Since today is Orson Welles’s birthday, I wanted to share at least one scene that I love from his films. The famous tracking shot from 1958’s Touch of Evil, which begins in America and ends in Mexico, truly shows Orson Welles at his visionary best.
It’s also Welles at his most clever. Knowing that he wouldn’t be given control over the editing of the footage he shot, Welles included as many long shots as possible to make it more difficult for an editor to chop up or alter his vision.
4 Or More Shots From 4 Or More Films is just what it says it is, 4 shots from 4 of our favorite films. As opposed to the reviews and recaps that we usually post, 4 Shots From 4 Films lets the visuals do the talking!
Today we celebrate what would have been the 111th birthday of the great Orson Welles! It’s time for….
4 Shots from 4 Orson Welles Films
Citizen Kane (1941, dir by Orson Welles, DP: Gregg Toland)
MacBeth (1948, dir by Orson Welles, DP: John L. Russell)
The Trial (1962, dir by Orson Welles, DP: Edmond Richard)
Chimes at Midnight (1965, dir by Orson Welles, DP: Edmond Richard)
When fans of Hong Kong cinema think of high-quality film craftsmanship, the name Wong Jing doesn’t immediately come to mind. Sure, he directed one of my all-time favorite films, GOD OF GAMBLERS (1989), and he’s had his share of box office success over the years, but he’s also churned out a lot of crap. His name is not often the stamp of quality on a film production, but there’s something about working with Chow Yun-Fat that will sometimes bring out his best.
THE LAST TYCOON tells the story of Shanghai crime boss Cheng Daqi, portrayed here in two separate timelines by actor Huang Xiaoming in his younger years, and by the legendary Chow Yun-Fat in his older years. When we meet young Cheng, he seems like an awfully nice guy and then fate places him in a jail cell with the shady Mao Zai (Francis Ng). To escape and save his own life, and with a little help from Mao, Cheng commits his first murder. Forced to flee, Cheng aligns himself with a gang led by Hong Shouting (Sammo Hung). A natural leader, and as badass as it gets, Cheng rises rapidly in the ranks. The narrative isn’t as straight forward as this sounds so far, because it leaps frequently back and forth between younger Cheng and older Cheng. When the film finally settles in with Chow Yun-Fat for its latter half, we have seen how Cheng rose to become one of the most powerful men in Shanghai. We also understand how he has found himself in an extremely difficult wartime position with the Japanese that will test his loyalty to his country, as well as to the people he loves.
Right out of the gate, I want to give kudos to Wong Jing for putting together a highly entertaining film, set against an incredible 30-year backdrop of historical Shanghai! I don’t mention it in the summary above, but THE LAST TYCOON finds time to feature an abundance of romance between Cheng and the two loves of his life. We’re talking about grand melodrama done right, offset periodically with awesome action sequences, whether they be hand-to-blade street brawls, heroic bloodshed shoot-outs, or explosive wartime bombing raids. The emotions and the blood flow very strongly in this one!
The role of Cheng Daqi fits Chow Yun-Fat like a glove. He emotes early and often, and when he takes a break from that, it’s usually to pick up a pistol that he’s able to wield with maximum precision and efficiency. For a long-time fan like me, it’s high-quality fan service that fits seamlessly into the pulpiness of the story. As the younger version of Cheng, Huang Xiaoming does a fine job with the romance and the action. It seems perfectly natural that he’d eventually turn into the legend. Huang gets a lot of screentime, and without his solid portrayal, I don’t think the film would have worked nearly as well.
I did want to mention some of the notable supporting performances in THE LAST TYCOON. Veteran Francis Ng is as reliable as ever as we see his character go from a mystery lifesaver at the beginning to an evil villain by the end. The role may be underdeveloped, but Ng makes it work. I’m going to be looking for more from actor Gao Hu, who’s a total badass in his role as Cheng’s loyal soldier Lin Huai. Present over the entire 30-year timeline of the film, the man’s expert switchblade skills and gun-handling abilities are crucial to Cheng’s safety! Yolanda Yuan and Monica Mok are very good as the two women in Cheng’s life. They are very different, but it’s easy to see why he loves them both, and I think the movie ultimately gets the ending right where the romance is concerned. Finally, I did want to mention that I was somewhat disappointed in the character of Hong Shouting, played by the legendary Sammo Hung. Even though he was a powerful boss, I don’t think he comes across very strongly in the film. For someone of his stature, I see this as one of the few missteps from writer / director Wong Jing.
Small quibbles aside, I recommend THE LAST TYCOON without any reservations. Fans of Chow Yun-Fat and Hong Kong cinema can’t go wrong!
THE LAST TYCOON is currently available for streaming on Amazon Prime, Tubi, PlutoTV, and Plex.
From Luis Bunuel’s 1965 short film, Simon of the Desert, the faithful Simon (Claudio Brook) finds himself transported from 6th Century Syria to the 1960s by the Devil (Silvia Pinal). The song playing at the club is called Radioactive Flesh. Simon wants to go home. The Devil wants to dance.
4 Or More Shots From 4 Or More Films is just what it says it is, 4 shots from 4 of our favorite films. As opposed to the reviews and recaps that we usually post, 4 Shots From 4 Films lets the visuals do the talking!
Happy Cinco De Mayo to all of our readers! It’s time for….
4 Shots From 4 Mexican Films
Simon of the Desert (1965, dir by Luis Bunuel, DP: Gabriel Figueroa)
El Topo (1970, dir by Alejandro Jodorowsky, DP: Rafael Corkidi)
Like Water For Chocolate (1992, dir by Alfonso Arau, DP: Emmanuel Luzbeki)
Pan’s Labyrinth (2006, dir. by Guillermo Del Toro, DP: Guillermo Nava)
Just like November is Charles Bronson month in my house, May is Chow Yun-Fat month. My favorite living actor, Chow made so many good movies during his Hong Kong heyday, he made a few good movies here in America, and he’s still working to this day! This year I plan on revisiting some of his lesser known films and sharing my thoughts on them with you. I don’t know how many reviews I’ll have time to write, but I’m certainly looking forward to the movies! To kick off the month, I decided to revisit PEACE HOTEL, which was the last Hong Kong film that Chow starred in prior to making his English language debut with THE REPLACEMENT KILLERS in 1998.
PEACE HOTEL is a Chinese “western,” which is certainly different for Chow Yun-Fat who made his name by playing heroic gangsters and badass cops. Even though it’s not a movie I revisit often, its uniqueness in his filmography is something I enjoy when the right mood hits. The story setup, which is credited to Chow, is classic. Chow plays the notorious “killer,” a reformed man who has set up a remote “hotel” where violence is never allowed, no matter who you are or who’s after you. When a desperate woman shows up at the hotel, with a horde of outlaws right behind her, the rules are tested. The outlaws set up shop just outside the gates of the hotel and give the residents a few days to get out, or they’re all going to die. Considering they’ll have to go through the killer, things are certainly going to get interesting.
Fans of westerns and samurai films will recognize many of the story elements, but I’d have to say that this movie is less about originality and more about establishing a mythic mood. Director Wai Ka-Fai plays up the legend of the killer, so there’s a lot of setup to get through. This does require some patience for those used to the star’s wall to wall action-fests with director John Woo. Let’s just say the action is used sparingly, but when it comes, it’s good stuff.
Chow Yun-Fat carries the film effortlessly. His charisma, toughness and charm is fully on display whether he’s horsing around with a small child, romancing the beautiful Cecilia Yip, or dispatching throngs of bad guys with his blade. The role certainly isn’t flashy, but he’s just so cool. Nobody can portray a noble killer as well as Chow Yun-Fat.
PEACE HOTEL is currently playing on Tubi. When I first saw the film back in the 90’s, I remember a sequence where Chow Yun-Fat slides down a ladder while mowing down bad guys with a machine gun. That sequence is not included in the cut playing on Tubi, which is a little disappointing for me. Still, the film has so much going in its favor, that I still give it an easy recommendation. It may not be balls-to-the-wall action like THE KILLER, FULL CONTACT or HARD BOILED, but I’ll definitely be reaching for PEACE HOTEL again someday when I’m in the mood for something different than your typical action film.
If you want to celebrate the 4th of May but you really don’t feel like sitting through any of the Star Wars films (especially now that you know that Leia, Luke, and Han’s struggle was pretty much for naught), here are ten other sci-films that will keep you entertained without ruinng your childhood memories!
Hi, everyone! Tonight, on twitter, I will be hosting one of my favorite films for #MondayMania! Join us for 1995’s Midwest Obsession!
You can find the movie on Prime and then you can join us on twitter at 9 pm central time! (That’s 10 pm for you folks on the East Coast.) See you then!
Today would have been the 97th birthday of one of my favorite actresses, the wonderful Audrey Hepburn!
We’re all Audrey Hepburn fans here at the Shattered Lens. How could we not be? She was one of the greats and, for that reason, today’s scene that I love comes from one of her best films, 1967’s Two For The Road.
In this scene, Albert Finney and Audrey Hepburn play a married couple who discuss their troubled but loving marriage while on the road. This film features one Audrey’s best performances.
4 Or More Shots From 4 Or More Films is just what it says it is, 4 shots from 4 of our favorite films. As opposed to the reviews and recaps that we usually post, 4 Shots From 4 Films lets the visuals do the talking!
Today, we wish all of our readers a happy May The Fourth Be With You Day! It’s time for….
4 Shots From 4 Star Wars Films
Star Wars Episode VI: A New Hope (dir. by George Lucas)
The Empire Strike Back (1980, dir by Irvin Kershner, DP: Peter Suschitzky)
Return of the Jedi (1983, dir by Richard Marquand, DP: Alan Hume and Alec Mills)
Rogue One (2016, dir by Gareth Edwards, DP: Greig Fraser)
Through the Shattered Lens 