Big screen classics

May

A Question of Faith

This month, as last, our daily screenings of classic films deal with questions of faith... and, inevitably, doubt, since they often co-exist in uneasy symbiosis. In April we focused on Christianity; now we turn to a survey of faith – and doubt – in other aspects of life, exploring how we deal with loved ones, families, sickness and suffering, and the prospect of inexorable mortality.

Geoff Andrew, Programmer-at-large

Sunrise: A Song of Two Humans

FW Murnau’s visually striking silent classic, about a marriage turned toxic by temptation.

Daughters of the Dust

A highly original, imaginative, time-bending fable about tradition and modernity, culture and conflict.

The Long Day Closes

Terence Davies’ largely autobiographical account of a teenager’s experiences in mid-50s Liverpool.

Journey to Italy

Rossellini’s classic examination of a marriage on the rocks features a perfectly cast Ingrid Bergman and George Sanders.

The Umbrellas of Cherbourg

A heartrending all-sung musical about young lovers pulled apart by parental ambition and war.

The Miracle Worker

The story of the young deaf and blind Helen Keller and the governess who fought to diminish her sense of isolation.

June

After Bresson...

Surprisingly (since he never made mainstream hits), Robert Bresson has influenced a great many filmmakers, especially (but not exclusively) those regarded as ‘arthouse’. This month’s daily screenings of classic movies offer a small, diverse selection of works – some obviously Bressonian, others less so – which echo his oeuvre stylistically and/or thematically. No Akerman, Jia or Kaurismäki? We could have included so many more.

Geoff Andrew, Programmer-at-large

Ivan’s Childhood

Tarkovsky’s first feature, about a Soviet teenager engaged in spying on the German front in WWII, is also one of his finest.

The Merchant of Four Seasons

One of Fassbinder’s most moving achievements, charting the decline of a fruit seller virtually ignored by those around him.

The Merchant of Four Seasons + intro by Travis Miles, freelance film writer

One of Fassbinder’s most moving achievements, charting the decline of a fruit seller virtually ignored by those around him.

The Goalkeeper’s Fear of the Penalty

Wim Wenders’ early gem about a footballer who suddenly leaves a match in Vienna, and changes his life forever.

The Spirit of the Beehive

A dazzling cinematic jewel about a family living in Franco’s Spain, and the daughter’s fateful first encounter with the movies.

Taxi Driver

Scorsese, Schrader and De Niro firing on all cylinders with a Pickpocket-inspired study of a troubled loner.

Escape from Alcatraz

Clint Eastwood is impressively understated in Siegel’s prison movie, inspired by a real-life escape attempt.

Thief

Michael Mann’s virtuoso crime movie stars James Caan, at his best, as a safecracker taking on one last job.

Down By Law

Jim Jarmusch’s visually stunning comedy-fable mixes film noir, jailbreak movie, and poetic parable.

71 Fragments of a Chronology of Chance

This remarkable contemplation of chance charts 71 seemingly inconsequential moments leading to an event of great consequence.

71 Fragments of a Chronology of Chance + intro by Geoff Andrew, Programmer-at-Large

This remarkable contemplation of chance charts 71 seemingly inconsequential moments leading to an event of great consequence.

Rosetta

The Dardenne brothers’ groundbreaking, influential study of an impoverished teen struggling to keep her job.

Rosetta + intro