Amazon.com

The second of the BBC's well-regarded serializations of John Le Carré's espionage bestsellers, Smiley's People is slightly less compulsively watchable than Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy if only because Tinker, Tailor had a much stronger plot premise (who is the mole in British Intelligence?) than Smiley's People, which takes a very long time to come into focus. Retired spymaster George Smiley (Alec Guinness) wanders around Europe and visits a succession of desperate or eccentric characters as he plays a game which finally leads to another confrontation with and a possible victory over his Moriarty-like Soviet arch-nemesis Karla (an expressive but silent Patrick Stewart).

Directed by Simon Langton and coscripted by John Hopkins and Le Carré himself, this is a leisurely mystery. It offers a cannily generous central performance from Guinness, who never takes off his scarf and does his best to fade into the background while a succession of striking character players hold center screen; but slowly and by sheer presence he begins to dominate the panoramic view of European treachery, deception, and disappointment. Among the terrific supporting cast are Michel Lonsdale, Mario Adorf, Vladek Sheybal, Michael Gough, Alan Rickman (a tiny, early role as a hotel clerk), Beryl Reid, Ingrid Pitt, Bernard Hepton, Michael Elphick, Rosalie Crutchley, Michael Byrne, Bill Paterson, and Maureen Lipman. Smiley's People is more interested in character than thrills, with each cameo contributing another view of the human cost of the cold war: most of the old friends Smiley seeks out react to his reappearance by saying they never wanted to see him again, and victory is only possible because Smiley discovers that his opposite number has a weakness that makes him almost sympathetic. It was originally broadcast in six hourlong episodes, and its intelligent approach works better if you watch episode-length chunks, letting one sink in before going on. --Kim Newman ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Superb BBC Production Of LeCarre's Masterpiece!
Like the other famous best-seller turned BBC series coming from the unchallenged master of the intelligent spy thriller John LeCarre, this original teleplay is an absorbing treatise on the hidden and conflicted corners of the human heart, the many ways in which our own natures feed into and extend the darker impulse of a society bent on pursuing the secrets and treachery that ever lurks for the unsuspecting victim. Here, in the finale of LeCarre's three best-selling novels tracing the pilgrim's progress of George Smiley, the intrepid and unlikely hero of the post-industrial Western world, Alec Guiness wonderfully reprises his role as George Smiley, concluding LeCarre's marvelously convoluted narrative. Thus do we trace the continuing history of human perfidy, moral compromises, and treachery native to the world of British intelligence.

In "Smiley's People", the object of Smiley's ministrations is once again thrust toward achieving final revenge against the legendary Karla, the Chief of the Soviet Covert Espionage Bureau, played masterfully in an understated fashion by Patrick Stewart. Having stuck a devastating blow against Karla previously through the ingenious employment of Jerry Westerby in the Far East, Smiley now turns to using an assassination in London of an obscure Eastern European émigré and would-be counter-revolutionary into an entry-point into Karla's domain, and as the Circus (British Intelligence) begins to unravel the many points of light this careful sifting of signs through tradecraft, they discover the one irresistible lure they need to tempt Karla out of the darkness and into their waiting clutches. Given all the murder and mayhem that Karla has visited both on the Circus in general and on George Smiley in particular, there is a number of levels of revenge operating here, and these the production faithfully mines in exploring the impulses, rational and otherwise, that propel such human urges.

The cast of characters and the supporting cast are marvelous in revealing the onion skin as it continually peels away in this intelligent, taut tale. The plot, as usual, is ingenious, intricate, and horrific in its human toll, played out against a landscape of the far-flung persons and places across the European landscape, from London to Berne to Deep inside the former Soviet Union. Once again we are whisked away on a cautious yet beautifully choreographed adventure into the heart of darkness of ourselves, and we shouldn't be surprised to find some scar tissue and broken bones as we descend deeper into the tortuous caverns we keep hidden in our subconscious realms.

LeCarre is nothing if not a superb chronicler of the ways in which our own natures become a battle ground for the struggle between good and evil, the good we can be for others, and the evil we do to them and ourselves by subscribing to ideologies, almost any ideology, that finally forces us to choose between our values and our duty. This is a marvelous video production, eminently faithful to the text from which it springs, a stunning example of the sophistication, complexity, and sheer intelligence of sensitive film-making and astonishing in its depiction of the subterranean world of international espionage. Enjoy! ... Read more

Reviews (98)

This Movie Iz Crazy
Im am a 14 year old and I want to talk about the Movie Menace II Society.Menace II Society is the tightest Movie I ever saw since "Boyz N The Hood" & "South Central".It all started out as a young boy name Caine (Tyrin Turner) telling a story about surviving the streets for good.My favorite Scence is When Caine & O-Dog(Larenz Tate) was in the liquor store when these two got evloved in a murder by O-Dog kill the korean grocer and also killed the korean lady while O-Dog threatens to get the video tape from her.In The Movie, They mention O-Dog as "The American's Worst Nightmare" and They also mention that O-Dog is Young, Black, And Don't Give A [care]. They also have a cool soundtrack with MC Eith(Streith Up Menace) and all other cool artists.I Recommend this movie to everyone.If U love hood movies and u have not seeen it yet, nows it the time to spend your money and buy this classic.On the internet, they also mention the "Director's Cut"(which is Unrated and the orignal verison is an R-Rated Movie).So if you Moviegooer and u have not seen that movie yet, now's the time to get that movie.One more thing,The Directors Allen & Albert Hugues(From Hell,Dead Presidents) did an good job on this movie.

True 2 Life
Okay, since im from London, i cant accuratly depict if this is, or is not the real situations encountered by members of the LA public. But upon watching this for the first time, it really hit me that the horrific things portraid in this movie could happen to anyone of us.

Caine, the main focus of the movie, was brought up in a drug filled home, his father was a drug dealer, and his mother a heroin addict. Caine first saw someone be shot when he was just a child, as shown in the films early scenes. Following this his father is murdered in a fixed drug deal, and his mother overdoses, and dies.

Caines best friend O-Dogg is a 16year old, who, as is said in the movie is 'Americas worst nightmare', hes young, Black, and he just dont giv'a F***.

I wont spoil the movie by saying anymore, but take it from me this is one of the the best movies you will see in a long time, especially if you like the whole gang thing, it also has historical content of the 'Watt's rights'. I say buy it as soon as you can.

Powerful movie
This movie is a veery powerful movie. It will give you some laughs and then youll be crying. It is very moving and it wshows you what the ghetto is really about. Growing up and surviving in the hood is very hard and this movvie shows just how hard it is.

Top 10
Menace II Society is one of my Top 10 movies of all time. I could watch it 5 times a day every day. Tyrin Turner should have become a big star after this movie. This movie had great actors, a good storyline, and production. Just wanted to say he was in Janet Jackson's Rhythm Nation video as the kid walking around that place, whatever it was, for some strange reason.

After Boyz in da hood
came this, a raw powered movie, that brings to the real of the early 90's South Central LA. This movie is pretty violent and gory, but yet it has a pretty strong message in it. Do you care wether you live or die?

Tyrin Turner(Kaydee) did a excellent dabut about a man who gets cought up in a situation he wants to get out of. Larenz Tate(O-Dog) is more of a straight up gangsta, but did a real good job at acting. Movies with strong messages like this make up for a excellent drama.

If you loved boyz in the hood and don't have this, that's a real shame, even if you didn't watch bouz in da hood, you should get this, and boyz in da hood as well, because those 2 movies are wll-worth the money.

peace ... Read more

Reviews (177)

The Depths Of Depp
Johnny Depp plays George Jung, your every day man turned multi-millionaire drug dealer. The amazing journey starts with just a bit of weed going to people on the beach, soon he and his friends are working their way to Mexico in major exports. After a brief stop in jail Depp changes from marijuana to cocaine. Soon Depp has so much money he can't fit anymore in his house. It is in this time he meets his wife-to-be decently played by Penelope Cruz. A mishap with his wife later and he is in jail again. The part about this film that sets it apart from most drug movies is that it shows the highlights of the illegal exchange business but it also shows the bottoming out. The other thing it has is a connection with the characters. You actually begin to feel for Depp as he is separated from the one thing that he loves in his life, his daughter. Franka Potente (Run Lola Run) and Paul Rubin (Pee Wee Herman) also have roles in this film that has heart and substance(s).

Strong Powder
BLOW is based on the true story of George Jung (Johnny Depp). In the 70s and 80s, Jung was the single largest importer of Columbian cocaine, to the United States. Therefore, he alone, changed America, and helped to create the "drug culture" in this nation. At the film's center is the partnership between Jung and Pablo Escobar, (Cliff Curtis) and how they operated, with and against each other. It really is true what others have said about Depp's performance in the film. He doesn't let this highly complex role intimidate him. He pulls it off brilliantly. He scenes with Penelope Cruz are pure magic. Directed by the late Ted Demme, BLOW offers viewers an inside look into how some people got very rich off of other people's addiction to drugs. Even though some have blasted the film because, in their opinion, it glorifies drug use, I see it more as an anti drug film. Having said that, dont expect an overt anti-drug message in the movie either. My take on it is that the "message" hides as a subtext as an implied theme. If the film does have any connection to any indictment against drugs, that comes from the fact that Demme died last year from apparently using the stuff himself.

The DVD is part of New Line Cinema's Infinifilm series. Like all other discs in the series, it is packed with extras, allowing viewers to have more of an interactive experience, while watching the film. Hearing Demme talk about drugs on the commentary track with Jung, may unsettle some, given what happened to him, but there really isn't much of that on the track. The deleted scenes don't really add much to the film and were properly edited out of the picture. The Ted Demme Production Diary is cool because it takes us through how movies are made (I always enjoy that stuff). Rounding out the standard features are trailers, filmographies, and a Nikka Costa Music Video. The disc also has a few DVD-ROM extras. The Infinifilm extras include interviews with Jung conducted by Demme, a trivia track, among others. Use of the Infinifilm mode gives you access to these features for a unique look at BLOW.

Thanks to powerful performances and solid, well produced extras, BLOW is a Highly Recommended film/DVD **** and a half stars.

Blow is about the life of Mr. George Jung from childhood to
his final drug bust for which he is still serving time. Johnny Depp carries this movie very well, like all movies about gangs or drugs or anything crime related, this movie starts off with everything going well and then everything starting to go downhill again, it is a true story, obviously with quite a bit of Hollywood fabrication but none the less, it inspires sympathy for the characters, I for one am someone who isn't really a very emotional person when it comes to movies, at least I don't think so, but this movie brought a tear or two to my eye, especially the ending, where Depp recited a poem written by Jung and it is the saddest thing, the special features are quite amazing, I would recommend this movie to people over 14 because it does have an R rating which is due to a lot of language, drug content, extremely brief nudity and some violence here and there. Enjoy.

extras no good
I rated this movie 5 stars, until I got a load of the DVD extras. These extras actually serve to drag down the enjoyment of the movie. First, there are the "character outtakes" whatever that term is supposed to mean. These consist of various characters being interviewed about George Jung - the character, not the real person. They say poorly thought out and inarticulate things like, "This guy... he's like... this guy don't care what anybody thinks, you know?" My impression was that the actors just got in front of a camera "in character" and extemporized. The results are pretty ghastly. Also, there is the jailhouse interview that director Ted Demme makes of George Jung, the real person. This is also pretty disedifying, consisting at the end of Demme sitting next to Jung on a bench and saying similarly inarticulate and poorly thought out things, like, "Yeah, its like schoolteachers make minimum wage and there's truckdrivers making hundreds of thousands of dollars a year..." Now, I am an ex-schoolteacher and though I did not make a mint at my job I certainly did not make "minimum wage" and I worked for one of the most underfunded school districts in the country. One has the impression of being a witness to a guy blowing his mouth off on the balcony of somebody's post-college get-together. Not pretty. How Demme ever got people to trust him with millions of dollars remains a mystery: the man is simply not preposessing intellectually. Also, his world is morally vague and equivocal. He tells Jung he takes a non-judgemental stance to his crimes and then says that he himself has skeletons in the closet, its just that his are not so well known. Now, I kind of doubt that Ted Demme is himself a serious criminal who has simply evaded discovery. But that is what he is in effect implying, in bad faith to George Jung - a hardcore criminal. The real implication is that any degree of malfeasance is equivalent to any other. If one man has smuggled enormous quantities of drugs, and another man has left the cap off his toothpaste well, they're pretty much the same: we all do bad things. Interestingly, the stance that Demme takes is NOT that what Jung did was not morally wrong. His stance is that, though it was wrong, so what? I can respect and perhaps agree with someone who says that smuggling drugs, though illegal, is not immoral. I can understand the argument that by and large it is an utter liberal myth that anybody is forced to use drugs by anybody else. Peer pressure? One gravitates to "peers" with similar interests. If you get into drugs and your friends don't, you find new friends: druggie friends. This happened in my circle of friends and I have seen it happen first-hand. I had many druggie and non druggie friends and I never saw anybody use drugs who did not want to. And there is simply no substance so addictive that it turns a straight arrow into a degenerate against the straight arrow's will and inclination. Drugs simply help you along in the direction you are inclined.
All this being said, I can agree with someone who does not morally judge George Jung. Personally I am morally indifferent to his actions. But this is not the same thing as saying that what he did was wrong but so what we all do bad things. If I once ignored a parking ticket, is this the same thing as being a murderer? I suspect that Demme's thus cozying up to Jung actually lowered him in Jung's regard.

Luff ist der drug
Let me be clear, this is a great film. It actually reassures me that all movies are not garbage. But for me the best part of the movie is Franka Potente's performance as Barbara, a comely stew who, so far as I can tell, is not supposed to be German. It is a special pleasure for me to watch Franka Potente, with her thick Cherrrmann accent, ya? trying to speak in a vey zat iss recognizeable as chust typical yanqui American dialect. I also thrilled to her performance in The Bourne Identity, hearing her deliver such lines as, "But he vas chust shining us all on" like the Munchen-frau she is. Yeah, I'll get all liquored up on Spaten Premium, or maybe even brave the forbidding slopes of the Optimator, then I'll hunker down for a triple-bill of Run Lola Run, Bourne Identity, and Blow. Its like my own private Oktoberfest that I chust by myself heff got going on, ya?
unt ich bein auss. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Perhaps the highest compliment you can pay to Edward Norton is that his Oscar-nominated performance in American History X nearly convinces you that there is a shred of logic in the tenets of white supremacy. If that statement doesn't horrify you, it should; Norton is so fully immersed in his role as a neo-Nazi skinhead that his character's eloquent defense of racism is disturbingly persuasive--at least on the surface. Looking lean and mean with a swastika tattoo and a mind full of hate, Derek Vinyard (Norton) has inherited racism from his father, and that learning has been intensified through his service to Cameron (Stacy Keach), a grown-up thug playing tyrant and teacher to a growing band of disenfranchised teens from Venice Beach, California, all hungry for an ideology that fuels their brooding alienation.

The film's basic message--that hate is learned and can be unlearned--is expressed through Derek's kid brother, Danny (Edward Furlong), whose sibling hero-worship increases after Derek is imprisoned (or, in Danny's mind, martyred) for the killing of two black men. Lacking Derek's gift of rebel rhetoric, Danny is easily swayed into the violent, hateful lifestyle that Derek disowns during his thoughtful time in prison. Once released, Derek struggles to save his brother from a violent fate, and AmericanHistory X partially suffers from a mix of intense emotions, awkwardsentiment, and predictably inevitable plotting. And yet British director Tony Kaye (who would later protest against Norton's creative intervention during post-production) manages to juggle these qualities--and a compelling clash of visual styles--to considerable effect. No matter how strained their collaboration may have been, both Kaye and Norton can be proud to have created a film that addresses the issue of racism with dramatically forceful impact. --Jeff Shannon ... Read more

Reviews (555)

This film was flat out amazing!!
Derek Vinyard (Edward Norton) loses his father Dennis (William Russ), who is a firefighter , that died putting out a firefighter in a crack house. Ever since then, Derek has been filled with hate, rage, violence, and racism. He joins up with Cameron Alexander ( Stacey Keach) who is the leader of the Nazi movement in Los Angeles. One night Derek catches three African American men breaking into his car, and he kills them. Derek is sent to prison for six years. While inside, Derek reluctantly becomes friends with an African American prisoner named Lamont (Guy Torry). Over time, Lamont causes Derek to realize that all his hate and anger never made his life any better. Now he is out and a changed man. Unfortunately , his brother Danny ( Edward Furlong) is headed in the exact same direction Derek was, and loves the life of a Nazi. Now it is up to Derek to save his brother and teach him the true meaning of redemption.

"American History X" is one of the best films that I have ever seen. The story is amazing, all the actors are outstanding, and the script provides for shocking scenes and great dialogue overall. The film takes an extremely controversial look at racism and shows just how damaging it can be. Watching the film unfold will leave you in awe. The parts dealing with Derek's past are shot in black and white to give them more of an ominous appeal. The present is shot in color to give the appearance of hope. Edward Norton gives the performance of his career as Derek Vinyard. He plays both sides of the character great. He is very convincing as a skinhead, and after prison shows that redemption is possible. Edward Furlong in my opinion did the best job in the movie. Furlong supplies extremely realistic emotion to let the audience know the inner conflict that his character is dealing with. The reason the character has such an impact on the film is because he is only trying to be like his brother. The rest of the cast was filled with excellent actors that include Stacey Keach, Avery Brooks, Ethan Suplee, Beverly De Angelo, and Fairuza Balk.

"American History X" is a highly controversial and disturbing film. It has shocking scenes and a realistic look at racism. But the story and characters are emotionally driven, and Derek's fight towards retribution is inspriring! It is an entertaining film, but an important one as well. A truly memorable classic.

Racism learned and unlearned
Wow. I didn't want to watch this movie at first, but it has since become one of my all-time favorites. It is incredibly graphic in almost all areas (nudity, violence, language), but only to hammer the lifestyle these characters live home.

The movie stars Edward Norton as Derek, a Neo-Nazi skinhead in the city of Venice Beach, Cali. Angered by his father's death and the circumstances surrounding it, he turns to a path of race hatred culminating in the brutal killings of 2 black men. In prison, he learns that his rhetoric and propaganda won't save him here - he must rely on bribes paid to other race groups to survive. After a brutal rape by fellow skinheads, he renounces his racist views and, once released from prison, must prevent his younger brother Danny from following in his footsteps.

This is a very powerful movie, with scenes that can shock and sicken. It carries the highest possible RSAC ratings for violence, language, and sexuality. Beyond all that, however, you'll find an excellent film with a powerful message.

Incredible Film
This movie will, quite simply put, blow you away. An incredible look into the mind of Derek Vinyard(a skin head) and his little brother Danny Vinyard(a up coming skin head). You will find yourself repulsed at times as you catch yourself actually findng their convoluted arguements for white supremecy to make sense. Edward Norton took this part and made it his own and drags you into the movie in such a way that by the end you really feel like you've known the characters for years. This is not for those with weak stomachs, nor those who, for example, have trouble sitting through the first few scenes of a movie like Clockwork Orange, it has near the same gut wrenching effect. But like a Kubrick film, once you get past the initial nausea you truly learn something about a societal battle. This is an amazing work on the foundations of racism in America and how a family overcomes it.

listen close
this movie has a lot of skinhead philosophy in it.some crips try to steal a guys truck that his father who was killed by crackheads.he father was putting out a fire in thier crack den during the rodney king riots when a black dude shot him.so,the guy goes down and chases them off.things get intense and a few would be car jackers get killed by the skinhead dude.the crazy guy in fight club is the skin head.most people will be too offended by this movie to allow thier kids to watch it.it is the best movie involving racism ive ever seen.there is one very nasty part where some guys in prison rape the skinhead.once again,there is no place for this in movies.no one likes rape.no one like guys doing it.so why must we be forced to watch this?oh!its because the black guys who made this movie wanted to take a cheap shot at whites as if to say "if you are a white racist we will rape you but its perfectly alright to be a black racist."i think all racism should be taken out of movies.the slaves were freed over 130 years ago.ww2 was over 50 years ago.jfk officialy made everyone eqiual in the 60s.so,get the hell over it already!its old news.the chick from waterboy is the skinhead dudes ol lady.they get busy but no nudity.they do show guys butts in prison.ok,as long as youre reading this,WE LOVE BOOBIES AND HATE NAKED AND PARTIALY NAKED MEN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!the message here is cant we all just get along?or at least shut up about it?fight club is better.this one is way better than waterbot though.its good but will rub a lot of people the wrong way due to its inability to take a side.

amasing...nothing like it
this movie is the most amasing movie ive seen. there is no other movie like it. This movie shows how anyone can change and that u shouldnt judge people by there race. i could watch this movie over and over again. this movie is remarkable. its sad its mean its basicly everything a movie can be. i think this is edward nortons greatest movie and the same with edwark furlong. i think that everyone should watch this movie no matter what ages. even if it is graphic anyone can learn from this movie. ... Read more

Amazon.com

When a movie can blend passionate social concern with good old-fashioned suspense, it must be doing something right. Maria Full of Grace scores high on both counts. Maria is a Colombian teenager who, for a large paycheck, agrees to be a mule for drug-runners:she has to swallow dozens of thumb-sized capsules of heroin and smuggle them into New York. This debilitating process is painstakingly described, and of course not everything goes as planned when Maria and her fellow mules land in America. Director Joshua Marston is working on a low budget, which explains the film's narrow, single-minded focus--but this may be a strength, not a weakness. The trump card is the lead performance of Catalina Sandrino Moreno, who won awards at the Seattle and Newport Film Festivals. Her empathetic face carries us along on Maria's journey, and humanizes a problem that is too easily relegated to a headline. --Robert Horton ... Read more

Amazon.com

Irreversible begins with the closing credits running backwards before the film begins (or ends) with Marcus (Vincent Cassell) and Pierre (Albert Dupontel) being escorted out of a gay S&M club by the cops, Marcus with his arm broken and Pierre in handcuffs. The "story" proceeds to unwind in a series of single-take scenes that unfold Memento-style, with each scene giving more context to what we have seen previously.Each scenario depicts actions, dialogue, incident, behavior, and circumstances that the lead characters might have wished didn't happen, ranging from extreme violence through awkward social situations to mild embarrassment. The central character (and possible dreamer of this whole what-if story) emerges as Alex (Monica Bellucci), who suffers the worst in a very hard-to-watch rape sequence in an underpass. Semi-improvised, the scenes all have attack and power as themes, with later/earlier conversational sequences that suggest life isn't all sexual assaults in the dark, showing equal cinematic imagination with the horrors. Arguably, this is not a film most would subject themselves to twice, but it is something that stays in the mind for days after viewing, sparking far more ideas and emotions than most wallow-in-nastiness pictures. --Kim Newman ... Read more

Reviews (172)

Shockingly Powerful
-SPOILERS-

'Irreversible' is a totally unique film experience. It may not be totally enjoyable due to its content, yet a must see for any film enthusiast.Director/writer Gaspar Noe delivers this mind-bending, harrowing film in total reverse sequence. Thus we are given a view of the conclusion at the film's very start. It is immediately known that the principal characters (Vincent Cassel and Albert Dupontel) are engaged on a vicious search for an individual who has committed an extreme act against them. Whether directly or indirectly, we sit eyes affixed to the screen eager to know what has transpired. As the film unfolds, we view the principals in a wild dash around Paris to find this mystery individual. Stopping at nothing, these two characters will clearly not be denied and are willing to assault and harrass anyone who might hold the key. Eventually, we bear witness to an extremely unpleasant and repulsive rape scene of Cassel's girlfriend played by the lovely Monica Bellucci. This scene lasts at least 10 minutes and we now understand the reason for this vengence. The remainder of the film provides the set-up for this awful scene and allows the viewer to gain an understanding of these incredibly complex characters. This is a triumphant achievement for Mr.Noe. He is clearly a man with vision and one who knows no boundaries in terms of what to put on the screen. A big thumbs up to Thomas Bangalter of DAFT PUNK for putting together a musical score that flows so well with the story. This film will not appeal to everyone. If your idea of film is the latest Julia Roberts flick, steer clear of this movie.

9/10

Bleak, unhappy, disturbing, shocking, grim and brilliant
Gaspar Noe's Irreversible is an unforgettable film and one that is guaranteed to provoke a strong reaction. The first half of the film is so bleak and unpleasant that it's almost oppressive. Though it's not exactly a horror film itself, this film is darker and scarier than most horror films. Depicting a brutal head-bashing murder in a dingy hellish nightclub, and a vicious violent rape in the first forty-five minutes, it's difficult to watch and may be too much for most audiences. These scenes will not leave your head for a long time.

The film unfolds in backwards chronological order, similar to Memento. More than just a simple gimmick, this structure adds even more depth to the experience. The main theme of the film seems to be choices that we make and the irreversible consequences of them. By having the film sequenced in reverse, we actually see the consequence before we see the choice. I agree with what Roger Ebert wrote in his review of Irreversible, saying that our present happiness depends on not knowing what will happen in the future. In this film we see the horrible, horrible circumstances that the characters are going to find themselves in. In the second half of the movie, when we see them in happier times, we know what is going to happen while they do not. This just makes it seem all the more tragic the way things turn out.

The style of the film can be a bit much at times. In some scenes, the camera moves all over the place almost making The Blair Witch Project look relatively still in comparison. It's quite a cinematographic achievement, but it does call attention to itself. In contrast, during the rape scene the camera is completely still and does not cut away, presumably to force us to focus on what is happening onscreen.

Irreversible is a fascinating film which will have you glued to the screen and also, at times, wanting to look away. It's powerful, well-made, brilliant and unforgettable. However, the first half of the film is mercilessly grimy, unsettling and dark giving nearly the most unpleasant feelings that this reviewer has ever had in a movie. It's not all that way, however, and the second half of the film shows the couple (Monica Belluci and Vincent Cassel) in happier times and significantly lightens up. Irreversible is not at all for the squeamish but for those who can stomach it, it's an exhilarating cinematic experience.

A brilliant work of art.
There are two sides to "Irreversible". The first one is violent and disturbing, the second one beautiful and romantic. Since all reviewers from this forum chose the first one, I shall write about the second part of the film, which is beyond greatness. There is a party scene and a subway one that would make any film buff more than happy. And then there is a beautiful and tender love scene between Bellucci and Cassel.

The film is told backwards, ergo, the audience knows the characters' destiny. It's so sad to see them having such a great time together -- laughing and dancing, not knowing how their lives will be forever altered. This is great cinema. Monica Bellucci's performance is incredible -- I can't think of any actress (especially one from Hollywood) who would have accepted to play such a difficult part. Vincent Cassel (he did the voice of Robin Hood in Shrek) and Albert Duponteil are equally good. The whole movie is shot in single-take scenes, most of the dialogue being improvised by these great actors. The film has been directed by Gaspar Noe (Seul Contre Tous) and he brings us his unique vision to the material. The sountrack and the special effects are excellent, too.

If you haven't yet seen "Irreversible" and you have reservations regarding the violent content -- here's a tip for you: watch the second half of the film (where the party scene begins) and then judge for yourself if you want to see what's left out of this complex tragedy. Everybody knows that good and bad co-exist together. "Irreversible" has such a fresh and realistic look to life that in less than a year will probably become a classic.

What thrash!
What a thrash of a movie! Can't see what's the rave all about.
Tries to disguise a poor movie by doing silly things like running it in back to front (it starts with the end of the movie and work itself to the start). In between, one gets tortured by foul language aplenty and worse still a cameraman who seems to have been told by the director to point his camera to anywhere other than where he's supposed to. As a result, certain part of the movie was simply a pain and agony to watch with picture of darkened ceiling, flashing lights and nothing more than that.
Then, there's that attempt at plot. What a pathetic attempt at that. If you manage to figure out the back-to-front sequencing, then it's about a young (good-looking one) lady attending a party and deciding to leave early. On the way home, she got raped (and I believe many thought this is ground-breaking since it takes up a few minutes of groaning and further foul language). Boyfriend left party and found her raped, got raging mad running around looking for the culprit, thought he found the guy in a gay club (here's where you gotta tolerate the camera work mentioned above), got into a fight and his mate with him killed the one he was fighting with. Police arrives, take them away. END OF SHOW!!! Now how's that for plot!
Almost had to shut it off after the first 15 minutes but thought why not tolerate it to see how bad it can be. And believe me, it can be and indeed is VERY bad!
So here it is. A very badly made movie trying to disguise itself as something more than that by violence, nudity and sex. Do you need it?
Oh yes, it's in French so be ready to get through the movie reading subtitles if the above doesn't alert you to what's in store.

some of the most disturbing scenes ever
If there's one thing that can be stated with utmost certainty, it is that "Irreversible," a French film by writer/director Gaspar Noe, is not for the faint of heart or weak of stomach. In fact, this tale of the brutal rape of a helpless young woman is one of the most harrowing films ever made and features two of the most graphic scenes ever committed to film: the rape itself and the killing of the man responsible for the rape.

Although I imagine that very few people will end up subjecting themselves to this film in the long run, those who do will witness an amazing piece of work in many ways. Like the movie "Betrayal" from 1983, "Irreversible" tells its story in reverse chronological order. It begins with a frenzied man racing through a gay sex club, madly searching for someone we know merely as Le Tenia. Only as the story develops - as we are taken ever further back in time - do we begin to understand what is going on: that this young man, Marcus, is seeking vengeance on the rapist who has brutally attacked his pregnant girlfriend. Noe keeps us in a state of confusion by filming the scene in such a way as to reflect the maniacal state of Marcus' revenge-obsessed mind. The camera bounces around in epileptic confusion while the audience attempts to get its bearings. Eventually, as the filmmakers backtrack to reveal the events that have led up to this moment, the camera calms down and we get to see the whole ugly story acted out in painfully graphic detail. In fact, in the rape scene itself, Noe reverses his filmmaking style 180 degrees, deliberately leaving the camera stationary and focused on the event as it plays itself out. He simply won't allow us to stop looking.

There are some, I imagine, who might object to this film on moral grounds, feeling that it is little more than a cynical exploitation picture with artistic pretensions. Yet that condemnation would do a disservice to the makers of this film who, I believe, do not want us to revel in the sordidness of what we see, but rather to be appalled by the unspeakably brutal way in which human beings can treat their fellow human beings. By having us sit and witness every moment of this brutality without the comforting filter of cutaway shots or easy dissolves, Noe forces us to face the ugly truths about ourselves as a species. The reverse-order structure of the film heightens the tragic nature of the story for it allows us to see just how happy and hopeful these characters are in the time right before the rape shatters their lives. The latter half of the film contains no physical violence, yet watching it unfold is an ineffably sad experience, for we, unlike the characters themselves, are privy to the Sword of Damocles so precariously poised over their unsuspecting heads, yet find ourselves helpless in being able to rescue them from the inevitable destruction it will cause. Thus, the structure robs us of even the remotest option of hoping against hope that the tragedy can somehow be avoided - for we have seen it as an already completed action. For while the film may be "reversible," life itself is not. In the case of this film, at least, form does, indeed, become content.

Vincent Cassel as Marcus, Monica Bellucci as his girlfriend, Alex, and Albert Dupontel as their mutual friend, Pierre, all deliver excellent, heartfelt performances.

I doubt that many people will have the intestinal fortitude to make it through large segments of this film, but those who do will surely never forget what they've seen. ... Read more

Reviews (88)

Wonderful Movie!!
I loved this movie! I applauded De Niro's acting and directing for this film. It's an intriguing Bronx Tale with a young man at its center. It tells the story of Calogero, an Italian boy who grew up in a neighborhood that was run by a local hood named Sonny (Palminteri). Cologero admires Sonny's life of getting things easily like money, respect, and even fear. However his father Lorenzo(De Niro, who's a blue-collar bus-driver, tries to get Cologero to turn his back on Sonny for the sake of his life as well as everything that Lorenzo has instilled in his son. All in all, it's a wonderful movie. It's a story of love, loyalty, friendship and family amidst its violence.
The music's awesome too!! Get the soundtrack.
I recommend this movie to De Niro fans (like me!) and fans of the genre in general.
Oh..and watch for a cameo by none other than Joe Pesci!

Very Accurate Story of Life in the City
This film is definitely one of the most underappreciated films of the 1990s. Besides excellent performances by EVERY actor (I actually can't think of one bad acting scene--even young Francis Capra had his part down cold), there are wonderful sets, great music, and great dialogue. Robert De Niro happens to be my idol in a way, and his directorial debut did not let me down one bit. But for me the most striking aspect of Chazz Palmentieri's script and De Niro's adaptation of it is the way that Calogero falls in with the wrong people. It hits close to home for me, having been in a similar situation and environment. To the people of the neighborhood, Sonny isn't a gangster, he's just an important guy. And that's how it is. Crime is never crime in those neighborhoods, it's just a means to an end. And the way that this movie captures that is truly amazing. My only complaint is the way the movie forks. It starts out as a young man's dilemma of who to listen to, and everything seems to be headed toward a resolution of this. But then a completely alien storyline kicks in about Calogero's crush on a young black girl from Webster Ave. While there is nothing wrong with the second half of the movie, it seems to detract from the first part, in which we were already engrossed in. I think that there could have been a better transition from one to the other. (As a sidenote, all respect to De Niro, I think that he was probably particularly passionate about portraying the white kid/black girl story. After all, he seems to be quite attracted toward black women seeing as how there have been more than a few in his love life. Thank you for showing this, Mr. De Niro. To those people who never lived in a similar place it doesn't seem relevant, but in those neighborhoods it is a very big matter.) Although every actor gave a great performance, I think the shining stars in this film were the uncredited appearance by Joe Pesci, the wonderful job by young Francis Capra, the sets, and last but not least the performance of Palmentieri himself. THis man is a really outstanding actor who stays very true to the central vein of his character throughout the movie. Over all, he playus a very interesting real-life wiseguy.

Don't waste your money!!
This was not a great movie like everyone thinks it is. I really didnt get into it. I thought the actors portrait of "the mob" was not right at all. Very Very off.

Terrific directorial debut
For a directorial debut, Deniros first is impressive. The story takes place in of course, the Bronx, about a bus driver and his kid growing up. Deniro does not overblow the movie....and does capture realistically the street humor and language that makes it very realistic.

It might not be a Scorsese or Coppola film, but its very very respectable just the same. Give it a look, its very good!!

Superb Westsidestoryesque Drama: BEST FILM OF 1993
A compelling insightful drama set in racially-charged New York City of the 1960s. Chock full of wisdom and insight, the powerful message swept along in riveting, tense tale of how making the wrong choices can be truly deadly. Robert Deniro and the youngster that plays his son create a real-life relationship and tug of war that is both fascinating and heartbreaking. Outstanding film that is a must-see for teenagers who think they have all the answers and essential viewing for parents whose uncompromising adherance to can lofty ideals can bring heartbreak to all those around them. Acting is excellent and the staging is superb. One of the top 100 best movies of the 1990s. ... Read more

Reviews (40)

An Entertaining and Clever Landmark
Breathless, or A Bout de Souffle, is arguably one of the ten most important films of the last fifty years because it demonstrates a new, and eye-popping editing style that has now become common-place among Indie and European cinema.

Francois Truffaut, who is responsible for the script, once said all that you needed to make a movie was 'a girl and a gun.' Breathless appears to be Truffaut putting his theory into action, but there's a little more going on than that suggests.

It is a film that transports classic era Hollywood to the Paris of the late 50's. Jean-Paul Belmondo's character is obsessed with Humphrey Bogart. He is also on the run from the police, and off to visit his girl, Jean Seberg in Paris.

So far, so blah. But what director Godard does with this simple 40's noir plotline is to treat it in a way that feels intuitively wrong. He promotes the relationship between Belmondo and Seberg to centre stage and leaves the man-on-the-run-from-the-police story as a virtual subplot. To this end there is a lengthy scene of the couple talking in a bedroom - it must last twelve minutes. You practically forget that there's a Hollywood B-movie plot somewhere in the background.

It is testament to the performances, and particularly to Truffaut's script that you really don't mind. You just sort of get carried along by the thing.

It's important not only because it's dead, dead good and genuinely entertaining rather than just clever for the sake of it, but also because it plays so loose with genre and structure, it gave subsequent directors the right to experiment as well. No Breathless, no Pulp Fiction - despite Tarantino's claim to prefer the (much inferior) American remake with Richard Gere.

Jean-Luc Godard subsequently disowned the movie, considering it to be far too conventional. Perhaps he also disliked Truffaut's humanism, which shines through as it does in everything he was involved in.

Godard went on to make more challengingly, more confrontational pictures but never really recaptured the youthful exuberance of Breathless.

Think of a movie like Citizen Kane. If you've seen Kane you'll recall that the viewer feels Welles's joyful iconaclysm, even sixty years or so on. Same deal with Breathless. Even though the jump cut and gleeful genre-bending have both become standard you can still feel the exhiliration from everyone concerned in doing something genuinely new.

A must own.

Yes, the film is important, but it's also a lot of fun.
"Breathless," Jean-Luc Godard's tribute to moviemaking itself and one of the seminal titles of the French New Wave, is, jump-cuts and all, a film that changed the way movies were made. It introduced audiences and critics alike to new voices in the cinema, to a newer and cheaper guerrilla-style film made on location and to the sort of movie aware of the fact that it was just a movie.

That said, though, this movie is a lot of just pure fun. In the leads, Jean-Paul Belmondo and the absolutely gorgeous Jean Seberg seem to inject their portrayals of young thief-and-killer Michel Poiccard and his indecisive American girlfriend Patricia with a sense of humor and joy. The couple they portray are given moments where they're not really pushing the action forward, where they're reveling in what it feels like to be young and in lust, if not love. The scenes where they're lying in bed just talking or riding together in a car and talking about Paris are perhaps the most delightful aspect of the film.

Even though the character of Michel is almost certainly doomed from the moment he steals a car and guns down a police officer, he has a lot of fun with his last days, wandering the streets, stealing from friends and trying to get Patricia to sleep with him. Patricia, likewise, is given moments of joy, despite worrying about her pregnancy and job, wondering if she should betray the man she loves to the police or run away with him to Rome.

That spirit, in addition to its technical wizardry and the passion of its makers, is what made the film different in 1960, and it's the spirit behind it that just makes "Breathless" fun Sunday-afternoon viewing now.

The first of the New Wave, but not the best...
All right - Breathless is an important film and I can see why. This is the film that gave birth to the French New Wave. Before this, films look like they were shot in a studio. This film made the gritty look of seventies filmmaking - and indeed, today's independent filmmaking - possible. This film has a guerrilla feel to it, which makes it seem very modern. Goddard films on actual locations with handheld cameras. The most obvious innovation is the deliberate use of "jump cuts", which goes against the traditional theory of "invisible edits." The story itself (by Francois Truffaut) is innovative - it foreshadows Quentin Tarantino with its non-moralistic account of a cold-blooded, Bogart-worshipping killer (wonderfully played by Jean-Paul Belmondo) and his crazy/beautiful American girlfriend.

That having been said, the style of this film is really what is important. Looked at today, when its innovations have been absorbed into mainstream film, TV, and commercials, some of the flaws are more apparent. Especially towards the end of the film, when the story gets wackier and the style gets over-the-top, it became hard to restrain my Mystery Science Theater comments. That is the problem with being the first in anything - you go too far and you date yourself. Although Goddard started the Nouvelle Vague, I think that Truffaut - as evidenced by his script here - is the more important artist. This is the film that paves the way for better films like The 400 Blows. However, Breathless is still a good film and a must for any serious student of cinema. Although there are few extras on this DVD, the film looks great. For all its flaws, Breathless still has an air of authenticity that few films today can dream of.

Slow moving crap
This movie is full of a bunch of slow moving character developments. There's a bunch of long dialogues between men and women that are very drab and superficial. People tell me to watch this film for the amazing jump cut edits...well I did and big deal. Let's face it this guy is no Scorcese when it comes to doing innovative stuff with the camera, writing compelling scripts, and getting a likable cast up on the screen. Personally I think this guy just writes films for film school types and completely ignore us the audience.

Of Historical Interest Only?
The reaction of someone who is not a film historian:

This is obviously not intended as a work of surrealism or Dada. Godard has a story to tell, and two characters to introduce to us. I suggest that the film techniques be measured by whether they contribute to these goals. The use of handheld camera, long shots, candid shots of Paris do. They give the film a sense of energy and reality, and have perhaps been adopted by others because of this. The "jump cuts" (which I take to mean the abrupt cuts in the middle of scenes, with no attempt to maintain continuity) do not. They are distracting and remind you, with a jolt, and indeed never permit you to forget, that you are watching a film. This is not like noticing that a great painting is made up of the artist's individual brushstrokes; more like brushstrokes that keep you from seeing the overall picture. It just comes off as amateurish, and interfers with plot and character development.

Seborg didn't seem to me to work in this role. I think Godard means to tell us that she is not vulnerable but in fact the same sort of animal as Belmondo, but the toughness was not persuasive (esp. the obvious self consciousness of the closing shot). If this is not what was meant, then she failed to communicate to this viewer what exactly it was that motivated her character. Does that mean she is "deep"? ... Read more

Description

Brimming with action while incisively examining the nature of truth, Rashomon is perhaps the finest film ever to investigate the philosophy of justice. Through an ingenious use of camera and flashbacks, Kurosawa reveals the complexities of human nature as four people recount different versions of the story of a man's murder and the rape of his wife. Toshiro Mifune gives another commanding performance in the eloquent masterwork that revolutionized film language and introduced Japanese cinema to the world. ... Read more

Reviews (90)

Kurosawa's breakthrough film
Akira Kurosawa, known as one of the greatest directors of all time, got international attention with this film, that opened up the Japanese film market to the world. Released in 1950, this film, along with the director won many coveted awards. The story is simple, but at the same time the film is very complex. Tajomaru, a bandit, played wonderfully by the great Toshiro Mifune, is accused of raping a woman, and murdering her husband, in the woods. Tajomaru, the woman, a witness, and the man himself (speaking through a medium) tell their version of the events. The thing is each one tells a different story, with their own perspective on the events, and perception of those involved. So as each story is told we go into flashback and see the different events, and how the characters act differently.

The film from a technical standpoint is perfect, with innovative use of the camera, and editing. Acting is done superbly, with each actor, playing a slightly different version of their characters in each flashback. The script cannot get better, based on two short stories. The film is very serious, and is a meditation on the nature of truth.Its about how truth is relative, and how we each have a different viewing of events, tastes, and concepts. It is also about how each person makes up their own truth, lies, to deceive themselves. Our ego is so big we need to comfort it, and keep it safe from harsh reality. In all this film is perfect, and is even sometime called Japan's Citizen Kane, in the way it impacted Japanese filming. The two films have many similarities. If you enjoy serious films, investigating the nature of truth, and ourselves, see this film. 5 stars.

Truth is elusive, reality subjective. A tale well told.
I've heard about this 1950 Japanese film all my life and have even incorporated the word "Rashomon" into my vocabulary. It means that the truth is elusive and people will remember things with their own particular spin. When the film first came out it was nominated for an academy award and is still considered the masterpiece of the director Akira Kurosawa.

Shot in black and white, the mood is set right at the beginning, as there's a rainstorm going on and a priest and a woodcutter are seeking shelter in an ancient temple. Both of them are troubled, as they have heard witnesses to a crime explain events that they just "don't understand". When a third man joins them, they tell their stories. Eventually the audience watches the reenactment of four different versions of the same incident. At the end, there is still confusion.

The acting is done in classical Japanese style, which is more appropriate for a large auditorium than for a small screen. The actors shout, they roll their eyes, and every gesture is exaggerated. There's passion throughout and a great mythic theme. It seemed all to be set on a great stage. And the interesting part is that three out of the four people telling the story claim to be the killer. The cinematography is also special, using the rain as one realm of reality and harsh sunlight as another. The woods in which the crime takes place look hot and stifling, and the actors are all excellent.

However, once the novelty of the setting and the dramatic elements of this stylized film wore off, I found myself restless. It was only 83 minutes long but it seemed much longer. I do applaud its art and its message. I therefore recommend it. However, I just can't help the fact that it didn't engage me completely.

Classic stuff
A man travelling with his wife in feudal Japan is murdered by a bandit... or is he? As the main protagonists - the bandit, the wife, a passer-by and (I kid you not) the man himself - tell their versions of events, a series of contradictions emerge. Who, if anyone, is telling the truth?
Rashomon's Byzantine plot structure was unique at the time, and still feels fresh over half a century down the line. Presenting no easy answers (there is reason to doubt the motives, and thus the stories, of all of those involved), it leaves the audience to make up their own minds about who to trust. Fans of latterday head-spinning efforts such as The Usual Suspects and Memento will find plenty to get their teeth into here.
It all looks gorgeous, to boot (Kazuo Miyagawa's cinematography is done justice by an excellent DVD transfer here), and the performances - especially Toshiro Mifune, as the bandit Tajomaru, cackling hysterically and pausing mid-fight to swat mosquitoes on his neck - are superb. If I've got one gripe, it's the slightly pat "redemptive" ending, but that's a minor fault at best.
Otherwise, Rashomon is downright essential. It's too easy to get all rose-tinted when trying to assess a long-established "classic", but this is one that's more than stood the test of time.

The one that set the standard
When Akira Kurasawa released this film in 1950, it was not expected to do well. When it won various awards around the world, including the Academy award for best foreign film, the reaction was one of some surprise. Now, over 50 years later, Rashomon stands as a benchmark in cinema, a film that has been copied and ripped off countless times, but never duplicated. The camera work, storytelling, script, and setting are flawless, giving us the proper mood right from the start.

The start is a torrential rainstorm, where several men sit around discussing a trial they have either witnessed, or taken part in. The trial concerns the murder of a samurai and the rape of his wife, apparantly at the hands of a famous bandit (played by Toshiro Mifune, a Kurasawa favorite). The story of what actually happened is told through the point of view of the bandit, the woman, the dead man (through a spriritual medium) and a woodcutter who was there and now is standing with these men at the beginning of the film.

The interesting thing is that we as the audience are left to assume what really happened, as the film gives no definitive solution. The subject is really the nature of man, and how point of view will change the perception of a scenario to favor or in some cases, cast a negative light on events that transpire.

This was the first film to shoot directly at the sun. In fact, the beginning shot of the woodcutter traveling into the woods to cut lumber is breathtaking, the camera weaves in and out, up and down, through branches and leaves, showing just how far out of the way these things will be happening. The excellent DVD has a feature on the camera work, which you will find interesting and will help you when you go back to the film for a second viewing.

Also included with the disc is a booklet with the two short stories Kurasawa used as the premise for the film (most notably "In the Grove")along with an excerpt from Kurasawa's book about the shooting of the film and the apprehension of the Japanese film companies about the fact that the story seemed to have no good ending. Kurasawa explained that the story was not about the solution of the murder as it was about the nature of man.

Film fans need to see this movie. So many movies made in the last few years (Snake Eyes, The Usual Suspects) owe themselves to Rashomon, movies which show us points of view that are not necessarily the truth. The fact is that four people can see a situation but report it four completely different ways. What's the truth? The truth is--that's just human nature.

A milestone in the story of cinema in any age
Rashomon is a masterpiece. This film shows us a hard statement that maybe disagree to many people; the truth doesn't exist. We see always fragments of it no matter how old you are.
Aesop in his fables states: in every man always there are three ; that who he thinks he is; what other people think he is and finally that one who really is. In that sense Goethe talked about four levels of the reality; lineal, literal, methaporical and finally the cosmic.
In what level are you when you assume the judgement about a fact?
Remember his beliefs are always relative; your ethical world depends about a lot of issues; such as your social status; your religion; your birthplace; your culture and even your age; so be careful when you say are in possesion of the absolute true.
And that's what the movie shows us; a terrible murder; five persons state about the fact ; and before you five different versions are given. So, the questions is; who of these persons is lying and who is true?
All of us have a sight blind; and because of this you may agree with some of these people; and your close friend or even your couple may be perfectly disagree with you.
The reasonable doubt is a very well konwn device employed by all the lawyers in their cases . Indeed, this term inspired to Sidney Lumet for making his opera prima "Twelve angry men" in 1957.
Back to Rashomon we find to Akira Kurosawa in one of his major achievements. The handle camera is superb; and this is the first film in the story where , by the first time the camera shows us the sun; a brilliant methapor and also a challenging aaproach by this master director.
Mesmerizing ; unforgettable ; you'll be shocked every time you watch. Remember what the woman says uin a sequence: "The men lie because they are weak".
And this point is remarkable, just because the fragile human condition; the human being always will keep his dignity, pride and a set of values above all the odds; and through this process, the truth is always put in a second place, by obvious reasons.
Heissenberg established the uncertain principle in 1930 and this review is far to explain about this issue, but what it deserves to call your attention at the time you say ; I found the truth; or even worst; I represent the truth.
This procedure is typical of dictatorial regimes; the state is me and other similar statements reveal a syntom of being out of the life and even the nature, a wise mind always thinks and acts; after rethinks and reacts; but never remains quiet.
Kurosawa adapted this film from a novel from the same title Rashomon from 1927 written by Yabu no Naka.
This film is a wonderful exploraton of truth and human weakness.
In fact this film is watched and analyzed in Post Grade School of Management, for purposes related with another goals.
This film was remade in 1964 as Outrage for Martin Ritt, where Paul Newman plays the role of Toshiro Mifune in the original version.
A true landmark. Don't miss it.
A superb classic! ... Read more

Reviews (29)

Never Let You Go
Gene Tierney stars as Ellen, a woman incapable of anything except obsessive love. She goes to extreme lengths to keep her new husband (Cornel Wilde) all to herself. And I do mean extreme! She leaves her family in ruins. I'm not sure why Leave Her To Heaven works so well. The acting is either dull (Wilde, Jeanne Crain) or over the top (Vincent Price). The script is full of bad lines and unbelievable situations. But somehow it works! Give credit to Gene Tierney, who manages to make one of the most unbelievable and unlikeable characters in movie history so watchable by more than just her incredible beauty. Also give credit to the amazing technicolor photography that really must be seen. The musical score is very dramatic and over the top, which makes it a perfect fit for this movie. You may be shaking your head throughout most of the film, but I guarantee you'll watch it to the end to see what happens.

GLORIOUS TECHNICOLOR SCENERY PLUS GORGEOUS GENE TIERNEY
The real star of this fascinating little movie is the breath-taking Technicolor photography of Maine and New Mexico; even the architecture is great to look at (as is the gorgeous Gene Tierney!). Tierney's role of Ellen Berent has received almost cult status over the years since her character is that of an obsessive and cruel, selfish and evil woman; her relationship with Cornel Wilde indeed makes for an unusual and strange love story! Ben Ames William's novel of the same name was released in 1944 and was read by over a million people; the public was obviously captivated by this lurid little tale of a psychopathic wife. While being more than a little melodramatic, the story's believability is quite implausible at times, however the film lingers in the psyche nevertheless (the scene where Ellen lets Wilde's crippled little brother Hickman drown out of sheer jealousy is genuinely disturbing). Classic line: Ellen's mother: "There's nothing wrong with Ellen. She just loves too much!" Rarely has such a wicked woman looked as beautiful as Tierney does in this unusual story of obsessive "love".

"Sometimes the truth is wicked."
In the film "Leave Her to Heaven", writer Richard Harland (Cornel Wilde) travels to New Mexico for a holiday. On the train, he meets a woman, Ellen (Gene Tierney) who happens to be reading his book. They strike up a conversation, and once in New Mexico, Richard finds himself in a relationship with Ellen. A whirlwind romance leads to marriage, and soon the newlyweds are heading back to Harland's home on the East Coast.

It doesn't take long before Harland realizes that there's something not quite right with his beautiful bride. She's insanely jealous, but she's also hideously rude to lifelong friends. Ellen, however, is quite practiced at hiding her ugly side. At first, she welcomes Richard's crippled brother, Danny, but within a few weeks, she's eager to rid of him--she tries to get rid of Danny gracefully at first, and when that doesn't work, she takes matters into her own evil hands....

Gene Tierney was very well cast in this role. She has a sort of restless grace that convincingly conveys the sense of a mind that is not quite in control. Tierney's performance as the seriously disturbed beauty is flawless. She shifts from false sweetness to absolute psychotic evil with the blink of her eyelashes. Even the other characters in the scene seem amazed by her performance. Jeanne Crain is cast as Ellen's adopted sister, and the two actresses look incredibly alike. Vincent Price has a relatively small (and tame) role as Ellen's ex-fiance-the man has no idea what a narrow escape he had. This film is classed as film noir, but it has the feel of a soap opera at heart--an excellent one, I'll admit. The video is good quality and contains scenes from the film's premiere in Hollywood--displacedhuman

The most gorgeous motion picture ever photographed
This 1945 Technicolor "film noir" happens is the most visually beautiful picture that has ever been photographed. Lovely Gene Tierney is extremely gorgeous in this classic tale of obsession, jealousy and murder...all in a lush, Technicolor paradise. The scene where Tierney is rowing the boat and letting the little boy drown with the green pines in back of the blue, blue lake will knock your eyes out --- it is so beautiful. I can't think of any movie made today that has color like this.

Fox, we want this masterpiece on DVD NOW, we don't want anymore Simpsons crap!

Me too!
Since others have very eloquently outlined the intriguing plot and described the talents of the beautiful but ultimately tragic Gene Tierney already, I will only add that if you are a "film noir"/old movie fan and you haven't seen this one yet , then you are in for a huge treat. Don't just sit there! Get it now! Haunting actress, great plot and absolutley beautiful scenery up at the lodge.... Happy watching! ... Read more

Reviews (106)

AFI top 100-8 Oscars -Best Picture 1954-Best Actor Brando!!
With the famous quote: "I could-ha been a contend-ha. I could have been somebody!!"
AFI (American Film Institute) voted "On the Waterfront" into the top 100 films in the last 100 years. Winner of 8 Oscars including the "BIG 3" - Picture, Director-Elia Kazan and Actor-Marlon Brando. This Remastered Sight and Sound DVD gives us an outstanding Full-Screen Black & White Classic presentation. Fantastic cast - Marlon Brando, Lee J. Cobb, Rod Steiger, Karl Malden And Eva Marie Saint (first starring role).
Shot on location "On the Waterfront" in New York / New Jersey during the winter time. Actually done outside on location!! This added to the realism of the rough neighborhoods surrounding the waterfront.
In Summary: Terry Malloy (Brando) an ex boxer tries to fit into the longshoreman union "On the Waterfront". Treated as a patsy by Union Leader crook (Cobb) and protected by his brother (Steiger) Union strong arm. He is set up in a union troublemakers death. The sister (Saint)of the slain troublemaker and Priest (Malden) try to befriend Terry (Brando) into betraying the corrupt union boss and turning states evidence.
A brilliant cast performs flawlessly (especially the famous "Contender Scene between Brando & Steiger")and shows us the rough, crude world of the waterfront of the 1950's. This DVD is a remastered Black & White picture and sound presented in a Full Screen format. Many extras including "Contender" explain and reveal many background facts regarding this Classic Film.
This movie shows us what was happening "ON THE WATERFRONT".

The quintessential Brando performance...
Marlon Brando's performance alone justifies watching this movie. Without mentioning any of On the Waterfront's other merits, it could be given 5 stars simply because of his brilliant interpretation of his role as Terry Malloy, the confused and inarticulate former prize-fighter. In addition to Brando's performance, On the Waterfront features great performances from the other actors, a compelling and realitic situation, and some really moving scenes and speeches.

In On the Waterfront, Terry Malloy (Marlon Brando) moves from an apathetic, cynical bum to a fighter who stands up for what he believes in. At first, in order to get work, Malloy cooperates with the corrupt union (it really is more like a gang) that runs things in the waterfront area. Although the union has murdered several people, the police cannot break it up because nobody has the courage to stand up and testify against it. But by the end, through the guidance of a passionate priest and the beautiful, idealistic daughter of his murdered friend (Eva Marie Saint, who gives an excellent, Oscar winning performance in her first movie), Malloy finds the courage to testify against the union's boss, Johnny Friendly.

Admittedly, the film does have its faults - the soundtrack, for instance, is overdone, and sometimes the director, Elia Kazan, gives the impression that he is trying to make certain scenes very deep (which strangely enough takes away from them). Overall, however, On the Waterfront is a great film - a classic in the true meaning of the word. Again, it is worth seeing for Brando's performance alone!

I LOVE THIS FILM
It is unfortunate that it took Brando's death for me to realize the acting genuis he was. In this movie he brought forth such a vulnerability that you wanted to root for him. His acting is brilliant, I can understand why he won an Oscar for this performance. I now know what true acting genius is, it was Brando. Highly recommend this movie.

Somewhat dated but still compelling classic drama
I recently re-watched Elia Kazan's ON THE WATERFRONT in honor of its late star, Marlon Brando. His performance as Terry Malloy is often considered one of his greatest (and he won an Oscar for it to back it up), and there is no doubt that this is a performance of spontaneity and great emotional realism that must have awed a generation of filmgoers who watched him. He truly brings his character---a former boxing champ tortured by pangs of conscience as well as disappointment---to authentic life in a way that is somewhat heightened yet always convincingly down-to-earth.

As for the film surrounding this great performance, it has inevitably lost some of its power since it made a splash in the '50s (during the height of McCarthyism, and during which Kazan testified before the House Un-American Activities Committee and named names), but it still offers an emotionally compelling experience overall. If sometimes Budd Schulberg's screenplay seems a tad too overwrought (particularly in the final scene, too overtly symbolic), Kazan and his cast never allow it disintegrate into tiresome preachiness. If Brando's performance can be said to be "extraordinary" (and it is certainly something to watch), the other actors are hardly upstaged. I don't know if Eva Marie Saint really deserved an Oscar for her performance here, but perhaps that has more to do with her more conventional character than with her performance, which is good enough. Karl Malden, as the activist Father Barry, fares better: he is convincingly noble and impassioned in his role as, arguably, Malloy's conscience. And Lee J. Cobb is also good as the corrupt Johnny Friendly: while the script does not necessarily develop human sides to the character, Cobb admirably makes him convincing nevertheless rather than merely a one-note snarling villain.

Despite its topical origins---this film is often seen as Kazan's justification for testifying at the HUAC---the plot still resonates pretty strongly today. I mean, who wouldn't feel the same internal dilemma in the same kind of situations that Malloy gets into in this film? Feeling like you should do your duty as a citizen in the face of great corruption, and yet afraid of what might happen to you if you do? I think everyone can at least understand Malloy's tortured conscience in this movie---maybe, other than Kazan himself, Marlon Brando understood it most of all---and perhaps that is why, despite some of its more dated elements, this film continues to endure. Notwithstanding its political background, ON THE WATERFRONT remains a gripping drama to this day.

Greatness Never Flags
When director Elia Kazan unveiled ON THE WATERFRONT in 1954, both critics and the public agreed that this was a special film. This is a rare enough phenomenom and repeated viewings over the decades indicate that this film truly deserves to be labeled with that often overused 'great' tagline. Part of the reason why the audiences of the 50s loved OTW was not just the superlative acting of Marlon Brando as Terry Molloy, Eva Marie Saint as Edie or Rod Steiger as Terry's conflicted brother Charley, but rather the very feel and sound of the Hoboken waterfront were faifthfully recreated to the extent that they formed a tonal subtext. Have you noticed that OTW is not a quiet movie? In nearly every scene, one can hear the raucus shriek of railroad cars and ship clanghorns dolefully reminding us that sound can be used to place the actors both spatially and aurally. Remember the scene when Terry tries to explain to Edie his own role in the murder of her brother? As soon as he opens his mouth, a ship's whistle begins to shriek so his words are drowned out. We may not be able to hear, but the look of Edie's face tells us that she heard.

It is too easy to toss around memorable quotes of which OTW abounds: the "I coulda been a contenda" speech, for example. But this film is not great because of them. Rather, OTW is great because it does what all great movies manage to do: to engage us in the fate of its stars. When Brando is beaten to a pulp by Johnny Friendly's (Lee J. Cobb) thugs and has to stagger to reach the warf to report to work and thus break the stranglehold of the crooked union boss on the workers, we can feel each agonized step that Brando takes. It is only the great movies that allow us to feel pain like that. ... 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.