settima

romance

Balada pro banditu [Ballad for a Bandit] (Vladimír Sís, 1979)

Dec

24

Christmas Eve – Nikolas

Balada pro banditu (1979)

The bandit and his bride. DP: Viktor Růžička.

A Nikolas or Nicholas for Christmas Eve.

 

The tale of legendary highwayman Nikola Šuhaj from Koločava.

L'Atalante (Jean Vigo, 1934)

Dec

16

on a river

L'Atalante (1934)

Juliette (Dita Parlo) in her bridal dress walks the cover of her husband's river barge L'Atalante. A steam barge putputs by (via). DP: Boris Kaufman.

Set on a river*

Jean: Are you bored? Juliette: Oh, no. Jean: Don't worry. There'll be places to see. Juliette: Riverbanks.

* the Bales 2025 Film Challenge for December has a few dateless themes. This is one of them.

Careful, Soft Shoulders [Lady in a Quandry] (Oliver H.P. Garrett, 1942)

Dec

7

1941

Careful, Soft Shoulders (1942)

Thomas Aldrich (James Ellison) and Connie Mathers (Virginia Bruce). DP: Charles G. Clarke.

Belle (André Delvaux, 1973)

Nov

28

Belle (1973)

Belle (Adriana Bogdan) in front of her cabin on the moors. DPs: Ghislain Cloquet & Charles Van Damme.

Women in Love (Ken Russell, 1969)

Nov

18

Women in Love (1969)

Bates and Reed in post-jostle bliss, bathing in the fireplace's glow (via). DP: Billy Williams.

A memorable fire or fireplace scene*

“Oh, my God, Gerald! Shall I die?”

– Gudrun Brangwen

Oddly, one barely remembers the fireplace.

 

* the Bales 2025 Film Challenge for November is, again, not date-based, but follows a sloppy schmaltzy all-American Thanksgiving-y narrative. Trying to make it work my way.

하녀 [Hanyeo / The Housemaid] (Kim Ki-young, 1960)

Nov

13

Hanyeo (1960)

Adding one more ingredient. DP: Deok-jin Kim.

A memorable kitchen or cooking scene*

“Look at us. We're almost totally dependent on our maid. She cooks and washes for us, and is the first person to greet me when I come home from work. She is entirely at our service.”

– Dong-sik Kim

A housemaid works her way into a middle-class household and takes over the wife's tasks – cleaning, cooking, child rearing.

 

* the Bales 2025 Film Challenge for November is, again, not date-based, but follows a sloppy schmaltzy all-American Thanksgiving-y narrative. Trying to make it work my way.

Jules et Jim (François Truffaut, 1962)

Nov

4

sweaters

Jules et Jim (1962)

A movie with gorgeous sweater fashion*

“She's a strange breed.”

– Jim

Throwing in a little Movember for good measure.

 

* the Bales 2025 Film Challenge for November is, again, not date-based, but follows a sloppy schmaltzy all-American Thanksgiving-y narrative. Trying to make it work my way.

Na wylot [Through and Through] (Grzegorz Królikiewicz, 1972)

Nov

4

1933

Na wylot (1972)

Maria (Anna Nieborowska) and Jan (Franciszek Trzeciak) in court. The film is based on the 1933 Jan and Maria Malisz’s Case. DP: Bogdan Dziworski.

Fury (Fritz Lang, 1936)

Oct

26

1936

Fury (1936)

A distraught Joe Wilson (Spencer Tracy ) in the sheriff's office. DP: Joseph Ruttenberg.

 

Killer's Kiss (Stanley Kubrick, 1955)

Oct

25

Fri

Killer's Kiss (1955)

An already worn-out poster for “another great bout” between Davey Gordon and Kid Rodriguez. DP: Stanley Kubrick.

“It's crazy how you can get yourself in a mess sometimes and not even be able to think about it with any sense, and yet, not be able to think about anything else. You get so you're no good for anything or anybody. Maybe it begins by taking life too serious. Anyway, I think that's the way it began for me, just before my fight with Rodriguez three days ago…”

– Davy Gordon