REDISCOVERY Saturday, July 8 4PM | WOH Saturday, July 15 6:40PM | MFC 2
THE THREE MUSKETEERS
United Kingdom 1973 - DCP - 106 minutes, in English Director: Richard Lester Screenplay: George MacDonald Fraser, based on the novel by Alexandre Dumas Producers: Alexander Salkind, Ilya Salkind, Michael Salkind, Wolfdieter von Stein Cast: Michael York, Oliver Reed, Raquel Welch, Faye Dunaway, Richard Chamberlain, Frank Finlay, Christopher Lee Print Courtesy: Rialto Pictures You could make a pretty good argument that Richard Lester, though highly successful, is the most underappreciated director of perhaps world cinema’s (including Hollywood’s) greatest era, the ‘60s through ‘80s. Coming from the UK’s unique brand of dry humor, and perhaps best known for directing the Beatles movies A Hard Day’s Night and Help, Lester made the funny yet profoundly emotional and affecting Petulia and Robin and Marian. In between, Lester directed—with characteristic wit and, somehow, great feeling—this heck of a fun romp of Dumas’ classic. A perfectly chosen and spirited cast make this sparkling new 4K restoration, “a superb bit of tongue-in-cheekery, stylish and fun, but also deeply affectionate.” —Los Angeles Times —KE
Tuesday, July 11 6PM | MFC 1 Wednesday, July 12 4PM | WOH
WERCKMEISTER HARMONIES
Hungary 2000 - DCP - 145 minutes, in Hungarian with English subtitles Directors: Béla Tarr, Ágnes Hranitzky Screenplay: Béla Tarr and László Krasznahorkai, based on the novel by László Krasznahorkai Producers: Franz Goëss, Paul Saadoun, Miklós Szita, Joachim von Vietinghoff Cast: Lars Rudolph, Peter Fitz, Hanna Schygulla Print Courtesy: Janus Films Enormously influential on other filmmakers, enormously revered by critics and cineastes, Béla Tarr, co-directing here with Agnes Hranitszky, remains generally much less known. This mesmeric parable of societal collapse, in a beautiful 4K restoration, is an enigma of transcendent visual, philosophical, and mystical resonance. Adapted from a novel by the celebrated writer and frequent Tarr collaborator László Krasznahorkai, Werckmeister Harmonies unfolds in an unknown era in an unnamed village, where, one day, a mysterious circus—complete with an enormous stuffed whale and a shadowy, demagogue-like figure known as The Prince—arrives and appears to awaken a kind of madness in the citizens, a madness that builds inexorably toward violence and destruction. In 39 of Tarr’s signature long takes, engraved in ghostly black and white, the directors conjure an apocalyptic vision of dreamlike dread and fathomless beauty. —KE
Monday, July 10 7PM | WOH Wednesday July 12 1PM | WOH
30th Anniversary - In Memoriam - 35mm Print
WHAT’S LOVE GOT TO DO WITH IT
USA 1993 - 35mm - 118 minutes, in English Director: Brian Gibson Screenplay: Kate Lanier Producer: Doug Chapin Cast: Angela Bassett, Laurence Fishburne, RaéVen Kelly, Virginia Capers Print Courtesy: Walt Disney Pictures The recent loss of Tina Turner reminds us of the strength of this remarkable woman, both in her personal life, where she was married to a monstrously abusive husband, and her professional life, which had roots in the same toxic relationship. What’s Love Got to Do with It is “driven by an electrifying soundtrack and by two performances of staggering power” –Entertainment Weekly. Angela Bassett’s and Lawrence Fishburne’s Oscar-nominated performances as Tina and Ike Turner are the backbone of this film. Tina Turner herself, born Anna Mae Bullock, provides both the autobiography as source material and the actual singing vocals behind Bassett’s portrayal, which is an inspiration. Its 30th anniversary reminds us of this extraordinary singer, and the struggle she faced that is, unfortunately, far from eradicated. —KE Sponsored by Peter and Joan Beckerman
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Maine International Film Festival 2023 MIFF.ORG