But that wasn't Alec Guinness was it?Originally Posted by Alf
A cinema release with Michael Cain? Or am I imagining that?
But that wasn't Alec Guinness was it?
A cinema release with Michael Cain? Or am I imagining that?
Sorry Zoot I altered my post not realising you had repliedI got The Honourable Schoolboy mixed up with A Perfect Spy. Both were John Le Carre novels but I don't think they have filmed The Honourable Schoolboy only done it on the radio?. A Perfect Spy was the DVD I meant to recommend.
I listened to the Honourable Schoolboy when R4 broadcast The Complete Smiley last year. A great going over, but I think the nature of the stories and the atmosphere suit the longer telling of the tale. Just emphasises the slow burn and gradual build-up of the story. I have yet to see the recent movie with Gary Oldman, but will watch with interest and an open mind. Be good to see what condensing the tale into less than half the time of the series (but prob. 3hrs, so 1hr longer than the radio?) will do to the story.Sorry Zoot I altered my post not realising you had replied
Meek's Cutoff - Directed by the extremely talented Kelly Reichardt. Haunting film about settlers heading west in the 1840s on the Oregon trail. They decide to leave the main Wagon Train lead by Meek who apparently gets them lost. They then put their faith reluctantly in an "Indian" they capture and hope he can show them where the next water is. The ending I won't spoil for you but it does turn the film into more than just a desperate journey across America and I was still thinking about it when I got up this morning. For a film where not a lot really happens it does create a lot of thought but maybe that's the aim in the film and in particular the ending?.
Just a film about the hardships on the trail?
A feminist film (usual copout for films where there is a woman director :thunbdown: ) ?
A political metaphor for the George Bush Jnr years and the rise of Obama ?
A post death journey in the 'Ashes to Ashes' mould?
As Barry Norman used to say "you pays your money and you takes your chance"
I loved it!
"In an early scene with the three women walking, there was abundant Russian thistle on the ground. The film was set in 1845, but Russian thistle (Salsola tragus) wasn't introduced to the United States until arriving in South Dakota in 1870 or 1874, as weed seed in flaxseed imported from Russia".IMdBMeek's Cutoff - Directed by the extremely talented Kelly Reichardt. Haunting film about settlers heading west in the 1840s on the Oregon trail. They decide to leave the main Wagon Train lead by Meek who apparently gets them lost. They then put their faith reluctantly in an "Indian" they capture and hope he can show them where the next water is. The ending I won't spoil for you but it does turn the film into more than just a desperate journey across America and I was still thinking about it when I got up this morning. For a film where not a lot really happens it does create a lot of thought but maybe that's the aim in the film and in particular the ending?.
Just a film about the hardships on the trail?
A feminist film (usual copout for films where there is a woman director :thunbdown: ) ?
A political metaphor for the George Bush Jnr years and the rise of Obama ?
A post death journey in the 'Ashes to Ashes' mould?
As Barry Norman used to say "you pays your money and you takes your chance"
I loved it!
And some people think avoiding anachromisnms is just keeping TV aerials out of camera shot!
I don't quite get your references to the ending Alf - like you thought it was clever or significant in some way? I thought it looked like someone had taken a pair of scissors to the film reel at a random place roughly 1h45mins in!Meek's Cutoff - Directed by the extremely talented Kelly Reichardt. Haunting film about settlers heading west in the 1840s on the Oregon trail. They decide to leave the main Wagon Train lead by Meek who apparently gets them lost. They then put their faith reluctantly in an "Indian" they capture and hope he can show them where the next water is. The ending I won't spoil for you but it does turn the film into more than just a desperate journey across America and I was still thinking about it when I got up this morning. For a film where not a lot really happens it does create a lot of thought but maybe that's the aim in the film and in particular the ending?.
Just a film about the hardships on the trail?
A feminist film (usual copout for films where there is a woman director :thunbdown: ) ?
A political metaphor for the George Bush Jnr years and the rise of Obama ?
A post death journey in the 'Ashes to Ashes' mould?
As Barry Norman used to say "you pays your money and you takes your chance"
I loved it!
Not that I didn't like the film, I loved it.
Its a bit difficult to comment without spoiling it for anyone else so generally speaking I thought the ending was deliberately created to make you think more about the film and what it was actually about rather than a conventional ending where you just walk away from it.
For example using the political metaphor I mentioned then Obama is still in power and the journey has not yet ended, trust has been passed but the goal has not been reached though there are signs of an improvement (the tree).
Just to really play mind games then the 'Ashes to Ashes' scenario when initially they pass over the river (death) having perished in the main Wagon Train and are picked up by their Indian Guide and transported through their confusion to the Tree/gateway of knowledge/life at the end. Meek may be a fellow traveller or someone more sinister in that scenario who has entrapped them between "heaven and earth".
Or maybe its just a film about the hardship of Settlers and an over exuberant film editor
or maybe the Indian is leading them into a trap - like Meek says - and they end up all getting killed?Its a bit difficult to comment without spoiling it for anyone else so generally speaking I thought the ending was deliberately created to make you think more about the film and what it was actually about rather than a conventional ending where you just walk away from it.
For example using the political metaphor I mentioned then Obama is still in power and the journey has not yet ended, trust has been passed but the goal has not been reached though there are signs of an improvement (the tree).
Just to really play mind games then the 'Ashes to Ashes' scenario when initially they pass over the river (death) having perished in the main Wagon Train and are picked up by their Indian Guide and transported through their confusion to the Tree/gateway of knowledge/life at the end. Meek may be a fellow traveller or someone more sinister in that scenario who has entrapped them between "heaven and earth".
Or maybe its just a film about the hardship of Settlers and an over exuberant film editor
Meek might be an unscrupulous scoundrel. But it doesn't mean he's wrong.
Yes that's possible or Meek might be a scoundrel and the Indian takes them to the water because of the kindness that has been shown by others to him and he wants them to survive ? If either of those scenarios had occurred in the film then we probably would not be discussing it as much as we have with the actual ending so if its purpose was to make us think a bit more about it then its succeeded!
Watching 'Knowing' on Film4 with the sound down, looks like the usual rehashed knackers that hollywood serves up, but mesmerised by Nic Cage's bizarre pageboy hairpiece, keep waiting for the syrup to slip in the action sequences..
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