Description

In this film, considered by some critics to be Akira Kurosawa's greatest and most compassionate achievement, Takashi Shimura (Seven Samurai) portrays Kenji Watanabe, an aging bureaucrat with stomach cancer forced to strip the veneer off his existence and find meaning in his final days. ... Read more

Reviews (63)

A powerful meditation on the fragility of human life.
As a big fan of Kurosawa and the Criterion Collection, I couldn't wait to recieve this DVD in the mail.

Human life can be lost before a person dies, Kurosawa's film shows, and it is difficult for anyone to remain truly alive with all of life's challenges and setbacks. Like a thin thread, life's inspiration is easy to lose. But what happens when a man loses that thread for decades and discovers it again only months before dying?

The answer to this question is both heart-warming and heart-breaking. But ultimately this film will burn brightly in the viewer's mind.

Two years after becoming world famous for Rashomon, Kurosawa released this thematic sequal - a meditation on truth and meaning in the modern world. While Rashomon became a cinematic landmark, I think this film blows rashomon away. It, along with Ozu's Tokyo Story, are the most moving films I've ever seen.

What makes Kurosawa so great here? It is the centrality of the movie's meaning. We all die and we all struggle to find truth. Watanabe, a placid and unquestioning bureaucrat, glimpses the truth about his life when he finds that he has only months to live. He immediately sets out to live his life to the fullest - eventually granting the dearest wish of the citizens that the other bureaucrats would just rather ignore.

But like the man who emerges into the sunlight from the cave in Plato's allegory - none of the other cave dwellers understand his actions.In fact, it's worse, the grandstanding officials claim credit Watanabe's inspired actions, despite having stood in his way.

But ultimately the truth saves Watanabe before he dies. This is masterful filmaking - more on par with Kurosawa's heroes Dostoyevsky and Shakespeare than his cinematic peers. It is a must purchase for his fans and, I think, a story that will move the viewer towards greater compassion and consciousness of life passing by.

Perhaps it's no wonder Criterion chose this fim to include two feature documentaries on Kurosawa on a second disc. And the commentary track is done by the always entertaining Stephen Prince. You can't go wrong here.

Excellent movie, but terrible transfer
I should start by saying that I think Ikiru is the best movie I've ever seen, but I'll try to address some of the negatives.

The story of Ikiru is that of a bureaucrat who upon learning he has stomach cancer begins a desperate search for meaning in his life. He tries family, liquor, and women, but eventually finds purpose in a cesspool that troubles a local community, and their attempts to have a playground built on the site.

The story is absolutely compelling, and the intricate subtleties of Kurosawa's direction make this film very powerful, especially in the second half of the film, where Watanabe's (the protagonist) coworkers discuss his final few months at his wake. The acting is superb. Takashi Shimura gives a performance that is stand out.

Ikiru is not a universally liked movie, for several reasons. The movie is black and white and has subtitles. The cuts and scene changes have a very old-fashioned feel to them (quite rightly... it's old. But this gives a lot of people trouble). The pacing of this movie is deliberate, and by that I mean slow. It is not quick or action-packed. It moves subtlely.

While most all the reviews rave about it, I'd caution that this movie will not beat you over the head with its brilliance. It is a gentle story with subtle nuances, and often, the meaning is conveyed more in facial expressions and quiet moments than in anything said or done.

That being said, I thought the transfer of this movie to DVD was terrible. It is my understanding that this was the best that could be done, which is a shame. Many feel this to be Kurosawa's best work, and to know that this terrible transfer is the best it can ever get, that's sad. Specifically, the vertical lines noted in previous reviews are definitely there, and definitely problematic. There is poor contrast, and it is often difficult to see the actors defined well at all.

The bonus material on this DVD is so so. The commentary is certainly interesting, but the documentaries didn't thrill me too much. The main sell of this DVD is the movie itself.

If this movie sounds like something you can sit through, you should watch it. It's a great movie. I really do think it's the best movie I've ever seen. But it's not for everyone. If you've already seen it and want to own it, this DVD set is fine, but it comes with the caveat that the quality of the transfer is not impressive.

Occasionally quite moving but a bit too sentimental
I don't profess to be an expert on the films of acclaimed Japanese director Akira Kurosawa, but I will say that, though I haven't seen a great many of his films, I've definitely admired the ones I have seen. Films like RASHOMON, THE SEVEN SAMURAI, and THRONE OF BLOOD show a director that not only has an acute visual sense---I have never seen equalled the unforgettable images of the moving trees and then Toshiro Mifune with all the arrows launched at him at the end of THRONE OF BLOOD---but also a human sensitivity that may be more flamboyant and theatrical in style than his Japanese counterpart Yasujiro Ozu, but is no less impressive. He is a true film artist, to be sure...but, though IKIRU is often called one of Kurosawa's most human film achievements, I personally would not quite put it in the same level as those aforementioned three.

Not that it's not moving. The first half of the film actually made me shed quite a few tears, watching poor Kanji Watanabe first find out he has stomach cancer, and then try to actually have some fun with his life. His attempts to do so are quite touching, even though it does not always work out---esp. with the girl that eventually gets annoyed with him b/c he insists on hanging out with her so much. Finally, he decides to do something noble for the people he works for, and thus we get to the second half of the film: Mr. Watanabe's wake, in which colleagues reminisce about the noble act he accomplished for a town before he died. His act---he steps over bureaucratic lines and gets built a children's park in an area where there was only a dirty pool of water previously---slowly inspires the others to perhaps break out of their bureaucratic mold...and perhaps will inspire you too, in a different way.

I dunno, though...I was inspired but only sometimes moved by this film. For me, I think Kurosawa's penchant for lack of subtlety and heavy-handed sentimentality sometimes mutes its power. Kurosawa, for example, is not content to simply allow us to visually observe how lifeless our hero truly is at the beginning: no, he must give us a voiceover that drums it into our head that "this man has not truly lived." And then there is the scene in the bar in the middle of the film, in which Watanabe sings, with tears coming out of his eyes, a mushy song that expresses his feelings of hopelessness and despair. If nothing else, though, the second half of the film seems to expose this unfortunate tendency---a very long scene, intercut with flashbacks, set in Watanabe's wake in which his fellow workers first try to deny Watanabe's deep heroism, but then eventually resolve to be as noble as he was in his last months of life. It is certainly intriguing structurally, as we see the effects of his death on fellow workers and the townspeople Watanabe helped so greatly. And yet I think, could this scene not have been just as effective as simply an epilogue rather than the focus of the entire second part of the film? I'm sure Kurosawa could have made his point---he is showing how one man's heroism can deeply affect other people---without becoming as repetitious and even preachy as this portion of the film sometimes seemed.

And yet, if IKIRU is a flawed film, at least its flaws always spring from an honest desire to lift up his audience in a way that SEVEN SAMURAI and THRONE OF BLOOD do not even try to do. It may be sentimental, but it is always honestly felt, and perhaps you might be much less resistant to Kurosawa's sentimental excesses than I occasionally was. As Watanabe, Takashi Shimura gives an unforgettable performance (esp. with that hauntingly raspy voice of his); and Kurosawa does create a final moving image of Watanabe swinging on the swing in the new park, singing that same song he sang at the bar, but in a different, perhaps more joyful manner.

That image just goes to show you that Kurosawa was, above all else, a masterly visual artist in his films. If he had relied more on his sense of powerful imagery to make his point, IKIRU might have been a truly great film, instead of one that perhaps tries too hard to be deeply moving. And yet I would be lying if I said that I wasn't affected by the film. Perhaps some of you might not mind the occasional preachiness in this film and will find this a truly transcendant film experience. For me, it almost got there, but not quite. Still, IKIRU is a good film that deserves to be seen for its powerful message, if nothing else. Maybe it will really change your life. Recommended (with some reservations).

5 stars not enough...
... for rating this one. I can't but than agree it might well be the most compelling film by Kurosawa. As well Criterion have to be hailed for bundling the most interesting 'Extras' I've ever seen on DVDs. But afterwards I couldn't help thinking why, after half a century since it was released, nobody realized that giving stomach cancer to civil servants and politicians might get them doing their work: and if even for a short while, at least tax-payers won't regret the money they're usually conned of. Since the bulk of most civil servants' work is waiting retirement, and almost all politicians think (???) they've been elected so they can be paid while preparing their next campaign, it would be worth giving it a try.

Masterpiece
I'm only 19 so perhaps some may say I can't really comment or fully understand all about living life to the full, because I have barely lived. But one thing this film makes you realise is that a job, is just a job! This film was so heartful and beautiful,it can make any age group realise that life is for living and how correct it was to say that 'only when you know you are going to die do you begin to live'..we should learn to live before that moment comes! I recommend this film for everyone, I love Japanese films and this was by far one of the best films.
It's an eye-opening film and one that should not be disregarded! ... Read more

Description

A chronicle of a French city under the occupation. Director Marcel Ophuls combined interviews and archival film footage to explore the reality of the French occupation in one small industrial city, Clermont-Ferrand. He spoke with resistance fighters, collaborators, spies, farmers, government officials, writers, artists and veterans. The result is a shattering portrait of how ordinary people actually conducted themselves under extraordinary circumstances. By turns gripping, horrifying, and inspiring, Academy Award nominee "The Sorrow and the Pity" is a triumph of humanist filmmaking and a testament to the power of cinema. Before "Shoah," "Schindler's List," "The Long Way Home" and "The Last Days," there was "The Sorrow and the Pity." ... Read more

Reviews (15)

Courageous, controversial and truthful
To most film viewers, this masterpiece of Marcel Ophuls is known by being continuously mentioned by Woody Allen and Diane Keaton in "Annie Hall". Yes, it is the long documentary film about the holocaust that they talk about.

Marcel Ophuls, son of Max Ophuls has created a poignant potrait of french society under the Nazis occupation, and their relation to the most horible crime in human history -- he indeed is not afraid to tell the truth; that holocaust took place in France because the French citizen allowed it to happen to the least to say, and even have colaborated to it. However, this film is not a simple minded accusation, but a thoughtful study about a society under pressure, and its strugle for survival.

It certainly is a deppressing film; the viewers are constantl reminded to what they would have done if they were --we were-- living under such sircumstances. It is truthful to that extreme extent. It's an amazing film; thoughtful, inteligent, emotional.

The opening of this film steered quite a controversy in Frannce, but neverthless had led the way to fictional films about the Holocaust and the ocupation that are more mature and adult, not afraid to portray the truth; Jean-Pierre Melville's THE ARMY OF SHADOW, Francois Truffaut's THE LAST METRO, among others.

Scalding Remembrance of French Betrayal
I was a little daunted at watching "The Sorrow and the Pity" because it is four hours long, and in "Annie Hall" Woody Allen presents this movie as a sort of dour duty that you have to sit through to prove your own ethical hardiness. It turns out that this landmark documentary is as gripping and riveting as any fine fictional film, because it handles its thorny issues with great skill and is as carefully crafted and filmed as a Hollywood thriller. I wonder how much Ken Burns was influenced by it, because it seems to be a sort of forerunner of his work; that is, documentaries that are planned and executed as art, not just as reguritation of stale facts.

Ophuls talks to many French and Germans who lived during the time, and who either resisted the Nazis or gave into them. (It's a little aggravating that on the DVD there are no titles to identify who is speaking; you have to piece together who said what from a close reading of the closing credits.) People were more innocent 30 years ago about appearing before a camera and they maybe weren't as aware of just how revealing about themselves it could be. Thus you get interview subjects like Laval's nephew, and the former German officer at his child's wedding, and the aristocrat who joined the Waffen SS, who inadvertently disclose their opportunism or self-deception or venality or cowardice. The clips from now rarely seen propaganda films that Ophuls uses are mesmerizing. During the scenes from the anti-Semitic "Jud Suss" you get a feeling of palpable evil as you view just how the Nazis prepared their subjects for the coming holocaust.

Ophuls prsents Vichy as a colossal moral failure by the French people, a collapse of character that haunts them to this very day. (Ophuls couldn't get French financing for the film, and then state-run French television refused to show it.) He shatters forever the myth that all the French were in the Resistance. "Sorrow" and "pity" are the very words one uses to define "tragedy"; "tragedy" is the word you must use to describe the French experience of World War II. This film is a solemn reminder of the dangers of appeasing or collaborating with fascism, and it's more relevant than ever.

Good title. Maybe I will stop French -bashing.
The French are to be pitied. Lots of rationalization for losing the war. They did lose their war. They just ended up on the winning side. Lots of rationalization why their army lost to a smaller, inferior force, why there was so many colaborators
& the fiction that Vichy was anything but a puppet-state. On that note it is to Britain's & the United States' shame that they ever acknowledged it's existence or it's leaders. The alternative was to recognize the only man among boys, namely Charles DeGaulle. A son of a bitch to be sure, but recognizing him eariler would have saved England & the U.S. a lot of grief later. De Gaulle does not forget & does not forgive...ever.
This is all history. A painful & depressing movie (perfect for Woody Allen's character). I was embarassed for the French.
I recalled a line from Catch 22: "It is better to live on your knees than die on your feet."

A brilliant historical account and a must see...
Marcel Ophüls portrays a true and objective image of the Nazi occupation of France between 1940 and 1944. During this time France was governed by a pro-Nazi French government and Ophüls rewinds the time to the memories of the war by interviewing former Resistance members, German soldiers, collaborators, spies, and many others from all walks of the French society. Through these interviews that are supported by film documentation from World War II Ophüls reveals two distinct sides of the French occupation. One side resisted the Nazi's and the other collaborated with them, and it is the line between the two sides that causes much pain and agony to the people of France during the Nazi occupation. The film brings the audience a personal and horrific narrative of the atrocities and crimes towards humanity that took place in France during the war, which cannot make one feel sorrow and pity for the French people. In the end, Sorrow and the Pity offers a brilliant historical account of what took place in France during the war, which should be viewed by all.

A brilliant look at the ordinary French views
I saw this film in a theatre when it was first released. It was shown on alternate days. I'm sure that seeing it on a "big screen" was more gripping than on a normal TV. Any study of French history, beginning with and before the Dryfus(?) Affair knows how deeply ingrained the anti-semitism was in France. Even the United States, when FDR turned away a boatload of Jews from our shores to return to Germany, where they were all murdered, did so partly to satisfy American anti-semites (and himself). Many of the people's mixed feelings show the Germans were doing the thing they didn't have the guts to do themselves. This is a great film for the depth it probes into the French people. At the same time, brave Frenchmen put themselves in great danger to help the Jews, so this is an indicment of a national attitude, not its entire population. The fortune that the French gov't has made in recent years selling weapons to Arab nations while voting against anything for Isreal show that things haven't changed much in 60 yrs. I grew up in Minn., where Minneapolis was, with great justice, called the anti-semitic capital of America--something I saw with my own eyes. ... Read more

Reviews (29)

The warrior is truly great....
This Korean film by director Kim Sung Soo is a visionary masterpiece that brings to mind "Braveheart" and "Gladiator."

It takes place in ancient China, where Korean missionaries are betrayed by the Chinese and are taken into the desert to die. The Mongol hordes annihilate the Chinese guards and leave the Koreans to their fate. While wandering, the Koreans discover the Mongols have kidnapped the Chinese princess, and decide to rescue her and take her to safety. This is easier said than done, for the Mongols fight back with all the ferocity in their blood.

Zhang Ziyi is the most known star in this film, but she is hardly the main character. There and great performances by Jung Woo Sung as a quiet loner and Ahn Sung Ki, the skilled archer who gives Legolas a run for his money.

The scenery filmed in China and parts of South Korea is grand, and the battle scenes are filmed with finesse and brutality. Limbs are hacked off, arrows puncture necks, and heads are severed. This film is somewhat gory, so be warned.

This film was the biggest budgeted Korean film in history at the time of its release, and it was a box office hit in South Korea. It is a wonder why this film was never released commercially in the States, when it is on par if not far superior, to the films made in Hollywood. The DVD has some great extras in the 2-Disc edition, and I highly recommend this film to fans of Braveheart, Gladiator, and other epic sagas.

Movie is 4 stars, but American release is 2
I first watched this movie at the Asian Film Festival in SF and throughly enjoyed it. I'd give it a 4 (despite the absurd kill ratios, the inexplicable fact that the Mongols never utilize their horse archers, or the ambigious status of the princess- is she really Yuan or Chu?)

However, this DVD itself only merits 2 stars (maybe 3 if you haven't seen the original Korean version.) Why? No extras, second rate English subbing, and most irritating, they cut out about 15 minutes of the movie which developed the second characters (particularly the interactions between the priest and interpeter Park, as well as the one-eyed guy who constantly and humorously repeated that he was too ugly to get a girlfriend).

It's not a deal-killer, and I understand they did the same for other foreign releases, but the movie feels underdeveloped just the same. Why does the priest tag along? Why does Park grow a spine at the end? Do we really care that the other random guys survive until the end? You wouldn't be asking these questions if they hadn't edited those parts out of the movie.

Also, this may have been particular to my DVD, but there was an irritating glitch around 1:16:45. At this point I'm not sure whether I'll return the movie or not.

I loved it but....
Fantasic Film! The absolute only complaint I may think of is the music score is lacking in certain scenes, so much so as to be distracting. But, even so, I highly recommend this one. If you liked Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, this is in the same genre. A great ride.

Fantastic Story
Color scheme is excellent, the story is great, and the characters are well developed, an over all great movie.

I bought this movie based on the reviews on this site, as I could not find a preview or anything else other then reviews on the Internet.

The movie does start off a bit slow, but as I said, it develops the story. However, the action, once started, is very solid. Not your typical martial arts movie, all action bad story. In this movie the story is obviously what the director is focused on, the action comes second.

The complaints about the princess are unwarranted; as the princess in this movie is the same exact character she played in Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon. A spoiled brat, who wants to get away from the easy life and live "free." Once she is "free", she wants to return to the easy life. However, her character was more complex them people on this board give her credit for, as she cares about the people, peoples lives, and offers her own life to save everyone elses. Therefore, her character is more complex then given credit for.

If your looking for a great movie, w/a great story, and very solid action. This is the pick. If you are looking for great action, who cares about the story? This is not your movie. In addition, all the action scenes are realistic, no flying warriors, no magic, strait sword fighting, realistic battle scenes.

I give this movie and A-.

Oh man, this rules.
I'm really surprised a domestic studio didn't scoop this one up for a theatrical release in the US. This movie is simply incredible in its production value, realistically graphic battle scenes, and an extensive cast of engrossing characters.

A silent Koryu slave freed by his dying master joins the remaining Koryu warriors in an effort to free a captured princess in hopes of using her influence to regain passage into their homeland. The story quickly shifts to chivarly and honor as the warriors struggle to make their way to te edge of the Gobi desert. A masterpiece of Korean cinema that should not be missed. ... Read more

Reviews (197)

Powerful film based on a powerful personality!
I have to imagine that the toughest films to pull off are the ones on the verge of cliche-dom; a familiar premise that still manages to flawlessly hook you. 'Gia' covers much trodden ground. By now, it's a natural stereotype- the model who blows her looks, her career and her youthful optimism on drugs.

If the premise is so well known, how did 'Gia' avoid the E True Hollywood Movie trap? Angelina Jolie was simply too convincing, the directing was simply too unique and the script was too crafty. This film avoided the averageness of countless other 'drug films' simply by painting a mosaic so raw, that you couldn't help but love, hate, cringe at and root for Gia at the same time. The film, while letting you glimpse into the insecurities and motivations of our tragic hero, consistently pushed her just out of reach so as to keep us puzzled and curious. All said and done, though, Jolie and the gang have created a flawless work of tragic art.

The only reason not to give it 5 stars is that as most movies based on life stories, it is a bit anti-climactic and unbalanced. With most plots, the writers are at liberty to create an upward story with a clear climax and this film simply didn't have it. It slid up and down, high and low, mirroring Gia's confusion. Although it didn't detract from the film's emotion- believe me, it still comes through- it just left the film feeling a bit muddled.

two terrific performances
I am also a big fan of Angelina Jolie and try to see every film she is in. I am so glad that her career is really going like gangbusters. But I like Gia primarily because it introduced me to the incredible Elizabeth Mitchell. I agree with the other reviewers that Elizabeth was overlooked for her touching performance as Linda. I bought the unrated version in the hopes that more scenes featuring Elizabeth would be included. The interaction between Angelina and Elizabeth is what makes the movie interesting for me and is the reason I still watch the film. I do wish that the film had dealt more with their relationship, how they interacted on a daily basis, but I understand that the filmmakers had a lot of territory to cover. I would recommend the film for both these talented actresses performances. And for those of you interested in other projects that Elizabeth is featured in, check out the films Frequency, Molly and Nurse Betty.

Hello, Baby
Gia is a knockout, daring film. It tells the true story of the rise and fall of 80's supermodel Gia Carrangi. Many reviewers have said they never heard of Gia until the movie. In the cruel fashion world, Gia was forgotten as fast as she became famous. Not one person from the fashion industry attended her funeral. The man who wrote the book on which this film was based also coined the term 'fashionista' for his book. The word has since become a staple in the English language.

Angelina Jolie was made for this role; she deserved the awards and recognition she received for it. If this film had been made for theaters rather than HBO, she should have won an Oscar.

In Gia, Gia/Jolie is the sun, and all the other characters revolve around her. From her inauspicious beginnings in New York City to her photo shoots all over the world, Gia desperately seeks that which she was denied as a child - love. The tragedy is that once she finally finds love, Gia is so scarred emotionally and from drugs, that she is unable to accept it. Mercedes Ruel gives a masterful, subtle performance as Gia's self-centered mother who abandoned her daughter when she was 11.

The drugs, glamor, and glitz of the 80's fashion world are portrayed in both gritty and glamorous fashion. One of the most striking scenes is when Gia is dressed for a photo shoot as a geisha in a red dress. This scene is so riveting and well done I watched it a dozen times. She is standing in a gritty alley with red paper lanterns hanging over the concrete. The whole scene is surreal, and is a great portrayal of Gia's life and of the 80's.

Jolie keeps nothing inside for this performance. She is naked, both physically and emotionally. And the jazz soundtrack is captivating and mesmerizing. In fact, I am seeking to purchase just the soundtrack.

Here's what you probably want to know...
1. You want to buy it, so get the unrated version, rather
than the 'R' rated one, cos it has more nudity.
2. Angelina Jolie is a total knock-out in this film.
3. Yes, she does get naked - quite a bit in fact.
4. Yes, there's a 'scene' with another girl.
5. There's one stand out line in this film from Angelina: "'I gotta go', 'I gotta go'. Where the #### does everyone go when they've gotta go?"
6. Great movie, you will definitely want this if you're a fan.

The best movie I ever seen...
This movie is so strong,and as i watched i felt like I was there,like I knew the characters,and it will make you cry,such a sad story.I have seen the movie a few times and each time it breaks my heart.Angelina Jolie is an amazing actress. ... Read more

Description

From the team that brought you "Pride and Prejudice." Set in a richly portrayed society well-stocked with eccentric nobles and gossipy villagers, the story centers around 17-year-old Molly Gibson, the only daughter of a respected country Doctor. ... Read more

Reviews (69)

A MASTERPIECE...BRAVO!
This is a superlative period piece and a brilliant adaptation of Elizabeth Gaskell's 1865 novel of the same name. This BBC mini-series is a superb costume drama with stellar performances by the entire cast. Set in rural England, the film centers around Molly Gibson, the seventeen year old daughter of a country doctor. Richly drawn portraits of Molly's neighbors and friends quickly emerge and weave an absorbing tapestry of nineteenth century life.

Molly and her father, a widower for most of Molly's life, have an exceptionally close and loving relationship. Their relationship is put to the test when he decides to marry a widow and former governess, Hyacinth, who is a pretentious, self absorbed, ridiculous woman. She has a grown daughter named Cynthis, a beautiful young woman, close to Molly in age, but as different from Molly as night and day. Cynthia is best described as a Marilyn Monroe of the Victorian age. Cynthia and Molly become fast friends, while Molly barely tolerates her nigh intolerable step-mother.

The series really revolves around Molly's relationships with the all the characters in the production and her handling of the various everyday situations in which she finds herself. Richly drawn, memorable characters, as well as intrigues, secrets, and romance, make this a highly absorbing drama and one that those who love period pieces and lush, well acted costume dramas will enjoy. It is simply a masterpiece.

With stunningly crisp visuals and beautiful clarity of sound, the production value of this three disc, five hour DVD is simply first rate. It is also value laden with some very interesting features. There is an engaging fifty five minute portrait of Elizabeth Gaskell, the author of the novel upon which this mini-series is based. There is a also a twenty minute documentary on the making of the film which is entertaining, as it gives a bird's eye view of the thought that went into the making of the film and the development of the characters. There is also a who's who guide to the performers. This DVD is well worth having in one's collection.

The BBC does it again!! Splendid, romantic tale...
"Wives and Daughters" is adapted from the unfinished Victorian novel of Mrs. Elizabeth Gaskell and is produced by the same creative geniuses that gave us A&E/BBC's 1995 "Pride and Prejudice."

This story centers around girl-next-door Molly Gibson (Justine Waddell of "Mansfield Park," "Tess" and "Great Expectations") and her father, the town doctor (Bill Patterson). Their idyllic lives are turned upside down when Mr. Gibson remarries the selfish, self-absorbed Claire Fitzpatrick (Francesca Annis) and her beautiful daughter Cynthia (Keeley Hawes of "Our Mutual Friend") join the household. The brothers Osborne (Tom Hollander) and Roger (handsome newcomer Anthony Howell who reminds me of a young Mel Gibson) Hamley add romantic interest to the tale. However, the Hamleys come from old English stock and the squire Hamley (veteran actor Michael Gambon) desires his sons to marry into "wealthy old English families." Before long, Molly falls for Roger and Roger falls for Cynthia and we, the viewers, find some surprising discoveries along the way!!

Memorable supporting characters include the goodhearted Browning sisters, town gossip Mrs. Goodenough, mysterious Mr. Preston (Iain Glen) and the aristocratic Cumnor family. Justine Waddell is luminous as Molly and Michael Gambon and Francesca Annis turn in memorable performances. The scenery, costumes and production values are all excellent. Screenwriter Andrew Davies - who also penned P&P - gives us a satisfying, romantic new ending that would make Mrs. Gaskell proud. I loved every moment of this adaptation! If you are an Anglophile, enjoy a great love story or are a fan of Mrs. Gaskell, this is the film for you!!!

A PERFECT COMBINATION!
Sue Birtwistle and Andrew Davies are, in my opinion, the best possible combination to make perfect period drama; they are like bread and butter. Ever since seeing Pride and Prejudice (another must-see!) when I was five, I've adored both Ms. Birtwistle and Mr. Davies, and have made an effort to see every film that they have contributed to. When Wives and Daughters premiered on PBS's Masterpiece Theatre, I couldn't have been more thrilled. Lavish costumes, set design, and cinematography are always guaranteed when these two are working together.
Wives and Daughters was certainly no exception.
The film circles around Molly Gibson, brilliantly acted by Justine Waddell, who has also acted in many other period dramas. She plays her character with innocence and simplicity, and you feel for her as she struggles with her love for a man who is engaged to her step - sister. I couldn't wait for each instalment to air every week on Masterpiece Theatre, and now regularly watch it a few times a year.
Another favorite actress is Keely Hawes, who plays Molly's amiable yet flirtatious step - sister, Cynthia. She acts convincingly blind to her charms and also makes you feel rather sorry for her. Her admirer, Mr. Preston (played by Iain Glen) is also wonderfully cast as a spiteful, manipulating man who is used to getting what he wants. He makes you hate him one moment and sympathise with his hopeless love for Cynthia, who certainly does not return his affections. Rosamund Pike, who was cast as Lady Harriet, does a wonderful job portraying an upper-class woman who will not be messed around with. Though she is not a main character, Ms. Pike does a wonderful job. All in all, a wonderful cast.
The sets were perfect, too. Hamley Hall looks appropriately gloomy, dark, and dreary, while the Towers (where Lady Harriet lives) are lavish, enormous, and regal-looking. The Gibson's home is also ideal, with wonderfully unique gardens and herb houses, which make the film even more exquisite to watch.
If Pride and Prejudice and other films of that genre appeal to you, this is a film that you will certainly enjoy!

Wives and Daughters ~
The movie Wives and Daughters is a long movie full of romance and very mild suspense and action. Although it is not a bad movie whatsoever, it falls short of other romances I have seen. If you like long, drawn-out romances, you might enjoy this one, but its length makes it not worth it for all to see. --TJM

Phenomenal!
This is an incredible movie! Excellent character development, great plot. If you like Pride and Prejudice, you'll definitely like this. One of my top 10 for sure! ... Read more

Description

Queen of Japanese erotica Naomi Tani plays a wife who charges her husband with sexual battery. He escapes from the police and goes into hiding. Three years pass, she divorces him and tries to put the pieces of her life back in order when suddenly he returns. Obsessed with rage and hatred, he kidnaps her and brings her to a house in a remote wooded area. There he disciplines her vehemently, subjecting her to increasingly shocking forms of sexual torture, tetherings, suspensions and humiliations. Astonishingly, through the rage and lust, the pair develop a relationship that pushes the boundaries of lurid passions and perverse obsessions. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

a beautifully made but shocking film.
This is probably one of the best examples of classic Japanese erotica ever. The aesthetics are amazing and the film is very well shot. The DVD transfer is quite beautiful and clear. The film is not for everyone and the story is certainly lurid. A must for fans of this genre. Naomi Tani is simply amazing.

Would be five stars - but for shoddy presesentation
Wow! This is an amazing movie - although I had to laugh when I read another review that attempted a deeper political reading of the material than I'm sure was intended. (For that sort of thing see Koji Wakamatsu.) It irks me that in the case of something like this it's shameful to cop to having enjoyed it just because.

It's clearly a commercial venture. It does have some depth - as does anything that zeros in on our taboos with a sledgehammer. And, in it's way it is a facinating, well-made and "entertaining" work. It's also an incredible cultural document. The Japanese film industry has spawned a number of unique genres over the years, and this is a great example of something that never quite had an equivalent anywhere else.

This is definitely not for everyone, though. (I saw this with a Japanese friend who declared about two thirds of the way through that the Konuma was "not a human being.")

The performances are very good - Naomi Tani radiates star quality. The cinematography is lovely and the tape is letterboxed.

Unfortunately, Kim Stim's transfer quality is very poor indeed. I checked two tapes and both exhibited distracting ghosts of images from unrelated productions - particularly bad during dark scenes. I haven't seen the DVD yet, but if this was a problem with their master it could show up there too. And if they were careless enough to release a VHS of this quality I don't think I want to risk the cash to find out if the DVD transfer is any better.

Let's hope more of these films (the better ones) become available here - and that they are given the presentation that they deserve.

Pink poltics
'Wife' is one of the best examples of the Japanese Film Industry's notorious pink films made in 1974 by Nikkatsu Studios. Starring the Queen of Japanese SM Naomi Tani, 'Wife' is the story of an abducted woman who overpowers her abusive husband by succumbing to the pleasures of masochism. The film articulates a social commentary through the depiction of graphic SM scenes that fuction as a metaphor for gender relations in Japanese society. The underlying theme of the movie is to suggest that there is an impossibility of romantic love between japanese men and women and that sadism and masochism are possibly alternative forms of love than those of social obligation or the reani kekkon (Love marriages). The film asks us (well the japanese of 1974) to take a closer look at our realtionships to each other and roles within society which may be in itself the bigger of SM relationship than that of the personal one depicted in the pink film. Overall its a gruelling film to watch but Pasolini's SALO was never intended to be fun entertainment either. The amazon video tape reviewed here is a quality transfer from the original uncensored Japanese 35mm print which retains the crystalline cinematography and minimal soundtrack. The film is subtitled which is required for an artistic film with such a rare tension between cruelty and beauty. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Sean Penn (looking rather Rupert Pupkin-like) is Samuel Bicke, whose life, circa 1974, has become unbearable. His wife (Naomi Watts) has left him, his dead-end sales job is killing him--even his best friend (Don Cheadle) has had enough. Bicke's a loser, but at least he's an honest one. Nixon, the epitome of dishonesty, becomes the locus of his rage, so Bicke devises a plan to eliminate him. Paul Schrader claims he finished writing Taxi Driver before the real-life Byck attempted to assassinate the president. Maybe so, but the similarities are hard to ignore (and "Bickle" sounds a lot like "Byck"). Niels Mueller (Tadpole) doesn't disguise the fact that his debut was inspired by the guy. If The Assassination of Richard Nixon doesn't hit Taxi Driver's (admittedly lofty) heights, it's still a discomfiting look at a man determined to leave his mark on the world, only to become a footnote. --Kathleen C. Fennessy ... Read more

Reviews (27)

Provocative Movie, Stunning Performance
In 1974, a Baltimore man named Sam Bycke attempted to hijack an airliner so he could crash it into the White House and incinerate President Nixon, and he sent audiotapes to Leonard Bernstein detailing his motives. "The Assassination of Richard Nixon" (2004) is "inspired" by this historical footnote. In it, Sean Penn plays the role of Sam Bicke, a pathetic man who is desperately out-of-place in 1974 America.

In simplistic terms, Bicke is a total "loser." He's been separated from his wife (Naomi Watts) and three children for almost two years but entertains pitiful delusions of reconciliation. He has one friend, a black auto mechanic (Don Cheadle). He flees from one job to another, ending up selling office furniture for an unctuous boss who gives him self-help books on tape and a tape recorder-player with which to boost his ego, fire up his motivation, and master the pushy art of friendly persuasion. But Sam doesn't have the drive to study the tapes in a serious way, the social skills to translate their theory into effective practice, or the temperament to persuade people to buy things they don't really want for prices they don't want to pay. Not only that, but he is too busy trying to force himself back on his wife who wants nothing more to do with him than to collect his child support checks to help her meet the expenses of raising the children and maintaining the house while she moves on with her life, struggling to get a loan to start up an ill-conceived business with his friend to sell and install tires out of a bright red bus that doesn't even run, and railing against the corrupt unfairness of a social system that rewards people with obscene amounts of wealth and power for lying, conniving, and manipulating while people of integrity and decency flounder and fail to find success or happiness. As Bicke's failures mount, he becomes increasingly unhinged, quitting his job, stealing from his brother, making an abortive attempt to kill his ex-boss, and then seizing upon an insane plan to assassinate President Nixon and destroy the White House in a blaze of glorious triumph of the little man over the iconic symbols of oppressive and immoral wealth and power. As he explains in his rambling tape to Leonard Bernstein, he's going to demonstrate that even the smallest grain of sand on the vast beach that is the American and world population can have a mighty impact on everyone.

Sean Penn has to be one of the finest actors on film, and I believe that this film features one of his greatest performances. In fact, I think it's stunning. I can't imagine anyone doing a better job of capturing Bicke's alienation from society; his bumbling social ineptitude and incessant self-preoccupation; his maddeningly clueless pursuit of the impossible; his crushing despair as he sees his marriage, his friendship, his career aspirations, his relationship with his brother, and his entire life inexorably disintegrate; and his irreversible plunge into the black depths of tragedy.

Some have criticized the film for being a rip-off of "Taxi Driver." I may be in a distinct minority, but I actually found Penn's Sam Bicke to be a more believable and compelling character than DeNiro's Travis Bickle, and "Assassination" a more involving study of alienation and decline into madness than "Taxi Driver."

Others have complained that "The Assassination of Richard Nixon" is an unmitigated and unrelenting downer with no redeeming message or point. I admit that I have probably never squirmed with as much discomfort or felt such unremitting bleakness while watching a film as I did while watching this one. My wife kept saying with exasperation, "He's stupid . . . a stupid man!"

Yes, I believe that he was stupid in terms of social or emotional intelligence, and not terribly bright intellectually or strong in any other way, and that this unfortunate constellation of inadequacies crumbled into madness under the demands and pressures of everyday life. I believe that this was the "point" of the movie and that it was portrayed so masterfully that it was all the point there needed to be. If one watches this film with an open and compassionate mind and heart instead of being clouded by expectations of a "good time" or by judgmental contempt for the protagonist, one can gain deep and valuable insight into the anatomy of alienation, despair, and desperation to "be somebody" in a world that is oblivious to your existence when it isn't being contemptuous of it.

Sam Bicke is so pathetic that it's hard to sympathize with him when he constantly whines about deceit and injustice at work and in life, doggedly pursues his estranged wife who obviously has no interest in reconciliation, and pushes awkwardly and overbearingly for a business loan that hasn't an iota's chance of being approved. But there are many people in this world who are like Sam Bicke to some degree or other, and they are human beings who hope and dream until they feel so defeated and hopeless that they live out their sad lives in lonely, lingering obscurity, or eat, drink, or drug themselves to quicker death, or destroy themselves and sometimes others in sudden, ugly acts of shocking violence.

I believe that it is incumbent on us as individuals and as a society to minimize this suffering and destruction by taking more of an interest in the Sam Bicke's of our world, showing them that we do care about them, providing them a niche in society where they can feel nurtured, valued, and loved, and making expert help available to them and steering them toward it when they need it.

I had never even heard of The "Assassination of Richard Nixon" until recently, but as soon as I did hear of it, I just had to see it. I'm glad I did. Bearing in mind that I'm a pretty tough grader, I give it an A-.

Interesting film...great acting
Genre: Political Thriller/Drama

Genre Grade: B

Final Grade: B-

While Sean Penn gave an excellent performance in this film, the extremely slow pace of the story was barely enough to keep me from turning it off. However, if you can get through the thick plot, there is a great story to be told. This movie is based on a true story about a man who decided to "go all out" back in 1974 during the Watergate scandal.

Obviously his attempts are defeated in the end, as Nixon was never assassinated. However, the views brought forth by Sean Penn's character (one I'm sure he loved taking on) are disturbing to me. Not because I think they're wrong, but because I think they're right. While some of the ideas this man had might have been over-the-top, I could clearly see the reasoning for his motives. There were some very powerful lines in this film that I would love to hear a conservative try to argue their way out of without sounding like an insensitive prick. Not about this madman's views on assassinating a president he doesn't agree with, but on his views of America being controlled by power-hungry bastards. This point is strengthened in the analogy of the power structure of businesses and the lack of respect for employees.

While this movie might be politically over-the-top or confusing for some viewers, I think it holds some strong statements that people should think about. Whether you agree with the ideas this film presents or not, I would hope you would at least see the message that sitting back quietly while the greedy liars take over our country is not the answer.

It is my belief that being apolitical is dangerous and could be compared to burning the flag. While you have every right to not care what your government officials are doing behind closed doors, you should respect your country by taking a stand for what is right.

Sorry for being so political.

Quotables:

Samuel Bicke: "The meek shall not inherit the earth. The earth belongs to the bullies who do not care how they get to the top...as long as they arrive. I am an honest man. If that is to be my undoing then so be it. But I will not go quietly."

Where is the Commentary from writer-director Niels Mueller
This film is nothing like Taxi Driver, a very lazy comparison, the only similarites are in the time period both films take place in, and the simple fact that President Richard Nixon is the crook that corrupts two nations. The fact that very few REAL Bickle's or Bicke's have carried out such desperate actions, out-lined in both films, is testament to the overall good of the masses suffering under the weight of the evil few. NIXON, REGAN, BUSH times 2 THATCHER, BLAIR, and oh so many more down the pipe of history.
The most important message this film has is that to succeed in a capitalist society an individual should be as corrupt as the power elite who decide how the world is governed.

Superb film, very much a bitter pill, Sean Penn, America's most underrated actor, why has he not won more awards? Answer : because someone like Mr America "mom's apple pie" Tom Hanks is more pallatable, in feel-good ignore all, movies.
My only complaint is that I bought this dvd under the knowledge that there was a commentary track from writer-director Niels Mueller. Not on my dvd. In fact all you get as extras is two trailers for the film.

I think this dvd is over-priced considering it is all, but a bare-bones release.
Superb film, not so hot dvd
5 for the film only 3 for the dvd which means I score this dvd an overall 4 / 5

Shows how the little man tries to strike back...
Sean Penn plays Sam Bicke in this slow moving drama.Bicke is like a billion guys out there.He's a nice guy, he's honest, and he's surrounded by the opposite.His bosses are telling him how to lie in order to be a successful furniture salesman, his wife leaves him, and he cannot get a loan for a tire service company because his partner is black.

Like the title of a Megadeth record: THE SYSTEM HAS FAILED.All systems have postives and negatives, and this one shows how in 1974 (It's not really much different 30 years later...is it?) that dishonesty can be the best policy.

Bicke won't take it any more, he decides to do something about it.Something about...all of it.

I think there are TONS of modern day Sam Bickes out there.This does not mean they will do something bad, it just means that there is still always the common man, working for peanuts, who despite having honesty, integrity, honor, and courage, will never get out from under being oppressed by the government system that is meant to help, but more often than not, continues to hurt.Shows how we all feel when no matter how many times we try and do the right thing, the crooks always seem to have more success!

I enjoyed the movie, SEAN PENN IS AWESOME as Sam Bicke.Based on a true story.If you are into movies about character development etc. this is definitley your movie!

One Note - Endlessly Repeated
And now for a dissenting opinion...

I want my 95 minutes back! Although it actually felt much longer. This film is played like an extended acting class exercise. Sean Penn runs through his usual set of "dramatic, Dramatic, DRAMATIC!!!!" chops (see any of his recent movies) as he plays the everyman whose inner demons and inability to cope with life's frustrations gradually overwhelm him. He mumbles, he darts his eyes, he explodes in rage - shouting and spitting, he sobs inconsolably. Yeah, yeah... Thank you, Mr. Penn - We'll call you.

The movie suffers from inevitable comparisons to Taxi Driver. The regular guy, feeling stripped of power in his life, decides to make a stand and a statement by offing a public figure. The comparison is not helped by the similarity of the character names - Bicke here, Bickle in Taxi Driver. Then there are the scenes where Penn seems to purposely copy DeNiro's sidelong glances, tilted head, and mumbled attempts to connect with people around him.

The difference in the films is in the craftsmanship. "Nixon" is filmed almost entirely with a handheld camera - zooming, swooping, and shaking in their best pseudo-documentary style. Aside from making one mildly seasick and mindful of television coffee commercials, it simply pulls us away from the storyline, ever aware that we are watching someone filming an actor.

The second major problem is that there really is no story arc or character development. Bicke starts out as an ineffectual man with plans that are constantly thwarted and stays there. His life was the same before we enter the action, remains the same throughout the film's events, and is easy to extrapolate as always going to be the same, no matter what he might ever do. Even if this is the point, truth does not equal entertainment nor interest. If nothing happens and nothing changes, you might as well summarize the concept. Nothing is gained by playacting it in a tedious and inevitable dramatization. I felt no new knowledge about the character, empathy for his plight, or realization about myself at the end of the film that I didn't have at the 10-minute mark.
... Read more

Amazon.com

Novelist Evan Hunter burst America's postwar bubble when he described an inner-city school terrorized by switchblade-wielding juvenile delinquents. Director-screenwriter Richard Brooks's 1955 adaptation of Blackboard Jungle still packs a tremendous wallop (even if it was shot mostly on the back lot). A forerunner of Rebel Without a Cause and West Side Story, this black-and-white classic--set to Bill Haley and His Comets' "Rock Around the Clock"--is part exposé, part melodrama, part public-service announcement. "It is the frankest, the toughest, the most realistic film since On the Waterfront," ballyhooed MGM at the time.

Glenn Ford, at his slow-to-rile best, plays Richard Dadier, an incoming English teacher at North Manual High School. An idealist who knows how to handle himself in a dark alley, Dadier stands his ground and earns the begrudging respect of school thugs led by Vic Morrow and Sidney Poitier. Anne Francis plays Ford's especially vulnerable wife; Richard Kiley (later in Brooks's Looking for Mr. Goodbar) is the timid math teacher with the priceless jazz-record collection; Louis Calhern and John Hoyt are among the more cynical North Manual High veterans. See if you can ID Jamie Farr and director Paul Mazursky as gang members. The film was nominated for four Oscars. --Glenn Lovell ... Read more

Reviews (15)

More Exploitation Than Exploration of Juvenile Delinquency
"The Blackboard Jungle" raises many interesting questions about the root causes of student apathy and delinquency in the inner-city schools.At the same time it seems to wallow in the most extreme behavior of students i.e. a near rape of an attractive female teacher, multiple assaults on teachers, a student brandishing a switchblade in the classroom.One character is enigmatic to me, the Artie West character played by Vic Morrow.Not to say that Morrow doesn't play the character well because he is sufficiently menacing but it seemed over-the-top for the film.There is much to recommend in this film particularly the starring role of Richard Dadier played by Glenn Ford.Ford's solid acting keeps the film from veering into melodrama.A young Sidney Poitier as Gregory Miller, a gifted student whose superior intellect is wasted in this apathetic environment, does a charismatic turn.In a note of irony, in 1967 Poitier portrayed a teacher attempting to make a difference in an inner-city school in what I feel is a superior film, "To Sir, With Love".

"Jungle" vs. "Rebel"
"Blackboard Jungle" vs. "Rebel Without A Cause". The two most provocative films of juvenile delinquency from the same year. Both have their own identity and attitude. Here's how they compare in the "Tale of the Tape(or DVD)":

Turf:

Jungle: Mean streets of New York.
Rebel: Squeaky-clean 'burbs of L.A.

Advantage: Jungle. Couldn't be grittier.

Targets of Hostility:

Jungle: Teachers
Rebel: Parents

Advantage: Jungle. It got funny when Kotter's Sweathogs did it.

Future Movie Icon:

Jungle: Sidney Poitier
Rebel: James Dean

Advantage: Dean. Too fast to live, too young to die.

Future Doomed Supporting Player(s):

Jungle: Vic Morrow
Rebel: Natalie Wood, Sal Mineo, Nick Adams

Advantage: Rebel. At least Natalie won an Oscar and married Robert Wagner.

Future Director:

Jungle: Paul Mazursky
Rebel: Dennis Hopper

Advantage: Hopper. "Easy Rider" was the 60s "Rebel Without a Cause"

Future Sitcom Support Player:

Jungle: Jamie Farr(Klinger)
Rebel: Jim Backus(Thurston Howell III)

Advantage: Farr. So that explains the dress!

Favorite Class Clowning:

Jungle: Mr. Dadier(Glenn Ford)'s kids calling him "Daddy-O"
Rebel: Jim Stark(James Dean)'s "moo" noise at the planetarium.

Advantage: Jungle. It inspired the Coasters' lyric, "Who calls the English teacher 'Daddy-O'? Charlie Brown..."

Any other comparisons?

Those "Rock around the clock" times!
This film announced from another angle the enormous no satisfaction social disseminated in several social spheres. This generation who was born just at the beggining of the WW2 expressed with the characteristic rage the rules. This behavior has been an eternal ritornello. The ingenuity innocent , the continue defy to the Status Quo has prevailed always, but specially in those hopeless and confused ages when the radical changes in the whole world even drew new expectations and questions: the rock was an important mass phenomena and somehow allowed to overthrow a good portion of cumulate tensions. In the other side of the Atlantic Ocean the New Wave was born with similar proposals.

The familiar conflicts, the huge number of orphans, the alcoholism , the obvious fear to the ghost of the nuclear weapons, the presence of the Cold War needed some answers but most of the adults ignored them , which it meant a major social effervescence.

Blackboard jungle works out as a frenetic emblem of the miscarried youth, orphan of love and spiritual guides.

Vic Morrow and Sidney Poitier were particularly effective. Glenn Ford's tour de force acting lead this movie with special credibility.

By these destiny's ironies , ten years after Poitier would be just in the other side of the classroom in "To sir with love".

Awakening a Generation
Restless post-war youth may have hit the road on Brando's motorcycle, but it wasn't until this film that they found their sound. From driving downbeat to throbbing close, Bill Haley's title tune promises a party around-the-clock -- from twelve midnight to broad daylight -- to which teens of the day responded with uncaged delight, raucous cheers, and spontaneous twirling in the aisles. A full year before Elvis, a new generation was on its feet, the legendary youth culture was born, and Rock and Roll was here to stay. America would never be the same -- a mighty heavy load for one modest B-movie from famously conservativeMGM!

Needless to say, the film is an absolute must. Minimize the story line which veers from 50's-style social realism to mild reassurances from writer-director Richard Brooks, (this was, after all, the height of the Cold War and the restrictive production code). Instead, concentrate on the seminal images and associations, so vividly presented, whose residue continues to the present day: Rock-music -- unruly youth -- alcohol and violent sex --menacing urban underclass. And in two of the most symbolic scenes -- thetrashing of Richard Kiley's record collection and thethrusting arms through the iron bars --there are serious overtones of barbarians at the gates, against which Glenn Ford's reflex liberalism appears tellingly inadequate. From this point on, only communism was more feared than the spread of Rock-and-Roll and its seditious offspring, juvenile delinquency.

Sure, there are better films from that era than Blackboard, maybe even better teen movies. But, arguably, none are more significant to the course of popular culture. For a brief accidental moment, a little movie from Hollywood not only reflected emergent trends from deep within society, but mobilized them as well. With: a grimly determined Glenn Ford, an arrogantly sinister Vic Morrow, a decidedly unthreatening Sidney Poitier, and in a usual thankless supporting role, the great John Hoyt, whose memorably cruel face was born to preside over either prisons or high schools, take your pick.

The Rock and Roll Era Begins
I saw this movie in 1955. It was one of the best in that age in the genre about alienated youth, dealing as it did with ghetto kids and minorities rather than the spoiled brats of "Rebel Without a Cause."

Most of all, the movie introduced me and a million other kids to Rock and Roll.I remember listening spellbound to "Rock Around the Clock" by Bill Haley and the Comets at the end of the movie.Something, I perceived in my little noodle brain, had changed -- and nothing would ever be the same again. ... Read more

Amazon.com

HBO caused a stir when it aired If These Walls Could Talk, a portrait of three women from three generations (all who occupied the same house at various times) who had unwanted pregnancies. HBO utilizes the same gimmick in the sequel, this time telling the story of women who love women.

The three stories of If These Walls Could Talk 2 are uneven. Far and away the most powerful and moving story is the first, taking place in 1961, starring Vanessa Redgrave as a woman "widowed" when her partner of 50 years suddenly dies. Redgrave is phenomenal, and her piece alone makes this sequel worth watching. The 1972 portion stars Michelle Williams, who finds dealing with the sexual politics of the gay community increasingly more complex when she falls in love with a boyish woman (played by Chloë Sevigny). The most modern piece, taking place in 2000, portrays a contemporary lesbian couple (Sharon Stone and Ellen DeGeneres) determined to have a baby. The light nature of the story detracts from the more serious issues of the earlier segments. Despite the mixed fare, HBO once again proves itself on the cutting edge of moviemaking, with this rather daring film that will both provoke and entertain. --Jenny Brown ... Read more

Reviews (72)

A look at relationships over time
There are 3 stories to this movie, with the setting being the same house for all three stories.

The first story is set in the 1950's and shows the sorrow of having to keep a lesbian relationship secret. Vanessa Redgrave's utter destruction over the death of her partner and her being unable to show the full extent of her loss. From the hospital to the gold digging relatives, no one offers her true comfort for what she has rightfully lost and she must grieve alone.

For me, the second story was the best. Set in the 1970's, it tells the story of a feminist who falls in love with a masculine dressed woman. The passion is overwhelming. There is a nude scene that really shows pure sexual passion. Michelle Williams potrayal of the feminist is a moving and wonderful thing to watch.

The final story is about 2 women trying to conceive a baby. While I'm not sure about the chemistry between Ellen DeGeneres and Sharon Stone, I do think Sharon Stone gives a tender portrayal of a loving woman. I found the watching of the children in the park to be a little creepy and unnecessary.

Even if you aren't a lesbian, just the acting and the emotions of relating to other women is worth the rental or purchase price.

Incerdibly Touching
I thought "If These Walls Could Talk 2" was great, with the great performances. Thank god for HBO, I've seen it many times on it, and it's sort of a guilty pleasure. I can't help but watch it everytime it comes on. I thought every story was very moving, with the perfect cast to pull it all off. I thought the first segment was very touching, but I couldn't really relate to it, so it was hard to really get into it. However, I thoroughly enjoyed the second and third segments. The second segment with Michelle Williams, Nia Long, and Chloe Sevigny were fantastic. It struck a chord in me, I realized how biased the world can be towards one another. I liked the irony of one lesbian being incredibly ignorant to another, because they weren't "lesbian" enough. It revealed to me how cynical we all can be. I disagree with a lot of the reviews about the third segment, I thought it was great! It was humorous and heart-felt. It is by far, Ellen DeGeneres's best performance. Sharon Stone was so comical, which the enitre movie needed. Ellen and Sharon had great chemistry, in my opinion. The seemed very believable, from the passion towards one-another, to the commitment of trying to conceive. They were a truly loving and commited couple, which I respected very much. I recommend this movie to anyone, lesbian, gay, bi, or straight, it's a terrific movie.

I fell...
in love with Chloe Sevigney (segment 2) after I saw her in this film. She's absolutely amazing. Okay, this isn't a review but I really had to add this to amazon.

If This Bathroom Could Get a Word In
I've got the pitch for IF THESE WALLS COULD TALK 3:

Pro-choice lesbians who are politically-active athiests! Cher and Sharon Stone survive a Sam Peckinpah-styled shootout when crazed religious fanatics open fire on them for helping poor confused young girls into the local abortion clinic. When Chloe Sevigny, their adopted daughter, dies in the attack, Cher and Sharon decide to instead turn their attention to removing all crosses and nativity scenes from America.
Just as the religious fanatics take aim at them at the last nativity scene, Ellen Degeneres appears as angel to stop the violence and magically transform all Americans into loving, tolerant gays and lesbians. The abortion debate essentially disappears since children must now be shipped into the States as the populations growth drops to zero.
Unfortunately, none of them now believe in God or angels, so they open fire on the angel and the entire world is destroyed in a ripping special effects climax.
You can't tell me that wouldn't be more entertaining or informative than anything in the first two WALLS films.

I had the same problem with the first WALLS film that I had with this one: drama sidestepped to make a political statement. Most of the America isn't gay or lesbian, so the film could've been more interesting by seeing reactions to the characters' lesbianism in families and work and so forth.
Instead, we see that lesbian relationships can be just as cutesy and bland as the most lame straight love stories.
The horrible injustice of the first segment could've been cleared up through a simple will.
The second was the most interesting.
The third was like watching a Hallmark card commercial at one frame per half-hour.

HBO has all the tools to make a daring, provocative film. Maybe someday they will.

honest, sweet, and relatable
i thought this was a really good movie. The third part with ellen and sharon was my favorite and the part that i identified with the most. i love the part right before the love scene when ellen asks sharon why they are watching TV. i love how sharon turns the TV off. it is so cute. i have always liked 'Thank You' by Dido but this movie made me like it even more. i didn't relate as much to the second part but thought that all the actresses did a great job. the first part was sad and i'm glad that they put that in the movie. one of my favorite movies! ... Read more

Reviews (18)

Where do I start
This movie dug right in and got me. The love story between to young people trapped in their lives was intense. The struggle between loyalities and the moral decay brought on by the inner city depression was so real.
Jason and Joshua--brothers. Dealing with a traumatic past that haunts them. The secrets revealed in the end were deep and clarified much of Joshua's anger. He was such an angry boy.
Lyric, another victim of circumstance was Jason's escape. Her name nearly said it all. Though it was her friend how quoted poetry it was Lyric who brought the words to life with her feelings for Jason.
The movie as a whole EARNED it's R rating, unfortunately, and I can't say I recommend it for young teens--it does have it's graphic sexual scenes and violence.
But BEHIND that, the story was a powerfully told.

Love IS courage. Sing Jason's Lyric!
Jason's Lyric is a true love story. In the midst of so much blight this film shows you that you don't need to have a Monster's Ball to know that love is courage and that there is hope in the bleakest of situations.
Allen Payne and Jada Pinkett give the best performances of their careers in this story of a man coming to terms with his troubled past while trying to help his brother (Bookeem Woodbine) who has just got out of prison. One day at work he finds his true love Lyric (Jada Pinkett) who wants to help him achieve his dream of a better life. He gets several chances, but is forced to turn them down because of his obligation to his brother. In a climatic conflict with his brother, Jason stops being his brother's keeper and resolves his personal issues. Jason achieves his dream and moves on with Lyric.
The script is well written; characters are well defined and have more dimensions than shown on the surface. The choices they make in their to change lives feel natural and not forced. Allen Payne makes you feel Jason's pain while Jada Pinkett shows us Lyric's love and compassion. Both Payne and Pinkett deserve better than what Hollywood has offered them currently, when given quality material they shine. Bokeem Woodbine makes you feel sorry for Jason's brother; you hate what he does, not him. Other noteworthy performances include Suzanne Douglas and Forrest Whitaker as Jason's Parents, and the two child actors who play young Jason and his brother. The production values are top notch on this film; I don't know why critics roasted this movie. It is very well done and should have been nominated for some Oscars.
This film has quite a few steamy love scenes; this film is not for kids. However, adults will find this to be a powerful and moving story full of hope character and courage.

A TRUE LOVE STORY
I saw this movie ten years ago when I was 13 and ten years later, I still love it. But now that I'm older, I can appreciate the story line even more. Jason is a troubled man haunted by his past that he continues to have nightmares. Due to his past, he feels obligated to help his brother who nothing but a criminal and content to stay one and his mother to help her out with his brother. But when he meets Lyric, a woman full of passion, sympathy and dreams, he realizes that he has to let the past go. But his brother continues to come between Lyric and himself until the end when he has to make the ultimate decision: to be with the woman he loves or to be with the brother he loves.

Great movie
This movie is great. I like the story line and Jason's struggle with his family issues and pass. I enjoyed Lyric's story also and her need to leave the area to start a new life. I own this movie, so it must be good.

my favorite movie ever!!!
i love this movie. not only for the love story but for the relationship between jason and his brother this is a very emotional movie, lots of great acting i cant really think of enough good things to say if you like dramas this is definately the movie to buy. i recommend this to anyone who wants to watch a movie that will make you feel something, very touching. ... Read more

Reviews (53)

ASTOUNDING EROTICA.....
This is an amazing film to watch. Not only is it beautifully filmed but the atmosphere is quite vivid in its' depiction of a Japanese servant girl who becomes mistress of the master of the house and sexually obsessed with their relationship. She leads him deeper into the sexual realm until it becomes the focus of both their lives. Their relationship becomes so intense that it can only lead to destruction. Film is extremely sexually graphic and to be honest, I wasn't even aware that I was watching "pornography" because the acting and story were so mesmerizing. By then, I didn't care because it wasn't offensive---just honest. The two leads are wonderful actors and they made me forget I was watching a supposedly one-time controversial film. The film is supposedly based on a true incident. The ending is shocking and depressing but that's allegedly what happened. I consider this film a classic and a must see for foreign film buffs. It's one of the most beautiful erotic love stories ever made and one of the most disturbing.

An actors film, based on a true story.
Based on a true story, Nagisa Oshima's 1976 film about possession, sexual obsession and love, is still fresh in its portrayal of a woman named Matsuda who struggles to posses her husband Fuji, wholly and completely.
In what must be one of the most shocking movies to come out of Japan in decades,
Nagisa's skillful use of location builds a claustrophobic atmosphere of intimacy, with very little light, cramped space and no fresh air (minor character comments about the smell that builds in the room the couple are in). Though at times seemingly pretentious, my feeling is that this may be due to the translation.
From beginning to end the controversial and explicit nature of the film will either turn you on, or off or leave you in jaw-dropping awe. Its still amazing what the two main actors do for this film, and the levels they go to, to bring these two characters to life. Still fresh and worth a good unbiased viewing every other year.

Serious Minded Erotica......
Nagisa Oshima has achieved what few other directors have managed in dealing with the very touchy subject of sex, in this instance, with sexual obsession. If you plan to watch this movie for a cheap sexual thrill, you will be most disappointed. Oshima has drawn from a real incident reported in a 1936 Japanese newspaper. The film centers around the love between two people expressed physically, graphically, into realms of the senses where few dare to tread. And with good reason. This is a very intense film as it progresses from the attraction of two people through increasing experimentation in an effort not only to express their passion but to try to find the outer most limits of passion itself. Oshima must have had something metaphorical in mind but the journey as chronicled in the film also has retained the feel of the specifics. It's quirkey and eccentric. The backdrop of the story is as interesting as the story itself. It is an amazing spectacle to observe, giving the viewer a perspective on Japanese life not usually rendered but often alluded to in some historical accounts. One wonders what this experience must have been like for the actors. Oshima has managed what I have always believed should be done in order to treat the subject of sex fully and without shrinking from its' less savory aspects. This is serious minded erotica and quite unlike anything else on screen. The only other film I can recall that compares at all is "Taxi Zum Klo" which was autobiographical and starred a number of actual people playing themselves.Obviously a different catagory in that regard from what is going on here, but both films draw much of their power from explicitly sexual scenes without compromising the integrity of the story being told. This is a film experience that should not be missed.

Interesting movie...
I have to say that this movie is most certainly not one for everyone. That's quite obvious from it's NC-17 rating, and the fact that it was banned for quite some time.

But aside from that.... It's an interesting movie about obsession and sex. The characters don't really get too deep, and you don't necessarily feel much sympathy for them, but that's part of the point of the film. You're supposed to feel the obsession, and the fact that the two lovers really only ever have sex on their minds, that it's taken over their lives.

It's graphic, violent even, with tons of sex... But if you know what you're getting into and can look beyond just the simple act of sex, you might find it a worthwhile movie.

Not worth the time or money
After reading some of the other reviews I was expecting a film that would leave me thinking about something of significance in life, even if was an extreme reaction to sexual obsession. I also, often forlornly, hope for a cathartic experience whenever I watch drama.

Unfortunately, this film provided neither. I was left thinking that there was something left on the cutting room floor that would explain the actions of the main characters. There was little in the film that would help me understand how the two 'lovers' could end up in their final situation. It was northing more than a voyeuristic following of a couples' series of sexual experiences that were neither erotic nor enlightening of motivations.

Then there were those unexplained forays by the female lead that had nothing to do with the main theme of the movie. The only reason for them seemed to be "comic relief" to the sex. The problem is that they were not funny and did not inform the audience about the main character.

Over all, the only reason to watch this film would be to see what really bad movies are like. ...