Based on Roald Dahl’s children’s novel, “Fantastic Mr. Fox” is a 2009
stop-motion film directed by Wes Anderson.
The film is highly visual and features a great level of detail. Compared
to modern animation, stop-motion adds an artistic element. There is a nuanced
quality, where things are not quite perfect, but that’s what separates it from
other animated films.
Mature themes are incorporated into the story arc and this makes the
film enjoyable for adults and kids alike.
The film was nominated for numerous awards, including two Oscars and a
Golden Globe.
The Movie Club will be screening “Fantastic Mr Fox” on Wednesday 10
January 6pm sharp at Narellan Library. Tea, coffee and biscuits provided, BYO
snacks are more than welcome. Stay after the screening for a short discussion
about the film. See the discussion questions to get some ideas.
Based on
Charles Dicken’s classic, ‘A Christmas Carol’, Scrooged is a 1988
interpretation starring Bill Murray as the scrooge Frank Cross. Frank is a
big-shot TV executive who is about to learn the meaning of Christmas from three ghosts.
The film has
been criticised for not having enough ‘Christmas spirit’, however, this may be
done on purpose to contextualise the story for a contemporary audience.
‘Scrooged’
succeeds in pulling off a humorous and current adaptation of the classic Christmas story, however, it cannot
be compared to the traditional ‘A Christmas Carol’.
The Movie Club
will be screening ‘Scrooged’ on Wednesday 13 December, 6pm sharp at Narellan
Library. Tea, coffee and biscuits provided, BYO snacks are more than welcome.
Stay after the screening for a short discussion about the film. See the
discussion questions to get some ideas.
Midnight in
Paris is a 2011 film from director Woody Allen. The film focuses on the main
character of Gil, an American who navigates his way around Paris with his
fiancée.
The film
incorporates elements of fantasy and nostalgia as Gil mysteriously goes back in
time to 1920s Paris each night at midnight.
The film
presents a visible tension between American and French culture, or rather, the
stereotypes that American culture holds of France.
Themes of
nostalgia, memory, and history are ruminated upon against a romantic Parisian
background and this allows for an exploration of characters and of the city
itself.
With many of
Allen’s films set in New York, ‘Midnight in Paris’ is a rich and vibrant
departure.
The Movie Club
will be screening ‘Midnight in Paris’ on Wednesday 8 November, 6pm sharp at
Narellan Library. Tea, coffee and biscuits provided, BYO snacks are more than
welcome. Stay after the screening for a short discussion about the film. See
the discussion questions to get some ideas.
‘Vertigo’ is considered to be one of Alfred Hitchcock’s defining
films along with ‘Psycho’ and ‘North by Northwest’. With an intelligent script
and intense stylised editing it will keep you intrigued to the end.
The film begins with Scottie, a private investigator, who
comes to the realisation he has vertigo. Now out of work, Scottie agrees to
help his friend Gavin to investigate his wife’s odd behaviour. This leads to a
series of tense and unforgettable events.
The film is compelling both as a stand-alone story which is
mysterious and smart, but even more intriguing to know is that the film is one
of Hitchcock’s most confessional. Scottie represents Hitchcock and the way he
used, feared and controlled women.
An intense look at the dangers of obsession, desire and
control, the film is striking in visual effects, particularly the final scene.
The themes remain relevant to a contemporary audience, and will make you
re-think the roles of men and women in society, particularly the way some can
manipulate and ‘mould’ others.
The Movie Club will be screening ‘Vertigo’ on Wednesday 11
October, 6pm sharp at Narellan Library. Tea, coffee and biscuits provided, BYO
snacks are more than welcome. Stay after the screening for a short discussion
about the film. See the discussion questions to get some ideas.
‘Hunt for the Wilderpeople’ is
one of those special films which uses humour to make you feel more human, more
compassionate perhaps, more connected to yourself and your surroundings. The
film tells the story of foster kid Ricky – young, rebellious and habitually
rejected. Ricky finds himself in the care of Hec and Bella, an older couple
living in a rural area. When Ricky attempts to escape and Hec goes looking for
him, what ensues is a nation-wide man-hunt. A fresh and natural dialogue keeps
the film away from cliché territory and the New Zealand wilderness adds another
layer of meaning to this very human story.
The film comes from New Zealand
director, Taika Waititi, who also directed ‘Boy’. Waititi is known for creating
a strong sense of voice in his films. ‘Hunt for the Wilderpeople’ has a voice,
a nuanced voice that is refreshing and original.
The film was nominated for 25
awards across numerous international film festivals, including the Audience
Award at the Edinburgh International Film Festival. The Movie Club will be screening
‘Hunt for the Wilderpeople’ on Wednesday 13 September, 6pm sharp at Narellan
Library. Tea, coffee and biscuits provided, BYO snacks are more than welcome.
Stay after the screening for a short discussion about the film. See the
discussion questions to get some ideas.
Based on a
novel titled, ‘Badge of Evil’, the film is an intense story of police
corruption on the border of Mexico and America. Narcotics officer Mike Vargas
is drawn into the case of a car bombing that occurs on the border. Working with
US police officer Hank Quinlan, Vargas begins to suspect the officer of
planting fake evidence. Vargas follows this trail of corruption to the
displeasure of Hank. During this time, a Mexican crime syndicate are planning
an attack on Vargas’ new wife who he thinks is safely hidden away in a hotel on
the US side of the border.
The film is
visual and use of dramatic suspense creates an intense aura throughout. However,
it seems Vargas’ wife Susan, is sometimes forgotten in the film. She is pushed
into a hotel and terrorised by local gang members, yet much of this and its
effect on her character is ignored.
‘A Touch of
Evil’ was re-released in 1998 to reflect the director’s (Orson Welles) original
version of the film. The initial 1958 release had been substantially edited by
film studio Universal. The 1998 edition was re-edited based on notes written by
Welles.
The Movie Club will
be screening ‘A Touch of Evil’ on Wednesday 9 August, 6pm sharp at
Narellan Library. Tea, coffee and biscuits provided, BYO snacks are more than
welcome. Stay after the screening for a short discussion about the film. See
the discussion questionsto get some ideas.
Part comedy,
part road film, part black comedy, part drama, ‘Little Miss Sunshine’ is a film
that covers all the bases. It all starts with Olive Hoover, a young girl
obsessed with beauty pageants. In the opening scene Olive is seen staring at
the television, watching a pageant. We are then shown the rest of the Hoover
family: her unsuccessful motivational speaker dad, her overwhelmed mum, junkie
grandad, depressed Uncle, and her mute brother Dwayne. This opening scene
around the dinner table clearly defines the family dynamic and sets the tone
for the rest of the film.
The entire
family embarks on a road trip to get Olive to a beauty pageant in time to
compete. Along the way a series of events unfold, painfully for the characters
but entertaining and funny for the audience.
What makes
this film so great is the acting; all the actors know their characters and you
see everything on their faces, the love and the pain.
‘Little Miss
Sunshine’ won two Academy Awards for ‘Best Original Screenplay’ and ‘Best
Supporting Actor’ for Alan Arkin.
The Movie Club will be screening 'Little Miss Sunshine' on Wednesday 12 July, 6pm sharp at Narellan Library. Tea, coffee and biscuits provided, BYO snacks are more than welcome. Stay after the screening for a short discussion about the film. See the discussion questions to get some ideas.
When a man by the name of Verbal
is brought in for questioning, he tells an almost unbelievable story. Verbal
recounts the story in flashback, of five criminals who meet in a police line-up
who decide to band together to perform a vengeful heist, which leads them
further into crime.
The Usual Suspects is an
intricate film of intense, sometimes superfluous, editing that reveals a plot
of mystery and revelations. It is part crime, part mystery part film-noir and
relies on plot and post-editing to grip the viewer to the very end.
Full of violent twists, and the
mysterious Keyser Soze, the film requires the viewer to watch closely, almost
demanding it to be watched a second time over. However the acting is fluid, the
plot crafted meticulously and the script witty.
The film won two Academy Awards,
one of which was for ‘Best Original Screenplay’,it also won two BAFTAs for ‘Best Original
Screenplay’ and ‘Best Editing’. The film’s intense editing and intense plot
will keep you on your toes.
The Movie Club will be screening 'The Usual Suspects' on Wednesday 10 May, 6pm sharp at Narellan Library. Tea, coffee and biscuits provided, BYO snacks are more than welcome. Stay after the screening for a short discussion about the film. See the discussion questions to get some ideas.
This month the Movie Club will be screening 'Happy-Go-Lucky'. Written and
directed by Mike Leigh, ‘Happy-Go-Lucky’ is a character-driven film that
follows the protagonist, Poppy, as she experiences some ups and downs in her
life. Poppy is a 30-something school teacher living in London. She is
optimistic, chirpy and happy all of the time, it is not a superficial act, it
is just who Poppy is. Poppy lives with her friend and co-worker, Zoe, who acts
as a kind of moral compass in a film that combines extreme optimism with
extreme pessimism (in the form of Scott). Scott is a narcissistic driving
instructor whom Poppy seeks out for driving lessons.
The film
relies on a series of events that slowly reveal the characters of Poppy and
Scott. There is no major dramatic plot or action sequence, rather we meander
through the everyday life of Poppy: as she goes to work and deals with a
problematic student, as she converses with a homeless man, as she takes salsa
classes, as she visits her younger sister Helen, as she takes driving lessons
with Scott. It is through these sequential shots of Poppy’s life that we
build-up a knowledge base that reveals layers of Poppy’s character. Dramatic
tension is maintained throughout by the relationship between Poppy and Scott.
The film is
interesting not only for its character study of Poppy, but also its depiction
of gender and stereotypes. Most of the characters in the film are female,
except for Scott and Tim. Tim is only a minor character, and Scott is presented
as aggressive, impulsive and an unlikeable male. The lead character here is
Poppy, the film is Poppy’s film, and there is no male counter-part that she
ever needs to rely upon. To add to this, Poppy defies the norms of female
happiness; rather than gaining a sense of meaning from a man, children or
family, Poppy sources fulfilment from things such as work, flamenco dance
classes, trampolining, and friends.
Nominated for
an Academy Award, the film is funny and light, yet full of wise lessons and
deep emotion.
'Happy-Go-Lucky' will be showing on Wednesday 8 March, 6pm at Narellan Library. Tea, coffee and biscuits provided, BYO snacks are more than welcome. Stay after the screening for a short discussion about the film.
This month the Movie Club will be screening Lost in Translation, written and directed by Sofia Coppola and starring Bill Murray and Scarlett Johansson.
Washed-up Hollywood actor Bob Harris (Murray) is in Tokyo to film ads for Suntory whisky. Not knowing the language and not being familiar with the culture, he finds the exercise difficult, with the translations lacking. In the hotel he meets Charlotte (Johansson) a recent graduate from Yale with a degree in philosophy who is accompanying her photographer husband, John, who is in Tokyo on assignment. Charlotte has not found her purpose in life, and is stranded in the hotel while John is out working. This leads Charlotte to explore what Japan has to offer, but she often finds these experiences have little impact with her, reflecting after one visit that she "didn't feel anything". Together Charlotte and Bob make the most of their situation and find that they develop an especially strong bond that both need even if they can't explain it.
The film received much acclaim when first released, with 95% on Rotten Tomatoes and going onto many critics best films lists. It has the rare quality of a film that is both sincere without becoming over sentimental or sappy, maintaining a clear eyed, yet compassionate look at its subjects. It features subtle and stellar performances from Murray, revealing an ability to handle poignant as well as the more humours tone of his earlier career, and newcomer at the time Johansson, who was only 18 at the time of filming.
The film will be screened on Wednesday 12 October at 6pm at Narellan Library, Corner of Queen and Elyard Street, Narellan. Tea, coffee, and biscuits provided, but BYO snacks are more than welcome. Stay after the screening to share your thoughts about the film and join in a discussion about the many heartfelt moments in the film.
This month the Movie Club will be screening Joel and Ethan Coen's Fargo, starring Francis McDormand, William H. Macy, and Steve Buscemi.
Car salesman Jerry Lundegaard (Macy) dreams of becoming rich like his father-in-law, Wade Gustafson (Harve Presnell), by investing in a parking garage development. To do this, he needs cash, and the best solution he can devise is to have his wife Jean (Kristin Rudrüd) kidnapped so that he can collect the ransom money, knowing that her wealthy father would more than willingly pay it for her safe return. To do this, he hires two career criminals, Gaear Grimsrud (Peter Stormare) and Carl Showalter (Buscemi). But things go wrong from the outset, and as the body count rises the events spiral out of Jerry's control. Pregnant police chief Marge Gunderson must use all her police cunning to bring those responsible to justice.
The film has garnered universal acclaim after its release, with the reviewing duo Roger Ebert and Gene Siskel crowning it the best film of 1996. It has maintained its status, given its unique characterisations, offbeat dark humour, and exaggerated local colour.
The film will be screened on Wednesday 14 September at 6pm at Narellan Library, Corner of Queen and Elyard Street, Narellan. Tea, coffee, and biscuits provided, but BYO snacks are more than welcome. Stay after the screening to share your thoughts about the film and join in a discussion about the many darkly humourous moments in the film.
In August the Movie Club will be screening Stand By Me, directed by Rob Reiner and starring River Phoenix, Wil Wheaton, Corey Feldman, Jerry O'Connell, and Kiefer Sutherland.
In Castle Rock, Oregon, 1959, four boys, Gordie (Wheaton), Chris (Phoenix), Teddy (Feldman), and Vern (O'Connell), come to believe that they know the location of the dead body of a boy who went missing from a nearby town. They decide to take a journey out of town and across the country to find the body and be celebrated as local heroes. While taking the journey the boys face many perils, some real, some only rumour. But what they really find along the journey is who they are and where they are going.
The film is based on a Stephen King novella, originally entitled "They Body", from the Different Seasons collection, which also contained "Rita Hayworth and the Shawshank Redemption", which was also made into a film in 1996. Like The Shawshank Redemption, the film has become an audience favourite, and won the approval of King, who believes it to be one of the first accurate adaptations of his work. It has become the quintessential coming-of-age film, dealing with the loss of childhood innocence, death, nostalgia, and the uncertainty of growing up.
The film will be screened on Wednesday 10 August at 6pm at Narellan Library, Corner of Queen and Elyard Street, Narellan. Tea, coffee, and biscuits provided, but BYO snacks are more than welcome. Stay after the screening to share your thoughts about the film and join in a discussion about the many intriguing insights the film explores.
This month the Movie Club will be screening Taxi Driver, directed by Martin Scorsese and starring Robert De Niro, Jodie Foster, and Harvey Keitel.
Travis Bickle (De Niro), an honourably discharged Marine, suffers from chronic insomnia. To help alleviate this he becomes a taxi driver, working the night shift, 12 hours a night, 6 nights a week. This doesn't help his insomnia, and his loneliness and depression become ever stronger. Added to this is the insight into how corrupt, sleazy, and dysfunctional New York City really is. All this leads Travis to desire to do something, to clean up the streets, to give his life meaning, leading to ever more deranged and self-aggrandising thoughts and actions.
The film has courted controversy numerous times. It was immediately criticised for its violence (some going so far as to call it a "stupid orgy of violence", even though almost all the violence happens in a 10 minute sequence right at the end), and has even been linked with John Hinckley, Jr.'s attempted assassination of Ronald Reagan. However, with the films rich technique from one of the form's masters (Scorsese) and its intriguing thoughts of violence, heroism, loneliness, and desire, it is certainly more than a "stupid orgy".
The film will be screened on Wednesday 13 July at 6pm at Narellan Library, Corner of Queen and Elyard Street, Narellan. Tea, coffee, and biscuits provided, but BYO snacks are more than welcome. Stay after the screening to share your thoughts about the film and join in a discussion about the many intriguing insights the film explores.
This month the Movie Club will be screening The Bridge on the River Kwai, directed by David Lean and starring Alec Guinness, Sessue Hayakawa and William Holden.
The story is set in a Japanese P.O.W. camp where a new band of British troops, led by Colonel Nicholson (Guinness), are instructed to help build a bridge as part of the Burma Railway that aids the Japanese war effort. Saito (Hayakawa), the commandant, instructs that all prisoners, officers and enlisted, will perform the manual labour in the construction of the bridge. As he says, "for it is they [the officers] who betray you [the enlisted] by surrender. Your shame is their dishonour." This aggrieves Nicholson, who maintains that the Geneva Convention prohibits officers from being forced to undertake such duties. This leads Saito and Nicholson to numerous confrontations, with Saito questioning Nicholson's honour and Nicholson attempting to maintain his pride and the order of his troops.
The film went on to win numerous awards, including the Oscar for Best Picture, Best Director for Lean, Best Actor for Guinness, Best Music, Best Adapated Screenplay (from a novel by Pierre Boulle who also wrote The Planet of the Apes), Best Film Editing and Best Cinematography. (Hayakawa was nominated for, but did not win, Best Supporting Actor) The film has subsequently gone on to have a following with many elements becoming part of popular culture, most notably the Colonel Bogey March. With its discussion of honour, pride, cowardice and madness, the film has become a unique war film, one "that focuses not on larger rights and wrongs but on individuals", and where by the end "we are less interested in who wins than in how individual characters will behave.” (Ebert, [April 18, 1999], The Bridge on the River Kwai [Review]).
The film will be screened on Wednesday 8 June at 6pm at Narellan Library, Corner of Queen and Elyard Street, Narellan. Tea, coffee, and biscuits provided, but BYO snacks are more than welcome. Stay after the screening to share your thoughts about the film and join in a discussion about the many classic moments and intriguing insights the film explores.
This month the Movie Club will be screening Clint Eastwood's elegy to the western, Unforgiven. Directed by Eastwood, he also stars alongside Morgan Freeman, Gene Hackman and Richard Harrison. Made at a time when the popularity of the western had long since gone, Unforgiven nonetheless won Academy Awards for Best Film and Best Director for Eastwood. What's more, it has provided very striking commentary on the western tradition as a whole from one of its most recognisable faces.
A pair of cowboys disfigure a prostitute, Delilah Fitzgerald (Anna Levine), in Big Whiskey, Wyoming. The local sheriff, Little Bill Daggett (Hackman), is a former gunfighter and extracts harsh punishment on any transgressions in his town. But with the cowboys his concern is not for the disfigured prostitute, but for brothel owner Skinny Dubois (Anthony James) and the financial losses of having a "cut-up" prostitute. This leads the other prostitutes led by Strawberry Alice (Frances Fisher) to gather $1000 for a bounty on the two cowboys. This brings all manner of former and current gunslingers to town, including English Bob (Harris), the Schofield Kid (Jaimz Woolvett), and Ned Logan (Freeman) and William Munny (Eastwood), leading to violent confrontations with Little Bill as he tries to maintain the order of his town.
The film has all the hallmarks of a classic western, from the hardened gunfighters to the striking but harsh landscape that establishes the human toil. But all of these are questioned, from the nobility of violence to the increasing commercialisation of the west where the moral absolutes and the belief in violence as a solution are made entirely ambiguous.
The film will be screened on Wednesday 11 May at 6pm at Narellan Library, Corner of Queen and Elyard Street, Narellan. Tea, coffee, and biscuits provided, but BYO snacks are more than welcome. Stay after the screening to share your thoughts about the film and join in a discussion about the many intriguing commentaries the film makes.
This month the Movie Club will be screening Casablanca, starring Humphrey Bogart, Ingrid Bergman, and Paul Henreid, and directed by Michael Curtiz. Based on the play Everybody Comes to Rick's, a thinly veiled cry for America to become involved in World War II in opposition to the isolationist policies prevelant at the time. The film was green-lighted shortly after the bombing of Pearl Harbour and released the following year, with many rewrites to the original script.
Casablanca, in 'Unoccupied' Morocco, has become a haven for many trying to flee the ever encroaching terror of Nazism in Europe. The centre of night life is Rick's Cafe Americain, run by Rick Baline, a American expatriate with a tumultuous past. Despite the suffering and longing surrounding him, Rick prefers to avoid entanglements and proudly claims that he sticks his "neck out for nobody". All this changes one night when Ilse, the woman he loved in Paris years before, comes to town with her husband, the Resistance leader Victor Laszlo. Rick must choose whether to place his emotional turmoil aside and help Ilse and Victor escape the clutches of the local Nazi officer, Major Strasser, or to turn his back on the woman he loves.
The film was just another movie when it was made, as "no one making 'Casablanca' thought they were making a great movie." (Ebert, R. [September 15, 1996] “Casablanca [Review]”) But as time has passed the film has gathered new generations of viewers, with its quotable dialogue (some of the most quoted and certainly the most misquoted line in film), but also for its great use of lighting, cinematography, and the pitch-perfect casting.
The film will be screened on Wednesday 13 April at 6pm at Narellan Library, Corner of Queen and Elyard Street, Narellan. Tea, coffee, and biscuits provided, but BYO snacks are more than welcome. Stay after the screening to share your thoughts about the film and join in a discussion about the films many classic and affecting scenes.
In March the Movie Club will be screening the much celebrated The Shawshank Redemption. Based on a Stephen King novella (in fact, King lists it as one of his favourite adaptations of his work) and was directed by Frank Darabont (who also directed The Green Mile and The Mist, two other adaptions that King lists among his favourites). It star Tim Robbins and Morgan Freeman.
Wrongfully convicted banker Andy Dufresne (Tim Robbins) is sent to Shawshank State Penitentiary to serve two life sentences for the murder of his wife and her lover. Despite the injustice of the situation, Andy realises the futility of pleading his case once within the walls, and attempts to make the most of this unavoidable situation. While in prison he meets Red (Morgan Freeman), one of the prison's contraband smugglers, who ponders Dufresne's unusual personality. Dufresne puts his talents as a banker to good use, and becomes Warden Norton's (Bob Gunton) money launderer. This has many benefits for the prison community, as Dufresne's favour with the warden and the guards allows him to rebuild the prison library. Little know to all, although stoically accepting his changing life in the prison, Andy harbours an unquenchable hope for his freedom, and makes efforts to see himself living a new, tranquil life beyond the prison walls.
The film did not perform well at the box office, but has subsequently become highly regarded. It currently holds a 91% "Fresh" Rating on Rotten Tomatoes, and in 2015 the United States Library of Congress selected the film for preservation in the National Film Registry, finding it "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant". But the film has also become extremely popular with audiences who connect with its main characters and the triumph of hope and freedom over a crippling and unjust position.
The film will be screened on Wednesday 9 March at 6pm at Narellan Library, Corner of Queen and Elyard Street, Narellan. Tea, coffee, and biscuits provided, but BYO snacks are more than welcome. Stay after the screening to share your thoughts about the film and join in a discussion about the films many powerful moments.
This month the Movie Club will be screening the original film of teenage angst Rebel Without a Cause. Directed by Nicholas Ray, the film stars Natalie Wood, Sal Mineo and James Dean in a career and generation defining role.
Jim Stark (Dean) is new in town, but even before he attends his first day at school he is picked up by police on a drunkenness charge. His parents come to get him out, and the juvenile division officer learns of Jim's anger at the constant bickering of his parents. There he also meets Judy (Wood), who gets herself into trouble to try to connect with her seemingly disinterested father, and Plato (Mineo), who comes from a broken home and was arrested for shooting puppies.
At school things don't improve. Although Plato becomes fascinated with Jim and tries to befriend him, and Jim tries to connect with Judy, her boyfriend, Buzz, and his gang don't take to kindly to Jim, resulting in a knife fight. Buzz eventually decides to settle this with a chicken run. From there all three find themselves becoming involved in ever more problematic behavior spiraling out of their control.
The film's power lies in its seeming inability to describe what is causing the youth to 'rebel'. There is an uncertainty that permeates all the actions, with questions "why do we do this?" or "what can you do when you have to be a man?" All attempts at answers are unconvincing, with some giving up simply by admitting "I don’t even know why I do it", and others attempting to provide weak although compelling reason like "you've gotta do something."
The film will be screened on Wednesday 10 February at 6pm at Narellan Library, Corner of Queen and Elyard Street, Narellan. Tea, coffee, and biscuits provided, but BYO snacks are more than welcome. Stay after the screening to chat about the many uncertainties and questions the film leaves unanswered. Share your thoughts or use the discussion questions.
In January the Movie Club will be screening Steven Spielberg's masterpiece Schindler's List. Based on Thomas Keneally's Booker Prize winning Schindler's Ark (1982), the films stars Liam Neeson, Ben Kingsley, and Ralph Fiennes.
The film tells the story of Oskar Schindler (Neeson) a Sudeten German who moved into Kraków in 1939 in the hopes of becoming rich thanks war industry to the cheap Jewish labour provided by the Nazi Party. He mixes with all the top officials and generals, is a ladies man having numerous affairs, throws the best parties, and knows how to do deals, both above and below board. But after becoming established Schindler starts to shift from profiteer to humanitarian. Working at his factory provides thousands of Jews with reason to live, as they become vital to the war effort in the eyes of the Germans. With the aid of his street wise account Itzhak Stern (Kingsley), Schindler utilizes his skills in charming, dealing and bribing to keep as many Jews alive as possible, having to deal with numerous corrupt officials and zealous commanders like Amon Goeth.
The film is shot entirely in black and white, with the exception of the now famous girl in the red overcoat. Spielberg wanted the film to have the weight of a documentary, filming in original locations and utilizing numerous camera techniques to mimic original footage, and dividing the film by historical events like the liquidation of the Kraków Ghetto. Along with perfectly cast actors in career defining roles the film provides a powerful viewing experience and remains one of the primary films dealing with the Holocaust.
The film will be screened on Wednesday 13 January at 6pm at Narellan Library, Corner of Queen and Elyard Street, Narellan. Tea, coffee, and biscuits provided, but BYO snacks are more than welcome. Stay after the screening to share what about the film had the greatest impact on you, or join in a discussion about the films many powerful moments.
This month the Movie Club will be screening the film noir classic The Maltese Falcon. Based on the novel by Dashiell Hammett and directed by John Huston, the film stars Humphrey Bogart as private detective Sam Spade.
Spade and his partner Miles Archer are hired by Ruth Wonderly to find her sister who has fallen in with a bad crowd in San Francisco. On the first night Archer is murdered and it is revealed that Wonderly is not who she claimed to be and is in fact searching for a jewel encrusted falcon statuette of untold value. Through the search Spade comes across others who are also searching for the same statuette all the while trying to solve the mystery of his partner's murder.
The film is notable not only as the first lead role and defining performance of Bogart (in addition to Hughes directorial debut and Sydney Greenstreet's film debut) but is arguably the first film noir and the defining detective film. Released the same year as Citizen Kane (which also added to the techniques of the genre) the film's subject matter and characters takes on a grittier, more real world tone. It established many of the characteristics of the genre, like the hard-boiled lead, femme fatale, moral ambiguity, as well as striking visual techniques, most notably the interplay of shadows.
The Maltese Falcon will be showing on Wednesday 11 November at Narellan Library (Cnr Queen and Elyard Street, Narellan) at 6pm. Tea, coffee, and biscuits provided, but you are more than welcome to bring your own snacks and beverages.
Stay after the screening to chat about the gritty ambiguities and stylistic achievements of The Maltese Falcon has to offer. Share your thoughts or use the discussion questions to get a debate going.
