Old movies are back on the big screen as part of this year’s London Film Festival – and Sarah’s been taking a look at the programme.
It’s the most wonderful time of the year!
Yes it is the time for the BFI London Film Festival! Ten days of absolutely brilliant movies, conferences, celebrities, and more as film fans gather in the UK’s capital to watch as many films as possible. From Matilda to Glass Onion, through The Whale, Holy Spider, Triangle Of Sadness, Decision To Leave, I Love My Dad, and many, many more. There are so many movies that it’s going to be hard to decide what to watch.
BUT! That is not what this column is for. No, no, today I am going to tell you all about a very special section of the BFI London Film Festival – its Treasures strand! Thanks to its hard work in the archive, and working with other archives across the world, BFI London Film Festival will be screening some incredible, historic films on the big screen again!
So, what have you got to enjoy in the Treasons season? Here are my highlights for the strand…
The earliest film showing is Erich von Stroheim’s erotic silent drama Foolish Wives (1922.) The notorious film sees von Stroheim as Count Wladislaw Sergius Karamain, a conman who plans to seduce rich women to extort money from them. Teaming with melodrama and many sexploits, Foolish Wives is an interesting and fascinating silent film that was billed as Universal’s first ever million-dollar movie. It will be screening at Sunday 9th October.
Jewell Robbery director William Diertele brings to life Vincet Benet’s short story in masterful film The Devil And Daniel Webster (1941.) Known sometimes as All That Money Can Buy, The Devil And Daniel Webster revolves around a lowly young man who accidentally sells his soul to the devil (here, known as Mr Scratch.) After Daniel has much success, The Devil returns to claim what he is owed and thusly enters a court case to win his soul back. The story has been told many times, even famously parodied by The Simpsons, but this 1940s version of the film, featuring Walter Huston and Edward Arnold is the definitive telling. This will be screening on Monday 10th October and Sunday 16th October
Enter the lavish and beautiful world of fantasy-horror film The Queen Of Spades (1949). Directed by Thorold Dickinson and based on a short story by Alexander Pushkin, this movie also revolves around a deal with the devil. It stars Edith Evans as Countess Ranevskaya who sold her soul to always win at cards. Soon a young soldier, played by Anton Walbrook, becomes obsessed with discovering the Countess’s secret with unforgettable and eerie consequences. A dark and brooding piece that will linger with you long after viewing, set to an incredible score by Georges Auric. This is screening on Saturday 15th October and Sunday 15th October
Previously screening at Cannes earlier this year, Indian Malayala-language film Thampu, or, The Circus Tent (1978) will take to the big screen. Directed by G. Aravindan, this astonishing black and white film plays almost like a documentary and uses actual circus performers to immerse the audience in this tale of the Circus Tent. Blending fact and fiction to incredible effect, this engrossing drama is a vivid portray of the unsettled lives of the performers in the heart of the tent. This is screening on Wednesday 5th October and Friday 14th October
Admittedly, this feels a little new for this column (though it is almost 40 years old.) However, I cannot resist queer content. Docufiction Kamikaze Hearts (1986) from acclaimed director Juliet Bashore, the film revolves around Tigr and real-life girlfriend porn star as the couple navigates their romantic life as it is entangled in the sex district. A breakthrough film of queer cinema entry that feels timely and important to today’s climate. This is showing Thursday 13th October and Saturday 15th October.
Also screening as part of the strand are Sengali classics Contras’ City (1969) and Badou Boy (1978), billed as the greatest Finnish film of all time, Mikko Niskanen’s Eight Deadly Shots (1972) and radical film collective Sankota’s intersectional piece on class, sex, gender, and race The Passion Of Remembrance (1986.) A world and history of tremendous films!
Head to the BFI London Film Festival to pick up your tickets!
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