Mini-Movie Review: Danger: Diabolik
May. 27th, 2006 07:28 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
caraigI recently picked up an old cinema gem that I'd heard about years ago but finally got to see. The name of the film is Danger: Diabolik though the original Italian title was just Diabolik. Made in 1968 it starred Peter Law in the title role, and could be considered one of the first post-serials comics-to-film adaptations. (EDIT: Not counting the great old pulp serials. By this I mean a feature-length film. Sorry for any confusion, I most certainly did not forget Flash Gordon, Superman, Buck Rogers, or Tarzan!)
The original Diabolik was an Italian comic strip which followed the adventures and heists of a jewel thief in an unnamed European country. The movie seems to take three of his major heists and puts them to live action film. The dialogue and pacing is fairly standard for it's time though the visual effects are a bit on the costly side. However, several things stand out for the cinema student to take note of. As noted in the commentary, the matte paintings had been done under the direction of the film's director, Mario Bava, and he lavished attention on them. The mattes are dramatic in places. That being said, some of the visual effects are... well, they're standard for their time. The chromakey screening is badly, badly obvious in a few places. Peter Law's performance is on the wooden side, not that he has much to say as it is, though that adds to the characterization of Diabolik -- this is not a Robin Hood, Thomas Crown, or Danny Ocean. Diabolik is quite ruthless at times and apparently thinks nothing of offing several hapless guards. I would daresay his bodycount rivals if not exceeds that of a Bond film of the time. This is not a movie to take notes on if you're looking for a characterization of a cheerful, moral catburglar (or pirate, for that matter!)
However, this shouldn't be taken as ragging on the film; Diabolik is a different flavor of quasi-hero and is pretty representative of the changing trend in cinema at the time. The seventies were just starting, too, which instead of casting Diabolik in a negative light, depicts him as an anarchist against an corruptable, incompetent government. On roots for Diabolik (mostly; my enthusiasm for him diminished shortly after the second or third death of a hapless guard) because he mostly seems to be in it solely for the thrill of the theft, though part of what we from this angle might not like about the character is the gathering of the wealth for the same of the wealth itself.
Without going too much more into an essay about this movie -- it's late-60's camp, after all! -- feel free to check it out yourself. If for no other reason, than for the most amazingly stoniest performance by an actor since before Doug Frye graced the screen of Godzilla Final Wars. ^_^ (And I mean that in a good way!)
So, are there any other movies that folks have seen that sort of follow a similar pattern? Movies that are clearly products of their time, or that have lead characters that aren't distinctly heroes or meant to be sympathetic?
The original Diabolik was an Italian comic strip which followed the adventures and heists of a jewel thief in an unnamed European country. The movie seems to take three of his major heists and puts them to live action film. The dialogue and pacing is fairly standard for it's time though the visual effects are a bit on the costly side. However, several things stand out for the cinema student to take note of. As noted in the commentary, the matte paintings had been done under the direction of the film's director, Mario Bava, and he lavished attention on them. The mattes are dramatic in places. That being said, some of the visual effects are... well, they're standard for their time. The chromakey screening is badly, badly obvious in a few places. Peter Law's performance is on the wooden side, not that he has much to say as it is, though that adds to the characterization of Diabolik -- this is not a Robin Hood, Thomas Crown, or Danny Ocean. Diabolik is quite ruthless at times and apparently thinks nothing of offing several hapless guards. I would daresay his bodycount rivals if not exceeds that of a Bond film of the time. This is not a movie to take notes on if you're looking for a characterization of a cheerful, moral catburglar (or pirate, for that matter!)
However, this shouldn't be taken as ragging on the film; Diabolik is a different flavor of quasi-hero and is pretty representative of the changing trend in cinema at the time. The seventies were just starting, too, which instead of casting Diabolik in a negative light, depicts him as an anarchist against an corruptable, incompetent government. On roots for Diabolik (mostly; my enthusiasm for him diminished shortly after the second or third death of a hapless guard) because he mostly seems to be in it solely for the thrill of the theft, though part of what we from this angle might not like about the character is the gathering of the wealth for the same of the wealth itself.
Without going too much more into an essay about this movie -- it's late-60's camp, after all! -- feel free to check it out yourself. If for no other reason, than for the most amazingly stoniest performance by an actor since before Doug Frye graced the screen of Godzilla Final Wars. ^_^ (And I mean that in a good way!)
So, are there any other movies that folks have seen that sort of follow a similar pattern? Movies that are clearly products of their time, or that have lead characters that aren't distinctly heroes or meant to be sympathetic?
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Date: 2006-05-28 12:04 am (UTC)Coming from the other end, folks who are clearly crooks, but are the smallest bit sympathetic (they'd have to be, being the protagonists) would be Nick Roth and Clair Kelsky (played by Stanley Tucci and Kyra Sedgewick respectively) from the movie Montana.
All those came out in the 90's (92, 93, and 98 respectively)...not sure if it was indicative of the time, but there it is. ;)