Film Discussions #2 (PART ONE) Melvin Kaminsky

Film Discussions #2 Melvin Kaminsky

A personal favorite of mine, although he is more widely known as Mel Brooks, a stage name he derived from his mother’s name of Brookman. Whereas I would love to type endlessly about his life, I will mainly focus on his films. However I do find it necessary to note that he was married to Anne Bancroft, star of 84 Charing Cross Road produced by Brooksfilms, Mel Brooks’ company, from 1964 until her passing in 2005. See, marriage does last . . . occasionally.

If you could read his resume’ (if you had the time) two things would specifically catch your attention. The first being that Mr. Brooks has won not only an Oscar (1), but also an Emmy (3), Grammy (3), and Tony (3) award (only 10 others have achieved this prestige including Liza Minelli and Audrey Hepburn). The second, his job titles are as follows: director, screenwriter, comedian, producer, actor, lyricist and composer. How’s that for marketability? Anyone who has seen a Mel Brooks film (aside from Dracula: Dead and Loving It which I consider to be his mulligan) does not need to be told that he has a very specific brand of witty, sarcastic, slapstick, screwball, tacky, racial/religious/politically charged comedy, and no society is safe from his satire. So, let’s discuss a few of his movies, starting with one of my favorite films ever . . . Blazing Saddles.



Released on February 7th 1974, a mere three days after the birth of my husband, Blazing Saddles

(written by Brooks, Richard Pryor and others) is by far Mel Brooks’ most offensive film, and possibly THE most offensive film, ever committed to celluloid. It is a rare talent indeed that can manage to offend nearly every race of human kind, and at the same time cast Madeline Kahn in a wonderful parody of Marlene Deitrich, As offensive and harsh as the movie’s plot and dialogue are, it still managed to rank number 6 on AFI’s Top 100 Comedies of All Time (two more Brooks movies are in the top 20 as well . . .) and remains, to this day one of the most controversial and quoted films ever. As a child (yes, I watched Blazing Saddles as a child) I found it a bit confusing, but funny thanks mainly to the deputies dancing around, Cleavon Little and the rail workers singing a great Sinatra song, and of course, the camp fire scene, but it’s message was lost on me. That message is still lost on me, as I still see it as merely a comedy by circumstance, offensive to nearly all, and hilarious. Really, the only inoffensive character of the entire film was Sherriff Bart (Cleavon Little). Let’s face it, even the beloved “Waco Kid” was a raging alcoholic/pot head and even Lili Von Shtupp was a glorified hooker (forgive me Madeline, I love you!). That being said, this absolutely hilarious film was nominated for three Academy Awards, two BAFTA Awards, awarded a spot on the National Film Preservation Board of the US, and won the award for Best Comedy for the Screen by the Writers’ Guild of America.

Briefly I will touch on another favorite Brooks film of mine, High Anxiety, the entire length and breadth of which parodied nearly 20 of Alfred Hitchcock‘s films. Starring Mel Brooks, Madeline Kahn, Ron Carey, the amazing Cloris Leachman, Harvey Korman, and Howard Morris.

After watching the movie and writing down notations of nods to Hitchcock movies, I found a very thorough list on wikipedia,
and I am going to share it with you . . . Spellbound, Vertigo, Psycho, The Birds, North by Northwest, The Man Who Knew Too Much, Tom Curtain, The Ring, The Thirty-Nine Steps, Suspicion, Notorious, Under Capricorn, Dial M For Murder, The Wrong Man, Frenzy, Family Plot, Rebecca, and The Lodger. It is a wonderful film as it manages to fit both parody and tribute in a tightly would neurotic package. It’s a somewhat lesser known Mel Brooks movie, if you have not watched it, I recommend that you do so.

Film Discussions #1 Film Noir

High heels clicking on the wet pavement, a private eye - embittered by the cards life has dealt him - his face shadowed by the venetian blinds on his window, murder and moral ambiguity so thick you can cut it with a knife . . . aah, you're watching a classic film noir.

The name film noir refers to a specific type of film which really didn't show up on the screens until the 1940s, one could argue that the very first noir(ish) film was M, released in 1931 and directed by Fritz Lang. This film marks Peter Lorre's first starring role, who later became a staple of the classic noirs.

Peter Loree as Hans Beckert in Fritz Lang's M

The film noir look is very much taken from German Expressionism, which was popular in the very early 1900s. To be very specific, film noir, although a French phrase, is so very deeply influenced by German/Viennese directors and techniques that it could arguably go by the name Schwarzer Film, but let's face it, film noir sounds much better. Now, the intro above is very stereotypical, but there is a check list of things to look for in a film noir. Knowing these can also help you recognize a director who is influenced by this genre in modern films.

The (classic) Film Noir Checklist

VISUAL KEYS
black and white (obviously)
Low-key lighting
dramatic use of shadows/silhouettes (i.e. the blinds casting a shadow on an actor)
Dutch angles (camera tilted at an obscure angle to insinuate tension or unease)
use of mirrors, glass, or reflective objects to show characters (example - the murder of Muriel in Strangers on a Train)

an example of Dutch angle filming.

STRUCTURE
convoluted story lines (flashbacks and forwards used to disrupt the flow of the story)
narration usually by the protagonist
experimentation in structure (Sunset Boulevard - story is told by a dead man. Lady in the Lake - shot entirely from Philip Marlowe's point of view)

Strangulation scene from Hitchcock's Strangers on a Train.

PLOT/CHARACTERS
first and foremost a crime of some sort, most typically murder
the investigation of said crime by a seedy private eye or renegade police detective
a motive of greed or jealousy
moral ambiguity usually involving theft or adultery and seduction
double crossing and false accusations
CIGARETTE SMOKING!!
protagonist is usually very flawed (the beginning of the Antihero) and 
as mentioned above embittered

The "venetian blinds casting a shadow on the face" very classic noir technique.

SETTING
usually set in one of four cities - Chicago, New York, LA, or San Francisco
setting is presented rather labyrinthine or maze like
gambling spots, clubs, lounges and bars are often used
the climax most likely takes place in a complex and industrial setting (factory, train yard etc)
look for many night time shots and frequent rain

In general, you get the feel of pessimism.

another example of the creative use of shadows.

So, we've gone through our check list, now let's talk about some of the great faces and films of this excellent genre.

Jay Adler - The Big Combo (1955)
Dana Andrews - Where The Sidewalk Ends (1950)
Mary Astor - The Maltese Falcon (1941) also known as The Cameo Girl
Lauren Bacall - Key Largo (1948) Dark Passage (1947)
William Bendix - The Blue Dahlia (1946)
Humphrey Bogart - The Maltese Falcon (1941) Dark Passage (1947) Dead Reckoning (1947) (essentially any film Bogey had a role in during the 1940s is a film noir)
James Cagney - appeared and starred in films that brought about the film noir period - such as The Public Enemy (1931), and Angels With Dirty Faces (1938) then White Heat (1949) and Kiss Tomorrow Goodbye (1950)
Joseph Cotten - The Third Man (1949) Shadow of a Doubt (1943)
Joan Crawford - The Damned Don't Cry (1950) Possessed (1947) Mildred Pierce (1945)
Tony Curtis - Johnny Stool Pigeon (1949) Criss Cross (1949) The Lady Gambles (1949)
Bette Davis - Another Man's Poison (1951) Deception (1946)
Kirk Douglas - Detective Story (1951) Ace in the Hole (1951) I Walk Alone (1948)
Glenn Ford - Affair in Trinidad (1950) Convicted (1950) Gilda (1946)
Ava Gardner - The Bribe (1949) The Killers (1946)
Sydney Greenstreet - a slew! including Ruthless (1948)The Verdict (1946) Conflict (1945) The Maltese Falcon (1941)
Rita Hayworth - Affair in Trinidad (1952) Gilda (1946)
William Holden - Union Station (1950) Sunset Boulevard (1950) The Dark Past (1948)
Veronica Lake - The Blue Dahlia (1946) The Glass Key (1942) This Gun For Hire (1942)
Burt Lancaster - a slew! including Cris Cross (1949) I Walk Alone (1948) Brute Force (1947) The Killers (1946)
Janet Leigh - Rogue Cop (1954)
Peter Lorre - M (1931) and a slew of films in the 1940s including The Verdict/The Chase/Black Angel (all from 1946) The Maltese Falcon (1941)
Ida Lupino - While the City Sleeps (1956)
Robert Mitchum - Night of the Hunter (1955) His Kind of Woman (1951) The Big Steal (1949) Undercurrent (1946)
Dennis O'Keefe - Woman on the Run (1950) Abandoned (1949)
Dick Powell - Cry Danger (1951) Pitfall (1948) Murder, My Sweet (1944)
Vincent Price - Las Vegas Story (1952) His Kind of Woman (1951) The Web (1947)
Claude Raines - The Unsuspected (1947) Deception (1946) Notorious (1946)
Edward G. Robinson - Black Tuesday (1954) and nearly every film he had a role in during the 1940s - Key Largo (1948) The Red House (1947) The Woman in the Window (1944) Double Indemnity (1944)
Ann Sheridan - The Unfaithful (1947)
Barbara Stanwyck - Double Indemnity (1944)
Gloria Swanson - Sunset Boulevard (1950)
Robert Taylor - Rogue Cop (1954) Undercurrent (1946) Johnny Eager (1942)
Orson Welles - The Third Man (1949) Tomorrow is Forever (1946)
Shelley Winters - I Died A Thousand Times (1955) The Night of the Hunter (1955) Johnny Stool Pigeon (1949)


One thing that I will stress about this genre, in closing, it is not the happy ending type of film and redemption is uncommon. But if you want a film that focuses on the seedy underbelly of society, this is the genre for you.

I recommend - Murder, My Sweet, Double Indemnity, Sunset Boulevard, Key Largo, Gilda, Mildred Pierce, The Big Sleep and The Maltese Falcon

Great shot from The Big Sleep.