The Movie Journal

Sunrise: A Song for Two Humans (1927) As a film student, it’s important to understand all aspects of film history. The era I was…and still is most unfamiliar with is the period of silent films. Honestly, they really never appealed to me. After my viewing of 1927’s Sunrise: A Song of Two Humans , I want to see more silent films to truly appreciate this era. I really enjoyed this film very much so. While I do not consider it a masterpiece on my initial viewing, there are many artistic values this film provides. Thanks to fantastic and ground-breaking cinematography, amazing performances (Janet Gaynor comes to mind), and smooth direction from F.W Murnau. This film came out at an era where silent films were near their death because of the advent of sound. In fact, The Jazz Singer, which is the first sound film, was released in theaters around this time. The film does make use of a somewhat ominous score that fits very well with the movie. While not a box office success, Hol...

A Night at the Opera (1935) 1935’s A Night at the Opera is my first foray into the work of the Marx Brothers. As someone who wants to familiarize myself with the history of cinema from the very beginning, I felt it was important to understand who these brothers were because they are all-time comic legends. They are the kings of slapstick and that was made prevalent in this movie, one that many people proclaim their best. I cannot judge that statement yet, but I can say I thoroughly enjoyed this movie. A great comedy? I do not think so. A fun, 95-minute exercise in comedy? Sure, let’s go with that. There are plenty of jokes that I found hilarious and memorable, but others that do fall flat. But isn’t that the whole point of the Marx Brothers’ routine? Before this film, the brothers were at Paramount Pictures and their style of comedy was different. There might be somewhat of a resemblance towards a plot, but the emphasis was mainly given to the slapstick and the jokes. I...

Swing Time (1936) Leading this review off, I shall be frank. Up to this point in 2019, I have never seen a Fred Astaire or Ginger Rogers movie. Of course their reputation precedes me and I knew they have been in countless number of films together, but much to the dismay of my older family members, I have not seen a film of theirs…..until I received the desperate pleas to watch 1936’s Swing Time. Guys, I think I loved it. The production values, the song and dance routines, and the erotic yet intelligent chemistry between Astaire and Rogers is really something else. Watching this movie made me fall in love with this duo and has me eagerly wanting to see all of their films together. It’s been told that this particular film is their best one. The excellent song and dance production values are matched very well with a funny and well-rounded script by Howard Lindsay and Allan Scott. Because this film associates itself with music (well, duh!), I need to talk about these songs....

Sophie's Choice (1982) Have you ever heard of someone use the term “Sophie’s Choice” before? If so, have you thought about what it meant, or where the term comes from? According to Dictionary.com, “Sophie’s choice refers to an extremely difficult decision a person has to make. It describes a situation where no outcome is preferable over the other.” That term comes from the heartbreaking choice the main character, Sophie had to make in the novel by William Styron and the 1982 Alan J. Pakula film, Sophie’s Choice . When this scene appeared in the movie, all my emotional defenses collapsed and I weeped. This scene, where poor Sophie had to give in to the Nazis, tore me apart and is one of the most heartbreaking scenes in any movie that appeared on a giant screen. I really need to talk about this film’s acting because this film is such a character-driven film. Meryl Streep absolutely owns this role as Sophie, and it shows why she is the greatest actress of any generatio...