Tag: steve mcqueen

So far, so good. “The Magnificent Seven” (1960)

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directed by John Sturges
© 1960 United Artists. All Rights Reserved.

Yesterday I recommended you to see the classic by Akira Kurosawa, which was also the inspiration for today’s American remake. In 1960 they decided to use the idea of “Seven Samurai” and set it in their own “western reality”. So instead of a Japanese mountain village we get a Mexican village that is constantly being attacked by a gang led by Calvera (Eli Wallach). In order to protect themselves, the villagers approach a very talented gunfighter Chris Adams (Yul Brynner) and convince him to help them. And as it was in Kurosawa’s film, the leader recruits six other men and decides to fight with the bandits. And don’t get me wrong, I’m not a fan of remaking everything, especially by Americans, because despite their skills in cinema, they sometimes miss the point of the productions made in other countries. I believe some films should be left untouched, but in this case I say “bless you America!” Personally, I believe this remake is fantastic. The idea of seven brave men protecting poor villagers works very well in this western form. They chose magnificent actors for each of the roles, especially Yul Brynner – he has so much charisma and mystery in this film that I couldn’t stop watching. And if you follow my blog, you may remember that I’m not a big fan of westerns. But you know what? Thanks to this production I can say that I love westerns! If westerns were like that, please give me more! Actually, I can share a fun fact with you: I pay a lot of attention to details and this one thing that made me smile was the part where Chris is recruiting people to his team and each new member is signalised with a hand showing the right number of fingers. Perhaps you think it’s trivial, but this small element really made me enjoy the recruitment process more. Am I weird? Maybe. But you’ll get used to that. And music? Oh holy spirits, fairies and all the magical creatures! The music is fantastic. You can really feel adventurous vibes coming out of it and it completes the story very well. So to sum up my excitement in this post, I’m a big fan of the remake and I think it’s probably the best western I’ve seen in my life. Don’t you dare missing it!

My rating: 8/10
S.

I have my belief, and in all its simplicity that is the most powerful thing. “Hunger” (2008)

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directed by Steve McQueen
© 2008 Icon Film Distribution. All Rights Reserved.

Today, I’ve got a very difficult production for you, but I believe it’s a must-see for everyone who likes quality acting and is not afraid of realism on the screen. The film is based on the hunger strike that took place in 1981 in Ireland. Back then, in the 70s, Irish republicans got imprisoned and despite their attempt to regain political status, the British government refused. At some point, the prisoners started protesting in very different ways. Today’s film focuses mostly on the hunger protest that was led by Bobby Sands (Michael Fassbender), one of the IRA (Provisional Irish Republican Army) members. If you don’t know what happened there, I recommend you not to read anything on the Internet. Instead, watch the film and get ready for a very unusual performance. First of all, Fassbender gave me real chills. Not only by the way he looked (he needed to lose a lot of weight), but also by the way he played a powerless man, who having no hope or tools decided to fight for his own life and the life of other prisoners. I’ve always admired Fassbender for his acting skills, but this role was an absolute cherry on top. Second of all, you may notice a very interesting camerawork in this production. At some point, there’s a 17-minute long shot of two people talking to each other. Despite the fact that the camera is not moving, this moment is incredibly engaging, so I definitely admire the idea. And last but not least, it’s an emotional story showing how horrible humans are to each other and how easily one can become a victim. If you’re not feeling like watching such film today, write the title down and try to see it some other time. But really try.

My rating: 7/10
S.