Maudern Movies, a weekly series that curates films for your viewing pleasure.
Long before the age of Clooney or the summer of Chalamet, there were the gilded stars of the Golden Age and the enigmatic ingénues of French New Wave. This diverse era of Hollywood—the 1940s-60s—produced a long list of provocative films, twinged with the complexities of love in the time of political awakening. (In short, the opposite of our aforementioned easy 90s rom-coms.)
But when we are condemned to our couches, sometimes what we need is a transportive Bergman or an intoxicating Bardot to make us forget our laundry and be swept away for an eve.
Make your popcorn, pour yourself a see-through, and turn to this list of some of our favorite vintage films. Who says you can't watch all 5 in one day?
Casablanca, 1942
Directed by: Michael Curtiz
Starring: Humphrey Bogart, Ingrid Bergman, Paul Henreid
Quite possibly one of the most iconic films to date, Casablanca is a thrilling film of love and romance during wartimes. Drama ensues when Rick (Bogart), a restauranteur and club owner discovers his former lover Isla (Bergman) is in back in town with her now-husband Victor Laszlo (Henreid). The Moroccan backdrop sets the scene for Isla's questioning heart.
Where to watch: Amazon, Vudu
The World of Apu, 1959
Directed by: Satyajit Ray
Starring: Soumitra Chatterjee, Sharmila Tagore, Alok Chakravarty
The final film of an Indian trilogy finds aspiring writer Apu Roy (Chakravarty) out of work and riddled with poverty. An old friend from school, Pulu (Mukherjee) persuades him to attend a family wedding where, in a surprising twist, Apu ends up being the groom.
Where to watch: Amazon, Vudu
To Catch A Thief, 1955
Directed by: Alfred Hitchcock
Starring: Grace Kelly, Cary Grant, John Williams
Retired burglar John "The Cat" Robie (Grant) is beckoned out of his hibernation when a jewel thief is on the lam in the French Riviera. To avoid being accused, he takes the lead on the chase and falls straight into the heart of Frances (Kelly), the daughter of a wealthy target only to find that complication ensues. In typical Hitchcock form, nothing is what it seems and this classic is equal parts mystery and love.
Where to watch: Amazon, Vudu
Le Mépris, 1964
Directed by: Jean-Luc Godard
Starring: Brigitte Bardot, Jack Palance, Michel Piccoli, Fritz Lang
Romance, jealously, and suspicion are at the core of this cinematic work. A crass and tasteless producer, Jeremy Prokosch (Palance), brings on Fritz Lang (Lang), to direct his adaptation of The Odyssey. After realizing the film is bound for failure, Prokosch enlists Paul Javal (Piccoli) to give the script an edge. All the while, Paul's girlfriend Camille (Bardot) decides she is no longer in love with him.
Where to watch: iTunes
La Piscine, 1969
Directed by: Jacques Deray
Starring: Alain Delon, Romy Schneider, Maurice Ronet
Both calm and calculated, this film follows a writer and his girlfriend, Jean-Paul (Delon) and Marianne (Schneider) on a thrilling story of romance and betrayal. When Marianne's former lover, Harry (Ronet), surprises the couple on holiday, tensions begin to rise when his intentions of stealing her back become clear. His mission is cut short when Jean-Paul sabotages him, setting the scene for a psychological roller coaster.
Where to watch: Netflix
