issues-1 Reviews

Black Orpheus (1959)

A haunting, lovely film

[24 October 2004]

Black Orpheus

I saw this film for the first time in the '60s and found it a beautiful

and poignant retelling of the legend. I thought about it off and on

over the years, however, since it was never shown on TV, it faded

from memory. Then in the 1980s, there it was in video format in a

store. It was very expensive (the most I've paid for one), but I was

so delighted to find it, I could hardly wait to get it home.

It was more beautiful and haunting than I remembered. There's a

special uniqueness in the way the inexorable tragedy plays out in

such an unorthodox setting. You know how it has to end, but you're

still drawn into the lives of the characters. How the director ever

conceived of something so original amazes me.

This film is a wonderful experience.

Ironweed (1987)

Extraordinary performances.

[19 March 2004]

After seeing this movie, I wondered who in the world but Streep and Nicholson could have won Academy Awards that year for acting performances. I went and looked it up and found myself in total disagreement over the choices. The flashy performance of Michael Douglas in "Wall Street" was clever, but that's all. And Cher for "Moonstruck"?? Come now!

I think that the reviewer on this list, "dbdumonteil," is onto something when he says that the film came out at the wrongest possible time, and I would add, during a period when people were frankly tired of suffering over the sob stories of street people, et. al.

It is truly a gem and the acting performances of everyone in the film are outstanding. Streep and Nicholson are so wonderful, they make you ache. Author William Kennedy specializes in these grim, upstate New York tales, and the director has really caught the Kennedy spirit.