The Wasteland Reviewer

The Wasteland Into the Past: 2000

Welcome to The Wasteland into the Past! Join this journey backwards in time as I take a cinematic look at years past. Each article will focus on a singular year and my Top 5 films from that year. Turn back the clock with me…and let’s get started! 

2000

O Brother, Where Art Thou?

How does a storyteller freshen up a classic epic poem for modern audiences? The Coen Brothers found the perfect recipe to do so with The Odyssey with their bluegrass-infused reimagining, O Brother, Where Are Thou? This tells the tale of three members of a chain gang who escape together and seek out an undefined treasure worthy of their quest. There are plenty of elements of this film that make it so special. One place to start is the iconic work by cinematographer Roger Deakins. The post-production desaturation and colorization of the footage through digital process was revolutionary. What was a crisply gorgeous landscape of greenery becoming the burnt-out browns and yellows of the Great Depression era South. Then you have the incredible soundtrack that revitalized the bluegrass and folk genres for a whole new generation. T-Bone Burnett helped coordinate this compelling soundtrack with plenty of traditional songs performed by music icons like Alison Krauss, Emmylou Harris, and more. The direction from the Coens is sharp, dynamic, and balances tones of exaggerated humor, soulful drama, and some harrowing and haunting sequences that will put you on your toes. The screenplay is such a clever exploration of the themes and narrative beats of The Odyssey. The ways the Coens translate it into this modern context are intelligent, creative, and impactful. A blind black man on a railcar as the Oracle of Delphi is inspired and plays on some interesting storytelling tropes. John Goodman’s Big Dan Teague with the “gift of gab”, a mischievous aura, and an eyepatch as the dangerous cyclops is fantastic. The beautiful voices of some mysterious women certainly channel the Sirens in such an impactful way. The cast is excellent as well with George Clooney starring as Ulysses Evertt McGill. He does indeed have the “gift of gab” and is one of the funniest and most charming characters to grace a Coens film. His two pals are played perfectly by John Turturro and Tim Blake Nelson (each bringing their own distinct flair for the roles). The supporting cast is endlessly talented with Holly Hunter, Stephen Root, Wayne Duvall, Charles Durning, and Goodman (of course) truly making this experience so special. The writing from Joel and Ethan Coen is sharp, endlessly quotable, and efficient in making this a fast-paced, fast-talking, and poignant romp.

Memento

What is the film that put Christopher Nolan on the map? Memento is the blueprint for Nolan’s puzzle box storytelling with his dynamic and compelling approach to writing. The film has an intriguing concept. The story moves in two separate directions. The climax of the film is the middle of the narrative. The film starts at the end (in color photography), and each scene moves backwards from there. The beginning of the story moves forward (in black and white photography).  This approach to telling the story is perfectly equipped to build mystery, tension, and suspense. The story centers on Leonard who is a man who can no longer create new memories and uses an impressive collection of notes, photographs, and tattoos to keep things on track. His only mission now in his life? Find the men who killed his wife. Leonard goes town to town searching and only has a few pieces of information to do so. What Nolan can accomplish is deliver a compelling, heartbreaking, and unnerving cinematic experience based on his brother’s own story. There are so many dark revelations about Leonard, his story, his past, and the truth behind this mission he has created for himself. Nolan plays on plenty of noirish elements with an investigator like Leonard, a mysterious woman, Natalie, and plenty of other seedy players like Teddy. Guy Pearce is an incredible actor, and he brings an impressive combination of aloofness, confusion, and danger to the character of Leonard. The Matrix alumna Carrie Anne Moss is intense, mysterious and dangerous as the femme fatale, Natalie. There are some truly shocking and twisted elements of the story centered around her dynamic with Leonard. Joe Pantoliano is a great addition as the slimy and manipulative Teddy, the only person that Leonard has in his life that is a constant. The filmmaking is quite impressive with such a limited budget as Nolan delivers dynamic camera work, eerie atmosphere, and plenty of mystery. Any more said about this film will take away from the experience…so rest assured that Memento is an incredibly thought-provoking and engaging cinematic experience.

Gladiator

What is THE modern sword-and-sandal film that set the bare for all other films? Ridley Scott’s Gladiator. This film took the world by storm in the year 2000 and quickly solidified its status as a true “Dad” movie with its action, strong male characters, and revenge! Scott has been one of the most acclaimed filmmakers for decades as he showed a great sense of scale and storytelling. The wide range of stories that Scott has told is quite impressive and he seemed to be the correct filmmaker to breathe life into this forgotten genre of historical fiction. Gladiator takes place during the Roman Empire under Marcus Aurelius, whose tragic murder by his son is the call to action for our hero. Maximus, portrayed by one of the greatest actors of his generation in Russell Crowe, is a general in Aurelius legion and a pseudo son to him. Unfortunately, Aurelius’ son Commodus orders Maximus’ death and this sets our hero on a sprawling journey as he becomes a gladiator. Scott injects a grand sense of scale in Gladiator from its epic opening battle against the Germanic tribes through all the impressive gladiatorial fights. Tigers, chariots, and the most dangerous warriors stand in the way of Maximus getting his revenge against Commodus and bring freedom to the people of Rome. Scott crafts a film that masterfully merges state-of-the-art CGI at the time with practical effects and sets. The film has a great pace for clocking in at over two-and-a-half-hours long. The music from Hans Zimmer and Lisa Gerrard is darn near profound with its aethereal atmosphere and epic feel. Few filmmakers can replicate the adventurous feeling that Gladiator has. The action is visceral, impactful, and thrilling with plenty of sharp sound design and stunt work. There is a deeper meaning of the film as Maximus’ journey is not just about honoring his dead family. This is about the destruction of the authoritarian regime of the Roman Empire (that certainly resonates throughout time). Crowe delivers a towering performance that is full of emotion, intensity, and physicality. He delivers dialogue in a way that brings so much weight and gravity. Crowe chews up Maximus’ epic speeches like no one else can. There are also some powerful emotional moments as well that Crowe delivers. Joaquin Phoenix is intense, unnerving, and captivating as the slimy and manipulative Commodus. He chews scenery like it is no one’s business. There are plenty of other supporting turns that give the film its depth. Connie Nielsen does not have a flashy role, but her emotional depth and authenticity add to the film’s depth. Olive Reed is one of the biggest standouts as Proximo, the cantankerous, bold, and inspiring owner of gladiators who mentors Maximus. Richard Harris, Derek Jacobi, and Djimon Hounsou all deliver in their supporting roles as well. Epic, entertaining, and poignant, Gladiator is a towering achievement of blockbuster filmmaking with depth.

Unbreakable

What is the most dynamic and unique superhero film to grace the silver screen? M. Night Shyamalan delivered quite the special film before films like X-Men and Spider-Man turned the comic book genre into a mega power at the box office. Unbreakable is a complex, dynamic, and creative story that is a meta-contextual exploration of comic books. Shyamalan tells the story of David Dunn, a security guard who is miraculously the only survivor of a train wreck going back into Philadelphia. His marriage is on the brink. He is disconnected from his son. The miracle changes his life in so many ways. Shyamalan explores the journey of a superhero discovering and uncovering his powers. David works to rekindle his family while being nudged and mentored by Elijah Price, a man who is obsessed with comics and is easily broken due to a birth defect. Shyamalan creates some entrancing and engrossing atmosphere that gives the experience plenty of emotion, tension, and awe. The film does not skimp on its humanity to deliver a story about people with superpowers. Some of the most impactful moments are shared between David and his wife as they mend their relationship as well as David sharing key moments with his son. Shyamalan does deliver some of his trademark tension and suspense as well with some powerful sequences. David’s son tests his powers with a firearm, and this scene is frightening and deeply disturbing. The climax of the film sees David exploring his powers and Shyamalan finds a unique and impactful approach to presenting that on screen. A fateful act of heroism by David delivers a terrifying and intense sequence that serves as the climax of the film. Shyamalan delivers all the way up until the end with one of his most impactful and harrowing twists (as we all expect from a Shyamalan film). The cast is quite impressive as well. Bruce Willis delivers one of his most grounded, human, and vulnerable turns. He imbues David with warmth, fear, pride, and love in such a subtle yet affecting way. The real standout is Samuel L. Jackson as Elijah…a.k.a. “Mr. Glass”. The isolation. The passion. The obsession. The pain. This is one of Jackson’s most dynamic turns as an actor. Jackson has delivered so many beloved performances throughout his career which makes this performance even more special. Another important piece to the puzzle (and an underappreciated one) is Robin Wright as David’s wife Audrey. There is impressive humanity and empathy that she crafts while having a gentle and believable connection with Willis on screen. The character work of David and Elijah with their parallel stories makes for something quite profound. This is one of the most interesting superhero tales of all time in film and few comic books films have reached these depths.

Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon

What is the piece of Asian cinema that opened a whole continent of film to international audiences? Ang Lee created something profound and powerful and he created Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon. The Qing dynasty is waning in 19^th century China and the theft of a sword triggers a truly romantic and mesmerizing adventure across this sprawling nation and frontier. Lee’s film is one of the most gorgeous and engrossing films of the 21^st century so far. The cinematography from Peter Pau captures the rich nature and beauty of China with all the impressive period trappings. The wardrobes, the production design, and make-up. Everything is so precise and engrossing in an impactful way as it fully engrosses you. The sound design accentuates the beauty of the landscape as well as the action in the film. The most impressive and iconic element of the film is most certainly the action. The classic style of martial arts choreography is both fun and sophisticated due to the passionate and refined presentation by Lee. The physicality during the fight scenes is dynamic and thrilling. The sword work and the cable stunts are incredibly impressive. The fights sprawl across buildings and forests in dynamic and engrossing ways. The music from Dun Tan is gorgeous and engrossing as it is pregnant with emotion, romance, and beauty which matches this wondrous journey that our three central characters go on. Ziyi Zhang is a revelation as a young and driven warrior. There is plenty of mystery to her character and Zhang delivers that perfectly into the character. Her physicality is smooth, dynamic, and quite impressive. Then you have Michelle Yeoh who is full of grace, stature, and an alluring nature. She has great chemistry on screen with Zhang especially when they clash. Chow Yun-Fat as Mast Li Mu Bai gives his character so much presence and stature. He portrays the character like he was a true master and legend. The way he fights is confident, slight, and impactful. This film is full of a romantic cinematic essence that is hard to deny.