Review of To Be or Not to Be (1942) by David U — 24 Aug 2005

[i][b]Onibaba [/b][/i].

Despite the somewhat excessive use of sex and nudity, Onibaba turns out to be a truly great film, one of the best Japanese cinema has to offer. The story is very interesting and intriguing. A mother and wife live in a swamp in 14th century Japan. The live by ambushing and killing worn out soldiers, and then selling their goods to a merchant. One day when a warrior returns, the wife begins to have sexual relations with him. The mother isn't pleased, so she wears a demon mask from a dead samurai. Soon, the mask does not come off. In the end it turns out to be an excellent horror film, and overall a must see.

Rating: 93/100.

[i][b]The Elephant Man.

[/b][/i]I've been told by my parents that this is the first movie that I actually sat all the way through. I'm not sure if that changes anything, but The Elephant Man is one of my all-time favorites. David Lynch does a fantastic job directing one of his finest movies. The ending is so heartbreaking, tears always begin to run down my face.

Rating: 100/100.

[b][i]Ali, Fear Eats the Soul[/i].

[/b]Spots of this film were great, but then there were some scenes that were nothing special. The story was somewhat intriguing, but took me quite a while to get into it. Some of the cinematography was great, but again, other times it wasn't really that good. I feel, that if it was made a little differently, it could have been something special.

Rating: 70/100.

[i][b]To Be or Not to Be.

[/b][/i]To Be or Not to Be was an outstanding film, one of the best of the 1940's. The execution of the first scene was brilliant, I wasn't expecting anything of the likes. After that incredible opening scene, the film just gets better and better with more and more laughs. Carole Lombard and Jack Benny both did a fabulous job as Maria Tura, and Joseph Tura, respectively. In the end, To Be or Not to Be comes down to being one of the greatest comedies.

Rating: 100/100.

[i][b]Germany, Year Zero [/b][/i].

Germany Year Zero is one of the great, classic, Neo-Realism films. Robert Rosselini perfectly directs the film. He tells the story of families living in Post-WWII Germany in an excellent way. This, along with The Bicycle Thief make up two of the greatest Italian Neo-Realism films ever made.

Rating: 100/100.