Change Your Image
xtreme12601
Ratings
Most Recently Rated
Reviews
Hotaru no haka (1988)
A Sad and Depressing Masterpiece !
This is a adult Japanese animated movie that explores how war effects the most vulnerable and innocent people in the most horrific ways.
The movie opens with the main character Seita dying in a subway station while people walk by without noticing.A tin falls out of his hand and you can see ashes fall out and the ghost of a little girl,his sister Setsuko is seen taking Seita's hand and disappearing.The rest of the movie explains this seen and how they died.
This film pulls no punches in being brutally honest about the effects that WW2 has on these characters.One of the first scenes after the opening is Seita's and Setsuko's town being burned to the ground and there mother dying.There are a lot more scenes that will rip you apart.
This is one of the saddest movies I have ever seen.It's unflinching in it's deception of two young lives ravaged and then ultimately destroyed by war's insanity.
In summary this is a masterpiece in every since of the word.It will rip you apart and make you think twice about war.I cannot recommend this film high enough.Like Schlinder's list this is one film I will probably not watch again for a long time.It tore me apart and changed some of my views on war and it's effects.
Born on the Fourth of July (1989)
Powerful, slightly biased anti-war film.
Born On The Fourth Of July is the second of three films Oliver Stone did on Vietnam.I have seen Platoon but not Heaven and Earth. While Platoon deals with the actual war this film deals with the aftermath.
The main character Ron Kovic is an idealistic young American in the early 60's who goes to fight for his country in Vietnam and comes home in a wheelchair paralyzed from the waist down.The rest of the film deals with how he goes from bitter drunk to a anti-war protester.
As with all Oliver stone films I have seen that deal with politics this movie leans to the left,albeit not as heavy as Nixon.If you can deal with the slightly bent take on facts and who is to blame for the war this film is a powerful addition to the canon of films that try to show the horrors of war both during and after.
Tom Cruise is absolutely brilliant in this film and carries this film very well.He should have won a Best Actor award for this film
This film works great as a double feature with Platoon to give you a deeper understanding of Vietnam.
In summary I felt that this film while not the best anti-war film I have seen,that goes to Grave Of The Fireflies,it is worth watching if you are interested in the effect war has on people and how life changes completely after for everyone involved.
St. Martin's Lane (1938)
Good early Vivien Leigh picture
I bought this film because I am in to old classic films.This film is an enjoyable period piece about a pickpocket that finds her way to stardom in the theater but realizes that she got there the wrong way.It really invokes the time and place it depicts.I thought Vivien Leigh was good but Charles Laughton really made the picture.His acting is really the highlight of this picture.His performance is very convincing and gives a real sense of how he would be on the stage.Rex Harrison really has a bit part to play as Liberty's lover and sponsor but he acts pretty well.There are a few musical numbers that I enjoyed."Spoiler", The scene between between Liberty and Charles in her bedroom was my favourite scene in the whole movie.Overall I enjoyed this film and would recommend it to anybody who is into early cinema .