Li'l Duce's Reviews Palace

[Cusser]

Hitler - Eine Karriere (1977) Best documentary on the subject, both as to variety of material and soundness of comment (of course Joachim Fest is the greatest Hitler's biographer). 10/10

I've seen this: very good, English language version.

[titoli]

Fridericus (1937) Admittedly not the best of old Fritz movies, it didn't make me know about the subject more of what I knew before. The King of Prussia says he's fighting for peace but nothing explains how and why. So it is an anecdote after another,  a suspense scene of a possible kidnapping, a short romance scene. But the final battle is well made, though it probably won't equal the one to be seen on Der grosse Koenig (I'll report on this later: this nazi stuff is all on YT). But the movie has got a fast pace, well-acted (Gebuehr and Minetti, especially. Carola Hoehn  is the best looking of a series of not very young actresses). 6-7/10

[titoli]

Der grosse Koenig (1942) I expected more of this, especially after the brilliant opening with battle scenes which, as to grandiosity, well compare with those of the russian War and Peace of 1965. Unfortunately the following ones are only suggested and the movie concentrates on  the King's private happenings, filled with political reasonings and discussions that explain little about the war aims of this guy. Which probably mirrored the contemporary situation about Hitler waging war against the world for no apparent reason. In fact, sometime the king's speeches (and Gebuehr's delivery) seem a Hitler's parody. Probably the german audiences of then (I'm not certain about those of today) could follow the unrolling of the events, but a foreign viewer certainly can't without a recent reading of the history of the 7 year war. How the unattractive Soderbaum got the only relevant female part is another mystery. So I give it a 7/10.

[titoli]

Hitler (1962) I came to this reading a Robert Mitchum biography where it said that his brother John played Goering here. Well, one could have a field day listing all the errors and inventions they made here but still I presume this  is the only fiction movie which deals with Hitler's sex life. Not many years ago a book was published which argued about H.'s homosexuality from which all of his actions were made to spring from. Here a hint  is  in a line  Roehm says during a confrontation with H. in the night of the long knives, but basically H. is shown as suffering from impotence due to some kind of Oedipus complex. The movie cannot but look like a kind of parody and Basehart reminds me more of Chaplin playing Hitler than H. himself. Still the movie is interesting in the scenes with Basehart and the good looking german actress playing Geli Raubal: as we know little for sure about their relationship they can take liberties and look realistic (but I don't think H. had her killed; rather, like Otto Strasser wrote, I rather believe it was him who did it in a rege fit). The german girl playing Eva Braun is not so good looking and her character just isn't real: but the scene where she "cures" H. from his problem is well done and B. there is even very good. So this  earns a 6/10.

[titoli]

Contract on Cherry Street (1977) Cop-Mafia TV-movie. You can tell how bad it is by seeing how little screen time was given to Silva, still considered at the time (in the USA not in Europe, where he got lead parts) just a face to fill up the screen. At least an hour (but probably more) cut could have been beneficial, and the job could have made a good time-waster if only to watch the cast (Sinatra, Balsam, Guardino). But nothing more. Too much talk and little action. Still the last crane shot compares with any of Richards FML: only thing worth remembering. CJ could find some NYC exterior worth watching. 4/10

[titoli]

King of the Underworld (1939)  Probably most moronic (a joke in the movie) gangster movie ever. Actually it plays like a (conscious?) parody of the genre though I'm not sure how much of it was meant to be. What makes it worth seeing are some of the brilliant dialogues which prove how much Bogart was good at comedy: I laughed at 5-6 good ones and this earns this crap 7/10. Kay Francis is not pretty but attractive, never noticed her before.

[titoli]

Las Vegas Shakedown (1955) Cheapy cheap piece of crap. Grand Motel dubbed it at IMDB. Yeah, a series of melodramatic moronic stories around a fake casino in fake LV. A pity because O'Keefe is as good as usual and Grey as cute too and the first 10 minutes make you believe it could be interesting. 3/10

[cigar joe]

King of the Underworld (1939)  Probably most moronic (a joke in the movie) gangster movie ever. Actually it plays like a (conscious?) parody of the genre though I'm not sure how much of it was meant to be. What makes it worth seeing are some of the brilliant dialogues which prove how much Bogart was good at comedy: I laughed at 5-6 good ones and this earns this crap 7/10. Kay Francis is not pretty but attractive, never noticed her before.

Kay Francis is more known for romantic leading lady roles pretty good in The Jewel Robbery and One Way Passage with William Powell before his teaming Myrna Loy.

[titoli]

Kolberg (1945) I wonder again how Kristina S?derbaum landed all these lead roles in nazi Germany movies: she couldn't be any sane male's wet dream. Still one has to put up with her bloated face occupying most of the screen and most of not political discussions or battle scenes of the movie. The political discussions occupy most of the first part and there is no need for them because what the matter is all about is simple and could easily become intelligible by the events: but probably Dr. Goebbles, who supervised the editing, wanted the link to the present be inescapable for anyone. So the battle scenes are what this must still be watched for. But I like also Wegener and his dialogues with George. 7/10.

[titoli]

Dunkirk (2017) This should have been titled "The Channel" as the action is almost entirely set there. But this is really crappy, with patriotic-stale dialogues that weren't heard on the screen since the late forties (and with a reason). The action scenes are nothing memorable and the other scenes are melodramatic or just to be expected. 3/10

[titoli]

Week-end ? Zuydcoote (1(964) This is the real Dunkerque movie. But I don't understand why they had to mislead the audience with such a cutie title. It is good or even excellent as it renders perfectly how casual the situation was there varying from moment to moment and how Belmondo is trying to cope. Unfortunately they had to insert the love interest (though it is Catherine Spaak) and after the attempted rape scene the story tries to survive to itself, Still for the first  3/4 it is VG: 7-8/10 

[titoli]

Bait (1954) I refuse to consider it a noir. Only because it has a moronic crime twist (Haas doesn't need to set up that convoluted strategy to get rid of his partner, especially assuming that he would get rid of his own wife) this doesn't make it more than a kind of cheap drama. At youtube is posted as a "romantic movie" and probably it is just that. But it is not so bad as most say it is. 5-6/10.   

[titoli]

Speer und er (2005) This miniseries was released a year after Der Untergang,  so the Hitler here looks quite ludicrous after the performance of Ganz. But this is a must for all those interested in the matter, especially, of course, on the figure of Hitler's architect. It is partly biopic, well stuffed with interviews of various people (among whom are three of Speer's children) and original video and audio material. The reconstruction of the Spandau incarceration and Speer's "battle with the truth" (which was no battle at all but a masterpiece of opportunism) are well documented. 8/10 

[titoli]

Mon Petit Chou (1961) An episode of the series Route 66 it has a good direction by Peckinpah and a great performance by Lee Marvin. But the story is weak. Macha Meril sings (dubbed) two of my favourite french songs quite well.

[titoli]

F?hrmann Maria  (1936) Love stories are not my cup of tea, but this here is in the phantastic vein (Love Beats the Death) and it actually keeps you interested from start to finish. The music is good (and the composer manages to put a few notes of the Horst Wessel Lied). The photography is top notch and the actors too. 7-8/10