DRUNKEN ANGEL (1948)

DRUNKEN ANGEL is considered by many to be Kurosawa's "first picture" and I whole-heartedly agree.  To me, it's the first to have that complete Kurosawa feel to it.  It's also the first of 16 collaborations between Mifune and Kurosawa.  Akira's opinion on the matter: "In this picture I was finally myself.  It was my picture.  I was doing it and no one else."

The story takes place in a large city, but all of the events happen in a slum neighborhood surrounding a large foul-looking pond.  Perhaps it's a crater from the war.  Whatever it's origins, it's now a filth-filled hole full of garbage.  The water looks black and something is slowly bubbling up from underneath.  Around this disgusting cancer live thousands of people.  All going about their lives as best they can.  One such person is a doctor (played brilliantly by Takashi Shimura).  He's an alcoholic, but truly cares about people.  A drunken angel.  One night a local gangster (Toshiro Mifune) comes to him for help.  He says he has a nail in his hand.  Shimura pulls out a bullet.  From this meeting blossoms a unlikely friendship.  Shimura tells Mifune to take it easy since he believes that Mifune has tuberculosis.  At first he does, but when some gangster business comes up Mifune falls back into his old ways of partying hard and fighting hard.

There's not much action in DRUNKEN ANGEL, it mainly has to do with the characterizations and the daily lives of Mifune, Shimura and the people in their lives.  I've read about some people disliking Mifune's surreal dream scene, but I thought it was brilliant.  Reminded me a little of the main characters nightmare in LOS OLVIDADOS.

It's not a masterpiece, but it is the first of Kurosawa's truly great movies.  Highly recommended.

HELL IN THE PACIFIC (1968)

During WWII two soldiers (one American - Lee Marvin, one Japanese - Toshiro Mifune) find themselves on the same small uninhabited Pacific Ocean island.  At first, things are really tense with them staying super quite and hunting each other all over the joint.  Then things die down (including the tension) and they kinda just tolerate each other.  Finally they become friends.  Awww.

The idea for HELL IN THE PACIFIC is amazing.  The amount of things that a talented writer (or group of writers) could have happen here gives me butterflies in my stomach just to think about!  In this age of remakes HELL IN THE PACIFIC is one that needs to be remade for sure.  Shit, you could have an entire series of these films.  I love the idea of two enemy WWII soldiers, but how about a Predator vs. an Alien?  No spoken words just two epic hunters hunting the fuck out of each other!  Vampire vs. werewolf.  John Wick vs. Barry Berkman.  The wookalar from THE PRIVATE EYES vs. the Humungus from THE ROAD WARRIOR?  Billy Bob Thornton from "Fargo" (s1) vs. John Lithgow from "Dexter" (s4).  The serial killer zombie dude from SILENT RAGE vs. Leatherface? Jason vs. Michael? Colonel James Braddock vs. Green Beret John Rambo?  John J. Rambo vs. the Wolverines?  Austin Powers vs. Ace Ventura?  A Krite vs. Stripe the gremlin?  Predator vs. Dog the Bounty Hunter?  One-thousand George Romero zombies vs. 10 Brian Keene "The Rising"-style zombies?  The Terminator vs. John Wick?  Pumpkinhead vs. Rawhead Rex?  Hannibal Lecter vs. Pee-Wee Herman?  Magnum P.I. vs. the Creature from the Black Lagoon?   This could go on forever!!

Anyway, back to HELL IN THE PACIFIC.  Awesome start, slowing middle and horrible ending.  There's an alternative ending on the DVD and it's just as horrible!  Overall, worth watching barely since it's an interesting idea and it looks like both leads gave it their all.  Too bad the writers couldn't come up with enough interesting stuff to fill the entire running time...or who knows maybe this was an anti-war movie?  It was made in 1968.  Ehh, either way it's still not as exciting as I had hoped.

GRAND PRIX (1966)

Centering around a fictionalized version of the 1966 Formula One season GRAND PRIX tells the story of four drivers and all of their adventures both on and off the race track.  Of course you got the expected girl troubles and rivalries, but all of that stuff is only so-so.  The main attraction here is the racing scenes!  Filmed in 70mm with cameras actually strapped to race cars going fast as fuck it's almost enough to take your breath away.  I bet people who saw this in a proper theater back in 1966 couldn't believe their eyes.  I know I couldn't and I ended up watching all of the racing scenes multiple times.

James Garner is an American driver looking to make a comeback but when some gearbox trouble inadvertently leads to the injury of another driver he does the only honorable thing and starts sleeping with injured guys wife.  At the same time French driver Yves Montand is cheating on his wife with a reporter (Eva Marie Saint).  There's as a young Italian driver, but he's pretty boring, even though his girlfriend is hot as fook! 

Toshiro Mifune speaking in English (even though his lines are dubbed), Jessica Walter looking young and sexy, great title sequence by Saul Bass, Yves Montand speaking in English, James Garner doing all of his own driving, nice musical score, strong direction by John Frankenheimer.  I really enjoyed GRAND PRIX and even the melodrama between the races wasn't so bad thanks to believable acting and the beautiful photography.