Viva Zapata! (1952)

OK movie about  Mexican Emiliano Zapata who led the fight to restore land taken from the people during the dictatorship of Porfirio Diaz during the period between 1909 and 1919.

Starring Marlon Brando as Zapata, Jean Peters and Anthony Quinn (Oscar Winner - Best Supporting Actor). Directed by Elia Kazan.

I wish I could say this is a memorable film.

La Strada (1954)

In Fellini's masterpiece, La Strada (The Road), Anthony Quinn plays a traveling performing artist, the great Zampano, and his sidekick is Gelsomina, played beautifully by Guiellta Massina. They travel from place to place. At one circus they meet a daredevil clown named "Il Matto"/"The Fool" played by Richard Basehart, who has a pivotal scene with Gelsomina. Fellini insisted on having Quinn and Basehart in these roles; he thought they were perfect for these parts, and I agree, they are. Their dialogue is dubbed by Italian actors (actually all the dialogue is dubbed, even the Italian-language roles) and their appearances made this an international hit film.

Some think this sequence is critical
of religion because it shows the
procession in a pompous way.
I didn't take it that way.
I think this scene shows further
development of her
character's spirituality and morality.

There's much that could be written about this allegorical film, and much has. The first time I saw this was in a film appreciation class devoted to Fellini. The course instructor said that ever since the movie came out, people have been arguing over its meaning.

In this post, I will share my take on some of the scenes discussed in the class, especially those that have kept me thinking ever since I first saw it. Note: there will be spoilers ahead.



To me, Gelsomina represents impressionible, childlike innocence. When she first watches Zampano perform, she doesn't even know how to react, and looks around for the cue of others. Zampano and The Fool can represent two sides of the nature of man, the bad and the good.

Here are some other thought provoking questions that I continue to ask myself about this film.
This is sometimes described as a "neorealist" film. Is it really?

My take: No. In a neo-realistic film you will find a political message and/or a statement about society, and we don't see that in this film. Like in I Vitelloni, this film is has no specific setting, and could take place in a number of locales.


How did Rosa die?

I might have missed it, but I don't think it was explained. Could Rosa have been beaten to death by Zampano? It's possible.

During the wedding scene, what did you make of the part when the little kids take Gelsomina up to see the little boy in the attic, and she looks at him and smiles? Why is she so interested in him?

I think the boy reminded her of herself when she was his age. I think she might have been bedridden and hidden from other people too. I thought there would be a follow up scene with Gelsomina going back up to see him again, but Fellini doesn't show the upstairs room again. It's interesting to note that right after this scene, Gelsomina decides to run away from the brutal Zampano. Something inside of her told her to get out.

What did you make of Catholic procession scene?

Why does Fellini frame the shot like this?

It looks like Fellini filmed a real procession here for this sequence. Such processions can be found in Mexico and other countries with a large Catholic population. In this part of the story, Gelsomina has escaped from Zampano, and she is experiencing a new freedom for the first time. She's also alone for the first time, and very impressionable. I love the shots of her delighting in a small bug she picks from the ground, or looking into a storefront. Such an innocent creature. I think this scene is meant to show her budding spirituality. Fellini implies that she goes to the mass because we see the inside of the church, and the scene cuts; we don't see Gelsomina praying or experiencing the mass. I also find this overheard shot with the saloon's sign to be an interesting juxstaposition; why does Fellini frame this shot this way? Perhaps it is to show that Gelsomina could head down several roads now that she is free from Zampano – she could become involved with the church, perhaps play music or even become a nun herself, or she could choose to be a saloon performer, and associate with a different crowd.

When Gelsomina and Zampanò spent the night in the convent, did they steal the silver?

I think they did, which is why she cries when they pull away from the convent. Zambano was so forceful that he likely forced her into stealing them. Fellini never shows them doing the deed (or not doing it).

Why does The Fool tease Zampano?

I'm not sure why. Fellini only tells us that they knew of each other before, and they clearly don't like each other when they are reunited. I think Zampano must have said or done something to him in the past to make him disrupt the circus like that. It could have been a physical fight, or he might have said something to really offend him.

Why does Zampanò go to the beach at the end? And why does he look into the sky?

I think he's suddenly realizing that he's totally alone in the world. This might even be a spiritual moment for him. Why does he go into the water? I think perhaps he wanted to go to the beach where Gelsomina died, so he could be there in some way to pay his respects. Some people in the class though he was trying to cleanse himself, which is why he walks into the water, but I don't think so. He breaks down because this is the lowest point in his life. He's in so much inner pain. I think he's realizing what Gelsomina really meant to her. Also, I'm wondering if he felt the same way when Rosa died. It's interesting that the movie begins and ends on the beach.

Another review from the blog Wide Screen World

Another take from the blog Confessions of a Film Philistine

---

Note: this post has been submitted to a special series of posts devoted to understanding Catholicism at Jackie's blog My Mother Wears Combat Boots. The series is called Catholicism 101 and if you are interested in Catholicism you can check out more here: http://2jackies.blogspot.com/2010/11/catholicism-101_25.html

Norman Corwin turns 100 years old today

Today, May 3, American writer, journalist, screenwriter, producer, and essayist Norman Corwin celebrates a milestone birthday: 100 years young!

He began his radio career as a local commentator. He moved to New York City in 1938 and produced Norman Corwin’s Words Without Music for CBS. Two of Corwin’s masterworks, “The Plot to Overthrow Christmas” and “They Fly Through the Air with the Greatest of Ease,” debuted on this series.

In 1941, CBS’ Columbia Workshop gave Corwin a 26-week radio series; he responded with stories ranging from the whimsical to the darkly serious to the inspirational. A similar approach was taken on 1944’s Columbia Presents Corwin.

In December of 1941, Corwin wrote and produced We Hold These Truths, an all-star celebration of the Bill of Rights’ 150th anniversary. This landmark program aired over all four networks simultaneously.

Corwin created the special V-E Day broadcast On a Note of Triumph, which Carl Sandburg called “one of the all-time great American poems.”

Listen to "On A Note of Triumph" - the entire broadcast - from NPR (1 hour long) (opens in a new window; Flash player needed)

It's absolutely fascinating!

Three months later, he wrote 14 August, a V-J Day documentary narrated by Orson Welles.

Corwin wrote and produced over 100 programs during the golden age of radio. Notable programs include:

The Plot to Overthrow Christmas - December 25, 1938
They Fly through the Air with the Greatest of Ease - February 19, 1939
Spoon River Anthology - March, 1939
Descent of the Gods - August 3, 1940
Mary and the Fairy - August 31, 1940
Psalm for a Dark Year - November 9, 1940
We Hold These Truths - December 15, 1941
America at War (series) - February 14, 1942
The Lonesome Train - March 21, 1944
Untitled - May 30, 1944
Home For the 4th - July 4, 1944
El Capitan and the Corporal - July 25, 1944


On a Note of Triumph - May 8, 1945
The Undecided Molecule - July 17, 1945
14 August - August 14, 1945
God and Uranium - August 19, 1945
Hollywood Fights Back - October 26, 1947
Could Be - September 8, 1949
Document A/777 - March 26, 1950

---

He also wrote screenplays for motion pictures, and was nominated for an Oscar in 1956 for the words he gave to Kirk Douglas and Anthony Quinn in "Lust for Life" about the life of Vincent Van Gough.



Filmography:

1967 "Sametka" (story)
1962 "Madison Avenue (writer)
1960 "The Story of Ruth" (writer)
1958 "The Naked Maja" (writer)
1956 "Lust for Life" (screenplay - Nominated for Oscar)
1956 "No Place to Hide" (screenplay)
1953 "Scandal at Scourie" (writer)
1951 "The Blue Veil" (wrter)

---

In the early 1970s Corwin produced and hosted the television show Norman Corwin Presents.

In 1979 he hosted Academy Leaders, a weekly showcase for short animated films, such as those produced by the National Film Board of Canada.

Corwin wrote several books, which include Trivializing America; plus many essays, letters, articles and plays.

---

In recent years, National Public Radio has aired several new Corwin plays under the title More By Corwin. These included:

Our Lady Of The Freedoms, And Some Of Her Friends - A play about the Statue of Liberty.

No Love Lost - A lively debate about the nature of democracy in America, in the form of an imaginary dialogue between Thomas Jefferson, Alexander Hamilton and Aaron Burr; the work is based on their writings. This play featured Lloyd Bridges, Jack Lemmon, Martin Landau and Corwin's friend William Shatner. Shatner appeared in a number of Corwin productions.

The Writer With The Lame Left Hand - Based on the life story of Miguel de Cervantes, author of Don Quixote. This production featured Ed Asner, Charles Durning, Samantha Eggar and William Shatner.

The Curse Of 589 is a comedy about a physicist (William Shatner) who comes across an honest-to-goodness real life fairy, with a working magic wand.

The Secretariat - A play on the meaning of prayer. This production featured Hume Cronyn and Jessica Tandy, Phil Proctor, and William Shatner.

50 Years after 14 August - A reflection on the end of World War II. Co-produced with Dan Gediman.

---

A 40 minute long documentary was produced about him in 2005. Partipants in the documentary included Robert Altman and Walter Cronkite. The film was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Documentary Short Subject. (It lost)

These days he keeps busy as a writer in residence at the Journalism School at USC. He writes articles for various publications, and is active in various organizations in and around the Los Angeles area.

Last year someone wrote on Huffington Post that Norman should have a Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame for his contributions to Radio. Read the Post Here. I wholeheartedly support that idea, as his work is legendary.

We wish Norman all the best on his 100th birthday today!

Sources:
Biography from the Radio Hall of Fame
Norman Corwin Official Website (http://normancorwin.com)
Wikipedia entry: Norman Corwin

Shortest Oscar-nominated Performances

The briefest performances ever nominated for an Oscar. The screen times provided were gathered from other sources and have not been independently verified:

02:32 Hermione Baddeley ("Room at the Top," 1959) for best supporting actress
05:00 Claire Trevor ("Dead End", 1937) for best supporting actress
05:40 Beatrice Straight ("Network," 1976) for best supporting actress WON
06:00 Ned Beatty ("Network," 1976) for best supporting actor
06:00 Sylvia Miles ("Midnight Cowboy," 1969) for best supporting actress
06:05 Carolyn Jones ("The Bachelor Party," 1957) for best supporting actress
06:10 Diane Cilento ("Tom Jones," 1963) for best supporting actress
06:50 Thelma Ritter ("Pillow Talk," 1959) for best supporting actress
07:10 Geraldine Page ("The Pope of Greenwich Village," 1984) for best supporting actress
07:30 Maximilian Schell ("Julia," 1977) for best supporting actor
08:00 Jane Alexander ("All the President's Men," 1976) for best supporting actress
08:00 Judi Dench ("Shakespeare in Love," 1998) for best supporting actress WON
08:00 Charles Durning ("The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas," 1982) for best supporting actor
08:00 John Lithgow ("Terms of Endearment," 1983) for best supporting actor
08:00 Sylvia Miles ("Farewell, My Lovely," 1975) for best supporting actress
08:00 Michael Shannon ("Revolutionary Road," 2008) for best supporting actor
08:30 Gladys Cooper ("My Fair Lady," 1964) for best supporting actress
08:30 Anthony Quinn ("Lust for Life," 1956) for best supporting actor WON
09:00 William Hurt ("A History of Violence," 2006) for best supporting actor
09:50 Piper Laurie ("Children of a Lesser God," 1986) for best supporting actress
10:00 Ruby Dee ("American Gangster," 2007) for best supporting actress
12:00 Viola Davis ("Doubt," 2008) for best supporting actress
14:00 Ed Harris ("The Hours," 2002) for best supporting actor
15:38 David Niven ("Separate Tables", 1958) for Best Actor WON
16:00 Anthony Hopkins ("The Silence of the Lambs," 1991) for best actor WON

The Ghost Breakers (1940)

Before there were Ghostbusters, there were Ghost Breakers, paranormal investigators in George Steven's 1940 comedy, played by Bob Hope and Paulette Goddard.

In this comedy, Hope plays Lawrence L. Lawerence, an actor who only plays a P.I. on the radio. He gets mixed up in a scheme involving a haunted mansion in Cuba, and becomes a "ghost Breaker" by accident.

Co-starring Anthony Quinn and Willie Best, who plays Hope's assistant. There are so many zombies in the haunted mansion that Hope and Co. start calling them "Zom". It inspired both the 1970s television show "The Ghostbusters" as well as Dan Aykroyd and Harold Ramis when they wrote the 1984 film "Ghostbusters". Another note of trivia: Bob Hope starred in a radio version of "The Ghost Breakers" the same year the film came out.