Films remarkably made
 

Film Appreciation with K S Sivakumaran

This week we shall give you some of the remarkable films that were beginning to enter the second half of the last century. Such films which yours truly had the opportunity to see are only mentioned here.

There are many of significance that I might have missed. The purpose here is to inform those young film students and critics to know the historical development of the powerful influential medium, Cinema.

Here are some titles with brief notes. If you happen to see them by chance or through your own search, you might find them different from contemporary films that are technically much advanced. But don’t despair. Historical growth develops slowly and through primitive ways.

The black and white film ‘Advise & Content’ made in early 1960s was an interesting film based on American politics. Charles Laughton was a great actor at that time.

He plays a pivotal role in the film. The storyline goes somewhat like this.

The appointment of the Secretary of State by the US President leads to a controversy. But the American Senate does not approve the appointment unanimously.

The mysterious and tragic part of it was that the nominee for the Foreign Affairs of the government commits suicide. The openness and transparency prevailing in the democracy as practised in America is something I admire.

This film was directed by one of the famous filmmakers Otto Preminger. Another thing was the magnificent presence of Henry Fonda. Perhaps you would know that Henry was the father of another powerful actress Jane Fonda.

It was amazing to watch Henry Fonda turning the tables as the lonely juror in the film ‘12 Angry Men’.

We understand that the story of the film ‘Advise & Content’ was adapted from a novel by Allen Drury.

Shall we move on to another memorable film ‘The African Queen’?

I cannot remember the story in full except that it was short in Africa and had famous players in the like of Audrey Hepburn, Humphrey Bogart. Adapted from a novel by C S Forester, this film was directed by one of the major American directors, John Huston. The film was made in 1951.

Next, a brilliant film I enjoyed: ‘The Agony and the Ecstasy’. Directed by the famous British director Carol Reed takes us to the 15th Century (‘Remember the Renaissance’). Produced in 1965 the film’s story was adapted from a well known author Irving Stone.

The film was a wonderful drama of conflicts as well, on celluloid. Charlton Heston as the inimitable painter Michelangelo confronts another famous actor Rex Harrison who played the role of the Pope in connection with the painting in a chapel. The tortuous creative process was amazingly brought out by Heston through captivating photography. I would like to see this film again.

With Alfie we enter a kind of themes connected with what is euphemistically called ‘sex’. The film was made in 1966.

More than the story I found the different kind of acting by the British actor Michael Caine as a womanizer who discards them and the film ends in a tragedy.

Shelly Winters shows the female interest in the film. Lewis Gilbert directed the film.

Let’s peep into some more films of the past next week.

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