Roger Ebert

Deeply saddened to find out that few days ago,my all-time favorite film critic Rogert Ebert had died at the age of 70.

I am too young to remember Pauline Kael who was prominent critic when Ebert was starting, but reading some of her work I noticed that they both belong to the similar school of thinking, not afraid to bash big blockbusters and giving praise to more original works of european and world directors. Goddess in her time,Kael actually praised young and up-coming Ebert as "the best film criticism being done in American newspapers today".

Roger Ebert was huge and influential in US,so I don't remember how exactly he entered my universe but one way or another I started following his writings and specially his web site where he continued to review new movies and old classics - even now I often check his "great movies" list where he collected essays on legendary movies and these essays are analytical, inspiring and brilliantly written,often making me notice things I didn't pay attention while watching the movies. I actually saved some of these essays to re-read them again,that's how good they are (he had also published many books with collected work). Often he was very funny and occasionally cruel ("Your movie sucks" was the title of one of his reviews/books) specially towards what he saw as fast-food products for "popular" mainstream market. Lots of famous public figures had expressed their saddness when they found about his passing, however this is my little heartfelt tribute to a man who inspired me and will continue to inspire with his work. I am truly sorry that he won't be around anymore. Rest in peace Rogert Ebert.

"Jericho" TV Serial

After few attempts to watch some documentaries about ghosts that freaked me out (not the best decision when living alone in the cottage under the castle) I remembered TV serial that a work colleague recommended a year ago and had a peek at "Jericho". I am always a little suspicious when it comes to recommendations concerning things like this,because I have my own peculiar taste that really depends on a temporary mood, inspiration and previous experiences, so for example TV serial really need to be original or else I get bored easily.

"Jericho" is not terribly original or innovative. The premise of the story is that there were nuclear explosions around USA and a little sleepy town of Jericho,Kansas s now cut of every communication with outside world, its citizens bravely fighting dangers of nuclear radiations, hunger, lack of electricity, crime and such. Decades ago,in the 1950s Pat Frank wrote a very interesting SF novel "Alas,Babylon" that describes exactly same story from the point of view of than-current "cold war" paranoia. Unfortunately now the same danger became current again so script writers played on viewer's fear after September 11 attack and built a story that basically reflects american point of view. In other words, its american production that plays on often seen clichés - there is a good guy, blonde beauty who screams and can't understand what's going on, people in a danger (just to make a point, a baby in incubator is also shown) , unruly crowd and city mayor who behaves like wild west sheriff & gives a speech (serious music in the background) how in present situation everybody should behave like a good,honest citizen. Symphony plays on.

I can clearly see where this is all leading to - my main problem with this TV serial is that characters are so completely unbelievable that there is not a single person I found interesting to actually like. Unfortunately I have seen with my own eyes how people behave in times of big danger and crisis - besides panic everywhere,there are actually much more tragicomical situations than heroism and big speeches. If one has sense of humor, it brings laughs even in the most inappropriate places - not that I suggest there is anything funny about post-nuclear world but citizens of Jericho are all either knocking each other like professional boxers, toting the guns like John Wayne, talking to each other like in a heartbreaking drama or (worse of all) are frozen with fear and simply shaking heads and screaming. This refusal to take in the present situation and simply run,hide or do anything no matter how illogical,annoys me the most. It makes me want to jump in the scene and shake character's shoulders and tell them to shut up. However, I did watch first three episodes and than had enough for one evening. It wasn't gripping like "True Blood" or interesting like "Lost" (although it seems to follow similar premise about bunch of people who can now be spread over 36 seasons) but i might give it another chance tonight.

"The Journey of Man: A Genetic Odyssey" (2003) a documentary

Last night I watched interesting documentary titled "The Journey of Man: A Genetic Odyssey" made by book by Dr.Spencer Wells - the book was published in 2002. and documentary filmed very next year,its actually good thought it did not convince me completely.

According to Dr.Wells who had been researching genetics for a decade (together with others,it was a team work) we can track our ancestors by following blood analysis of the Y chromosome. Its very interesting theory and I do believe that our blood hides secrets of our history, in fact Graham Hancock had proposed that we should not look for outside aliens and universe but inside of our DNA for messages about our past and possible place of origins. Hancock is unfortunately not recognized in academic circles (though his theories have lots of followers around the world,thanks to his best selling books like "Supernatural" that I have already reviewed here) and Dr.Wells belongs to scientific school that bases its theories on proven medical research.

And medical research says we can trace paths of our ancestors all the way down to South Africa - according to Dr.Wells,group of early humans very similar to today's San people (the ones who talk with click sounds) left Africa probably following wild animals who were leaving for greener pastures, walked following Middle East and Asian coast and end up in today's Australia. Another groups separated and went into central Asia and later ice-covered Europe where their skin,pigmentation and even body form changed according to new climatic surroundings. In a documentary Dr.Wells himself travels around the world and follows exactly same paths that he is talking about - he even tries to explain to people in remote places about his work but I don't really believe they understood what he was talking about,after all this is enthusiastic genetic  researcher talking to people in skin covered huts in the middle of nowhere. The most interesting part of the movie brings Dr.Wells in frozen northern part of Asia where he finds nomadic Chukchi people who live in constant winter herding reindeers and completely cut from the rest of the world - he believes it was people like Chukchi who crossed than frozen Bering Sea and later populated North and South America. He talks to Native American Navajo people who are polite enough to accept his theory but they still treasure their own legends about birth from earth. Very end of documentary brings Dr.Wells to Brazil which is complete mix of different races and he points that  in the future it would be very difficult to do genetic research like this, because the notions of race will eventually disappear. The movie ends with sympathetic feeling towards human race being connected like some big family, feel good end, we are all related.

My own opinion - and here I go against scientists,genetic research and chromosomes - is that I don't see any reason why should we be so sure about early humans slowly populating earth, instead of having them living simultaneously in different continents. Just like you have fishes, birds and plants in different variations everywhere around the world I believe early humans simply lived in different continents and yes,they all have similar chromosomes because they all belong to the same category of humanoids. In animal world, chimpanzees and gorillas are our closest relatives and the difference in chromosomes are staggeringly small - take few bits and pieces and we are almost the same being. This is why I go for Graham Hancock's theory that in the future, blood research will prove that at certain point artificial genetic experiments had radically improved the size of early humanoids brain and thanks to "outside help" we became masters of the planet. The message is inside of us, in our blood and not outside in the sky. The God (as creator) is inside of us. Hancock writes very interestingly about drug-related experiments where people experienced "conversations" with our makers, thanks to DNA messages saved in our blood. I go for Hancock anytime.

"Phantom Lady" by Robert Siodmak (1944)

Since recently I have been overdosing on 1930s movies (besides I don't have so many of them left in my collection) I decided to have a peek at 1944. film noir with Franchot Tone. What a difference! Everything looks so much different, specially clothes, fashion and yes,acting. People actually talk like real people and not wooden caricatures (Katherine Hepburn anyone?) besides this is film noir so everything is painted with sharp black & white contracts, characters walk trough shadowy streets, danger lurks everywhere, good old fashioned fun.

By definition film noir is a shadowy mistery/crime story and yes,there is a interesting story here - man is accused of murder and the only person who can prove that he was indeed spending that evening with her is mysterious lady in a fashionable hat, who disappears not to be seen anymore. He is imprisoned (mumbling about "lady in a funny hat") and now its up to his provincial secretary and a detective to solve the mystery. Secretary must be very provincial and in love indeed, because she puts herself into some very dangerous situations, following people she suspect are hiding the secret. The movie focuses so much on her that at certain point I wondered "hey,but where is Franchot Tone in all this?" - he, the biggest name here is finally appearing half way trough movie and in a role completely different from his usual charming smile performances (camera focuses on his hands so much that I freaked out, its very pure german expressionism). Unfortunately the mystery is solved way too soon so we already know who was the real murderer,for the rest of the movie its all about naive secretary finally discovering the truth.

Visually its very interesting - interiors of the apartments and houses are well lightened but outside everything is scary, shadowy and dark. Particularly when secretary visits her accused boss in a prison,it looks like inside some gloomy gothic cathedral. Its surely not the actors fault that script has him being very cranky, self-obsessed and completely oblivious to the fact that girl is in love with him.

The most famous scene is one where secretary "incognito" follows a drummer who must have seen "Phantom lady" - convinced she is just a good time girl who wants to sleep with him, drummer takes her to some underground place where jazz musicians have "jam session". In a completely bizarre scene, while other musicians play, drummer is banging on a drums covered with sweat and the looks between him and the girl are pure pornography for 1940s standards. As opposite to "clean" music played in a respected clubs earlier (some silly tropical comedy that supposedly entertains mainstream audience) jazz is shown as dangerous and probably connected with drugs. Oh well. And what they are playing is actually old time dixieland.

Besides Franchot Tone who has interesting role, acting is really just so-so. Alan Curtis looks like Clark Gable's young brother but his role of man accused of murder is quickly pushed aside as the story focuses on a secretary and there is nothing interesting about young Ella Raines. In fact, supporting roles of Thomas Gomez (detective), Andrew Tombes (elderly barman) and Fay Helm (Phantom Lady) are far more interesting than main characters. Makes you wonder what would someone like Hitchcock do with this story. Director Robert Siodmak later went on to make famous "Spiral staircase".

"The Life Of Emile Zola" (1937) by Henry Blanke

Very interesting old biographical movie that starts very badly,following every Hollywood cliché (young,idealistic and hungry Zola meets a prostitute called Nana,writes a novel about her and suddenly became rich and famous) than turns into high suspense court drama. At first, I was watching it in disbelief, during Zola's hungry years, wondering about deliberate historical mistakes and what would Hollywood make out of my life,for example (Zola was already very successful long before "Nana") than I realized script intentionally glosses over his early years and simplifies everything in order to get to the point & heart of the story, famous Dreyfuss Affair.

Everything that was false and fake in the beginning, suddenly gave place to completely truthful and realistic description of political scandal that was shaking France for twelve years at the end of 19th century - director Henry Blanke went into such details that more I read about real Dreyfuss Affair, more I understand this is exactly how it happened. Dreyfuss arrest, his public arrest, the way officer broke Dreyfuss's sword on his knee before proclaiming him a traitor, the fact that Dreyfuss and his wife were not allowed to talk in private during her visits to jail, his conditions on Devil's Island (legs chained on a bed,living in a stone house,completely isolated from the world), Zola's involvement and the whole public circus around the court, this is exactly how it happened.
I am actually almost sure that Zola was murdered later (it wasn't accidental, his chimney was blocked and forever made me paranoid about open fire).

The movie eventually became so interesting that I almost forgot to notice how much Paul Muni (Zola) changes during the story - he starts as young and skinny dreamer and later turns into happy,grandfatherly type visually very similar to historical Zola - his acting is perhaps hammy occasionally but excellent,its a true "Oscar" worthy role. Joseph Schildkraut (Dreyffus) is so similar to real Dreyfuss that its almost spooky. Because the story has so many judges, lawyers, politicians and army officers, two women's roles are completely pushed in the background, so wives of Zola (Gloria Holden from "Dracula's daughter") and Dreyffus (Gale Sondergaard from "The Letter") are unfortunately purely decorative and have nothing much to say, specially Holden who basically only smiles trough the whole movie.

Excellent court drama that did not need fictional introduction to early Zola - they could simply call the movie "Dreyfuss Affair" and start from there.

"Shanghai Express" (1932) by Josef von Sternberg

In my previous essay I covered a wonderful french anti-war movie masterpiece "La Grande Illusion ". During WW2 and Nazi occupation of France, its director and main star emigrated to USA where they were warmly welcomed and fed by completely unexpected friend - none other than glamorous movie star Marlene Dietrich. Yes, contrary to her screen image, Dietrich was a compassionate mother hen who was taking care of european artists, teaching them english, cooking them european food and introducing them to influential producers. In her memoirs, Dietrich dismisses her Hollywood movies as "kitch" but proudly remembers how she cooked stuffed cabbage for Jean Renoir, Jean Gabin, René Clair and the whole list of others who were closer to her heart than the rest of Hollywood elite. Forever associated with her movie personae of Vamp, Dietrich was  by all accounts, strong and complex personality who knowingly used her looks to survive, even if her movie legacy shows her as one-dimensional and superficial.

David Selznick famously said that Sternberg's films dealt with ""completely fake people in wholly fake situations" and its absolutely true that we are not watching Josef von Sternberg's movies for realism - he was a genius of escapism, creating dreamy works that were celebrated for their cinematic magic and beauty. All of his movies with Dietrich have very slim plot line that exist purely to show her celebrated beauty, though I must admit that his meticulous way with filming her makes me wonder why he never worked so successfully with others (he was surely talented enough to make anybody beautiful), in the whole history of cinema I have never seen such obvious admiration and obsession from director towards his star. Was he in love? You bet.

"Shanghai Express" is actually one of the best movies they made together - its almost pity that it had Dietrich in it, because it has interesting story that could have been made differently and used group of passengers on a train as a point towards adventure/thriller. As the train rushes towards the danger, these random characters could turn movie into "Murder on a Shanghai Express", alas that was not Sternberg's intention - he underuses the talented group of supporting actors just to build a platform for Dietrich and her love interest (incredibly wooden and cranky Clive Brook, who is completely unbelievable as love of her life). Once we understand its not about the adventure story but about camera making love to its main star, we can relax and simply enjoy the movie for what it is. True, Dietrich had a face that would launch a thousands ships and yes, she was one of the cinema's all time greatest beauties, however I must mention Anna May Wong who had such strong screen presence that she almost steals the scenes from Dietrich (and all of this with minimum of script,she hardly says a word). Do not look for realism, secret wisdom or deep meaning in Sternberg/Dietrich movies, they are classy and beautifully filmed escapism.

La Grande Illusion by Jean Renoir (1937)

"Morning glory" was so bad that I needed immediately to erase this out of my memory with something good, so I went for Jean Renoir WW1 classic.

Now, usually I avoid war movies whenever I can - saw too many of them as a child + been to real war myself and don't need to see any uniforms as long as I live. However, the cast sounded good and I was completely unhappy with Hepburn's acting in "Morning glory" so I needed a fix of something good immediately. To my biggest surprise Renoir's movie turned out to be not only very interesting and watchable, but also moving and human, I mean here we have war movie without one single fighting scene,its all about the story and great acting.

Renoir paints a picture of a different world - this is way before Nazis and Hitler changed our perception of german soldiers, in WW1 there were actually old-school army gentlemen who would honor the enemy, shake hands and apologize for inconvenience. So we have characters of obvious aristocratic background behaving like gentlemen towards each other even as enemies and working class common soldiers going trough the horrors of war together. Interestingly, Renoir shows both french war prisoners and german soldiers with deep understanding of humanity, I dare to say he shows them all as human and not enemies. Jean Gabin is suffering in a solitary imprisonment and old german soldier feels sorry for him. His friends war prisoners are all lovable rascals, just like some of german "enemies" are simply people mobilized (kids in uniforms marching). Friendships that grow out of sharing the same circumstances (wealthy jew who shares his food with everybody), young german widow who lives in a house with a big empty table because all of her family had died in a war. I understand this all too well,because I was in a war myself and people around me (and probably on the other side) were ex-civilians who happened to be pulled out of their usual circumstances, postman, the butcher and such.

There is a very interesting story - divided into several parts - that I won't go into right now,it really has to be seen. It definitely deserves its reputation as masterpiece and one of greatest films ever made. I dare anybody to watch it and not be moved. Its really up there with "The Best Years Of Our Lives" except that its done with european sensibilities and a lot of compassion for both sides. Because it was so famous, germans banned and seized the copies as soon as they occupied Paris (this turned out to be a blessing in disguise when decades later this copy was found in excellent condition). If in the beginning I was simply following the story, eventually I got so involved that towards the end I found myself crying several times because I loved and understood the characters so well. When Gabin tries to explain (in his bad german) to a german widow "After war.. if me no die.. I come back" I bawled like a baby. Definitely one to watch again.

"Morning glory" (1933)

O.K. This is it.
The.Worst.Old."Classic".Black.And.White.Movie.I.Have.Ever.Seen.

Film adaptation of a stage play about young,naive actress coming to New York searching for a big break, with pockets full of dreams and hopes about becoming theatre legend like her idols. Along the way, she is pitied, abused and laughed at, than suddenly gets a last-minute-chance and turns out to be new discovery. At the end she realizes that success means personal sacrifice and accepts it for the sake of her art.

At the paper,it sounds fairly harmless arty warning against sharks in show business, but in reality this must be the worst over acting I have ever seen in my entire life. Usually I love old black & white movies and have no problem if they are a bit dated, but this was laughable, annoying and simply bad. Don't know should we blame the script, director or Katherine Hepburn - we see her first waiting with other hopefuls in front of producer's office, talking and introducing herself to strangers (so far so good,she is obviously not sophisticated and very naive) but during the next five minutes we realize something is wrong with this girl, she talks to much, she is too eager, in fact she never listens anyone and talks constantly about herself without pausing for a breath. Again, maybe this were director's instructions - Hepburn is so annoying that today we would classify her as deluded,deranged and definitely off-balance. All trough the movie her character talks,talks,talks and than talks some more, gestures like she is on a stage, lives on another planet from other people around her and in a final scene when she yells "I'm ready!" it sounds so overbearing that she might as well be ready for a hospitalization.

Now, this is all very confusing - I have seen lots of old classics from 1920s,1930s and 1940s and from what I have seen, these old movies reflect atmosphere and public morals of the times,however this is simply bad case of overacting. All the other characters, including obvious comical cameos, have certain human, normal touch to them but Hepburn is simply mad. I mean, I would press "help" button under my table and call for the ambulance to sedate her and get her away. That Hepburn actually won "Oscar" for this movie is absolutely mystifying - just look at the acting of Mary Astor,Joan Crawford, Jean Harlow not to mention Bette Davis,Garbo or any other actress of the 1930s and underneath obvious Hollywood cellophane we can see natural acting or at least attempts to appear human. This was so bad that it spoiled my enjoyment of Hepburn and keep me wonder about point of Academy Award at all.

"Dok razmišljam o nama" by Josipa Lisac (Zagreb '72)

This is such a evergreen and classic written in stone now,that its forgotten what an uproar it got when it won pop first prize on pop festival "Zagreb '72".

Young singer (only 22 at the time) was well known and respected but up to this point mainstream audience never really warmed up to her. As lyric writer Ivica Krajač told me once, "in those early years people were still just getting used to her unique style of singing". Translated in commercial terms, Lisac was highly visible festival performer who obviously didn't fit in "family entertainment" group of colleagues - others were recording sunny bubble gum jingles and selling records, while Lisac (who could obviously sing circles around them) simply was not commercial.

This is where Karlo Metikoš steps in - huge star and a rock pioneer in a previous decade,somebody who proved himself in international charts and stages was so impressed with young lady that he decided to take direction of her career in his hands, as her composer. Convinced that she can sing anything, he not only dived head-on into composing material for her debut LP album (that would eventually turn into rock masterpiece) but submitted this song for pop festival "Zagreb '72". It was a complete make-over that presented Lisac in a different light, surrounded with lush orchestration and sounding like seductive siren (up to this point, on her recordings she was thunderous). Perhaps instinctively, Metikoš gave her stage to sound markedly different and be as sexy & mannered as she wants - never before Lisac was so breathtakingly weary and introspective like in this song, perfectly tailored for her (in fact, we could say that this is true beginning of Josipa Lisac we know). Bluesy "schlager" ballad, with beautiful orchestration (Ozren Depolo?) and vocal choir ("Melos" with Ksenija Erker)  introduced her as a torch singer who paints the picture of disappointment and resignation. Interestingly enough, while simultaneously composing rock music for her album,Metikoš understood that for pop festival he needed different sound and came up with a classy blues that in itself was tribute to music from previous decade. From the orchestrated introduction to the very last note,it was perfect festival song. And it won.

Unfortunately the clique of usual commercial composers/performers was outraged - instead of congratulating Lisac on her victory, media was focused on criticism and expressing opinions that other singers were more deserving to win. That Lisac was too mannered, that it she wasn't even contender against some bigger names, that Metikoš actually copied "Never been to Spain" not by note and therefore he was plagiarist. It sounds completely ridiculous now but it went so far that some colleagues refused even to talk to Lisac. Very next February, her debut LP was released and put those same colleagues to shame - she continued for decades, with Metikoš at her side trough highs and lows, while most of performers on "Zagreb '72" are long forgotten now. With a few exceptions, they all belong to history while this song continued life as a evergreen and lives in cover versions even today.

Contemporary media coverage:

http://nada-knezevic.blogspot.com/2011/02/zagreb-72.html

"Red Dust" (1932.)

In the previous essay on a film "Dodsworth" I really liked the actress Mary Astor - both her character and acting were complete antithesis of "Mrs.Dodsworth" (curiously enough,these two actresses were actually very good friends in real life). So I did a little research and found out I actually have her in my movie collection, appearing in a movie filmed before notorious 1934. moral code that strictly forbade basically everything and wanted the cinema industry to became wholesome, clean, family entertainment. In one sweep of legal registration, so called "Hayes code" formally blocked anything that was exciting (sex,crime,horror, murders, gangsters) and proclaimed that from now on, movie characters have to behave morally acceptive - out went Mae West with her dirty jokes,in came Shirley Temple. Luckily for us, pre-code movies are well preserved and some of them (like this next one) actually today celebrated as historically important national treasures.

"Red dust" (1932.) is a typical,delightful pre-code Hollywood movie where good guys are boring and bad guys are the one we love. Sweating on his rubber plantation, young Clark Gable is surrounded with men who are cursing, drinking and beating native workers (yes,its offensive for today's standards but obviously it was different time) when out of the blue sky sexy bombshell Jean Harlow falls in this "menagerie" clothed in silky frou-frou's that are constantly falling of her shoulders. Both Gable and Harlow are perfect for each other - he drinks and curses, she is obviously a prostitute who is hiding from some trouble and knows how to handle men like him. As a complete opposite we have young,married couple who arrive on plantation - engineer who is so well behaved that Gable can eat him for breakfast and his elegant, classy wife (Mary Astor) who is everything Harlow is not.

The rascal he is, Gable sends engineer for a week somewhere to work in a jungle and uses time to seduce his wife who is so well behaved that this new found passion completely shakes her from her usual stylishness and now she can't see anything but Gable's rough manliness. (To be fair,he washes and shaves for her.) A strange complicated story than follows, with four characters tormented not only with passions and lust,but also with a rain, wind and red dust that blows everywhere. The tiger roars outside, tropical nights are hot, what else to do but to seduce each other,I guess. The movie is full of fast dialogues that main characters spit out so easily that one can't help but to giggle, I must admit that these old pre-code movies had some fun scripts - I mean, there's nothing truly spectacular happening and still we can't help but watch like hypnotized.

Acting is surprisingly modern - Gable and Harlow look and behave like any today's superstar team would do (with noticeable chemistry between them) completely overshadowing "good" couple who are unfortunately so nice that we want them out of the picture. The engineer (Gene Raymond) is just obstacle and his wife (Mary Astor) is clearly out of place in a jungle - she is a sophisticated lady who can't imagine even washing in a barrel, while Harlow happily jumps in the same barrel naked and teases Gable. Lots of people today find faults with many details shown here - treatment of native workers and wild animals, not to mention stereotype of house servant (chinese actor Willie Fung) who basically just clowns around, makes grimaces and appears simple-minded. If you think this is demeaning, think again - recently I worked with somebody just like this for six months and the guy was spitting image of "Hoy" so people like him DO exist even today.

"Dodsworth" (1936)

While I am on a roll with 1930s movies,I decided to check something that I know absolutely nothing about - I switched lights off, lit the candle, surrounded myself with dinner, coffee, beer and cigarettes (while outside was still snowing) and purred next to fire in a stove, than started the movie. Oh joy. No wonder,it was directed by William Wyler.

Now, this is not the name that pops out often in conversation today because Wyler belongs to category of classic Hollywood - audiences have incredibly short memory span and usually can remember directors from past decade or two, however this is somebody who in my opinion has BUILT Hollywood - he started in early 1920s, cleaning the stages and moving things around, than slowly started making movies and oh,what a movies he made - "Jezebel","The Letter" and "The Little Foxes" with Bette Davis, "Mrs. Miniver" (his first "Oscar"), "The Best Years of Our Lives" (that I reviewed here, another "Oscar"), "The Heiress" (with Olivia de Havilland, who won "Oscar"), "Roman Holiday" (with Audrey Hepburn) and if that's not enough, he topped it all with 11 "Oscars" for "Ben-Hur". And than again directed Barbra Streisand in her movie debut "Funny girl" that immediately made her international superstar and got her "Oscar". I probably forgot some titles along the way, the man was genius.

Anyway, I approached "Dodsworth" not knowing anything about it. Except that it was made in 1930s so I would probably like it.

Sometimes its even better to approach the movie without knowing anything about it - no friends recommending "funny" comedies or blockbusters with earth-shattering explosions and computer animated effects that are getting old the very next week. "Dodsworth" started to roll before my eyes and sucked me in the 1930s world immediately, though I must admit the story could have been placed in any time - its very easy to imagine it happening today. It turned out to be a brilliant drama about a long-married couple who lived together as long as it was convenient for both of them. Husband is successful businessman, used to have things done his way and having wife fluttering around the house, ordering the servants and being decorative. They could probably spend the rest of their lives living comfortably if not for wife's conviction that trip to Europe would be a magical idea. While the husband easily gets carried away with innocent excitement about finally seeing England, wife has other things on her mind - she is seriously feeling that time is passing and wants to dance, flirt and enjoy life with european high society before they both grow old. From this moment, a terrific drama starts to take place with both of them slowly going in opposite directions and discovering that they actually never really knew each other.

Script, acting, costumes, locations - everything is done by perfection. Husband is played by Walter Houston (father of John and grandfather of Angelica) who under his blunt appearance hides such gentleness and patience that he actually made me cry at one point. Wife (Ruth Chatterton) couldn't have been better choice, everything about her suggest desperate fight to escape golden cage and stop the time - even when she appears silly and superficial, we understand her behavior - she is described as basically negative character but I would not agree, after all, what other options she had except slowly shrinking and turning into another aged party hostess who pours drinks to her husband. Not one,but two excellent russian actors appear in small roles of austrian nobility (Gregory Gaye and his stern mother Maria Ouspenskaya), when regal Ouspenskaya (famous for her cameo in original "Wolfman" as Gypsy Woman who talks about wolfbane) faces the wife, this is one of the most stunning moments of the movie. And finally there is a beautiful actress Mary Astor, previously unknown to me, who meets the couple during their transatlantic voyage and from the beginning understand what would happen between them.

It's interesting to imagine how this film would turn out if it gets new version - probably directors would not resist to add a lot of sex, violence and whatnot - wife might get some understanding instead being characterized as shallow for the crime of aging and wanting something else from life. Wyler also knowingly describes gaps between american and european society, though I must admit european men all appear strangely decadent and permanently horny while americans are presented as basically good natured and innocent (than again, this is adaptation of a novel and a stage play).

"Bolja prošlost" by Petar Luković (1989)

Every time I return from my sailing adventures and happily start re-arranging, dusting and checking out my books collection, there is one particular book that means a world to me and I hold it in my hands like its made of gold. I actually went so far to have it re-furnished again with a help of book-binder who sewed pages that were falling out. It is long out of print and the only book I wish to have with me on deserted island.

I had discovered it at some point in my local library (Krvavi most,Zagreb) filed under several volumes about music. Back than there were not as many books about music as today, mostly some encyclopedias translated from foreign languages.And lo and behold, suddenly I discovered this wonderful,large book titled "Bolja prošlost" ("The Better Past?") by journalist Petar Luković that was exclusively focused on pop music of Ex-Yu and how it grew,changed, metamorphosed and slowly integrated into society hat was slowly recovering from WW2 and was suspicious towards anything that came from the "rotten west". Luković had this brilliant idea to present half a century of popular music trough some 40+ chapters with most visible artists from different backgrounds, starting from very early ones who started right after WW2 and ending the story in 1989. when the book was published.

It was such a staggeringly brilliant idea that I adored it back than and still do, this is kind of book I would write myself simply for the pleasure and joy of writing.

Than, something very ugly happened. It is mostly forgotten now, but at the beginning of our war, people became very sensitive towards anything that came from Serbia - I was working as DJ on the radio and was forbidden to play any serbian artists, for example - public libraries suddenly removed anything that was printed or published in Serbia from their shelves. My beloved "Bolja prošlost" was nowhere to be found. I asked for it,of course, searched and was rebuffed - all those mousy little ladies in libraries behaved like they would end in prison if they tell me what happened with serbian books. (I suspected they locked them in some basements and cursed myself for not simply stealing "Bolja prošlost" when I had a chance).Tons of books printed in Serbia disappeared from the shelves, including those I used for my studies (history, WW1 and such, nothing really dangerous or threatening) in fact, than current media hysteria was far more dangerous than collection of poetry by serbian poets, to be honest. O.K. so I couldn't fight the windmills and let it at that. In retrospective, it was maybe better that way since I moved and changed address so many times that all my collections were lost and left somewhere behind, including my treasured LP collection.

Fast forward to a next decade: I was living in Amsterdam and thanks to internet found out about than-new encyclopedia of Ex Yu Rock music written by Petar Janjatović and was intrigued enough to order it directly for him, instead paying some on-line shops. His book was very informative and covered a lot but its nature meant that he was focused exclusively on Rock music and I could not forget all the musicians who came before that, so I gently inquired are there any copies of "Bolja prošlost" in second-hand bookshops of Belgrade. As author of his own book, Janjatović could simply ignore my question but he recognized music fan and sent me copy of "Bolja prošlost" right to my Amsterdam's address. To this day I am so grateful to him that from time to time I think about sending him some gift as expression of my gratitude.

Every time I open "Bolja prošlost" I am reading it like for the very first time. There are simply so many stories about first jazz musicians who played music strictly forbidden by communist regime, how they eagerly watched rare US movies and memorized music so they could play it later. Than interviews with very first stars of pop music in than new country - Ivo Robić who was hanging out with Sinatra and Nat "King" Cole but at home would be summoned in the middle of the night to sing for president Tito.

Orchestra leaders like Bojan Adamič who was one of the first who played Jazz and simultaneously brought thousands to his concerts and dangerous criticism from Communist Party who attacked him in media for playing "US propaganda trash". Predrag Cune Gojković who had the first best selling record in a country that didn't even had so many record players. Đorđe Marjanović and Vice Vukov, clash of pop music giants. Our very first female superstar Lola Novaković who had media on her trails all the time.People like Nikica Kalogjera and Stjepan Mihaljinec who helped to built our own glamourous pop festivals as platforms where new stars were catapulted. Young Gabi Novak who sang in a TV cartoon and was immediately invited to perform with country's biggest Jazz band.
Arsen Dedić writing lyrics for pop songs under pseudonym because he was embarrassed for dabbling into something so trivial. Father of Tereza Kesovija selling a pig to buy her a flute, instrument that would eventually lead her to singing in "Olympia". Beautiful Majda Sepe who saw herself as some kind of slovenian Doris Day.
Karlo Metikoš who was ignored at home and than welcomed as a hero once he became rock star in France....

All these singers share same enthusiasm and great memories for the time when pop music was still innocent and full of enthusiasm. Than money and politics started to creep in. Radmila Karaklajić basically got blacklisted, accused of buying votes on traveling pop festival. Miki Jevremović accused of plagiarism. Olivera Katarina going from being the biggest star in a country to forgotten and ignored by media. The rivalry between "new folk" stars Lepa Lukić and Silvana Armenulić.
Emergence of new rock stars, managers and big money.Occasional interesting story like Mišo Kovač refusing to sing for nationalistic emigrants in US or Lepa Brena giving away all the funds of her concerts to help building a new hospital. As the book progresses and reaches end of 1980s, managers and producers completely take over and materialism replaced previous love for music - even more dangerously, recording companies are pushing banal material that "people love" which means urban, schooled and educated composers and performers are pushed aside, while novelty acts of dubious quality rule radio waves and therefore create new standards. The book ends in 1989. but I could easily imagine a sequel that would cover the next two decades and gradual decline of music culture as such - today its all a gimmick, short-lived TV exposure, choreography and scandals - nostalgic and ironic title "The better past?" points that even though it was hard to be musician way back, it still had a certain dignity completely lost today.

LOTS of beautiful, rare photographs from private collections: elegant dresses on pop festivals of 1960s, our singers touring SSSR in 1970s, very first photograph of Karlo Metikoš and Josipa Lisac together, camaraderie behind the stages, Zdravko Čolić in army uniform (than again,hanging around with Đorđe Balašević who is also pictured while in a group with Bora Đorđević) .... it is the most exciting and complete work about popular music of some 40+ years in Ex Yu and I take my hat off to its author.

"Mutiny on the Bounty" (1935.)

Why do I love old black & white movies so much?
Maybe because I found them far superior to almost anything that I see around me and old "classics" obviously had to have a certain class and quality in order to survive decades. I am aware that there was probably crap in every single decade (just like in music) but when the dust settles, people remember only the best, not the mediocre.
Take for example, oh-so-popular comedy "The Hangover" that I was finally forced to watch a few nights ago on TV, with friends telling me how they saw it TWICE already. Well, just as I thought, it turned out to be a nadir of crude, vulgar jokes (farts, naked asses and such) that would probably fascinate me was I teenager - I survived the ordeal and it did not made my life any richer for experience. If anything, it made me longing for my old favorites.

"Mutiny on the Bounty" from 1935. fascinated me from the start - myself,I am sort of living "ship life" though of course my daily routine has nothing to do with pulling the ropes and climbing the masts, today its all done by pressing the buttons. However, I was completely spellbound from the very first scene when sailors are basically forced to join the ship that would keep them separated from families and loved ones for the next two years. There was even a character of a young sailor who had to leave wife and baby behind. The story is well known - it is historical fact that "Bounty" sailed to Pacific Ocean and sailors mutinied against cruel and sadistic captain who kept the order by flogging and punishing them on daily basis. Knowing their mutiny means they would be imprisoned if they ever return to England, they left him in a small boat in the middle of the Ocean and hide in another little island to spend the rest of their lives in tropical paradise. Sadistic captain eventually finds his way back home and some of the officers and sailors were punished, however the experience pointed at cruelty at sea and was wildly publicized at the time.

Because this version was filmed in 1935. (it is not the first time, it was already adapted for the movie as far as 1916.) of course the focus was on historical costumes,action and Hollywood stars of the time - certain questions were simply glossed over, like for example the shock of sailors used to brutal life when they encountered Pacific Heaven where people lived simply, without money, half naked, singing and dancing in the sun. Pretty, smiling women everywhere. No wonder sailors refused to return to that sailing prison with flogging,starvation and prospect of facing cruel discipline again. And why they let this rotten captain to live instead flogging him first, than throwing him of the ship?

Charles Laughton is excellent as captain, though his behavior is today somewhat one-dimensional: he is simply nasty and cruel as opposite to much later Anthony Hopkins interpretation. In Hopkin's hands, captain suffers inner torture when faced with enormous difference of his strict upbringing and hedonism in Island. Because this is old fashioned Hollywood movie, the main focus is on Clark Gable (clean shaved!) who keeps his inner rage in check as long as he can, until the mutiny - we never find out what later became of him but history tells us he actually lost control over his mutinous crowd and was killed by drunken sailors in a fight. Franchot Tone (who was than at the peak of popularity) got a role of goodie who smiles and charms everybody around and he actually survives even the court back home. He got a nice speech in front of the court and later continued his naval career, as it actually happened in real life.

The main difference of movies back than and today is that old movies always had some moral message - we had good boys and bad boys, heroism, idealism, justice and truth shown as a main qualities. You can watch 1937. version of "Mutiny on the Bounty" with little kids and they would get a message, even if just from heroic speech of Franchot Tone. On the other hand, you show them "The Hangover" and all they will learn is how with enough money you can get ridiculously drunk in Las Vegas, vomit, insult everybody who is not drunk and steal police car.

Bob Dylan debut LP (1962)

This morning, as I woke up in my snow-covered cottage and run to get some wood for a stove, the very first thing that came to my mind was to play Bob Dylan.

Now, this is very strange because in usual circumstances he would not be my first choice - naturally,I am aware of his reputation and what a huge influence he had on popular music but he never really caught my attention enough to give him proper listening. Not that this was proper listening - I put on his very first LP album from 1962. and continued to run around, outside in the snow to get some more wood, inside to light it and such. Than something abut his lyrics got me - it was "Talkin' New York" that turned out to be poetic and funny and literate as anything I heard in my life. Humorous story about real,authentic mountain musician arriving in New York and looking for a job in those fashionable "coffee houses" where he is rejected for sounding like "hillbilly" - "we want folk singers here". The song was so good that I actually forgot that I disliked Dylan's basically ugly voice and listened the whole darn album several times with greatest pleasure, not to mention proper attention finally.

If there is anything to say about his recording debut, its only unfortunate lack of his own material - as a young man he idolized people like James Fuller or traditional material he covers a lot. If anything, "Talkin' New York" was so good that I wanted to hear more of his own writing. Yes, he started here and it just gets better - somehow this morning everything came in the right moment and I was finally ready to listen and enjoy his music.I am still not completely converted but I am getting there and appreciating the lyrical power of his artistry.

"Sačuvali smo od zaborava"

One of the biggest rarities,oddities and (to me at least) mysteries of "Jugoton" releases was this 2-LP compilation titled "Sačuvali smo od zaborava" (Saved from obscurity?) that was exclusively focused on ancient "schlager" hits popular in 1930s and 1940s, performed with virtually unchanged, faithful orchestration exactly like decades ago but with voices of current pop singers. I still remember my befuddlement, standing in records shop as a teenager, somehow I ended holding this in my hands, wondering what were these singers doing singing this material. 

Now, "Jugoton" was no stranger to compilations - just like its descendant, today's "Croatia Records" that apparently milks archives mercilessly - rules of the business even back than demanded occasional compilation album with titles "Music for you","Music for lovers" and such (with series of unforgettable,undistinguishable covers of either young,smiling girls or flowers, nature and sunlights). But so far nobody (with notable exception of Stjepan Jimmy Stanić) visited long-forgotten material of pop charts decades ago. I suspect that perhaps some old composers, still alive and kicking, had their input and wanted to have their songs re-recorded, who knows? In any case, somebody in "Jugoton" had brilliant idea to collect voices of new generation and have them faithfully sing sentimental ballads of 1930s. 

To be honest, singers here were not exactly spring chicken - in fact, many of them were stars in 1960s and found difficult to get any media exposure except in nostalgic TV shows. But without exception,all of them were old-school professionals who knew how to sing,deliver and emote, even if the genre seems far removed from what they were usually doing. Considering that most of them grew up on a diet of foreign pop covers, it was surreal to hear them singing Tango or 1930s torch ballad. First of all, there is operatic voice of Krunoslav Cigoj who obviously enjoys every second of Tango called "Noćas" ("Tonight") and before you can scratch your head, he is followed by Zdenka Vučković, Kićo Slabinac, Radojka Šverko, Tonči Kljaković, Dušan Dančuo, Bojan Kodrič and the whole bunch of people known from TV variety shows - singing tribute to their music ancestors. To my delight, Višnja Korbar got two songs but her talent was never in question (she does beatiful Bossa Nova version of "Snivaj" and lovingly covers old "Tiho plove moje čežnje" by Ivo Robić) and again I must express my love for that beautiful voice that never got deserved exposure. Here is occasional oddity like duet Drago Diklić/Olivera Marković (?) or almost forgotten Dušan Jakšić who is simply heartbreaking in old torch song "Ulicama kružim" that is our own relative of classic french chanson. the biggest surprise, however is inclusion of my old Nemesis Elvira Voća who actually sings note-perfect, credible cover of "Ti ni ne slutiš" that has been hit for young Ivo Robić in 1949. (this song opens a CD Box with Ivo Robić career retrospective).

Back than,I was too young to appreciate this. So I bought something else,probably something from current pop charts that appealed to me. Not surprisingly, this LP got no promotion or media coverage, therefore it had slipped into obscurity. But I remember. And when, many years ago I found it again, my joy was almost too much - today I love it and treasure it for what it is, a loving tribute to music ancestors. It's not just wonderfully nostalgic collection but also a very classy album that sounds wonderful even now as I am writing this.