Classics

  • Michael Powell & Emeric Pressburger – The Red Shoes (1948)

    Michael Powell1941-1950ClassicsDramaEmeric PressburgerQueer Cinema(s)United Kingdom
    The Red Shoes (1948)
    The Red Shoes (1948)

    Under the authoritarian rule of charismatic ballet impressario Boris Lermontov, his proteges realize the full promise of their talents, but at a price: utter devotion to their art and complete loyalty to Lermontov himself. Under his near-obsessive guidance, young ballerina Victoria Page is poised for superstardom, but earns Lermontov’s scorn when she falls in love with Julian Craster, composer of “The Red Shoes,” the ballet Lermontov is staging to showcase her talents. Vicky leaves the company and marries Craster, but still finds herself torn between Lermontov’s demands and those of her heart.Read More »

  • John Bruce – The Woman in White (1982)

    1981-1990BBCClassicsJohn BruceMysteryUnited Kingdom
    The Woman in White (1982)
    The Woman in White (1982)

    On his last night in London, Walter Hartright’s life is changed forever after a chance encounter with a mysterious woman, dressed in white and in deep distress. Travelling north, Hartright takes up a post as a drawing master to Laura Fairlie, a beautiful woman bearing an astonishing resemblance to the woman in white. Soon Hartfield, Laura and her half-sister Marian, find themselves drawn into to the sinister intrigues of Sir Percival Glyde and his charming friend Count Fosco, a man with a taste for white mice and vanilla bonbons. Only by unravelling the mystery woman’s dark secret can they escape from the web of deceit closing around them. Chilling, thrilling and filled with suspense and twists, this compelling BBC adaptation perfectly recreates the intrigue and drama of Wilkie Collins’ classic novel.Read More »

  • Michael Powell & Emeric Pressburger – A Canterbury Tale (1944)

    Michael Powell1941-1950ClassicsEmeric PressburgerEpicUnited Kingdom
    A Canterbury Tale (1944)
    A Canterbury Tale (1944)

    Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger’s beloved classic A Canterbury Tale is a profoundly personal journey to Powell’s bucolic birthplace of Kent, England.

    Set amidst the tumult of the Second World War yet with a rhythm as delicate as a lullaby, the film follows three modern-day incarnations of Chaucer’s pilgrims a melancholy “landgirl,” a plainspoken American GI, and a resourceful British sergeant – who are waylaid in the English countryside en route to the mythical town and forced to solve a bizarre village crime.

    Building to a majestic climax that ranks as one of the filmmaking duo’s finest achievements, the dazzling A Canterbury Tale has acquired a following passionate enough to qualify as pilgrims themselves.Read More »

  • Michael Powell & Emeric Pressburger – One of Our Aircraft Is Missing (1942)

    Michael Powell1941-1950ClassicsEmeric PressburgerUnited KingdomWar
    One of Our Aircraft Is Missing (1942)
    One of Our Aircraft Is Missing (1942)

    Synopsis:
    During the Allied Bombing offensive of World War II the public was often informed that “A raid took place last night over (city name). One (or often more) of our aircraft Is missing.” Behind these sombre words hid tales of death, destruction, and derring-do. This is the story of one such bomber crew who were shot down, and the brave Dutch patriots who helped them home.Read More »

  • Michael Powell – 49th Parallel AKA The Invaders (1941)

    1941-1950ClassicsMichael PowellUnited KingdomWar
    49th Parallel (1941)
    49th Parallel (1941)

    Synopsis:
    In the early years of World War II, a German U-boat (U-37) sinks Allied shipping in the Gulf of St. Lawrence and then tries to evade Canadian Military Forces seeking to destroy it by sailing up to Hudson Bay. The U-boat’s fanatical Nazi Captain sends some members of his crew to look for food and other supplies at a Hudson Bay Company outpost. No sooner than the shore party (lead by Lieutenant Hirth) reaches the shore, the U-boat is spotted and sunk by the Canadian Armed Forces, leaving the six members of the shore party stranded in Canada. The Nazi Lieutenant then starts to plan his crew’s return to the Fatherland. He needs to reach the neutral U.S., or be captured. Along the way, they meet a variety of characters, each with their own views on the war and nationalism. In this movie, Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger show their ideas of why the U.S. should join the Allied fight against the Nazis.Read More »

  • Eugene Forde – Buy Me That Town (1941)

    Eugene Forde1941-1950ClassicsComedyUSA
    Buy Me That Town (1941)
    Buy Me That Town (1941)

    Synopsis
    A gangster and his mob buy a small-town in this warm comedy. They, tired of trying
    to make it as big city hoods, buy the town to use as a hideout. The leader of the
    gang begins to have a change of heart after he begins falling for a local girl. He
    decides to use the “protection money” his gang has been pocketing to benefit the
    townsfolk. This feels good to the tough and thug-like gangsters who begin embracing
    the ideals of good citizenship in favor of a life of crime.Read More »

  • Leslie Arliss – The Man in Grey (1943)

    Leslie Arliss1941-1950ClassicsDramaUSA
    The Man in Grey (1943)
    The Man in Grey (1943)

    Synopsis:
    At an estate auction in WWII England, two strangers meet and muse about their families’ history and possible connections. Flashbacks reveal the story of the sweet, rich, and beautiful Clarissa Richmond and her friendship with bitter, impoverished Hesther Shaw. Their fates are intertwined even as their paths diverge. Clarissa marries the handsome but cruel Marquis of Rohan while Hesther becomes an actress. Eventually, the two women meet again and Clarissa brings the scheming Hesther into her household. As Clarissa searches for true love, Hesther plots to take away everything that belongs to her.Read More »

  • Man-hui Lee – Sampoganeun kil AKA The Road to Sampo (1975)

    1971-1980ClassicsDramaMan-hui LeeSouth Korea
    Sampoganeun kil (1975)
    Sampoganeun kil (1975)

    Going through a jail and a site of construction, a young laborer Young-Dal meets middle aged Mr. Jeong on his way to his hometown Sampo after ten years’ absence. They become to know a waitress Baek-Hwa who runs away from a restaurant and then, they travel together. Arriving at the destination Kangcheon Station, Mr. Jeong is disappointed at the changes of the old village by building a hotel. Young-Dal and Mr. Jeong stay at Sampo not as the hometown but as the site of living. Baek-Hwa leaves Sampo with a ticket Young-Dal buys her with his last money.Read More »

  • Julien Duvivier – Le paquebot Tenacity aka S.S. Tenacity (1934)

    Drama1931-1940ClassicsFranceJulien Duvivier
    Le paquebot Tenacity (1934)
    Le paquebot Tenacity (1934)

    Paris, at the time of the Great Depression. Bastien, a manual worker, persuades his timid friend, Ségard, to leave with him for Canada, to start a new life in a country where, according to the publicity films, everything is possible. The two men arrive in the port of Le Havre, ready to depart on the ocean liner Tenacity. They take lodgings at a boarding house where they both fall under the spell of the charming serving girl Thérèse. When the boat’s departure is delayed, Bastien takes advantage of the hiatus to court Thérèse. One evening, he gets her drunk and lures her into bed with him, without his friend knowing. The next day, Bastien has made up his mind to stay in France with Thérèse…Read More »

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