cartosan

A nice picture indeed. It is an epic western, powerful and straightforward at the same time, a fine adaptation of a Saturday Evening Post Novel located at Portland area, Oregon, in 1856. It has got a good casting including Hoagy Carmichael playing his own songs (one of them, Buttermilk Sky, became a big hit). The colored photography in Technicolor is wonderful. An authentic gift for the eyes. The Skinner's music is excellent, the natural stage beautiful, the action grand. It tell us about the pioneer fight between themselves and against the Indian. If you like western movies, do not miss this one. If you do not, here is a good chance to start knowing healthy and amusing movies. If you declare yourself satisfied with it, as I hope, I do recommend another Jacques Tourneur western, Wichita (1955), with Joel McCrea and Vera Miles. You will be not disappointed. 7/10

This movie picture, awarded with eleven Oscar, is not worth much. It is a low example of Roman pictures at Hollywood worse way. It means that they spend a lot of money but there are not talent at all inside the product. The responsible was a man like once solid and talented William Wyler, an film-maker with a long and proven experience. American cinema must be grateful to him (The Westerner, Mrs. Miniver, The Best Years of Our Lives, The Collector), but not for this picture. This Ben-Hur is a very long subject index of Roman cinema common places (sometimes even becomes involuntarily hilarious and childish). The best sequence -the chariots race- could be made by any craftsman less prestigious than Wyler. Of course I do prefer Quo Vadis (1951) or Italian Roman movies like Teodora Slave Empress (1953). Less money, more interesting result. Everything is colossal at this Ben-Hur (there are another one dumb) including the story written by Gore Vidal and some more people. A conscious Vidal prefer stay uncredited.

Please, do not mix movies. This "A bout de souffle" is the genuine one. It was made in 1960 and become the New Wave emblematic film. It is not only for intellectual people. It is quite fun, even there are not any more boys and girls talking so artfully like the protagonist (nor in France). It has got Bogart and black American cinema influence. But at the beginning of the sixties the dialogue and the action show here was breaking and provocative. Like the movie pretends to be.

It was directed by J.L. Godard, written by F. Truffaut and play by Jean Paul Belmondo and Jean Seberg. The own Godard makes a part as a police informer. Film-maker J.P. Melville plays another role. It was shot in Paris. It is famous but amusing. See it without prejudge and will enjoy it. But I notice the best of the movie is Jean Seberg (a ten for her). May be I will change my mind, but I still like it.