Brian De Palma

By: H. K. ‡

Under construction… again

“I don’t think I do referencing, I use ideas which I think are effective in this particular piece at the moment. If they’ve been used before, fine. I mean, who cares? To me, it’s all grammar. If I’ve got that word available and it was used before and if I can use it again more effectively for my piece – why not? It’s the history of art from the beginning of time. Why do you think painters still paint Chartres Cathedral? Do you think they should be painting some rock in a garden? But they have this incredible architectural thing in front of them! Are they copying, are they simulating it? Well, maybe they have a different interpretation of the piece of art that’s in front of them. I mean, how unusual…”

I’m making this list to triumph his great films, not to defend his bad films. There are plenty of both. I haven’t seen many of his shorts because they’re not available on DVD, video or online as far as I can tell. (If anyone knows where I can find them I would be forever grateful.) Fun fact: De Palma wrote the text at the beginning of Star Wars.

1. Raising Cain – De Palma’s greatest achievement. Previously linked essay has disappeared from the internet, so this will stay unexplained until I have time to write something….

2. Blow Out – The relationship between America’s political paranoia and media obsession has never been explored in such a startling or perceptive manner. Through a maze of wires, lies, screens and fear, the apex of our worst nightmare becomes the missing piece for a film so bad you might not even admit to having seen it. De Palma’s homage to Antonioni’s Blow-Up takes its predecessor’s ideas to a completely different realm and the relationship between the two is limited to the basic plot structure and some themes. Though it is brilliant as a political thriller, a social satire and a horror film, above all else it is a great tragedy, both personal and societal.

3. Phantom of the Paradise – The colors, both beautiful and grotesque, the songs and a delightful leading performances (especially William Finley’s) make this a wonderful spectacle. Considering how strange this film is, it’s a surprisingly personal work, with Winslow Leach as De Palma’s on screen representative as a loner who is misunderstood, abused and exploited. De Palma’s image of himself may not be entirely accurate – I don’t know him so of course I can’t say – but the way De Palma puts across his inner most feelings while never succumbing to being self-serious is proof of a great cinematic talent. Beyond this, De Palma’s examination of American cultural death worship is both brilliantly satirical and unnervingly prophetic, given its gradual increase during the nearly 40 years since the film’s release. (The Psycho reference is hilarious.)

4. Hi, Mom! – A milestone of the New Hollywood movement because of its reliance on and expansion of Nouvelle Vague styles. Hilarious episodic chronicle of a man (Robert DeNiro as Jon Rubin) just returned from Vietnam trying to find his place in the world and failing because he is hopelessly out of touch with society even at its fringes. In this way character is very similar to Travis Bickle, and the film can be seen as a sort of precursor to Taxi Driver. The “Be Black, Baby” segment is a sharp, smart and challenging bit of film making, De Palma has said that it was the single most important thing he’s ever done, and here it is:

5. Dressed to Kill – Watch De Palma’s directorial powers at their strongest as he masterfully alternates between suspenseful and sexy in his most straightforward horror film. A fair amount of clunky dialogue is more than compensated for by high tension, dazzling camera work and excellent performances. (Note: Angie Dickinson’s use of a stand in for the shower scene is where De Palma got the idea to make Body Double.)

6. Sisters – De Palma’s first successful horror film is extremely suspenseful with all of his stylistic flair in full effect and aided in no small way by Bernard Hermann’s chilling score. Very important in De Palma’s career, marking his full transition from comedy to horror.

7. Get to Know Your Rabbit – Delightful, delirious and largely forgotten film about a man who quits his job to become a magician. Orson Welles in a memorable role and Tom Smothers are both highly entertaining.

8. Greetings – Smart, entertaining, subversive comedy with plenty of interesting touches. De Niro’s “Peep Art” is a stand out, especially as it comes full circle at the end of the film. Sequel: Hi, Mom!

9. Woton’s Wake – Outlandish and mostly incomprehensible. Just enjoy the garish sets and William Finley’s delightfully bizarre performance.

10. Carrie – Solid horror movie and the most successful Stephen King adaptation I’ve seen.

11. The Black Dahlia – It took a serious second look to appreciate the worth. The plot holes and characters’ erratic behavior make sense in light of the confusion and frustration surrounding the real life event. To expect a straightforward narrative with all loose ends tied up from an unsolved mystery is unreasonable. What made it to the screen is an exploration of the depths of the human soul, both good and evil. As usual in De Palma films, there is plenty here for those willing to see it. (Thanks, Jack.)

12. The Bonfire of the Vanities – Another overlooked gem of visual storytelling in which De Palma revisits one of his favorite themes: the power the media holds over both individual people and society at large. Masterful direction throughout, not the least of which is the opening tracking shot.

13. Mission Impossible: A thoroughly enjoyable action yarn with much to say about the omnipresence of the media and the nature of identity in the postmodern world. Despite the obvious hyperbole, Ethan struggles with the same difficulties as everyone else. De Palma’s humanity shines through the glitz and glamor.

14. The Untouchables – De Palma’s direction matches the finesse and energy of David Mamet’s script, and his horror sensibilities work very well in this straightforward crime drama. High quality entertainment a perfect recreation of the 1930s.

15. Femme Fatale – Among De Palma’s finest visual storytelling and his most stunning use of split screen, but the ending is frustrating.

16. Wise Guys – A nice, if not entirely successful, change of pace for De Palma. It’s an upbeat black comedy about two middle age morons who rarely do anything right. It’s fun to watch all these actors acting like morons, but I wouldn’t recommend this to anyone who has a problem with “pointless” movies.

17. Carlito’s Way – Despite all the comparisons to Scarface, it really has very little in common with it. It’s a character study and a tale of redemption rather than a gangster movie. Far from great, but very enjoyable with plenty of suspense and fun dialogue. A disguised Sean Penn steals every scene he’s in.

18. Body Double – Sleazy, awkward mishmash of Vertigo and Rear Window. There’s enough flashes of brilliance to make it enjoyable and worth watching, but it’s frustratingly uneven. There is a fascinating, if a little condescending book, called Double DePalma by Susan Dworkin about the filming of Body Double. (Side note: Body Double is the favorite movie of Patrick Bateman, the protagonist of American Psycho.)

19. Casualties of War – Some great performances here, especially from Sean Penn, but it’s very manipulative and the ending is silly.

20. Home Movies – Curious, but not especially enjoyable or successful. Still, there are interesting points made on the media’s omnipresence and how it affects the American family. Probably for die hard De Palma fans only, though I’m not sure how many of those there are.

21. The Responsive Eye – Good but forgettable documentary short about an Op Art exhibit in New York. The discussion is an interesting one, more interesting than the art even, but runs its course rather quickly, making half hour length perfect. De Palma’s research for this documentary may have been the genesis for the “Peep Art” of Greetings and Hi, Mom!

22. Scarface – Absolutely no redeeming qualities, but there’s enough violence, nudity and general unpleasantness to keep me entertained. (I’m much more interested in the phenomenon of _Scarface_’s enduring popularity than in the movie itself.)

23. Snake Eyes – Very slick, smarmy and ultimately just annoying. However, it does display some of De Palma’s best camera work. For the opening, three tracking shots are transformed seamlessly into one jaw dropping sequence of events.

24. Dionysus in ’69 – Excellent use of split-screen, but that’s about it. More time capsule than anything else, and once the initial novelty wears off about halfway through, it’s pretty boring.

25. Mission to Mars – A big cliché-ridden, special effects-laden failure.

26. Wedding Party – Significant for the sole reason of being the first film of both De Palma and De Niro. There is a reason it was not released for six years after it was filmed.

27. The Fury – What can I say? Best head explosion ever.

28. Obsession – A serious let down considering the combined talents of Schrader and De Palma. Worth seeing only for Lithgow’s performance.

29. Redacted – Poorly made retread of Casualties of War. The use of multiple viewpoints is gimmicky and boring.

30. Murder à la Mod – Very strange, off-putting movie which even De Palma was critical of- a rare occurrence in light of his extreme self confidence. Perhaps I will watch it again, but until then it stays at the bottom!