Unforgiven (1992)

Director: Clint Eastwood
Cast: Clint Eastwood, Gene Hackman, Morgan Freeman
Genre: Western

Plot: The biggest names in Hollywood come together to revive what was long dead, and they do it in style—Western makes a come back!

Clint Eastwood has done more westerns (actor/director) than anyone else I can think of. However, instead of being banal, each one of his films is a masterpiece in its own rights. In the same wild west setting there are such subtle variation in script and approach that you can only admire the master at work.

Once notorious killers and partners: William Munny (Eastwood) and Ned (Freeman) are now leading simple farm lives, separately. Munny’s beloved wife is dead and he has completely given up his old ways—whiskey and gun. Until, the economy forces them to take up a last job after a gap of almost eleven years. This last job is more about retaliation than money, though. The task will require them to lock horns with dangerous Little Bill (Hackman)—the sheriff, rather ruler, of the town of Big Whiskey, and they will pay a hefty price.

To clean any place somebody must get hands dirty and, inevitably, the chore falls into Munny’s hands. A little wary at the onset, in the end Munny is at peace with his inner self and realizes he must be who he is without a guilty conscious.

Another superb directorial effort by Eastwood. Timing, chemistry, perception and many other things might go awry when such heavy weights are involved; Eastwood shrewdly avoids that by giving them all personalized breathing space.

Eastwood had to ensure Munny isn’t swashbuckling like his “Dollar Trilogy” character and does a stupendous job on that. Gene Hackaman as a domineering sheriff is nothing less than mesmerizing.

8/10

Rashomon (1950, Japanese)

Director: Akira Kurosawa

Cast: Toshirô Mifune

Genre: Crime/Drama

A teaser trailer for the world of what was to come! 

Kurosawa shows us a glimpse of his immense genius and creativity that he eventually unleashes in his masterwork “Seven Samurai.”

Rashomon isn’t just a movie it is a master in making. This is the film that established Kurosawa legacy/class outside of Japan.

Rashomon deals with a crime, delving deeper than mere investigation and finding the culprit. It thoroughly analyzes the reason-part from different point of views, all along studying the obscure human conscious. And thus establishing that cognition is an immanent act of mind.

Once again, Kurosawa partnered with his favorite, Mifune!

7.5/10

Princess Mononoke (1997, Japanese – Mononoke Hime)

Director: Hayao Miyazaki 

Plot: Man is at war with the Nature that fosters him.

In this age of technological animation—where you can almost feel an on screen drop of water falling on you through your 3-d glass—Miyazaki is like a one-man army successfully leading the bandwagon of hand-drawn animation. And “Mononoke Hime” is “Avatar” of animation genre when it comes to visual creativity! Each and every character breathes freely to its maturity. 

Mononoke Hime is like beautiful bedtime story with loads of lessons in morality and right living. Such stories/movies are what make the world a better place. It is set in imperial age/iron age period of Japan and deals with the then society taboos e.g. lepers, prostitutes, outcasts. There are no negative characters in the movie as everyone of them is somewhat justified for their actions.

Main character Ashitaka is stuck between the battle of man and nature and tries to establish a harmony among them, in which he eventually succeeds.

This is an epic work even more substantial than “Spirited Away”.

While watching the English dubbed version I so badly wished for knowledge of Japanese so that I could watch and understand original too! As there are a few Japanese term which don’t have a meaning in English. Even though the dubbing is very impressive, I plan a re-watch with subtitles.

Wikipedia:

“It took Miyazaki 16 years to fully develop the story and characters of Princess Mononoke. Princess Mononoke came together after Miyazaki visited the ancient forests of Yakushima island, but he didn't fully complete it until well into production. The final storyboards of the film's ending were finished only months before the Japanese premiere date”

8.5/10

From here to eternity (1953)

Director: Fred Zinnemann
Cast: Burt Lancaster (Sergeant Milton Warden) ,Deborah Kerr (Karen Holmes), Montgomery Clift (Robert E. Lee Prewitt), Frank Sinatra (Angelo Maggio), Donna Reed (Alma Lorene)
Genre: War, Romance


Plot: This bona fide classic covers the lives of the soldiers at a Hawaiian army base in the weeks before bombing of Pearl Harbor.

Newly transferred from another base, bugler Robert Prewitt (played by Montgomery Clift) angers his commanding officer (Philip Ober) by refusing to fight on the base’s boxing team. The officer makes Prewitt’s life difficult by giving him the worst duties possible. Deborah Kerr -- won an Academy Award for her performance as wife of the commanding officer -- has a passionate extramarital affair with Sergeant Warden (Burt Lancaster). Prewitt's friend Maggio (Sinatra) dies because of the harsh beating meted out to him by Staff sergeant 'Fatso.' Prewitt soon exacts revenge but gets seriously wounded himself. Meanwhile, Pearl Harbor bombing looms unbeknownst.

The movie has a very strong screenplay, performances are very real and believable.
Frank Sinatra’s acting career was revived after he won an Academy Award for his role as Prewitt’s spirited friend - Angelo Maggio, in this movie.
Famous for his boyish charm Clift delivered another grand performance as a hard headed army-man. Lancaster was simply flawless as a 'hard on surface' Sergeant.

Prior to this Clift gave another solid performance in "A place in the Sun." He really was a dashing personality. Tom cruise would be proud of his looks! Nobody can say what more he could have achieved, if it wasn't for his unfortunate car accident from which he never fully recovered.

Released in 1953, the film won Academy Awards for Best Picture, Best Director, Best Writing, Best Cinematography, Best Film Editing, and Best Sound Recording.

Watch it for Montogery Clift !

8.3/10

Mutiny On The Bounty (1935)

Director : Frank Lloyd
Cast : Charles Laughton,Clark Gable,Franchot Tone
Genre: Adventure, History

Plot : Captain Bligh, his crew, newly arrived Midshipman Roger Byam and Under-Officer Fletcher Christian begin a voyage that will forever change the rules of a sea journey.

Once a classic always a classic. However, in case of this movie it is a role which is truly a classic. Not often do you see Clark Gable's enormous on-screen persona dwindling--it did here in the blinding light of ruthless Captain Bligh's magnificent role-play!

You feel raging hatred for the cruel Ship captain like never before and that's what gives Captain Bligh his immortality as an actor.

His HMS Bounty in on board for a voyage to Tahiti. Bligh proves to be a tyrant leader--somewhat greedy and corrupt but nonetheless courageous. After six pleasant months on Tahiti, Christian leads the crew to mutiny on the homeward voyage. Byam takes no part in the mutiny, and when captured, defends himself against charges that he supported Christian. Also, he brings forth the tyranny/reality of Cpt. Bligh to the world.

This particular incident highly impacted the Captain-Crew relations throughout England for better. By the decree of the then English Queen, harmony and respect overtook the previously meted out slave-like treatment aboard a ship.


A super movie!
8.3/10