I had told you earlier in my writings on some of the finest films that I sought them out in my post M. Phil months. In the late quarter of 2017 all the continuum of academic flexibility, hard work and stress that I had accumulated over the years was given a toss and as a burgeoning cinephile, I decided to devote the time I had earned to watch all these titles.
This continued in 2018 too and amid work, my writings, publishings and other matters, I allocated some of my most precious moments to uphold my inherent love for meaningful storytelling borrowed liberally from life itself, in various manifestations.
Here are my micro views on almost all of them.
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GUESS WHO'S COMING TO DINNER?
We continue to be uncomfortable around the idea of consensus regarding interracial / intercommunity unions, cutting across cultures. So think about the sweeping tide of revolution that this timeless cinematic work occassioned back in the '60s when it released.
It's dealt with utmost sincerity, respect for viewpoints, acknowledgement of racial history and like my sister so judiciously pointed out has no unnecessary background score to punctuate points, relying on verbal exchanges ; in short on the power of words.
With legends like KATHERINE HEPBURN, SIDNEY POITIER, SPENCER TRACY among others, GUESS WHO'S COMING TO DINNER? tackles hypocrisies and stark truths, remaining one of the most potent cinematic exemplars of all times.
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LAWRENCE OF ARABIA
Shot in panoramic wide screen and informed by the epical vision of director David Lean, this evergreen title lets one exclaim that they don't truly make them like this anymore.
Its voyaging transparency gets Illuminated by Peter O' Toole's piercing eyes, vessels of hope and an indomitable spirit, while the visual transportation incorporates every aspect of the titular World War 2 figure's life and times . Watch it to believe in its constitution of honour, duty and courage.
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THE LAST OF THE MOHICANS
Intrigues among British colonizers and Native Americans has seldom found a more propulsive take than this historical epic from Michael Mann.
Cue the expert cinematography, penchant for creating appropriate period moods, the music and an especially memorable ambush sequence.
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A LETTERED SOUL: REFLECTIONS ON LITERATURE, CINEMA AND CULTURE .
Non-FictionI have often wondered about the very curdled natures of our opinions so much so that the perch of imagination simply becomes a bystanding abstraction and real thoughts of genuine merit slip between the fingers. That is a human tendency, to beat arou...
