@Drake and @Malith have you guys heard about Anurag Kashyap? I think he’s one of the few Indian directors after Satyajit Ray to get any major attention from international film critics and festivals. I’d suggest you to check out his features. They’re drastically different from standard Bollywood fare.
P.S. You might think I’m commenting a lot these past days but your site is just so intriguing that I come up with things everyday.
@Alex – I’m loving the comments. I did a quick scan of Kashyap’s IMDB and I do not think I’ve had the opportunity to see any of his films yet. Thank you for the recommendation
@Drake where do you think Nolan would land up in the list now after Dunkirk, Tenet and Oppenheimer? You had also declared him the best director of the 2010s so, I think a fairly high spot.
@Alex- thank you for the comments and interest in the site. The big driving factor on the 250 best director list is the top 500/1000— and there’s a 10 year moratorium that sort of hurts Nolan- but certainly if he’s the best directly of the last decade or 15 years or so- there are only so many of those stretches in cinema’s history. So he’s going to be fair very well overall
@Drake – what do you think of directors with only 1 film in the archives? Do they have a shot at making a best directors list or do you typically like to see a director have at least 2 films? 3 examples off the top of my head are Robert Wiene (#33 film), Sidney J. Furie (#228 film) and Charles Laughton (#311 film)
@LeBron Smith- what do you think? I think it is an uphill battle if the same size is down to 1 film. I did chase down The Hands of Orlac (1924) from Wiene and add that to the archives
@Drake – hmm. It’s tough. I’d lean toward a director needing at least 2 films to make it. If they only have 1 film in the archives, even if it’s MP or MS/MP, I can see the argument that it’s a “fluke”
That’s good to hear about Wiene! Curious to see if he sneaks in on an update.
@Drake- What is your grade for The Hands of Orlac? I watched The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari yesterday for the first time since 2020 and was blown away even more than I was then, which was already a lot. I’ll be watching The Hands of Orlac for the first time tonight.
@LeBronSmith – I just got The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari on 4K. I have not seen yet so very excited for 1st viewing
LeBron Smith
October 28, 2024 at 12:00 pm
@James Trapp- You’re in for a treat. I don’t have a list of my best films but I think I’d probably have it somewhere close to where Drake does. Maybe in the 40-55 range.
James Trapp
October 28, 2024 at 10:52 pm
@LeBronSmith – I am curious, do you factor in the fact that it is a landmark film with significant historical value? I had an interesting back and forth with @Pedro on the François Truffaut Page about this. I defended having the 400 Blows (1959) as a top 25 film (and still would) but I admitted there is not a clear cut explanation although if forced to give a yes or no I would lean toward yes
Ettore Scola(A Special Day), Elem Klimov(Come and See), Sergei Bondarchuk(War and Peace), Stuart Rosenberg(Cool Hand Luke), Michel Gondry(Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind), Irvin Kershner(Empire Strikes Back) are another few that comes to mind.
Have considered how I would rank my own list of best directors (still a work in progress). Based on the top 250 here, I would have the following as personal changes:
20 I would add:
Mikio Naruse
Maurice Pialat
Claude Chabrol
Jacques Rivette
Emir Kusturica
Jacques Becker
Hirokazu Koreeda
Carlos Saura
Jean Eustache
Victor Erice
Thomas Vinterberg
Jacques Audiard
Pablo Larrain
Nuri Bilge Ceylan
Bruno Dumont
Shane Meadows
Bertrand Tavernier
Jean Gremillon
Tsai Ming-Liang
Ryusuke Hamaguchi
Costas Gavras
20 I would remove:
Joe Wright
Mario Bava
John McTiernan
Budd Boetticher
Ari Aster
Xavier Dolan
The Safdie Brothers
Joanna Hogg
Ryan Coogler
Carroll Ballard
Barry Jenkins
Tom Tykwer
Robber Eggers
Kathryn Bigelow
Laurence Olivier
Trey Edward Shults
Greta Gerwig
Derek Cianfrance
Tom Hooper
Bennet Miller
Would move these at least 10 places higher:
Fritz Lang
Roberto Rossellini
Billy Wilder
Robert Bresson
Michael Haneke
Nicholas Ray
Charlie Chaplin
Louis Malle
Hal Ashby
Alejandro Inarritu
Eric Rohmer
Edward Yang
Masaki Kobayashi
Park Chan-Wook
Would drop these at least 10 places lower down:
Satyajit Ray
DW Griffith
Nicholas Roeg
Ridley Scott
Peter Greenaway
Alfonso Cuaron
James Cameron
Christopher Nolan
Dario Argento
Robert Zemeckis
Terence Davies
Robert Wise
Baz Luhrmann
A fantastic list although I think it’s time you updated it now. It’s been nearly 5 years and filmmakers like Nolan and Villeneuve can jump quite a few places.
I’ve wondered the same thing previously, but I know Drake (rightfully) holds him in higher esteem now than he used to with two of his films now in his top 1000 – Track of the Cat and Wings. This list comes from before he pushed their grades up.
Joseph Losey was unknown to me until about two years ago when I caught Mr. Klein on the Criterion Channel and was extremely impressed. Losey is so commonly associated with European art house cinema that it is actually quite strange to remember that he was an American. Losey has a fascinating career due to involvement in political issues in the 40s and 50s during the McCarthyism Era. Losey was essentially exiled, and it was probably for the best, at least in terms of his career as a director. Working in Europe, Losey was not bound by the Hays Code and could take on a wider array of subject matter. Losey’s work spans several genres: noir/crime, period pieces, romance, melodrama and in many cases combinations of a couple of these.
There is a palpable coldness in the world that Losey’s films take place. In some cases, it is sinister like in The Servant (1963) while others it is not like in Accident (1967). I don’t think I laughed a single time during this study which is certainly not a complaint. He seems interested in human behavior and similar to Kubrick he seems to have a low view of mankind.
Losey worked with actor Dirk Bogarde on 5 of his films. I watched 4 of the 5 and would have watched Modesty Blaise (1966) as well if I had found a version with better quality. The Servant (1963) is a major performance and film. Accident (1967) and King and Country (1964) were excellent performances as well. The Sleeping Tiger (1954) was a lesser film than the others with Bogarde, but he was solid there as well.
Losey tends to hold shots with characters moving in the back of the frame. This is not to say he never demonstrates impressive camera movements, but it is definitely his compositions and use of deep focus that are his strengths. Losey uses triangle compositions in several of his films that revolve around love triangles; a subject he examines in several of his films.
Mr. Klein (1976) and The Servant (1963) are both MP in my opinion and clearly his two best works. The question is which is superior? For me I give the edge to Mr. Klein. Both of these works are psychological thrillers although The Servant might be more accurately a psychological drama. Both films examine issues of identity and individuals’ places in society at large. These are actually subject matter in several of Losey’s films.
The best performance in a Losey film would go to Dirk Bogarde in The Servant followed by Alain Delon in Mr. Klein.
Here are the final grades and rankings.
Final Ranking and Grades:
MP
# 1 Mr. Klein (1976)
# 2 The Servant (1963)
HR
# 3 Time Without Pity
# 4 Eva
# 5 The Criminal
HR/R
# 6 The Go Between
# 7 Accident
R
# 8 King and Country
# 9 The Prowler
# 10 The Sleeping Tiger
@Harry – I finally caught Last Tango in Paris, sometime within the last year. I was actually watching through a number of Brando films but yeah I’ll add him to the shortlist. So many great auteurs to cover
James Trapp
April 22, 2024 at 8:40 pm
@Harry – I am considering a mini study
The Grim Reaper 1962
Before the Revolution 1964
The Conformist 1970
“The Last Tango in Paris ” 1972
1900 1976
The Last Emperor 1987
The Sheltering Sky 1990
@James Trapp-No Dreamers (2003)? It is Bertolucci’s most known film and is somewhere in the TSPDT top 1000-2500 now
James Trapp
April 23, 2024 at 3:58 am
@Malith – I could add that to the list. I’ll reserve judgement before I see the films of course but going by the grades on this page, Bernardo Bertolucci would seem to be in a class of auteurs that I generally have avoided; this class being those with a few really great films and a lot of solid but not amazing films. Ridley Scott (12 films in archive, 8 simple R) Clint Eastwood (17 films in archive, 10 simple R), and Steven Soderbergh (15 films in archives, 10 simple R) would be some examples of this. Going by the current Bertolucci page he has 9 films in archives and 5 and simple R. With all that said I am interested in Bertolucci study
Malith
April 23, 2024 at 4:13 am
@James Trapp-The Dreamers definitely feels more essential, easy to find and more well known than The Grim Reaper (1962) though.
The Dreamers may not be a great film but I would be embarassed if I met a Bertolucci fan and told them I have not seen The Dreamers.
But his top 4 are a must
James Trapp
April 23, 2024 at 9:17 pm
@Malith – The Grim Reaper is on the Criterion Channel under its Italian name “La commare secca”. I am going to watch that as well as The Dreams:
The Grim Reaper 1962
Before the Revolution 1964
The Conformist 1970
“The Last Tango in Paris ” 1972
1900 1976
The Last Emperor 1987
The Sheltering Sky 1990
The Dreamers 2003
Starts with shaky camera capturing a couple of teen age boys traveling to a wealthy countryside estate in Norfolk England, Leo is from an average family and has been invited to stay with the family of his wealthy classmate Marcus
4:28 window used to frame shot
7:35 close up shot of Julie Christie as Marian
10:15 overhead shot of estate at night
18:23 beautiful shot of a herd of moose
20:51 effective blocking
25:28 frame in frame in symmetrical composition
32:52 zoom out and beautiful high angle shot of the grass fields
40 min Leo serves as a “go-between” aka messenger between Marian and a boy she loves
45 min deep focus shot
46:03 entering back of frame
51:20 Leo reads message for the first time, followed by him briefing crying
52:20 deep focus shot with Leo on opposite side of frame as character he speaks to
57:35 Leo agrees to continue to serve as the “go-between” again if Ted teaches him about women
59:38 cricket match
1:02:32 surveillance angle shot of cricket match
1:07:27 masterful two-shot with impeccable framing
1:07:54 using window as frame for shot
1:08:39 another great masterful two-shot of Marian and Ted
1:11:50 one of standout compositions with immaculate blocking and deep focus
1:23:05 impressive mise-en-scene with extravagantly detailed study room with paintings, high priced liquor, etc.
1:38:44 elegant meal during final day for Leo
1:39:47 frame in frames with symmetrical shot
1:46:14 jump 50 years into future out of nowhere
1:49:08 impressive blocking in composition
1:55:25 film ends shortly after dissolve
Thoughts:
Losey with a well shot period piece that is largely a coming of age film about a boy who is a little out of his depths when visiting an estates of a wealthy classmate, though he finds a way to fit in during what appears to be a summer break from school. There are staples of a coming of age film, such as Leo’s first crush although it is to a much older girl, really a woman who is played by Julie Christie. However, the most significant aspect of the narrative revolves around Leo’s attempts to fit in with member of England’s high class society. And while they are at times condescending, they for the most part treat him well, yet overall experience ends up causing him great harm as discovered in a sort of epilogue
Some tremendous compositions and deep focus. Some great two-shots and framing. There are a couple of great long shots, which I have not seen much throughout his work. The interior of the estate is intricate with extensive paintings, elegant furniture, etc.
There is an extended scene featuring a cricket game using a variety of angles including a surveillance camera angle resembling a behind Homeplate angle if you were watching a baseball game on TV. Sequences like this are effective in immersing the viewer within the characters world
The film is paced effectively for the most part and revolves mainly around a summer until the end of the film which abruptly moves 50 years into the future. I did not love this aspect of the film though the future scenes only make up a couple of minutes but still feel unnatural within the stories pacing
@James Trapp-A minor flaw(only one really) here is the epilogue broken into parts and littered throughout in the second part of the film. Rather than one continuous epilogue. I think Ebert mentioned it too. The Go-Between really is a delight and a surprise coming from Joseph Losey. Not sure why it only got one Oscar nomination.
Starts with man walking in alley at night in London
2:19 Glenda enters her house and locks eyes in mirror reflection with Frank Clemmons, played by Dirk Bogarde, a young man with a criminal record who is taken in by Glenda’s husband Dr. Clive Esmond in an attempt to help the young man
10:55 nature vs nurture debate
12:42 despite backing away Glenda seems attracted to Frank, a younger and more aggressive man than her husband
23 min inspector pays visit to warn professor about the danger Frank poses
32:44 Glenda increasingly interested in Frank leading to a trip to a night club
33:53 Glenda dancing with Frank at Jazz club
37:40 start of affair
42 min Dr. Clive catches Frank and his wife in compromising position but does not really get as mad as you would think and instead views it as a doctor more than a husband
48 min Mr. Bailey shows up claiming Frank assaulted his finance Sally who works at the house
58 min Dr. Clive gives Frank an alibi when Inspector comes around the house to talk about robbery
1:04:32 low angle close up on Frank’s face as he makes realization during session talking about his father
1:09:00 Glena jealous of Frank and Dr. Clive’s father/son like bonding after he makes a therapeutic breakthrough
1:14:48 triangle composition with Frank, Glenda, and Clive
Tragic ending that is very in line with film noir
Thoughts:
Losey and Dirk Bogarde’s first of 5 films together, definitely a lesser work for both compared to what was to come later but still solid
This has elements of noir with an opening of the film taking place in an alley at night during an attempted robber, some use of shadows in the film
An element of Truffaut’s The Wild Child (1970) with the nature vs nurture angle
Starts with close ups on faces of patients being examined by a doctor in a sickening/humiliating evaluation in order to determine if the patients have “Jewish traits” and this scene really sets the tone for the cold, indifferent world the film takes place in
This is set in 1942 during Vichy government
6:13 zoom out from beautiful painting on wall of Mr. Klein’s home
7:51 bathroom mirror distorts image of Mr. Klein’s mistress as listens in on Mr. Klein’s conversation as he takes advantage of a Jewish man desperate for money
8:23 Mr. Klein makes first appearance on screen as he is shown is green bathrobe
13:58 great shot through partially opened door where we see Mr. Klein looking at his reflection in mirror
15:25 zoom in through the glass door onto Mr. Klein ordering a drink in a bar in front of a mirror
16:12 Mr. Klein’s reflection in mirror
20:40 haunting score plays as man enters conference room with government employees sitting on both sides of table and man with slight shadow over face takes seat at the head of the table
20:56 another zoom out from Mr. Klein’s face
25:53 triangle composition
34 tension throughout conversation between Mr. Klein and police
36:20 strong camera movements and use of close up on faces
36:50 tracking shot of Paris police marching through streets
37:15 shot into Klein’s apartment during rainstorm distorting image of Mr. Klein’s face
40:14 upon exiting the train Mr. Klein is engulfed in shadow
43:05 shaky POV shot as Mr. Klein enters museum
45:02 triangle composition which includes Jeanne Moreau character, Florence
46:56 Florence enters Mr. Klein’s room in middle of the night with Florence and Mr. Klein on opposite ends of frame
50:32 Mr. Klein and Florence with a literal mirror image on the right side of frame
52:13 Mr. Klein’s distorted reflection in foreground of frame
53:27 Klein next to portrait of painting
56:30 composition that could be from The Trial
58:16 deep focus composition
1:02:04 reflection in military awards case
1:06:13 overhead shot of cabaret
1:07:54 disturbing sequence at theatre with actors wearing masks consisting of anti-Semitic tropes
1:12:47 zoom in on Mr. Klein
1:16:25 low angle profile shot
1:20:10 zoom in on Mr. Klein who is middle of crowd
1:21:55 great composition and low angle shot
1:23:01 disorienting sounds as the rounding up of Jews starts to take place
1:26:00 Klein’s world implodes
1:27:07 low angle shot as police tower over Mr. Klein who is becoming increasingly powerless
1:34:08 deep focus with Mr. Klein and mistress opposite sides of frame bodies positioned looking away from each other
1:40:16 reverse tracking shot
Ends with a conservation that Mr. Klein had with a Jewish client in the opening scene introducing Mr. Klein taking advantage of desperation of Jewish clients who need quick cash in order to take their families out of Europe
1:47:02 Mr. Klein finally speaks with the other Robert Klein and sets up meeting
1:55:39 Mr. Klein in cramped bus that is filled to the brim with Jews and being taken to camps
The end shows Mr. Klein taken away by police while his conversation in the opening scene is repeated shortly after Mr. Klein sees the man from that scene
Thoughts:
The films color palette is dominated by blues and grays, I love the Criterion Blu Ray Cover Art heavy use of blue and gray
This film was controversial upon release as this represents a period in France that was still a sore subject at the time of the film’s release and still may be to this day although to a lesser extent. At the time of the film’s release, it was only 30 years since a large part of France joined or at least did not resist the Nazi political and cultural influence that resulted in mass murder
The character of Mr. Klein is a perfect example of indifference to human suffering. Mr. Klein as played by Alain Delon is a pleasant enough man, he is cultured and mannered and probably does not think of himself as a bad guy. He’s a “good Frenchman” who simply is living his life by the rules and laws of the times. He does not demonstrate any outright hatred toward Jewish people and might even think the anti-Semitic laws are unfair but ultimately he is just one man. What he can do about it seems to be his attitude. Later in the film when the police are confiscating his artwork the police are demonstrating the exact same attitude only now Mr. Klein is the victim. These police officers probably do not think of themselves as bad people, they are simply doing their job. They even seem a little surprised that Mr. Klein is making such a fuss about having his house inspected. Mr. Klein who in the beginning of the film was a wealthy and highly respected member of society who was welcome at upper scale restaurants, theatres, art shows, etc. is still the same person, the same human being at the end of the film but now is no longer welcome at any of those places.
Mr. Klein is elusive or at least indirect in his speech as it relates to his predicament. For example, during a conversation he has when he visits his father, Mr. Klein is indirect in his speech. He does not use the word Jewish initially and instead uses phrases such as “his roots”, “regarding my identity”, “my origins”, until he seemingly runs out of patience and tells his father straight up that he needs to confirm whether his family has Jewish ancestors. His father looks somewhat uncomfortable during the conversation, but the answer to this question is still left open ended
There are similarities to Michael Haneke ‘s Cache which also involves a sort of cat and mouse game as well as references to dark memories in Frances’s history, in the case of Cache it is the Paris massacre of 1961 which resulted in the deaths of up to 300 Algerians (the exact number is debated although the French Government took responsibility for 40 deaths)
Similar to Polanski in his unofficial “apartment trilogy” Losey uses close ups inside that create a cramped or claustrophobic environment as Mr. Klein’s world is slowly but surely closing in on him as the film progresses and this is accompanied by low angle and canted angle shots. In the final sequence Mr. Klein is on a packed bus where he can barely move a few inches. As Mr. Klein searches for the other Robert Klein becomes increasingly elusive, Delon is shown increasingly though mediums such as mirrors, reflections, shadows, dimly lit corridors, or street alleys. He is shown in silhouette images as well
No resolution…this is the correct choice as a neatly tied up ending would be incompatible with everything that came before it. The arbitrary manner of who lives and who dies within this World is the point. Ultimately the question of whether Mr. Klein is Jewish or not makes no difference regarding how he deserves be treated by society
The mise-en-scene is phenomenal as you have the aforementioned use of mirrors and reflections but also intricate interiors. Mr. Klein being an art dealer he is shown in upper scale art museums. The compositions are sharp with great use of blocking. The deep focus is present as well, Losey often places characters on opposite sides of the frame in most of his work and this is no different
I had this as borderline MP previously, but I think I need to dispose of the borderline part. This film is filled with distorted images of Mr. Klein whether it’s due to glass windows, mirrors, reflections off painting, the visuals constantly reinforce the films’ themes. The mysteriousness of Mr. Klein’s identity only increases over the film, and we are ultimately left with more questions than answers
@Malith – I am watching it next, I just went slightly out of order. It is actually the last film for my Losey Study although I am not opposed to adding more if anyone has any suggestions.
@James Trapp-Did you see Modesty Blaisie? Can you find The Sleeping Tiger (1954)? Another collaboration with Bogarde and it’s in the archives here I believe.
James Trapp
April 9, 2024 at 10:17 am
@Malith – thanks, I will add those 2 to the list so doing a little out of order but no problem. So far even his lesser films have plenty to admire.
Starts with shot of country house with static camera, a crashing noise is heard off screen after a couple minutes, but the camera remains still before a man named Steven played by Dirk Bogarde runs out of house to a flipped over vehicle with two people trapped inside. We later learn this young couple in their 20s are William and Anna, both students of Steven
3:35 medium close up on the faces of a young man and woman in their 20s trapped in a car that has been flipped upside down with its glass window cracked. Both appear to be unconscious
5:55 extreme low angle showing Steven trying to help
6:43 man talks to girl wearing white dress who seems disoriented
8:20 extreme close up on girls face followed by zoom out
9:38 police speak to Steven
12:50 screen split by window middle of double window
14:22 camera pans up and pan across city in overhead shot
17:02 camera holds on Anna
18:18 close up shots on faces of professors discussing recent study about the sex life of University Students, this is delivered in emotionless conversation
19:01 great blocking in this composition
19:38 great high angle shot composition
19:53 beautiful shot of country house invites in its reflection in the lake/pond
23:33 camera tracking Steve, William, and Anna walking side by side
32:38 rapid zoom out
33:18 impressive composition with low angle and 3 depths of field
35:27 rapid dolly across tennis court
37:57 medium close up two-shot of Steven and Anna in close proximity
39:31 slow zoom out to shot of Steven and Anna in foreground looking into a picturesque countryside
43:18 door/window to frame shot
44:20 for a brief moment is the opening shot of country house
45 min dinner discussion with Steven and his wife along with Anna, William, and Steven’s extroverted friend Charley played by Stanley Baker
56:14 Steven in phone booth for pay phone, claustrophobic angle
58:01 zoom out showing Steven having drink with attractive woman named Francesca who he used to be involved with
1:00:51 slightly blurry image with shot into a bar through glass window during rainy night with Steven and Francesa in foreground sitting across from one another
1:01:38 overhead shot of Steven and Francesa lying in bed next to each other
1:03:04 canted angle inside country house with Steven in upper left corner of frame looking slightly uncomfortable or even trapped
1:03:44 triangle composition with Anna, Steven, and Charley
1:05:50 triangle composition with Anna, Steven, and Charley
1:10:56 Steven blurry image in background of frame with Anna in foreground adjacent to Steven
1:19:29 deep focus great use of foreground/background
1:21:38 surveillance camera angle of beautiful and intricate architecture
1:22:28 surveillance camera angle, Steven isolated from crowd of young men fight in a Rugy style pile
1:23:26 quick cut to the same young men playing Cricket outside
1:26:48 Anna in two-shot wearing vibrant red dress
1:29:21 In the later timeline after the car crash that killed William and injured Anna Steven watches Anna tossing and turning in bed through mirror, possibly having a dream
1:31:28 overhead shot with deep focus of Steven forcing himself on a terrified Anna
1:32:16 close up two-shot of Steven and Anna’s faces
1:32:59 Steven in background of frame separated by banister shield that look like prison bars
1:34:17 Steven starts kissing Anna before the shot is abruptly cut making it unclear whether or not they slept together
1:39:56 the morning following William’s death Anna packs her bags to leave the country, in this frame she is in middle and in between Charley and Steven. Charley and Steven’s personalities
Charley tries but fails to convince Anna to stay
The film ends with the same shot of the country house at the beginning
Thoughts:
Losey with a melodrama about a mild mannered Oxford University professor in his 40s named Steven played by Dirk Bogarde. Two of his students are William, a young man he is fond of, and a beautiful young woman named Anna who Steven is attracted to though she is not aware of this given Steven’s extremely passive personality
There is an eerie quietness in the opening scene following the actual crash which takes place off screen, the film is lite on score
Steven’s behavior toward Anna is unsettling to say the least, he is clearly attracted to her, no surprise as she is gorgeous, but he also at times is father like protective but can then switch to extreme jealously and passive aggressive behavior. This is contrasted with Steven’s colleague and friend Charley (played by Stanley Baker) who is extroverted and confident and is able to seduce Anna even though Anna becomes involved with William. The morning following William’s death Anna packs her bags to leave the country, there is a shot where she is in middle of frame between Charley and Steven. This one shot speaks volumes of Charley and Steven’s personalities differences as Charley stands firms close to her and Steven sits passively looking away
The triangle compositions are present throughout the middle and later parts of the film when Steven’s jealously starts ramping up and his passive aggressive behavior becomes increasingly prevalent
Losey uses zoom outs more in this film than others. But the compositions and deep focus continue to be the highlight of Losey’s work
@James Trapp-Did you manage to catch Modesty Blaisie with Vitti, Bogarde and Stamp?
What do you think of Bogarde’s performances in Accident and King & Country?
“Steven’s behavior toward Anna is unsettling to say the least, he is clearly attracted to her, no surprise as she is gorgeous, but he also at times is father like protective but can then switch to extreme jealously and passive aggressive behavior.”
This sounds similar to his Night Porter character and relationship with Charlotte Rampling.
@Malith – sorry I missed this post, Bogarde’s performance is excellent in both films. When Drake posted the page for Dirk Bogarde in the top 100 actor list I had not heard of him. He is excellent in both films but especially Accident (1967). Few actors are so effective at capturing inner turmoil. Much of his best work in the film is non verbal. I am yet to see Night Porter.
Starts with pan over mud and water during heavy rain fall
5:01 haunting shot of skeleton of dead soldier transitions to shot of alive soldier in prison cell due to him being arrested for desertion
5:43 overhead shot of soldiers digging into ground
8:45 high canted angle inside prison jail
14:16 another dissolve of dead body to alive soldier
18:46 close up on face
26:10 zoom up on painting that initially looks real
35:30 overhead shot as soldiers kill a horse
37:20 close ups on faces as the intense arguing ramps up during cross examination
42:20 nice blocking in this composition
50:42 close ups on faces as the intense arguing ramps up during cross examination
1:02:30 conversation in dimly lit bunker
1:04:15 Hamp informed he’s been sentenced to death by shooting the following day
1:17:46 Hamp initially shows no interest in the Priest’s words
Ends with death of Hamp via gunshot for desertion
Thoughts:
Losey with an anti-war film about a soldier who is court martialed for desertion
The concept is quite similar to Kubrick’s Paths of Glory (1957) which came out 3 years after this film. In that film the “trial” and use that word loosely was a fraud. The trial here is somewhat legit
The film uses close up shots of faces isolated in the frame for several of the film’s most intense scenes which are related to court martial. Unlike Paths of Glory (1957) we do not actually see combat in action
There is a high angle canted shot early in the film of the jail cell Hamp is staying in. Hamp himself is an odd character with an innocent childish nature or at least that is how he presents himself; some characters wonder if it is an act but are not sure
The constant raining seems an appropriate match for the extremely gloomy atmosphere the film takes place in
Starts with stark black and white photography of London
Dirk Bogarde as Hugo Barrett, a well-mannered and cultured man servant in London in the 1960s
James Fox as Tony, a wealthy man
3:50 Barrett wearing a black coat, black gloves, a black hat, and holding a cane. On the surface he looks like he could be straight out of a Jean-Pierre Melville gangster film, in particular the trench coat
4:45 immaculate two shot using depth of field with Hugo towers over Tony
8:22 Tony’s mid-section to the top of his head takes up the entire height of the far right frame while Barrett sits on a chair looking tiny in proportion to Tony
8:53 shaky camera during dance sequence in club with Tony and his girlfriend Susan
12:10 close up of faces of Tony and Susan lying on floor of Tony’s house
15:48 distorted image using mirror capturing Barrett, Tony, and Susan
16:08 great composition with high end art in between Barrett and Susan
20:30 camera tracking Susan with low angle shots as she moves from Tony’s POV
22:10 for the first time Barrett interrupts Tony and Susan’s intimate moment
22:28 substantial gap between Susan and Tony with foreground/background
27:02 triangle composition with Barrett between Tony and Susan
27:28 “he may be a servant but he’s still a human being”
30:40 low angle shot of Barrett and train station with great use of architecture of train station
38:16 slow pan over snow grounds showing time passing from opening of film which captured the Fall
41:51 Barrett in kitchen with his “sister” Vera (played by Sarah Miles) who we learn is actually his lover
46:12 the extremely proper and rigid Barrett is becoming more and more interesting wearing sunglasses in doors and demonstrating emotion which we have not seen thus far
52:09 triangle composition except its with Tony, Vera, and Tony’s reflection the mirror
59:37 Barrett looking trapped behind staircase handrails that are in foreground of the frame
1:04:51 Susan ordering Barrett around in a way that she seems to be making some type of point
1:07:56 tension building as Susan becomes increasingly insulting
1:08:38 great use of deep focus
1:13:27 triangle composition only with shadow of Barrett, Tony, and Susan
1:14:10 Antonioni positioning of bodies in frame
1:15:12 distorted image using mirror
1:16:08 Barrett admits Vera is his fiancée and not his sister, and for the 1st time shows a drastically different tone from everything we have seen previously, at least in terms of the way he acts in the presence of Tony and Susan. He is defiant and even has a subtle menace to him, it’s quite chilling
1:18:09 another distorted mirror shot
1:24:30 another impressive two-shot with deep focus
1:31:29 High angle shot with Static camera, as Tony and Barrett playfully throw a ball back and forth like school kids
1:33:39 Barrett is so ordering Tony around
1:36:48 extreme close up on Barret’s face
1:37:10 shaky camera
1:37:23 deep focus with front door open showing rainstorm outside
1:46:27 Antonioni positioning of bodies in frame
1:48:00 the film has entered full on surrealism
1:48:58 great blocking on 5 characters in the frame
1:50:48 great blocking with all characters on exterior of frame in a circle
The film ends with a shot of a clock inside Tony’s house
Thoughts:
Losey delivers a truly great film. Time Without Pity and Eva had elements of great filmmaking, there were stunning compositions but some flaws with the narratives or other elements. The Servant has incredible compositions along with an engaging narrative and an incredible performance from Dirk Bogarde. It is also the first film of this study that I actually liked all the song choices and score
This is an incredibly patient film, a slow burn psychological drama with a growing sense of dread as Barrett’s duplicitous nature slowly but surely is revealed over the course of the film
A mediation focusing on class during this setting and time period. The characters are rarely shown on the same plane, which illustrates power dynamics which slowly change over the course of the film. Tony’s fiancée takes an immediate dislike toward Barrett and is increasingly condescending and later in the film barking orders at him for the sake of barking orders at time. There is a growing animus between these two characters that creates great suspense as you are waiting for one of them to snap at the other
The use of deep focus compositions is really impressive. There are a number of triangle compositions a la Kurosawa throughout the film. These have been prevalent in Losey’s other films that I have watched so far during my Study. The difference is that here, they do not pertain to a standard love triangle. Instead, it is Barrett in the middle between Tony and Susan
The film’s black and white photography is crisp, definitely worth watching on 4K. This much is clear right in the opening minutes containing stark imagery of London on a cold Fall Day. The compositions are a visual treat and worth the best possible visual quality
Mirrors are a common motif; this has been in other Losey films I have watched so far, but they seem to be especially prevalent here. To be specific he uses convex mirrors which create distorted images. The scene when Barrett admits Vera is his fiancée and not his sister, is when we see for the 1st time a drastically different tone from everything we have seen from Barrett previously, at least in terms of the way he acts in the presence of Tony and Susan. He is defiant and even has a subtle menace to him, it’s quite chilling. Right before we see this new version of Barrett his image is shown via convex mirror; this is not a coincidence
Tony’s house is setting as character. There are a couple of shots of characters in background of frame looking trapped behind staircase handrails that are in foreground of the frame, looking like prison bars. You have the aforementioned convex mirrors.
I couldn’t help but think about Roeg’s Performance (1970) while watching this film, which of course came out 7 years earlier.
Starts with inside prison
4:45 prisoner recites nursey rhymes running through the common room like an elementary or middle school kid at recess
5:32 Stanley Baker as criminal Johnny Bannion
6:56 cutaway shot to prisoner singing while playing guitar
9:20 overhead shot of 1st floor of prison from 2nd floor
10:22 high angle shot of 1st floor of prison
12:16 nice composition using low angle shot
15 min quick cut to a low angle shot of guard representing power over prisoners
16:25 again quick cut to a low angle shot of guard
16:48 exterior shot of prison building
17 min montage consisting of series of close up or medium close up shots of prisoners acting out after being sent to cells for the night
18:39 high angle shot of prison interior
24:30 several impressive compositions as Johnny enjoys his coming home party complete with old friends, women, and lots of booze
26:11 best shot of film so far as Johnny looks through telescope that distorts image
29:01 deep focus with Johnny in background of frame and woman in foreground
30 min jazz score
31 min Johnny finds a naked woman in his bed
33:21 woman in black robe screams femme fatale, Johnny in white robe
35:48 great composition and symmetry with characters sitting back to back
36:18 great blocking of 5 characters in frame planning a heist
40:14 triangle composition involving two men and an attractive woman
45 min shot filled to brim with spectators at the racetrack
49:15 1st long shot of the film with Johnny burying cash in a field in the middle of nowhere
53 Johnny back in prison after being double crossed
57:20 shallow focus
59:21 zoom in on faces of 2 men after speaking to Johnny
1:08:08 cutaway shot to exterior of prison
1:09:20 slow zoom in to close up on prisoner who makes strange monologue about his mental state
1:16:24 nice tracking shot up the levels of the prison
1:16:53 close up shots on Johnny and prison guard staring down each other
1:18:35 overhead shot followed by a couple of other overhead shots including one of a prison throw off highest level to ground floor during prison riot
1:20:00 canted low angle shot during riot
1:22:58 another shot capturing the madness including a fire
1:24:21 overhead shot with prisoners walking in yard in circular shape
1:29:05 great blocking in this shot capturing 5 characters in escape vehicle
1:30:00 the final 8 minutes with some solid action sequences including a shootout in a field
Thoughts:
Losey with a British gangster/crime/prison film with underworld characters like a Jean Pierre Melville film that inevitably ends in a shootout
Losey captures a prison riot late in the film using canted angles and low angle shots, this is one of the best highlights
I love his overhead shots in several of the prison sequences along with some impressive tracking shots particularly one around the 76 min mark. Losey’s blocking is excellent in several shots especially around the 89 min mark as Johnny and four others in the getaway car
There are several cutaway shots of the prison’s exterior over the course of the film
There is a great montage around the 17 min that consists of a series of close up or medium close up shots of prisoners acting out after being sent to cells for the night. The film’s focus on everyday life in prison is actually the best aspect of the film.
Losey has this strange issue where he chooses some of the most inappropriate music/scores for scenes. It is not that the scores are always terrible but for some reason he has a knack for selecting odd music at times like an upbeat tempo during the prison riot.
Stanley Baker as solid as the lead performance. The acting all around is solid
Starts with camera panning along Venice by the water, camera active during opening credits which included voiceover
The great Jeanne Moreau plays the film’s lead and title character, Eva. This is the same year as Jules and Jim and The Trial
Tyvian Jones as wealthy Welch writer who arrives in Venice
5:56 water ski montage
8:06 camera static captures beautiful silhouette shot on Italian waters at night
8:42 Sergio, an Italian film director is introduced along with his beautiful assistant Francesca
12:40 nice blocking in two-shot
14:50 Noir like silhouette shot
15:18 white and black clothing, noticeable high contrast
19:09 great frame in frame using curtains
19:23 seductive shot of Eva in mirror set to Billie Holiday song “Willow, Weep For Me”
20:06 Eva’s head isolated in middle of frame with the rest of body under bathwater
20:57 triangle composition with Eva in middle
23:38 another triangle composition, this one uses staircase
26:40 overhead shot of Eva and Tyvian on bed
31 min montage of close up shots of faces in jazz club
38:24 overhead shot held as Tyvian leaves Eva’s place dejected
41:23 freeze frame over iris shot
45:28 close up on fish tank during sex scene and zoom out when sex scene is finished
47:43 shot of water fountain following sex scene with Francesca
55:48 low angle shot with characters in various depths of field in frame
56:37 nice blocking in this low angle shot of friends inside apartment
57:35 impressive overhead shot inside hotel with camera static, reminds me a bit of a sequence in the early parts of Roma (2018)
1:03:01 mirror used in composition
1:04:38 Tyvian makes confession regarding his book to Eva
1:05:32 slow fade in transition
1:08:16 over shoulder shot of Eva from Tyvian POV
1:10:31 white face mask from earlier shown again
1:12:57 film quickly shifts back to the relationship between Francesca and Tyvian as they are married
1:22:42 nice use of background/foreground showing issues arising in marriage
1:26:27 nice use of canted angle shot of floor of the card room
1:33:20 Bill Holiday song again
1:34:35 crosscut ramps up tension as Francesca returns while Eva is still in the house
1:36:08 triangle composition when Francesca walks in on Eva
1:36:55 door as frame for shot with Eva calmly standing in foreground of the frame
1:38:23 the funeral on the water is nice formal match to marriage on the water
1:40:48 to Billie Holiday song “Willow, Weep For Me” played again as camera static showing Eva going to sleep
1:44:00 Tyvian unsuccessfully attempts to rekindle relationship with Eva
Thoughts:
Losey with another impressive film from a visual perspective; the blocking and framing of shots as well as deep focus compositions is impressive. There are several triangle compositions, usually involving characters of one of the films two love triangles. There are several impressive overhead shots but none better than the one at 57:35 that is set inside the hotel with the camera static, reminds me a bit of a sequence in the early parts of Roma (2018)
There are basically two love triangles so you can categorize this film as melodrama. The Eva character has similarities to a femme fatale while the Tyvian character has similarities with the archetype of the weak willed noir male. There is a great sequence with Jeanne Moreau’s Eva around 18 min where she seductively removes her clothes and takes a bath while listening to jazz
Jeanne Moreau gives by far and away the best performance. Most of the other performances are serviceable but not really noteworthy. James Villiers, such a distinct voice that I knew I had heard before and realized I was correct, he has a small role in Polanski’s Repulsion (1965) as a friend of the guy who chases (unsuccessfully) Carole
The sex scenes are mainly off camera/implied, but I do not think this is about avoiding risqué scenes. In fact, one of the benefits of Losey getting blacklisted by Hollywood for his political views, was that it allowed him to not have to worry about these types of concerns. I think Losey removes or limits the more sentimental way the camera lingers on lovers in bed. Eva makes it clear that she has no serious feelings for Tyvian, it is just a matter of business for her
The use of a Venetian wedding and a Venetian funeral is a highlight for sure. I liked the jazz score used along with soul music. The use of jazz definitely reminds me of Godard and Melville. Eva’s character plays the Billie Holiday version of the Ann Ronell song “Willow, Weep For Me” at least 3 times
The screenplay is the film’s weakness. While you have a couple of love triangles there is a lack of focus as the film drifts along while not giving you (audience) much of a reason to care about the fates of these characters. There is little in the way of plot, but it is not really a character study either or a look at individual’s dealing with some type of existential crisis a la Antonioni
Starts with high pitch noise as an attractive woman in dress named Jenny is assaulted and murdered, the shadow of the killer is visible before a shot of the man himself
1:49 opening credits over painting depicting animals in open field
2:55 camera tracks plane gliding and landing at airport
3:40 reverse tracking shot as man meets with his son’s lawyer who we learn is scheduled to be executed
4:57 nice deep focus with light at end of tunnel in background of the frame
5:40 low angle shot of exterior of the prison gives it an extra degree of formidability
7:28 David sits in visitor room at prison and his reflection is visible in the frame, a few seconds after David’s son Alec makes first appearance
7:40 shot reverse shot throughout sequence in visitor’s room with the alternating reflections visible throughout the scene allowing both faces of father and son visible simultaneously
13 min bright white lights illuminating stage filled by dancers
16:10 another impressive composition using mirrors/reflections
16:46 triangle composition with nice background/foreground work
20:53 frame in frame using car mirror
21:53 standout composition using multiple frame in frames
25 min David is shown crime scene by Brian, a young man Alec’s age
26:46 over the shoulder shot from Brian’s POV of David investigating
31:05 low angle shot of angry man, who is determined to be a wealthy car magnate Robert Stanford, this is the house that the girl was killed, and Robert Stanford owns the house
32:12 triangle composition with nice use of background/foreground
38 min David learns how scandalous rumor
41:50 dissolve to picturesque shot of traffic traveling over bridge
42 min discussion on ethics of legalized killing
45:45 two-shot with nice blocking
46:35 layer of white fog/smoke over screen symbolizing confused state of mind
48:42 Antonioni like composition splitting screen
52:15 triangle composition
52:45 another triangle composition mirror in background of frame
57 min reunion between David and Alec where they finally put aside past issues
58:29 music a little too on the nose
1:03:30 another over the shoulder shot from David’s POV
1:04:10 debate on justice/capital punishment
1:08:28 triangle composition
1:09:51 blurry transition, different from dissolve, used to home in on David’s anxiety
1:19:24 high angle shot followed by dissolve
1:21:07 David confronting Stanford about his involvement in the murder
1:22:16 over shoulder shot to David low angle POV
1:23:17 strong composition with Stanford in foreground facing away from David
1:24:52 nice foreground/background work with David in foreground and painting of Stanford in background of frame while actual Stanford off screen
1:26:44 camera static while Stanford is caught red handed with witnesses entering sequence in background of frame
1:27:18 another strong triangle composition
Thoughts:
Huge upgrade from The Prowler regarding the visual clarity of the transfer. The Black and White photography here is extremely crisp
The use of deep focus in the compositions is really impressive. There are a number of triangle compositions a la Kurosawa. I was blown away by The Servant (1963) when I watched last year. I am excited to get back to it soon. I like how the camera is static at 1:26:44 while Stanford is caught red handed with witnesses entering sequence in background of frame. The blocking is impressive with characters spread through the frame in many shots. You also have some great frame in frames with many of the compositions
There are many impressive frames, some of my favorites @ 20:53; 21:53; 45:45; 46:35; 1:23:17 amongst many others’. The framing and afore mentioned deep focus is real alone to watch
The film’s narrative consists of a father desperately attempting to solve a murder case in a 24 hour period otherwise his son who he believes to be innocent of the crime will be legally excused. The film is set in England. David missed the entire trial as he is an alcoholic who was in a recovery program, so you have a staple of crime drama with the film’s lead character seeking some form of redemption
Similar to the Prowler the acting and music score is a bit too melodramatic, I am pleased that these issues are completely absent in the 2 Losey films I have watched prior to the start of the study; The Servant (1963) and Mr. Klein (1976)
There is some examination of the legal system/justice/capital punishment. While the execution (no pun intended) is a little heavy handed at times, I still think these issues are discussed with some intelligent dialogue
Use of dissolves are effective in homing in on David’s state of mind throughout the film as he is constantly riddled with anxiety, this due to both the inherent nature of what he is attempting to do as well as him dealing with his alcohol issues
Starts with frame in frame of attractive woman changing in her bathroom as camera zooms in as she is startled by presumably a man peeping into the house
Losey uses boxy aspect ratio
3:11 camera outside house looking in as police search the house
7:32 one of the two officers from earlier named Webb Garwood, returns to house ostensibly as protocol but seems interested in Susan who turns out to be married to a man named John who has radio show
13:27 elliptical editing as Officer Garwood is again at same house but now wearing suite rather than police uniform
18:12 Webb and Susan spending life together with sexual tension rising
19:26 door as frame
29:53 spotlight as signal, shadow work
31:54 voices off screen building tension
37:13 overhead shot of Webb lying on bed
41:12 close up shot of face of the victim during shocking murder
42:10 nice blocking with 4 medium close ups taking up most of frame in court scene
50:20 Webb and Susan’s brother in-law facing opposite sides
54:10 shadows resemble a prison cell
56:20 elliptical editing; Webb and Susan go from talking inside kitchen to leaving Church after marriage
1:05:05 camera lingering on Webb in deep thought realizing Susan’s baby would prove perjury
1:08:07 dissolve to shot of car in middle of nowhere
1:16:04 Webb’s partner trying to track him down in the “Ghost Town” he and Susan are holed up in
1:18:30 sandstorm intensifies followed by long shot of car driving
1:25:56 Susan holds the spare key
1:27:27 high angle shot as Webb starts to confess to murdering Susan’s husband before driving off
1:31:30 “halt, halt” nice throwback to the way Webb murdered Susan’s husband
Thoughts:
Labeled a film noir except the lead female is not a Femme Fatale even though she has an affair it is clear that she is a good person while the lead male is the manipulator
The story moves along at a fairly brisk pace and is aided by some elliptical edits including a marriage scene. The 2nd half moves from the suburban house to the ghost town location but the tension come from the films key relationship not outsiders, which did makes for a nice misdirection throughout the 2nd half as Susan starts to doubt her new husband
There is a nice formal touch with the “halt, halt” used both in the middle and end of the film
Definitely some weak points: The quality was mediocre with grainy screen and the score is a bit too on the nose at times
Random fact I just read, Losey was High School classmates with Nicholas Ray.
@James-Have you done a Pier Paolo Pasolini study or Bernardo Bertolucci study?
James Trapp
April 2, 2024 at 12:16 am
@Malith – I have not. I actually have not seen any of Pasolini’s work.
For Bertolucci I have seen two of his films; The Conformist (1970) which is amazing. I watched it twice in a row several years ago. The Last Tango in Paris (1972) which was also spectacular although it was Brando’s performance that really stood out .
@James Trapp- hope all is well- the line “The quality was mediocre with grainy screen” under weak points—- are you talking about the transfer to whatever you were watching? Or the actual film?
@Drake – the line about the quality being mediocre was referencing the transfer quality. I actually cleaned about the thoughts section a bit. Here is it
Thoughts:
Labeled a film noir except the lead female is not a Femme Fatale even though she has an affair it is clear that she is a good person while the lead male is the manipulator. I did not make the connection at first but there are some similarities with 1992 film Unlawful Entry in which Ray Liotta plays a police officer who quickly becomes obsessed with a woman he meets after responding to a burglary in process at the house of the woman and her husband. That film was more of a thriller than this and Webb Garwood is far more subtle than the Ray Liotta character who is an obvious psychopath. It is not Webb Garwood’s menacing qualities that makes him seem dangerous but rather his sincerity as he I able to fool everyone around him
The story moves along at a fairly brisk pace and is aided by some elliptical edits including a marriage scene. The 2nd half moves from the suburban house to the ghost town location, but the tension come from the film’s key relationship not outsiders, which did makes for a nice misdirection throughout the 2nd half as Susan starts to doubt her new husband
There is a nice formal touch with the “halt, halt” used both in the middle and end of the film
Van Heflin gives a strong performance as Webb Garwood who is a bitter, entitled, and manipulative police officer. In fact, the film works better as a character study than a more standard thriller. You have insurance policies worked into the plot that calls back Double Indemnity (1944)
Around 63 min there is contrast throughout sequence with Susan in white nightgown and Webb in black clothing. Throughout this sequence Susan naively believes Webb’s lies as they are shown in same frame but often looking in opposite directions a la Antonioni. This scene in particular is a solid summation of the film as the conflict arises not so much from additional outsiders but rather the question of how long Susan will continue to believe Webb’s explanations regarding the motivations of his actions
Some weak points:
The film’s ending was a little bit rushed as Garwood quickly goes from suspect to perpetrator in the eyes of the other police officers, though this is more a critique of the screenwriting than directing
the score is a bit too on the nose at times
The transfer quality was mediocre with grainy screen at times
@James-I think these 6 Losey films are maybe worth a watch
1951-The Prowler(on Prime Video)
1962-Eva(On Criterion Channel)
1963-The Servant(on Criterion)
1964-King and Country(on Prime Video)
1971-The Go Between(on Prime Video)
1976-Mr. Klein(on Prime Video)
So 6 films. Probably enough for a study. But he was very prolific
@Harry – thanks, if I can find enough films might do a mini study, Criterion has 4 of his films including Mr. Klein
Lionel
March 21, 2024 at 2:51 pm
@James-How many films do you need for a mini study?
James Trapp
March 21, 2024 at 8:07 pm
@Lionel –
Director # Movies
Akira Kurosawa 24
Martin Scorsese 23
Werner Herzog 18
Roman Polanski 17
Francois Truffaut 16
Howard Hawks 15
The Coen Brothers 15
David Cronenberg 15
Francis Ford Coppola 13
Orson Welles 12
Seijun Suzuki 12
Stanley Kubrick 12
Jean Pierre Melville 11
David Fincher 11
John Woo 10
Wong Kar Wai 9
Quentin Tarantino 9
David Lynch 9
Paul Thomas Anderson 9
Robert Bresson 9
Vittorio De Sica 8
Terence Malick 8
Park Chan Wook 8
Dario Argento 8
Bong Joon-ho 8
Robert Siodmak 7
Sofia Coppola 7
Andrei Tarkovky 7
Peter Bogdanovich 6
Nicolas Roeg 6
Drake
March 21, 2024 at 9:24 pm
@James Trapp- look at you- such quality work!
Lionel
March 21, 2024 at 8:23 pm
@James Trapp-Wow
James Trapp
March 21, 2024 at 10:03 pm
@Lionel
There are basically 4 categories of Director Studies
# 1 The entire filmography such as Tarkovsky, Tarantino, PT Anderson, Orson Welles. This works for directors who have about 15 films of less and each seems to be worth watching
# 2 Close to the entire filmography, the few left out is either due to mediocre to terrible reviews or because the film(s) are not available. For example, I skipped Blueberry Nights for WKW Study as it just did not seem necessary due to its reputation. Same with Alien 3 for Fincher
# 3 For some directors I will start with their first great film, for Francis Ford Coppola I started with The Godfather which is technically his 4th film and watched almost everything until his 1992 film Bram Stroker’s Dracula and nothing after (except 2009 film Tetro). So basically here I take off the weaker stretches of his career
# 4 Mini Study – For these I usually focus on a subset of the filmography. For example, I did a Robert Siodmak mini study in which I watched only his film noirs, 7 of his noirs. I watched 8 Vittorio De Sica films (he has about 30 films) and I focused on those that seemed to be his most quintessential Italian Neorealism films since that is what he is known for. A mini study could also work well for inconsistent auteurs, and by inconsistent I mean auteurs with fairly extensive filmographies that have a lot of simple R quality films but also a few really great works. Someone like Ridley Scott would fit this category
@Lionel – To be honest I have avoided some of the huge filmographies but will get there eventually. I have so many I want to do still but will get there
@Drake. With the rise in the number of female directors making great films out there, which of the following female directors do you rate highly / could see potentially joining the likes of Denis, Reichardt, Coppola, Ramsey on your list in future:
Alice Rohrwacher, Celine Sciama, Lucrecia Martel, Mia Hansen-Love, Chloe Zhao, Julia Ducournau, Andrea Arnold, Debra Granik, Jennifer Kent, Sarah Polley?
@LeRoi – I haven’t finished running the numbers – but I would think Akerman has a secured a spot now with two (2) top 500 films. Certainly worth looking on a case by base basis on the others.
@Drake. Have you perhaps done studies or managed to view key films from the following European directors from the 60s-80s era (although some worked beyond that)? Would be interested to hear your thoughts on them:
Spain
Victor Erice
Carlos Saura
Luis Garcia Berlanga
France
Maurice Pialat (3 films in TSPDT top 1000)
Bertrand Tavernier
Claude Sautet
@LeRoi. I think he has like 8/9 Berlanga films in the archives and all of them has a seperate page. Placido is in the top 1000. Also Ermanno Olmi’s 1978 film(I don’t remember the name) and Scola’s Special Day is in the top 1000. Especially a Special Day has a very lofty ranking and is in the top 250 I believe.
Klimov is listed at 16. I still need to see Zulawski’s films. Zanussi was also close. Noted that I’m missing a few Russians, including Sokurov and Konchalovskiy.
@Drake and @Malith have you guys heard about Anurag Kashyap? I think he’s one of the few Indian directors after Satyajit Ray to get any major attention from international film critics and festivals. I’d suggest you to check out his features. They’re drastically different from standard Bollywood fare.
P.S. You might think I’m commenting a lot these past days but your site is just so intriguing that I come up with things everyday.
@Alex – I’m loving the comments. I did a quick scan of Kashyap’s IMDB and I do not think I’ve had the opportunity to see any of his films yet. Thank you for the recommendation
@Drake where do you think Nolan would land up in the list now after Dunkirk, Tenet and Oppenheimer? You had also declared him the best director of the 2010s so, I think a fairly high spot.
@Alex- thank you for the comments and interest in the site. The big driving factor on the 250 best director list is the top 500/1000— and there’s a 10 year moratorium that sort of hurts Nolan- but certainly if he’s the best directly of the last decade or 15 years or so- there are only so many of those stretches in cinema’s history. So he’s going to be fair very well overall
@Drake – what do you think of directors with only 1 film in the archives? Do they have a shot at making a best directors list or do you typically like to see a director have at least 2 films? 3 examples off the top of my head are Robert Wiene (#33 film), Sidney J. Furie (#228 film) and Charles Laughton (#311 film)
@LeBron Smith-Bo Hu-An Elephant Sitting Still is another one.
@LeBron Smith- what do you think? I think it is an uphill battle if the same size is down to 1 film. I did chase down The Hands of Orlac (1924) from Wiene and add that to the archives
@Drake – hmm. It’s tough. I’d lean toward a director needing at least 2 films to make it. If they only have 1 film in the archives, even if it’s MP or MS/MP, I can see the argument that it’s a “fluke”
That’s good to hear about Wiene! Curious to see if he sneaks in on an update.
@Drake- What is your grade for The Hands of Orlac? I watched The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari yesterday for the first time since 2020 and was blown away even more than I was then, which was already a lot. I’ll be watching The Hands of Orlac for the first time tonight.
@LeBronSmith – I just got The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari on 4K. I have not seen yet so very excited for 1st viewing
@James Trapp- You’re in for a treat. I don’t have a list of my best films but I think I’d probably have it somewhere close to where Drake does. Maybe in the 40-55 range.
@LeBronSmith – I am curious, do you factor in the fact that it is a landmark film with significant historical value? I had an interesting back and forth with @Pedro on the François Truffaut Page about this. I defended having the 400 Blows (1959) as a top 25 film (and still would) but I admitted there is not a clear cut explanation although if forced to give a yes or no I would lean toward yes
Ettore Scola(A Special Day), Elem Klimov(Come and See), Sergei Bondarchuk(War and Peace), Stuart Rosenberg(Cool Hand Luke), Michel Gondry(Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind), Irvin Kershner(Empire Strikes Back) are another few that comes to mind.
Have considered how I would rank my own list of best directors (still a work in progress). Based on the top 250 here, I would have the following as personal changes:
20 I would add:
Mikio Naruse
Maurice Pialat
Claude Chabrol
Jacques Rivette
Emir Kusturica
Jacques Becker
Hirokazu Koreeda
Carlos Saura
Jean Eustache
Victor Erice
Thomas Vinterberg
Jacques Audiard
Pablo Larrain
Nuri Bilge Ceylan
Bruno Dumont
Shane Meadows
Bertrand Tavernier
Jean Gremillon
Tsai Ming-Liang
Ryusuke Hamaguchi
Costas Gavras
20 I would remove:
Joe Wright
Mario Bava
John McTiernan
Budd Boetticher
Ari Aster
Xavier Dolan
The Safdie Brothers
Joanna Hogg
Ryan Coogler
Carroll Ballard
Barry Jenkins
Tom Tykwer
Robber Eggers
Kathryn Bigelow
Laurence Olivier
Trey Edward Shults
Greta Gerwig
Derek Cianfrance
Tom Hooper
Bennet Miller
Would move these at least 10 places higher:
Fritz Lang
Roberto Rossellini
Billy Wilder
Robert Bresson
Michael Haneke
Nicholas Ray
Charlie Chaplin
Louis Malle
Hal Ashby
Alejandro Inarritu
Eric Rohmer
Edward Yang
Masaki Kobayashi
Park Chan-Wook
Would drop these at least 10 places lower down:
Satyajit Ray
DW Griffith
Nicholas Roeg
Ridley Scott
Peter Greenaway
Alfonso Cuaron
James Cameron
Christopher Nolan
Dario Argento
Robert Zemeckis
Terence Davies
Robert Wise
Baz Luhrmann
A fantastic list although I think it’s time you updated it now. It’s been nearly 5 years and filmmakers like Nolan and Villeneuve can jump quite a few places.
I’ve wondered the same thing previously, but I know Drake (rightfully) holds him in higher esteem now than he used to with two of his films now in his top 1000 – Track of the Cat and Wings. This list comes from before he pushed their grades up.
Didn’t William Wellman(Wings) made this list?
Study Summary:
Joseph Losey was unknown to me until about two years ago when I caught Mr. Klein on the Criterion Channel and was extremely impressed. Losey is so commonly associated with European art house cinema that it is actually quite strange to remember that he was an American. Losey has a fascinating career due to involvement in political issues in the 40s and 50s during the McCarthyism Era. Losey was essentially exiled, and it was probably for the best, at least in terms of his career as a director. Working in Europe, Losey was not bound by the Hays Code and could take on a wider array of subject matter. Losey’s work spans several genres: noir/crime, period pieces, romance, melodrama and in many cases combinations of a couple of these.
There is a palpable coldness in the world that Losey’s films take place. In some cases, it is sinister like in The Servant (1963) while others it is not like in Accident (1967). I don’t think I laughed a single time during this study which is certainly not a complaint. He seems interested in human behavior and similar to Kubrick he seems to have a low view of mankind.
Losey worked with actor Dirk Bogarde on 5 of his films. I watched 4 of the 5 and would have watched Modesty Blaise (1966) as well if I had found a version with better quality. The Servant (1963) is a major performance and film. Accident (1967) and King and Country (1964) were excellent performances as well. The Sleeping Tiger (1954) was a lesser film than the others with Bogarde, but he was solid there as well.
Losey tends to hold shots with characters moving in the back of the frame. This is not to say he never demonstrates impressive camera movements, but it is definitely his compositions and use of deep focus that are his strengths. Losey uses triangle compositions in several of his films that revolve around love triangles; a subject he examines in several of his films.
Mr. Klein (1976) and The Servant (1963) are both MP in my opinion and clearly his two best works. The question is which is superior? For me I give the edge to Mr. Klein. Both of these works are psychological thrillers although The Servant might be more accurately a psychological drama. Both films examine issues of identity and individuals’ places in society at large. These are actually subject matter in several of Losey’s films.
The best performance in a Losey film would go to Dirk Bogarde in The Servant followed by Alain Delon in Mr. Klein.
Here are the final grades and rankings.
Final Ranking and Grades:
MP
# 1 Mr. Klein (1976)
# 2 The Servant (1963)
HR
# 3 Time Without Pity
# 4 Eva
# 5 The Criminal
HR/R
# 6 The Go Between
# 7 Accident
R
# 8 King and Country
# 9 The Prowler
# 10 The Sleeping Tiger
@James Trapp-Who’s next? Pasolini?
@Malith – Sergio Leone
@James – you should lineup a Bertolucci study.
@Harry – I finally caught Last Tango in Paris, sometime within the last year. I was actually watching through a number of Brando films but yeah I’ll add him to the shortlist. So many great auteurs to cover
@Harry – I am considering a mini study
The Grim Reaper 1962
Before the Revolution 1964
The Conformist 1970
“The Last Tango in Paris ” 1972
1900 1976
The Last Emperor 1987
The Sheltering Sky 1990
@Harry
It would be comprised of the above 7 films
@James Trapp-No Dreamers (2003)? It is Bertolucci’s most known film and is somewhere in the TSPDT top 1000-2500 now
@Malith – I could add that to the list. I’ll reserve judgement before I see the films of course but going by the grades on this page, Bernardo Bertolucci would seem to be in a class of auteurs that I generally have avoided; this class being those with a few really great films and a lot of solid but not amazing films. Ridley Scott (12 films in archive, 8 simple R) Clint Eastwood (17 films in archive, 10 simple R), and Steven Soderbergh (15 films in archives, 10 simple R) would be some examples of this. Going by the current Bertolucci page he has 9 films in archives and 5 and simple R. With all that said I am interested in Bertolucci study
@James Trapp-The Dreamers definitely feels more essential, easy to find and more well known than The Grim Reaper (1962) though.
The Dreamers may not be a great film but I would be embarassed if I met a Bertolucci fan and told them I have not seen The Dreamers.
But his top 4 are a must
@Malith – The Grim Reaper is on the Criterion Channel under its Italian name “La commare secca”. I am going to watch that as well as The Dreams:
The Grim Reaper 1962
Before the Revolution 1964
The Conformist 1970
“The Last Tango in Paris ” 1972
1900 1976
The Last Emperor 1987
The Sheltering Sky 1990
The Dreamers 2003
The Go Between (1971)
Notes:
Starts with shaky camera capturing a couple of teen age boys traveling to a wealthy countryside estate in Norfolk England, Leo is from an average family and has been invited to stay with the family of his wealthy classmate Marcus
4:28 window used to frame shot
7:35 close up shot of Julie Christie as Marian
10:15 overhead shot of estate at night
18:23 beautiful shot of a herd of moose
20:51 effective blocking
25:28 frame in frame in symmetrical composition
32:52 zoom out and beautiful high angle shot of the grass fields
40 min Leo serves as a “go-between” aka messenger between Marian and a boy she loves
45 min deep focus shot
46:03 entering back of frame
51:20 Leo reads message for the first time, followed by him briefing crying
52:20 deep focus shot with Leo on opposite side of frame as character he speaks to
57:35 Leo agrees to continue to serve as the “go-between” again if Ted teaches him about women
59:38 cricket match
1:02:32 surveillance angle shot of cricket match
1:07:27 masterful two-shot with impeccable framing
1:07:54 using window as frame for shot
1:08:39 another great masterful two-shot of Marian and Ted
1:11:50 one of standout compositions with immaculate blocking and deep focus
1:23:05 impressive mise-en-scene with extravagantly detailed study room with paintings, high priced liquor, etc.
1:38:44 elegant meal during final day for Leo
1:39:47 frame in frames with symmetrical shot
1:46:14 jump 50 years into future out of nowhere
1:49:08 impressive blocking in composition
1:55:25 film ends shortly after dissolve
Thoughts:
Losey with a well shot period piece that is largely a coming of age film about a boy who is a little out of his depths when visiting an estates of a wealthy classmate, though he finds a way to fit in during what appears to be a summer break from school. There are staples of a coming of age film, such as Leo’s first crush although it is to a much older girl, really a woman who is played by Julie Christie. However, the most significant aspect of the narrative revolves around Leo’s attempts to fit in with member of England’s high class society. And while they are at times condescending, they for the most part treat him well, yet overall experience ends up causing him great harm as discovered in a sort of epilogue
Some tremendous compositions and deep focus. Some great two-shots and framing. There are a couple of great long shots, which I have not seen much throughout his work. The interior of the estate is intricate with extensive paintings, elegant furniture, etc.
There is an extended scene featuring a cricket game using a variety of angles including a surveillance camera angle resembling a behind Homeplate angle if you were watching a baseball game on TV. Sequences like this are effective in immersing the viewer within the characters world
The film is paced effectively for the most part and revolves mainly around a summer until the end of the film which abruptly moves 50 years into the future. I did not love this aspect of the film though the future scenes only make up a couple of minutes but still feel unnatural within the stories pacing
Verdict: R/HR
@James Trapp-Have you seen Don Giovanni(in the archives here) and Modesty Blaisie from Losey?
@James Trapp-A minor flaw(only one really) here is the epilogue broken into parts and littered throughout in the second part of the film. Rather than one continuous epilogue. I think Ebert mentioned it too. The Go-Between really is a delight and a surprise coming from Joseph Losey. Not sure why it only got one Oscar nomination.
The Sleeping Tiger (1954)
Notes:
Starts with man walking in alley at night in London
2:19 Glenda enters her house and locks eyes in mirror reflection with Frank Clemmons, played by Dirk Bogarde, a young man with a criminal record who is taken in by Glenda’s husband Dr. Clive Esmond in an attempt to help the young man
10:55 nature vs nurture debate
12:42 despite backing away Glenda seems attracted to Frank, a younger and more aggressive man than her husband
23 min inspector pays visit to warn professor about the danger Frank poses
32:44 Glenda increasingly interested in Frank leading to a trip to a night club
33:53 Glenda dancing with Frank at Jazz club
37:40 start of affair
42 min Dr. Clive catches Frank and his wife in compromising position but does not really get as mad as you would think and instead views it as a doctor more than a husband
48 min Mr. Bailey shows up claiming Frank assaulted his finance Sally who works at the house
58 min Dr. Clive gives Frank an alibi when Inspector comes around the house to talk about robbery
1:04:32 low angle close up on Frank’s face as he makes realization during session talking about his father
1:09:00 Glena jealous of Frank and Dr. Clive’s father/son like bonding after he makes a therapeutic breakthrough
1:14:48 triangle composition with Frank, Glenda, and Clive
Tragic ending that is very in line with film noir
Thoughts:
Losey and Dirk Bogarde’s first of 5 films together, definitely a lesser work for both compared to what was to come later but still solid
This has elements of noir with an opening of the film taking place in an alley at night during an attempted robber, some use of shadows in the film
An element of Truffaut’s The Wild Child (1970) with the nature vs nurture angle
Verdict: R
No Mervyn LeRoy?
Mr. Klein (1976)
Notes:
Starts with close ups on faces of patients being examined by a doctor in a sickening/humiliating evaluation in order to determine if the patients have “Jewish traits” and this scene really sets the tone for the cold, indifferent world the film takes place in
This is set in 1942 during Vichy government
6:13 zoom out from beautiful painting on wall of Mr. Klein’s home
7:51 bathroom mirror distorts image of Mr. Klein’s mistress as listens in on Mr. Klein’s conversation as he takes advantage of a Jewish man desperate for money
8:23 Mr. Klein makes first appearance on screen as he is shown is green bathrobe
13:58 great shot through partially opened door where we see Mr. Klein looking at his reflection in mirror
15:25 zoom in through the glass door onto Mr. Klein ordering a drink in a bar in front of a mirror
16:12 Mr. Klein’s reflection in mirror
20:40 haunting score plays as man enters conference room with government employees sitting on both sides of table and man with slight shadow over face takes seat at the head of the table
20:56 another zoom out from Mr. Klein’s face
25:53 triangle composition
34 tension throughout conversation between Mr. Klein and police
36:20 strong camera movements and use of close up on faces
36:50 tracking shot of Paris police marching through streets
37:15 shot into Klein’s apartment during rainstorm distorting image of Mr. Klein’s face
40:14 upon exiting the train Mr. Klein is engulfed in shadow
43:05 shaky POV shot as Mr. Klein enters museum
45:02 triangle composition which includes Jeanne Moreau character, Florence
46:56 Florence enters Mr. Klein’s room in middle of the night with Florence and Mr. Klein on opposite ends of frame
50:32 Mr. Klein and Florence with a literal mirror image on the right side of frame
52:13 Mr. Klein’s distorted reflection in foreground of frame
53:27 Klein next to portrait of painting
56:30 composition that could be from The Trial
58:16 deep focus composition
1:02:04 reflection in military awards case
1:06:13 overhead shot of cabaret
1:07:54 disturbing sequence at theatre with actors wearing masks consisting of anti-Semitic tropes
1:12:47 zoom in on Mr. Klein
1:16:25 low angle profile shot
1:20:10 zoom in on Mr. Klein who is middle of crowd
1:21:55 great composition and low angle shot
1:23:01 disorienting sounds as the rounding up of Jews starts to take place
1:26:00 Klein’s world implodes
1:27:07 low angle shot as police tower over Mr. Klein who is becoming increasingly powerless
1:34:08 deep focus with Mr. Klein and mistress opposite sides of frame bodies positioned looking away from each other
1:40:16 reverse tracking shot
Ends with a conservation that Mr. Klein had with a Jewish client in the opening scene introducing Mr. Klein taking advantage of desperation of Jewish clients who need quick cash in order to take their families out of Europe
1:47:02 Mr. Klein finally speaks with the other Robert Klein and sets up meeting
1:55:39 Mr. Klein in cramped bus that is filled to the brim with Jews and being taken to camps
The end shows Mr. Klein taken away by police while his conversation in the opening scene is repeated shortly after Mr. Klein sees the man from that scene
Thoughts:
The films color palette is dominated by blues and grays, I love the Criterion Blu Ray Cover Art heavy use of blue and gray
This film was controversial upon release as this represents a period in France that was still a sore subject at the time of the film’s release and still may be to this day although to a lesser extent. At the time of the film’s release, it was only 30 years since a large part of France joined or at least did not resist the Nazi political and cultural influence that resulted in mass murder
The character of Mr. Klein is a perfect example of indifference to human suffering. Mr. Klein as played by Alain Delon is a pleasant enough man, he is cultured and mannered and probably does not think of himself as a bad guy. He’s a “good Frenchman” who simply is living his life by the rules and laws of the times. He does not demonstrate any outright hatred toward Jewish people and might even think the anti-Semitic laws are unfair but ultimately he is just one man. What he can do about it seems to be his attitude. Later in the film when the police are confiscating his artwork the police are demonstrating the exact same attitude only now Mr. Klein is the victim. These police officers probably do not think of themselves as bad people, they are simply doing their job. They even seem a little surprised that Mr. Klein is making such a fuss about having his house inspected. Mr. Klein who in the beginning of the film was a wealthy and highly respected member of society who was welcome at upper scale restaurants, theatres, art shows, etc. is still the same person, the same human being at the end of the film but now is no longer welcome at any of those places.
Mr. Klein is elusive or at least indirect in his speech as it relates to his predicament. For example, during a conversation he has when he visits his father, Mr. Klein is indirect in his speech. He does not use the word Jewish initially and instead uses phrases such as “his roots”, “regarding my identity”, “my origins”, until he seemingly runs out of patience and tells his father straight up that he needs to confirm whether his family has Jewish ancestors. His father looks somewhat uncomfortable during the conversation, but the answer to this question is still left open ended
There are similarities to Michael Haneke ‘s Cache which also involves a sort of cat and mouse game as well as references to dark memories in Frances’s history, in the case of Cache it is the Paris massacre of 1961 which resulted in the deaths of up to 300 Algerians (the exact number is debated although the French Government took responsibility for 40 deaths)
Similar to Polanski in his unofficial “apartment trilogy” Losey uses close ups inside that create a cramped or claustrophobic environment as Mr. Klein’s world is slowly but surely closing in on him as the film progresses and this is accompanied by low angle and canted angle shots. In the final sequence Mr. Klein is on a packed bus where he can barely move a few inches. As Mr. Klein searches for the other Robert Klein becomes increasingly elusive, Delon is shown increasingly though mediums such as mirrors, reflections, shadows, dimly lit corridors, or street alleys. He is shown in silhouette images as well
No resolution…this is the correct choice as a neatly tied up ending would be incompatible with everything that came before it. The arbitrary manner of who lives and who dies within this World is the point. Ultimately the question of whether Mr. Klein is Jewish or not makes no difference regarding how he deserves be treated by society
The mise-en-scene is phenomenal as you have the aforementioned use of mirrors and reflections but also intricate interiors. Mr. Klein being an art dealer he is shown in upper scale art museums. The compositions are sharp with great use of blocking. The deep focus is present as well, Losey often places characters on opposite sides of the frame in most of his work and this is no different
I had this as borderline MP previously, but I think I need to dispose of the borderline part. This film is filled with distorted images of Mr. Klein whether it’s due to glass windows, mirrors, reflections off painting, the visuals constantly reinforce the films’ themes. The mysteriousness of Mr. Klein’s identity only increases over the film, and we are ultimately left with more questions than answers
Verdict: MP
@James Trapp-Did you not watch The Go-Between? It’s Losey’s most known and accessible film I think
@Malith – I am watching it next, I just went slightly out of order. It is actually the last film for my Losey Study although I am not opposed to adding more if anyone has any suggestions.
@James Trapp-Did you see Modesty Blaisie? Can you find The Sleeping Tiger (1954)? Another collaboration with Bogarde and it’s in the archives here I believe.
@Malith – thanks, I will add those 2 to the list so doing a little out of order but no problem. So far even his lesser films have plenty to admire.
Accident (1967)
Notes:
Starts with shot of country house with static camera, a crashing noise is heard off screen after a couple minutes, but the camera remains still before a man named Steven played by Dirk Bogarde runs out of house to a flipped over vehicle with two people trapped inside. We later learn this young couple in their 20s are William and Anna, both students of Steven
3:35 medium close up on the faces of a young man and woman in their 20s trapped in a car that has been flipped upside down with its glass window cracked. Both appear to be unconscious
5:55 extreme low angle showing Steven trying to help
6:43 man talks to girl wearing white dress who seems disoriented
8:20 extreme close up on girls face followed by zoom out
9:38 police speak to Steven
12:50 screen split by window middle of double window
14:22 camera pans up and pan across city in overhead shot
17:02 camera holds on Anna
18:18 close up shots on faces of professors discussing recent study about the sex life of University Students, this is delivered in emotionless conversation
19:01 great blocking in this composition
19:38 great high angle shot composition
19:53 beautiful shot of country house invites in its reflection in the lake/pond
23:33 camera tracking Steve, William, and Anna walking side by side
32:38 rapid zoom out
33:18 impressive composition with low angle and 3 depths of field
35:27 rapid dolly across tennis court
37:57 medium close up two-shot of Steven and Anna in close proximity
39:31 slow zoom out to shot of Steven and Anna in foreground looking into a picturesque countryside
43:18 door/window to frame shot
44:20 for a brief moment is the opening shot of country house
45 min dinner discussion with Steven and his wife along with Anna, William, and Steven’s extroverted friend Charley played by Stanley Baker
56:14 Steven in phone booth for pay phone, claustrophobic angle
58:01 zoom out showing Steven having drink with attractive woman named Francesca who he used to be involved with
1:00:51 slightly blurry image with shot into a bar through glass window during rainy night with Steven and Francesa in foreground sitting across from one another
1:01:38 overhead shot of Steven and Francesa lying in bed next to each other
1:03:04 canted angle inside country house with Steven in upper left corner of frame looking slightly uncomfortable or even trapped
1:03:44 triangle composition with Anna, Steven, and Charley
1:05:50 triangle composition with Anna, Steven, and Charley
1:10:56 Steven blurry image in background of frame with Anna in foreground adjacent to Steven
1:19:29 deep focus great use of foreground/background
1:21:38 surveillance camera angle of beautiful and intricate architecture
1:22:28 surveillance camera angle, Steven isolated from crowd of young men fight in a Rugy style pile
1:23:26 quick cut to the same young men playing Cricket outside
1:26:48 Anna in two-shot wearing vibrant red dress
1:29:21 In the later timeline after the car crash that killed William and injured Anna Steven watches Anna tossing and turning in bed through mirror, possibly having a dream
1:31:28 overhead shot with deep focus of Steven forcing himself on a terrified Anna
1:32:16 close up two-shot of Steven and Anna’s faces
1:32:59 Steven in background of frame separated by banister shield that look like prison bars
1:34:17 Steven starts kissing Anna before the shot is abruptly cut making it unclear whether or not they slept together
1:39:56 the morning following William’s death Anna packs her bags to leave the country, in this frame she is in middle and in between Charley and Steven. Charley and Steven’s personalities
Charley tries but fails to convince Anna to stay
The film ends with the same shot of the country house at the beginning
Thoughts:
Losey with a melodrama about a mild mannered Oxford University professor in his 40s named Steven played by Dirk Bogarde. Two of his students are William, a young man he is fond of, and a beautiful young woman named Anna who Steven is attracted to though she is not aware of this given Steven’s extremely passive personality
There is an eerie quietness in the opening scene following the actual crash which takes place off screen, the film is lite on score
Steven’s behavior toward Anna is unsettling to say the least, he is clearly attracted to her, no surprise as she is gorgeous, but he also at times is father like protective but can then switch to extreme jealously and passive aggressive behavior. This is contrasted with Steven’s colleague and friend Charley (played by Stanley Baker) who is extroverted and confident and is able to seduce Anna even though Anna becomes involved with William. The morning following William’s death Anna packs her bags to leave the country, there is a shot where she is in middle of frame between Charley and Steven. This one shot speaks volumes of Charley and Steven’s personalities differences as Charley stands firms close to her and Steven sits passively looking away
The triangle compositions are present throughout the middle and later parts of the film when Steven’s jealously starts ramping up and his passive aggressive behavior becomes increasingly prevalent
Losey uses zoom outs more in this film than others. But the compositions and deep focus continue to be the highlight of Losey’s work
Verdict: R/HR
@James Trapp-Did you manage to catch Modesty Blaisie with Vitti, Bogarde and Stamp?
What do you think of Bogarde’s performances in Accident and King & Country?
“Steven’s behavior toward Anna is unsettling to say the least, he is clearly attracted to her, no surprise as she is gorgeous, but he also at times is father like protective but can then switch to extreme jealously and passive aggressive behavior.”
This sounds similar to his Night Porter character and relationship with Charlotte Rampling.
@Malith – sorry I missed this post, Bogarde’s performance is excellent in both films. When Drake posted the page for Dirk Bogarde in the top 100 actor list I had not heard of him. He is excellent in both films but especially Accident (1967). Few actors are so effective at capturing inner turmoil. Much of his best work in the film is non verbal. I am yet to see Night Porter.
King and Country (1964)
Notes:
Starts with pan over mud and water during heavy rain fall
5:01 haunting shot of skeleton of dead soldier transitions to shot of alive soldier in prison cell due to him being arrested for desertion
5:43 overhead shot of soldiers digging into ground
8:45 high canted angle inside prison jail
14:16 another dissolve of dead body to alive soldier
18:46 close up on face
26:10 zoom up on painting that initially looks real
35:30 overhead shot as soldiers kill a horse
37:20 close ups on faces as the intense arguing ramps up during cross examination
42:20 nice blocking in this composition
50:42 close ups on faces as the intense arguing ramps up during cross examination
1:02:30 conversation in dimly lit bunker
1:04:15 Hamp informed he’s been sentenced to death by shooting the following day
1:17:46 Hamp initially shows no interest in the Priest’s words
Ends with death of Hamp via gunshot for desertion
Thoughts:
Losey with an anti-war film about a soldier who is court martialed for desertion
The concept is quite similar to Kubrick’s Paths of Glory (1957) which came out 3 years after this film. In that film the “trial” and use that word loosely was a fraud. The trial here is somewhat legit
The film uses close up shots of faces isolated in the frame for several of the film’s most intense scenes which are related to court martial. Unlike Paths of Glory (1957) we do not actually see combat in action
There is a high angle canted shot early in the film of the jail cell Hamp is staying in. Hamp himself is an odd character with an innocent childish nature or at least that is how he presents himself; some characters wonder if it is an act but are not sure
The constant raining seems an appropriate match for the extremely gloomy atmosphere the film takes place in
Verdict: R
The Servant (1963)
Notes:
Starts with stark black and white photography of London
Dirk Bogarde as Hugo Barrett, a well-mannered and cultured man servant in London in the 1960s
James Fox as Tony, a wealthy man
3:50 Barrett wearing a black coat, black gloves, a black hat, and holding a cane. On the surface he looks like he could be straight out of a Jean-Pierre Melville gangster film, in particular the trench coat
4:45 immaculate two shot using depth of field with Hugo towers over Tony
8:22 Tony’s mid-section to the top of his head takes up the entire height of the far right frame while Barrett sits on a chair looking tiny in proportion to Tony
8:53 shaky camera during dance sequence in club with Tony and his girlfriend Susan
12:10 close up of faces of Tony and Susan lying on floor of Tony’s house
15:48 distorted image using mirror capturing Barrett, Tony, and Susan
16:08 great composition with high end art in between Barrett and Susan
20:30 camera tracking Susan with low angle shots as she moves from Tony’s POV
22:10 for the first time Barrett interrupts Tony and Susan’s intimate moment
22:28 substantial gap between Susan and Tony with foreground/background
27:02 triangle composition with Barrett between Tony and Susan
27:28 “he may be a servant but he’s still a human being”
30:40 low angle shot of Barrett and train station with great use of architecture of train station
38:16 slow pan over snow grounds showing time passing from opening of film which captured the Fall
41:51 Barrett in kitchen with his “sister” Vera (played by Sarah Miles) who we learn is actually his lover
46:12 the extremely proper and rigid Barrett is becoming more and more interesting wearing sunglasses in doors and demonstrating emotion which we have not seen thus far
52:09 triangle composition except its with Tony, Vera, and Tony’s reflection the mirror
59:37 Barrett looking trapped behind staircase handrails that are in foreground of the frame
1:04:51 Susan ordering Barrett around in a way that she seems to be making some type of point
1:07:56 tension building as Susan becomes increasingly insulting
1:08:38 great use of deep focus
1:13:27 triangle composition only with shadow of Barrett, Tony, and Susan
1:14:10 Antonioni positioning of bodies in frame
1:15:12 distorted image using mirror
1:16:08 Barrett admits Vera is his fiancée and not his sister, and for the 1st time shows a drastically different tone from everything we have seen previously, at least in terms of the way he acts in the presence of Tony and Susan. He is defiant and even has a subtle menace to him, it’s quite chilling
1:18:09 another distorted mirror shot
1:24:30 another impressive two-shot with deep focus
1:31:29 High angle shot with Static camera, as Tony and Barrett playfully throw a ball back and forth like school kids
1:33:39 Barrett is so ordering Tony around
1:36:48 extreme close up on Barret’s face
1:37:10 shaky camera
1:37:23 deep focus with front door open showing rainstorm outside
1:46:27 Antonioni positioning of bodies in frame
1:48:00 the film has entered full on surrealism
1:48:58 great blocking on 5 characters in the frame
1:50:48 great blocking with all characters on exterior of frame in a circle
The film ends with a shot of a clock inside Tony’s house
Thoughts:
Losey delivers a truly great film. Time Without Pity and Eva had elements of great filmmaking, there were stunning compositions but some flaws with the narratives or other elements. The Servant has incredible compositions along with an engaging narrative and an incredible performance from Dirk Bogarde. It is also the first film of this study that I actually liked all the song choices and score
This is an incredibly patient film, a slow burn psychological drama with a growing sense of dread as Barrett’s duplicitous nature slowly but surely is revealed over the course of the film
A mediation focusing on class during this setting and time period. The characters are rarely shown on the same plane, which illustrates power dynamics which slowly change over the course of the film. Tony’s fiancée takes an immediate dislike toward Barrett and is increasingly condescending and later in the film barking orders at him for the sake of barking orders at time. There is a growing animus between these two characters that creates great suspense as you are waiting for one of them to snap at the other
The use of deep focus compositions is really impressive. There are a number of triangle compositions a la Kurosawa throughout the film. These have been prevalent in Losey’s other films that I have watched so far during my Study. The difference is that here, they do not pertain to a standard love triangle. Instead, it is Barrett in the middle between Tony and Susan
The film’s black and white photography is crisp, definitely worth watching on 4K. This much is clear right in the opening minutes containing stark imagery of London on a cold Fall Day. The compositions are a visual treat and worth the best possible visual quality
Mirrors are a common motif; this has been in other Losey films I have watched so far, but they seem to be especially prevalent here. To be specific he uses convex mirrors which create distorted images. The scene when Barrett admits Vera is his fiancée and not his sister, is when we see for the 1st time a drastically different tone from everything we have seen from Barrett previously, at least in terms of the way he acts in the presence of Tony and Susan. He is defiant and even has a subtle menace to him, it’s quite chilling. Right before we see this new version of Barrett his image is shown via convex mirror; this is not a coincidence
Tony’s house is setting as character. There are a couple of shots of characters in background of frame looking trapped behind staircase handrails that are in foreground of the frame, looking like prison bars. You have the aforementioned convex mirrors.
I couldn’t help but think about Roeg’s Performance (1970) while watching this film, which of course came out 7 years earlier.
Verdict: MP
The Criminal (1960)
Notes:
Starts with inside prison
4:45 prisoner recites nursey rhymes running through the common room like an elementary or middle school kid at recess
5:32 Stanley Baker as criminal Johnny Bannion
6:56 cutaway shot to prisoner singing while playing guitar
9:20 overhead shot of 1st floor of prison from 2nd floor
10:22 high angle shot of 1st floor of prison
12:16 nice composition using low angle shot
15 min quick cut to a low angle shot of guard representing power over prisoners
16:25 again quick cut to a low angle shot of guard
16:48 exterior shot of prison building
17 min montage consisting of series of close up or medium close up shots of prisoners acting out after being sent to cells for the night
18:39 high angle shot of prison interior
24:30 several impressive compositions as Johnny enjoys his coming home party complete with old friends, women, and lots of booze
26:11 best shot of film so far as Johnny looks through telescope that distorts image
29:01 deep focus with Johnny in background of frame and woman in foreground
30 min jazz score
31 min Johnny finds a naked woman in his bed
33:21 woman in black robe screams femme fatale, Johnny in white robe
35:48 great composition and symmetry with characters sitting back to back
36:18 great blocking of 5 characters in frame planning a heist
40:14 triangle composition involving two men and an attractive woman
45 min shot filled to brim with spectators at the racetrack
49:15 1st long shot of the film with Johnny burying cash in a field in the middle of nowhere
53 Johnny back in prison after being double crossed
57:20 shallow focus
59:21 zoom in on faces of 2 men after speaking to Johnny
1:08:08 cutaway shot to exterior of prison
1:09:20 slow zoom in to close up on prisoner who makes strange monologue about his mental state
1:16:24 nice tracking shot up the levels of the prison
1:16:53 close up shots on Johnny and prison guard staring down each other
1:18:35 overhead shot followed by a couple of other overhead shots including one of a prison throw off highest level to ground floor during prison riot
1:20:00 canted low angle shot during riot
1:22:58 another shot capturing the madness including a fire
1:24:21 overhead shot with prisoners walking in yard in circular shape
1:29:05 great blocking in this shot capturing 5 characters in escape vehicle
1:30:00 the final 8 minutes with some solid action sequences including a shootout in a field
Thoughts:
Losey with a British gangster/crime/prison film with underworld characters like a Jean Pierre Melville film that inevitably ends in a shootout
Losey captures a prison riot late in the film using canted angles and low angle shots, this is one of the best highlights
I love his overhead shots in several of the prison sequences along with some impressive tracking shots particularly one around the 76 min mark. Losey’s blocking is excellent in several shots especially around the 89 min mark as Johnny and four others in the getaway car
There are several cutaway shots of the prison’s exterior over the course of the film
There is a great montage around the 17 min that consists of a series of close up or medium close up shots of prisoners acting out after being sent to cells for the night. The film’s focus on everyday life in prison is actually the best aspect of the film.
Losey has this strange issue where he chooses some of the most inappropriate music/scores for scenes. It is not that the scores are always terrible but for some reason he has a knack for selecting odd music at times like an upbeat tempo during the prison riot.
Stanley Baker as solid as the lead performance. The acting all around is solid
Verdict: HR/R
Eva (1962)
Notes:
Starts with camera panning along Venice by the water, camera active during opening credits which included voiceover
The great Jeanne Moreau plays the film’s lead and title character, Eva. This is the same year as Jules and Jim and The Trial
Tyvian Jones as wealthy Welch writer who arrives in Venice
5:56 water ski montage
8:06 camera static captures beautiful silhouette shot on Italian waters at night
8:42 Sergio, an Italian film director is introduced along with his beautiful assistant Francesca
12:40 nice blocking in two-shot
14:50 Noir like silhouette shot
15:18 white and black clothing, noticeable high contrast
19:09 great frame in frame using curtains
19:23 seductive shot of Eva in mirror set to Billie Holiday song “Willow, Weep For Me”
20:06 Eva’s head isolated in middle of frame with the rest of body under bathwater
20:57 triangle composition with Eva in middle
23:38 another triangle composition, this one uses staircase
26:40 overhead shot of Eva and Tyvian on bed
31 min montage of close up shots of faces in jazz club
38:24 overhead shot held as Tyvian leaves Eva’s place dejected
41:23 freeze frame over iris shot
45:28 close up on fish tank during sex scene and zoom out when sex scene is finished
47:43 shot of water fountain following sex scene with Francesca
55:48 low angle shot with characters in various depths of field in frame
56:37 nice blocking in this low angle shot of friends inside apartment
57:35 impressive overhead shot inside hotel with camera static, reminds me a bit of a sequence in the early parts of Roma (2018)
1:03:01 mirror used in composition
1:04:38 Tyvian makes confession regarding his book to Eva
1:05:32 slow fade in transition
1:08:16 over shoulder shot of Eva from Tyvian POV
1:10:31 white face mask from earlier shown again
1:12:57 film quickly shifts back to the relationship between Francesca and Tyvian as they are married
1:22:42 nice use of background/foreground showing issues arising in marriage
1:26:27 nice use of canted angle shot of floor of the card room
1:33:20 Bill Holiday song again
1:34:35 crosscut ramps up tension as Francesca returns while Eva is still in the house
1:36:08 triangle composition when Francesca walks in on Eva
1:36:55 door as frame for shot with Eva calmly standing in foreground of the frame
1:38:23 the funeral on the water is nice formal match to marriage on the water
1:40:48 to Billie Holiday song “Willow, Weep For Me” played again as camera static showing Eva going to sleep
1:44:00 Tyvian unsuccessfully attempts to rekindle relationship with Eva
Thoughts:
Losey with another impressive film from a visual perspective; the blocking and framing of shots as well as deep focus compositions is impressive. There are several triangle compositions, usually involving characters of one of the films two love triangles. There are several impressive overhead shots but none better than the one at 57:35 that is set inside the hotel with the camera static, reminds me a bit of a sequence in the early parts of Roma (2018)
There are basically two love triangles so you can categorize this film as melodrama. The Eva character has similarities to a femme fatale while the Tyvian character has similarities with the archetype of the weak willed noir male. There is a great sequence with Jeanne Moreau’s Eva around 18 min where she seductively removes her clothes and takes a bath while listening to jazz
Jeanne Moreau gives by far and away the best performance. Most of the other performances are serviceable but not really noteworthy. James Villiers, such a distinct voice that I knew I had heard before and realized I was correct, he has a small role in Polanski’s Repulsion (1965) as a friend of the guy who chases (unsuccessfully) Carole
The sex scenes are mainly off camera/implied, but I do not think this is about avoiding risqué scenes. In fact, one of the benefits of Losey getting blacklisted by Hollywood for his political views, was that it allowed him to not have to worry about these types of concerns. I think Losey removes or limits the more sentimental way the camera lingers on lovers in bed. Eva makes it clear that she has no serious feelings for Tyvian, it is just a matter of business for her
The use of a Venetian wedding and a Venetian funeral is a highlight for sure. I liked the jazz score used along with soul music. The use of jazz definitely reminds me of Godard and Melville. Eva’s character plays the Billie Holiday version of the Ann Ronell song “Willow, Weep For Me” at least 3 times
The screenplay is the film’s weakness. While you have a couple of love triangles there is a lack of focus as the film drifts along while not giving you (audience) much of a reason to care about the fates of these characters. There is little in the way of plot, but it is not really a character study either or a look at individual’s dealing with some type of existential crisis a la Antonioni
Verdict: HR
Time Without Pity (1957)
Notes:
Starts with high pitch noise as an attractive woman in dress named Jenny is assaulted and murdered, the shadow of the killer is visible before a shot of the man himself
1:49 opening credits over painting depicting animals in open field
2:55 camera tracks plane gliding and landing at airport
3:40 reverse tracking shot as man meets with his son’s lawyer who we learn is scheduled to be executed
4:57 nice deep focus with light at end of tunnel in background of the frame
5:40 low angle shot of exterior of the prison gives it an extra degree of formidability
7:28 David sits in visitor room at prison and his reflection is visible in the frame, a few seconds after David’s son Alec makes first appearance
7:40 shot reverse shot throughout sequence in visitor’s room with the alternating reflections visible throughout the scene allowing both faces of father and son visible simultaneously
13 min bright white lights illuminating stage filled by dancers
16:10 another impressive composition using mirrors/reflections
16:46 triangle composition with nice background/foreground work
20:53 frame in frame using car mirror
21:53 standout composition using multiple frame in frames
25 min David is shown crime scene by Brian, a young man Alec’s age
26:46 over the shoulder shot from Brian’s POV of David investigating
31:05 low angle shot of angry man, who is determined to be a wealthy car magnate Robert Stanford, this is the house that the girl was killed, and Robert Stanford owns the house
32:12 triangle composition with nice use of background/foreground
38 min David learns how scandalous rumor
41:50 dissolve to picturesque shot of traffic traveling over bridge
42 min discussion on ethics of legalized killing
45:45 two-shot with nice blocking
46:35 layer of white fog/smoke over screen symbolizing confused state of mind
48:42 Antonioni like composition splitting screen
52:15 triangle composition
52:45 another triangle composition mirror in background of frame
57 min reunion between David and Alec where they finally put aside past issues
58:29 music a little too on the nose
1:03:30 another over the shoulder shot from David’s POV
1:04:10 debate on justice/capital punishment
1:08:28 triangle composition
1:09:51 blurry transition, different from dissolve, used to home in on David’s anxiety
1:19:24 high angle shot followed by dissolve
1:21:07 David confronting Stanford about his involvement in the murder
1:22:16 over shoulder shot to David low angle POV
1:23:17 strong composition with Stanford in foreground facing away from David
1:24:52 nice foreground/background work with David in foreground and painting of Stanford in background of frame while actual Stanford off screen
1:26:44 camera static while Stanford is caught red handed with witnesses entering sequence in background of frame
1:27:18 another strong triangle composition
Thoughts:
Huge upgrade from The Prowler regarding the visual clarity of the transfer. The Black and White photography here is extremely crisp
The use of deep focus in the compositions is really impressive. There are a number of triangle compositions a la Kurosawa. I was blown away by The Servant (1963) when I watched last year. I am excited to get back to it soon. I like how the camera is static at 1:26:44 while Stanford is caught red handed with witnesses entering sequence in background of frame. The blocking is impressive with characters spread through the frame in many shots. You also have some great frame in frames with many of the compositions
There are many impressive frames, some of my favorites @ 20:53; 21:53; 45:45; 46:35; 1:23:17 amongst many others’. The framing and afore mentioned deep focus is real alone to watch
The film’s narrative consists of a father desperately attempting to solve a murder case in a 24 hour period otherwise his son who he believes to be innocent of the crime will be legally excused. The film is set in England. David missed the entire trial as he is an alcoholic who was in a recovery program, so you have a staple of crime drama with the film’s lead character seeking some form of redemption
Similar to the Prowler the acting and music score is a bit too melodramatic, I am pleased that these issues are completely absent in the 2 Losey films I have watched prior to the start of the study; The Servant (1963) and Mr. Klein (1976)
There is some examination of the legal system/justice/capital punishment. While the execution (no pun intended) is a little heavy handed at times, I still think these issues are discussed with some intelligent dialogue
Use of dissolves are effective in homing in on David’s state of mind throughout the film as he is constantly riddled with anxiety, this due to both the inherent nature of what he is attempting to do as well as him dealing with his alcohol issues
Verdict: HR
The Prowler (1951)
Notes:
Starts with frame in frame of attractive woman changing in her bathroom as camera zooms in as she is startled by presumably a man peeping into the house
Losey uses boxy aspect ratio
3:11 camera outside house looking in as police search the house
7:32 one of the two officers from earlier named Webb Garwood, returns to house ostensibly as protocol but seems interested in Susan who turns out to be married to a man named John who has radio show
13:27 elliptical editing as Officer Garwood is again at same house but now wearing suite rather than police uniform
18:12 Webb and Susan spending life together with sexual tension rising
19:26 door as frame
29:53 spotlight as signal, shadow work
31:54 voices off screen building tension
37:13 overhead shot of Webb lying on bed
41:12 close up shot of face of the victim during shocking murder
42:10 nice blocking with 4 medium close ups taking up most of frame in court scene
50:20 Webb and Susan’s brother in-law facing opposite sides
54:10 shadows resemble a prison cell
56:20 elliptical editing; Webb and Susan go from talking inside kitchen to leaving Church after marriage
1:05:05 camera lingering on Webb in deep thought realizing Susan’s baby would prove perjury
1:08:07 dissolve to shot of car in middle of nowhere
1:16:04 Webb’s partner trying to track him down in the “Ghost Town” he and Susan are holed up in
1:18:30 sandstorm intensifies followed by long shot of car driving
1:25:56 Susan holds the spare key
1:27:27 high angle shot as Webb starts to confess to murdering Susan’s husband before driving off
1:31:30 “halt, halt” nice throwback to the way Webb murdered Susan’s husband
Thoughts:
Labeled a film noir except the lead female is not a Femme Fatale even though she has an affair it is clear that she is a good person while the lead male is the manipulator
The story moves along at a fairly brisk pace and is aided by some elliptical edits including a marriage scene. The 2nd half moves from the suburban house to the ghost town location but the tension come from the films key relationship not outsiders, which did makes for a nice misdirection throughout the 2nd half as Susan starts to doubt her new husband
There is a nice formal touch with the “halt, halt” used both in the middle and end of the film
Definitely some weak points: The quality was mediocre with grainy screen and the score is a bit too on the nose at times
Random fact I just read, Losey was High School classmates with Nicholas Ray.
Verdict: R
@James-Are you going to see the Spy Comedy film Modesty Blaise in 1966 starring Monica Vitti, Dirk Bogarde and Terence Stamp from Losey?
@Malith – I was not aware of it but will check it out, I found it on youtube
@James-Have you done a Pier Paolo Pasolini study or Bernardo Bertolucci study?
@Malith – I have not. I actually have not seen any of Pasolini’s work.
For Bertolucci I have seen two of his films; The Conformist (1970) which is amazing. I watched it twice in a row several years ago. The Last Tango in Paris (1972) which was also spectacular although it was Brando’s performance that really stood out .
@James Trapp- hope all is well- the line “The quality was mediocre with grainy screen” under weak points—- are you talking about the transfer to whatever you were watching? Or the actual film?
@Drake – the line about the quality being mediocre was referencing the transfer quality. I actually cleaned about the thoughts section a bit. Here is it
Thoughts:
Labeled a film noir except the lead female is not a Femme Fatale even though she has an affair it is clear that she is a good person while the lead male is the manipulator. I did not make the connection at first but there are some similarities with 1992 film Unlawful Entry in which Ray Liotta plays a police officer who quickly becomes obsessed with a woman he meets after responding to a burglary in process at the house of the woman and her husband. That film was more of a thriller than this and Webb Garwood is far more subtle than the Ray Liotta character who is an obvious psychopath. It is not Webb Garwood’s menacing qualities that makes him seem dangerous but rather his sincerity as he I able to fool everyone around him
The story moves along at a fairly brisk pace and is aided by some elliptical edits including a marriage scene. The 2nd half moves from the suburban house to the ghost town location, but the tension come from the film’s key relationship not outsiders, which did makes for a nice misdirection throughout the 2nd half as Susan starts to doubt her new husband
There is a nice formal touch with the “halt, halt” used both in the middle and end of the film
Van Heflin gives a strong performance as Webb Garwood who is a bitter, entitled, and manipulative police officer. In fact, the film works better as a character study than a more standard thriller. You have insurance policies worked into the plot that calls back Double Indemnity (1944)
Around 63 min there is contrast throughout sequence with Susan in white nightgown and Webb in black clothing. Throughout this sequence Susan naively believes Webb’s lies as they are shown in same frame but often looking in opposite directions a la Antonioni. This scene in particular is a solid summation of the film as the conflict arises not so much from additional outsiders but rather the question of how long Susan will continue to believe Webb’s explanations regarding the motivations of his actions
Some weak points:
The film’s ending was a little bit rushed as Garwood quickly goes from suspect to perpetrator in the eyes of the other police officers, though this is more a critique of the screenwriting than directing
the score is a bit too on the nose at times
The transfer quality was mediocre with grainy screen at times
Verdict: R
@James Trapp- all good- thanks for clarifying. This is good work again here – keep it up!
@James-I think these 6 Losey films are maybe worth a watch
1951-The Prowler(on Prime Video)
1962-Eva(On Criterion Channel)
1963-The Servant(on Criterion)
1964-King and Country(on Prime Video)
1971-The Go Between(on Prime Video)
1976-Mr. Klein(on Prime Video)
So 6 films. Probably enough for a study. But he was very prolific
@Lionel – Thank you, agreed this is enough. I got Kubrick’s final film than will make decision between Losey and a couple other auteurs for next study
@Drake-Do you plan to update this directors’ list? Can you see directors like Raul Ruiz, Joseph Losey, Ken Russell making it?
@Lionel- Thank you for your interest. TBD at this point
@Lionel – I was really impressed by Mr. Klein (1976) and The Servant (1963). Have you seen any of his other films? Any recommendations?
@James – Drake has a page for ‘Accident’ which also stars Dirk Bogarde.
@Harry – thanks, if I can find enough films might do a mini study, Criterion has 4 of his films including Mr. Klein
@James-How many films do you need for a mini study?
@Lionel –
Director # Movies
Akira Kurosawa 24
Martin Scorsese 23
Werner Herzog 18
Roman Polanski 17
Francois Truffaut 16
Howard Hawks 15
The Coen Brothers 15
David Cronenberg 15
Francis Ford Coppola 13
Orson Welles 12
Seijun Suzuki 12
Stanley Kubrick 12
Jean Pierre Melville 11
David Fincher 11
John Woo 10
Wong Kar Wai 9
Quentin Tarantino 9
David Lynch 9
Paul Thomas Anderson 9
Robert Bresson 9
Vittorio De Sica 8
Terence Malick 8
Park Chan Wook 8
Dario Argento 8
Bong Joon-ho 8
Robert Siodmak 7
Sofia Coppola 7
Andrei Tarkovky 7
Peter Bogdanovich 6
Nicolas Roeg 6
@James Trapp- look at you- such quality work!
@James Trapp-Wow
@Lionel
There are basically 4 categories of Director Studies
# 1 The entire filmography such as Tarkovsky, Tarantino, PT Anderson, Orson Welles. This works for directors who have about 15 films of less and each seems to be worth watching
# 2 Close to the entire filmography, the few left out is either due to mediocre to terrible reviews or because the film(s) are not available. For example, I skipped Blueberry Nights for WKW Study as it just did not seem necessary due to its reputation. Same with Alien 3 for Fincher
# 3 For some directors I will start with their first great film, for Francis Ford Coppola I started with The Godfather which is technically his 4th film and watched almost everything until his 1992 film Bram Stroker’s Dracula and nothing after (except 2009 film Tetro). So basically here I take off the weaker stretches of his career
# 4 Mini Study – For these I usually focus on a subset of the filmography. For example, I did a Robert Siodmak mini study in which I watched only his film noirs, 7 of his noirs. I watched 8 Vittorio De Sica films (he has about 30 films) and I focused on those that seemed to be his most quintessential Italian Neorealism films since that is what he is known for. A mini study could also work well for inconsistent auteurs, and by inconsistent I mean auteurs with fairly extensive filmographies that have a lot of simple R quality films but also a few really great works. Someone like Ridley Scott would fit this category
Surprising to not see Woody Allen here. He has a very deep filmography. It would some task to watch all of his 50 films
@Lionel – To be honest I have avoided some of the huge filmographies but will get there eventually. I have so many I want to do still but will get there
@James-No. I haven’t seen any other Losey film actually.
@Drake. With the rise in the number of female directors making great films out there, which of the following female directors do you rate highly / could see potentially joining the likes of Denis, Reichardt, Coppola, Ramsey on your list in future:
Alice Rohrwacher, Celine Sciama, Lucrecia Martel, Mia Hansen-Love, Chloe Zhao, Julia Ducournau, Andrea Arnold, Debra Granik, Jennifer Kent, Sarah Polley?
No way Denis stays on this list in the next update.
@LeRoi – I haven’t finished running the numbers – but I would think Akerman has a secured a spot now with two (2) top 500 films. Certainly worth looking on a case by base basis on the others.
@Drake. Have you perhaps done studies or managed to view key films from the following European directors from the 60s-80s era (although some worked beyond that)? Would be interested to hear your thoughts on them:
Spain
Victor Erice
Carlos Saura
Luis Garcia Berlanga
France
Maurice Pialat (3 films in TSPDT top 1000)
Bertrand Tavernier
Claude Sautet
Italy
Ettoria Scola
Ermanno Olmi
Francesco Rosi
@LeRoi. I think he has like 8/9 Berlanga films in the archives and all of them has a seperate page. Placido is in the top 1000. Also Ermanno Olmi’s 1978 film(I don’t remember the name) and Scola’s Special Day is in the top 1000. Especially a Special Day has a very lofty ranking and is in the top 250 I believe.
@LeRoi- I’m at different places with each of them. I’ve had Pialat circled for one of my next studies for some time
Are there any Nuri Bilge Ceylan films in the Cinema Archives? He has a lot of highly rated films on TSPDT
@Lionel- four (4) films in the archives
Do you think he is overrated? Have you studied his films closely?
Klimov is listed at 16. I still need to see Zulawski’s films. Zanussi was also close. Noted that I’m missing a few Russians, including Sokurov and Konchalovskiy.
Good catch. I missed Klimov somehow. Balagov is another one