Tagged: passion

Theatrical Thursday – Joe Versus the Volcano (1990).

Have you ever seen a movie six thousand times, but only gotten half a whiff of the real depth of that movie after the most recent viewing?  Case in point; I’ve seen Joe Versus the Volcano at least 30 times since 1990, but only recently came to understand the immense truths contained within it.  The film was always on in the background, and I’d often half ass watched it without really seeing it for what it was.  The realization and understanding came slowly; a little bit here, a little bit there, until one day I said “fuck it” and sat down and really watched the film again for the first time.  I took it all in with a renewed sense of awareness, and a considerably open mind.  I dissected it.  Don’t get me wrong, I’d enjoyed the movie time and again previously, but I’d only just seen the surface of it.  And in truth, I was sincerely blown away.  For all of its cheese, the movie was an acutely effective, multi-layered glimpse into a man’s thirst for knowledge, meaning, purpose, and self discovery.  Looking beyond some of the dated, clunky 90’s camp, it’s quite a deeply rendered portrait of the journey that we all endure in order to accomplish whatever it is we want to accomplish with our lives.  It is a great little tale about overcoming obstacles, standing up for your beliefs, and never giving up.  Who can’t relate to that, right?  And if you’ve ever hated your job, the “I quit” scene below is a revelation.

 

Theatrical Thursday – Adolph Caesar in ‘A Soldier’s Story’ (1984).

In the vein of magnificent but severely under-recognized pictures that emerge from the bowels of Hollywood, here’s another iconic performance that was more than worthy of the industry’s top honor.  A Soldier’s Story was based on a pulitzer prize winning play by Charles Fuller, about the investigation into the death of a black sergeant in the WWII era south.  The film’s antagonist was Sergeant Waters, splendidly played by the late Adolph Caesar; he was in fact nominated for a best supporting actor Oscar for the role, but lost out to Haing S. Ngor (The Killing Fields).  At any rate, his hauntingly conflicted role of the gruff, abrasive Sergeant Waters is indeed one for the record books, in one of cinema’s finest masterpieces.

8-7-16 + Ennio Morricone

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Men of Distinction – Joseph Boulogne, Chevalier de Saint-Georges (1745-1799).

Born in the Caribbean to a French plantation owner and an enslaved African woman, Boulogne was renowned for his swordsmanship and athleticism; he also gained considerable fame as a composer and violinist, often referred to as the ‘Black Mozart’ for his musical prowess. It was noted that he excelled at fencing as a youth, and was praised by his contemporaries for his skill and grace in masterfully defeating his peers. During that time, he studied under several prominent Parisian musicians, gaining notoriety for his compositions and abilities. As an aristocrat, he served in the army during the revolution, commanding a regiment of free black volunteers, and also led the ensemble of the Concert des Amateurs, in which he played violin.

Look him up!