Read on Twitter
Marty 1970s film thread, in which I will ramble on about some of the greats from possibly the best decade in cinema. Some of these I have already extolled on twitter. This is by no means a comprehensive list of what I consider the greats. I have no notes. Let's go!
Film #1 is Westworld. No I have not seen the show. I never will. Westworld in many ways is a straightforward fish out of water into suddenly hot water story. It is purely enjoyable on that level, but to the discerning film respecter there is much more going on.
The story follows rich vacationers going to an amusement park where they can immerse themselves in worlds filled with humanoid robots and interact as though they were a citizen of the wild west or a medieval castle etc. The only problem is the robots start going psycho.
In one particularly on the nose scene in Roman World, vacationers run around in toga and skirts trying to escape as they are brutally massacred, like some historic scene from a late Roman empire coup. This film possesses a lot of pent up rage against the elites.
We see them murdered by their toys, often in the midst of believing they are still going to survive in the end because "this is convincing but it can't be real, right?" Westworld is so appropriate to watch in our time because it literally captures hyperreality so well.
The rich are richer than they've ever been today, and I can't help but get the creeping feeling we are robots reset every day while they sleep to slouch around and create the world for their amusement. If anything, watch for Yul Brynner's portrayal of the killer cowboy robot.
Film #2 is Sorcerer, one that does not get nearly the attention it deserves. In fact I only found out about this movie recently, and I watch a decent number of older movies.
The film follows a group of men from various places who end up in Venezuela working for an oil company for similar reasons: escaping the law, escaping their past, etc. The work is gruelling and they all want out, but it's expensive to leave the country.
Opportunity presents itself in one high paying job: drive a shipment of nitro glycerine across the hazardous South American jungle to another oil field. What follows is suspense and tension paired with incredible cinematography and a great Tangerine Dream score.
This one is lighter on commentary, although you can certainly read a man against the machine of global capital message (though that's most 70s material). This one is special for the mood, camera work and tension.
This one is lighter on commentary, although you can certainly read a man against the machine of global capital message (though that's most 70s material). This one is special for the mood, camera work and tension.
