Elia Kazan

Elia Kazan

Host:  Freddy

Freddy's Take:  I stumbled on to Kazan through watching "On The Waterfront". I always try to learn some things about the movies I watch and when I saw that the director had also done famous films such as "East of Eden" and "A Street Car Named Desire" (Stella!!!! Hey, Stella!!!!), I figured I should look into his work more closely. My intention was to have us watch movies from a younger filmmaker, but Kazan intrigued me and I changed my mind. I bought the "Elia Kazan Collection" that was compiled by Martin Scorsese and watched several documentaries. It was quickly apparent that this guy was already one of my favorite filmmakers after seeing the aforementioned movies along with "A Tree Grows In Brooklyn", "Baby Doll", and "Gentleman's Agreement". Over the course of three weeks I watched 10 Kazan films. The guy was a master filmmaker! Each film delivered on the promise of the last one. I can honestly say that his films attack subject manner that is timeless and are still very relevant today. Themes of labor/class strife, racial inequality, media saturation in our culture, mental illness, and sexism. Any movie lover would be doing themselves a favor to look into his work. 

I had so many great films to choose from but I went with "On The Waterfront", " East of Eden", and the terrifically underrated "A Face In The Crowd". "OTW" featured Marlon Brandon, Eva Marie Saint, Karl Malden, and Rod Steiger, as well as the awesome Lee Cobb (12 Angry Men, The Exorcist). The quality of the acting along with the story leaves no doubt as to why this is considered one of the greatest movies of all-time. This was Kazan's answer (explanation?) to his involvement in naming people that may have had ties to communism back during the "red scare", disguised as a film about the mob ran shipping yards in New Jersey. Brando is pretty awesome and the backseat scene with him and Steiger is a piece of classic cinema. "You was my brother. Charley, you shoulda looked out for me a little bit". 

Next up was "East of Eden", starring James Dean. I had seen all of Dean's films (Rebel Without A Cause, Giant) previous to this and while I thought he was solid, I understood what the fuss was after catching "East of Eden" a second time. Dean's performance is raw and real. I couldn't imagine another actor in the role of "Cal". The story is pretty much that of Cain and Abel from Genesis in the the Bible. Betrayal, jealousy, the want for acceptance, and misplaced ambition are all themes and though that's a lot to put on the plate of one movie, Kazan weaves it all into a powerful and touching film. This film elevated my interest in Kazan and Dean. 

The third film should have been easy, right?  "A Street Car Named Desire" seemed like an easy choice, but having watched "On The Waterfront", I felt like we got a sense of how Kazan was great with an almost "play" like script, so I decided to move off the beaten path and choose a film that was not reviewed very well upon its' release but has gained momentum as a classic years after it's release; "A Face In The Crowd". It stars Andy Griffith and Patricia Neal and is a sharp look at how the media (radio, then television) can shape the way people feel about the world around them, lead people to buy products, and how it can even influence the way the general public views a politician. This topic was decades ahead of its' time and it's probably more relevant today than when it was released. Griffith gives a fantastic, over the top performance and Patricia Neal is given plenty of script to work with to develop her strong and savvy character, which was kind of a rarity for women in 1950's era Hollywood. 

The films were the catalyst for a little more conversation than we sometimes get into, so it made me happy to know that even if Chris and Tanner weren't crazy about the films, there were aspects that caught their attention and triggered a want to express feelings about the film. James Dean seemed, in particular, to be a standout in our discussions. I was pleased with the day and look forward to the next get together!  

On The Waterfront

East of Eden

A Face In The Crowd

Elia Kazan discusses working with Marlon Brando and James Dean. 

Harry Dean Stanton

Harry Dean Stanton (Actor)

Host: Freddy

Freddy's Take

I decided to break ranks and go with an actor this time. Harry Dean Stanton is one of those actors you see in a film and like, but has never really gotten his due as a great character actor. The man is getting up there in age and I wanted to kind of  honor him in my own way. He's really only been a leading man in one film "Paris, Texas". He is great in the film, but it's a movie that really takes some patience to watch. There are long periods without dialogue and the concentration of the film is solely on the backs of the actors and the way it's shot. I have always been a fan of "Repo Man" since my friend Brian got me to watch it way back in the 1980's. Stanton is a mentor to Estevez and his character comes across as a broken down Yoda living paycheck to paycheck. The documentary on Stanton was very interesting. He is a guy who puts his iron in many fires. He was great friends with two of the greatest actors ever (Marlon Brando & Jack Nicholson) and has shared the stage with and/or befriended country music legends Kris Kristofferson, Waylon Jennings, and Johnny Cash. His view on life leans towards "nihilism" I guess and just hearing him pontificate on the meaningless of existence is sometimes humorous, but you almost feel like he knows that he contradicts himself when he starts to talk about his loves and friendships. 

Partly Fiction

Repo Man

Paris, Texas

Harry Dean Stanton's Philosophy Of Life

A strange but intriguing video to Procol Harum's "Whiter Shade Of Pale"

Francis Ford Coppola

Francis Ford Coppola

Host: Freddy

Freddy's Take: Normally we would do three films in one day, but the length of the Godfather films (which I had chosen to do, forsaking some of his other work) and the feeling (for me at least) that the third Godfather wasn't quite up to the standards of the first two, I decided the first two epics would be enough. The Godfather II may very well be my favorite film ever. If not, it is certainly right there at the top. It is basically two films within itself. A prequel and sequel seamlessly intertwined to link the past and present for the Corleone family. The original film delved into the world of the mafia without caving to the stereotypical presentation of Italians or the seemingly hyper violent world of organized crime. We can talk all day about how well these films were acted and written and to carry on with any further praise would be silly because I'm not saying anything that hasn't been said already. I feel like Coppola made these great films without getting overly complicated with the shooting. Not a lot of fast edits or grand, wide open shots, but a series of shots that let the story and the characters breathe. It's almost as if you are standing in the room watching it all take place or you are seeing it happen in front of you. Take the scene where Rocco shoots Paulie and Clemenza has his famous ad lib "Leave the gun. Take the cannoli." We are pulled back from the action as the car pulls up, with the Statue of Liberty rising out of the weeds. It's as if we just happen to be witnessing this murder and not comfortably sitting in our seat. As much great work as Pacino has done, his portrayal of Michael Corleone is his masterwork. John Cazale is another stand out as "Fredo". That character goes through so many ups and downs and ins and outs that he could have had his own picture. Cazale makes Fredo a sympathetic character in a world where there is little room for sympathy. There are still more opportunities in the future to explore Coppola through his work on "The Outsiders", "Apocalypse Now" and others, but for me, we couldn't continue to dig into the great directors without getting to Coppola and the Godfather films as quickly as possible. 

The Godfather

The Godfather Part II

"Leave the gun. Take the cannoli."