MARATHON DATES: November 20 to 25, 2023
#83 – PLATOON (1986)
D: Oliver Stone
S: Charlie Sheen, Tom Berenger, Willem Dafoe
After three decade-spanning directorial stints, Oliver Stone finally “arrived” with Platoon – his first of three Vietnam War movies. And in terms of this list’s entries, it’s the first of two that used the Philippines as backdrop.
This one started Stone’s trilogy on a personal note, as it echoed his own experiences as a soldier. Through the clashing viewpoints of Tom Berenger’s Sergeant Barnes and Willem Dafoe’s Sergeant Elias, we’re reminded of the moral dilemmas faced by young troops during war. It also reminds us of the superstar Charlie Sheen could have been, as he excelled in personifying that dilemma.
Overall, it’s an astounding feat – given how the shooting location was going through its own revolution at the time.
#82 – GIANT (1956)
D: George Stevens
S: Rock Hudson, Elizabeth Taylor, James Dean, Dennis Hopper, Mercedes McCambridge
Elizabeth Taylor’s second entry was George Stevens’ take on Edna Ferber’s 1952 novel. It’s the story of two wealthy families from Texas and Maryland bound together through marriage and how that union evolves over time. Obviously, they were aspiring to be that decade’s Gone With the Wind. And at the center of it all were Taylor and Rock Hudson, in his most definitive role.
This spectacle deserved more love than it received – considering how it lost the Oscars to the largely-maligned Around the World in 80 Days and how most cineastes remember The Searchers when they think of that year. It was a story that dared to speak up. And, given its time period, it’s incredible how they managed to pack several taboo issues like bigotry, interracial marriage, and gender expectations into one 201-minute saga and still make it absorbing.
It’s also worth noting that this was James Dean’s third and final film. He died in that car accident a year before the film’s release – tragic, because Jett Rink was his most complex role yet.
#81 – MODERN TIMES (1936)
D: Charlie Chaplin
S: Charlie Chaplin, Paulette Goddard, Henry Bergman, Tiny Sandford, Chester Conkin
Charlie Chaplin’s jab at modernization was itself a jab at modernization. Why else would he insist on making it largely silent nine years after the movies started talking? Still, a legend is a legend and those sight gags are indeed a knockout. And the overall theme of technology dehumanizing the workforce still resonates 88 years later.
#80 – THE WILD BUNCH (1969)
D: Sam Peckinpah
S: William Holden, Ernest Borgnine, Robert Ryan, Edmond O’Brien, Ben Johnson, Warren Oates
Perhaps, Sam Peckinpah’s revisionist yarn could be taken as transition from classic to modern Western. It emphasized the genre’s antiquated aspects with senior protagonists, while modernizing it with its sharp editing and extreme, no-holds-barred violence.
The story of aging outlaws taking on one final heist resonates with anyone questioning their place in the world as they grow old. Think Unforgiven (#98), but with a bigger posse. True, the genre can be alienating to people outside that region, but the existential angle makes it relatable.
#79 – THE DEER HUNTER (1978)
D: Michael Cimino
S: Robert De Niro, Christopher Walken, Meryl Streep, John Cazale, George Dzundza
Long before Michael Cimino flopped with the notorious Heaven’s Gate, he showed promise with The Deer Hunter – the list’s second Vietnam War entry and the only one filmed in Thailand. Sure, the depicted atrocities, especially the Russian Roulette Suicide scenes, provided much of the tension. But the film reminded us of the internal wars that take over beyond the battlefield. No doubt, Robert De Niro packed anemotional punch, but it was young Christopher Walken who stunned as the only man left behind.
Also worth noting: Meryl Streep’s legendary Oscar nomination streak started here.
#78 – ROCKY (1976)
D: John G. Avildsen
S: Sylvester Stallone, Talia Shire, Burgess Meredith, Carl Weathers
It’s the quintessential underdog story written by a real then-underdog. Sylvester Stallone was a virtual unknown when penned the screenplay, which was in turn brought to life by John G. Avildsen’s direction and knockout performances. But then, look at the saga that transpired, one that spanned decades and continues to spawn offshoots even to this day. You don’t need to be a boxing fan to be absorbed by Rocky Balboa’s journey. You just need a pulse and a considerable amount of soul. And if there’s one true winner in that climactic first match against Apollo Creed, it’s the human spirit.
Planet Chuckie 