J.A. De Sève. 1400 de Maisonneuve O, Metro Guy
Friday, March 25th
19:30

The Black & White Film Foundation Presents “Polytechnique”

In equal turns unsettling in narrative and poetic in aesthetic, Jutra-winning and Academy Award-nominated director Denis Villeneuve’s “Polytechnique” remains one of the most potent offerings in recent Quebec cinema. Inspired by the events surrounding the 1989 École Polytechnique massacre, the film is a bold and unblinking look at a modern tragedy. “Polytechnqiue” also showcases a strong roster of local talent and the stunning cinematography of Pierre Gill.

J.A. De Sève. 1400 de Maisonneuve O, Metro Guy
Saturday, November 20th
20:00

“The Docks of New York” (1928)

An under-screened masterpiece of the working class, The Docks of New York (1928) is a standout from Director Josef Von Sternberg’s early career. Following one night in the life of Bill Roberts (George Bancroft), a stoker on ship leave, as he finds infatuation with an emotionally distraught Mae (Betty Compson), rivalry with a superior Offic...er, and a setting amidst an assortment of rowdy dockworkers in the local watering hole. Both gritty and lyrical, the film is noteworthy not only for its accomplished direction, but also an elegant photography and art decoration. The Docks of New York stands as a high-watermark in the esteemed career of Josef Von Sternberg as well as an entire decade of silent filmmaking. The Black and White Film Foundation is pleased to announce that Dr. Peter Rist, Professor in Cinema Studies and former Chair of the Mel Hoppenheim School of Cinema, will deliver opening remarks on the film. He will also be available after the screening to answer any questions.

USA / 16 mm / 76 Min.

The Docks of New York: On the Waterfront by Luc Sante

http://www.criterion.com/current/posts/1570-the-docks-of-new-york-on-the-waterfront

J.A. De Sève. 1400 de Maisonneuve O, Metro Guy
August 6, 2010
20:00

“Manhattan” (1979)

The Black & White Film Foundation proudly presents Woody Allen’s Manhattan, a perfect summer’s night treat in all its black and white splendor. Thematically, the film straddles a number of topics, most of which are familiar to fans of Allen: infidelity, the importance of personal integrity, and the evanescence of love and lust versus the longevity of friendship. Rarely are these tropes dealt with in such an endearing manner. Stylistically, the aesthetic is comprised almost entirely of long-takes and exudes a confidence and flair in its highly composed mise-en-scene, consistent with Allen’s mid-to-late seventies work. Central to the film’s success and enduring legacy is Allen’s collaboration with veteran Lensman Gordon Willis. Even a cursory glace at Manhattan’s sumptuously lit scope images can attest not only to the legions of admirers but also to its status as the second feature ever to be released in a VHS widescreen format. Manhattan truly houses a cinematic skyline that can change an industry standard! A perennial fan favorite and a true hallmark of late seventies cinema, Manhattan is presented here as a pristine 16mm print.

U.S. / B&W / 96 Min.
Dir. Woody Allen

J.A. De Sève. 1400 de Maisonneuve O, Metro Guy
June 5, 2010
20:00

“Knife in the Water” (1962)

A nautical classic equally suspenseful and salacious, Roman Polanski’s 1962 debut feature film Knife in the Water has lost none of the slow burning tension which endeared it to audiences and critics alike. A menacing ménage-à-trois, the film chronicles a day and a night aboard a luxury boat populated by an older well-to-do couple (Leon Niemczyk and Jolanta Umecka) and the impetuous young hitchhiker (Zygmunt Malanowicz) they chance to meet. From this unimposing premise, Polanski deftly draws out and explores every conceivable nuance lurking beneath the masks donned by these characters. Youth, violence, wealth, and sex are but a few of the themes which surface and just as quickly submerge - gone from the screen but not as easily forgotten. Expertly lensed by cinematographer Jerzy Lipman, Knife in the Water introduces the tight spaces, unorthodox angles, and unrelenting aesthetic discomfort that would become hallmarks of Polanksi’s later career. Repulsion, The Tenant, and Rosemary’s Baby all find their lineage here. Rarely in the history of cinema has a debut of such modest means and manners emerged as accomplished as Knife in the Water. Presented here as a 35mm print in beautiful Black and White.

Poland/B&W/94 Min.
Dir. Roman Polanski

J.A. De Sève. 1400 de Maisonneuve O, Metro Guy
Avril 9, 2010
19:00

Babydoll

A dark romp through cotton, cribs and carnal implications, Elia Kazan’s “Babydoll” remains one of the most curious and rewarding films of the 1950’s. Times are rough for cotton-gin proprietor Archie Lee (Karl Malden); business is dead, his child-bride “babydoll” (Caroll Baker, in a role coveted by Marilyn Monroe) is off-limits until her twentieth birthday, and a vengeful business rival (Eli Wallach, in his feature film debut) has descended upon Lee’s plantation with dubious motives. In Kazan’s second collaboration with famed playwright Tennessee Williams, coming on the heels of 1951’s monumental “A Streetcar named Desire”, they again conjure up a stark southern landscape of sexual pervasiveness. Nearly unparalleled in its controversy upon release, the film was notoriously banned from theaters by the Omnipotent Roman Catholic Legion of Decency on grounds of sexual suggestiveness. Shot on location in the deserted mansions and decrepit farm lands of Benoit, Mississippi, “Babydoll” is also notable as one of Elia Kazan’s most visually sumptuous films. Presented here as a 35mm print in beautiful Black and White.

USA/B&W/114 Mins.
Dir. Elia Kazan

“The Dirtiest American made motion-picture that had ever been legally exhibited.” – Time Magazine, 1956.