On the Waterfront (1954): Shira’s Take

I just love everything about this movie. It was my second time seeing it, and, though I didn’t think it possible, I actually liked it more this time. The signature cinematography is fantastic. I love the edgy angles looking upwards at Terry Malloy’s (Marlon Brando’s) face. Brando’s performance is my favorite of his and possibly in my top five favorite performances of all time. And it’s not just him. Everyone is good in this movie. The first time I saw it, I thought I would end up hating Eva Marie Saint (playing Edie Doyle), but something about her kindhearted demeanor and desire to help those in need is so earnest and endearing.

The screenplay is great. The characters are so incredibly consistent. One of my favorite lines in the movie is when Terry has just gone up to the roof after ratting out Johnny Friendly (played by Lee J. Cobb) and sees that Tommy (played by Thomas Handley), the kid who has been looking up to Terry since he founded the Golden Warriors (a gang of sorts), has killed all of Joey’s pigeons that Terry had been caring for. Terry says, “What did he have to do that for?” It’s incredible, because at that point, the viewer knows Terry so well that he/she can almost predict that he will react that way. It is as though when he sees that his brother, Charley (played by a young, not-scary-looking Rod Steiger) has been killed, he understands why it happened and is therefore sad, but kind of resigned to it. But when the pigeons die, it’s in a way more tragic–the pigeons did nothing wrong, so why did they have to die?

And the ending is just so perfect. I love Johnny Friendly’s pathetic last attempts to yell at everyone going in to work, “I’ll remember every one of you!” For a movie about the three things I care about the least in life (boxing, longshoremen, and pigeon racing), this film is completely relevant to me and to everyone. Perfect, perfect movie. 10/10

Casablanca (1943): Shira’s Take

Firstly, I must write here my favorite bit in the movie: “I came to Casablanca for the waters.” “The waters? What waters? We’re in the desert.” (pause) “I was misinformed.” I think it epitomizes one of the multiple things I love about this movie: how shamelessly funny it is. It’s amazing how it can be so melodramatic and soap-opera-ish in all the scenes with Rick (Humphrey Bogart) and Ilsa (Ingrid Bergman), and then go on to be so funny in scenes with Rick and Renault (Claude Rains). That is the beauty of Casablanca. Noir, comedy, romance, adventure, and the list goes on. This movie really has something for everyone. Namely, some of the best, most famous and quotable movie lines of all time. And that’s about it. I don’t think there’s anything original to be said about it. Notes to myself: I must have a knockoff of Ilsa’s white coat. You know, the one she wears when she comes to Rick’s alone the first night? With the cinched waist and the puffy shoulders? 10/10

Rebecca (1940): Shira’s Take

Ahh, yes. Finally a best picture winner that I really, really loved. Rebecca was very slow, almost unnervingly so. Its gradually unveiling twists, characteristic of any great Hitchcock film, were matched by its subtle, skilled actors. What else can be expected with Laurence Olivier (Maxim de Winter) and Joan Fontaine (the second Mrs. de Winter) as the stars? And with an incredible supporting cast as well, featuring Judith Anderson as the creepy-as-hell Mrs. Danvers, this film left absolutely nothing to be desired. The most amazing thing, I think, that the film accomplished was to make Rebecca’s essence the most powerful force in the film. In the scene in the cottage, where Maxim reveals his secrets to his wife for the first time, it seems as though Rebecca is more a concept to him than just his former wife. I think this was Hitchcock’s greatest power–to make something small and unimportant seem the most terrifying thing in the world (note: I still can’t ever look at birds the same way). Truly a remarkable movie. 10/10