“Film as art or film as entertainment” is an age-old question like the chicken and the egg: there is no ready answer, but there are those who try to give their opinions. Though it seems clichéd to make such a statement, there are certain cinephiles who get bogged down by clearly ... Read More »
The dichotomy created between drama and comedy is an outmoded notion. The belief that the two are exclusive of one another only purports the theory that film art is stagnant. The reality is that film art, in all its forms, has developed through a constant blurring of categorical ... Read More »
When asking film lovers to name some of their favorite directors, the lists tend to overlap. Kubrick, Bergman, Coppola, Fellini, Hitchcock, and Welles all have their entries, along with another revered director: Martin Scorsese. The avid cinephile and brilliant director has drawn... Read More »
No director has been as influential on European New Wave cinemas as Jean-Luc Godard. The iconoclast auteur, armed with a wealth of cultural and philosophical knowledge, created masterpieces that not only presented anarchist sensibilities, but also constructed art that drew upon a... Read More »
Having only directed three films between 1990 and 1998, Stillman’s small film canon exhibited a talented and impressive voice in independent cinema. He opened brilliantly in 1990 with Metropolitan, a film that follows the last alums of the New York debutante ball scene. In 1994, ... Read More »
There is no denying that Roman Polanski is a polarizing figure. Contesting his polarizing persona is like arguing that humans don’t need air. Though there is no denying that Polanski’s actions and indiscretions have provoked cries of contempt and hatred, it is important that we m... Read More »
Aided by a wealth of film history, film icons, and film genres, Hollywood has taken to rehashing and reconstructing past cultures and films for new generations of film audiences. With this recent phenomenon of remakes and reboots, superheroes have dominated the box office, iconic... Read More »
Beyond their entertainment value, films have become time capsules, representing the cultural context from which they were created. For instance, Hollywood films of 1930s, 1940s, and 1950s masked a repressed American culture that was incapable of dealing with its burgeoning sexual... Read More »
In the 60’s and 70’s, new filmmakers challenged the conventions of classical Hollywood cinema. They were labeled the “New Hollywood” filmmakers, and they included such notable directors as Francis Ford Coppola, Martin Scorsese, and Steven Spielberg. This “New Hollywood” created n... Read More »
In the span of seven years, Sarah Polley has evolved from a relative unknown, to “that girl in Dawn of the Dead,” and finally to an indie darling. She made a huge impact with her debut feature, Away from... Read More »
In the international film community, Spanish cinema is almost always partnered with one name: Pedro Almodóvar. Born and raised under Francoist Spain, Almodóvar’s film career developed during a time of political and cultural shifts: Franco and his dictatorship were dead, censorshi... Read More »
Belgian director Chantal Akerman has etched out her own style, one that depends primarily on hyperrealism and minimalism. Initially drawing influence from Jean-Luc Godard’s Pierrot le fou (1965), she set out to create a cinema just as dynamic and subversive. However, a trip to Ne... Read More »
Rewind Review: Before Sunrise (1995)
Cannes Review: Grigris (2013)
Cannes Review: The Missing Picture (2013)
Cannes Review: Death March (2013)
Cannes Review: Inside Llewyn Davis (2013)
