Memorable Biopics
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Archived from the IMDb Discussion Forums — Film General
spiderwort — 8 years ago(September 11, 2017 12:01 AM)
Biopics have been a staple of the industry/art since the beginning. Some are good, some are bad, but it doesn't always matter. Sometimes they stray from the truth, sometimes they stick too close to it. But they are an interesting genre that almost always captures the audience's attention. I tend to prefer those that might
bend
the truth a bit in order to really tell it.
Anyway, a few of those that were particularly memorable for me:
La Passion de Jeanne D'Arc (1928) - Carl Theodor Dreyer
Silkwood (1983) - Mike Nichols
Bonnie and Clyde (1967) - Arthur Penn
The Miracle Worker (1962) - Arthur Penn
Boys Don't Cry (1999) - Kimberly Pierce
La Vie en Rose (2007) - Olivier Dahan -
NZer — 8 years ago(September 11, 2017 01:31 AM)
Bonnie and Clyde is the one that popped out for me.
Their real-life exploits were every bit as dramatic as their on-screen adventures.
They were both very attractive people - not as hollywood attractive as Warren Beatty and Faye Dunaway, of course, but it is easy to see how they became folk heros. -
spiderwort — 8 years ago(September 11, 2017 01:48 AM)
Yes, I think
B & C
is one of the great films of the sixties. It's the film that revolutionized the portrayal of graphic violence in American cinema, which it did in a valid and important way by showing the profound consequences of that violence. Unfortunately, it also opened the floodgates for films that all too often portray graphic violence without showing any consequences at all.
It's interesting that Warren Beatty produced this film when he was 29. After it was released, Jack Warner pulled it pretty quickly when it had a rather poor showing initially. Beatty threatened so sue him, so Warner re-released it, and Beatty traveled the country championing it. Suddenly it was a world-wide phenomenon that garnered many well-deserved awards, including Oscars. I love the script, the cinematography, the music, Dede Allen's editing, and, of course, Arthur Penn's brilliant direction.
An iconic film, to be sure. -
etc — 6 years ago(August 27, 2019 11:59 PM)
i much enjoy epic stories being true legends of their moment in time such long before my own
THE LAST EMPEROR, what a change in history in general but also for this little boy how life started with him as the son of heaven and then finally ended up as simple gardener
LAWRENCE OF ARABIA, again what a change for a person growing up a brit but then ending up one of the arabs
simple like so -
spiderwort — 6 years ago(August 28, 2019 12:16 AM)
Really appreciate your thoughtful comments.
There is such brilliant writing, acting and direction in both films, but of the two, I have to opt for what is considered to be one of David Lean's greatest films. Oh, did he know how to set a shot!
And I certainly agree with you about the value of the stories in terms of their historical impact, as well as their similarities in terms of character development.
Thanks for the post. -
Woodyanders — 6 years ago(August 28, 2019 12:26 AM)
Coal Miner's Daughter (1981). Sissy Spacek deservedly won an Oscar for her terrific performance as legendary queen of country music Loretta Lynn. Great support from Tommy Lee Jones as Lynn's husband, plus Spacek even did her own fine singing.
You've seen Guy Standeven in something because the man was in everything.
