Fury (Fritz Lang, 1936)
Oct
26
1936
A distraught Joe Wilson (Spencer Tracy ) in the sheriff's office. DP: Joseph Ruttenberg.
Paparazzi (Jacques Rozier, 1963/1964)
Jul
29
Brigitte Bardot and her co-star Michel Piccoli making a show of ascending the stairs of Casa Malaparte as seen through a paparazzo's lens. DP: Maurice Perrimond.
A character has a camera or takes photos*
It buzzes on the set of Le mépris. These mosquitos, the Italians say paparazzi, swarm La Bardot and making it merely impossible for anyone – themselves included – to do their job. But Bardot knows them, too well, and gives them what they want, when she wants it.
* the Bales 2025 Film Challenge for July is, for unknown reasons, mostly not date-related and follows some sort of vacation narrative.
“It's a weird, crazy idea, but that's the reason it intrigues me.”
Beyond a Reasonable Doubt (Fritz Lang, 1956)
May
7
Susan Spencer (Joan Fontaine) lighting Tom Garrett's (Dana Andrews) cigarette. DP: William E. Snyder.
– Tom Garrett
“Producers are something I can easily do without”
Le mépris [Contempt] (Jean-Luc Godard, 1963)
May
5
Europe Day
Michel Piccoli, director Fritz Lang, Jack Palance, and director Jean-Luc Godard behind the scenes. The clapperboard held by Godard is for the movie that Lang's working on in Le Mépris, an adaption of Homer's Odyssey. DP: Raoul Coutard.
A director from the EU for Europe Day
– Fritz Lang
A film in a film, the former directed by Fritz Lang, directed by Godard.
Die Nibelungen: Siegfried (Fritz Lang, 1924)
Jan
2
dragons
Siegfried (Paul Richter), seen from the back, bathing in the blood of the slain dragon. On his left shoulder blade, a linden leaf. DPs: Carl Hoffmann, Günther Rittau & Walter Ruttmann.
Dragons or lizards, January's soul symbol.
– This guy's got a lot of class. – Yeah? If he's got so much class, what's he doin' with you?
Beyond a Reasonable Doubt (Fritz Lang, 1956)
Dec
18
late late night dinner
Dolly Moore (Barbara Nichols) and girlfriends amuse themselves over late late-night dinner. DP: William E. Snyder.
“Just you wait, it won't be long,
The man in black will soon be here,
With his cleaver's blade so true,
He'll make mincemeat out of you!”
M [M – Eine Stadt sucht einen Mörder] (Fritz Lang, 1931)
Sep
5
Jury Rights Day
Schränker (Gustaf Gründgens) and his kangaroo court. Under his clenched fist a photograph of one of the murdered girls. DP: Fritz Arno Wagner.
– children singing
“How about you slip into something more comfortable, like a few drinks and some Chinese food?”
The Blue Gardenia (Fritz Lang, 1953)
Aug
5
International Hangover Day
Norah (Anne Baxter) and Harry (Raymond Burr) sharing a meal – and a drink (or two) – at the Blue Gardenia Club. DP: Nicholas Musuraca.
After a horrible birthday alone followed by a lovely night out, Norah wakes up with a terrible hangover and a hunch of being a murderess.
– Harry
The Blue Gardenia is Lang's hard-bitten take on the gruesome Black Dahlia murder case and part of his newspaper noir trilogy together with While the City Sleeps and Beyond a Reasonable Doubt, both from 1956.