RAMble, the University Libraries' blog

This past week I watched some movies that sought to recreate a period in history while using some fictional dramatization. Of these films, some were more successful than others. These films were The Queen [IMC DVD 942.055 Q3 2007], The Last King of Scotland [IMC DVD 967.6104 L349 2007], and United 93 [IMC DVD 303.625 U58 2006].

The Queen was a film that illustrates the period of British history in which Tony Blair came to be appointed Prime Minister immediately prior to the death of Princess Diana. In this movie, Blair is casted as the savior of the monarchy by helping them to better address issues in the media surrounding Princess Diana’s death. Although Helen Mirren does a wonderful job as Queen Elizabeth (winning the Academy Award for Best Actress), some parts felt too fictional to be believable. However, if you don’t take it as complete fact, it is an extremely enjoyable film and portrays a side of Queen Elizabeth that few might have seen before.

In the movie The Last King of Scotland, a young Scottish doctor becomes the personal physician to Idi Amin, a Ugandan dictator ruling from 1971 to 1979. At first, Nicholas Garrigan, the doctor, doesn’t realize the ruthlessness of Amin. However, Garrigan eventually sees the corruption and destruction being caused by Amin and attempts to leave the country. Forest Whitaker plays Idi Amin and does a phenomenal job—it is a hard role to play and he won the Academy Award for Best Actor as a result. I was surprised at how graphic parts of this film were, so that took me a back towards the end of the film. I’m not sure I would recommend this film, but I appreciated what it was trying to do by shedding light on the reign of Idi Amin and the ensuing repercussions.

My final movie was United 93, a biopic which told the story of the only airplane during the September 11^th attacks which did not hit its intended target—instead crashing near Shanksville, PA. What most appealed to me first was that this film was created with the approval from the passengers’ families. It is an extremely intense film, with a great build-up in the beginning. While there will obviously be some fictionalization in this type of movie, the filmmakers tried to follow the exact account as closely as possible, including filming as much of the movie as possible in real time. I was very impressed by this film, and such depictions still reverberate very deeply within the American psyche, myself included.

Our “Never Been Watched” DVD display has ended, but come check out our new display: “Strong Women Characters”. Follow along on your own film travelogue journey here: https://letterboxd.com/peterstanley/list/1001-movies-you-must-see-before-you-die/ .

This past week I decided to check out some of the movies from our “Never Been Watched” DVD display: Persona [IMC DVD 791.4361 P467 2014], Koyaanisqatsi [IMC DVD 303.483 K88 2002], and Picnic at Hanging Rock [IMC DVD 363.2336 P597 1998] (all of which are on our list!).

Persona is a film directed by the infamous Swedish director Ingmar Bergman. This was the first of his films that I have gotten to watch, and I was not disappointed. It is an interesting movie, because everything is very straightforward, yet you feel as if there is something more beneath the surface. In addition, there is a psychological element that permeates throughout the film, which adds to the viewer’s uncertainty. For me, it was a difficult film to watch, but worthwhile in the end.

My second film, Koyaanisqatsi, was another difficult film to watch, but for a different reason. While in Persona, you struggle with some deeper meaning of the film, in Koyaanisqatsi, you struggle with the images you are presented with. And indeed, that is all that makes up this movie—there is no narration whatsoever, but instead the viewer comes to understand the ever-changing world through a montage of images.

Finally, Picnic at Hanging Rock, is a film about a group of girls who disappear after the school takes a trip to Hanging Rock. This film has a mystical and pastoral feel to it, which so sharply contrasts with the panic and evil surrounding the disappearance. There are parts which, again, I felt as though I didn’t fully understand, but that added to the mystery of the film.

This was an interesting week for movies, where I pushed my boundaries in watching some unique films. Feel free to check out the rest of our selection for movies that have never been checked out (you’ll be surprised by some!). Keep following on your own journey at https://letterboxd.com/peterstanley/list/1001-movies-you-must-see-before-you-die/ .