Interwar Troubles
*The Grapes of Wrath 1940 129mins
Dir. John Ford.
*Querelle
Dir. Werner Fassbinder. With Brad Davis.
Based on the novel by Jean Genet.
Christ Stopped at Eboli 1979 Italy: 224 mins; US 120 mins.
Dir. Francesco Rosi.
Based on Carlo Levi's novel about his internal exile under Mussolini in the Basilicata region of Southern Italy.
*Land and Freedom 1995 109 mins
Dir. Ken Loach, With Ian Hart and Rosan Pastor.
The Spanish Civil War as seen through the eyes of a British volunteer with the POUM.. There are strong elements of Geoprge Orwell's story in Homage to Catalonia.
World War I
*Mayerling 1968, 127 mins.
Dir. Terence Young, With Omar Sherif and Catherine Deneuve.
The downfall of the Hapsburg family is connected to the the personal tragedy of Crown Prince Prince Rudolph. The story focuses on the lead up to the great scandal of 1889, when Prince Rudolph took his teenage mistress,Baroness Maria Vetsera, to a hunting lodge called "Mayerling," where both were to end up dead. The film now looks very dated.
*Oberst Redl 1985 [aka Colonel Redl][In German]
Dir. István Szabó. With Klaus Maria Brandauer
-Based on a play by John Osbourne, this film looks at the corrupt nature of the Austrian army and state on the eve of World War I. Contains one of the best musical pick-up scenes ever filmed.
Fall of Eagles TV-mini 1974 13x50mins
A great 13-part British TV series which dramatically presented the ending of the Habsburg, Hohenzollern and Romanov dynasties during World War I. This is almost impossible to get hold of.
*Gallipoli 1981
Dir. Peter Weir, With Mel Gibson
Looks at the Australian forces in the British attack on the Turkish Gallipoli peninsula, one of the most bloody and pointless battles of the war.
*Paths of Glory, 1957
Dir. Stanely Kubrick. With Kirk Douglas
A coutroom movie [compare with Breaker Morant]. The futility and irony of the war in the trenches in WWI is shown as a unit commander in the French army must deal with the mutiny of his men and a glory-seeking general after part of his force falls back under fire in an impossible attack.
See also summary [with spoilers] at filmsite
*All Quiet on the Western Front 1930
Dir. Lewis Milestone
Based on Remarque's classical novel.
All Quiet on the Western Front 1979 TV
Dir. Paul Monash, With Richard Thomas
Remake of Milestone's classic.
Back to Index
The Soviet Experiment 1918-1989
*Nicholas and Alexandra 1971
Dir. Franklin Schaffner, With Janet Suzman
The Russian Revolution from the viewpoint of the Tsar and Tsarina. This is long, but worth the effort.
*Battleship Potemkin 1925. 75 mins
Dir. Sergei Eisenstein and Grigori Aleksandrov, With I. Bobrov and Beatrice Vitoldi.
A propagandist account of the 1905 revolt by sailors in Odessa.
Reds 1981
Dir. Warren Beatty, With Warren Beatty and Diane Keaton
The Russian Revolution, and socialist politics in general, from the viewpoint of the American journalist John Reed, the author of the classic Ten Days that Shook the World.
Oktyabr 1927 [aka Ten Days That Shook the World] [Silent, with Music by Shostokovich] 104 mins
Dir. Grigori Aleksandrov/Sergei M. Eisenstein
-early Soviet film about the Russian Revolution.
Dr. Zhivago 1965
Dir: David Lean, With Omar Sharif and Julie Christie.
Based on the novel by Boris Pasternak.
Animal Farm 1955 72min
Dir. Joy Batchelor John Halas
Animated version.
*Animal Farm 1999 TV 91mins
Dir. John Stephenson. Uses real animals.
*Luna Park 1982, 105 mins.
Dir.Pavel Lungin.
Russia after the collapse of Communism.
*The Grapes of Wrath 1940 129mins
Dir. John Ford.
*Querelle
Dir. Werner Fassbinder. With Brad Davis.
Based on the novel by Jean Genet.
Christ Stopped at Eboli 1979 Italy: 224 mins; US 120 mins.
Dir. Francesco Rosi.
Based on Carlo Levi's novel about his internal exile under Mussolini in the Basilicata region of Southern Italy.
*Land and Freedom 1995 109 mins
Dir. Ken Loach, With Ian Hart and Rosan Pastor.
The Spanish Civil War as seen through the eyes of a British volunteer with the POUM.. There are strong elements of Geoprge Orwell's story in Homage to Catalonia.
World War I
*Mayerling 1968, 127 mins.
Dir. Terence Young, With Omar Sherif and Catherine Deneuve.
The downfall of the Hapsburg family is connected to the the personal tragedy of Crown Prince Prince Rudolph. The story focuses on the lead up to the great scandal of 1889, when Prince Rudolph took his teenage mistress,Baroness Maria Vetsera, to a hunting lodge called "Mayerling," where both were to end up dead. The film now looks very dated.
*Oberst Redl 1985 [aka Colonel Redl][In German]
Dir. István Szabó. With Klaus Maria Brandauer
-Based on a play by John Osbourne, this film looks at the corrupt nature of the Austrian army and state on the eve of World War I. Contains one of the best musical pick-up scenes ever filmed.
Fall of Eagles TV-mini 1974 13x50mins
A great 13-part British TV series which dramatically presented the ending of the Habsburg, Hohenzollern and Romanov dynasties during World War I. This is almost impossible to get hold of.
*Gallipoli 1981
Dir. Peter Weir, With Mel Gibson
Looks at the Australian forces in the British attack on the Turkish Gallipoli peninsula, one of the most bloody and pointless battles of the war.
*Paths of Glory, 1957
Dir. Stanely Kubrick. With Kirk Douglas
A coutroom movie [compare with Breaker Morant]. The futility and irony of the war in the trenches in WWI is shown as a unit commander in the French army must deal with the mutiny of his men and a glory-seeking general after part of his force falls back under fire in an impossible attack.
See also summary [with spoilers] at filmsite
*All Quiet on the Western Front 1930
Dir. Lewis Milestone
Based on Remarque's classical novel.
All Quiet on the Western Front 1979 TV
Dir. Paul Monash, With Richard Thomas
Remake of Milestone's classic.
Back to Index
The Soviet Experiment 1918-1989
*Nicholas and Alexandra 1971
Dir. Franklin Schaffner, With Janet Suzman
The Russian Revolution from the viewpoint of the Tsar and Tsarina. This is long, but worth the effort.
*Battleship Potemkin 1925. 75 mins
Dir. Sergei Eisenstein and Grigori Aleksandrov, With I. Bobrov and Beatrice Vitoldi.
A propagandist account of the 1905 revolt by sailors in Odessa.
Reds 1981
Dir. Warren Beatty, With Warren Beatty and Diane Keaton
The Russian Revolution, and socialist politics in general, from the viewpoint of the American journalist John Reed, the author of the classic Ten Days that Shook the World.
Oktyabr 1927 [aka Ten Days That Shook the World] [Silent, with Music by Shostokovich] 104 mins
Dir. Grigori Aleksandrov/Sergei M. Eisenstein
-early Soviet film about the Russian Revolution.
Dr. Zhivago 1965
Dir: David Lean, With Omar Sharif and Julie Christie.
Based on the novel by Boris Pasternak.
Animal Farm 1955 72min
Dir. Joy Batchelor John Halas
Animated version.
*Animal Farm 1999 TV 91mins
Dir. John Stephenson. Uses real animals.
*Luna Park 1982, 105 mins.
Dir.Pavel Lungin.
Russia after the collapse of Communism.
Other: (some are R rated so get parental consent)
- Jacob the Liar
- Schindler's List
- Boy in the Striped Pajamas
- Valkyrie
- Letters from Iwo Jima
- Flags of our Fathers
- Memphis Belle
- Varians War
- The Pacific (HBO series)
- Red Tails
- Empire of the Sun
- Downfall (Adolf Hitler's last days)
- Thin Red Line
- The Last Train
- Sophie Scholl: The Final Days
- John Rabe
- Masterpiece Classic: The Diary of Anne Frank
- Hiroshima
- Pearl Harbor
BOOKS:
*Read and speak to me about it during lunch or nutrition one day. note: I have read all numerous times and will know if you didn't actually read.
1. Hiroshima
2, Johnny Got His Gun
3. Flyboys
4. All Quiet on the Western Front
5. Slaughterhouse five
6. Helmut for my Pillow
7. Sarah's Key
8. Band of Brothers
9. Flags of our Fathers
10. Unbroken