Quote:
La Nave Bianca is a movie about a group of firemen on a Italian battleship, that takes part in a sea battle. During the battle one of the heaters is wounded and brought to the hospital ship, where he meets a nurse…
The film is intercut with documentary scenes from the movie La battaglia dello Jonio and the cast is completely non-professional. There has been an argument ever since about who directed the movie (Rossellini or de Robertis). A dissertation from 2002 (here on the tracker torrent) seems to decide this question finally in favour of Francesco de Robertis, who is most likely the writer of the script, main director and supervisor, whereas Rossellini merely took part in the production as learning assistant director. Read More »
Drama
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Roberto Rossellini – La Nave Bianca aka The White Ship (1941)
Drama1941-1950Italian Cinema under FascismItalyRoberto RosselliniWar -
John Cromwell – Jalna (1935)
1931-1940DramaJohn CromwellRomanceUSAIn this adaptation of author de la Roche’s chronicle of the passionate lives of the strange Whiteoaks of Jalna, their beautiful family estate located in souther Ontario. The story begins as a young Whiteoak, a novelist travels to New York where he encounters a charming woman, marries her, and takes her back to Jalna. There she encounters many difficulties as she attempts to adjust to life with his odd family. It does not help that several soap-operatic events transpired while he was gone when his brother married the illegitimate daughter of a despised neighbor. One day a “sexy dame” suddenly shows up on the family porch. Soon she and the novelist are trysting away, but before he can consummate their affair he is killed during a terrible fall. The new widow then realizes that it is a different brother that she loves. They soon marry. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie GuideRead More »
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Roy Andersson – En duva satt på en gren och funderade på tillvaron AKA A Pigeon Sat on a Branch Reflecting on Existence (2014)
2011-2020ComedyDramaRoy AnderssonSwedenSynopsis:
Like modern times’ Don Quixote and Sancho Panza, Sam and Jonathan, two travelling salesmen peddling novelty items, take us on a kaleidoscopic wandering through human destinies. A trip that shows us the beauty of single moments, the pettiness of others, the humour and tragedy that is in us, life’s grandeur as well as frailty of humanity. A Pigeon Sat on a Branch Reflecting on Existence was Awarded Golden Lion for Best Film at the 2014 Venice International Film Festival.Read More » -
Helmut Käutner – In jenen Tagen aka Seven Journeys (1947)
1941-1950DramaGermanyHelmut KäutnerWarSynopsis:
Told in seven chapters, Käutner’s first postwar film portrays the lives of average people overwhelmed and traumatized by the impact of fascism. Käutner uses the framing device of an automobile whose various owners serve as the film’s protagonists and initiate its episodic structure. The characters represent an interesting cross-section of the German people including a deserting soldier, a Jewish couple and a composer who has been labeled as subversive. During a time when most Germans wanted to forget the past, Käutner eschewed the controlled setting of the UFA studios and chose to film in the bombed out streets of Berlin, crafting a humanistic rendering of recent history.Read More »
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Walter Hugo Khouri – O Palácio dos Anjos aka The Palace of Angels (1970)
1961-1970BrazilDramaWalter Hugo KhouriSynopsis:
In São Paulo, the greedy Bárbara is not happy with her work in a loan and investment company. When her boss Ricardo invites Bárbara for a meeting at his apartment, he harasses her first and then he fires her. When Bárbara is walking on the sidewalk, a stranger offers a ride to downtown for her. While driving, the driver Rose offers a job in a brothel to Bárbara promising a very high income to her. When Bárbara arrives home, she tells the offer she had to her friends Mariazinha and Ana Lúcia. The trio decides to visit the place but they do not like the situation of being treated like objects. They decide to steal the database of the wealthy clients of Ricardo and offer their services in the own apartment. Sooner Bárbara invests a large amount improving the location that is known as “The Palace of the Angels”. Along the days they raise lots of money satisfying the fantasies of their clients but Mariazinha can’t stand the situation and returns to her hometown. Now Bárbara and Ana Lúcia
— Claudio Carvalho, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil (IMDb).Read More » -
Vincent Sherman – Saturday’s Children (1940)
1931-1940DramaRomanceUSAVincent ShermanThis third film version of Maxwell Anderson’s play Saturday’s Children stars Claude Rains as the impecunious but proud father of a large brood. Rains’ daughter Anne Shirley marries idealistic John Garfield, a would-be inventor who works for Shirley’s father. Feeling that he’s been tricked into marriage, Garfield gives every indication of turning out to be as much “failure” as Rains. Only when Garfield and Shirley are on the verge of breaking up do they realize that material gain is not the only barometer of success in life. Previous filmizations of this story include Saturday’s Children (29), starring Corinne Griffith, and Maybe It’s Love (35), costarring Ross Alexander and Gloria Stuart. Read More »
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Mike Leigh – Bleak Moments (1971)
1971-1980ComedyDramaMike LeighUnited KingdomSynopsis:
The quiet desperate life of a secretary and her retarded sister depicted in a halting sequence of improvised fragments. The uncompromising cinematic debut of British director Mike Leigh
Review:
“Might be too bleak a look at reality for some but it nevertheless is an uncompromising way of brilliantly telling its harrowing story.”Read More »
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Abderrahmane Sissako – Heremakono aka Waiting for Happiness [+Extras] (2002)
2001-2010Abderrahmane SissakoAfrican CinemaArthouseDramaFranceDescription: Synopsis
Waiting for Happiness depicts life in the seaside town of Nouadhibou in Mauritania. A young man, Abdallah (Mohamed Mahmoud Ould Mohamed), visits the town, where his mother lives, before emigrating. He feels disconnected from his people because he dresses in Western clothes, and he does not speak the language, but he connects in small ways during his stay. A taciturn elderly electrician, Maata (Maata Ould Mohamed Abeid), teaches an energetic boy, Khatra (Khatra Ould Abdel Kader), his trade, while a traditional singer (Nema Mint Choueikh) teaches a talented young girl hers. One would-be émigré washes up on the beach amid massive ships long ago run aground. Abdallah’s mother vainly urges him to follow traditional customs while he’s in town. Nana (Nana Diakite) tells Abdallah a sad tale about tracking down the father of her lost child in Europe. The film jumps forward in time at several points, and eventually both Khatra and Abdallah try to leave the village.Read More » -
Abel Ferrara – New Rose Hotel (1998)
Drama1991-2000Abel FerraraMysteryUSABased on the Short Story by: William Gibson
This film has got alot of mixed reactions. Some hate it, as they most likely expected alot more from a William Gibson adaptation with such a well known leading cast, others feel that it is an excellent science fiction movie that is getting an unncessary amount of criticism. Ill be honest I havent watched it yet, but scrolling through taking the screenshots i noticed that there is lots of Asia Argento titties…and they are spectacular. I’ll let you guys decide how good the film is for yourself.Read More »









