We're in the midst of war films right now, but we lead off with a bizarre rarity from Denmark ...
Facets Video presents a Lars von Trier televison version of Euripides' Medea. Using typically von-Trier-ish visuals, the horror of the tale becomes a meditation on revenge and divorce.
Fox's The Blue Max is an epic, with thrilling WW1 aviation action in the air, and a not-bad soap opera on the ground. Starring George Peppard, James Mason, and Ursula Andress' bath towel.
Sidney Lumet's Family Business is a very satisfying light drama. Dustin Hoffman, Sean Connery and Matthew Broderick play three generations of crooks, who foolishly decide to commit a crime together. Very well done.
James Mason practically holds up The Desert Fox all on his own, but he's a pleasure to watch in this docudrama about the famous German general Rommel. With Jessica Tandy and Richard Boone.
And Robert Redford mades his screen debut as a reluctant GI in Denis Sanders' moody War Hunt. Psycho soldier John Saxon goes on personal creepy-crawly missions for the pleasure of knifing enemy soldiers, and Redford wants to know why. With an interesting and well-directed ensemble cast.
So, I guess we have the Memorial Day weekend & Father's Day to thank for all these Western, War, and so-called male-oriented releases we're getting. But I'm staying away from cable television this weekend, as I think the commercialization of Memorial Day, presenting Hollywood combat movies as a 'tribute' to our veterans, is in plain awful taste, a shameful promotion that presumes War is a proud heritage fathers hand off to sons. Memorial Day should honor the sacrifice of our veterans, not to worship the cult of Combat as if it were the national sport. End of editorial. Back this weekend with more reviews! Glenn Erickson
Posted by DVD Savant at May 22, 2003 11:38 AM