Hacksaw Ridge (2016)

Genres

Biography | Drama | War

Director

Mel Gibson

Countries

USA | Australia

Cast

Andrew Garfield, Vince Vaughn, Sam Worthington, Luke Bracey, Hugo Weaving, Ryan Corr, Teresa Palmer, Rachel Griffiths, Richard Roxburgh, Luke Pegler, Richard Pyros, Ben Mingay, Firass Dirani, Damien Thomlinson, Matt Nable, Robert Morgan, Nathaniel Buzolic

Storyline

It tells the story of Desmond Doss (Andrew Garfield), the conscientious objector who served at the Battle of Okinawa refusing to kill people and that eventually receive the Medal of Honour for his bravery.

Opinion

I am no fan of war movies and I don't particularly like Mel Gibson either. "Hacksaw Ridge" though was acclaimed both by critics and public, so I made the sacrifice to sit through this two hours and twenty minutes long war film. And it paid off.

To my big surprise, Mel Gibson not only delivered a solid war film but one of the best I've seen in a long time. A raw, violent, real and emotional war movie that manages to stand out from the genre because of its story.

It isn't just another fictional story like it usually happens. Instead, it is based on the true story of a remarkable man, Desmond Doss, who volunteered during World War II not to kill the enemies but to save lives. In order to do that, he refused to even carry a rifle. So this is not only a story of war, but a story of bravery that shows how much a determined individual can do.

What I liked the most about "Hacksaw Ridge" is that it can be divided into two parts. The first one is slow paced and deep and takes all the time not only to introduce the main character and to explore his motivations but to develop the supporting characters as well. The second part is fast paced, it is about the Battle of Okinawa and that's when Gibson does a wonderful job portraying war as it is through blood, corpses, destruction, explosions and more. And he does it in a quite detached manner which gives the film a documentary vibe, and the use of a realistic cinematography and spectacular sets really help to capture the brutality of war.

Then, of course, the film wouldn't be the same without its lead. Andrew Garfield gives a terrific performance as Desmond Doss as he brings to the character so much heart to make him feel believable. No less important is the supporting cast among which Vince Vaughn stands out giving an unexpectedly excellent performance as Doss's sergeant. Who knew he could play such a deep role in a war film? I sure didn't. 

Merry Christmas, Mr. Lawrence (1983)

Original Title

戦場のメリークリスマス Senjō no Merī Kurisumasu

Genre

Drama | War

Director

Nagisa Oshima

Country

UK | Japan | New Zealand

Cast

David Bowie, Tom Conti, Ryuichi Sakamoto, Takeshi Kitano, Jack Thompson, Johnny Okra, Alistair Browning, James Malcolm, Chris Brown, Yuya Uchida, Ryunosuke Kaneda, Takashi Naito, Tamio Ishikura, Rokko Toura, Kan Mikami, Hideo Murota

Storyline

During WWII,  British colonel Lawrence (Tom Conti) tries to bridge the cultural divides between a British POW (David Bowie) and the Japanese camp commander (Ryuichi Sakamoto) in order to avoid bloodshed.

Opinion

Don't be fooled by the title, "Merry Christmas, Mr. Lawrence" ain't a Christmas film, but an intense, thought-provoking and moving war drama.

Loosely based on Laurens van der Post's "The Seed and the Sower", the story is at times quite disturbing yet very beautiful and incredibly involving. 

But why waste both your and my time to talk about the plot? That's not what the film is about. It is about the characters. Characters that are beautifully developed which allows us to understand their conflicts and motivations. Also it's incredible how the film shows compassion for every character, making no distinction between British and Japanese, using this compassion to show that there is no bad guy, men all are the same, they just find themselves in the position to do what they have to do.

"Merry Christmas, Mr. Lawrence" beautifully shows the atrocities of war and how the lack of understanding between countries can create so much destruction. It also shows both the physical and mental abuse the prisoners had to live.

However, I cannot imagine the film working this good without its musical score. Composed by Ryuichi Sakamoto - also playing the Japanese camp commander -, the score is absolutely fantastic and fits every scene to perfection.

And at last the acting. I read people were making such a big deal about David Bowie being in the film, and I understand why. His performance as Jack Celliers is superb and he perfectly captures every shade of his character. Tom Conti is also excellent as the British colonel, Ryuichi Sakamoto is simply perfect and Takashi Kitano does a great job as the only "human" Japanese.

1941 (1979)

Genre

Action | Comedy | War

Director

Steven Spielberg

Country

USA

Cast

Dan Aykroyd, Ned Beatty, John Belushi, Lorraine Gary, Murray Hamilton, Christopher Lee, Tim Matheson, Toshiro Mifune, Warren Oates, Robert Stack, Treat Williams, Nancy Allen, Eddie Deezen, Bobby Di Cicco, Dianne Kay, Slim Pickens, Michael McKean

Storyline

It's been six days since the attack on Pearl Harbor and hysterical Californians prepare for a Japanese invasion.

Opinion

I can't imagine how anyone, especially Steven Spielberg, can make something like this and call it 'spectacular'. He oughta be sarcastic, because "1941" is not spectacular and for the matter is not even a comedy.

For the first time I'm here saying that a storyline of a Spielberg movie is utterly stupid and ridiculous. And boring, let's not forget that, because it really is soporific and so not engaging. And it's wrong to call it 'storyline' because there is no actual story. It's just a series of random events of different groups of people that have only one thing in common: they all are living in 1941.

Now one could say that there is nothing wrong with a film made of a series of vignettes. There are some pretty good (or decent) films that don't have a real storyline, like Woody Allen's "Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Sex * But Were Afraid to Ask". What's the difference between that and this one? Something called humour. There is only immature humour that isn't even funny so basically there is no humour. At every single "joke" there was only one thing on my mind and it was "You have to be kidding me. This has to be a parody, it can't be a Spielberg movie."

And just to stay on theme with the shitty writing, the characters are terrible too. There is no character development whatsoever and there are too many of them you can't even have the luxury to fall asleep for 30 seconds - I'm sorry but that's the effect of the film - because you already aren't able to keep track of them all.

However, the most shocking aspect about "1941" is the cast. First, I cannot believe that all these fine actors agreed to make this film; second, how did they manage to do such an awful job? 

I am speechless.

The Monuments Men (2014)

Genre

Comedy | Drama | War

Director

George Clooney

Country

USA | Germany

Cast

George Clooney, Matt Damon, Bill Murray, John Goodman, Jean Dujardin, Bob Balaban, Hugh Bonneville, Cate Blanchett, Sam Hazeldine, Dimitri Leonidas, Grant Heslov, Miles Jupp, Justus von Dohnányi, Nick Clooney

Storyline

During World War II, the American Professor Frank Stokes (George Clooney) recruits 6 men who are each art experts and they are tasked to rescue art masterpieces from Nazi thieves and return them to their owners.

Opinion

If you want to see George Clooney play George Clooney, Matt Damon play Matt Damon, Bill Murray play Bill Murray, John Goodman play John Goodman, and Jean Dujardin play the clichéd French man, this film is for you. Otherwise stay away from it, it is just a huge disappointment.

"The Monuments Men" had the potential to be a great picture, one of those films that entertain the audience, yet transmit some values, and provides food for thoughts. Instead, it is just an empty film that doesn't know what to be.

The film is based on a compelling true story - men at war risking their lives not to destroy something or kill somebody, but to save, preserve the best of human creativity for those yet to come, men who did fight to save people's identities -, but it is poorly written and poorly directed. 

At his fifth directorial work, George Clooney wants to impress everyone by making a Spielberg kind of film, making his own "Saving Private Ryan", and shows us what it means to sacrifice the lives of many for the life of one, but does fail to answer to the main question the film presents us with: is it worth to sacrifice a man's life to save art?

"The Monuments Men" alternates between comedy and drama with the same delicacy an elephant can have in a china shop, and with the same simplicity with which friends become strangers. The horror of war is not in the least perceived, and even in the most dramatic moments George Clooney does not renounce to snatch a few laughs. It pays no respect and makes no honour to those men.

Also, George Clooney and his A-list cast are enjoying themselves like they were on vacation, which would have been appropriate if this was another Ocean's movie, but it is completely out of place since this is a war movie. And what is Cate Blanchett even doing here? She is always great, but she really doesn't have much to do here other than speaking with a French accent and looking irritated the whole time.

Schindler's List (1993)

Genre

Biography | Drama | History

Director

Steven Spielberg

Country

USA

Cast

Liam Neeson, Ben Kingsley, Ralph Fiennes, Caroline Goodall, Jonathan Sagall, Embeth Davidtz, Malgorzata Gebel, Mark Ivanir, Beatrice Macola, Andrzej Seweryn, Friedrich von Thun, Jerzy Nowak, Norbert Weisser, Anna Mucha, Piotr Polk, Rami Heuberger, Ezra Dagan, Hans-Jörg Assmann, Hans-Michael Rehberg, Daniel Del Ponte, Oliwia Dabrowska

Storyline

In Poland during World War II, German businessman Oskar Schindler (Liam Neeson) gradually becomes concerned for his Jewish workforce after witnessing their persecution by the Nazis.

Opinion

It's that day of the year when the horrors of the Holocaust are remembered, and among all the films on this topic, I couldn't do otherwise than to choose the best and most powerful film about the tragedy of Jewish people.

A devastating, magnificent and touching work of art, "Schindler's List" is the story of a courageous man trying to respond to the Nazi madness as well as a lesson to everybody.

Even though it is based on events that actually happened, the film could have easily been nothing more than just a historical drama. However, the film manages to stand out from the crowd thanks to the uniqueness of the story, but especially the way the story was told. It is the style of this work of art that gives the film that extra edge, and makes it capable of evoking profound emotions while not ruling out scenes that try in every way to bring the audience to tears.

For that very reason, the film offers a moment to reflect deeply about what one rich man - both of money and heart - can do to this world, a man who makes account of the evil that surrounds him and that belong to his world, and decides not to be a partner in crime, risking his own life.

Janusz Kaminski's black and white cinematography is spectacular. Some moments, such as the attack in the Krakow ghetto and some other moments in the camp, are extraordinarily captured, and when it comes to Auschwitz, a chimney is enough to portray that hell. Then there is purely scenic scene: a young girl who escapes the massacre of the ghetto but then seen dead among other corpses recognizable thanks to her red coat that clearly stands out in the black and white photography.

Liam Neeson gives the performance of his lifetime as Oskar Schindler, portrayed with irresistible charm and gradually changing as the film progresses. He is so incredible, you'll soon forget he is Neeson. Ralph Fiennes brilliantly portrays Amon Goeth, a true, heartless, sadistic monster - sadly this monster actually existed. Ben Kingsley also gives an excellent performance as Schindler's accountant, Itzhak Stern. 

Those accents though. I don't understand why Spielberg opted to have the character speak English with a German accent. A pathetic accent to be honest. 

"Whoever saves one life, saves the world entire."

The Bridge on the River Kwai (1957)

Genre

Adventure | Drama | War

Director

David Lean

Country

UK | USA

Cast

William Holden, Alec Guinness, Jack Hawkins, Sessue Hayakawa, James Donald, Geoffrey Horne, André Morell, Peter Williams, John Boxer, Percy Herbert, Harold Goodwin

Storyline

After settling his differences with Japanese POW camp commander Saito (Sessue Hayakawa), British colonel Nicholson (Alec Guinness) cooperates to oversee his men's construction of a railway bridge for their captors, oblivious to a plan by the Allies to destroy it.

Opinion

I start by saying I've seen this film only once, yesterday, and my opinion might change on a second view, but I don't think this movie is as flawless as people say. Hard to believe but even though a lot of people complain about its historical inaccuracy, this is not what I disliked about the film.

Indeed a great anti-war film, The Bridge on the River Kwai's weaknesses are the way the story develops, and the slow pacing. 

The film starts off well, showing how British prisoners of war were treated by Japanese - even though I don't think they were that friendly and solidary. It is quite brave I'll give it that, especially for its time. But then, it becomes a battle of wills between a Japanese commander and a British captive colonel, and the war vanishes to make room for pride. After becoming almost soporific, and dragging out everything, the film comes back to life with the William Holden side plot, that raises the interest and provides some relief. Ultimately, however, the film stumbles again with an overlong jungle crossing.

However, the film is an excellent critique of war, and instead of turning people, especially commander Saito and colonel Nicholson, into villains, the film does make a powerful statement on the madness of war. That's it, madness, not horrors, or monsters, just madness.

Alec Guinness delivers a tremendously powerful performance as Nicholson, and helps us to understand his character's motivation. Sessue Hayakawa gives a brilliant performance as Saito but he is overshadowed by Guinness. William Holden does a good job but frankly he pales when compared to the others. 

Quotes

Major Clipton: Madness! Madness!

The Great Escape (1963)

Genre

Adventure | Drama | History

Director

John Sturges

Country

USA

Cast

Steve McQueen, James Garner, Richard Attenborough, James Donald, Charles Bronson, Donald Pleasence, James Coburn, Hannes Messemer, David McCallum, Gordon Jackson, John Leyton, Angus Lennie, Nigel Stock, Robert Graf, Jud Taylor, Hans Reiser, Harry Riebauer, William Russell, Robert Freitag, Ulrich Beiger, George Mikell, Lawrence Montaigne, Robert Desmond, Til Kiwe, Heinz Weiss, Tom Adams, Karl-Otto Alberty

Storyline

Exasperated at the number of escapes from their prison camps, the Nazis relocates the Allied prisoners in an "escape-proof" camp. What the Germans don't realize is that they've put all the best escape minds in one location, and, undaunted, the prisoners will plan one of the most ambitious escape attempts of World War II.

Opinion

With a title itself that already implies its greatness, The Great Escape is a magnificent film that has everything. Action, adventure, comedy, and drama.

The film is essentially divided into two parts, having the first part telling in detail the planning of the clever escape, and the second part following the protagonist during the real escape. These two parts differ in their quite opposite tone and rhythm of narration. The slower and almost playful first part in which the viewer is dragged into the story is followed by a more dramatic second part, in which we see, one by one, the dream of our escapees vanish. 

Director John Sturges handles the slow and extremely detailed narration in an exceptional manner and does not make the audience feel the burden of the passing hours. Also, he delights us with tons of claustrophobic sequences that have as their main character the narrow tunnels dug by the prisoners.

Among the escapes, the most famous is indeed Steve McQueen's spectacular and scenic escape on a motorcycle, that has made its place in the history of cinema.

Mention worthy is Elmer Bernstein's spectacular, epic musical score, that wonderfully blends humour, excitement, and drama.

In this first-class cast, Steve McQueen is the star among the stars and gives a terrific performance as Virgil Hilts, the Cooler King. James Garner plays James Garner as Robert Hendley, the Scrounger. Richard Attenborough is superb as Big X, the escape committee mastermind. Charles Bronson is spectacular as the claustrophobic Danny "Tunnel King". Everybody else also made a wonderful job.

Quotes

Ramsey: Colonel Von Luger, it is the sworn duty of all officers to try to escape. If they cannot escape, then it is their sworn duty to cause the enemy to use an inordinate number of troops to guard them, and their sworn duty to harass the enemy to the best of their ability.

Life Is Beautiful (1997)

Original Title

La vita è bella

Genre

Comedy | Drama

Director

Roberto Benigni

Country

Italy

Cast

Roberto Benigni, Nicoletta Braschi, Giorgio Cantarini, Giustino Durano, Horst Buchholz, Amerigo Fontani, Raffaella Lebbroni, Sergio Bustric, Lydia Alfonsi, Pietro De Silva, Marisa Paredes, Claudio Alfonsi, Alessandro Nardi, Giuliana Lojodice, Francesco Guzzo, Gina Rovere, Gil Baroni, Franco Mescolini

Plot

1930's in Fascist Italy. Guido Orefice (Roberto Benigni), a Jewish Italian bookshop owner, courts and marries Dora (Nicoletta Braschi), a woman from a nearby city. They have a son, Giosuè (Giorgio Cantarini) and live happily together until the German occupation of Italy.
In attempt to help his son survive the horrors of the Concentration Camp, Guido tells his son that the Holocaust is a game and the winner takes a tank.

Opinion

Never before I've seen a film that symbolizes its name and its message so good. Life Is Beautiful is an unforgettable film, not about the Holocaust, but about love, optimism and inner strength. It is about seeing the other side of things, the surreal and funny side.
Roberto Benigni, which in my opinion is the best Italian director, is capable of bringing to the screen a dramatic story, that not only makes you cry but also makes you laugh. It is amazing the way he talks with the child, and the peace and pain message he transmits is wonderful.
If you haven't already, I highly recommend you to watch this movie. If you have and you liked it, I may suggest you another great Benigni's film, The Tiger and the Snow.

Buy on Amazon.com | Buy/Rent on Amazon Instant Video

Quotes

Guido: Buongiorno, Principessa! 

Adult Giosuè: This is my story. This is the sacrifice my father made. This was his gift to me.

Guido: What kind of place is this? It's beautiful: Pigeons fly, women fall from the sky! I'm moving here!

Rating

10/10