tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5703076346434344743.post594092164990127742..comments2023-07-01T05:05:31.938-04:00Comments on Films Worth Watching: Lonesome (1928) - Directed by Paul FejosJonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10656287096270976604noreply@blogger.comBlogger5125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5703076346434344743.post-91723934226731262232013-09-21T20:32:35.089-04:002013-09-21T20:32:35.089-04:00Major kudos must be given to Jason Altman, the pro...Major kudos must be given to Jason Altman, the producer at Criterion who shepherded this project through to conclusion. The DVD also has two other gems, Universals first sound musical talkie, Broadway, and the rare Last Performance. Excellent cinematography work is due to the great Hal Mohr behind the Mitchell Camera. Long un-available, these gems are a must for any lover of cinema.1912Universalhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01645202486217089078noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5703076346434344743.post-5883617108702835102012-10-11T23:06:11.592-04:002012-10-11T23:06:11.592-04:00Thanks Joel...good thought. There has been a shift...Thanks Joel...good thought. There has been a shift toward more upper class romances however I'm not sure I can pinpoint exactly when the shift occurred...whether it was just after the silent era was over perhaps? I'm thinking of all the ones that resonated with me....Before Sunrise was of course about 2 young 20 somethings that didn't really have careers yet...however Before Sunset has them portrayed as a political activist? and a writer. Certainly not factory workers. Kaurismaki's Shadows in Paradise features 2 working class lovers however.....not Hollywood.Jonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10656287096270976604noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5703076346434344743.post-65706565632785649452012-10-09T11:51:45.888-04:002012-10-09T11:51:45.888-04:00The enthusiasm of your review is very captivating....The enthusiasm of your review is very captivating. I didn't know that it was a new addition to the Criterion Collection (until I looked for this on Netflix, where it's unfortunately in the limbo of the "saved" - theologically interesting, that phrase, but I digress...).<br /><br />One thought that occurs to me, especially with a review for the comedy countdown of Modern Times upcoming eventually: isn't it interesting how the populist romances of the past tended to present their protagonists as working-class (or at least to vary the glamorous society milieus with more down-to-earth ones, even to the point of including common-man outsiders in the upper-class settings?), while today they are always professionals? Even in the recession? And the films that try to make an exception to this (like that one with Tom Hanks and Julia Roberts, whose name escapes me - and also, was that actually popular?) do so with loud gestures and expressions, making it seem all the more unusual.Joel Bockohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11238338958380683893noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5703076346434344743.post-25011890816242140002012-10-07T13:18:50.505-04:002012-10-07T13:18:50.505-04:00I agree Sam this is one of the towering statements...I agree Sam this is one of the towering statements of the silent era and is one of the great newfound works for me that up until this year, I had not heard of. I think this film is of course up both of our alleys, but it's hard to really find faults with a film this genuine and exhilarating as you put it. It's one of my favorite film watching experiences of the year. Thanks for the comment my friend!Jonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10656287096270976604noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5703076346434344743.post-4412067074244294112012-10-06T12:31:41.871-04:002012-10-06T12:31:41.871-04:00Aye, Jon, it's cute, it is moving, it is remar...Aye, Jon, it's cute, it is moving, it is remarkable stylish for a film of it's vintage, and it's gloriously exhilarating. It is clearly one of the most wondrous and welcome additions for cinephiles, and the Criterion blu-ray is a god send. I personally love the film so much that I would have no issue saying at this point that it is one of my five top silent era films ever, sitting with films like SUNRISE, JOAN OF ARC, NAPOLEON and several from the silent clowns. It made that much of an impression on me, and by the end even with the odds against the dramatics than unfold I was teary-eyed. Fejos was a visionary, as you delineate in your commanding paragraph on his career and artistry. And yes it is the human element that ultimately elevates the film. The talking passages do of course look disjointed, but we know the reason why it was part of this equation. Your passion Jon, is wonderfully transcribed. This is celebration time both literally and figuratively!Sam Julianonoreply@blogger.com