The Movie Journal

  The Searchers (1956) Many filmmakers today owe gratitude for John Ford’s magnus opus western The Searchers . It is considered one of the best Western of all times and still influences filmmakers of the modern world. George Lucas used the film as a basis for one of his plotlines in Star Wars . The film’s hero, Ethan Edwards, is considered a loner and that lifestyle presses him into a life of violence. Martin Scorsese emulated that character trope with Travis Bickle in his masterpiece Taxi Driver . The director makes clear that this western is one of his favorite movies. The story itself is relatively straightforward and daresay simple, but Ford gives depth to his characters. His son-in-law Frank Nugent wrote the script and together they created a simple story that is anything but. There is the loneliness, the racism, and the harsh life of the frontier that can be taken apart to figure out exactly what Ford is trying to say. In terms of quality, it may not be his very best film. Bu...

  A Man Escaped (1956) Robert Bresson’s A Man Escaped is about as minimalist as a film you can get…yet it is a complete triumph. Despite the lack of special effects or big-name actors, this prison break drama ranks up there with The Shawshank Redemption as one of the best films of its kind. The film’s story comes from the autobiography written by Andre Devigny, who was imprisoned by the Nazis at Montluc but escaped the day he was supposed to be executed. Despite minimal set design, no special effects, or showing acting, Bresson created a film that earns its gripping tension. By the end, my sweaty palms proved how tense I was. This is the type of filmmaker Bresson is. He tells his story as is. No craziness is necessary. Yet he somehow knows how to piece the film together to make it work, to make you involved with his characters or story. This movie is known as one of Bresson’s best works. It really makes me want to take a deep dive into his filmography. Bresson strived for authent...

  Ikiru (1956) Akira Kurosawa’s Ikiru is an emotional, moving portrait of what it is like to live life. This film really makes you ponder about your life. It asks simple, but important questions such, “What are you doing with your life?” Honestly, this film made me contemplate my own life and made some important changes. You only live once, so let’s live the best life you can. Based on reviews I have seen from all different ages, this film truly resonated with everyone. Even though Kurosawa constantly mentions death or cancer, this movie never truly felt depressing. I felt happy for the main character because he was finding the will to live despite the diagnosis of terminal cancer. The film is a robust two-and-a-half hours, but you never feel the time passing by thanks to Kurosawa’s steady direction, strong visuals and camerawork, and a humane story that invests your mind. Also, Takashi Shimura’s performance spoke to me on many levels. Believe it or not, this is the first time I ...

Giant (1956) I am a sucker for long, sprawling epics about history or social issues. Ben-Hur, Lawrence of Arabia, and Doctor Zhivago are films I could watch on repeat. Now we can add 1956’s Giant to the list. It’s one of the only films to tell the story about Texas and how the state transitioned from the old-fashioned cattle/cowboy era to the modern oil industry. I adored every minute of this three-hour and twenty-one minute feature. Yes, it’s long but it is a film that has big, ambitious ideas and characters you’ll come to know and fall in love with…..just as I did. The film is based off an Edna Ferber novel. If you are familiar with her work, you’ll know that her books capture social injustice issues such as racism. In her book this movie was adapted from, she gave us big ideas to think about along the lines of racism and women’s rights. From the 1920’s to 1940’s, the Mexican Americans on the ranches were treated with contempt and just a tad better than slaves. Also, ...

The Ten Commandments (1956)       The 1950’s was a decade home to many epics. Perhaps one of the best ones produced was 1956’s The Ten Commandments. This film fits the definition of an epic very well. It will fill you up with awe, with amazement, and with wonder due to the use of gigantic set pieces, colorful costume designs, a bombastic score, and storytelling that many of us know about (especially if you’re from Christianity or Jewish heritage). The film runs at a lengthy three hours and forty minutes, which is common for epics during the golden age of epics. Despite the lengthy film, I felt the movie had a good pace to it. It did not seem like a long movie, and I was almost disappointed when the credits appeared. When that happens in a 3+ hour film, you know you have a good film on your hands. This film is based off historical events or to be more specific, the tale of Moses from his birth to his death. In Ancient Egypt, Pharoah Ramses I decreed all ne...