Paths of Glory (1957)

"There are few things more fundamentally encouraging and stimulating than seeing someone else die." - General Broulard

Paths of Glory shows the coldness of the commanders with their soldiers in World War I, during the refusal to advance on a mission impossible. One of the best war films of the cinema where Kubick shows the cruel reality of the time in a simple and magnificent way.

****1/2

Safety Last! (1923)

 *Lot of Laugh* - You watching this film

As I'm a huge fan of black/white and silent films I feel guilty for never have watched this one before, it's looks so underrated. We're used to hear about the great classics of Chaplin and Buster Keaton, but Harold Lloyd is one to put in together with them.

I felt like a child watching Looney Tunes cartoons, and again I confirmed that a good comedy can be a simple one, and more simple more funny it is. It's incredible how this kind of movie can make you laugh out of silly things when todays movies just throw a bunch of images, words and sounds to force people to laugh.

The building climbing scene is fantastic, it's made of funny moments and some quite intences. Sometimes it seemed so realistic for it's time. The film doesn't get boring and the comedy has a good timing.

I shall never forget to mention this film when the "silent films" subject comes up.

I'll give it Five Star soon as I ditch the cop.

*****

The Great Dictator (1940)

"Greed has poisoned men's souls, has barricaded the world with hate, has goose-stepped us into misery and bloodshed." - Jewish Barber

The comedy in cinema today is cheapened, with directors leaving aside the intelligence and focusing on sex appeals and other ignorances meaningless. In this film Chaplin had first of all, a huge courage in the middle of World War II to criticize superb two of the greatest dictators this world has ever seen, Hitler and Mussolini.

For those unfamiliar, is worth watching the story of a Jewish barber in times of war and of a dictator who wanted to dominate the world, both played by Chaplin in this masterpiece that should always be remembered. A spectacular intelligent comedy, which was written and directed impeccably.

*****