Saturday, September 29, 2012
Merry Grand Final Day!
Australia was on the edge of their seats today as the Swans and Hawks battled it out in today's AFL Grand Final. What a game it turned out to be - it looked like Sydney were going to make it a blowout in the second quarter, a stunning six straight goals to hold Hawthorn to a single point.
It was a real slog by the final term and I at one point actually hoped for a draw so they could do it all again next week. They were lucky the rain held off though, and with Sydney winners I was still happy. I love Adam Goodes, and seeing his efforts today among everyone elses was special because of the immense contribution he has given to his team.
Although I still believe the Crows should've been there and I should've been at the game watching, we had a win for the day. Go Patty Dangerfield, winning the Grand Final Sprint back-to-back!
***
To the regular Saturday segment, and tonight is exclusively a classic film. Man, Orson Welles knew how to make films. His edgy filmmaking style is wonderful in Touch of Evil, and he had the ability to make you squirm as an actor. Especially here.
Touch
of Evil (1958)
THE IMAGINED cut of this film by
director Orson Welles was not shown to audiences until 13 years after his
death. A 58-page memo detailing how he had envisioned it was thought to be lost
until found in star Charlton Heston’s possession. When the director’s cut was
released in 1998, critics and fans worldwide revered one of his greatest works,
and it now stands as the primarily seen version.
Casting Heston as Mexican
narcotics agent Mike Vargas was an interesting choice, but in this story across
the Mexican-American border the screen legend carries his role extremely well.
Vargas is a witness to an explosion that kills a man while on his honeymoon
with wife Susie (Janet Leigh) in Mexico. American police captain Hank Quinlan
(Welles) and Sergeant Pete Menzies (Joseph Calleia) step in to investigate the
murder case before Vargas finds himself involved, all the while fighting a
rivalry with Quinlan.
Not originally a success in the
US, Welles’ film is not for everyone. Mexican drug culture is alluded to with
the sub-plot including drug criminal Uncle Joe Grandi (Akim Tamiroff), while
Welles’ portrayal of Quinlan is unsettling with his added kilos and mean, raspy
tone. For those appreciative of film noir, it is at its finest here with excellent
camerawork, wonderful use of black and white film and effective effort of
raising questions of corruption and deceit.
Welles knew how to get the best
out of his cast and does so here, particularly with a smouldering Marlene
Dietrich as gypsy Tanya. His creativity knew no bounds and with the freedom
given to him (at the time of shooting at least) the perfectionist was able to
produce what he would accept as a complete work. Forty years later, audiences
were, at last, truly able to appreciate that.
*Published in the Mailbox Shopper (Dubbo) from Wednesday 26/9/2012
MISSED LAST WEEK'S REVIEW? See what I thought of Withnail and I.
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