Originally posted by Chris Knipp
I'll be glad to discuss anything with you if you take a stand on anything.

Thanks. A pleasure as usual. As the opening post states, these are all films I (re)discovered this year that impress me particularly. Inclusion means I consider the film very good, if not a "classic" or "masterpiece". Few if any of these have flaws that I consider in any way significant. Posts are written as to provide, as succintly as possible, a brief description, reasons why I like the film particularly, and a bit of context. Sufficient, I would think, as a starting point for any potential discussion (you know I appreciate and respond to any query or dissenting point of view).

I have commented on Molokh elsewhere here--you may be right that to "pop" it into your machine from time to time would provide a "visual feast" but the fact remains that it is a stultifyingly boring film, without the intense human focus of The Sun

I know The Sun is a must-see. I hope it's shown as part of the Fort Lauderdale FF so I can watch it properly in a theatre. Otherwise, I plan to buy it on import dvd (the Hong Kong version can be had quite cheaply).

It could very well be better than Molokh as you imply. But I found the latter fascinating and engaging. The opening scenes of Ms. Braun entertaining herself while awaiting the arrival of Hitler from Berlin are highly athmospheric. The rest of the film consists of three long scenes I found highly stimulating in content and presentation: Hitler and Braun alone in their bedroom, a visit to the dictator from a priest, and a dinner scene. All three demistify and reveal facets of the infamous subject (and those closest to him) not accessible through any other film.

I also watched Casque d'Or recently. Simone Signoret is magnificent in it and Reggiani is, well, "interesting," but there's not much chemistry and I found the film, despite the clarity and precision of its mise-en-scène, rather dated and uninvolving[--no doubt one any fan of French cinema would have to watch, though, so it fits on this thread.

Well, it fits on this thread because I liked it a lot and I hadn't seen it in over twenty years. Truffaut wrote that the French public was "cool to this paradoxical coupling" upon theatrical release, so you're not alone by saying "not much chemistry". They're certainly an odd couple, I'll grant you that. It's a period film made half a century ago, but that's not why you find the film "rather dated", right? Casque d'Or is closer to "classic" or "masterpiece" than most films I've included in this repertory thread. If I may, "uninvolving" is a term more indicative of one's level of interest in the film's themes/characters, and quite valid as that, than indicative of any flaws in the film itself.

Thanks for the background on Boetticher and the movie and the DVD sound like a find for Western fans.

Boetticher is currently being (re)discovered by film buffs, as is Frank Borzage. He was a "Sam Fuller type" who released consistently good Westerns and noirs during the 1950s. Apparently, other titles in his filmography are scheduled for release on dvd.

I didn't know that Cold Water and Wild Reeds were commissioned works about sixteen-year-olds. Wild Reeds is a kdy work by Téchiné, one of his best. Cold Water clearly would be one to see but I guess I can't see it.

If I understand your predilections, Cold Water is one you'd certainly enjoy. I like it as much as Wild Reeds. Perhaps it's one of those dvds you'd want to purchase when in Paris.

Thief of Baghdad -- great Hollywood vintage costume stuff -- love it.

Tabuno has written before to ask why we usually privilege the director over other crew members like writers and producers. This is one film in which the producer, Alexander Korda, is definitely the auteur, more so than anyone else.