Really?kingrat wrote:The Americans do make delicate romantic films. That is to say, they did back in the 1940s.
Name me ten.
Really?kingrat wrote:The Americans do make delicate romantic films. That is to say, they did back in the 1940s.
Thank you King Rat for accepting my "challenge."[u]KINGRAT[/u] wrote:Oh no, it's Maven's challenge to me to name 10 American delicate romantic films from the 1940s. Me and my big mouth! How about...
Whoa, three good ones bringing up the rear, K.R.. I've got to look up the composers of all the movies on your list. Their strings and flutes add to love's euphoria and fragility. I know music tugs at my heartstrings. (Yeah, even bombastic Korngold). Mickey Rooney is great as the boy in "The Human Comedy" (that music...that music!! Luv it!) The American town and the McCauley family depicted so lovingly. The school teacher broke my heart. And "...Unknown Woman" poignant, heartbreaking (yeah I've used that word a lot, right?) I'll never forget the look on Joan's face realizing Louis does not know who she is. That's one of the most devastating things I've seen. "...Reckless" who else but James Mason has the skill to walk that delicate fine line of falling in love with his victim.That's 11, in case you don't like one of the choices! There's a mixture of genres here, but I would call all of these films romantic, and praise all of the directors for delicacy in their handling of the romantic elements. Perhaps The Human Comedy, Letter from an Unknown Woman, and The Reckless Moment should be mentioned here as well.
Paris, Texas has origins in The Searchers (1956), where a man reunites a family, but excludes himself because he cannot be a part of society and must live outside it. Stanton's monologue is not about how he deserted his family, but how his own jealousy and alcoholism destroyed their marriage and he physically abused her until she finally set the trailer on fire while he was sleeping. While he realizes he can never be a part of her life again, he can love her through his child and this is the hope that he holds. Both are flawed and broken people and the film wisely leaves us with more questions than answers, much in the way The Searchers or its other offspring such as Paul Schrader's Taxi Driver (1976) (screenwriter) and Hardcore (1979) do.kingrat wrote:SPOILERS AHEAD:
Question to ChiO, JF, and others who put Paris, Texas on their list of faves: do you think the film has a relatively happy ending by father giving the son to the mother? I liked the film's cinematography, music, and acting quite a bit, despite the rather slow pace, but it started to go off the rails for me during Harry Dean Stanton's long monologue about how he deserted his family because he loved them so much (if I remember correctly), and the ending bothers me a lot. Wasn't the boy in better hands with his aunt and uncle at the beginning of the film? His father's deserted him again, and turned him over to a mother who hasn't seemed all that eager to get him back. I believe how you view the ending significantly affects how much you like the film.
What is your take on this?