Monthly Archives: March 2020

The Sixth Side of the Pentagon (1968)

Posted on March 5, 2020 | Leave a comment

The Sixth Side of the Pentagon
Directed by Chris Marker and Francois Reichenbach
Written by Chris Marker
1968/France
IMDb link
First viewing/Criterion Channel

 

[box] And it’s one, two, three/ What are we fighting for?/ Don’t ask me, I don’t give a damn/ Next stop is Vietnam – “Feel Like I’m Fixin’ to Die Rag”, Country Joe and the Fish[/box]

French directors capture the carnival atmosphere and brutality of the March for Peace on Washington.

On October 21, 1967, thousands of anti-war protestors gathered in Washington to demonstrate against the War in Vietnam.  They were joined by pro-war activists and neo-Nazis staging counter demonstrations plus hundreds of military police struggling to keep the protestors in line and away from the Pentagon.

I enjoyed this time capsule of the TV news that plagued our family dinner-time drama in 1968.  I think there’s enough stuff for people to get that riled up about now but it might take sending unwilling boys off to die to stir up the intensity of these protests.

Country Joe McDonald in Woodstock (1969)

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Posted in Movie Reviews

L’enfance nue (1968)

Posted on March 4, 2020 | Leave a comment

L’enfance nue (Naked Childhood)
Directed by Maurice Pialat
Written by Arlette Langmann and Maurice Pialat
1968/France
IMDb link
First viewing/Criterion Channel

 

[box] Nobody became an actor because he had a good childhood. – William H. Macy[/box]

Maurice Pialat’s feature film debut is a sensitive study of childhood rebellion.

Ten-year-old Francois is abandoned by his mother to a home for “wayward children.” It’s not clear that his father was ever in the picture. In his confusion and rage, he acts out continually. Subsequently, he is shuttled from one foster care home to another as his new-found families discover they cannot control him. He finds one filled with love and continues to be unable to cope.

I enjoyed this sad and beautiful film. Pialat has a special touch with children reminiscent of Francois Truffaut, who co-produced.

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Posted in 1968

Hell in the Pacific (1968)

Posted on March 2, 2020 | 2 comments

Hell in the Pacific
Directed by John Boorman
Written by Alexander Jacobs and Eric Bercovici from a novel by Reuben Berkovich
1968/US
IMDb link
First viewing/Netflix rental

[box] American Pilot: How come you guys don’t believe in God?[/box]

Two great performances keep this almost dialogue-free WWII story interesting.

An American pilot (Lee Marvin) and a Japanese naval officer (Toshiro Mifune) find themselves stranded on a remote desert island in the South Pacific.  Neither speaks the other’s language.  They share a certain crafty ruthlessness that makes each a formidable opponent.

The men clash both in stealth and in outright confrontation.  Finally, it becomes obvious that cooperation will be the only way to escape their situation.

There is very little conversation in this film.  But the two leads are such excellent physical and expressive actors that they keep our attention throughout.  Other plusses are Conrad Hall’s gorgeous Cinerama cinematography and Lalo Schiffrins’s dramatic score.  The ending is a bit of a let-down.

Clip

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Posted in 1968