Masterful Movie

Lack of good storyline.

Intense, gripping, stylish and poignant

A film with more than the usual spoiler issues. Talking about it in any detail feels akin to handing you a gift-wrapped present and saying, "I hope you like it -- It's a thriller about a diabolical secret experiment."

I saw 'The Golden Coach' twenty years ago in a big screen revival. I don't recall that I liked it or disliked it. Actually, I don't recall much about it at all. So I thought I'd watch it again, now that I have hundreds of really great films under my belt ...and I see why nothing stuck in my head. It's trying very hard to be important; by rejecting the usual Hollywood treatment and pacing. But it dilly-dallies with a static, indifferent structure wherein Anna Maganani pinballs between three men who are after her. If I had the patience I could scour this for the transitory meaning of objects (No thanks, I'll take "The Earrings of Madame de...") but the apparent level of the movie never drew me in, so I'm not especially interested in the underpinnings.I have never understood the appeal of Magnani. She is a a brassy, loud mouth vulgarian, and a turn-off of epic proportions. She's clearly approaching her over-ripe, matronly years here, and the idea that 3 men could fall all over themselves for her is absurd. Her trademark in this film is some full-throated proectile laughter which probably broke a lot of objects downwind. They seem to be cashing in on her laugh. It's as if crowds adored in in a breakout role the previous year (where she laughed once) and this was conceived as the merest excuse to have her laugh like a jackal every 4 minutes.On the set of the Fugitive Kind she was reportedly incensed, and increasingly unhinged because Brando did not find her attractive, nor have a tryst with her. The lady does not seem to have understood her limitations. She was lucky to have the career she did. She peaked with her first film, where she played a care-worn wartime schlub/housewife.

For the first 102 minutes, I saw this film much as MATTHEWSCOTT8: a pleasant movie that was charming and colorful, but otherwise ordinary. The final minute, however, is transcendent and elevates the entire work to something else. (The only other example of this I can think of is John Huston's "The Dead" where the final voice over forces you to reevaluate everything that have come before in a new light).Here is one interpretation of the the events of the last minute and their meaning:A player steps to the edge of the stage, beyond the curtain. He reveals the cosmological structure of this play within a play within a film. The first play is the "real world" where ordinary events occur and characters interact. Most pursue some narrow selfish objective, but on rare occasions one overcomes their greed and achieves a degree of liberation and fulfillment (in this case Camilla).The second play is the stage on which the our narrator stands; a kind of Bardo between the fist play and our audience. The audience is a sea of human souls - all those who have passed away as their personal play has ended.The narrator tells us that Camilla is missing. In the background we see her pale ghostly image as she bids farewell to remaining cast members.The narrator then gives us his philosophy of life, "Don't waste your time on the so called real life. You belong to us"..." the only way to find happiness is on any stage"... "during those two little hours when you become another person; your true self." Thus, even a fairly standard story offers the potential to transcend our plight and experience something eternal. Renoir is describing the essence of pure eastern mysticism, here in a deeply western European context."Filipe, Ramon and the Viscount have disappeared. Gone." says Camilla, "Don't they exist anymore?"."Now they are part of the audience. Do you miss them ?" asks our narrator.Overall, this ending is so quick and unexpected that is feels like a rabbit punch to awaken the spirit. We are left, like Camilla, to contemplate the play, the nature of all plays and our own existence.

Jean Renoir, the masterful creator of such films as Les Regles du Jeu and La Grande Illusion tries his hand at a period piece, set in Spanish ruled Latin America, filmed in English with American and Italian actors. The memorable performance of the film was by its star Anna Magnani as Camilla, an Italian actress who has come to perform with her troupe and is courted by 3 men, a captain in the army, a sports hero matador and the viceroy. Of course the viceroy, with his offer of the Golden Coach starts to win out over the others. We are deftly led through the court life with its jealousies, backbiting, and hypocrisy. Acting is a passion though, even when an actor is considered an outcast. The ending ties together the message of the film as we see Camilla make her choice. The film in interesting and compelling if not powerful.This movie is like this interesting meat pastry that I ate at Sabor Latino in Ann Arbor. Sabor Latino is a cheap, delicious little place on main street that serves Latin American food. I ate this Puerto Rican dish that is made from banana meal that is filled with savory chunks of meat with a delicious sauce and then deep fried. The plantains add an interesting light element to the dish, which is very good. It was filling, different and expertly prepared, but it will not become my favorite dish there (It's hard to beat melted cheese). 6.5/10 http://blog.myspace.com/locoformovies

I saw this recently at a retrospective celebrating the 50th anniversary of the founding of Cahiers du Cinema, and I approached it with some trepidation. I didn't know if I would like it as much as Renoir's more famous films of the 30s, and I had previously found some of the color films he did in the 50s to be less accessible. I needn't have worried; this film is a masterpiece. The color is sumptuous and breathtaking; I have always like Technicolor, in which this film is shot, for the richness of its palette. The acting is brilliant and introduced me to some wonderful actors I have never heard of before. Well worth viewing.