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We’re in awards season so it only fits that our movie guy, James Finnegan, looks at two multi-Oscar winning films on RTE over the next week…
There are two films available on RTE this coming week that are totally different in tone, but between them share 13 Academy Awards including Best Picture, Best Director and Supporting Acting Oscars.
Unforgiven (RTE2 Sunday 9pm) is an uncompromising western. Some would consider it bleak; while others would call it more realistic in terms of how morally grey, rather than good or bad, people would have to be in order to survive.
Following a life changing attack on a prostitute by two cowboys, her colleagues are outraged by the leniency of the punishment. They offer a thousand dollar reward to anyone who kills the cowboys.
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In his younger days, William Munny (Clint Eastwood) was a notorious outlaw and murderer, but now he is a repentant widower, father of two children and a pig farmer.
He initially refuses an offer to saddle up and hunt down the cowboys, but he realises that the children’s future prospects would not be helped by a failing farm. He recruits his former partner Ned Logan (Morgan Freeman) to join him.
The reward is attracting other gunfighters such as ‘English’ Bob (Richard Harris), much to the concern of Sheriff ‘Little’ Bill Daggett (Gene Hackman), who literally takes the law into his own hands.
The gunfights are not like those depicted in the traditional westerns. As Daggett explains to another character, the best attribute for a gunfighter is not to be the quickest draw, but rather to have the coolest head under fire.
Suffice to say, revenge is best individually served up based on the dubious morality of these flawed characters. However, with resonances of the famous Spaghetti Westerns, this is a dark, wonderful masterpiece.
I have spoken before of my admiration for Clint Eastwood. I cannot think of anyone else who acts, directs, produces and even occasionally composes the soundtrack for his films.
In this case, he only acts, produces and directs. He was nominated for Oscars in all three disciplines, winning Best Director and Best Picture.
Gene Hackman won Best Supporting Actor and an additional award was picked up for Film Editing. It is a fitting conclusion for Eastwood in this genre.
The English Patient (RTE1 Friday 11.25pm) although set in the final months of the Second World War, is a far more romantic affair, albeit with tragic consequences.
A nurse, Hana, played by Juliette Binoche has to look after a severely burned man (Ralph Fiennes). He speaks with an English accent but does not remember his name.
The only clues are a copy of Herodotus’ Histories with notes and pictures. What is clear is that he is dying.
They are sheltering in an abandoned monastery and are joined by a Sikh sapper, Kip, and David, a Canadian Intelligence operative.
The story of the mysterious dying patient is revealed through flashbacks, and there are far reaching ramifications to where he has been and what he has done.
It also won Oscars for Best Picture, Best Director (Anthony Minghella), Supporting Actress (Binoche), Best Score and more. Enjoy and stay safe.
