Seven Samurai (1954) by Akira Kurosawa – (7/10)

Seven Samurai is untouchable, it is a classic. It is one of the handful of non-English spoke movie that have gotten into the Imdb top 250. It has met near universal praise from directors, critics, film lovers, casual movie going public. There is very little disputing its merits. Several scenes from it have now become universal like the approaching horde coming into view as they crest a hilltop. It is wonderfully filmed (notably the action sequences), characters are wonderful (especially Toshirō Mifune, just love him and Takashi Shimura who also played the lead in Ikiru) and the story is a classic. More importantly it is morally ambiguous with the farmers being shown as being far from perfect themselves.

I cannot say that I love it as much as everyone else seems to (I feel like some of Kurosawa’s other movies are better, Roshomon for example or even High and Low), I think that it might be held in a higher regard because of its ambitious scope but there is very little in denying its merits.

Diabolique (1955) by Henri-Georges Clouzot – (5/10)

A great thriller, mystery horror movie that has spanned dozens of imitations but no one has come even close to it. That wonderful 50’s mood, style really works to its advantage. There a lot of Hitchcock to this movie, it didn’t come as a surprise to me that Hitchcock did originally want to make this movie but got beaten to it when the rights were being sold. I don’t think that even he could have done a better job. It did seem a bit familiar when I saw it given the high amount of imitation but this one is still the best one of the bunch. It knows how to keep the suspense throughout its duration.

400 Blows (1959) by François Truffaut - (6/10)

A New Wave classic that captures male adolescent like no other movie, even now, more then 50 years latter, things are still really the same aren’t they?
The final frame has to be among the more memorable in cinema and really does sum it all up.

Sirius Remembered (1959) by Stan Brakhage – (4/10)

Sirius Remembered consists out of footage taken over a period of a couple of months of how the family dog (Sirius) was rotting away after having been thrown out of the wood. Stan Brakhage’s movies centered on all aspects of life and death was no exception for him, not even in such a gruesome way. The movie last approximately 6 minutes and is black and white. Brakhage’s movies are always a bit, hit or miss with me. I didn’t care all that much for this one. Not per se for the slightly disturbing subject matter. It is just 6 minutes of very, shaky vague footage, that looks like a VHS which has been taped over too much. Sometimes you can make out the dog. Doesn’t do much for me.