sword and sandal Archives - Jeremy C. Processing

Director – Jerzy Kawalerowicz – 1966 – Poland – Cert. 12 – 152m

*****

The reformist zeal of a youthful heir to the Ancient Egyptian throne confronts the immovable conservative tradition of the priesthood of the god Osiris – on Blu-ray from Monday, September 16th

There is nothing else in cinema quite like Pharaoh. That was my impression watching it, and although in such instances you always wonder if there are films of which you’re unaware that lie in a similar vein, this impression is confirmed by watching the Blu-ray’s excellent, 70 minute-odd afterword by critic, curator and scholar Michal Oleszczyk, which contextualises the film by detailing (1) the source novel by Boleslaw Prus, (2) its place in director Kawalerowicz’s wider body of work, which also includes Mother Joan of the Angels (1961) and (3) its significance in both 1960s international film culture and wider Polish history.

This disc extra isn’t meant to be watched until after the film has been viewed, not least because it contains a number of spoilers, so I’ll say no more about it in this review except to say that it’s an excellent and worthwhile extra that will add much to the viewer’s appreciation of the film.… Read the rest

House Of Gucci

Director – Ridley Scott – 2021 – US – Cert. 15 – 157m

*****

A woman marries into the wealthy Gucci family and inadvertently brings about its downfall – out in cinemas on Friday, November 26th

First impressions.

A beautiful day. A well-dressed man (Adam Driver) relaxes at the café, pays his bill, cycles through the streets. Life is good. He reaches his destination. As he approaches the door, a voice asks, “Mr. Gucci?”

Milan, 1978. Another beautiful day. A woman dressed and moving like a goddess (Lady Gaga) walks past trucks and workers to her father’s transportation business office where she works as his assistant. Later, a friend asks her to a costume party. She dances. She looks incredible. She goes for a drink. The barman (Driver) turns out not to be not the barman. He makes her a drink anyway. He’s Maurizio. Gucci. He knows the host. She’s Patrizia Reggiani. She doesn’t. He tells her he can’t dance. She drags him onto the dance floor and makes him look good even though he does nothing. He leaves at midnight, worried he’ll turn into a frog. It’s a pumpkin, she calls after him.

She stalks him, ‘accidentally’ bumping into him at a bookshop where he’s buying armfuls of legal books (he’s studying to be a lawyer).… Read the rest