Five Great Movie Dads

Atticus Finch (Gregory Peck) – To Kill a Mockingbird

Arguably the greatest on screen Dad ever, Atticus is a man who believes in the word of the law and is willing to defend an innocent black man on trumped up charges, for this his is willing to incur the wrath of the hostile town folk. Meanwhile he’s trying to raise his children single handed and set a positive example for them- through his compassionate actions and his campaigning for justice, Atticus is a father than any child would be proud to call their own, the scene as he exits the courtroom to the respect of African-American town members, you can feel the pride beaming from his daughters face.

Guiseppe Conlon (Pete Postlethwaite)- In the Name of the Father:

Wrongly imprisoned along with his son Gerry (Daniel Day-Lewis) for being one of the alleged Guildford Four bombers, Guiseppe is the very definition of hard working and he is forever appealing for their innocence to be heard despite fighting a terminal illness. Althroughout Gerry scoffs at his wise advise due to his free spirited nature, but before long he begins to realize just how much the old man has sacrificed for him and begins to pick up the fight himself. Guiseppe is the kind of world weary father we can all relate to having and one that we should always listen to because their words may guide us away from trouble.

Henry Jones Sr (Sean Connery) – Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade: 

Ok, as a young man, Indiana Jones probably didn’t have it easy with Henry Jones Sr due to his reclusive nature and his obsession with the Holy Grail. But you would be hard pressed to find a father you finds a more exciting adventure for father and son than this man! But upon reflection- Indy learns whats a good father Henry was when he says “Did I ever tell you to eat up, go to bed, wash your ears, do your homework? No, I respected your privacy and I taught you self reliance.” In Last Crusade, the two men are continually at odds with each other, but underneath the competition lies a deep and binding love. Just watch the relief and joy on Henry’s face when he sees his son alive.

Vito Corleone (Marlon Brando) – The Godfather

A fierce believer in the notion of loyalty and the family, Vito Corleone will go to great lengths to ensure the safety of his own family. In business, there is no length to which he will not sink to get what he wants- cue the horse’s head in the producers bed! But although he has blood on his hands from past events, Vito is unwilling to allow his son Michael (Al Pacino) to get involved in his world and yearns for him to break free and become honest. When his son finally kills for the family, his devastation goes all the way to the core. Though compared to his old man, Michael becomes a great deal worse!

George Bailey (James Stewart) – It’s A Wonderful Life

Forever putting his happiness before others, George Bailey to see his family survive has given up many chances for fortune and glory. But despite having a loving family and many equally caring community members, George still wishes they had never existed and that his family would be better off without him! But when George sees what his life would be without his wife or kids, his desire to get them back again is powerful and the finale scene where they reunite is the perfect example of just how far his love for his children goes and his relief at having a chance to see them grow- despite his mid film rant denouncing them!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Look Around You: Review of Rear Window

Classic from the Vault

Rear Window (1954)

Director: Alfred Hitchcock

By Alex Watson

Alfred Hitchcock’s Rear Window is one film that is open to numerous modern day critical opinions. But it is a film that still ranks as one of the great classical Hollywood thrillers of years gone by, Hitchcock was always referred to as the ‘Master of Suspense’ and this one proved to be one of his most gripping films and would show us the dangers of spying on the people we know!

This tells the story of L.B ‘Jeff’ Jefferies (James Stewart), a photographer who is currently housebound with a broken leg after a racing car hit him at high speed during an event was covering. Jeff is a man at the cross roads of life and is wondering whether his girlfriend Lisa (Grace Kelly) is right being with him. Confined to the chair he spends most of his day gazing upon his neighbours and gathering opinions of their present lifestyles. But when he suspects that one of the more interesting neighbours Lars Thorwald (Raymond Burr) has murdered his wife it begins an obsession into proving the crime.

Rear Window can rightly be regarded a classical Hollywood film and this down to Hitchcock’s excellent directing. The audience is presented with a simple but strong narrative where we are presented with facts and it benefits from showing the audience but yet holds us back. Because of this trick we are forced almost like Jeff into becoming reluctant detectives because we want to know the outcome almost as much as he does.

In Hitchcock’s film we are given two basic plot functions in the form of a plot of action and the plot of romance  both are represented through the romance between Jeff and his partner Lisa and the investigation into Thorwald’s murder. Hitchcock also makes use of using other techniques to describe the characters to the audience for instance, the opening sequence scanning through Jeff’s apartment for instance gives us a story of who Jeff he really is, and as the camera glides through his apartment- from the pictures on the wall we are told all we need to know about Jeff and the camera acts a narrator.

Through limiting the action place to one room in Rear Window, this restricts the audiences view on events such as the depiction of Thorwald’s alleged crime. The beauty lies in how the story muddles facts and leaves us with only limited views of the courtyard to gain our views.  It is this restriction knowledge that provides the real interest in the film because we wonder whether Jeff’s theories about his neighbours are correct because the audiences at this point knows about as much he does.

This is one Hitchcock film that brings up moral issue because of the ‘peeping tom’ nature of the story because although Jeff is concerned, he is in some ways violating people’s privacy by spying on them and although Lisa will lecture on him on the dangers involved and says “Whatever happened to love thy neighbour?” But when a neighbour’s dog is brutal killed, Jeff’s suspicions are confirmed as he sees Thorwald sat in darkness with a cigar glowing!

James Stewart gives one of his great performances as LB Jefferies and he is able to give a fantastic paranoid edge to him as he delves further into danger. Jeff seems to be a man who avoids commitment at all cost and is constantly dancing with danger due his assignments in order to be rid of Lisa. Grace Kelly glows on screen and she is able to give top support playing long suffering Lisa. One of cinema’s great beauties, Kelly’s presence was always felt and it is sad that she departed from cinema so early.

Hitchcock has carved out a truly classic example of a Hollywood film and Rear Window gives a simple yet strong story which is part thriller but also a kind of detective film which were popular genres around this period of film making. The film itself uses classic devices such as suspense to build up the tension levels and keep the audience interested. In short this is classic Hitchcock because he was known for never making the same film twice and his style never gave the story away to the audience until it was absolutely necessary. Hitchcock in this case was in keeping the classical Hollywood narrative.

 

My Life Without Me: Review of It’s a Wonderful Life

Classic from the Vault: Christmas Edition

It’s a Wonderful Life (1946)

Director: Frank Capra

By Alex Watson

 

Christmas is always a magic and wondrous time of year and even though it makes our bank balances look bleaker; the happy smile on people’s face as we give them the perfect gift makes it worth the trouble! Aside from traditional adaptations of A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens, (The Muppets version being my personal favourite), many Christmas movies are deservedly cult films such as Bill Murray’s modern take on Dicken’s tale in Scrooged or Macauley Culkin skilfully evading burglar Joe Pesci in Home Alone. All these films sum up the spirit of the festive season and how it is about being with the ones we love. But none have shown these elements better than Frank Capra’s classic, It’s a Wonderful Life. A tale which showed a man getting truly the best gift there could possibly be!

George Bailey (James Stewart) is a man in a very desperate place, all his life he has strived to get out his hometown Bedford Falls which is run by cruel businessman Henry F Potter (Lionel Barrymore), but due a series of events he has wound up managing the Bailey Building and Loans like his Dad. Although he is married to his sweetheart Mary (Donna Reed) and has four charming children, George has always wanted more in life and now his business is failing which is leading him to contemplate literally throwing his life away! From above guardian angel Clarence (Henry Travers) comes to earth to show George how wonderful his life really is!

When people say that It’s a Wonderful Life is the best feel-good film Christmas has to offer, this is no lie at all because all the way through Frank Capra gives us an uplifting journey of a man who has sacrificed a lot in life and believes that it has all been for nothing, but as views through Clarence what people’s lives would been without him, his eye open wide to what a wonderful gift he has and unlike money grubbing Potter, George is a far richer man than he will ever be!

But the journey is not without its difficulties and George has his fair share of fights to put with throughout life, all of which happen to come during moments where he is destined to finally get out. However even in the face of these adversities, George with the love and support of Mary gets through them and comes out a wiser and more content man (Mary even gives up their honeymoon money to save their business) and these acts of kindness will win him the hearts of Bedford Falls and even in his darkest hour, they will all come through for him.

The best element of Capra’s It’s a Wonderful Life comes from its charming leading man and through the magnificent charisma of James Stewart; George Bailey becomes a truly legendary screen character.  Stewart brings gentleness which with the genius of Capra’s direction makes the journey of this one man a heart warming adventure and reminds us of the great presence that Stewart was able to bring to his audiences.

He is also ably supported by Donna Reed who gives a tremendous support as Mary, quite possibly the loveliest on screen wife you are ever to find. All the way through Reed gives an emotional strength to her character and she matches Stewart all the way through and their pairing together brings a smile to our faces. Lionel Barrymore is a memorable and utterly nasty antagonist, Potter is a man who sees compassion as way of losing money and has no time for any man but himself, Barrymore play this with much delight and ensures Potter’s place among cinema’s greatest villains!

If you haven’t yet already seen this at least once a year then please make up for lost time, because It’s a Wonderful Life is a film that not only brings Christmas cheer to your heart but will also show you how much effect you can have on someone’s life by a some many simple acts of generosity. By the end  I guarantee that like George you will be tempted run through the streets shouting “Merry Christmas!”

 

On that note- Merry Christmas to everyone and I hope you have a fun and food filled Christmas!!