Posts in category

Classic Cinema


Controversy over his personal life aside, there are few directors with a record of accomplishment over the last six decades as strong as Roman Polanski. Chinatown is one of the best films ever made. Rosemary’s Baby regularly features at the top of horror lists. Then there’s The Tenant, Repulsion, The Pianist, Macbeth and many more. …

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When it comes to Westerns, there’s no director who comes close to the innovation, imagination and exquisite film-making of John Ford. In 1939, Stagecoach not only defined and revitalised the Western genre, it had a profound influence on the whole medium of cinema. It’s an essential on any film studies course. Along with The Man …

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Female actors have always had a rough ride in Hollywood. Indeed, until relatively recently opportunities for actresses in leading roles have been few and far between. However, if you look at the Oscar nominations this year, we’re now at a stage where you could argue that it’s the men who are now struggling to keep …

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My favourite Spanish film is undoubtedly Spirit of the Beehive. Director Víctor Erice created a spellbinding tale about the inner life of a seven-year-old girl living in rural Spain. The film tackles themes of family, the civil war and disconnection. Ten years later, he returned with his next film, El Sur. An adaptation of a …

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When Black Orpheus won the Palme d’Or in 1959 ahead of the likes of 400 Blows and Hiroshima Mon Amour, it was a surprise to the say the least. In retrospect, it was an entirely foolish decision. However, Marcel Camus’ film was arguably the first to really showcase Rio’s Carnival and introduced bossa nova to …

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To say Germany, and in particular Berlin, was a strange and confusing place to be during the post-World War II Allied occupation would be an understatement. Split into four sectors, administered by Great Britain, France, the Soviet Union and the USA, conflicts of interest were rife. As the tension built, Berlin became a microcosm of …

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One of the universal things all cultures hare, regardless of where we are in the world, is the love of fairy tales. It’s a subject entrenched in Disney films such as Sleeping Beauty, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs or Beauty and the Beat. Or in writing, the works of The Brothers Grimm and Hans …

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Sophia Loren and Marcello Mastroianni were two of the most iconic and best-loved actors in Italian cinema history. They did the vast majority of their best work within European cinema. Mastroianni most notably for 8 ½, La Dolce Vita and La Notte. Loren for Two Women, El CID and A Special Day. Indeed, the pair …

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Whilst his name will not be familiar to many, Val Lewton had a profound influence on the way movies are made. Starting with Jack Tourneur’s The Cat People, he produced a number of (mostly low budget) films for RKO Pictures. Indeed, The Cat People ended up saving the studio from financial ruin after a run …

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When it comes to the business of hard-boiled crime dramas and film noir in the 1930s to 1950s, Hollywood had some iconic leading men. When you think of the genre, the spectres of Humphrey Bogart and James Cagney loom large. Whilst Alan Ladd is best remembered for his performances in westerns such as Shane and …

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