Harakiri (Director: Masaki Kobayashi)
Nominees: To Kill a Mockingbird, Cléo from 5 to 7, The Trial, The Exterminating Angel, The Miracle Worker, The Devil's Trap, Kanchenjungha, The Inheritance, Sahib Bibi Aur Ghulam, The Graceful Brute, Ivan's Childhood, The Given Word, Lawrence of ArabiaOscars pick: Lawrence of Arabia
Nominees: The Longest Day, The Music Man, Mutiny on the Bounty, To Kill a Mockingbird
Viewed on the television, David Lean's Lawrence of Arabia could sometimes seem as dry as the desert it's set in - but in the theater, it was a whole different ball game, and those lengthy scenes (Sharif's long ride towards the well, for one) weren't dry at all, but brilliant and captivating. While told on a grand scale, it's the small things I noticed on the big screen - the slow spreading blood on a keffiyeh, to the sparkling sands in medium shots. Beyond that, the desert scenery is both gorgeous and formidable, and the story is brimming with humor, horror, adventure, and sharp character interaction; plus, Peter O’Toole is impressively charismatic, and runs through a range of emotion, both high and low. Oscar selected a great one for its best picture.
However, Felix is going with another - the transcendent Harakiri - a brutal but brilliant indictment of the Bushido code.
It's a film that cuts deep emotionally and challenges you intellectually. It asks you to be an active viewer, to puzzle out the mystery and the implications behind it - what it means to this society, and to governments, and ideologies and humanity as a whole. It's scathing and says, "to hell with the rhetoric and sloganeering... let us see the unvarnished truth behind the bullshit!"
It runs long but doesn't feel long. There's not an unnecessary scene because it all matters, everything speaks to the themes of honor (true honor, not the facade put up by those in power), of what it means to be a parent, what it means to be a human being.
Harakiri is a film of visual widescreen beauty, with images that are meaningful and tell the story as much as the dialog. It's incredibly acted - carried by Tatsuya Nakadai's somber performance. All in all, it's a towering cinematic achievement in a year filled with fantastic pictures.
Note: Here's a list of other movies I liked. Spotlight on '62
Best Actress: Anne Bancroft, The Miracle Worker
Honorable Mentions:
Leslie Caron, The L-Shaped Room * Irene Papas, Electra & Antigone * Anna Karina, Vivre sa vie * Meena Kumari, Sahib bibi aur Ghulam * Sayuri Yoshinaga, Foundry Town * Corinne Marchand, Cleo from 5 to 7 * Bette Davis, What Ever Happened to Baby Jane * Janet Margolin, David and Lisa * Ineko Arima, Love Under the Crucifix
Supporting Actress: Angela Lansbury, The Manchurian Candidate
Runners up: Patty Duke, The Miracle Worker, Mary Badham, To Kill a Mockingbird & Margaret Johnston, Night of the Eagle
It's a film that cuts deep emotionally and challenges you intellectually. It asks you to be an active viewer, to puzzle out the mystery and the implications behind it - what it means to this society, and to governments, and ideologies and humanity as a whole. It's scathing and says, "to hell with the rhetoric and sloganeering... let us see the unvarnished truth behind the bullshit!"
It runs long but doesn't feel long. There's not an unnecessary scene because it all matters, everything speaks to the themes of honor (true honor, not the facade put up by those in power), of what it means to be a parent, what it means to be a human being.
Harakiri is a film of visual widescreen beauty, with images that are meaningful and tell the story as much as the dialog. It's incredibly acted - carried by Tatsuya Nakadai's somber performance. All in all, it's a towering cinematic achievement in a year filled with fantastic pictures.
Note: Here's a list of other movies I liked. Spotlight on '62
Honorable Mentions:
Leslie Caron, The L-Shaped Room * Irene Papas, Electra & Antigone * Anna Karina, Vivre sa vie * Meena Kumari, Sahib bibi aur Ghulam * Sayuri Yoshinaga, Foundry Town * Corinne Marchand, Cleo from 5 to 7 * Bette Davis, What Ever Happened to Baby Jane * Janet Margolin, David and Lisa * Ineko Arima, Love Under the Crucifix
Best Actor: Tatsuya Nakadai, Harakiri (pictured top)
Honorable Mentions:
Leonardo Villar, The Given Word * Toshirō Mifune, Sanjuro * Gregory Peck, To Kill a Mockingbird * James Mason, Lolita * James Stewart & John Wayne, The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance * Anthony Perkins, The Trial * Robert Mitchum, Cape Fear * Peter O'Toole, Lawrence of Arabia * Soumitra Chatterjee, Abhijan * Per Oscarsson, The Doll
Leonardo Villar, The Given Word * Toshirō Mifune, Sanjuro * Gregory Peck, To Kill a Mockingbird * James Mason, Lolita * James Stewart & John Wayne, The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance * Anthony Perkins, The Trial * Robert Mitchum, Cape Fear * Peter O'Toole, Lawrence of Arabia * Soumitra Chatterjee, Abhijan * Per Oscarsson, The Doll
Runners up: Patty Duke, The Miracle Worker, Mary Badham, To Kill a Mockingbird & Margaret Johnston, Night of the Eagle
