CLASSICS TO SELF-ISOLATE BY
Netflix has a few of the all-time great cinema offerings for your home viewing pleasure
Film buffs have pointed out frequently that Netflix, for all its many marvels, has never been particularly stellar when it comes to offering classic movies.
While the streaming service steamed full-speed ahead with its original content, its “classic movies” section has never been a strong point, with some movies tossed into the category somewhat arbitrarily (Annie? Tucker: The Man and His Dream? Back to the Future Part III?!)
But ... in these days of self-isolation, there are a number of films on offer that you might have always meant to see but were too often distracted by the prospect of watching the newest 50 mustbinge series. So, now that you presumably have plenty of time on your hands, here are some suggestions to watch and discover what all the fuss was about.
GONE WITH THE WIND (1939) LENGTH: 233 MINUTES
OK, be honest, how many times have you actually sat through Victor Fleming/george Cukor/ Sam Wood/cameron Menzies’ (who the hell directed this film?) game-changing cinematic epic?
While the film is pretty much critic-proof, its sheer girth and glorious immodesty makes it exhausting and overwhelming on first viewing. Still, it’s a start. Not all of it has aged well, of course, and the film suffers from what the lategreat critic Roger Ebert once astutely described as “tainted nostalgia” that can border on offensive. But, if you have four hours or so to spare, it remains inventive and worth delving into. Bottom line? As Ebert also reported, it is “still a towering landmark of film, quite simply because it tells a good story, and tells it wonderfully well.” Suitable for children? There’s nothing in it to prevent children from watching, although family viewings would benefit from a post-screening discussion about some of its decidedly dated values. But, frankly my dear, it’s likely the kids would stop giving a damn pretty early into its 233-minute run time.
THE GODFATHER I AND II (1972, 1974) LENGTH: 177 MINUTES, 202 MINUTES
As brilliant as it is, I will stand by my unpopular opinion that Francis Ford Coppola’s Godfather saga is second to Martin Scorsese’s Goodfellas when it comes to the ultimate mafia movie. Still, no one can truly call themselves a film buff if they haven’t watched these two films. A rare example of how cinema can lift its literary source material to greater heights, Coppola’s films are both elegant and brutal (albeit not in the same way Scorsese’s mob films are) and mesmerizing enough to bear repeated viewings despite the length. If nothing else, it’s amazing to watch some of the world’s best actors (Al Pacino, James Caan, Marlon Brando, Robert Duvall, Robert De Niro) at the top of their game. Suitable for children? While nowhere near as violent as Goodfellas, it’s still pretty intense. Older kids only.
DAS BOOT (1981) LENGTH: 149 MINS. (THEATRICAL CUT)
There’s nothing like spending more than two hours immersed in a claustrophobic U-boat to put self-isolation in perspective. Wolfgang Petersen’s classic antiwar film is intense and perceptive, a thinking person’s action film. Jurgen Pronchow rose to fame as the tough but decent young captain and eventually made his way to Hollywood to become a character actor specializing in scary villains (Rutger Hauer turned down the role so he could do Blade Runner.) Suitable for children? Netflix rates it ‘R’.
CITIZEN KANE (1941) LENGTH: 119 MINUTES
Is there anything here that would appeal to the average viewer, or even moderate film aficionados? Well, while it may become a bit of a cliché as the ultimate “film school” film, Citizen Kane is actually well worth the effort. (OK, I will admit
I first saw it in a university film studies class and otherwise may not have watched it.) But this loose biography of William Randolph Hearst, which bombed when it first came out, is packed so full of cinematic grandeur that it’s hard to take it all in with only one viewing.
The expressionist sets, the miraculous performances, the inventive camera work and the tantalizing elemental mystery at its centre still make it one of the greats that continues to age well. Suitable for children? Sure, but probably a bit of a slog for kids.