Movie Review #20

Empire of the Sun (1987)
Directed by Steven Spielberg
Screenplay by Tom Stoppard
Based on the novel by J.G. Ballard

Rating: 5.25/10.00 or ** (out of 4)

When people think of Steven Spielberg films, the first one that comes to their mind is likely not Empire of the Sun. In a random (rather small) poll, I asked a few people my age if they had heard of the movie. Out of fourteen people, zero had heard of it. That's fairly amazing for a film that was made in their lifetimes (albeit in their early ages) by a director well-known by most cinema-goers.

Empire of the Sun was a failure at the box office. It garnered around $10 million after Spielberg spent much more making the film. There could be several reasons for this, such as poor advertising, fairly unrecognizable actors, difficult subject matter, etc. Hence, the film has basically been shelved and forgotten. I had heard of this film at an early age, however, as I collect soundtracks from certain composers (in this case, John Williams). Natural curiosity led me to rent this film recently to see if there was a hidden great work in the dusty shelves of financial film failures. Entertainment Weekly certainly thought so as they claimed several months ago that this is one of the top ten unknown masterpieces.

After viewing the film, I happen to wonder why anyone would consider this movie masterpiece material and almost applaud the fact that it was a box office failure. Most people (maybe) seemed to have good taste by not watching the film, as I found the film disorganized, manipulative, and boring.

I am not a Spielberg fan. I think most of his films are overrated, cheesy, sappy, and extremely manipulative. I still get thoroughly annoyed by the final scenes of E.T. I can still imagine Spielberg's face in the background with the words "Cry! Cry! Cry!" in the background. And the final thirty unnecessary minutes of A.I. that dare the more emotionally sensitive to leave the theater with a dry face. And the absolute horror of a film called Hook. Critically acclaimed films such as Amistad and Saving Private Ryan only have moments of brilliance surrounded by long sequences of mediocrity. His three great accomplishments, the Indiana Jones films, Schindler's List, and Close Encounters of the Third Kind, still have tendencies as I have described above.

This Spielberg bias may have altered my viewpoint somewhat here with Empire of the Sun, but the film lacks fundamental qualities that all require. The first thing that came to my mind after watching the movie was, "What was the point?" After reviewing the movie over and over again in my mind, I could find none. The movie seems desperate to show something, but I am not sure what it is. It leads me to believe that the director is not sure, either.

Empire of the Sun details the life of young Jim (played by future American Psycho Christian Bale) in China during World War II. He is the son of a rich British couple, who attend elegant balls and ride the busy streets of Shanghai in a limousine while ignoring the poverty and desperation of the Chinese surrounding them. Jim is separated from his parents one day as World War II makes its presence in Shanghai, and he would not see them again (during the war). We then see Jim's life on the streets of Shanghai and then eventually in varying prisoner of war camps.

Jim is treated somewhat harshly in the first camp, but he learns quickly from recently found companion Basie (John Malkovich) certain tricks that aid him in small but hopeful ways. Jim, Basie, and others are then selected to a "better" prison camp where they are held essentially for the rest of the war. It was at this point where I almost considered the film a documentary of sorts, but I knew it wasn't because it was trying to be dramatic by using the mystical imagination. Jim always dreams of flying, of airplanes, of fighting in airplanes. He can easily recognize all aircraft and is mesmerized whenever he hears a plane engine. So I continued to wonder where the film was going.

The movie cuts to a later time at the prison camp, where Jim has a bit of freedom to roam the camp making deals and stealing items for Basie's and his benefit. This in itself confused me a bit. Were we supposed to feel that the camp was a cruel, evil place to be if such activities were allowed? It seems a bit conflicting to me since the film makes it appear that the camp ruled with an iron fist when it was so inefficient in doing so.

And then the scenes of manipulation roll around. Basie is beaten severely in one scene after his findings and scams are discovered by a soldier. Jim's acquaintance and friendship with an Asian boy ends tragically and awfully predictably. And there are several scenes that add unnecessary suspense, such as the "swamp search" scene. The film appears to be trying to evoke emotion when it only prevents any from being felt. The film, by using the Hershey candy bar, tries to make a point that only concludes with a scene a four-year-old can predict.

The film has some good qualities, though. Christian Bale and John Malkovich should be commended for their performances. Bale plays Jim with a mixture of hope, dread, and quickened adulthood for such a young child. Malkovich plays Basie as a slightly stoic, scheming, sly individual caring more about himself and his mode of survival than of anyone surrounding him (This tendency leads well to, unfortunately, another highly manipulative scene.). Notable supporting performances are given by Nigel Havers (Dr. Rawlins) and Joe Pantoliano (Basie's chum Frank).

Unfortunately, good acting is surrounded by disorganization in direction. The final scenes of the film reunite Jim with his parents. Jim, at one point in the film, exclaims that he can't remember his parents' faces. This is shown in this final scene, but the scene itself just bamboozles me when it comes to purpose. Again, it makes the film somewhat biographical and not dramatic or emotional, when at other times the film occasionally adds in the dreams of childhood, the horrors of war, and the business dealings of life (dramatic events) during times when it felt that no emotional addition was required. No one purpose outweighs the other (taken as a whole. The film clearly suffers from a lack of organization as a result.

Empire of the Sun, although well shot and well acted, is highly flawed. With an unclear purpose and a high quantity of manipulative or somewhat cheesy moments, Spielberg misses in a film that seemed to have potential. The result is a film that is deservedly collecting dust in cinema archives.

Movie Review #19

Delicatessen (1991)
Directed by Marc Caro & Jean-Pierre Jeunet
Written by Gilles Adrien & Marc Caro & Jean-Pierre Jeunet

Rating: 7.75/10.00 or *** 1/2 (out of 4)

What a delightfully odd little movie this is. From (at the time) first-time movie directors Marc Caro and Jean-Pierre Jeunet comes this dark but immensely humorous tale of a delicatessen in somewhat distant future Paris, where "nothing grows." The main course at this delicatessen is human flesh. Unfortunately, the movie's hero, a somewhat depressed formerly-employed clown named Louison, is unaware of this method of food-getting (Food is not an easy find in this rather bleak look at the future world.). Louison is looking for work and finds an opening at the apartment building located on the upper floors of the building which houses the first floor delicatessen. The job (as a janitor) is not a good one, but it's all Louison can find.

Little does Louison know that Clapet, the owner of the apartment building and delicatessen, likes to slice and dice his janitors so his tenants can have food. So we learn in the first scenes of the movie, as the previous janitor tries to escape from the devilishly cunning Clapet and the butcher knife that will eventually end his life. The first scenes of the movie aren't funny when you witness it, but as soon as you see the opening credits (which end the sequence), you can't help but laugh at the utter uniqueness of it. A man is about to be murdered, and then you see the word DELICATESSEN light up the screen. Then you learn right away what this means. Mmm, dinner.

Perhaps this description alone doesn't tickle your jollies, but many scenes throughout the film will. And it makes the film, with its rather dark content, seem funnier with each passing moment. The movie never takes itself seriously; in fact, to say that the film is dark only implies that it deals with rather unusual and perhaps difficult material (Cannibalism isn't the most pleasant of topics, after all.). The film, at the end, seems light and free to do what it wants. And it succeeds rather admirably.

There are several memorable scenes in the film. My favorite character was Aurore, who constantly attempts suicide in the most complex and humorous ways imaginable. She tries to get a fellow friend to ring a doorbell, which by about five different connections, eventually causes a lamp to fall in a tub full of water that she is in. Nope, doesn't work (I won't reveal how.). Aurore hears voices that tell her that death is preferred, and this drives her to madness. Again, not a very happy topic, but it evokes wicked humor in the process. Other memorable scenes include the production of boxes that say "moo" by two purposely bland toymakers, a man who just has too much wilderness in his living quarters, and a grandmother who somehow becomes an accomplice in attempting the murder of Louison (unsuccessfully) and breaking the leg of a neighbor (successfully). And there's a family with the last name of Tapioca!

And this is the film's mastery. This movie deals with dark subjects and takes a screwball approach to them. The result is the best a comedy can find. There are several spots in the movie where I could not control my laughter. I rarely have this problem when watching comedies (not my favorite genre, to say the least).

The movie takes the term "rhythm" to a whole new level. There is one scene in the film where it just basically stops any setup or plot development. It is stopped by a squeaking bed when a tenant named Ms. Plusse is having sex with butcher Clapet as payment for her month's rent. Pretty soon, the squeaking bed is joined by a back-and-forth paint job, a cello practice, a knitting session, and a metronome. Why it is in there? Why ask? The result is ultimately pure random humor. The movie just seems to go off on a tangent whenver it wants; it serves little purpose but to make the audience laugh. And nearly every time it does so without the least bit of effort.

So, back to the plot (You should get the hint rather quickly that plot is one of the least important things about this movie, and this is not meant as a critique.). Louison starts to fall in love with the butcher's daughter Julie. Julie, aware of her father's scheme, then must decide whether to save Louison's life or to allow him to be served to her "fellow" tenants. The result is shown in the last third of the film, a humorous and overblown climax that appropriately concludes the film's buildup.

Delicatessen is shot with Paris in a foggy background. We almost get the hint that outside the apartment building and delicatessen is much worse than inside. Yet we see the inside as a rotten, compact, musty, dark living space. The movie only appears to have the colors of yellow, gray, and black. Eerily, it seems claustrophobic, somewhat evil, and somewhat humorous all at once. I've read reviews of this movie expressing hatred of the visual appearance of the film; I, on the other hand, find it completely appropriate.

The acting in this film is very good. Dominique Pinon plays Louison with appropriate ignorance and innocence. Jean-Claude Dreyfus is wonderfully villainous as the butcher Clapet. Marie-Laure Dougnac plays Julie with a tinge of trouble in an otherwise innocent and likable character. With solid supporting performances by Silvie Laguna (Aurore), Karin Viard (Plusse), and Howard Vernon (as the man with a flooded room full of wildlife) among others, this film always has class to go with the comedy.

Caro and Jeunet would later direct critically acclaimed Amelie (perhaps critically overclaimed), but their start with Delicatessen showed promise and skill at the same time. Caro and Jeunet have a solid control over this work at all times, and the results are very pleasing. It's a shame that few have heard (much less seen) this work (How many of you have heard of this movie?), due in large part to it being a foreign film. If you can take reading subtitles (which all of you can) and laughing at the unique and humorous look at uncomfortable topics like cannibalism, murder, apocalypse, and suicide, this movie is most certainly for you.