Even before he came to be known for his more nihilistic dark comedies that were propelled by their sense of effortless cool and roots in absurdism, Seijun Suzuki was consistently playing with cinema. In the first five years of his career. Suzuki directed a staggering twenty-four films, each one a distinct work of genre storytelling…
One, Two, Three (1961)
Billy Wilder was frustratingly good at what he did. The moment he reached his peak as a filmmaker was one that ultimately changed cinema forever, with his work persisting as some of the most brilliant in film history. Whether one of his towering masterpieces, or a film that is less-discussed but still incredibly beloved, Wilder…
Shadow of the Vampire (2000)
In the canon of great horror films, everything can essentially be traced back to the German Expressionist movement, particularly those helmed by directors who used the burgeoning artform as a platform for their own psychological curiosities, most notably in how they utilized a unique blend of visual style and narrative. Perhaps the most iconic film…
Much Ado About Nothing (1993)
With the exception of perhaps the Holy Bible, no works have ever been more influential to western culture than those of William Shakespeare, whose plays and poetry have pervaded the collective culture for half a millennium, and introduced many of us to some of the most fascinating stories ever produced. Cinematically, Shakespeare has regularly found…
Aniki-Bóbó (1942)
“You’re still a bit small to know all about life” Youthful innocence and childhood mischief are the two fundamental concepts that blend together in Aniki-Bóbó, the incredible and highly-influential directorial debut for Manoel de Oliveira, undeniably his country’s most important filmmaker, and someone whose name evokes the very idea of both cultural fortitude and artistic…
Farewell My Concubine (1993)
Farewell My Concubine (Chinese: 霸王別姬) is one of those films that has been consolidated as such a masterpiece of arthouse cinema, it’s almost a rite of passage to eventually watch it. Chen Kaige’s exploration of Chinese culture in the early 20th century has received its fair share of acclaim and adulation throughout the years, and…
On a Magical Night (2020)
Maria (Chiara Mastroianni) lives a tumultuous life – she’s a well-regarded academic and university professor who has a penchant for starting relationships with younger men, with many of them being her students, who doubtlessly relish in having a chance at a relationship with such a fascinating woman. However, she has been married for twenty years,…
Devchata (1961)
Tosya Kislitsyna (Nadezhda Rumyantseva) is a young woman sent to a logging camp somewhere in the Russian countryside, where she’ll be working as the cook for the employees. A feisty and strong-willed individual Tosya is not one to settle for what she doesn’t believe she deserves, so she naturally begins to make quite an impression,…
A Woman Is a Woman (1961)
It’s always something of an experience when you discover a new side of an artist you’re normally agnostic towards. I’ve often expressed my troubled feelings towards Jean-Luc Godard, a director whose importance is undeniable, but often tends to be eclipsed by his self-referential style that can often be analogous to some deeply-embedded arrogance that gave…
Mother Joan of the Angels (1961)
What is there to say about Mother Joan of the Angels (Polish: Matka Joanna od Aniołów), other than perhaps the fact that this is one of the few works that could legitimately lay claim to being the scariest films ever made? Jerzy Kawalerowicz somehow managed to construct an unhinged religious drama that dives deep into…
The Postmodern Pelican 