Napoleon Wilson's lines throughout Assault On Precinct 13 are so corny and yet so well-delivered that one can not help but love him.
Napoleon Wilson: Still have the gun?
Leigh: Two shots. Should I save them for the two of us?
Napoleon Wilson: Save 'em for the first two assholes who come through that vent.
We are informed that he is a killer, on his way to death-row, and yet he is a true gentleman. Paired up with Lieutenant Ethan Bishop, our heroes help defend the few inhabitants of Precinct 13, including the man who is most likely responsible for bringing the reign of terror down upon them. Not once does anyone but Julie, the weakest character (but wonderfully contrasted by the unflinching Leigh) even remotely suggest turning the man over to the über-zombie ranks of the gang laying siege upon them. Everyone that holds steady has more character and honor than most people seem to, these days, in movies or real life.
Napoleon Wilson: Well, there are two things a man should never run from, even if they cost him his life. One is a man who's helpless and can't run with you.
Leigh: What's the other?
[Napoleon stares at her]
This is a true Western-inspired film, and it delivers ideas like those in a John Wayne movie, but it doesn't have the same chauvinistic attitude (Leigh kills her fair share of gang members without a second thought) or ridiculous ideals. It's about defending yourself from death, keeping those around you safe, and maintaining your honor along the way.
Lt. Ethan Bishop: You're pretty fancy, Wilson.
Napoleon Wilson: I have moments.
Friday, May 7, 2010
Take a taxi
As entertaining as An Unmarried Woman was, I don't think it was that great of a film. Jill Clayburgh's character, Erica, was a very frustrating protagonist. She never made the decisions that I felt she should. I wanted her to claw out her husband's eyes, I wanted her to go on a shooting rampage, I wanted her to spend more time sleeping around before settling on another man. Her "changes" were not so much changes as they were ridiculous whims to which she could not commit. She constantly made herself look foolish and childish while trying to establish her identity as an unmarried woman.
However, Paul Mazursky's ability to identify with and represent the women in the film was striking. None of the women in our class seemed to take any issue with the portrayal of the so-called fairer sex, as Mazursky did such an excellent job of getting into that mindset, for which I applaud him. There are very few men willing to put themselves in that kind of position, even to further their art.
However, Paul Mazursky's ability to identify with and represent the women in the film was striking. None of the women in our class seemed to take any issue with the portrayal of the so-called fairer sex, as Mazursky did such an excellent job of getting into that mindset, for which I applaud him. There are very few men willing to put themselves in that kind of position, even to further their art.
Put the fucking guns down!
Desperate men do desperate things, and Sonny was a desperate man. Al Pacino portrayed Sonny, based on John Wojtowicz, in a dramatization of a true story. Sonny just wanted to get money for his male wife, Leon, to get a sex change so that he could be the woman he felt he was meant to be. Sonny was not a bad man, and throughout the movie, he really did nothing to nullify that claim. He took care of his hostages, kept Sal cool, and negotiated with the police and the FBI. He didn't want anyone to get hurt, because he was simply a desperate man.
Sonny might have been, for me, the easiest character to whom I can relate in all of the films that we watched. He only wanted the best for the person he loved and was willing to sacrifice everything in order to attain it. I think that he knew from the beginning that he probably wasn't simply going to walk in and out of that bank with all of the money. It's unfortunate that Sal was so unstable that he had to be killed rather than simply reasoned with, but it was never Sonny's intention for anything bad to befall Sal, nor anyone else. As I said, he was simply a desperate man.
Sonny might have been, for me, the easiest character to whom I can relate in all of the films that we watched. He only wanted the best for the person he loved and was willing to sacrifice everything in order to attain it. I think that he knew from the beginning that he probably wasn't simply going to walk in and out of that bank with all of the money. It's unfortunate that Sal was so unstable that he had to be killed rather than simply reasoned with, but it was never Sonny's intention for anything bad to befall Sal, nor anyone else. As I said, he was simply a desperate man.
There's ways of killing yourself without killing yourself
Tony Manero is a man's man. He can dance like it's nobody's business, all the ladies want him, and he knows everything about that bridge. But honestly, he's an asshole. He isn't respected by his parents, so he shows them no respect in return, constantly in the shadow of his older brother, Frank. He treats all the women around him like shit because, for some reason, he thinks it's ok. Even his friends just seem to be dead weight around his ankles, from his point of view.
Tony goes through the entirety of Saturday Night Fever with only one redeeming moment: when he gives the first prize statue to the second prize winners at the dance contest. But even as he seems to be turning himself around, he tries to force Stephanie to have sex with him, and then just sits there and watches his two friends take advantage of Annette. I had a hard time watching this film because of my distaste for Tony. He has so many chances to try to change, so many opportunities to take the advice of those around him and use it to his advantage. Tony's brother Frank offers him one particularly poignant piece of advice. "Tony, the only way you're gonna survive is to do what you think is right, not what they keep trying to jam you into. You let 'em do that and you're gonna end up in nothing but misery."
But Tony only seems to invoke misery in those closest to him, as well as himself. Even at the end of the film, he simply seems like he's going to try to change so he can get closer to Stephanie, not because he truly feels remorseful about the things that he's done.
I enjoyed the film in general, but it was a bit hard to watch a movie where barely any characters were good people.
Tony goes through the entirety of Saturday Night Fever with only one redeeming moment: when he gives the first prize statue to the second prize winners at the dance contest. But even as he seems to be turning himself around, he tries to force Stephanie to have sex with him, and then just sits there and watches his two friends take advantage of Annette. I had a hard time watching this film because of my distaste for Tony. He has so many chances to try to change, so many opportunities to take the advice of those around him and use it to his advantage. Tony's brother Frank offers him one particularly poignant piece of advice. "Tony, the only way you're gonna survive is to do what you think is right, not what they keep trying to jam you into. You let 'em do that and you're gonna end up in nothing but misery."
But Tony only seems to invoke misery in those closest to him, as well as himself. Even at the end of the film, he simply seems like he's going to try to change so he can get closer to Stephanie, not because he truly feels remorseful about the things that he's done.
I enjoyed the film in general, but it was a bit hard to watch a movie where barely any characters were good people.
Don't jive me, man!
John Shaft, he's a cool cat. He gets the ladies and catches the bad guys, all while lookin' smooth.
This was the beginning of mainstream Blaxploitation. Shaft set the standard for a whole new genre of film, a new type of hero, and a new standard of entertainment, and Richard Roundtree was its poster-boy.
Shaft is an interesting hero. He's noble and wise, but not always all that nice. As Willy says after Shaft tosses Leroy out the window, "That's some cold shit, throwing my man Leroy out the window. Just picked my man up and threw him out the Goddamn window." Not that he was unwarranted, Leroy was attacking him. So he stays true to his heroic roots. But unlike many other heroes, he doesn't insist on the lone wolf approach, he enlists the help of comrades to bring down a kidnapping scheme and save the day. Most heroes simply end up benefiting from the unintentional help of those around them.
He also paved the way for the heroines of the day to begin their reign. Pam Grier was Shaft's feminine counter-part, kicking ass and taking names across a whole slew of films like Coffee and Foxy Brown.
The blessing and unfortunate side-effect of Shaft's success was the adoption of Blaxploitation into the mainstream Hollywood market. The genre became over-run with white folks behind the scenes, writing and directing and producing films that were essentially designed for a black market. Many people were outraged by this, but most didn't seem to mind. As long as the movies kept on coming, they were happy.
Blaxploitation eventually faded out of popularity, becoming a cult phenomenon. It was somewhat re-birthed by Quentin Tarantino when he made Jackie Brown, starring Pam Grier. It distilled the most intense and dramatic elements of classic Blaxploitation films into a powerhouse of a movie, opening the eyes of many who had never even heard of such a genre.
More recently, Black Dynamite revisited the more comedic and ridiculous aspects of Blaxploitation, once again showcasing the genre to a new generation.
The ripples of Shaft's original splash can still be felt through the film industry, and will continue to do so as long as good films are being made.
This was the beginning of mainstream Blaxploitation. Shaft set the standard for a whole new genre of film, a new type of hero, and a new standard of entertainment, and Richard Roundtree was its poster-boy.
Shaft is an interesting hero. He's noble and wise, but not always all that nice. As Willy says after Shaft tosses Leroy out the window, "That's some cold shit, throwing my man Leroy out the window. Just picked my man up and threw him out the Goddamn window." Not that he was unwarranted, Leroy was attacking him. So he stays true to his heroic roots. But unlike many other heroes, he doesn't insist on the lone wolf approach, he enlists the help of comrades to bring down a kidnapping scheme and save the day. Most heroes simply end up benefiting from the unintentional help of those around them.
He also paved the way for the heroines of the day to begin their reign. Pam Grier was Shaft's feminine counter-part, kicking ass and taking names across a whole slew of films like Coffee and Foxy Brown.
The blessing and unfortunate side-effect of Shaft's success was the adoption of Blaxploitation into the mainstream Hollywood market. The genre became over-run with white folks behind the scenes, writing and directing and producing films that were essentially designed for a black market. Many people were outraged by this, but most didn't seem to mind. As long as the movies kept on coming, they were happy.
Blaxploitation eventually faded out of popularity, becoming a cult phenomenon. It was somewhat re-birthed by Quentin Tarantino when he made Jackie Brown, starring Pam Grier. It distilled the most intense and dramatic elements of classic Blaxploitation films into a powerhouse of a movie, opening the eyes of many who had never even heard of such a genre.
More recently, Black Dynamite revisited the more comedic and ridiculous aspects of Blaxploitation, once again showcasing the genre to a new generation.
The ripples of Shaft's original splash can still be felt through the film industry, and will continue to do so as long as good films are being made.
It's only an island if you look at it from the water
Jaws is a film about men, not sharks, though you would think it would be quite the contrary. It is a film about the different types of men in the world, and how they relate to one another.
Take Chief Martin Brody (played perfectly by Roy Scheider), a family man who has moved from the city to protect and serve the people of Amity, a small island community. Martin is a noble man, protective of his children and loving of his wife. But Martin is also afraid of the water, even before a great white shark begins eating young beach-goers.
Then we have Matt Hooper (portrayed enthusiastically by Richard Dreyfuss), a rich kid who likes to play with high-tech toys and big fish. Matt is overly eager, which masks his intelligence, and causes those around him to turn a deaf ear.
And finally, Sam Quint (frighteningly brought to life by Robert Shaw), the ex-Navy man who seems to have gone off the deep end and let his brain stay there. He wants to catch that damn shark, but for no reason other than to do it (and make a nice chunk of cash on the side). As he himself said, "I value my neck a lot more than three thousand bucks, chief. I'll find him for three, but I'll catch him, and kill him, for ten. But you've gotta make up your minds. If you want to stay alive, then ante up. If you want to play it cheap, be on welfare the whole winter. I don't want no volunteers, I don't want no mates, there's just too many captains on this island. Ten thousand dollars for me by myself. For that you get the head, the tail, the whole damn thing."
Take these three men–one noble but frightened, one overly eager and a bit naieve, and one completely insane and out for blood–throw them on a boat together, searching for a great white shark who seems quite intent on eating people, and what do you get? A chaotic mass of male energy destined to explode (just like the shark).
The scene in which Hooper and Quint are comparing scars is quite revealing of the main message of the film. As Brody watches on, saying nothing, they repeatedly try to one-up each other, bragging about their respective battles, displaying the physical evidence. Until Quint reveals that he had been on the USS Indianapolis.
"Japanese submarine slammed two torpedoes into our side, Chief. We was comin' back from the island of Tinian to Leyte... just delivered the bomb. The Hiroshima bomb. Eleven hundred men went into the water. Vessel went down in 12 minutes. Didn't see the first shark for about a half an hour. Tiger. 13-footer. You know how you know that when you're in the water, Chief? You tell by looking from the dorsal to the tail. What we didn't know, was our bomb mission had been so secret, no distress signal had been sent. They didn't even list us overdue for a week. Very first light, Chief, sharks come cruisin', so we formed ourselves into tight groups. You know, it was kinda like old squares in the battle like you see in the calendar named "The Battle of Waterloo" and the idea was: shark comes to the nearest man, that man he starts poundin' and hollerin' and screamin' and sometimes the shark go away... but sometimes he wouldn't go away. Sometimes that shark he looks right into ya. Right into your eyes. And, you know, the thing about a shark... he's got lifeless eyes. Black eyes. Like a doll's eyes. When he comes at ya, doesn't seem to be living... until he bites ya, and those black eyes roll over white and then... ah then you hear that terrible high-pitched screamin'. The ocean turns red, and despite all the poundin' and the hollerin', they all come in and they... rip you to pieces. You know by the end of that first dawn, lost a hundred men. I don't know how many sharks, maybe a thousand. I know how many men, they averaged six an hour. On Thursday morning, Chief, I bumped into a friend of mine, Herbie Robinson from Cleveland. Baseball player. Boatswain's mate. I thought he was asleep. I reached over to wake him up. Bobbed up, down in the water just like a kinda top. Upended. Well, he'd been bitten in half below the waist. Noon, the fifth day, Mr. Hooper, a Lockheed Ventura saw us. He swung in low and he saw us... he was a young pilot, a lot younger than Mr. Hooper. Anyway, he saw us and he come in low and three hours later a big fat PBY comes down and starts to pick us up. You know that was the time I was most frightened... waitin' for my turn. I'll never put on a lifejacket again. So, eleven hundred men went in the water; 316 men come out and the sharks took the rest, June the 29th, 1945. Anyway, we delivered the bomb."
And from that, we learn that, in a way, Quint is out for revenge. Everyone is out for their own form of revenge. Brody, against the water. Hooper against his upbringing. And Quint against the shark.
Ultimately, Quint is eaten, Brody blows up the shark, and then swims off toward the island with Hooper. Revenge is a dish best served with explosives.
Take Chief Martin Brody (played perfectly by Roy Scheider), a family man who has moved from the city to protect and serve the people of Amity, a small island community. Martin is a noble man, protective of his children and loving of his wife. But Martin is also afraid of the water, even before a great white shark begins eating young beach-goers.
Then we have Matt Hooper (portrayed enthusiastically by Richard Dreyfuss), a rich kid who likes to play with high-tech toys and big fish. Matt is overly eager, which masks his intelligence, and causes those around him to turn a deaf ear.
And finally, Sam Quint (frighteningly brought to life by Robert Shaw), the ex-Navy man who seems to have gone off the deep end and let his brain stay there. He wants to catch that damn shark, but for no reason other than to do it (and make a nice chunk of cash on the side). As he himself said, "I value my neck a lot more than three thousand bucks, chief. I'll find him for three, but I'll catch him, and kill him, for ten. But you've gotta make up your minds. If you want to stay alive, then ante up. If you want to play it cheap, be on welfare the whole winter. I don't want no volunteers, I don't want no mates, there's just too many captains on this island. Ten thousand dollars for me by myself. For that you get the head, the tail, the whole damn thing."
Take these three men–one noble but frightened, one overly eager and a bit naieve, and one completely insane and out for blood–throw them on a boat together, searching for a great white shark who seems quite intent on eating people, and what do you get? A chaotic mass of male energy destined to explode (just like the shark).
The scene in which Hooper and Quint are comparing scars is quite revealing of the main message of the film. As Brody watches on, saying nothing, they repeatedly try to one-up each other, bragging about their respective battles, displaying the physical evidence. Until Quint reveals that he had been on the USS Indianapolis.
"Japanese submarine slammed two torpedoes into our side, Chief. We was comin' back from the island of Tinian to Leyte... just delivered the bomb. The Hiroshima bomb. Eleven hundred men went into the water. Vessel went down in 12 minutes. Didn't see the first shark for about a half an hour. Tiger. 13-footer. You know how you know that when you're in the water, Chief? You tell by looking from the dorsal to the tail. What we didn't know, was our bomb mission had been so secret, no distress signal had been sent. They didn't even list us overdue for a week. Very first light, Chief, sharks come cruisin', so we formed ourselves into tight groups. You know, it was kinda like old squares in the battle like you see in the calendar named "The Battle of Waterloo" and the idea was: shark comes to the nearest man, that man he starts poundin' and hollerin' and screamin' and sometimes the shark go away... but sometimes he wouldn't go away. Sometimes that shark he looks right into ya. Right into your eyes. And, you know, the thing about a shark... he's got lifeless eyes. Black eyes. Like a doll's eyes. When he comes at ya, doesn't seem to be living... until he bites ya, and those black eyes roll over white and then... ah then you hear that terrible high-pitched screamin'. The ocean turns red, and despite all the poundin' and the hollerin', they all come in and they... rip you to pieces. You know by the end of that first dawn, lost a hundred men. I don't know how many sharks, maybe a thousand. I know how many men, they averaged six an hour. On Thursday morning, Chief, I bumped into a friend of mine, Herbie Robinson from Cleveland. Baseball player. Boatswain's mate. I thought he was asleep. I reached over to wake him up. Bobbed up, down in the water just like a kinda top. Upended. Well, he'd been bitten in half below the waist. Noon, the fifth day, Mr. Hooper, a Lockheed Ventura saw us. He swung in low and he saw us... he was a young pilot, a lot younger than Mr. Hooper. Anyway, he saw us and he come in low and three hours later a big fat PBY comes down and starts to pick us up. You know that was the time I was most frightened... waitin' for my turn. I'll never put on a lifejacket again. So, eleven hundred men went in the water; 316 men come out and the sharks took the rest, June the 29th, 1945. Anyway, we delivered the bomb."
And from that, we learn that, in a way, Quint is out for revenge. Everyone is out for their own form of revenge. Brody, against the water. Hooper against his upbringing. And Quint against the shark.
Ultimately, Quint is eaten, Brody blows up the shark, and then swims off toward the island with Hooper. Revenge is a dish best served with explosives.
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