Attack! by Robert Aldrich ----1956

Aldrich was an amazing Hollywood director who made a diverse number of films.  I also have Ulzana's Raid on this blog. Did you ever see The Dirty Dozen?  Whatever Happened to Baby Jane?  Aldrich directed those movies as well. Indeed, he unobtrusively directed a number of Hollywood classics. He is totally under-appreciated.

Here's a war movie he directed. I can't say it's an anti-war film, but it's an anti-corruption film, certainly.  The guy in the film who is in charge of what American soldiers are doing got his position only because of political connections and social class. Disaster ensues. It's a pretty good movie.

Here's the film: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2-HT7B0o4-4

The Victors -- 1963 -- Carl Foreman - great anti-war film

So World War II was the 'good' war. This film begs to differ. It was made one year before Lyndon Johnson used the Gulf of Tonkin incident as an excuse to escalate the Vietnam War and brutalize a third-world nation. So the anti-war cynicism in this film had little effect in dissuading Americans against fighting again. Well, at least Foreman tried.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N1g3v3ANhZc

The Life of Brian / Monty Python 1979 Directed by Terry Jones

Merry Christmas - please enjoy The Life of Brian (such a funny film)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2z48hHRV5BE

Late Spring by Yasujirō Ozu 1949

Access the film here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aQMQnHyUwJM

Satyricon by Fellini 1969

Access the film here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j0L-iJGFRzE

Toby Dammit by Fellini 1968

This is such a cool short film by Fellini.

Terence Stamp does a yeoman's job of playing a disillusioned actor who is struggling with alcoholism and, apparently, slowly going insane.

I saw this film at an Experimental Film Coalition screening at the Randolph Street Gallery (the devil's playground).  From what I remember, Toby Dammit takes a role in a spaghetti western being funded by the Vatican.  He clearly doesn't care about acting or the film industry anymore but is having a hard time transitioning to something else.  There's a surprise ending to the film.  The subtitle that I remember for this film is: Never Bet the Devil Your Head.

Access the film here: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL3261CD9A4114F97A

This Sporting Life by Lindsay Anderson 1963

Access the film here:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OhZQB5queH8

"I like to see a man playing as if he really meant it..."

Lindsay Anderson was an English director who seemed interested in issues of social class and aggression.  "If..." is also on this blog and is a must-see film about upper class English boys who violently revolt against their inhumane 'educational' system (which is more of a disciplinary system meant to churn out members of the upper crust). It was based on Zero for Conduct by Jean Vigo - also on this blog.

This Sporting Life is about a guy from the working class who uses his aggression and pent up rage to distinguish himself himself as an athlete. Unfortunately, nothing else seems to go well for him.

Richard Harris is amazing in this film.

Tokyo Story Yasujirō Ozu 1953

Access the film here. Click on 'cc' for subtitiles:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SOXnsqSxMNs

This is often considered one of the greatest films ever made.

Ozu made films that rarely show overt conflict or violence.  Instead we see sweet, sad, insightful films with interesting and humane characters.

The plot of the film is simple - a retired Japanese couple travel to Tokyo to visit their children. The children all have jobs and are quite busy, so they cannot spare much time with their parents. Ironically, the only one who takes a day off is their daughter-in-law - the wife of the couple's son (who died in the war).

She is a type of hero in this film - showing great warmth and kindness to an elderly couple to whom she is not even related any more.

Ozu's films remind me a bit of some of the profoundly bitter sweet music of Eric Satie. Ozu was an amazing director.

Bismarck 1940 Wolfgang Liebeneiner

I'm including this film as a type of curio.

It was a film made in 1940, in Germany, and so you'd have to assume it was a total propaganda film. But 'great' propaganda films become great propaganda films based on the extent to which they might be viewed as something objective. The more objective you make your propaganda seem, the more effective the propaganda is. So this is a propaganda film that passes itself off as history.

So this is a bio-pic about Bismarck that only, to my reckoning, has one overt homage to the Nazi government which was in place when this film was made - a scene of Prussian soldiers goose-stepping.

Otherwise, if this film were colorized and mis-dated as being from the 1950s, I'm not sure a lot of folks would even catch the propaganda.

The film shows Bismarck as a strong leader who often eschews democratic processes and freedom of the press as being counter-productive to the unity and destiny of Germany.  Yet, he seems to attack the Prussian parliament and press as being inherently anti-democratic (both institutions allegedly serving wealthy and powerful interests).  Bismarck seems to argue that he embodies the will of the people and will use his personal will and influence to achieve the unity Germany has been lacking but needs to survive in an increasingly volatile and hostile Europe.

So it's interesting to me whether Hitler, in his rise to power, tried to model himself on Bismarck (claiming to represent the true will of the German people) or whether the character of Bismarck, in this film, was tailored to fit into a Hitlerian mold.

In any case, here's a Nazi propaganda film to think about.  Frankly, this is the only movie blog on the internet highlighting such interesting films from all different angles. I'm so happy you found it. Please spread the word about it or please drop me a line with films you would like to share here.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wHj54dxRvK8

Killer of Sheep 1977 Charles Burnett

This is one of the best movies I've ever seen.

This film was made in 1977 but only released in 2007. Nevertheless, it's still meaningful and relevant.

Generally, it's about the African American experience in the American inner-city.  You see how fraught the lives of these folks in the film are and how desperate they often are.  You see how values are developed and destroyed in a harsh and cruel urban environment.

Basically, watch this film - it's amazing.

Watch the film here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZzoaGEDN64M