Spring 2015 #16: High Noon (1952) - Fred Zinnemann

 A Western?! How many of these are there? 

On the bright side, this is the shortest Western I’ve ever heard of, at 84 minutes. It also flips the genre on its head by happening in real time, in one town, and without any chase scenes. Crazy right?

Oh yeah and Grace Kelly plays a Quaker!

Okay, so now that you’re probably down for this “barely longer than an episode of Game of Thrones” feature film, here’s what it’s about. High Noon tells the story of Will Kane (Gary Cooper), as he is about to leave for his honeymoon, when he learns that an old enemy of his, Frank Miller, is coming in to town on the noon train and wants to kill him. Apparently Kane tried to get Miller hanged for his crimes but he was released on a technicality. The whole town is mad at Kane for this and now no one wants to help him. 

Especially not his pacifist wife, Amy Fowler (Grace Kelly). They get married in the first scene, and Kane is about to give up his job as the town marshal forever, until he learns of the return of his rival.

And the entire movie takes place between about 11 and 12:15! Kane runs from the saloon to the church to his ex-girlfriend to his successor as town marshal, and no one wants to help him out. Either because they believe Miller should kill him for letting him get away, or because they are mad at Kane for coming back when he had just given up his position as marshal.

The film culminates in Miller’s arrival, and the two battle it out for good old-fashioned patriarchal supremacy. But don’t expect only the guys to have all the fun! Kane’s (and also Miller’s) ex-girlfriend, Helen Ramirez, is a total badass, and also Mexican! (Even the actress, Katy Jurado, is Mexican!) The film takes place in New Mexico Territory.

High Noon went on to win four Oscars, including one for Gary Cooper. It ranks at #211 on the IMDb Top 250 and #27 on AFI’s 100 Films.

Fall 2014 #10: Dial M For Murder (1954) - Alfred Hitchcock

 Another Hitchcock movie! Following my tradition of including one on every Moviecation list.

This is one of those film titles I had heard tossed around, but obviously after seeing Psycho and Shadow of a Doubt in film classes and then Vertigo, North by Northwest, and Rear Window for Movie Bucketlists, this one was kind of a random choice.

The plot follows a married couple, Tony and Margot Mary Wendace (played by the incomparable Grace Kelly!). Margot is having an affair with a man named Mark Halliday, and Tony constructs an elaborate plot to kill his wife and inherit her wealth. It’s a kind of like a feminist Double Indemnity, since it’s the gold-digging man after his wife’s money? Okay maybe uxoricide and feminism shouldn’t be lumped together that way.

So basically since the perfect murder is possible only on paper (as the film posits), shenanigans ensue and Hitchcock works his suspenseful magic!

Only this time I don’t know if I was as impressed as I normally am. Instead of following a detective solving a case as it is unravels before the audience, we’re watching a detective solve a case we already know the answer to. Will he catch the culprit? Who knows! Do we care…? I’m not so sure.

Grace Kelly is fabulous as always (okay yes the only other movie I’ve seen her in is Rear Window). Like a true future Princess of Monaco. Fun fact, Prince Rainier had to produce an heir or the Principality of Monaco would revert back to France! It was a real Princess Diaries 2 situation! He ended up having two daughters and a son with Grace Kelly, and the son, Prince Albert II, is the current ruler of Monaco and one of the richest rulers in the world with a value of $1 billion.

Anyway the film was interestingly enough shot using 3-D cameras, but was screened in 2-D because interest in 3-D film came and went in just an instant in the early 1950s. The film is also based on a BBC play, and the detective is the same actor from the Broadway run.

The film is currently #163 on the IMDb Top 250 and has an 88% on Rotten Tomatoes.

Spring 2014 #2: Rear Window (1954) - Alfred Hitchcock

So I realized last night when I stated that my theme was “Directors who always come up in conversation but whose films I’ve never seen,” it was basically a complete lie. Last night I saw my fourth Hitchcock film, after Shadow of a Doubt (1943), Psycho (1960), and Vertigo (1958). So let’s get started!

The story focuses on a man named L.B. Jefferies, who is confined to his room after his photography job caused him to get in an accident at the racetrack, where he broke his leg. He is played by James Stewart, the same as the protagonist from Vertigo (and It’s A Wonderful Life, which just failed to make my last list). He is stubborn, intellectual, and a bit pretentious. He spends most of his time spying on his neighbors through their windows.

His girlfriend is Lisa, played by Grace Kelly. This was actually my first Grace Kelly movie ever, which was exciting. So Lisa is basically the opposite of Jeff, she comes from an upper class background and she sells designer clothes and enjoys her lavish lifestyle. In the beginning of the film we find out Jeff is reluctant to marry her because she is “too perfect.”

Which the sassy nurse explains is stupid.

So Jeff has a neighbor living across the courtyard who has a wife that is an invalid, and one day the man is acting super suspicious, and the next day his wife is gone. He call his detective friend, who assures him that murder is not the answer. They soon begin investigating, and each piece of evidence assures the detective that the man’s wife went to stay in the country, but Jeff, Lisa, and the nurse don’t buy it.

The film is very funny at times, because it shows how glimpses into people’s private lives can be so misleading. Other critics have argued that each couple that Jeff spies on is a potential path for Lisa and Jeff’s relationship, and that’s why he is so hesitant to propose. Also Jeff has some pretty interesting neighbors, including this ballerina who has never heard of blinds before.

Anyway, the film, in typical mid-20th century fashion, is incredibly slow to start up. But Hitchcock knows his audience, and he certainly knows suspense, and I think the payoff was worth it. It had me like:

So I recommend that everyone take the time to see it. The film ranks #31 on the IMDb Top 250, and #48 on the AFI 100 Movies list. It’s no Psycho, but on the bright side it also didn’t make me afraid to shower.