THE GOLEM. Suffering under the tyrannical rule of Rudolf II in the 16th-century Prague, a talmudic rabbi creates a giant warrior to protect the safety of his people. Sculpted of clay and animated by the mysterious secrets of the Cabala, the Golem is a seemingly indestructible juggernaut, performing acts of great heroism, yet equally capable of dreadful violence. 1920. B&W. 1 hr. 26 min. German/German with English subtitles. Special features include: Excerpts from Le Golem and scene comparisons. DVD. [GR 68]
SIEGFRIED. Based on the epic poem Die Nibelungenlied. Young and brave Siegfried leaves his forest dwelling to seek the kingdom of King Gunther. En Route he encounters a fire breathing giant dragon and successfully conquers it. A bird informs Siegfried that bathing in the dragon's blood will make him invincible, however, while gleefully obliging, a small leaf lands on Sigfried's shoulder and creates a vulnerable spot where the blood did not touch him. After battling the Dwarf king of the Nibelungen, Siegfried reaches Gunther's court and falls in love with the King's sister Kriemhild. Gunther will only allow the two to marry if Siegfried helps him win the hand of Brunhilde, the warrior queen of Iceland. Using his magic powers and a cloak of invisibility won in the battle with the dwarf king, Siegfried tricks Brunhilde into yielding to Gunther. When Brunhilde learns of the subterfuge she angrily puts the wheels in motion to further a plot to kill Siegfried, who she secretly loves. Filled with monumental smokey forest vistas, stunning images, and magical creatures, Lang's mystical depiction of ancient Norse lands crafts a compelling tale of desire, destruction and revenge. 1924. B&W. 1 hr. 36 min. English. VHS. [GR 21]
Brave Warrior 1952 Subtitles
UMBERTO D. The story centers on a retired civil servant, living only on his pension, whose best friend is his dog. Unable to survive on his meager income, he sacrifices a part of his pension for his dog, and is evicted by his landlady for non-payment of rent. 1952. B&W. 1 hr. 29 min. Italian/Italian with English subtitles. Special features include: 55-minute documentary: "That's Life: Vittorio De Sica," video interview with actress Maria Pia Casilio, essay by critic Stuart Klawahs, writings on Umberto by Umberto Eco, Luisa Alessandri, and Carlo Battisti. DVD. [IT 30]
IKIRU. Akira Kurosawa moved outside his usual stylistic preoccupations to make this poetic and emotionally powerful work about a gravely ill, quiet and dignified civil servant who vows to find grace and purpose in his final months, through the building of a public park. It's a thoughtful, contemplative, lyrical work centered by Takashi Shimura's virtuoso performance. 1952. Japanese/Japanese with English subtitles. DVD. (Two-disc set.)
TABOO. Set in 1865 Kyoto, the story centers on a samurai militia unit that fiercely defends the Shogunate. Desperately in need of new recruits, the unit enlists 18-year-old Kano, a fearless warrior whose mesmerizing good looks immediately intrigue his fellow students. 1999. Color. 1 hr. 40 min. Japanese/Japanese with English subtitles. Special features include: Cast and crew profiles and trailers. DVD. [JA 12]
LEGEND OF SURAM FORTRESS, THE. Based on an ancient Georgian Legend, this film is dedicated to Georgian warriors of all ages who have died for their country. Color. 1 hr. 29 min. Russian with English subtitles. VHS. [RU 14]
PIRATES OF THE XXTH CENTURY. Russian cinema isn't well known for its action pictures, but this box office hit is more exciting than many Hollywood blockbusters and includes some thrilling martial arts combat to go along with the gunplay. Modern day pirates hijack a ship to steal its cargo of pharmaceutical opium, but when some brave members of the crew fight back, it leads to a deadly battle to the finish. Based loosely on a true story. 1979. Color. 1 hr. 23 min. Russian/English/French/Spanish with optional English/French/German/Dutch/Spanish/Italian/ Portuguese/Japanese/Hebrew/Swedish/Chinese/Arabic subtitles. Special features include: Interviews with script writer, director, leading actor and stunts director, photo album, and cast and crew filmographies. DVD. [RU 57]
BRUTE, THE. The great Mexican star Pedro Armendariz plays a powerfully strong but slow-witted slaughterhouse worker who is hired by a slumlord to break a tenant strike. 1952. B&W. 1 hr. 21 min. Spanish with English subtitles. VHS. [SP 125]
EL (THIS STRANGE PASSION). The psychological study of a man obsessed. Seemingly the perfect specimen of gentility, Francisco is suddenly and "intuitively" drawn to a young woman he sees fleetingly in church. 1952. B&W. 1 hr. 28 min. Spanish with English subtitles. VHS. [SP 130]
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