Weekly Watches: May 29, 2024
Sharing Our Recent Discoveries: Weekly Watches with 100 Movies Every Catholic Should See
The Train (1964)
Directed by John Frankenheimer, starring Burt Lancaster
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John Frankenheimer's The Train is a thrilling masterpiece. It follows the story of a French resistance fighter, Labiche (Burt Lancaster) who is trying to stop a train taking hundreds of priceless French paintings to Germany in the waning days of World War II. His ingenuity in outwitting Nazi Colonel von Waldheim (Paul Scofield) is amazingly written, as he uses trick after trick to sabotage the train without actually damaging its cargo. Frankenheimer's commitment to spectacle is also on display in the many amazing stunts he includes in the film, including explosions, train derailments, decoupling a moving train, and visceral fight scenes. Purely on the level of a WWII thriller, The Train delivers everything you could ever want. However, it also has a deeper, moral level to it which elevates the piece and leaves the viewer chewing on important questions of human dignity and the value of our cultural heritage. From start to finish of the movie, Labiche does not want to risk the lives of his men for this train of art. He does not see it as important enough to defeating the Nazis to risk human lives. There is a debate early in the film (settled by orders from London) about whether or not this cultural heritage, the "glory of France", as one character calls it, is worth the sacrifice. Ultimately, dozens of people are killed by the Nazis for helping Labiche sabotage the train. Von Waldheim is shockingly callous in his treatment of those around him, and I don't think I've ever seen a movie where so many people are marched to a wall and shot. The cost in human lives to save these painting is enormous, and the film asks whether or not the price is worth it. It gives no answers, leaving us to grapple with our own perception of the value of art and human lives, and it does so brilliantly.
Unsung Hero (2024)
Directed by Joel Smallbone, Richard Ramsey
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If you didn't know there was a movie currently out in theaters right now about the Christian pop duo "For King & Country," I wouldn't necessarily blame you: what's more surprising, though, is that this movie is pretty good! Rather than focusing on the origins of the two singers, this film focuses on their childhood and assigns the leads to their parents, played by Daisy Betts as the matriarch of the family, Helen, and none other than one half of the pop duo himself, Joel Smallbone, as patriarch David (Joel also co-directed, co-wrote, and co-produced this film). It's a touching and nuanced story about hardship and trusting in God as the Smallbone family relocates from Australia to Nashville in 1991, and the power of the real-life story and the conviction of the two leads keeps this from being just another hokey Christian flick. Great excuse to take the family to the theater this summer!
The Time Machine (1960)
Directed by George Pal
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If you’re able to look past some rather dated special effects, this groundbreaking adaption of H.G Well’s 1895 novella provides a level of science fiction fun that can be enjoyed by the whole family. Beyond the nostalgia of old studio lighting and matte painting backdrops, the film whisks you on a dizzying exploration of the concept of time, history and the human spirit. In his epic journey through the future, our protagonist George makes a stop in London around the year the actual film was made. The collective nuclear fear of 1960 manifests itself dramatically in a nuclear holocaust which threatens to envelop our protagonist as he beats a hasty retreat back to his time machine. Clever miniature work transform the London of tomorrow into a full scale conflagration with lava running through the streets. After few brief stops, George Pal’s film really settles in when our protagonist encounters a strange, idyllic world nearly 800 centuries in the future. In an archetypical clash of civilization vs. savages, George leads a thrilling venture to free the youthful inhabitants of this soporific land from a swarm of malformed subterranean monsters. Of course, there’s a love interest along the way and ultimately, George must decide between his own world and the alien world of the far distant future.
Somewhat hampered by a limited budget and a few 1960s mannerisms that have not aged well, The Time Machine nonetheless presents solid science fiction concepts. Few films have dealt with time travel in such a focused and entertaining manner. There is the added bonus that this film retains an overall family-friendly experience, ideally suited for introducing the next generation to science fiction on the big screen or just the next fun family movie night.