February Movies

In February, I watched three comedies in a row, followed by two violent and depressing films. It was a strange contrast. Here are some muddled thoughts about the five films.



Young Frankenstein
This comedy had several genuinely funny moments, some classic characters, and was overall an enjoyable experience. Having said that, I do not think the film holds up today as a truly successful comedy film. The pace is too slow, there is too much buildup with too little payoff, too many awkward silences, strange gags that don't work, etc. The quirkiness of the film is endearing but it simply doesn't deliver enough substantive comedy to be called "great". Most of the film's comedy comes from short gags that provoke chuckles but little else, and I finished the film feeling a bit empty, having expected more.



Dr. Strangelove
This black comedy was a mixture of brilliant humor and sharp intelligence. Its scathing parody of the nuclear scare during the Cold War was hilarious and significant, in a way that only the greatest parodies are. Peter Sellers was used to great effect as three separate characters, each wonderfully realized. I have only seen three of Stanley Kubrick's films, but each clearly presents the vision of a deep thinker. Dr. Strangelove embodies what Kubrick's films truly are—fundamentally intellectual exercises.



The Producers
This film was directed by Mel Brooks, who also directed Young Frankenstein. I think this is a superior movie. The premise is funnier, the execution better, and the odd pacing gone. The musical itself, which is the focus of the movie, is absolutely hilarious, especially its opening number. I will never forget the lyrics "Springtime for Hitler and Germany…Winter for Poland and France."



Saving Private Ryan
Changing pace from the comedies, Steven Spielberg's war movie is a masterpiece. The Spielbergian sentimentality is still there, but so is an unflinching realism and deathly bleakness. War is presented in all its horror and senselessness, yet the American soldiers are still heroes. We understand them as honorable warriors, even as we are compelled to dismiss all war as evil. The film is beautifully paced, photographed and acted—an all around marvelous piece of work.



Blood Diamond
Blood Diamond may exceed even Saving Private Ryan in its bleakness. Its portrayal of the Civil War in Sierra Leone is perhaps more affecting because it is more recent and because similar problems in other African countries exist today. While not on the same level as Saving Private Ryan, Blood Diamond never fails to intrigue. It introduces a brutal world and fully realizes characters within that world. I found that the plot itself was secondary. It was the characters that I met and the world I was introduced to that were unforgettable.