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Citizen Kane

7.07 Reviving History in MANK

December 11, 2020 by Steve Norton Leave a Comment

Set in 1930s Hollywood, Mank tells the story of Herman J. Mankiewicz (Gary Oldman), a screenwriter with a scathing wit and a passion for alcohol, as he channels his experiences with the cultural elite into what will become his greatest achievement… the script for Citizen Kane. This week, we welcome Pop Life’s Richard Crouse and In The Seats’ Dave Voigt to chat about reading the present in our past and the relationship between integrity and power.

You can stream the episode on podomatic, Alexa (via Stitcher), Spotify or Amazon Podcasts! Or, you can download the ep on Apple Podcasts!

Want to continue to conversation at home?  Click the link below to download ‘Fishing for More’ — some small group questions for you to bring to those in your area.

7.07 MankDownload

Filed Under: Featured, Film, Netflix, Podcast Tagged With: Academy Awards, Amanda Seyfried, Atticus Ross, Citizen Kane, David Fincher, Gary, Herman J. Mankiewicz, Mank, Netflix, Orson Welles, Oscars, Richard Crouse, Trent Reznor

Mank: Nostalgia Never Felt So Relevant

November 20, 2020 by Steve Norton Leave a Comment

MANK (2020) David Fincher’s MANK is a scathing social critique of 1930s Hollywood through the eyes of alcoholic screenwriter Herman J. Mankiewicz (Gary Oldman) as he races to finish the screenplay of Citizen Kane for Orson Welles. Gary Oldman on the set of Mank. Cr. Nikolai Loveikis.

Set in 1930s Hollywood, Mank tells the story of celebrated screenwriter Herman J. Mankiewicz (Gary Oldman) as he develops what will become his greatest ‘opera’, Citizen Kane. Under incredible pressure to produce brilliance through his writing, Mank reflects back on his toxic battles with the mighty William Randolph Hearst (Charles Dance) that led to being blackballed by the same studios that once embraced him.

MANK (2020) Gary Oldman as Herman Mankiewicz, Arliss Howard as Louis B. Mayer and Tom Pelphrey as Joe Mankiewicz. NETFLIX

Directed by David Fincher, Mank is an absolutely stunning sight to behold. Shot using similar stylistic devices as it’s subject Citizen Kane, Mank is an absolute tribute to the Hollywood of old. Using filtered lighting, slow fades and layered text, the film transports the viewer back in time to the Golden Age of cinema. (In fact, the film is so convincing that one could be forgiven if they were oblivious to the fact that it was released this year.) What’s more, the film’s score by Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross (frequent collaborators of Fincher’s since The Social Network) is utterly remarkable, echoing the crescendos and bounces of early soundtracks to perfection.

In fact, the reproduction of old Hollywood is so dazzling that it’s possible that some may use it as a slight against the film. Inevitably, there will be some who believe the film has more style than substance, attempting to impress audiences with their slavish abilities to recreate the past. (For example, this was one of the most vocal criticisms of former Best Picture winner, The Artist, which blew onto the scene with its homage to the silent film era.) However, to claim that Mank is merely fancy camerawork and special effects would be wholly inaccurate. 

MANK (2020) David FincherÕs MANK is a scathing social critique of 1930s Hollywood through the eyes of alcoholic screenwriter Herman J. Mankiewicz (Gary Oldman) as he races to finish the screenplay of Citizen Kane for Orson Welles. Amanda Seyfried as Marion Davies.

To quote Mank himself, “This is different. This is about something.”

Perhaps it’s not surprising that one of 2020’s best films smacks of nostalgia. Unironically, this would be the year above all else that viewers may yearn for a ‘simpler time’. However, if anything, the film continues to prove how stories of greed and corruption continue to be relevant to this day. In the world of Mank, the image is what gives power. Whether it’s Hearst’s impressive estate or the bright lights of celebrity, notoriety seems to equal influence. (“People think because you’re on the cover of Modern Screen, they know you,” Marion moans.) Nonetheless, the pomp and prestige that wealth and notoriety appear to offer create a vacuum too easily filled by dishonesty and fraud. Though he struggles with his own vices such as alcoholism, Mank is fully conscious of his flaws and yet remains unapologetic about them. Held up against the false imagery around him, Mank’s authenticity and self-awareness is worn as a type of broken armour and reveals the challenges of swimming upstream with integrity at a time when the river is poisoned. 

MANK (2020) Gary Oldman as Herman Mankiewicz and Amanda Seyfried as Marion Davies. NETFLIX

The first screenplay by Jack Fincher (David’s father, who died in 2003), Mank is a tribute to the notion of the writer and, more accurately, the truth itself. Though he struggles with his own demons, Mank has little time for the pretense of others. Speaking with a razor-sharp wit, he is beloved at parties but often written off for his wild perspectives and insights. (“He likes the way you talk. Not the way you write,” Mayer shoots at him.) Even so, Mank continues to speak his mind out of principle and integrity, attempting to reveal the sins within the imbalances of power. As “the smartest guy in the room”, he is well equipped to recognize the difference between the powerful political puppet masters and their unwitting marionettes. To Mank, honour comes from cutting through the façade that those in power put on for others and speaking out on behalf of others.

MANK (2020) NETFLIX

Utilizing techniques from yesteryear, Mank offers something truly unique to this year’s crop of films that somehow feels both fresh and nostalgic. Even so, beyond the dazzling cinematography and gimmicky techniques, the film has much to say about the power of truth at a time when image is king.

Mank is now playing in select theatres and will be available on Netflix on December 4th, 2020. 

Filed Under: Featured, Film, Netflix, Reviews Tagged With: Amanda Seyfried, Arliss Howard, Charles Dance, Citizen Kane, David Fincher, Gary Oldman, Herman J. Mankiewicz, Mank, Netflix, Orson Welles, Tom Pelphrey, Trent Reznor

Valley of the Gods: At the Feet of Power

August 11, 2020 by Steve Norton Leave a Comment

It can be easy for us to think so highly of ourselves that we ought.

In this latest film from acclaimed director Lech Majewski, Valley of the Gods explores the nature of power vs. poverty through three separate yet intrinsically-linked narratives. Grappling with his recent divorce, John Ecas (Josh Hartnett) is a struggling writer who is searching for peace. After meeting a homeless man on the street, Ecas is unaware that the man is actually Wes Taurus (John Malkovich), the wealthiest man in the world. Taurus has been posing as a homeless man in order to feel connected to the world around and invites Ecas to write his biography. As the world only trillionaire Taurus is a recluse from society yet is determined to mine on the sacred lands of the Navajo for uranium, upsetting the people of the community.

Beautifully shot by Majewski and Pawel Tybora, Gods is often an overwhelming visual treat. Featuring vast desert landscapes and daunting palacial rooms, the film’s images force the viewer to feel small, as if they are pawns to some otherworldly game of chess. Intentionally linking Taurus’ mansion to Citizen Kane’s Xanadu, there is a cinematic opulence to this trillionaire’s estate unlike anything we’ve seen onscreen in ages. From tennis courts that resemble the Sistine Chapel to operas performed standing in an enormous fountain, every shot within its walls speaks to the incredible power (and loneliness) of vast wealth and creates a gut-wrenching fear towards its enigmatic owner.

Meanwhile, this life of remarkable luxury is held in direct contrast to the awe-inspiring natural world of the Navajo community. Although just as daunting as cool isolation of Taurus’ world, the dry heat of the desert carries an intensely spiritual warmth to the landscapes and carry a deep connection to those that hold them in reverence. As a result, the nervousness that one feels in these scenes is not for a man who lives in a castle but rather for the mysterious power of nature that is rarely taken seriously by outsiders.

By juxtaposing these two diametrically opposed spaces, Majewski puts his emphasis on the emptiness of wealth. In Gods, Majewski understands that that which is deeply spiritual trumps financial fortune, not only in importance but also in power (an idea which comes to literal fruition at the film’s finale). However, what’s most interesting about the film is Malkovich’s Taurus (Isn’t Malkovich almost always the most interesting part of anything he’s in?), who seems to recognize that he’s missing something and looks to feel alive. 

Unlike the Navajo who may live in poverty yet maintain their souls, Taurus’ life remains empty. As the world’s richest man, he literally controls everyone and everything at his disposal yet he remains spiritually poor. Disguised as a homeless man, Taurus honours the poor and the impoverished and moves around the city below in plain sight, yearning for the simplicity of life that has been lost. Though he lives his life like a secluded god in the heavens, he literally descends from on high in order to feel connected to the world around him. Despite his vast fortune, his wealth has become a prison for him and he longs to be set free. 

By recognizing the power of the healthy soul and the value of the impoverished in the face of corporate wealth, there are times when Majewski’s film borders on the profound. Though the story can be difficult to follow because of his staggered and non-traditional use of narrative devices, Valley of the Gods does come together through its thematic and visual beauty. Engulfing the viewer with the sheer magnitude of their surroundings, Majewski shifts their perspective away from themselves and towards something greater.

Because, to him, recognizing that there is something greater helps remind us that we are something less.

Valley of the Gods premieres on Blu-Ray and VOD on August 11th, 2020.

Filed Under: DVD, Film, Reviews, VOD Tagged With: Citizen Kane, John Malkovich, Josh Hartnett, Lech Majewski, Navajo, Pawel Tybora, Valley of the Gods

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