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Posts from the ‘1969’ Category

Sep 22

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Take the Money and Run

Woody Allen’s first project as sole director is 1969′s Take the Money and Run. Originally Jerry Lewis was Allen’s pick to direct, but that didn’t pan out and the writer and actor stepped behind the camera. He had previously been in Casino Royale and wrote some jokes for that mess of a movie. Prior to that, What’s Up, Tiger Lily? was essentially a gag picture that used overdubbing to tell its tale.

So Take the Money and Run is really Allen’s first actual motion picture of substance. It’s the first picture in which he exacted total creative control, anyway, and after the failure of those other two projects it was safe to say that the young filmmaker had learned some key lessons on how a movie should be put together. Filmed in a mockumentary style that he’d later return to with Zelig, Take the Money and Run is an incredibly funny motion picture.

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Apr 17

The Wild Bunch

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Perhaps no other filmmaker explored violence in the same way as Sam Peckinpah. His films largely deal with the conception of violence in society and its corrupting influence. Nicknamed “Bloody Sam,” Peckinpah actually overestimated the morality of his audience on more than one occasion. On more than one occasion, the director stated that he felt violence was a byproduct of a corrupt society. Peckinpah didn’t view violence as part of nature, but rather part of humanity gone wrong.

This theme of humanity gone wrong peppers his 1969 film The Wild Bunch. More than that, however, The Wild Bunch is a motion picture about the changing tide in society. In that respect, it is as relevant today as it perhaps ever was. Our world is constantly evolving, yet there are those who refuse the evolutionary process and refuse to adapt to new philosophies and new ways of doing things. They are, in essence, “unchanged men in a changed land.”

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Apr 22

Once Upon a Time in the West

When it comes to westerns, few rival the span and spectacle of Sergio Leone’s epic spaghetti western Once Upon a Time in the West. Originally released in Italy in 1968 and released in the United States a year later, the movie wasn’t an immediate hit with the critics but has since found legendary status. It is also the first portion of a rather loose trilogy, the other two being A Fistful of Dynamite from 1971 and Once Upon a Time in America from 1984.

Once Upon a Time in the West is a masterpiece brimming with tremendous depth, character development, and dark humour. Leone’s creation was originally designed as a way to work with Henry Fonda, an actor who Leone had admired for a long time. After creating his epic masterpiece The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly, Sergio wanted to quit doing westerns. However, the studios would only offer him film opportunities within that genre. When the chance to work with Fonda came up in a western format, Leone jumped at the chance. But he was going to do things his way and show the audience a side of Fonda never before seen.

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Dec 3

The Wedding Party

The Wedding Party

The Wedding Party is mostly noted for being Robert De Niro’s first film appearance, but that all depends on how you look at it. Released in 1969 but made in 1963, The Wedding Party certainly would seem to mark De Niro’s first film appearance had you been able to watch The Wedding Party in 1963. With a release of 1969, however, De Niro’s first “appearance” would be in Brian De Palma’s Greetings. Greetings would mark the first time Robert De Niro would “appear” on film released to the public. So there may be some debate as to when De Niro actually debuted, but in terms of theatrical release, Greetings is his first film.

Using the same dateline techniques, one could assume that The Wedding Party was Brian De Palma’s first feature film after having made a collection of shorts. Using the theatrical release dateline, however, this would mark De Palma’s third feature film. Whatever. The direction of The Wedding Party was, in fact, a joint collaboration between De Palma and theatre professor Wilford Leach, as well as another fellow student of De Palma’s, the wealthy Cynthia Monroe. Monroe bankrolled the film and helped with the direction, giving full directorial billing to the trio. The trio also shared credits as writers and producers. De Palma’s style can be seen in the film rather clearly through it’s technical aspects and it appears that Leach’s style is mostly scene through the direction of the performers. The film was made on a budget of $43,000.

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