TDOS Cabin by the Lake Movie Draft - DRAFT COMPLETED
- Thread starter VF21
- Start date
With my 3rd pick in the TDOS Cabin in the Woods Movie Draft, I select:
Memento (2000)
IMDB Link: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0209144/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1
This was the first addition to my DVD library, and a welcome edition to my cabin collection. Set against a background of paranoia and grief, the story follows the protagonist Leonard in his quest to solve his wife's murder following a brain injury (erasing his ability to form new memories). Each frame builds from the last scene, then the first scene in intervals of short term memory to the climactic middle of the film in a methodical, linear progression of genius film making. This is the film that put Christopher Nolan on the map for me.
Quotes:
Memento (2000)
IMDB Link: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0209144/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1
This was the first addition to my DVD library, and a welcome edition to my cabin collection. Set against a background of paranoia and grief, the story follows the protagonist Leonard in his quest to solve his wife's murder following a brain injury (erasing his ability to form new memories). Each frame builds from the last scene, then the first scene in intervals of short term memory to the climactic middle of the film in a methodical, linear progression of genius film making. This is the film that put Christopher Nolan on the map for me.
Quotes:
"I have to believe in a world outside my own mind. I have to believe that my actions still have meaning, even when I can't remember them. I have to believe that when my eyes are closed, the world is still there. Do I believe the world is still there? Is it still out there? Yeah...we all need mirrors to remind ourselves who we are. I'm no different"
"I can't remember to forget you."
"You can't trust a man's life to your little notes and pictures."
"Memory can change the shape of a room, the color of a car, and memories can be distorted. They're just an interpretation, they're not a record, and they're irrelevant if you have the facts."
"I can't remember to forget you."
"You can't trust a man's life to your little notes and pictures."
"Memory can change the shape of a room, the color of a car, and memories can be distorted. They're just an interpretation, they're not a record, and they're irrelevant if you have the facts."
Last edited:
I'm on a bus right now and an Adam Sandler sequel has been playing over the loud speakers in Spanish for the last hour. I'm in need of a palate cleanser.
In that spirit, I'm leaping to what I consider the opposite side of the cinematic spectrum. A film I took first overall in the last movie draft and one that has remained an undisputed mainstay in my personal favorite list since the day I first took a dip in its majestic madness.
Ran - 1985
It's difficult for me to talk about Ran in anything but grandiose terms. The westerner's shorthand description is "Shakespeare's King Lear with Samurai" and as both useful and awesome as that description sounds, I think it does Ran an injustice; The film is hardly that derivative.
This is the film that took Akira Kurosawa more than a decade to make. The man created a storyboard of personally hand painted art pieces for this movie. He described the only film he made in the decade prior - a rather ornate and ambitious sweeping epic in its own right - as a mere "dress rehearsal" for Ran. In his own mind, this was Kurosawa's magnum opus - the whole of roughly 50 years of experience and vision brought to life.
And the result, at the age of 75, with many, especially in Japan, considering him old-fashioned and washed-up, Kurosawa produced a beautifully dark and intensely rich tapestry of chaos, betrayal, revenge, and greed that is stunningly gorgeous in cinematography, score, and paradoxically the use of bright, vivid colors.
Ran is mind-bending both in its grand scale scope and ability to intimately portray characters who are mostly wicked, but have, disturbingly, very relatable, human motivations. Lady Kaeda is among my favorite anti-hero/villains of all time specifically because I don't wholly know which category she belongs.
Ran also has one of my singluar favorite scenes in all of cinema: The centerpiece of the film - an entire chaotic castle siege battle scene completely wiped of its natural sounds leaving only the haunting orchestra score. It's disoreanting, uncomfortable, and even a little suffocating not because the viewer is watching soldiers butcherred, buildings burned, and geisha committing seppuku, but because the mind knows it's not hearing the sounds it expects to with those images and can't quite make it right.
The brilliance of Ran is it takes this natural reaction of the audience and uses it to make viewers identify with the main character on screen who is literally losing his mind in the chaos of the flames and bloodshed surrounding him - and makes us identify with him in that way. You kind of feel like you're losing your mind too.
For decades when Kurosawa was asked which of his own films was his favorite, he would give his stock answer "My next one." (an answer I've always found especially clever). That is until 1985. After that and for the rest of his life, his answer was Ran.
Who am I to argue with the little general?
In that spirit, I'm leaping to what I consider the opposite side of the cinematic spectrum. A film I took first overall in the last movie draft and one that has remained an undisputed mainstay in my personal favorite list since the day I first took a dip in its majestic madness.
Ran - 1985
It's difficult for me to talk about Ran in anything but grandiose terms. The westerner's shorthand description is "Shakespeare's King Lear with Samurai" and as both useful and awesome as that description sounds, I think it does Ran an injustice; The film is hardly that derivative.
This is the film that took Akira Kurosawa more than a decade to make. The man created a storyboard of personally hand painted art pieces for this movie. He described the only film he made in the decade prior - a rather ornate and ambitious sweeping epic in its own right - as a mere "dress rehearsal" for Ran. In his own mind, this was Kurosawa's magnum opus - the whole of roughly 50 years of experience and vision brought to life.
And the result, at the age of 75, with many, especially in Japan, considering him old-fashioned and washed-up, Kurosawa produced a beautifully dark and intensely rich tapestry of chaos, betrayal, revenge, and greed that is stunningly gorgeous in cinematography, score, and paradoxically the use of bright, vivid colors.
Ran is mind-bending both in its grand scale scope and ability to intimately portray characters who are mostly wicked, but have, disturbingly, very relatable, human motivations. Lady Kaeda is among my favorite anti-hero/villains of all time specifically because I don't wholly know which category she belongs.
Ran also has one of my singluar favorite scenes in all of cinema: The centerpiece of the film - an entire chaotic castle siege battle scene completely wiped of its natural sounds leaving only the haunting orchestra score. It's disoreanting, uncomfortable, and even a little suffocating not because the viewer is watching soldiers butcherred, buildings burned, and geisha committing seppuku, but because the mind knows it's not hearing the sounds it expects to with those images and can't quite make it right.
The brilliance of Ran is it takes this natural reaction of the audience and uses it to make viewers identify with the main character on screen who is literally losing his mind in the chaos of the flames and bloodshed surrounding him - and makes us identify with him in that way. You kind of feel like you're losing your mind too.
For decades when Kurosawa was asked which of his own films was his favorite, he would give his stock answer "My next one." (an answer I've always found especially clever). That is until 1985. After that and for the rest of his life, his answer was Ran.
Who am I to argue with the little general?
Last edited:
Memento was going to be my pick if it was still on the board next round. I absolutely LOVE this movie. In fact, it would be my vote for the greatest screenplay ever written, it's that exceptional -- cross-cutting parallel storylines with opposing timelines until they meet somewhere in the middle. Unbelievably complex in it's story structure (just listen to Christopher Nolan try to explain it) and yet at the same easy to digest and understand as presented.
...Tires screech to a halt outside a tattoo parlor. Leonard Shelby ponders a scrap of paper which holds all the answers he's spent years piecing together. If you could, would you choose to forget the simple truth that we all find at one time or another, that singular personal truth which strikes deep into the heart of exactly what you think you are and turns it on its head? Flash forward (backward?) -- a Polaroid picture slowly disappears then gets sucked back into a camera. A bullet shell rises from the ground and returns back to the gun which fired it. Bleached-blonde every man Guy Pierce is the ultimate tabula rasa -- starting over every 15 minutes with no memory of what just occurred and for once the end is literally only the beginning...
Never has a movie managed to successfully bury me so deeply in the subjective psychological state of it's main character. If you really break this story down it's about so much more than one man's search for meaning after the world as he knows it comes to an end. It's about the spark that drives all of us and the many subtle ways we reject objective reality for the more palatable version we construct inside our own heads.
...Tires screech to a halt outside a tattoo parlor. Leonard Shelby ponders a scrap of paper which holds all the answers he's spent years piecing together. If you could, would you choose to forget the simple truth that we all find at one time or another, that singular personal truth which strikes deep into the heart of exactly what you think you are and turns it on its head? Flash forward (backward?) -- a Polaroid picture slowly disappears then gets sucked back into a camera. A bullet shell rises from the ground and returns back to the gun which fired it. Bleached-blonde every man Guy Pierce is the ultimate tabula rasa -- starting over every 15 minutes with no memory of what just occurred and for once the end is literally only the beginning...
Never has a movie managed to successfully bury me so deeply in the subjective psychological state of it's main character. If you really break this story down it's about so much more than one man's search for meaning after the world as he knows it comes to an end. It's about the spark that drives all of us and the many subtle ways we reject objective reality for the more palatable version we construct inside our own heads.
I select: The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers Extended Edition (2002)
I select the two towers because it is my favorite film of the trilogy. It tells three divergent stories following the breaking of the fellowship. I especially like the portrayal of Gollum, from villain, to guide, to fellow ring-bearer. Each group deals with their own struggles, and the Ents are my favorite!
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0167261/?ref_=nv_sr_1
I select the two towers because it is my favorite film of the trilogy. It tells three divergent stories following the breaking of the fellowship. I especially like the portrayal of Gollum, from villain, to guide, to fellow ring-bearer. Each group deals with their own struggles, and the Ents are my favorite!
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0167261/?ref_=nv_sr_1
Looks like the Joker pick timed out.
I've really enjoyed all the Marvel movies for what they are (a big fun loopy rollercoaster of a summer blockbuster) and with only 12 rounds in the draft, I knew I'd want one of the Avenger movies on my island. I decided to take the one that not only was the heaviest emotionally, but also has just about every hero to date in it:
Avengers: Infinity War (2018)
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt4154756/
The biggest and baddest Marvel movie yet, this one has just about everyone except Ant-Man and Hawkeye. And they are all here to fight Thanos and his minions. Overstuffed? Yes. But it has to be to fit this much superhero goodness into one movie. I've got Iron Man, Spider-Man, and Dr. Strange on a space ship while Thor and the GotG are hanging out together. Most of the rest are gathering in Wakanda to take on the evil space army, including Hulk refusing to come out to play and play so Banner takes over the Hulkbuster Iron Man suit instead. Even Peter Dinklage is in on this film, playing, of course, a giant. Really. So much fun in this one.
Oh, and Thor gets a new toy. And a new eye. Too bad his aim wasn't just a bit better. Maybe he should have cleaned it off first?
From wiki:
The film received praise for the performances of the cast (particularly Brolin's), visual effects, emotional weight of the story, and action sequences. It became the fourth film and the first superhero film to gross over $2 billion worldwide, making it the fourth highest-grossing film of all time and in the United States and Canada, as well as the highest-grossing film of 2018. In its opening weekend, it grossed $641 million worldwide and $258 million domestically, setting the records for the highest-grossing openings for both. Infinity War became the fastest film in history to reach a worldwide gross of $1 billion, doing so in 11 days, and the second fastest film to reach $2 billion worldwide in 48 days, behind Avatar (2009).
If I'm stuck on the island for a year, no better way than to watch the prelude to what may be an even bigger film event next year when the sequel drops.
I've really enjoyed all the Marvel movies for what they are (a big fun loopy rollercoaster of a summer blockbuster) and with only 12 rounds in the draft, I knew I'd want one of the Avenger movies on my island. I decided to take the one that not only was the heaviest emotionally, but also has just about every hero to date in it:
Avengers: Infinity War (2018)
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt4154756/
The biggest and baddest Marvel movie yet, this one has just about everyone except Ant-Man and Hawkeye. And they are all here to fight Thanos and his minions. Overstuffed? Yes. But it has to be to fit this much superhero goodness into one movie. I've got Iron Man, Spider-Man, and Dr. Strange on a space ship while Thor and the GotG are hanging out together. Most of the rest are gathering in Wakanda to take on the evil space army, including Hulk refusing to come out to play and play so Banner takes over the Hulkbuster Iron Man suit instead. Even Peter Dinklage is in on this film, playing, of course, a giant. Really. So much fun in this one.
Oh, and Thor gets a new toy. And a new eye. Too bad his aim wasn't just a bit better. Maybe he should have cleaned it off first?
From wiki:
The film received praise for the performances of the cast (particularly Brolin's), visual effects, emotional weight of the story, and action sequences. It became the fourth film and the first superhero film to gross over $2 billion worldwide, making it the fourth highest-grossing film of all time and in the United States and Canada, as well as the highest-grossing film of 2018. In its opening weekend, it grossed $641 million worldwide and $258 million domestically, setting the records for the highest-grossing openings for both. Infinity War became the fastest film in history to reach a worldwide gross of $1 billion, doing so in 11 days, and the second fastest film to reach $2 billion worldwide in 48 days, behind Avatar (2009).
If I'm stuck on the island for a year, no better way than to watch the prelude to what may be an even bigger film event next year when the sequel drops.
Okay, so I told @VF21 that, if nobody else showed up to contribute to the Joker Pick before the deadline, that I would do it. Since I'm not really a movie guy, I'll let myself be a 'prisoner of the moment', so to speak, and leave the other decades to posters who are bigger fans of movies than I am:
Black Panther (2018)
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1825683/?ref_=nv_sr_1
Write-up when I can get around to it.
Black Panther (2018)
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1825683/?ref_=nv_sr_1
Write-up when I can get around to it.
Looks like the Joker pick timed out.
I've really enjoyed all the Marvel movies for what they are (a big fun loopy rollercoaster of a summer blockbuster) and with only 12 rounds in the draft, I knew I'd want one of the Avenger movies on my island. I decided to take the one that not only was the heaviest emotionally, but also has just about every hero to date in it:
Avengers: Infinity War (2018)
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt4154756/
The biggest and baddest Marvel movie yet, this one has just about everyone except Ant-Man and Hawkeye. And they are all here to fight Thanos and his minions. Overstuffed? Yes. But it has to be to fit this much superhero goodness into one movie. I've got Iron Man, Spider-Man, and Dr. Strange on a space ship while Thor and the GotG are hanging out together. Most of the rest are gathering in Wakanda to take on the evil space army, including Hulk refusing to come out to play and play so Banner takes over the Hulkbuster Iron Man suit instead. Even Peter Dinklage is in on this film, playing, of course, a giant. Really. So much fun in this one.
Oh, and Thor gets a new toy. And a new eye. Too bad his aim wasn't just a bit better. Maybe he should have cleaned it off first?
From wiki:
The film received praise for the performances of the cast (particularly Brolin's), visual effects, emotional weight of the story, and action sequences. It became the fourth film and the first superhero film to gross over $2 billion worldwide, making it the fourth highest-grossing film of all time and in the United States and Canada, as well as the highest-grossing film of 2018. In its opening weekend, it grossed $641 million worldwide and $258 million domestically, setting the records for the highest-grossing openings for both. Infinity War became the fastest film in history to reach a worldwide gross of $1 billion, doing so in 11 days, and the second fastest film to reach $2 billion worldwide in 48 days, behind Avatar (2009).
If I'm stuck on the island for a year, no better way than to watch the prelude to what may be an even bigger film event next year when the sequel drops.
View attachment 7845
I've really enjoyed all the Marvel movies for what they are (a big fun loopy rollercoaster of a summer blockbuster) and with only 12 rounds in the draft, I knew I'd want one of the Avenger movies on my island. I decided to take the one that not only was the heaviest emotionally, but also has just about every hero to date in it:
Avengers: Infinity War (2018)
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt4154756/
The biggest and baddest Marvel movie yet, this one has just about everyone except Ant-Man and Hawkeye. And they are all here to fight Thanos and his minions. Overstuffed? Yes. But it has to be to fit this much superhero goodness into one movie. I've got Iron Man, Spider-Man, and Dr. Strange on a space ship while Thor and the GotG are hanging out together. Most of the rest are gathering in Wakanda to take on the evil space army, including Hulk refusing to come out to play and play so Banner takes over the Hulkbuster Iron Man suit instead. Even Peter Dinklage is in on this film, playing, of course, a giant. Really. So much fun in this one.
Oh, and Thor gets a new toy. And a new eye. Too bad his aim wasn't just a bit better. Maybe he should have cleaned it off first?
From wiki:
The film received praise for the performances of the cast (particularly Brolin's), visual effects, emotional weight of the story, and action sequences. It became the fourth film and the first superhero film to gross over $2 billion worldwide, making it the fourth highest-grossing film of all time and in the United States and Canada, as well as the highest-grossing film of 2018. In its opening weekend, it grossed $641 million worldwide and $258 million domestically, setting the records for the highest-grossing openings for both. Infinity War became the fastest film in history to reach a worldwide gross of $1 billion, doing so in 11 days, and the second fastest film to reach $2 billion worldwide in 48 days, behind Avatar (2009).
If I'm stuck on the island for a year, no better way than to watch the prelude to what may be an even bigger film event next year when the sequel drops.
View attachment 7845
Some of you are acting like this is a punishment. A year or more in a beautiful cabin in the woods and 12 of my favorite movies to watch when I get bored sounds like paradise to me! But we're not all wired the same, so I get it. I suspect VF21 just put this whole thing together so we can help her decide what to add to her collection next.
Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest - 2006
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0383574/
Another movie I can watch time after time. Johnny Depp is one of my favorite actors. I selected this over other choices because of the obvious relish with which he approached the role. Special effects are incredible, Bill Nighy is wonderful as Davy Jones, and the Kraken...what can I say? The kraken is exactly what I imagined a kraken would be.
When my granddaughters were little and came up to visit, this is the one movie they always wanted to watch. It was their "fall asleep" movie. As a result, Kingsgirl4 and I saw it many times. I think I cherish those memories as much as I enjoy the movie itself.
Capt. Jack Sparrow will always be welcome at my cabin in the forest.
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0383574/
Another movie I can watch time after time. Johnny Depp is one of my favorite actors. I selected this over other choices because of the obvious relish with which he approached the role. Special effects are incredible, Bill Nighy is wonderful as Davy Jones, and the Kraken...what can I say? The kraken is exactly what I imagined a kraken would be.
When my granddaughters were little and came up to visit, this is the one movie they always wanted to watch. It was their "fall asleep" movie. As a result, Kingsgirl4 and I saw it many times. I think I cherish those memories as much as I enjoy the movie itself.
Capt. Jack Sparrow will always be welcome at my cabin in the forest.
With the 4th Pick I select Martin Scorsese's Taxi Driver (1976)
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0075314/
Director:
Martin Scorsese
Writer:
Paul Schrader
Stars:
Robert De Niro, Jodie Foster, Cybill Shepherd
Taxi Driver is one of the first films that got me interested in film as an art form. Schrader’s script is a masterful study of isolation, loneliness and mental decay as it traces the daily drudgery of cab driver Travis Bickle. Years before PTSD was a topic of discussion Schrader gave film goers an inside look into the metal decline of Veet Nam vet Bickle as his insomnia pushes him to drive the streets of New York night and day. His obsession with Betsy, a volunteer for a political campaign and her rejection sends him over the edge.
Scorsese brings forth outstanding performances from De Niro and Foster, who both established themselves as up and coming stars with the film. The supporting cast including Peter Boyal, Albert Brooks and Harvey Keitlel deliver suburb performances bringing the story to life. It is no coincidence that this study of obsession and isolation became a part of real life criminal obsession as it touches nerves so deep and speaks so loud to the void that seems ready to swallow so many people. The look, the script and the themes have become an indelible part of popular culture.
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0075314/
Director:
Martin Scorsese
Writer:
Paul Schrader
Stars:
Robert De Niro, Jodie Foster, Cybill Shepherd
Taxi Driver is one of the first films that got me interested in film as an art form. Schrader’s script is a masterful study of isolation, loneliness and mental decay as it traces the daily drudgery of cab driver Travis Bickle. Years before PTSD was a topic of discussion Schrader gave film goers an inside look into the metal decline of Veet Nam vet Bickle as his insomnia pushes him to drive the streets of New York night and day. His obsession with Betsy, a volunteer for a political campaign and her rejection sends him over the edge.
Scorsese brings forth outstanding performances from De Niro and Foster, who both established themselves as up and coming stars with the film. The supporting cast including Peter Boyal, Albert Brooks and Harvey Keitlel deliver suburb performances bringing the story to life. It is no coincidence that this study of obsession and isolation became a part of real life criminal obsession as it touches nerves so deep and speaks so loud to the void that seems ready to swallow so many people. The look, the script and the themes have become an indelible part of popular culture.
Last edited by a moderator:
My 4th pick, after shifting around a few of my movies that got picked...
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0071315/
Chinatown (1974)
Write up coming soon
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0071315/
Chinatown (1974)
Write up coming soon
Last edited by a moderator:
Midnight Cowboy. 1969.
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0064665/
Joe Buck does find love. Just not how he envisioned it.
The themes in this film are pretty universal. And Everybody's Talkin' is a winner.
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0064665/
Joe Buck does find love. Just not how he envisioned it.
The themes in this film are pretty universal. And Everybody's Talkin' is a winner.
Round 4 Selection:
Butch Cassidy and The Sundance Kid - 1969
https://m.imdb.com/title/tt0064115/?ref=m_nv_sr_1
Write up forthcoming....
Butch Cassidy and The Sundance Kid - 1969
https://m.imdb.com/title/tt0064115/?ref=m_nv_sr_1
Write up forthcoming....
Last edited:
With the 7th pick of the fourth round (55th overall)…
___At the center of the story is Charles Bronson as our new Man With No Name whose steely-eyed gaze and stark economy of motion might shudder old man Eastwood himself. In an inspired bit of stunt casting, All-American Henry Fonda is given the role of Frank and suffice it to say Frank is not a good dude. That he still manages to radiate basic human decency while his actions are anything but decent makes his character all the more terrifying. Claudia Cardinale is stunning as the widow Jill McBain – in fact she might be worth the price of admission alone and the depth of emotion she manages to convey through her eyes is what drives the story along. There’s something about a train and a greedy profiteering business man and a rough-around-the-edges outlaw but all of these tropes are played as leitmotifs in service of the climactic final Aria for what Sergio Leone is interested in here is not the Old West itself but rather the grandly Operatic mythos we divine from its familiar forms.
___As this is its 50 year anniversary, it feels appropriate to take a moment to acknowledge a film that was 50 years ahead of its time. The filmmaking language Sergio Leone pioneered in his initial Clint Eastwood trilogy and then perfected here in this masterpiece is still in use by filmmakers today, many of whom probably don’t even realize where it came from. Respect to the master!
Musical choice: Ennio Morricone -- Man With a Harmonica and Once Upon a Time in the West (Jill's Theme)
[whitechocolate is now on the clock...]
Edited by Warhawk - removed reference to a film that hadn't been taken yet.
Once Upon a Time in the West (1968) –
Sergio Leone / Spaghetti Western
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0064116/
___The four-course meal to A Fistful of Dollars' plate of spaghetti, this is a masterclass in visual storytelling from one of the all-time greats. Has there ever been a more sublime pairing of sound and image than Sergio Leone’s meticulously framed compositions and Ennio Morricone’s pop art soundtracks? Like a lightning bolt out of a clean night sky, these heroes of cinema set the tone for a new harder-edged style of filmmaking that is still being copied to this day. Borrowing from Akira Kurosawa's visual style, Leone stages human figures within the frame precisely for maximum dramatic impact then cuts in for his trademark extreme close-ups where squinty eyes and beads of sweat loom over us like monoliths (literally, if you're lucky enough to see this on a big screen). Filming mostly in Spain and Italy with minimal dialogue, all of it dubbed in after the fact, Leone manages to mix up the familiar images of the American West and transform them into something recognizable but entirely fresh and unique. In the virtuoso near-silent 15 minute opening sequence of this film, for instance, he elevates the simple act of waiting for a train to mythic proportions.Sergio Leone / Spaghetti Western
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0064116/
___At the center of the story is Charles Bronson as our new Man With No Name whose steely-eyed gaze and stark economy of motion might shudder old man Eastwood himself. In an inspired bit of stunt casting, All-American Henry Fonda is given the role of Frank and suffice it to say Frank is not a good dude. That he still manages to radiate basic human decency while his actions are anything but decent makes his character all the more terrifying. Claudia Cardinale is stunning as the widow Jill McBain – in fact she might be worth the price of admission alone and the depth of emotion she manages to convey through her eyes is what drives the story along. There’s something about a train and a greedy profiteering business man and a rough-around-the-edges outlaw but all of these tropes are played as leitmotifs in service of the climactic final Aria for what Sergio Leone is interested in here is not the Old West itself but rather the grandly Operatic mythos we divine from its familiar forms.
___As this is its 50 year anniversary, it feels appropriate to take a moment to acknowledge a film that was 50 years ahead of its time. The filmmaking language Sergio Leone pioneered in his initial Clint Eastwood trilogy and then perfected here in this masterpiece is still in use by filmmakers today, many of whom probably don’t even realize where it came from. Respect to the master!
Musical choice: Ennio Morricone -- Man With a Harmonica and Once Upon a Time in the West (Jill's Theme)
[whitechocolate is now on the clock...]
Edited by Warhawk - removed reference to a film that hadn't been taken yet.
Last edited: