What I Watched in August

An overview of what I watched in August outside of Summer Under the Stars (you can see my thoughts on each movie using my Summer Under the Stars tag).

Beauty and the Beast (La Belle et La Bête) (1946)

via always-ascending

It's unbelievable that for someone who's favourite movie of all time ever is Disney's Beauty and the Beast that I've never seen the 1946 version. Unbelievable, I tell you. But I decided to watch this on the last night of August, out on my balcony under the stars, and I was enchanted. I love this for all the ways it differs from the Disney version; I love this for all the ways it sets the stage for the Disney version. I love how gothic and unsettling it is. And, much like I do with the Disney version (although I'm probably a vocal minority here), I love the Beast when he turns back into a human. 

Must own this on DVD!

Medea (1969)

via movie-gifs

Also spent the month catching up on some of the mythology films I'd DVR'd when TCM spotlighted them in July (put them all on DVR then promptly went away for a week so couldn't watch any of them!). Not gonna lie, 90% of the reason I even recorded Medea was because of Maria Callas. I love how lush the scenery is and how epic the staging of this is. 

One Sings, the Other Doesn't (L'une chante, l'autre pas) (1977)

via verypersonalscreencaps

Slowly working my way through Agnès Varda's œuvre. This wasn't my favourite of the ones I've seen but I did enjoy the feminist messaging. 

Elvira Madigan (1967)

via rhera

I saw someone on Letterboxd call Elvira Madigan like being inside a lush painting that's slowly rotting until there's nothing but death and destruction (I think I'm inferring a majority of that, all they did was call it a rotting painting) and this is the perfect description for it. 

This would make an excellent afternoon double feature with Picnic at Hanging Rock. And for added ambience, The Virgin Suicides at night. 

High and Low (天国と地獄) (1963)

via normasshearer

I went to see this at Carbon Arc (the local indie cinema here in Halifax) and this was such a majestic movie. Taut, tense, and had me spellbound the whole time. They told us to pay attention to the blocking and I'm so glad they called it out; I spent the majority of those large scenes watching everyone's individual reactions. Loved this! 

Damon and Pythias (1962)

via 99point9percentwhump

This sounded so goofy on paper but I was pleasantly surprised at how wonderfully acted and tender the storyline was!

Iphigenia (Ιφιγένεια) (1977)

via kareenvorbarra

Picture me going silently and obediently towards a ritual sacrifice cause my father couldn't control his troops for not shooting the one deer you're not supposed to shoot. Picture it. Wouldn't happen. I was riveted throughout this, though! 

ALSO WATCHED: 

Oedipus Rex (Edipo re) (1967)
Listen, Darling (1938)
Harriet Craig (1950)