Day 7: Easter Sunday

Sunday, April 24, 2011

DAY 7, MOVIE 1:

The Informer (1935), directed by John Ford. The Informer is a movie I’ve been trying to get my hands on for a really long time. This is mostly because it’s the movie that won John Ford his first of four best director Oscars. The Informer takes place in 1922 Ireland, and is about a man, Gypo, who turns in his friend, Frankie, who is wanted for murder, for a 20 pound reward. The movie then follows Gypo as his conscience tears him apart. After the opening credits the Bible verse, “Then Judas repented himself – and cast down the thirty pieces of silver – and departed,” appears, setting up the theme of the movie: the effects of guilt. From the very start I could tell that this would be a very dark film, a tone that I don’t associate with John Ford at all. The use of shadow in many of the shots reminded me of German expressionism films from the same era. This movie had such a dark tone to it; I had a hard believing this was an American film from the 1930s. The sequence from the first act where Frankie tries to escape from the police, and is shot dead by the police in front of his mother, was probably the most chaotic scene I have ever seen from any movie from the 1930s. Pairing the sounds of gunfire and the screaming mother with the editing between Frankie, his mother, and the police make that scene a true accomplishment that still holds up today. That scene alone proves that even before he was the John Ford we know today, he still knew how to craft a story.

DAY 7, MOVIE 2:

The Passion of the Christ (2004), directed by Mel Gibson. I think this is a perfect opportunity for me to talk about how difficult it is sometimes to judge a movie that’s based on a true story, especially one as powerful as the crucifixion of Jesus Christ. When reviewing a movie such as this one, there are many aspects to consider: for one there is the true story itself, and if the film did that story justice. Then there’s what the director intended the audience to experience with this story, the emotions he wants to convey, the message he wants to send, and how well he actually does that. As I said before, The Passion of the Christ is a very powerful story, one that has moved many to tears. What Gibson set out to do with this film is to show us exactly what Jesus went through in his final days and final hours, and he succeeds in that. This film is brutal, graphic, and unflinching, just the way it should be. This film goes all out to tell this story, and because of that, the reward for seeing this movie is great. I can’t help but think if Gibson had held back even the slightest bit, then the message of this movie would have lost its impact. This film takes us from Judas’ betrayal of Jesus all the way through the crucifixion, and even Jesus’ conquering of the grave at the end. Gibson spared no detail in showing what Christ did for us. With this movie each of us can witness a reenactment of the crucifixion unlike any other, and reflect on what the real thing means to us. This film accomplished exactly what it set out to do, and I have no problem with that.