Sarah Black's Blog: Book Report - Posts Tagged "rear-window"
It Looks Like We're in a Shooting War! Review of Rear Window and Dr. Strangelove
Review of Rear Window and Dr. Strangelove
I’ve started on a study of classic films I’ve missed, or wanted to see again, and this week I watched Dr.Strangelove and Rear Window.
1. The acting: my word! Rear Window--Jimmy Stewart is really a brilliant actor. Grace Kelly is beyond beautiful but does not seem to know how to kiss like she means it. Raymond Burr is chilling, standing so still, just those psychotic blue eyes. Anthony Hopkins must have been channeling him in that scene in the prison from Silence of the Lambs. Dr. Strangelove--Peter Sellars says more with a tiny moan that many actors do with a soliloquy. I have a hard time deciding which character of his I liked the most. George C. Scott is screamingly funny, really knows how to do satire, and Sterling Hayden is now, and shall always be, General Jack D. Ripper. “I can no longer sit back and allow Communist infiltration, Communist indoctrination, Communist subversion and the international Communist conspiracy to sap and impurify all of our precious bodily fluids.” Here in Portland, this argument rages today, with the water still being kept free of the commie plot of fluoridation. “Fluoridation is the most monstrously conceived and dangerous communist plot we have ever had to face.” And of course, “Group Captain, please make me a drink of rainwater and grain alcohol.”
2. The writing: Rear Window—I didn’t read the original short story, by Cornell Woolrich, but I felt like much of this movie script was a showcase for the actors- Jimmy Stewart and Grace Kelly were playing themselves in the movie. Which is okay, since they were both worth watching. Otherwise the writing was just okay. Dr. Strangelove—I can’t remember when I first saw this, but I am still laughing out loud at the dialogue- Colonel Bat Guano and General Jack D. Ripper and the rest of the crew. I want to go find everything Terry Southern ever wrote. I read some of his short stories when I was younger, and remember feeling quite shocked that his characters, even the good guys, smoked dope and got into fights.
3. The story: Rear Window—was only okay, really very little suspense. I didn’t feel much threat. No danger. Too desensitized to the violence? The two really creepy bits were Raymond Burr smoking in his dark apartment, his ciggie glowing bright orange, and those psychotic blue eyes. Otherwise it almost seemed like a comedy of manners, with a little forced suspense. Dr. Strangelove—just about perfect, great suspense, great character development, great dialogue.
4. The Directors: Rear Window, Alfred Hitchcock, and Dr. Strangelove, Stanley Kubrick I really noticed with Dr. Strangelove how far filmmaking has progressed- the techie parts. There was one scene with a little helicopter that almost looked like you could see the wires, it was bouncing around in front of a static sky so awkwardly.
Both worth seeing, for different reasons—but I think Dr. Strangelove is close to perfect.
I’ve started on a study of classic films I’ve missed, or wanted to see again, and this week I watched Dr.Strangelove and Rear Window.
1. The acting: my word! Rear Window--Jimmy Stewart is really a brilliant actor. Grace Kelly is beyond beautiful but does not seem to know how to kiss like she means it. Raymond Burr is chilling, standing so still, just those psychotic blue eyes. Anthony Hopkins must have been channeling him in that scene in the prison from Silence of the Lambs. Dr. Strangelove--Peter Sellars says more with a tiny moan that many actors do with a soliloquy. I have a hard time deciding which character of his I liked the most. George C. Scott is screamingly funny, really knows how to do satire, and Sterling Hayden is now, and shall always be, General Jack D. Ripper. “I can no longer sit back and allow Communist infiltration, Communist indoctrination, Communist subversion and the international Communist conspiracy to sap and impurify all of our precious bodily fluids.” Here in Portland, this argument rages today, with the water still being kept free of the commie plot of fluoridation. “Fluoridation is the most monstrously conceived and dangerous communist plot we have ever had to face.” And of course, “Group Captain, please make me a drink of rainwater and grain alcohol.”
2. The writing: Rear Window—I didn’t read the original short story, by Cornell Woolrich, but I felt like much of this movie script was a showcase for the actors- Jimmy Stewart and Grace Kelly were playing themselves in the movie. Which is okay, since they were both worth watching. Otherwise the writing was just okay. Dr. Strangelove—I can’t remember when I first saw this, but I am still laughing out loud at the dialogue- Colonel Bat Guano and General Jack D. Ripper and the rest of the crew. I want to go find everything Terry Southern ever wrote. I read some of his short stories when I was younger, and remember feeling quite shocked that his characters, even the good guys, smoked dope and got into fights.
3. The story: Rear Window—was only okay, really very little suspense. I didn’t feel much threat. No danger. Too desensitized to the violence? The two really creepy bits were Raymond Burr smoking in his dark apartment, his ciggie glowing bright orange, and those psychotic blue eyes. Otherwise it almost seemed like a comedy of manners, with a little forced suspense. Dr. Strangelove—just about perfect, great suspense, great character development, great dialogue.
4. The Directors: Rear Window, Alfred Hitchcock, and Dr. Strangelove, Stanley Kubrick I really noticed with Dr. Strangelove how far filmmaking has progressed- the techie parts. There was one scene with a little helicopter that almost looked like you could see the wires, it was bouncing around in front of a static sky so awkwardly.
Both worth seeing, for different reasons—but I think Dr. Strangelove is close to perfect.
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