This program of diverse films serves as memorial to a series of great film figures who passed away in the first half of 2008 but whose works outlive them
For us the most painful was the departure of Boris Dvornik (1939), one of the greatest Croatian film as well as TV and theatre actors who became a star after his first role in the war drama Deveti krug (1960) by France Štiglic. After his debut, he proved himself in comedies by Branko Bauer Martin u oblacima (1961) and One Too Many (1962). Soon, his popularity grew even more in action partisan films. He may at first have been thought to be successful by virtue of his youth and charm. Soon after he took on several serious dramatic roles it became evident that he was a unique acting personality. His energy continued to communicate itself to audiences throughout his career, engaging their full attention. A similarly strong acting persona was expressed by the great, primarily theater actress Semka Sokolović-Bertok (1935). This exceptional personality (even when she appeared in smaller roles) emblazoned a vivacity and uniqueness on her acting gems, such as her role in Marković’s Majstori, majstori (1980). While both Dvornik and Sokolović-Bertok were active until their last days, director Fedor Škubonja (1924) attracted audience’s attention in far off 1969 when he won the Golden Arena for his film Nizvodno od sunca. However, he earned his distinguished role in the history of Croatian film with Izgubljena olovka for which he won the 1961 Golden Lion for Children’s Film in Venice. In 1962, he was awarded at the festival in Mar del Plati; in 1964, at the 4th Children’s Films Meeting in Cannes, he won the 2nd place as well as the critics’ and audience’s awards; in 1966 at the Cannes Film Festival this film was voted one of ten best films for children of all time.
Similar things happened with famous international (mostly American) film figures that passed away this year. Modern audiences probably do not know much about Richard Widmark (1914) who made his outstanding debut in 1947 and was nominated for an Oscar as the psychopathic murderer in Henry Hathaway’s Kiss of Death. Over the next ten years he was one of the most prominent actors playing both positive and negative roles in many thrillers, war movies and westerns such as William Augustus Wellman’s Yellow Sky (1948). Active for much longer as an actor was Charlton Heston (1924) who became a star at the same time as Widmark. He acted in Orson Welles’ Touch of Evil (1958). That role remains one of his most impressive interpretations even though it is quite different from his typical roles as a strong hero. Roy Scheider (1934) became well-known after his role in William Friedkin’s The French Connection (1971) and became a real star after Spielberg’s Jaws (1975). His most complex role was in the film All That Jazz (1979). Even though his star dwindled a bit, he still made quite a few movies. He appeared for the last time before cameras in Joshua Newton’s Iron Cross. Unfortunately he died before finishing the film, so it will be completed with the help of make-up artists and digital effects.
In 2005 there was a premiere of Sketches of Frank Gehry, the last film directed by the Oscar-winning director Sidney Pollack (1934). Among many of his hits, one of the most famous is certainly Out of Africa (1958), while Made of Honor, in which he appeared in one of his many acting cameos, made it to the screens after his death. Almost forgotten is another important director, Jules Dassin. He was born in 1911 in the USA to a family of Russian-Jewish immigrants. He became famous for his intense thrillers with an accentuated social critique. During the communist witch hunt in America, he had to leave the USA. While away, made one of his best films Night and the City (1950) in Great Britain. His other famous film, which won the award for Best Director in Cannes in 1955, Du rififi chez les hommes, was filmed in France. After marrying the actress Melina Mercouri he moved to Greece. There he made his popular film Never on Sunday (1960 - nominations for Oscar in categories Best Director and Best Screenplay). He continued to make films for another twenty years in Greece and other countries but achieved real success only with Topkapi (1964). Maybe our audience will think the same about the destiny of one of the greatest Italian film authors of comedies, Dino Risi (1916), but that is only because Italian films rarely reach our movie screens. Risi stood behind the camera for the last time at the age of eighty-six. A more widely known film Scent of a Woman (1992) by Martin Brest, starring the great Al Pacino, is a successful remake of Risi’s best comedy by the same title from 1975 starring the brilliant Vittorio Gassman (Best Actor in Cannes), which is actually much better and funnier than its American version.
The program of diverse and precious films by and featuring recently deceased film figures offers exactly this: an originality which is missing from many films now in regular distribution. (Tomislav Kurelec)