The lineup for this week’s This Weekend’s Film Festival is a continuation of the on-going look at the 10th anniversary addition of AFI’s top 100 American movies. The last edition came right before AFI’s latest list announcement of the 10 top 10 genre pictures. This week deals with new films to arrive on the top 100 that also made one of the top 10 lists. Three of the epics are here, along with one animated and one sci-fi film. This is a great lineup and an interesting look at some new classics and hits, along with a classic epic.
Kicking off the lineup is TITANIC. Ranking 6th on the epics list and #83 on the top 100, James Cameron’s epic romance/disaster tale is by and far the highest grossing film in U.S. box office history. Winner of 11 Academy Awards, this tale of the tragic love between rich Rose, played by Oscar-nominated Kate Winslet, and poor Jack, in a mega-star making turn by Leonardo DiCaprio, contains what epics are supposed to have — an intimate story against an gigantic landscape. Cameron’s attention to detail is breathtaking and the groundbreaking visual effects still hold up well today. Russell Carpenter’s Oscar-winning cinematography is gorgeous. As I said in my original review, “TITANIC is worth seeing mostly because of the classic iconic romantic imagery. While they might not all be laced together naturally, there is no denying that when Rose and Jack stand on the rail at the bow of the ship that hearts can swoon for the idea of perfect love.” No matter your opinion of the film’s story problems, there is also no denying its firm place in film history.
BLADE RUNNER begins the Saturday double header. Also ranking 6th but on the sci-fi list, this landmark ‘80s sci-fi film placed 97th on the top 100. Ridley Scott’s moody futuristic noir changed the visual look of the future on screen forever. An exaggerated version of contemporary society, the world is dirty and consumed by consumerism. Human-like androids called replicants, a word this film coined, are banned on Earth, because once they begin developing emotions, they become dangerous. Rick Deckard, played by Harrison Ford, is a top blade runner, assassins set to “retire” runaway replicants. The only problem is that he finds himself falling for one named Rachael, played with perfect noir mystery by Sean Young. With sci-fi often relegated to mindless action exercises, BLADE RUNNER provides questions of life and death into its crime narrative, presenting a villain in Rutger Hauer’s Roy Batty that is deeper than your typical killing machine. As I said in my original review, “If our life at the end amounts to our memories, what was our life worth if there is no one to be a witness to our lives, or even worse discover that part of those memories are completely false?” Not instantly embraced upon release and having since gone through several recuts, this perfectly-toned sci-fi film is now firmly among the best films of the 1980s.
Closing Saturday is Steven Spielberg’s WWII epic SAVING PRIVATE RYAN. On the AFI epics list it ranks #8, while it came in at #71 on the top 100, I said of the film in my original review, “ Recently I wrote about PULP FICTION, which I called the most influential film since its debut in 1994. SAVING PRIVATE RYAN is second.” With its jitter handheld camera style and light flares across the film stock, the visual style has been imitated but never bettered. The men-on-a-mission film has Tom Hanks’ John Miller leading a band of men to save Private James Ryan (Matt Damon) after his three brothers are all killed in combat. Spielberg’s thoughtful war film contemplates the value of one life and one death within battle. The opening D-day sequence brought the reality of warfare to mainstream cinema like no other film. Bloody and cruel, luck and good training seemed to be the only things that could save you on the battlefield. One of the great war films of all time, along with SCHINDLER’S LIST, SAVING PRIVATE RYAN unequivocally established Spielberg as more than a great popcorn filmmaker.
Sunday begins with a family matinee. Outside of SNOW WHITE, TOY STORY is the only other animated feature to make the top 100 at #99. On the top 10 animated films list, it ranked #6. I know the math doesn’t really work out (if there are four better animated films why are they not on the top 100), but one cannot deny John Lasseter’s masterpiece’s place in film history. The first CG-animated feature, TOY STORY, was not only a trailblazing technological achievement, but also one that firmly crafted a story, which proposes that toys come to life when humans are not around, that appealed to the whole family. The tale follows Woody, voiced by Tom Hanks, as he slips from his owner’s favor when the new flashy toy Buzz Lightyear, voiced by Tim Allen, arrives on the scene. The classic buddy story pits the excitable Woody against the cool and clueless Buzz, who doesn’t realize he is a toy. Lasseter and his team of talented artists at Pixar worked out the CG technology to the point when a feature was possible, allowing technology to never hinder the story. While techniques may have improved, the overall magic of TOY STORY can never be improved upon. As I said in my original review, “It’s the kind of film — that with a little distance from each viewing — can blow you away each time you watch it.”
Closing the week’s lineup is the oldest film on the list, SPARTACUS. Stanley Kubrick’s classic gladiator film made the epics list at #5 and placed 81st on the top 100. As I said in my original review, “Sometimes… newer films are better, because they have built off the successes of the original or have some quality of freedom that allows them to tackle their subject in a more honest way. But with SPARTACUS, it has not been improved upon since it first debuted.” Kirk Douglas commands the screen as the slave-turned-rebel-warrior Spartacus. His strong physique and sense of right is countered by his tender love for the slave girl Varinia (Jean Simmons), which motivates his actions. Unlike Kubrick’s other work, this epic has a classic Hollywood polished look and feel, but that isn’t a negative. Big set pieces are supported by a rousing score and iconic heroes and villains. Laurence Olivier’s Crassus is a menacing and original creation, a man who loves to rule his power over all that he encounters. Modern epics like GLADIATOR or BRAVEHEART owe a debt to SPARTACUS.
So there you have it another wonder collection of films. So it’s time to head to the video store, update the Netflix queue, check out Zap2It.com for TV listings or help support the site by buying the films of DVD at the below links.
Buy "Saving Private Ryan" Here!
Rick DeMott
Animation World Network
Creator of Rick's Flicks Picks
