One Wonderful Sunday (1947)

3/5

Akira Kurosawa's One Wonderful Sunday spends the first 80 minutes detailing a depressing, terrible Sunday. Two young lovers, Yuzo and Masako, in post-war Japan lead an honest but poor existence. They go on dates each Sunday; on this one, they have just 35 yen combined. The hopelessly optimistic Masako wants them to make the most of it, using their imagination if they must, but the cynical Yuzo feels like an inadequate boyfriend and becomes depressed over the situation. He is difficult to get along with, and Masako leaves. But that is in the first 80 minutes. After that, the movie does a complete reversal. As the film metamorphes, it becomes filled with tender moments. Yuzo finally succumbs to Masako's tireless optimism and lets his imagination run wild. Kurosawa here exhibits his brilliance, as he refrains from showing on screen what they imagine, but instead lets us use our imaginations with them. And it truly does turn into a wonderful Sunday.

Technically, the movie is a mixed bag. We witness the beginnings of Kurosawa's greatness, in conception but not in execution. Every so often we see raw, amateurish attempts at elegant camerawork, heartfelt acting, and evocative music. But the camera lingers just a bit too long, making the movements feel unnatural instead of fluid. And the editing is just a little off, making the acting feel staged. And the sound quality went in and out, making the music overdramatic instead of subtly on-point. There is one point where Kurosawa breaks the fourth wall and communicates with his audience, and it almost works. It is so close, but just not quite there yet. Over the next few years he refines his work to the mastery we now associate with him. But One Wonderful Sunday is not as good as his more famous work. Don't watch this until after you've seen the rest of his oeuvre.

IMDb link: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0039871/

Monsieur Verdoux (1947)

4.9/5

Charlie Chaplin's movie are always sublimely entertaining from start to finish, and Monsieur Verdoux is no different. It is, however, extremely different in style from his silent comedies. There's no real body humor to speak of, which is certainly Chaplin's strongest aspect. But who would've thought that the silent master was also so adept with words? The wit in this movie shines--it is on the same level as Kind Hearts and Coronets. The plots are also very similar, but being a Chaplin movie, Verdoux has an important message as well: the world is tumbling downhill, but a little kindness can make it all seem worth it. The two most important scenes arise from the same plot device, the first being one of the most tender, delicate scenes of emotion I've seen in any movie, the second being the most side-splittingly hilarious scene I've seen in a long time. The way Chaplin is able to pull this off with such ease in the same movie is a testament to his ability as a filmmaker.

It starts off a little wobbly; it just sort of sets the stage without really being very funny. The movie also feels a little bit jumpy, moving from one story to the next in a sometimes erratic fashion. M. Verdoux's real family is introduced somewhat suddenly and ignored almost equally abruptly. To be more nitpicky, it was a bit bizarre to see Chaplin with a French mustache instead of his signature stubby one, but I thought it worked well and was incredibly funny. It was also a little off-putting to see so little physical humor in a Chaplin movie, and not something you'd expect, but Chaplin is able to make the change with style and panache, and is equally able to ensure that you don't regret it.

IMDb link: http://imdb.com/title/tt0039631/