Sleeping Beauty (1959)

4/5

I had never seen Disney's Sleeping Beauty until now. I can imagine watching it back in the 50's and being astounded by the artwork and design. Even now it stands apart from the cartoons that preceded it and the CGI that followed it. It feels like a lost relic, a type of animation all its own, and a treasure to behold. Although I was always a bit fuzzy on the details of the story, the age-old cliche of a prince's kiss waking up a princess from slumber is familiar territory for anyone who's ever heard a fairy tale. But this movie goes beyond the story, filling its minutes with charm and levity to balance out the frightening evil and villainy. Speaking of Maleficent (the character), it's actually really interesting to see the interplay between this movie and the live-action Maleficent (the movie). Although created 55 years apart, the plot and characterization of one adds to the other. Perhaps I judged Maleficent a bit too harshly and without the requisite background information to allow me to enjoy it to its fullest. (Although I blame my wife, who was so excited to see Maleficent that she couldn't wait for me to see Sleeping Beauty.) Even with the splendor of today's CGI, Sleeping Beauty stands out as an utterly mesmerizing piece of art.

IMDb link: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0053285/

North by Northwest (1959)

4.9/5

Hitchcock's North by Northwest is a genuinely satisfying movie from start to finish. It is probably not one of Hitchcock's best, but it is certainly one of his most enjoyable. The plot follows everyman Roger Thornhill (Grant) after getting kidnapped by Mr. Vandamm (Mason) and his goons. They have confused him for a spy named George Kaplan and thus attempt to murder him. But he escapes (in an exhilarating and hilarious getaway) and then retaliates by trying to find out who his assailants were and who the real George Kaplan is. But they are one step ahead of him and frame him for murder! He leaves town on a train that is crawling with cops, but he gets to Chicago undetected with the help of Eve Kendall (Saint), who we later learn is not at all the stranger she appears to be.

The plot is surprisingly complicated in its typed-out retelling, but it's actually quite easy to follow when you're watching the movie. That is one of Hitchcock's strengths: to think in the shoes of someone watching the movie for the first time, to tell it exactly according to what they are thinking, and to engage the audience every step of the way. The acting is pitch-perfect as you can expect from the stellar actors. Cary Grant is witty in his jokes and charismatic in his delivery. Eva Marie Saint is just the right amount of sexy in her subtle innuendo without being slutty and just the right amount of hurt in her furious indignation without being melodramatic. The special effects are a bit dated, but they still work because they're not essential to the story/experience--they just add to it. Hitchcock flexes his suspense muscles and puts them to good use in this film. Overall, this is an incredibly engaging and stimulating movie by the true master of suspense.

IMDb link: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0053125/

Hiroshima Mon Amour (1959)

4/5

Alain Resnais's Hiroshima Mon Amour is a powerful, quasi-experimental meditation on eternal love, the memory of love, and the gradual disintegration of memory. The plot follows a torrid affair between two separately married people, a Japanese architect and a French actress, over a few days in Hiroshima. She reveals to him her past in Nevers, where she fell in love with a German soldier who was killed, and her fear that she would eventually forget the true depths of the love they shared. As most of the movie is spent dealing with the ephemeral nature of memory, often through repetition of words and scenes that are almost hypnotizing, one can see its similarities to his later film Last Year at Marienbad. However, Last Year at Marienbad was far more experimental with filmmaking techniques and simply did not have the same grounding in reality that this one did. In Hiroshima Mon Amour, we get at least a sense of what really happened and can appreciate how our memory may warp that past event.

Much like Night and Fog, his earlier documentary on the Holocaust, Resnais shows us some unforgettable images of the nuclear aftermath. For the first thirty minutes of the film, we are entranced, engrossed, and disgusted by the still photos, archival footage, and simple verbal depictions of the horrors of that event. To describe the bombing of Hiroshima by saying that the entire city was lifted off the ground and drifted back down to earth as ashes is such absolutely perfect writing. And yet that beautiful, haunting line is just one of many lines that are equally insightful and piercing. With regards to cinematography and editing, the film is both proficient and experimental. When the experiment works, it works exquisitely well. And when it fails, it fails miserably. For me, most of it worked, but I can see it turning a lot of people off from the movie. If you're not in the mood to experience all the piece has to offer, the film can appear slow and plodding. It can be frustrating at times, thinking of the movie in a traditional narrative structure and trying to figure out what "actually" happened. But if you let go of that need, step outside of your comfort zone, you may find this movie to be a spectacular gem. I highly recommend you give it a shot.

IMDb link: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0052893/

Rio Bravo (1959)

4.9/5

Howard Hawks's Rio Bravo is by far his finest film. After a nail-biting, dialogue-free introduction, it instantly sets up a tense waiting game in the vein of High Noon that keeps you glued to the screen until the magnificent, explosive finale. This western is the perfect blend of drama, comedy, and romance. It's the movie version of Firefly, with a lot less space and a little more noir. The plot follows a recently-jailed hoodlum/murderer whose brother attempts to free him. The lawmen trying to make sure justice is served include the Sheriff John T. Chance (John Wayne), the reformed drunkard Dude (Dean Martin), the young gunslinger Colorado Ryan (Ricky Nelson), and the aged cripple Stumpy (Walter Brennan). While the main character is Chance, the most thematically interesting one is Dude, who must come to terms with his addiction and his worth as a human being.

The dialogue is at once humorous and charged. The acting works surprisingly well with the unique characters and involving story. The music starts off overbearing and overly melodramatic but quickly turns into a stellar companion of mood and atmosphere. I was underwhelmed by the somewhat plain and uninteresting cinematography, but that is to be expected in a Hawks film. The editing--specifically the pacing and plot progression--is superb. The technical aspects all work to make the already wonderful movie that much more appealing. Rio Bravo is an utter joy to watch.

IMDb link: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0053221/

Pickpocket (1959)

2/5

How is it possible that Bresson can make the best and the worst films alternatively? Diary of a Country Priest was terrible, A Man Escaped was amazing, and now we're back to terrible with Pickpocket. I hope Au Hasard Balthazar will be a return to amazing.

As in all his other movies, the actors are emotionless bags of flesh announcing words. It was impossible to watch the dialogue and/or "acting" without cringing. This separates the viewer from the characters and the movie becomes unengaging and therefore boring, no matter what's going on on the screen. If something is even going on on the screen: half the time the camera lingers on nothingness when people enter or leave. The plot was flat and ineffective; it seemed as if everything was planned in order to fit the mold of the overarching theme.

There are only two things I really liked about this movie. The first was a philosophy put to words early on in the movie. Responding to Michel's idea that thieves could be good, a police chief says that it would turn the whole world upside down. Michel responds, "The world is already upside down. This could set it right." In a sense, that was the theme of the entire movie: the reversal of expectations. The second was a scene lasting around five minutes where Michel and two accomplices pickpocket about 30 people on a train. It was an orgy of cool.

IMDb link: http://imdb.com/title/tt0053168/

Plan 9 from Outer Space (1959)

1/5

This movie is terrible, from beginning to end. Every word and every action is just plain bad. A group of people walk out from a cardboard church that is attached to a wall and is too small for them to exit standing straight. The tombstones in the graveyard are cardboard as well, wobbling and falling over when people pass by. You can see the strings on the alien flying saucers. Half of the scenes are shot in front of a white wall. The archival b footage doesn't match up with the scenes shot for this movie. Bela Lugosi is there for about one second, where he picks up a rose and it falls out of his hands. After that, another person plays his character. The dialogue is cheesy and blunt. Also, it makes no sense.

The only way to enjoy this movie is drunk. Although I think that's a positive for alcohol, not the movie. Here is my favorite line: "In my land, women are for advancing the race, not for fighting men's battles." Here is the line I laughed the most at: "Your stupid minds! Stupid! Stupid!"

IMDb link: http://imdb.com/title/tt0052077/