The Four Feathers (1939) 8/10
Wow, what action. What a story. What a performance from Ralph Richardson as a British Army officer circa 1885 who goes to the Sudan, fights the Fuzzy Wuzzies and Dervishes and loses his sight in the process. He had so many great scenes, but the one where he has lost all hope and wanders around his destroyed camp is amazing.
Oh, and there is a sub-plot about the fellow who is given the feathers as a sign of cowardice by Sir Ralph and two of his comrades, who eventually wanders around the Sudan saving everyone’s' ass in the disguise of a mute Arab.
The logistics of filming this in colour and on location in the late thirties must have been staggering. It would be a challenge to mount such a production today, I’m sure.
I remember seeing this film growing up as a part of Elwy Yost’s Magic Shadows/Saturday Night at the Movies show on TVOntario and it brought back fond memories of the effervescent and overenthusiastic Yost with the goofy grin.
I was a bit disappointed with the transfer. The film is not in the best of condition with a lot of imperfections and scratches, even though Criterion had cleaned it up.
Uncle Boonmee: Who Can Recall His Past Lives 6/10
Talk about watching paint dry. This is one of those films where nothing much happens, but enough odd stuff happens that you're curious enough to want to watch it to the end. Ultimately, I'm watching the scenery more than I'm watching the characters in the movie. Luckily, the film is Thai and is set in farming country, so there is a lot of scenery to see.
I usually appreciate odd-ball, Asian films about reincarnation but was left too long for something interesting to happen. A dying farm owner is visited by his dead wife and lost son ('lost' in more ways than one), while sharing time with his sister and a monk who has come to comfort him and help him with his medical treatments. Amongst all this, a unloved princess stops at a secluded pool and is made love to by an amorous catfish. (Well,
that was interesting.)
In all, I guess I could say that the whole movie when right over my head. At least it wasn't as bad as
Valhalla Rising (4/10), which it reminded me of. Valhalla was also lacking much of a plot. (It was something about a group of Vikings going to conquer new lands and getting lost in the 'psychological' wilderness.)
I guess Boonmee was a contemplation on death, while Valhalla was a contemplation on violence. Neither seemed to go anywhere, but at least both had nice scenery.