The Dark Side of the Screen
Although it can be traced to German Expressionism and French Poetic-Realism, Film Noir is quintessentially an American idiom. Not a genre but a mood, it centres on fatalistic dread.
Tag Archives: Billy Wilder
397. Mulholland Dr.
Puzzling audiences ever since it premiered at Cannes in 2001, David Lynch’s dark masterpiece seems to address the abuse of women in the film industry.
387. The Third Man
The Palme d’Or winner in 1949, Carol Reed’s masterpiece drew on covert sources and unexpected styles and techniques to deliver a melancholic mystery.
358. Memories of Murder
Bong Joon-Ho embraced every cliché of the serial killer genre to examine masculinity, institutional repression and national identity.
297. A Matter of Life and Death
Francois Truffaut once claimed ‘cinema’ and ‘Britain’ were incompatible. Powell and Pressburger proved him wrong.
292. La Ronde
Released in 1950, Max Ophuls’ adaptation of Arthur Schnitzler’s scandalous play is a landmark exhibition of theme and style operating in perfect harmony.
248. Writers
All films begin at a keyboard. But whether the film is about screenwriters, journalists, novelists or composers, how does cinema depict the art of writing?
223. Pan’s Labyrinth
Guillermo del Toro says he is “in love with monsters.” In Pan’s Labyrinth, set in the Spanish Civil War, he uses them to navigate history and the world.
210. Adaptation.
If writers are told to write from experience, is Charlie Kaufman’s adaptation of Susan Orlean’s non-fiction book not really Kaufman’s autobiography?
184. When Harry met Sally…
The rom-com goes back to 300BC. Since then, four major categories have emerged with Ron Reiner’s classic being one of the best.
168. Rear Window
He was called The Master of Suspense (a title he coined himself), but for all the thrills did Alfred Hitchcock not make rom-coms wrapped inside mysteries?
165. Trainwreck
Is it possible to put a new twist on a formula as old as the rom-com? Getting Amy Schumer to write the script and Judd Apatow to direct certainly gives you a head start.
156. The Apartment
With six Oscars, five WGAs, a DGA and the Palme d’Or, Billy Wilder’s career was so blazing you’d be forgiven for saying, “Well, somebody’s perfect.”
151. Drive
Nicolas Winding Refn’s film focuses on Ryan Gosling’s nameless getaway driver. But its best scene involves a vehicle of an entirely different kind.
145. Sweet Smell of Success
To make a masterpiece about greed, media manipulation and McCarthyism, you hire a director whose background is in comedy.
Fifty Shades of Hate
This video-essay addresses the abuse inflicted by men against women in cinema. The films are critically acclaimed, Oscar winners and box-office hits. WARNING: It features scenes of extreme graphic violence.
Moving Pictures: From Hollywood to Silicon Valley
This extended video-essay examines the innovations at the heart of cinema, focusing on how cinema is coping with the move from Hollywood to Silicon Valley.
119. Annie Hall
You can divide Hollywood rom-coms into two eras; before and after Annie Hall. The film also marked the arrival of one of America’s most individual artists.
102. Movies about Movies
Most movies about moviemaking are little more than trite tributes. Are there any that go beyond the surface of the silver screen?
79. Remakes or Mis-takes?
When is a remake not a remake? When is a re-imagining not a reboot? And most pertinent, when are any of them ever any good?
64. James Bond & the Art of the Set-Piece
007 is more than just dry martinis, guns, gadgets and product placement. His best contribution to cinema is the Set-Piece.
46. All About Eve
Four actresses received Oscar nominations for their performances in All About Eve. Great script, great acting… but a great movie?
39. Sunset Blvd.
Sunset Blvd. tasted like very black coffee when it was released in 1950 and if anything, Billy Wilder’s classic tale has only darkened over the years.
31. Double Indemnity
Double Indemnity boasts some pedigree; Billy Wilder directing a script he co-wrote with Raymond Chandler that they adapted from a book by James M. Cain.
