Hans Christian Anderson’s Fairy Tale gets the ‘Powell and Pressburger’ treatment in this sumptuous ballet film about the world, vocation and trials of the artist.
Read Pablo Vila’s reflection, The Temptation Within ‘The Red Shoes’ here.
“I could write a sonnet, about your Easter bonnet”
This April, the Recordatio Project celebrated Easter via one of the most joyous Musicals of all time, Easter Parade, which paired together the formidable talents of Fred Astaire and Judy Garland. Exceptional song and dance routines are to be expected, but Emily Di Natale reflects on something completely different…
Running Away With Gender in the Easter Parade by Emily Di Natale (Click here for Full article)
Revisiting ‘On The Waterfront’ (1954)
On The Waterfront has the honour of being the first film watched by this cinema club (the 22nd of Jan, 2014), and so, predates the creation of this website. However, we could not let such a great film go without having a presence here, so we invited Recordatio guest writer, Emily Di Natale, to watch the film and offer her own reflection…
On The Waterfront: The Black, White and Grey by Emily Di Natale
A Merciful Spotlight on a Shocking Crisis
By Tomasz Juszczak
Tom McCarthy’s Oscar nominated film Spotlight has no doubt triggered both uncomfortable silences and fiery debates around the world. Set in Boston in 2001 and based on true events, the film offers a harrowing view of the extent of the child sex abuse crisis within the Archdiocese of Boston and the broader Catholic Church. Having spent the better half of two hours shrunken back into my seat, I will admit, Spotlight is not easy to watch. But maybe sometimes a bit of discomfort is exactly what we need.
Rome Open City (1945)
Based on real people and real events, filmed within months of Rome’s liberation as WWII was coming to an end, capturing on film the ruin of the city in a rough but electrifying style, Roberto Rosselini’s Rome, Open City brought Italian Neorealism to the attention of the world. Tense, passionate and naturalistic, the film uses its documentary style to melodramatic effect bringing us the story of individuals connected to the Italian resistance as they attempt to outmaneuver the Gestapo and survive the war. Rossellini, being one of the most ‘Catholic’ of filmmakers, creates a masterpiece that invites all who encounter it in a “thrilling call to conscience and hope” (Kristin Jones, Wall Street Journal).
Pope Francis cites it as one of his favourite films, and after watching it, we trust you will applaud his choice.
IN THIS POST
*The Choice To Live Well in Rome Open City by Benard Chedid
*A Reflection on Don Pietro by Pablo Vila
Lawrence of Arabia (1962)
A film that demands to be seen on the big screen, as anything less does not do it justice, Lawrence of Arabia is one of the great films. It is the story of a man who is a mystery to himself, as he enters an exhilarating and transformative journey through the desert of Arabia in an attempt to shape his own history.
IN THIS POST
*The Epic of Arabia: For Once, The Hype Is Justified by Rodney Mansour
Lola (1961) + The Umbrellas of Cherbourg (1964)
Two films from the fabulous Jacques Demy that take us on a journey from Nantes to Cherbourg, from simple black & white to vibrant colour, and from spoken dialogue to sung Musical. Both films create a magical world of beautiful people, and yet a world that is all too real beneath the surface. Demy builds his own cinematic universe inhabited by characters who cross into other films, as we experience here with his alter ego, Roland Cassard.
Roland bumps into his old childhood friend Lola, now a cabaret dancer, who awaits the return of her long-lost lover and the father of her child. Their lives are intertwined with Frankie, an American sailor, Madame Desnoyers and her daughter Cécile, as they each seek to fulfill their hearts’ desires.
In The Umbrellas of Cherbourg, Guy and Genevieve are young and in love, but must undergo a long separation when Guy is drafted into the Algerian War. Things are further complicated when Roland Cassard enters the scene… Demy utilises dazzling colours, and beautiful music (the whole film is sung) to tell this amazing story of love, disappointment, and redemption.
IN THIS POST
*Two Portraits of Longing and Love by Jacques Demy By A.A. Crayley
*Absence in Jacques Demy’s Lola and The Umbrellas of Cherbourg by Jeremy Ambrose
July 2015 – Presenting Two Films from Jacques Demy
Vertigo (1958)
A retired detective who suffers from acrophobia is asked to follow the wife of an old friend, in one of the greatest mystery films of all time. But beneath the conventions and appearance of the romance-mystery genre lies far more, as Hitchcock takes us on an exploration into fear, love and obsession. Using many experimental techniques, Hitchcock created a film so unique and strange that the audience of the time just didn’t know how to respond. Originally panned by the critics, Vertigo is today recognised as being not only Hitchcock’s very best, but also one of the greatest films of all time.
IN THIS POST
*Blessed Are The Merciful By A.A. Crayley
*The Vertigo of Dishonest Love by Fr. Peter Kwak
*A Tall Story About A Pushover by Rodney Mansour
*The Single Man, the Ideal Woman and the Vertigo of the Human Heart by Jeremy Ambrose
Fantasy vs Fact: What Do Women Really Want (and Need)?
By A.A. Crayley
We’ve had an interesting discussion in our posts about differences between the characters of Holly Martins and Harry Lime in The Third Man. Holly: handsome yet comical and bumbling; kind and courageous yet outcompeted in his quest for love. Harry: seductive, malicious and the powerful winner of Anna’s heart; a master of Vienna’s chaos, able to work every situation to his favour. Harry’s contempt for the world is hidden beneath a veneer of civility; he sacrifices Anna in order to protect himself and his reputation but loses his soul in the process. In comparison, Holly speaks from his heart and sacrifices his own safety to ensure Anna’s wellbeing. He gains true life through love, even though it appears he has failed when Anna walks by him in the final scene.
The "Recordatio" Cinema Club 