Lawrence of Arabia (1962)

What a disappointment! Lawrence of Arabia is ranked number seven on AFI's list- it fell two spots in the past ten years. I would concur with that sentiment; I too held this film in a high regard the first time I saw it (around 2000), but nine years later, my estimation of it went down quite a bit. Now I find myself agreeing with IMDB's ranking of it- which is forty out of two-hundred and fifty movies. 

It's not that this movie is bad, oh no, It's not bad at all- the main problem with this movie is that it is far too good to actually be enjoyable. This film is epic with the capitals -E-P-I-C. Watching Lawrence Of Arabia is like reading the Oxford English Dictionary on the beach; Its just too big, too bulky, and while it is indeed much more educational than anything you would find on a CVS or Stop & Shop bookshelf- the education value of the endeavor is not worth the trouble. I love certain scenes in this movie. David Lean was a brilliant director, and if you watch the special features that come with the movie, it's apparent that the filmmakers went to a lot of trouble to film those E-P-I-C desert scenes. But, honestly, even the beautiful cinematography gets ridiculous when every time Lawrence is riding a camel, he comes upon a high mountain, 0r a valley, or just another desert wasteland and suddenly the audience is floored with this E-P-I-C  musical score (DUUUUUUN DUN DUUUUUUUN DUN DUN DUN DUUUUUUN DUUUUN!!!!) until we see another mountain and the whole thing repeats. I desperately wanted to feel that sense of awe and inspiration that I did when I first watched this film; but, it just sadly wasn't there. I remember Holly and I lamenting that an hour and passed, and literally almost nothing happened. So, one of us got up to use the bathroom, and then came back and saw that Lawrence and his army were still crossing the same desert.

Perhaps I could even stand the long desert crossing scenes if there was a discernible story to be in the film. Within the first few minutes we are informed that Lawrence is to be sent on a mission of some importance (with another officer that is stationed with the Arabs) and so he is sent on his merry way. Lawrence is stationed in Cairo as a map-maker during World War I; but, his love of the desert and Arab culture propels him into a role of leader of the insurgency against the Ottoman Turks. This story is not to terribly bad; however, Lean does very little to orient the viewer with issues relating to the Ottoman Empire, the Arabs it controls, The British position in Egypt and the war, or any other type of back story. It would have even helped the view if Lean had bothered to mention that Lawrence had previous experience traveling in the desert and first hand knowledge of the Turks. Instead, Lean paints a beautiful picture of an English Romantic hero, floating into Arabia and leading the Arabs into a revolt- without giving us any type of back story or Lawrence's own personal interest in the cause (he just apparently with born with the desire to promote Arab nationalism).  Lean's portrait of Lawrence is essentially Lord Byran prancing around in the desert. 

Its hard to say that this movie is a "failure" or that it doesn't belong on the list- it is indeed E-P-I-C! and was beautifully shot. However, I will say that if you were to attempt to watch it, you will find very little enjoyment in Lean's 218 minute opus. 

Goodfellas

I was surprised with how much Holly enjoyed GoodFellas, but then again- I was surprised with how much I enjoyed it. I had seen it a few times over the years, and felt that the film has very little left to offer. It was a pleasant surprise to be reminded how engrossing the film is. All of the characters are interesting, and as Holly said as we were watching it, there is hardly any time to be bored with the film- as it continuously moves onto a different aspect of a characters life. It is as if the camera has ADD. The story jumps around and follows the different characters; frequently switching up the perspectives and narratives, it offers such a variety of angles, it's hard to remember why I was not interested in watching it. 

Perhaps its because the gangster genre is so over done in entertainment, and much of it is hammy. Nowadays you can play Godfather video games, rent the Sopranos, or any entertainment medium which glorifies the exploits of thuggish Italians. These things can be interesting (as the Godfather is), but I've found myself growing more, and more tired of the whole idea of "honor" behind the life of crime- as Lord Action famously said (yes this is also overused- forgive me): "Power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely" this is the bread and butter behind all gangster films, and Goodfellas is no exception. What I found most redeeming about it- as Holly was saying- is how accurately they portray the Italian/Irish culture of post-World War II America. It brilliantly shows the demise of the big political bosses, union bosses, and crime bosses of the era. Henry Hill and his working class cronies were remnants of a local political system were indeed neighborhoods had to ban together to form order; because the political establishment was unwilling or unable to look after immigrant Italians or Irish or whomever.  While Henry attempts to win over the audience to whatever supposed nobility was involved in the mafia lifestyle; Scorsese shows the sad results of living a life outside of moral limits. Partially what makes this film so great, is that out of most modern filmmakers, Scorsese seems to believe in the soul- and equally understands the qualities that damn it. 

I highly recommend Goodfellas. There are a lot of movies on this list that I think should have been replaced, I'm glad to see a modern one that has earned its place with the classics. 

Goodfellas (1990)

We recently watched Goodfellas to continue with the AFI 100 Greatest project (which we are hoping to get back on its feet soon). I had never seen it before, and was told by Max that there were virtually no women in the movie. This did not fill me with the greatest anticipation because it is beginning to bug me that so many of the films that made the top 100 are disproportionately male in their actors, characters, content and target audience.

This, however, was an exception to my rule that male = dull. I thought it was a brilliant movie - particularly the cinematography. From the outset, the film was engaging in its choice of camera angles and movement. I remarked to Max that the camera was treated as a character all of its own, rather than a passive observer. In the beginning we hear the voice of the narrator, Henry Hill, and how he had "always wanted to be a gangster." From the moment the music of Tony Bennett's "Rags to Riches" began, I had high hopes... and I was not disappointed!

Martin Scorsese is a wonderfully talented director. We are taken through the early life of Henry Hill. The qualities that make gangster life so appealing to Henry are atrocious, but through the use of the camera we understand that it offers a fast pace of life for a young man with few other options. The film follows the mob lives of three pivotal figures in 1960s, 70s and 80s New York. It really takes you into that life and culture in a way that is deserving of a spot in the 100 Greatest Movie list.

Although you would have to be something less than human to sympathize with the characters in this movie, it still takes you on a whirlwind journey and lets you understand the game that they were all caught up in. I give the movie two thumbs up!

I will have to concur with most of what Holly said about The Graduate. As stated, the movie Garden State outright copies many of the same themes of The Graduate; which after seeing the latter, I have much less respect for Garden State. What seems to differentiate the two films is that The Graduate is more of a universal film- almost everyone will understand the feeling of isolation, that the characters feel throughout the story. Hoffman and Bancroft play their roles wonderfully.

Also as Holly stated, this film was a product of its time, that is, of generational unrest and the destruction of traditional roles and institutions. To be honest, while believable, these themes come across as rather quaint upon viewing the film now. 

Overall, The Graduate defiantly deserves its spot on the list, as a modern classic!