rebellion
They Live by Night belongs to the tradition of films about outlaw lovers on the run. Like many of Ray’s main characters, normal life eludes them.
The Birth of a Nation is often relentlessly dark and bitter, and as a result is only partly a success at delivering its compelling message.
In 1973, Augusto Pinochet seized power in Chile and demoted the previous civilian rule to replace it with a military dictatorship. Colonia Dignidad, commanded by Paul Schäfer and other allies of Pinochet, served as a prison for political detainees under his regime, despite the bastille being concealed by the veneer of a farming commune. With a historical premise as intriguing as this, it’s unfortunate how much Colonia’s (also known as The Colony) filmic portrayal falters more than it succeeds.
As much as I love movies, I’m completely against the franchise bandwagon. Every time I hear about a movie I love having a successful opening weekend at the box office I get a sense of impending dread that they are going to ruin my memories of it with a plethora of inferior sequels. Even though I grew up on the Harry Potter and Lord of the Rings franchises, both the books and the films, I’m not feeling nostalgia so much as cynicism whenever a prequel is announced or released.
There are some film directors who really exemplify the work of an artist. You could say their work is special in its own way, and every director has their particular style. There is no question about the passion, intensity, and creativity in the art work they create.
Divergent’s a fun, entertaining movie, but it has a few flaws. We discuss whether the film lived up to the book, and its glorification of extraversion.