SHANE (1953)

"From now on, when we fight with them, the air is going to be filled with gunsmoke."

Wyoming, sometime after the American Civil War.  A cattle baron, Rufus Ryker (Emile Meyer), isn't happy with the smaller farms and ranches popping up on "his" land.  When the film opens, Shane (Alan Ladd), a gunfighter with a mysterious past (it's almost like he's an ex-gunfighter), is riding his horse past the homestead of one of the new farmers, Van Heflin and wife Jean Arthur.  They talk a little and as Fate would have it, right as he's about to leave...the cattle baron and his men show up and start talking mad shit.  Shane don't take too kindly to them flapping their lips, talkin' shit, so he sticks around as Helfin's peaceful farmhand.  The "peaceful" part last about a week, cause when they ride into town to get some supplies, some of Ryker's men start talkin' shit yet again!  Shane fisticuffs all up in their grills.  After that, Ryker hires a gunslinger (Jack Palance) to take care of things.     

I've seen SHANE a few times over the years and each time I enjoy it.  Strong cast, beautiful camerawork, steady pace...but is it really worthy of all of the extreme praise that it gets?  I, personally, don't think so.  Then again, I find kids in movies to usually be annoying as fuck and the kid in this movie is no exception.  Oh my God, I was hoping a horse would fall on him or something.  The whole movie: "Shaaaaannnneeeee!" over and over.  Vomit.  The scenes without the kid are much better though.  I especially enjoyed Elisha Cook Jr. and Jack Palance.

Not the greatest western ever, but definitely an above average one that deserves to be seen.  Especially by fans of classic westerns.  If you need me, I'll be in my room watching RIO BRAVO.

A PLACE IN THE SUN (1951)

This is a really good movie.

Montgomery Clift is the estranged nephew of the richest guy in a small town.  After a chance meeting (before the movie starts) in Chicago, the uncle invites Clift to come see him sometime.  Clift immediately sets out to do just that and as the film opens we see Clift hitchhiking into town.  He's given a low-level job in his uncles textile mill and forgotten about.  While working on the floor, he meets homely Shelly Winters and they start a relationship.  Things would have been just fine had it remained a simple fling, because Clift secretly has his eyes set on young socialite, Elizabeth Taylor.  He longs to be with her and to live the good life of parties, privilege and expensive toys.  Suddenly, it looks like that dream could become a reality when he receives a promotion at work and Taylor falls for him at a party.  Then sad sack Winters reveals that she's pregnant.  

There were a number of great serious dramas coming out of Hollywood after WWII and the early 1950's.  A PLACE IN THE SUN is one of my favorites.  Director George Stevens headed a U.S. Army film unit from 1943 - 1946 and documented on film all kinds of the horrible things that men can do to each other, including the landing on D-Day and the Hell on Earth horrors of the Nazi concentration camps.  He even helped prepare footage for use in the Nuremberg trials.  The darkness that he saw can be felt in A PLACE IN THE SUN.  Clift's inescapable doom.  The unfair hopeless fate of Winters.  The destroyed innocence of Taylor.  Clift's heartbroken mother who's failed upbringing of Clift contributed to his all consuming desire to escape the shackles of poverty.  None of the main players in this tragedy escape destruction.  Depressing story, doomed characters, death, love, heartbreak, veiled talk of abortion, fear, deep shadows...A PLACE IN THE SUN is a haunting experience.

Another thing that impressed me was the photography.  I mean, Jesus Christ, that scene where they first kiss...holy fook!!!  It's interesting that Clift and Winters first kiss was done all in silhouette, but then when Taylor and Clift kiss for the first time...wow!  I mean, I think, I actually stopped breathing for a few seconds.  The idea to film it that way has to be one of the greatest decisions in film history.

I could go on for hours about A PLACE IN THE SUN, but I don't like writing long reviews or giving away too much.  Instead, if you're a fan of classic Hollywood, then just go watch it for yourself.  It won 6 Oscars and it's easy to see why.  Also, I've always been a fan of Shelley Winters, but her performance here completely blew me away.

Double feature with Woody Allen's CRIMES AND MISDEMEANORS.

FRIDAY THE 13TH: A NEW BEGINNING (1985)