Modesty Blaise (Joseph Losey,1966)

Modesty Blaise (Monica Vitti), a secret agent whose hair color, hair style, and mod clothing change at a snap of her fingers, is being used by the British government as a decoy in an effort to thwart a diamond heist. She is being set-up by the feds, but is wise to the plot, and calls in sidekick Willie Garvin (Terence Stamp) and a few other friends to outsmart them. Meanwhile, at his island hideaway, Gabriel (Sir Dirk Bogarde), the diamond thief, has his own plans for Blaise and Garvin.

Director Joseph Losey

Based on comic strips by Peter O!Donnell

Stars:   Monica Vitti, Terence Stamp, Dirk Bogarde

Director Joseph Losey found it difficult to work with Monica Vitti (Modesty Blaise), as she would invariably be accompanied onto the set by Director Michelangelo Antonioni, whose movies she had become famous in. Antonioni would often whisper suggestions to her, and she would take direction from him rather than Losey. Eventually, Losey asked Antonioni, who he greatly admired, to keep away from the studios during filming. Antonioni complied.

Although Sir Dirk Bogarde (Gabriel) was very complimentary about Monica Vitti (Modesty Blaise) when this movie was being made, he also claimed, in a radio interview of twenty-five years or so later, that she was the only one of his leading ladies he had disliked, saying that she was "beastly".

Peter O'Donnell complains that of his original screenplay, only one line remains: "What do you know about Wilberforce?" However, he accepted the invitation to write a novelization of this movie. The book, based upon O'Donnell's original screenplay rather than this movie, was a huge success and spawned a series of best-selling novels until 1996.

About a year before this movie premiered, Peter O'Donnell wrote a novelization of his draft of the screenplay. This novel was called "Modesty Blaise", and the book was successful critically and commercially and led O'Donnell to write a series of "Modesty Blaise" novels alongside the comic strips that continued for thirty years.

Terence Stamp turned down Alfie (1966) to make this movie. His friend and former flatmate, Sir Michael Caine, made the role his own, won his first Oscar nomination, and embarked on a major international career due to its huge success.

The "Modesty Blaise" comic strip made two appearances of note in this movie. There is a close shot of a painting of the comic strip when Willie Garvin (Terence Stamp) is introduced, and in another shot, Modesty Blaise (Monica Vitti) is seen looking at copies of the comic strip.

The three major villains all seem to want to protect themselves from the Mediterranean sun. Mr. Gabriel (Sir Dirk Bogarde) carries an umbrella, McWhirter (Clive Revill) has sunscreen on his nose, and Mrs. Fothergill (Rossella Falk) has a wide-brimmed hat. Perhaps mean-spiritedly, Modesty Blaise (Monica Vitti) and Willie Garvin (Terence Stamp) later stake Gabriel out in the open sun.

Modesty Blaise is introduced with a close-up of her legs in fishnet stockings, sitting on a couch by two magazines, one showing a color photo of actress Monica Vitti, and on top a full page copy of the Modesty Blaise comic strip where she is depicted as a huntress with a bow-and-arrow and a revolver. Willie Garvin is introduced looking at a blow-up of the same scene, in a wall frame.

The fourth of five movies that Sir Dirk Bogarde made with Director Joseph Losey.

Quentin Tarantino announced that he was to direct a re-adaptation in the late 1990s, but it failed to materialize. In Pulp Fiction (1994), Vincent (John Travolta) can be seen reading Modesty Blaise.

This movie was entered into competition at the Cannes Film Festival in 1966.

Subs: English & Portuguese
YouTube link: https://youtu.be/_M6bGJ_3K0g
Copyright-protected content. The owner allows the content to be used on YouTube.

Despair (Uma Viagem para a Luz), de Rainer Werner Fassbinder (1978)

No começo dos anos 30 em Berlim. Um emigrante russo e chocolateiro excêntrico se convence de que ele viu seu doppelgänger (um sósia) e cria um plano maligno de trocar sua existência por uma inteiramente nova. Ele vai conseguir superar o profundo desespero?

In early-1930s Berlin, emigrante elegant Russian émigré and eccentric chocolatier convinces himself that he has seen his doppelgänger, and hatches a murderous plan to trade his existence for an entirely new one. Will he get over the deep despair?

Direção de Rainer Werner Fassbinder

Baseado em romance de Vladimir Nabokov ("Otchayaniye") e adaptado por Tom Stoppard.

Elenco: Dirk Bogarde, Andréa Ferréo, Klaus Löwitsch.

Legendas em Inglês, Português, Espanhol.

Fassbinder foi indicado à Palma de Ouro em Cannes.

Veja o filme no meu canal por este link: https://youtu.be/1cX6TGvcRKM

O Criado (The Servant), de Joseph Losey (1963)

James Fox ("Tony") contrata Dirk Bogarde ("Barrett") para ser seu criado em sua casa de Londres. Tudo vai bem até a chegada de sua irmã, Vera (Sarah Miles). Veja começa a criar um certo grau de bagunça na vida normalmente organizada, se um tanto dissoluta do empregador, especialmente na relação de Tony com namorada Wendy Craig (Susan). Quando o casal volta inesperadamente, descobre o irmão e a irmã juntos na cama e eles são demitidos. Isso poderia ser o fim de tudo, mas os dois homens se encontram no bar alguns dias depois e o aristocrata acaba o contratando de novo.

Mais um filme do diretor Joseph Losey aqui no blog, depois de “O Mensageiro”.

Filme ganhador de 3 BAFTAs.

Dirk Bogarde como Barrett, Sarah Miles como Vera, Wendy Craig como Susan e James Fox como Tony.

Pontas do ator Patrick Magee e do escritor/roteirista Harold Pinter no restaurante.

Fotografia de Douglas Slocombe.

Quando o produtor e diretor Joseph Losey foi hospitalizado por duas semanas durante as filmagens, Sir Dirk Bogarde continuou com as cenas, assistido por instruções diárias por parte de Losey, direto do quarto do hospital. Quando Losey voltou ao set, ele não refilmou nenhuma das cenas, para alívio do elenco e equipe.

Foi o décimo filme do diretor filmado no Reino Unido, depois que ele entrou na lista dos comunistas de Hollywood.

Wendy Craig substituiu Vanessa Redgrave, que teve de desistir do papel, porque estava grávida da sua filha mais velha, Natasha Richardson.

O filme foi feito sob um orçamento de 135 mil libras. E foi um sucesso de bilheteria. Losey disse depois que foi o único filme em que ele teve uma porcentagem dos lucros e que lhe deu algum dinheiro.

Filme consta da lista de Steven Schneider : Os 1001 Filmes que você tem que ver antes de morrer”.

Filme legendado em Português. Link abaixo para ver o filme:

https://1drv.ms/v/s!AsG-jsm3UF0agTjiVczma1Vun6zq?e=S7nV3G