OPEN CITY (1945, ITALY)

So what the heck were the post-WW II neo-realistic filmmakers trying to do? Scenarist Cesare Zavatini defines these films as trying “to show things as they are, not as they seem; to use facts rather than fictions; to depict the common man rather than silken heroes; to reveal the everyday rather than the exceptional; to show man’s relationship to his real society rather than to his romantic dreams.” The films also show “unjust and perverted social structures threaten to warp and pervert the essential and internal human values.”

Roberto Rossellini’s Open City is generally regarded as the first of these films and it is very gritty and at times powerful. We can certainly root for the brave members of the resistance, including the local priest, fighting stealthily while under the thumb of the Third Reich. The sacrifice for others is shown over and over again here: The widow Pina working to provide for her family, the resistance fighters not giving away information despite being tortured eventually to death and the priest, who gives the children of the city the strength through his death to persevere in the soon to be opened city, we can hope.

Among the standout perfomers are Anna Magnani as Pina, Aldo Fabrizi as the Preist and Harry Feist, whose sleezy Nazi should be the measure to which all sleezy Nazis in film should be measured against.

A sometimes-hard film to watch is not quite as effective to me as De Sica’s “The Bicycle Thief” but is certainly a strong and important movie in it own right.

METROPOLIS (1927, GERMANY)

Those big bold eyes of Brigitte Helm. The beautifully symmetrical head. This is the lasting image for me from Fritz Lang’s Metropolis. In her role of Maria, Brigitte has to be a convincing spiritual leader, yet mesmerizing enough for John Frederson’s son to fall in love with her and then be a robot that is pure evil and deception. She does all this perfectly. According to IMDB, she didn’t continue her career after 1935. Too bad.

Properly regarded as one of the first great Science Fiction films, though its legacy may be seen more in films about worker rights like Norma Rae rather than latter day Sci-Fi films such as The Fifth Element. “There can be no understanding between the hands and the brain unless the heart acts as mediator.” This theme is pounded home again and again in this film and presumably Thea Von Harbou’s novel as well.

I first saw this film at Ansley Mall in Atlanta when it was re-released in the mid 80’s. The older DVD copy I have isn’t exactly top quality and I have no idea what the story is with the music. During the most dramatic parts of the movie, I have to hear Mendelssohn. Symphony No. 4, which is so associated with the bicycling movie Breaking Away that it seems horribly out of place here.

Gerald Mast in “A Short History of Movies” sees a lot of problems with the film. He calls Metropolis, “a series of stunning pictures with the silliest, wateriest intellectual and dramatic paste holding them together. Well, Hitler did like it and Queen used it as background for their video for Radio Gaga. I forgot my point.

“1001 Movies” states there is a newly restored version out that has been out in recent years. Hopefully, this version also has a new score.

ADAPTATION, (2002)

Let’s see if I have this straight. Charlie Kaufman is the real life screenwriter for the film Being John Malkovich. Susan Orlean is the real life author of The Orchid Thief. Charlie adapted Susan’s unadaptable book as a screenplay for the film Adaptation. Charlie and Susan are both fictional characters in Adaptation, where Susan is having an affair with John Laroche, the subject from her original book. And that Susan Orlean, she's still writing! Shouldn't she be in jail?, I saw what she did to Donald in the movie! Wait, that didn't really happen. And is Charlie’s twin brother Donald even real? Apparently not, which is too bad since he seems like such a likeable guy. I’m thinking of “adapting” an imaginary twin into my life that will support me through all my endeavors.

THE UNKNOWN (1927)

TCM put out a DVD a few years ago under the title the Lon Chaney Collection, which featured Ace of Hearts, Laugh Clown Laugh and The Unknown. Ace of Hearts might seem a bit melodramatic, but I really like the film. You got to love a lovelorn anarchist. It’s also one of the few surviving Chaney films from the early 20’s. Laugh, Clown, Laugh is even better, featuring Chaney as the (still) lovelorn clown Flik.

The film of this trio that is listed in “1001 movies,” that was the most disappointing was The Unknown. That isn’t to say I didn’t like it, in fact, I liked what was there so much that I was disappointed there wasn’t more. Coming in at 63 minutes running time, (Some parts are apparently lost)the movie seems very fragmented. I think the film really needs these missing scenes even though the film commentary says otherwise. But what is there is worth seeing. Chaney as Alonzo the armless, diabolical murderer hiding the fact that he has arms and a double thumb which would implicate him in a murder, Chaney smoking and eating using his feet (though not actually Chaney, but stunt feet!) and not to mention an extremely young Joan Crawford as the love interest.

Since most of Lon Chaney's films are no longer with us, I think in the next Indiana Jones movie, Indy should go in search of missing Chaney films. "Indiana Jones and the Flammable Nitrate Film Stock!" Just a thought.