I don't think that's key/necessary.
I agree that Asphalt Jungle isn't that great.
But Murder, My Sweet is. |
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