Review of She Wore a Yellow Ribbon (1949) by Reginald R — 10 Mar 2005

And a splendid little documentary called [b]Lift[/b].

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Well let's start with [b]Double Life[/b] then.

First of all there's the torching orange-yellow color. A really powerful and capturing device, but also suffocating in the sense that it limits the expression and perception quite strongly. That combined with the camera that always seems to be one step too close, and the corners too dark, to get a clear general view. And the couple of scenes where they used like a twisting lense or something. And then there's the music, the song, which controls a lot of the atmosphere.

That's all I've got so far. My reviews evolve in time. This one is just a baby.

I think it needs a sister, so I'll start with [b]Rebecca[/b] too.

The interesting thing in Rebecca, is that it's well over the half-way mark before the Hitchcock-factor actually kicks in, and the film comes to life. Before that it's just a long tedious build-up, b-class melodrama. A lot of it has to do with the characters, who(at least in the first half) are incredibly, incredibly flawed and unappealing. Mr. de Winter is an asshole, a control freak who seems to have mental issues that are completely out of proportion. The girl on the other hand is a wimpish thing, unbearably insecure and frightened, and with no mental qualities or interesting characteristics to speak of. The only thing she seems to be capable of is being 'in love'. A kind of a hollywood cliche, usually backed up by circumstances where no other personal qualities are required, but here intentionally placed in an unfitting environment. Their relationship, and especially the building of that relationship, isn't given much focus. Which really causes the film to lack in the quality melodrama department. Actually now that I think about it, what it could use is some good humoristic dialogue, to add some depth. Maybe if Billy Wilder had written the first part...oh well, just speculating. So anyhow, the cheap shots keep flowing in, expected and obvious, as we watch the girl fall deeper and deeper in uncomfort. So much even that by the time of the incident with the dress, you find yourself wondering if maybe what you're actually watching is a Lars Von Trier film. But eventually salvation does come. The relieve and satisfaction you feel when the plot finally takes a turn, is substantial. And I have to mention here the great scene where the camera follows Rebecca, who is not there, rise from the bed and walk across the room according to Mr. de Winter's description. That's classic Hitchcock. Anyway, the rest of the film flows through really well, as our perception of de Winter has completely changed, and the girl's role in the film has significantly reduced in favor of other things. One last complaint I have to make: the character of Mrs. Danvers lacks all dimension and believability. It's usually not good film-making to have a character who's only function is to be crazy and unpleasant. Visually the film is gorgeous all the way through.

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Also, I have to put it here so I don't forget, another interesting film I watched last night is The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari(1920).

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You could say I have no business saying anything about [b]I Am Dina [/b]since I only watched the first thirty minutes of it. But then again that was all I could bear, and I shouldn't be discriminated for being weak in that way. Anyway, what I saw of the film was outrageously crappy. Crappy in every conceivable sense of the word. And that's all the thought I want to give to it.

Lo and behold, for another thought has risen in my tiny head about [b]Double Life of Veronique[/b]. Goes like this: Sometimes the film-maker seemed a little puzzled of what to do with all the time in his hands. It's not like there was many plot shifts to make or anything. Also, the intimate scenes didn't feel at all intimate, because the people were strangers to me. And altogether the main characters remained quite distant and un-life-like.

I'm not what you would very easily call a larger-than-life fan of the western. Is that good or bad? I don't know. Nobody knows. It's a mystery. But I definitely enjoyed with lovingly feelings John Ford's [b]She Wore A Yellow Ribbon[/b]. Even the title tune was catchy. I can hear it right now swinging in my head, almost makes me ask out of common curiosity how to make it stop, but I'd rather not risk it while it's still benign. Seasonal extra points I want to give this film for the best supporting performance I've seen all year, to the old indian guy in the one scene. His work was so fresh and out-of-the-norm that it was downright groundbreaking.