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The Desert Fox: The Story of Rommel (1951)
A surprising realistic movie for 1951
I tuned into this movie half way through. I was immediately surprised by what seemed to me to be realistic portrayal of the German military leaders. I am of course taking in to account the fact that this movie was made in 1951 - a time when the history of WW2 was very fresh in the minds of everyone and when movies aimed at large audiences were not noted for portraying characters with any nuance. Movies then were stories about bad guys and good guys with a lot of heavily exaggerated romance thrown in for good measure. But this movie seems to be exceptional for the period.
The leading role of Rommel is played excellently by James Mason. But most of the supporting actors are also convincing in their roles. Perhaps only Luther Adler's interpretation of Hitler seems a bit off the mark. He seems much too 'responsive' in the way he reacts to the people around him. From the many film clips of the real Hitler we see someone who is consumed by his own self image. Such a person who is fulfilled with a sense of grandiosity does not respond to his entourage. People around him are functional - he needs them and uses them. But he does not 'respond' to them as a normal human being. Take a look for instance at Donald Trump, the current US president. Trump is hugely narcissistic and completely consumed by a sense of grandiosity which leaves no room for normal interaction with the people who surround him. I suspect that Hitler was very similar in this respect. But despite this, it was a great movie. It deserves an A+ rating - at least a nine out of ten!
Gidseltagningen (2017)
thriller - 15 people held hostage in a metro tunnel in Copenhagen
This is actually a reaction to somebody who wrote a review saying that after 5 episodes you start to scream at stuff which doesn't really figure... For me this already happened after the 1st two episodes. The fact that the police team is being led by somebody who has recently escaped after being held captive and tortured by terrorists begs belief. Also a news anchor is allowed to continue to contact the terrorists and raise ransom money via her blog without any interference or control by the police... there is a lot more which doesn't figure. Despite this, the 1st two episodes broadcast on Belgian TV were entertaining. Maybe some of these issues will turn out to be different in the coming episodes. Still, I doubt will be watching them when they are broadcast next week.
Rectify (2013)
The main characters are black and white - the real world is gray
True! I only watched the first broadcast of the first season – so this review shouldn't be seen as more than that. It is simply my expectations of what viewers can expect, based on this first episode.
The series has garnered some really high ratings. It is claimed by some reviewers to boast some in depth character studies. I read an endorsement by a person who was himself imprisoned for 18 years and had his death sentence postponed several times before being released on DNA evidence which showed that it was extremely unlikely that he had really committed the crime for which he was sentenced. In his endorsement this man said that 'Rectify' seemed as if it was based on his own life experience – and he confirmed that it was extremely realistic. All in all this was enough for me to decide to watch the first episode.
What a waste of time! It begins with the release of the prisoner. It seems that the 'establishment' – the police and the senator as well as the people who were involved in the original conviction are conspiring to do everything they can to get this guy back in prison. They are depicted as bigots who are preoccupied with this case – as if they had nothing else to do in their lives. They are also hell bent on convincing everyone that DNA evidence should be totally disregarded as worthless. The released prisoner however is depicted as a vulnerable but very likable man who has to adjust to having lost half his life.
In short the main characters are black and white. The real world is gray. This is not the real world
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