BLAST OF SILENCE

4 out of 5. BLAST OF SILENCE, by Allen Baron is raw on every level. I'll admit it I flinched a little, I'm not proud. Allen Baron is not only ambitious but he portrays a really tough bastard of a killer who takes on the world with equal heavy-handedness. There's a lot of great scenes in this film and the story is compelling. All of it combines if a very textural piece that has a teeth-clenching finale that you won't want to miss. Universal Studios buried this for years but now it's been finally released by Criterion. There's a reason for it. This isn't polished hollywood noir...it's the stuff crime novels are made of.

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THE BURMESE HARP

5 out of 5. THE BURMESE HARP by Kon Ichikawa was a surprising film. There's a lot going on here and the backdrop of Burma is well-suited to it. The male chorale aspect of the film is both haunting and uplifting. I'm not a fan of musicals but this was incredibly effective. The lone character of Mizushima, the harp player was the antithesis of change brought on by the conflicts of war. But how he changes is really intriguing and the way Ichikawa films it is quite masterful. If you like the Apu trilogy or Frank Capra films, you will totally dig this. Try not to weep too much. ;)

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