Student Movie Reviews Continues

Our coverage of Ms. Hittson’s drama class movie reviews continues with actors Connery, Bogart, & Chaplin:

“A Bridge Too Far” by Kyle Mummert

Operation Market Garden was twice as big of an invasion as what took place at D-day. The movie A Bridge Too Far was directed by Richard Attenborough. The movie starred famous actors such as Sean Connery and Gene Hackman. The movie was released in 1977 and is available in DVD or VHS format at the New Castle Public Library.

The plan involved dropping American and British paratroopers at strategic bridges in the Netherlands. After the drop was made the Americans’ radios did not work and the troops were running short on supplies. The German generals realized they were going to lose some of the bridges and asked for permission to destroy them. The field marshals overlooked the German division of the SS Panzer group that was re-equipping in the Arnhem area. This was a recipe for disaster due to the American troops being under equipped.

The acting in this film is generally good. The special effects were pretty realistic and surprisingly good considering the age of the movie. Sean Connery does an outstanding job playing the British field marshal. The story is well executed and graphically illustrated by the bloodiness of the screenplay, which closely resembles what actually happened.  The American troops suffered a bloody defeat at the hands of the Germans.

Overall this movie is well worth your time. On a scale of 1 to 10, I would rate the movie at about an 8.The age group that should watch this is about 13 and up because of the language and graphic violence.  After all, it is a war. The movie has excellent battle scenarios that are very realistic. Operation Market Garden might have been a complete failure, but A Bridge Too Far is a movie that shouldn’t be missed.

“Casablanca” by Sarah Neuman

“Of all the gin joints, in all the cities, in all the world, she walks into mine.” Humphrey Bogart is remembered for this and other famous lines in the enduring classic Casablanca. Casablanca was released in 1943 and starred Humphrey Bogart as Rick Blain, Ingrid Bergman as Ilsa Lund, and Paul Henreid as Victor Laszlo. The film was one of the first blockbuster casts assembled by Hollywood, bringing together the three main stars along with other greats of the time like Claude Rains, Conrad Veidt, and Peter Lorre. Casablanca was directed by Michael Cutiz and is available on VHS and DVD just about anywhere including the New Castle Public Library.

This classic takes place in unoccupied French Morocco, and revolves around the intermingling of the lives of several people wanting to escape France in World War II by taking the ambiguous refugee route which ends in Casablanca. Some people who wound up there would wait years for visas to America, but most never acquired them. Rick (Bogart) has wound up in Casablanca like so many others and has opened a saloon named Rick’s American. His place is the most popular place to go in the evening and is the center of underground dealings in exit visa’s and travel papers. Victor Lazlo, a Czech leader of the freedom movement, and Ilsa (Bergman) come to Rick’s to purchase papers to travel to America as the plot begins to thicken. Rick and Ilsa have had a romantic past and emotions begin to stir, as the stars find themselves torn between their feelings for each other and their allegiance to the war effort. The film ends in one the most famous scenes ever put on film where Rick tells Elsa that she must go to America with Victor and leave him and Casablanca regardless of their love for each other.

This movie will captivate your attention from the moment you turn it on till the credits. The whirlwind of emotions and drama will fill your thoughts for days. Bogart and Bergman are dazzling in their most talked about film. Through everything happening in this film you never lose sight of the true conflict between true love and the allegiance to freedom. This movie is, in my opinion, one of the greatest ever filmed.

I highly recommend this movie. I believe most people will like this movie. I don’t suggest showing small children this movie because I don’t think they will understand it. This movie is great for couples and friends to watch together. There’s enough war content to keep guys’ attention, while girls can get swept away in the romance between Rick and Ilsa. All that’s left to say is “This looks like the beginning of a beautiful friendship.”

“City Lights” by Shay Haltorn

Charles Chaplin, born April 16, 1889, in Walworth, London, England was thought to be one of the greatest comedians of all time.

One of his biggest hits City Lights is about a man who struggles to help a blind flower girl whom in the end he falls in love with. Chaplin meets this lovely girl on the sidewalk where she is selling flowers and she gives him one. This woman mistakes him and thinks he is a wealthy man when in all reality he is not wealthy at all.

During this movie this woman and her family start to experience financial problems and Chaplin comes to the rescue. Also at the same time he is helping her keep her house, he is also trying to get money for her to have eye surgery so she can possibly see again. Chaplin goes to his on and off again friend who happens to be a wealthy man to get the money he needs, but Chaplin gets accused of stealing the money by his friend’s butler and is thrown in jail.

Meanwhile, during the time Chaplin is in jail, the woman gets her eye surgery. He meets up with her in the end and she realizes that he isn’t a wealthy man at all. That in fact he is a very poor man and that is the highest moment of the movie.

I feel the story line is money isn’t everything.