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Get Out (2017)
Masterpiece 10/10
An absolute masterpiece! Haven't watched such a good horror for quite some time! Had me on the edge of my seat, the characters are amazing and the ending is an absolute shock! The way you have no idea what's gonna happen and you try to figure it out but there's absolutely no way you can.
There are so many plot twists in there! The best solution for this movie it to get into it completely blind, just let yourself know nothing about it and then be amazed by how genius it is. Such a breath of fresh air! It keeps your mind working, you're trying to figure it out what can happen and what would be the end!! There's only a few films like that!
Schloß Vogelöd (1921)
One of the firsts crime films
'Schloß Vogelöd' was directed by F.W. Murnau in 1921, during the German Expressionism.
The cinematography plays with colors in a really good way. Dream sequences are blue and green, flashbacks are lighter yellow and when things get dramatic it's dark yellow. But the thing that shows the atmosphere incredibly well is the setting. The castle looks absolutely amazing - because of the architecture most of the shots are symmetrical.
The movie is one of the first thriller-crime films in Cinema as how the plot is taking place in the castle. Schlossherr Von Veogelschrey (Arnold Korff) and his wife Centa (Lulu Kyser-Korff) are having people over for a hunt. The weather however interferes and they can't go. Everything starts to happen all at once Johann Oetsch (Paul Hartmann) arrives. It's because his former sister-in-law: Baronin Safferstatt (Olga Tschechowa) and her husband (Paul Bildt) arrive as well. The problem here, is that rumors say, Count Oetsch has killed his brother who was the Baronin's former husband and everything gets even more complicated once the priest arrives.
Characters here are not that iconic, however, the actors are. Paul Hartmann has such a complex charisma on screen, you can't take your eyes off him and Olga feels like a royalty as she holds herself.
This movie has an insane twist and the last act is the best because of this. I was a bit bored before the twist was revealed - but it was such a good reveal the whole film was worth it.
Oetsch disguised himself as the Priest all along - making the Baronin admit the truth: she killed her husband with the help of her new husband. The baronin, however, has no idea that Oetsch was the Priest. Murnau has a little joke by the end of the movie - showing the real Priest on screen for a little second, which made me laugh.
Neil Brandt's music in this version is a great tension riser, not to mention the story was adapted from the novel called "Berliner Illustrierten Zeitung" by Rudolf Stratz and Carl Mayer adapted it to screenplay (Who wrote Dr. Caligari) that's why the twist is genuinely well done.
It's far from the best work of Murnau's, but his next year's work, which ended up being a masterpiece (Nosferatu) can be seen here, in very little parts - through the camera work, and the lighting. Everyone has to start somewhere, and Murnau's start might have been a bit earlier, but this film was the one that started his train of talent.
Phantom (1922)
Non-linear story with different plotlines that converge
'Phantom' was directed by F.W. Murnau in 1922 during the German Expressionism.
The cinematography is beautiful in this - the way Murnau plays with light and shadows is pleasing to the eye. The set design makes you feel everything so deeply. The clothes makes you like as if you're there with the characters.
An Art Film, without a doubt, about a young man, Lorenz (Alfred Abel) who strives to be a poet but one day notices a woman, Veronika (Lay De Putti) eventually becoming obsessed with her and yearns to find her again, slowly becoming insane.
It's based on the Novel by Gerhart Hauptmann - Thea Von Harbou adapted it for the screen.
The story is insanely entertaining - because it is a non-linear story with different plot lines. We follow Lorenz: the man who changes into a lovestruck maniac from day 1, we follow his sister Melanie (Aud Egede-Nissen) who leaves her house because of the poor household, and we follow Marie Starke (Lil Dagover) who is in love with Lorenz and helps him regain his sanity.
The whole plot begins with Lorenz writing this story down and ends as he finishes writing it - the whole film is a Flashback, similar to 'Dr. Caligari'. We see Lorenz and Marie at the beginning together, so the viewer knows Lorenz won't have a happy ending with Veronika. The fantasy element of this is that we never truly know whether Veronika is real or not.
Lorenz is a wreck by the end of the movie - the actor did a good job. You want to shake his shoulders to wake him up but luckily Marie does this instead of you.
Marie is lovable and very refreshing to see whenever she appears on screen, however, the best character for me was Melanie, Lorenz's sister.
Melanie is enjoyable to watch - the way she wants to live a life with joy but also support her brother is a delight. The schemes they do are downright a delight.
The movie doesn't get a 5 star from me because the money storyline didn't really make me feel much towards Lorenz. The ending shot however, with him walking to prison, is stunning. As stunning as the ending-ending shot with the tree, Marie and Lorenz.
Murnau uses incredibly famous actors and actresses in this one. Lya De Putti (Der brennende Acker/Gerda), Alfred Abel (Metropolis/Johann), Hans Heinrich von Twardowksi and Lil Dagover (Dr. Caligari/Alan and Jane) - all of them are diamonds when it comes to acting.
Overall a good film, not as popular as the others, but I recommend watching it because it's enjoyable :3
Der brennende Acker (1922)
The first movie to use Love Triangle
'Der brennende Acker' was directed by F.W. Murnau in 1922, during the German Expressionism.
An art movie which is the first to use the topic of Love Triangles. The plot is about a struggle over petroleum-rich land. Our main character Johannes (Vladimir Gajdarov) finds a job as a secretary in a wealthy household where he overhears the Count's idea of an existent rich land - so he deicides to act as he is in love with Helga (Stella Arbenina) the wife of the Count, so when the Count dies, Johannes inherits the land because he ends up being Helga's husband. Helga, however, really is in love with him, which ends up being her downfall - not to mention the fact that two other girls: Gerda - the Count's daughter (Lya De Putti) and a maid from Johannes poor household is also in love with him.
Johannes's character is sly, cold and the only thing he sees is money - at least in the middle of the movie. By the end and at the beginning, he doesn't care about money - making the whole movie have a circular ending. He ends up where he has been, which makes him human.
Helga doesn't have as much charisma as Gerda has, but you can feel her pain as much as Gerda's and maybe it's done that way for a reason.
Gerda is a strong character, and the goal of her existence can be seen by the finale - by making her burn down the whole Devil's land, vanishing the whole goal of Johannes until the ashes.
The Cinematography is beautiful - the red sky as everything burns is actually breathtaking, not to mention the designs!! Johannes's whole appearance is so well put, it makes him so handsome it's not hard to believe he has three love interests at his table.
Murnau uses popular actors and actresses from different popular movies and also from his own movies as well. Werner Kraus as the Count (who was Dr. Caligar in Robert Wiene's movie) and Lya De Putti (who was the love interest in Murnau's other movie called Phantom) and who is also a Hungarian :))
Overall, a very interesting plot with a unique love triangle (quartet??) and I enjoyed it way more than Nosferatu. This movie is not that popular - but I recommend it to everyone who wants to have a good time.
PS: I love the poster. It's expressionism itself.
Nosferatu, eine Symphonie des Grauens (1922)
A Classic
'Nosferatu (Nosferatu - Eine Symphonie des Grauens)' was directed by F.W. Murnau during the times of German Expressionism in 1922.
The interesting thing in Murnau's Nosferatu that it not entirely follows the regular German expressionism. The clothes, set designs, the environment stays true to reality as much as it can with a wide open world - so very opposite of Caligari -, however the plot is that what contains the elements of the German expressionism and that's why it stands out other than its creative execution and developed story.
Murnau worked with Max Reinhardt in hiss theater after he finished University and that's where he learned how to play with light and shadows, how to make an atmosphere that is the true backbone of horror. There are beautifully shot scenes, personally favorite of mine the iconic blue-green light with the vampire's shadow as he goes up the stairs, the shadow of his claws showing on the wall. The other one is when he feeds on Ellen, and everything is dark except him. Brilliant composition and cinematography.
It is an Art Film, the parent of all Dracula and Vampire movies, but originally adapted from Bram Stoker's book. Because of Plagiarism they had to avoid sticking with the original names of the characters, that's why everyone is called in a different name. Some scenes was changed, executed differently or cut out, and character have been changed a little as well, that's why we don't have a vampire expert called Van Helsing for example. After a while though, everything was lost that was connected to this film because of the Plagiarism with the adaptation - but as we can see, some of it was saved and that's why we can witness it today.
One day Thomas Hutter (Gustav von Wangenheim) has to travel to Transylvania to visit and make a deal with Count Orlok (Max Schreck) who plans to buy a house where Hutter lives. Hutter, therefore, goes there and has no idea what a terrifying monster he is about to meet.
The acting is brilliant from everyone. Hutter is a very enjoyable character who you're rooting for to arrive on time to save the day and the actor's charisma is the one make this possible. Count Orlok - aka Dracula's actor is terrifying. Absolute goosebumps everywhere, a true monster. There's nothing human about him, the way he stands and walks, the body languages he conveys and the expressions he does is such a stunning job. He is Dracula in his act. Ellen (Greta Schröder) is an incredible actress, you can feel her terror when the monster feeds on her, and all the little romantic scenes with her and Hutter is a joy to witness.
The ending of the film made history - every Vampire film made their creatures witness the sun. It is insane to think about how much it influenced Cinema, just as well as Caligari.
Personally, I liked it but I had moments (especially with all the boat scenes) when I wanted to skip and that's why it has 4 stars. I loved the beginning of this film, it really was mysterious and so engaging. The lights and the environment they filmed in was also so pleasing to the eye. Overly a classic, a very good film and everyone should watch it.
Das Cabinet des Dr. Caligari (1920)
Essential beauty for cinema
'The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari (Das Cabinet des Dr. Caligari)' was directed by Robert Wiene in 1920 - during the times of the German Expressionism which was in the 1900s.
The art form of this era is often portrayed with light and dark colors, weirdly or geometric shaped objects or/and buildings, playing with shadows and silhouettes. There's not much camera movement or at all, only the characters are the constant moving factors. The design of the clothes, and the environment sucks you in the moment you lay your eyes on them, they are so well done. A whole new world gets opened before you, which is usually the case in German expressionism, and it can be seen so clearly, especially in Caligari. The music is another things, even if it's different in each versions, all of them are unique and enjoyable, but I loved the one with the emphasis on the heavy strings.
It's an art movie, no doubt, and the plot is about a man called Cesare, who is a Sonambulist - a person who is similar of a sleepwalker - and he is under the control of the mad magician called Dr. Caligari. Cesare (or Caesar as so many other people call him) can tell an individual's future and one day the main character's (Francis) friend, Alan, asks his. On the next day, he dies, and the viewer can easily figure out that the killer is Cesare (Conrad Veidt) but in reality, the one who controls him is Dr. Caligari (Werner Krauss)
The acting in this movie is phenomenal, especially Conrad Veidt's. He makes Cesare so intimidating, not to mention weirdly likable at the same time. Werner Krauss's acting as Dr. Caligari is also something that is unforgettable, his mere presence is terrifying in this film, but everyone does a great job, they are all memorable characters.
This is the first where a movie has a non-linear storyline. It starts with Francis telling someone this story, and it ends as Francis finishes telling this story, so the whole movie is a flashback. That is immensely impressive given when the film was made, not to mention that this is one of the first movies which has several plot twists (Dr. Caligari's real identity as the mental hospital's director, and then the final plot twist which definitely blew my mind)
Without this movies we wouldn't have psychological horror - or horror genre at all - not to mention, archetypes. For example: Beauty and the Beast (Cesare and Jane) the mad magician/scientist and the minion (Dr. Caligari and Cesare) etc etc. This film was essential for Cinema in every way that matters.
I loved it. I really think it's a masterpiece and it is such a joy to rewatch because you notice things so well. You guys should watch it, this is the only silent film I can recommend with all my heart.
P.S: I love the poster for this so much, it is insanely creative and stunning.
Soul (2020)
A masterpiece
Incredibly moving with a beautiful message and a surprising yet great ending. I cried three times in this movie and I never cry so that tells you all. Everyone should watch this.
Everyone needs to see this. Pixar has a new masterpiece.
The Secret Life of Walter Mitty (2013)
10/10
If someone wants to find a meaning in life just watch this.
I teared up a lot watching this film, also having goosebumps at times because everyone is searching for something in their lives and Walter Mitty starts to live the life he imagines and ends up where he's always destined to be.
For me, it's right up there with Amélie
The Shawshank Redemption (1994)
The reason for movies
A masterpiece. No other words has to be said. A pure original masterpiece.