Drama

  • Luchino Visconti – Morte a Venezia AKA Death in Venice (1971) (HD)

    1971-1980DramaItalyLuchino Visconti

    Quote:
    In this adaptation of the Thomas Mann novel, avant-garde composer Gustave Aschenbach (loosely based on Gustav Mahler) travels to a Venetian seaside resort in search of repose after a period of artistic and personal stress. But he finds no peace there, for he soon develops a troubling attraction to an adolescent boy, Tadzio, on vacation with his family. The boy embodies an ideal of beauty that Aschenbach has long sought and he becomes infatuated. However, the onset of a deadly pestilence threatens them both physically and represents the corruption that compromises and threatens all ideals.Read More »

  • Luigi Bazzoni & Franco Rossellini – La donna del lago AKA The Possessed (1965)

    1961-1970DramaFranco RosselliniGialloItalyLuigi Bazzoni

    Quote:
    When a visitor arrives in a small Italian village, he discovers that the residents are acting like soul-less zombies–and he begins to suspect that they may be under the influence of a mysterious local woman.Read More »

  • Andrey Konchalovskiy – Istoriya Asi Klyachinoy, kotoraya lyubila, da ne vyshla zamuzh AKA Asya’s Happiness (1966)

    1961-1970Andrey KonchalovskiyDramaRomanceUSSR

    From Senses of Cinema:
    Istoriya Asi Klyachinoy, kotoraya lyubila, da ne vyshla zamuzh (Asya’s Happiness) is a seminal film, a film that suffered numerous title changes and edits by edict. It is a rediscovered classic that was shelved for 20 years and now stands as a testament to the paranoid absurdity of Soviet censorship. It is a film that provided a powerful start for some careers and stunted others. With its natural lightness and exploration of femininity it broke the genre of the collective farm-worker movie and introduced a deeply Russian neo-realism that celebrated the rural, spiritual environment through stunning black-and-white cinematography and breathtakingly authentic performances by non-professional actors that captured the sounds, stories and pace of life in the village of Bezvodnoye. Read More »

  • Peter Ho-Sun Chan – Tian mi mi AKA Comrades: Almost a Love Story (1996)

    1991-2000DramaHong KongPeter Ho-Sun ChanRomance

    Synopsis:
    Jun arrives in Hong Kong from mainland China, hoping to be able to earn enough money to marry his girlfriend back home. He meets the streetwise Qiao and they become friends. As friendship turns into love, problems develop, and although they seem meant for each other they somehow keep missing out.Read More »

  • Douglas Sirk – All I Desire (1953)

    1951-1960Douglas SirkDramaUSA

    Quote:
    When the adulterous Naomi Murdoch (Barbara Stanwyck) returns to the family she abandoned years before, her arrival is rendered all the more difficult by the appearance of her former lover, Dutch (Lyle Bettger), anxious to rekindle the flames of their previous affair. As she tries to re-acquaint herself with the children she left for a life on the stage, Naomi must endure the bitterness of her eldest daughter, Joyce (Marcia Henderson), the misplaced admiration of her younger daughter Lily (Lori Nelson) and the reluctance of her school principal husband, Henry (Richard Carlson), to embrace her return. In early 20th century America, Naomi’s flamboyant style and perceived louche morality set the cat among the pigeons for the gossipy Riverdale, Wisconsin, townspeople.Read More »

  • Hrishikesh Mukherjee – Mili (1975)

    1971-1980ClassicsDramaHrishikesh MukherjeeIndia

    Synopsis:
    Shekhar Dayal has moved into a new neighborhood, and is just not pleased with the new surroundings. He resents the noise children make while playing, as he prefers quiet and solitude. His reclusion is shattered when his neighbor, Mili, comes into his life. At first he hates the intrusion, but then grows to be fond, and then ultimately fall in love with her. When the time comes for him to propose to this sunny, cheerful, and positive young lady, he is told that she has only a few more months to live.Read More »

  • Maurice Lehmann & Claude Autant-Lara – Le ruisseau AKA The Stream (1938)

    1931-1940Claude Autant-LaraDramaFranceMaurice Lehmann

    Synopsis/Review:
    Denise, a young orphan girl who has escaped from a convent, believes that her misfortunes have ended when she meets Paul , a young naval officer upon whose ship she has stowed away. Paul, initially seeks to take advantage of her naivety to seduce her before changing his mind and sending her to live with his mother who works in a cabaret while he returns to sea. But the habits of the girl will push her to the brink of prostitution…Read More »

  • Bigas Luna – Caniche AKA Poodle (1979)

    1971-1980Bigas LunaDramaSpain

    Quote:
    A brother and sister live together in a relationship which is unhealthily close, and has overtones of incest. The unpleasant couple are involved in other deranged and disgusting activities as well, including feeding raw meat (possibly from live puppies) to their pet poodle.Read More »

  • Carlos Diegues – Joanna Francesa (1975)

    1971-1980ArthouseBrazilCarlos DieguesDrama

    Joana is a sophisticated, beautiful woman, so she has a choice of lovers, and destinies. She will let down Pierre, the French consul at Sao Paulo, and with him the frivolity of tea-parties and comfort. Her wild inner-soul will develop into the wild forest surroundings of a landlord’s farmhouse. To the extent she will defend her land like a 19th century owner – of lands and men alike…Read More »

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