Dr. Strangelove Or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb (1964):
I was in college the last time I saw this, and I then found it mildly
amusing. This time I laughed out loud. A lot. The laughter came from discomfort
and fear, sure—but it manifested in full-fledged guffaws. Kubrick was way ahead
of his time with this one. Sellers is fantastic in three very different roles; I
especially enjoy his phone conversations (as President) with the Russian
Premier Dmitri (of which we, of course, only hear one side). They’re so familiar
with each other, which is made all the more hilarious by the fact that they’re
talking about the possible (and accidental) annihilation of the entire planet. And
George C. Scott (who was apparently “tricked” into his performance by Kubrick,
who asked him to be extra zany during “rehearsal” takes, which were ultimately
used in the film) is hilarious—something you don’t see from him in pretty much
every other film he’s done.
It looks good, too. It was wisely shot in black and white. And some of the green screen effects still hold up quite well. It works as a race-the-clock type thriller, but it’s difficult to guess how well it would have been received had it not been for the satirical element, given how dark the story is (and that it was released during the heart of the Cold War—just three years after The Bay of Pigs). But I’ve read that the jokes kept bubbling to the surface of the script, and Kubrick felt he had no choice but to make the film a cold war satire. And I think it’s the satirical aspect that’s given the film its long life and made it possible to be released when it was released in the first place. So grab some popcorn. Watch for a pre-Star Wars James Earl Jones to pop up. Practice your duck and cover. And enjoy the film.
The Grapes of Wrath (1940): So let’s be honest. This one’s a downer. One long downer. But so is its source material. The film is actually more optimistic than the book. And one could probably argue that the film (released within a year of the book) helped solidify the novel’s place in the American literary canon. (I would argue that the film is better-paced and more coherent than the novel.) What’s most remarkable to me is both the book and film were released while the country was still in the midst (if at the tail-end) of both the Dust Bowl and the Great Depression, making The Grapes of Wrath a pretty remarkable piece of art that manages to capture a significant moment in American History really well (without much or any benefit of hindsight). The plight of the migrant workers is rawly depicted (at least by 1930’s and 40’s standards) and felt. What’s more, the film is still relevant. There are still—and will always be—greedy people at the “top,” exploiting those at the bottom. Well-acted, well-directed, well-photographed, and perpetually relevant, The Grapes of Wrath deservedly made this list.
It looks good, too. It was wisely shot in black and white. And some of the green screen effects still hold up quite well. It works as a race-the-clock type thriller, but it’s difficult to guess how well it would have been received had it not been for the satirical element, given how dark the story is (and that it was released during the heart of the Cold War—just three years after The Bay of Pigs). But I’ve read that the jokes kept bubbling to the surface of the script, and Kubrick felt he had no choice but to make the film a cold war satire. And I think it’s the satirical aspect that’s given the film its long life and made it possible to be released when it was released in the first place. So grab some popcorn. Watch for a pre-Star Wars James Earl Jones to pop up. Practice your duck and cover. And enjoy the film.
The Grapes of Wrath (1940): So let’s be honest. This one’s a downer. One long downer. But so is its source material. The film is actually more optimistic than the book. And one could probably argue that the film (released within a year of the book) helped solidify the novel’s place in the American literary canon. (I would argue that the film is better-paced and more coherent than the novel.) What’s most remarkable to me is both the book and film were released while the country was still in the midst (if at the tail-end) of both the Dust Bowl and the Great Depression, making The Grapes of Wrath a pretty remarkable piece of art that manages to capture a significant moment in American History really well (without much or any benefit of hindsight). The plight of the migrant workers is rawly depicted (at least by 1930’s and 40’s standards) and felt. What’s more, the film is still relevant. There are still—and will always be—greedy people at the “top,” exploiting those at the bottom. Well-acted, well-directed, well-photographed, and perpetually relevant, The Grapes of Wrath deservedly made this list.
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