Amaurea’s first Winter has just finished, and what a season it’s been! As we move into Spring, I felt like doing a retrospective for these last 3 months, ranking my 10 favourite highlights from the season. So good news everyone, because for once I don’t have anything negative to say!
In number 10 is none other than the highlight of my very first week making these posts. The Pirates of the Caribbean trilogy (I’ve chosen to ignore films 4 and 5) has no right being so good, and yet it somehow manages to expertly fuse the gritty, rotting, drunken world of piracy with the charming cheese of a Disney movie. I hadn’t rewatched them since I was a kid, so it was a relief to discover that Depp’s swagger hadn’t been tarnished by time after all. The comedy is top-notch, with brilliant performances from the entire cast, delivering thrills after thrills to create a most exciting adventure. The aesthetic is also lovely, from the bright, dangerous tropics all the way to the open sea marred in a revolting coat of thick oil. The visuals only upgrade with each film, with an excellent amount of creativity and spirit induced into the set pieces, while eldritch horrors are summoned within picturesque landscapes crafted with the utmost beautiful artistry. This is certainly a fun trilogy, at times veering on the absurd, always succeeding at sweeping me up into the magnificent world entrenched in rich history and creative fantasy.
9. The films in number 9 are the culmination of 6 other films that… weren’t the best, let’s leave it at that. The Planet of the Apes Reboot Trilogy is phenomenal! Caesar is straight up one of the best characters ever put to screen, evolving across these 3 films to be endlessly fascinating. Andy Serkis perfectly brings him to life, with motion capture technology that has only improved since The Lord of the Rings, and continued to improve as these films were made, to the point where the final film is one of the most gorgeous creations I’ve ever laid my eyes on. This is all brought together by the utterly mesmerising story, with human nature at the heart of the conflict that sees people trying to make sense of the chaos, survival the only concern on their minds. This is a trilogy that I feel doesn’t get enough praise, because I really can’t overstate just how incredible this is.
8. My choice for number 8 is the highlight of Week 2. The Dollars Trilogy is magnificence personified! Each film builds upon the last, ramping up in scale and emotional nuance. The atmosphere is built up masterfully – with stunning cinematography, striking close-ups, beautifully constructed mise-en-scene, fantastic performances from Eastwood, Van Cleef and Wallach, and a lovely overabundance of laughing – all culminating in one of the best showdowns in cinematic history. Everything about these films just screams masterpiece. The superb acting, the intense action, the beautiful cinematography and the sheer epicness of it all makes my heart leap with joy at every frame. But it’s Moricone’s incredible music that brings Leone’s world to life, elevating the film to the highest echelons of all classics.
7. Number 7 is a little indie film by the one and only Jim Jarmusch. Paterson is a tender love poem to the town of poets, where creativity breathes through the streets and art is spoken in every routine action of mundanity. Life is neatly structured into rhyming couplets, twins of phrases personified in the myriad of twins that humourously appear in every scene. Then life throws something unexpected at the protagonist, an enjambment in the poem of his life he had grown to be comfortable in, creating a dissonance that seemingly ruins the flow of what had been so beautiful up till then. Yet it is precisely this deconstruction of his life that gives it new meaning, something deeper and more worthwhile, granting him the resolve to start again; but not from scratch, because this new blank page is imbued with the creative ink of his ghostly words – “words written on water” that fall back down like rain onto fresh paper, ready to write “another”. Needless to say, I found this seemingly simple film to be incredibly meaningful. Driver gives a phenomenal performance with all his charming subtleties, holding back his emotions until cracks begin to show under his skin, yet holding back still even when his heart is torn out. I may be overplaying the drama somewhat, because this is a largely plotless film, yet never does it succumb to dullness. Like one long poem comprised of standalone stanzas, Jarmusch elegantly flickers between tragedy and comedy until they become one and the same, the two twins of poetry that couldn’t be any different yet likewise couldn’t exist without the other. And if the masterful writing wasn’t enough, Elmes’ gentle cinematography is edited with captivating finesse by Goncalves, paralleling Jarmusch’s excellent directing in all their endearingly pretentious splendour.
6. For number 6, I’ve chosen another entry that I haven’t actually included in any of my Weekly Recaps (as I saw them the week before starting this series). I rewatched The Godfather trilogy in the cinema, which I must say was a very nice experience (though it wasn’t in one go). And yes, that includes the third film, which so often is deemed the black sheep of the trilogy, yet I nevertheless found it just as great as the other two. First of all, the pacing is phenomenal. I’m shocked that they’re each 3 hours long, because I honestly never felt the runtime. The writing, performances and music blend together like magic to construct an epic tale of revenge and betrayal, where families are torn at the seems so that the ugliness of humanity can shine forth. The story unfolds in deceptive directions, with betrayal at every turn and secrecy in every step, leading to dead ends for some characters and the edge of a cliff for others, trapped by their own desires and hunger for power, only to be killed like a piece on a chess board – with the Godfather pulling all the strings. The cultural environments – be it New York or Sicily – are built up so effortlessly, allowing for the abundant cast to never require too much exposition to understand, as one is led to feel familiar with everyone just through their interactions. But at the pinnacle of its craft is Coppola’s sublime use of chiaroscuro lighting, where orange hues protrude from the stark darkness, presenting the inherent two-faced nature of these monsters you both hate and love, a paradox of emotions to cement this as the director’s crowning achievement.
5. Ah, the top 5 now. I’ve had nothing negative to say about any film so far, so you can imagine how much I must adore the final 5 to have specially chosen them above all the rest (and just how difficult ranking them actually is). Cloud Atlas… well, I think the fact that I made my first video essay on it speaks volumes of what a masterpiece I believe this film to be. This film is one of the most gorgeous films I’ve ever seen, and not just in the visuals. For all the sublime cinematography and spectacular production design, the true magnificence lies in the narrative. With the same actors recycled through 6 different plotlines – feeding into each other and being reborn anew – the metaphysics of humanity shine through in heartfelt splendour. Life and death, love and hate, courage and cowardice, destiny and freewill, hope and doom, all are invoked through the wonderfully tragic harmony of performance and music and cinematography and writing, climaxing with tears of pure beauty. Epic in storytelling and heartfelt in characters, Cloud Atlas is one of the most underrated gems cinema has ever gifted to us.
4. My 4th favourite film from Winter is one I talked about just last week. Stay is another masterpiece that doesn’t get the love it deserves, because the love I have for this film is overwhelming. It’s probably only as good as it is because I’m a sucker for gorgeous cinematography and creative editing, but the insane style it manages to craft is simply enchanting. Again, it’s hard to talk about this film without giving anything away, so I want to keep this entry short and just tell you to watch it straight away. It’s understandable if you find it confusing, but the experience of being swallowed up by its beautiful and tragic atmosphere is like none other.
3. Oh my, what do we have sneaking into number 3? Well of course, it’s some more propaganda for The Queen’s Gambit! I’ve lost count of how many times I’ve talked about this miniseries, but I can never resist talking about this masterpiece. Ok fine, I guess I have talked about it way too much for now, so I’ll keep it short. WATCH THIS IMMEDIATELY! Nothing else that’s new even compares to this.
2. Running home with the silver medal are the 9 films by one of my favourite auteurs. Quentin Tarantino is an absolute genius (seriously, he has an IQ of 160!). His storytelling capabilities are absurdly good, with witty dialogue that makes me envious with the ease at which he writes it. Pulp Fiction might continue being his most popular film, but I definitely feel he didn’t become a master filmmaker until Robert Richardson infused his wonderful cinematography into the eclectic mix of revenge, coolness and introspection, with Sally Menke flawlessly combining both of their prowesses to craft so many masterpieces. At the pinacle of all of them is of course Kill Bill, which showcases his deep love for cinema with much more poignancy than any of his other works managed to achieve. This marathon was a fantastic experience, with the cast of every film making for such a joyful experience. Samuel L Jackson especially, though it was always really fun getting to see Tim Roth, Michael Madsen, Kurt Russell, Uma Thurman, Leonardo DiCaprio and Brad Pitt make frequent reappearances. It’s sad that Tarantino will only be making one more film, but I know for a fact that I’ll adore whatever he decides to make for his swan song (as long as it’s really bloody that is).
1. And so we have arrived at the end of the list. Looking back, I’m amazed at all the amazing films I’ve watched this Winter. It’s certainly been packed full of many of my favourite films, so I sure do hope Spring will be just as bountiful in its quality. Which is why picking a number one from all of these number ones was so difficult, but in all honesty it couldn’t be anything else. The winner of Winter is none other than Star Wars! More specifically the Prequel era, as controversial of an opinion that might be. The Originals certainly have their worth, as I do love all they pioneered, but they simply pale in comparison to everything the Prequels managed to achieve in spite of the hate. When I last covered this trilogy, I actually spoke about the three films in very general terms, so I’ll specifically detail what I love about each one now.
For The Phantom Menace, what strikes me the most is just how brilliant the characters are: from Qui-Gon’s wise but amusingly unorthodox methods, to Anakin’s optimistic spirit overcoming all adversities, to Palpatine slyly pulling the strings with his lovable camp barely held back by a crocodile smile. The fight with Darth Maul is wonderful to reexperience after witnessing how incredible his character becomes in the Clone Wars, which was already a joy of a fight with its intense choreography and awesome mise-en-scene. The world building is sublime, with gorgeous sets and intricate models elevated by the pioneering use of experimental computer technology – a style of filmmaking that gets increasingly refined with each subsequent film, eventually turning the iffy effects into sublime works of art. And the podrace somehow just gets better each time I see the speeders shoot by – or should I say, feel them pass by, because the sophistication to which Lucas has combined the spectacular visuals with breakneck pacing and heartstopping sound design is masterful to say the least. This is a film with many faults, but I’ve finally learned to look past them in favour of the grand story that is truly something to marvel at, with its fascinating politics and petty squabbles clashing with the Biblical fantasy that lurks in the background, waiting for the prime time to pounce like the Sith hiding in the shadows.
And they do indeed pounce at the prime time. Attack of the Clones continues the incredible story with even more finesse, displaying the galactic conspiracy and tragic romance with the most gorgeous cinematography. Ok fine, the romance isn’t the best, as it does make the 2nd act somewhat tedious to sit through. But the 1st and 3rd acts are perfect in my eyes, starting with the thrilling car chase through the cyberpunk Coruscant, and ending with the awesome final battle of a hundred Jedi on Geonosis. The entire score hits the sweet spot in the way it elevates the fantastic world building: from the eerie Kamino with its rain soaked steel, to the whimsical waterfalls and pristine fields of Naboo in their gentle iridescence, to the spectacle of Coruscant in its endless beauty from dusk till dawn, to the grand canyons of Geonosis infested with insects, machinery and war. So much of the essence of Star Wars seeps through these singing frames, so I’m grateful that Lucas stayed true to his vision to make such masterpieces. And yes, this is definitely the hill I’m willing to die on!
Because everything reaches new heights with Revenge of the Sith. Each scene in this film is genuinely the cathartis I’ve ever felt, interweaving the mesmerising cinematography, soaring music and beautiful performances into a cohesive milieu of spectacle and tragedy. Now, my heart may lie with Palpatine in all his glorious camp, but every character is wonderfully brought to life. Christensen, McGregor and Portman are a joy to watch in their dramatic confrontations, so while McDiarmid steals the show with his entourage of manic cackling, the seconds spent with this cast gleefully flew by. Every moment of clankers being slaughtered is awesome; every meme-worthy line of dialogue is hilarious; every quiet scene of contemplation is heart wrenching; and every climatic battle of ideology is utterly fascinating. Every single character is written so incredibly well, with their nuances and contradictions leading to the most enticing drama I’ve ever seen. The spiral of despair is only exacerbated by the sublimely detailed philosophical undercurrents, channeling the fun, supernatural Sci-Fi action into something that feels strikingly real – and infinitely complex. This is a film that gets better on every rewatch, where beauty and comedy and tragedy and ugliness converge into a cohesive whole, transforming the inherent camp of Star Wars into something that revels in its charm, its immense greatness elevating itself into the upper echelons of all masterpieces. Quite simply, everything inside this film is the epitome of cinematic perfection.
