This past fall, Turner Classic Movies joined forces with The Criterion Collection for an online streaming service with the aim of showcasing the best in classic, modern, world and independent cinema, much to the delight of cinephiles everywhere. Inspired, we created FilmStruck Focus, a limited weekly series dedicated to exploring some of the best of what one of the most diverse and exciting streaming services around has to offer. Join us as we explore a trio of titles which break taboos, challenge ideas, and rewrite the rules of cinema.
In the debut edition of Filmstruck Focus, we look at a pair of maverick filmmakers as they venture outside their comfort zones for two unforgettable films which bear their one-of-a-kind stamps. First, Robert Altman guides one of detective fiction’s most famous detectives through the 1970s in The Long Goodbye. Then, Woody Allen probes the female psyche with his deeply contemplative Another Woman. This edition concludes with the stark and shocking Victim, starring the quietly powerful Dirk Bogarde in what was quite possibly the bravest role of his career.
The Long Goodbye
The quintessential hard-boiled detective, Philip Marlowe (Elliott Gould), is resurrected courtesy of Altman, who successfully transports the character to 1970s Los Angeles in the tale of a friend accused of murdering his beautiful wife. The decision to update the character and his 1940s surroundings was certainly met with objection, all of which must have been forgotten within the first 15 minutes. Altman makes sure that Raymond Chandler’s iconic character retains all of his anti-hero elements as actor and director expertly guide him through a maze of murder and deceit.
It’s inevitable that the decade should show itself throughout the film whether it be through Marlowe shown getting stoned or the unforgettable scene where a gangster smashes a glass bottle into his girlfriend’s face. Yet other elements, such as quirky side characters (specifically the security guard with a penchant for imitating golden age movie stars) and a more than intriguing femme fatale in the form of Nina van Pallandt, hearken back to the genre’s heyday and work to make The Long Goodbye an unsung, yet incredibly worthwhile entry into early neo-noir.
Located in: Neo-Noir
Another Woman
Not too many recall this 1988 dramatic offering from Allen which starred Gena Rowlands as a melancholic middle-aged philosophy professor named Marion who confronts her frustrations after renting an apartment next to a psychiatrist, which allows her to overhear his sessions with a troubled pregnant woman (Mia Farrow). Another Woman may have been too pensive and reflective for most Allen fans with its exploration of choice and regret, but the writer/director has rarely been so poetic by being so simplistic. The way he leads the audience into Marion’s worry-filled mind is akin to a psychiatric wonderland, proving both theatrical and experimental.
The filmmaker makes good use of actors such as Martha Plimpton as Marion’s stepdaughter, Gene Hackman as a lovesick acquaintance and Sandy Dennis as a former college friend. Above all, Allen elicits from Rowlands the kind of rich performance which made her collaborations with director/husband John Cassavetes so enthralling. Squashed by the weighty success of the following year’s Crimes and Misdemeanors, Another Woman nevertheless remains unwavering proof of Allen’s empathic view of the female mind.
Located in: Serious Woody Allen
Victim
It’s hard to believe this 1961 title starring Dirk Bogarde isn’t celebrated more today for the groundbreaking film it is. The actor stars as Melville Farr, a successful London lawyer who decides to pursue an unknown blackmailer targeting gay men in the decidedly dark drama. Things take a more personal turn when the blackmailer sets his sights on him, threatening to expose the fact the Melville himself is a closeted gay man. Considering that being gay was technically a crime in Britain during the early 60s, the fact that Victim (a studio film starring a recognizable name) got made at all, was certainly bold. Even more daring is the film’s treatment of the subject.
The makers of Victim never shy away from illustrating the pressures and horror of being gay in a world that didn’t allow it. The most telling of these moments deals with Melville’s wife (Sylvia Sims), whose world is shattered when she learns of her husband’s true nature. When the blackmailer is exposed, their reasons and lack of remorse truthfully and frighteningly convey the core prejudices of the day most effectively. A truly monumental film that, despite societal changes, remains just as shocking and powerful as ever.
Located in: Friday Night Double Feature
