Movie Loner

Film, first and foremost, is a visual medium. Watch Sergei Eisenstein and D.W. Griffith and you’ll realize dialogue is not necessary to convey a structured plot. Movies like The Battleship Potemkin and Intolerance laid the groundwork in the early 20th century. Charlie Chaplin and Buster Keaton took silent film to another level, but since “talkies” took over in the 1930s, movies have often become too reliant on dialogue. The French are one of the few practitioners who still regard sparse dialogue as a viable technique to utilize in cinema. Contemporary filmmakers such as Francois Ozon and Claire Denis often prefer to concentrate on mise-en-scene instead of words. It’s not for everyone, but cineastes who enjoy a more experimental style appreciate the creative choice.

Has anyone read Billy Budd by Herman Melville? Do people still read? Melville’s story is set aboard a French warship in the year 1797. It deals with a conflict between a young seaman (Budd) and the ship’s Master-at-Arms, John Claggart. Jealousy leads to murder. It’s a great read that is often interpreted as as a retelling of Jesus and Judas. To be honest, it’s so dense it’s open to several different interpretations. A classic film version of the tale – directed by Peter Ustinov – was released in 1962, but if you’re searching for a more modern and esoteric re-imagining, look no further than Beau Travail. French auteur Claire Denis created a visual masterpiece back in 1999 that is more than worth your time.

In the Gulf of Djibouti – near the Red Sea – is home to a company of French Legionnaires. Amidst the searing desert heat, three men become embroiled in a conflict of wills. Commander Forestier, Master Sergeant Galoup and a charismatic recruit named Sentain form a bizarre triangle. Sentain’s youth, skill and popularity draws the attention of both Forestier and Galoup. Forestier admires the young man’s leadership and heroism, while Galoup views him as a threat. Galoup’s envy of Sentain soon transforms to rage. Forestier’s favoritism serves only to deepen Galoup’s hatred toward Sentain. A physical confrontation between the two opposing forces ends badly for both. Galoup’s misplaced jealousy results in his personal and professional undoing.

Denis invents an operatic atmosphere for the film. Routine daily activities become balletic displays of male bodies in motion. The repetition of ironing a shirt, group exercise and marching in unison assume an almost mechanical identity. Military films often delve into the theme of man being stripped of humanity by the disciplinary rigors instituted by the armed forces. Denis doesn’t expound on this idea; she allows her striking images to do the talking. The dynamics of man vs. man and man vs. self are melded with the cumulative effects of military dehumanization throughout the narrative. Denis doesn’t follow Melville’s text to the letter. She focuses her vision on the most significant element: man’s frustration with the inability to recapture youth.

The story unfolds as a series of flashbacks delivered via Galoup’s voice-over narration after the events in the desert. His thoughts are of the stream-of-consciousness variety and provide only minimal insight into his psyche. He seems to regret his actions, but not his motivations. His “present” life can best be described as mundane and lonely. Galoup lives by the code, “Serve the good cause and die.” Without the only life he knew, he is lost in a world that is foreign to him. Denis Lavant’s portrayal of Galoup is spot on; again, there isn’t much dialogue, so his physical acting defines the character. Denis has cobbled a successful career in film, but her signature work is Beau Travail. It’s far from the mainstream, which is why it’s so refreshing.

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I’ve always been a huge fan of old-school, B-grade horror flicks. I’m not talking Boris Karloff or Hammer vampire movies. Those are okay, but my tastes gravitate more toward cultish monster/zombie films in the realm of The Toxic Avenger, C.H.U.D., and Leprechaun. They are bad, but in a good way. They aren’t out to make any “Best of” lists, unless it’s “Best Movie To Set Filmmaking Back Twenty Years.” At any rate, the B-horror genre has been overtaken by more serious terror fodder like 28 Days Later and Grudge clones. You know, films with quality casts and screenplays. They are ruining the genre with all their sophisticated special effects and gaudy box office results. Thankfully, there is still plenty of low-budget material available; it’s just a little difficult to find.

Perhaps no other actor defined horror during the 1980s more so than Robert Englund, aka Freddy Krueger. The Nightmare On Elm Street franchise transformed Englund from day-player to superstar. Unlike fellow big screen madmen Michael Myers and Jason Vorhees, Krueger didn’t don a mask and actually spoke. In fact, his wit was as sharp as his bladed glove. Englund made the character his own and became one of the most identifiable faces in Hollywood. Since then, Englund has appeared in numerous movies and television shows, mostly of the horror variety. One of his recent performances was playing a doomed professor in Jack Brooks: Monster Slayer.

Jack Brooks is still haunted by childhood memories of his parents’ brutal murder at the hands of a vicious monster. The adult Jack can’t move on. Despite therapy, he’s still plagued by serious anger issues. His plumbing job isn’t satisfying and his girlfriend is a nag. A night class at the local community college introduces Jack to nebbish Professor Gordon Crowley. Gordon needs some plumbing help, so Jack volunteers his services. A busted water pipe at Gordon’s remote house unleashes an ancient demon that possesses the good Professor and turns him into a Jabba-the-Hut-esque monster with a voracious appetite for human flesh. Rather than run away, like he did as a child, Jack arms himself with a pipe wrench and decides to kick some serious monster ass.

As much as I’d like to trash this flick for being low-brow garbage (again, in a good way), it’s actually a well-conceived production. The story takes time to get moving, but once it does, it’s damn entertaining. Director Jon Knautz keeps matters simple and allows the zombies and demons to do the heavy lifting. The monster effects are quite impressive considering the budgetary restraints. The script plays for laughs, but only manages to hit on a few. Although, watching an infected co-ed get bludgeoned by a steel pipe is funny (Clearly, I have problems).

Trevor Matthews, who plays Jack Brooks, has a Jason Lee vibe going. He reminded me of Banky from Chasing Amy. Matthews tries to score in the comedy department, but misses the mark. I would like to see Lee tackle this role. I bet he would nail it. At any rate, Matthews does excel at the physical stuff. Of course, Englund is his usual self, hamming it up at every turn. The greedy consumption of a black heart is classic Englund. If you enjoy monsters, gore and plumbing, check out Jack Brooks: Monster Slayer. It’s 85 minutes of B-horror goodness.

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In my review of Thirty Days of Night, I discussed the difficulty faced by screenwriters in reinventing the vampire flick. It’s no easy task, for sure. There’s only so much a writer can do to mix up such a tried-an-true genre. Just when I thought I’d seen every kind of bloodsucker tale, along comes the movie Let The Right One In, from of all places, Sweden. Who knew the Swedes had it in them to produce such an original creature of the night plot. I’m in no way trashing their country, but Sweden isn’t the first place that pops into my head when I think horror. Shame on me, I guess. I’ll be on the lookout from now on.

Twelve-year-old Oskar is a lonely lad facing constant abuse from school bullies. Meek and friendless, Oskar needs a severe confidence boost. Things change when a young girl named Eli moves in next door. Eli is bit of an odd bird, but she and Oskar become fast friends. There’s one small problem with the mysterious Eli: she’s a vampire. Her need to feed directly conflicts with her budding relationship with Eli. Not to mention the blood-drained bodies that are piling up in the neighborhood. Despite her affliction, Oskar falls hard for Eli. Together, they navigate the pitfalls of adolescent love while attempting to keep Eli’s secret under wraps. Her blood thirst threatens to crumble their game of house as the locals close in on uncovering her nest.

If you’re looking for a nonstop gore-fest, this won’t be your cup of tea (or blood). Let the Right One In is all about intense, nuanced character interaction. Like most pre-teen relationships, Oskar and Eli’s is destined to meet an unhappy end. Their naivete prevents the couple from fully understanding how doomed their situation is. Although, a very manipulative presence hangs over Eli. Her desperation to find a new companion reeks of her using Oskar for personal gain. She may be twelve on the outside, but her internal wisdom dwarfs Oskar’s. This dynamic adds more flavor to their involvement with one another. Can Oskar really trust a vampire?

Director Tomas Alfredson casts a moody haze over this absorbing chiller. A cold, pale palette enhances the creepy aura, as does an appropriately eerie soundtrack. Loneliness and exile are recurrent themes interwoven throughout the plot. Although from completely different worlds, Oskar and Eli have a kinship that will forever bind them to one another. In a film where the specter of divorce lingers, it is little coincidence that their seemingly dysfunctional coupling is in reality the most stable. Kare Hedebrant and Lina Leandersson both deliver courageous performances as Oskar and Eli. If you like your horror different and are searching for something besides masked maniacs and flesh-eating zombies, don’t forget to Let the Right One In.

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