In 1953 poet Dylan Thomas arrives in New York with his assistant and lover Liz Reitell to embark upon a tour of poetry readings, ending up in California where he hopes to meet Stravinsky. Read More »
Biography
Hannah Arendt (2012) Margarethe von Trotta, Barbara Sukowa, Axel Milberg, Janet McTeer, Biography, Drama
In 1961, the noted German-American philosopher, Hannah Arendt, gets to report on the trial of the notorious Nazi war criminal, Adolf Eichmann. Read More »
Jacquot de Nantes (1991) Agnès Varda, Philippe Maron, Edouard Joubeaud, Laurent Monnier, Biography, Drama
Jacquot Demy is a little boy at the end of the thirties. His father owns a garage and his mother is a hairdresser. Read More »
Rossini (1942) Mario Bonnard, Nino Besozzi, Paola Barbara, Camillo Pilotto, Biography, Musical
The famous composer’s life and his career. His love story with Isabella Colbran, the soprano who was to become his wife and the singer in all his operas up to the unfortunate day she lost her voice.
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Un grand amour de Beethoven / Beethoven’s Great Love (1936) Abel Gance, Harry Baur, Annie Ducaux, Jany Holt, Biography, Drama, Music
1801, in Vienna, two young women, his pupils, are in love with him. Thérèse de Brunswick’s love remains unrequited even though she and Beethoven are engaged for years; Juliette Guicciardi, whom Beethoven loves but who marries a count, regrets that decision, but by then he and Thérèse are engaged. Read More »
Das Mädchen Johanna / Joan The Maid (1935) Gustav Ucicky, Angela Salloker, Gustaf Gründgens, Heinrich George, Biography, Drama, History
The story of Joan of Arc has been filmed so often that it need not be repeated here. This 1935 version obviously can’t quite compete with the masterworks Dreyer, Bresson, or Rivette derived from the same story, but it’s nevertheless a very effective film which focuses much more on the intrigues of the men around Joan than on the girl herself, who gets surprisingly little screentime. Read More »
Pirosmani (1969) Giorgi Shengelaia, Avtandil Varazi, Dodo Abashidze, Givi Aleksandria, Biography
This film is about the great Georgian painter – primitivist Niko Pirosmanashvili (1862-1918). An unknown, self-taught painter roams the streets of a city, painting his pictures. Read More »
Il vangelo secondo Matteo / The Gospel According to St. Matthew (1964) Pier Paolo Pasolini, Enrique Irazoqui, Margherita Caruso, Susanna Pasolini, Biography, Drama, History
Along a rocky, barren coastline, Jesus begins teaching, primarily using parables. He attracts disciples; he’s stern, brusque, and demanding. Read More »
Esther and the King (1960) Raoul Walsh, Mario Bava, Joan Collins, Richard Egan, Denis O’Dea, Biography, Drama, History
When a modern-day girl faces a big challenge in her life, her mother teaches her about the power of fasting by sharing the story of a heroine from the Bible.
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Raging Bull (1980) Martin Scorsese, Robert De Niro, Cathy Moriarty, Joe Pesci, Biography, Drama, Sport
When Jake LaMotta steps into a boxing ring and obliterates his opponent, he’s a prizefighter. But when he treats his family and friends the same way, he’s a ticking time bomb, ready to go off at any moment.
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