June 10th 2014. Pick of the Day. Miss Me?

In the words of your favorite infomercial, AND WE'RE BACK! A quick jaunt to the countryside for a bit of much needed R&R finds your humble blogger rejuvenated, reinvigorated, and imbued with a renewed sense of purpose! I'm ready to hande the totality of NYC's repertory film circuit once more; as much as it has to send my way I can take it and more! BRING IT!

So it's sort of a shame then that we got a mere two-count-'em-two offerings in classic cinema screened large this day. Their relative solitude on the schedule, however, should in no way be considered indicative of a lesser quality. Let's get to the goods;

Film Forum

THE BEST YEARS OF OUR LIVES (1946) Dir; William Wyler

MoMA

THE BEEKEEPER (1986) Dir; Theo Angelopoulos

Today's Pick? What was long considered (and may well still be) the definitive Hollywood word on the dysfunctional readjustment to civilian life experienced by veterans returning from war, in this case the second World War. Producer Sam Goldwyn was inspired by an article he read in an August '44 issue of TIME magazine, titled The Way Home, that dealt with the struggles faced by previously enlisted men who were now attempting to resume a life interrupted rather violently. There was an important story to be told here, he thought, a film capable of seismic cultural impact. Goldwyn reached out to frequent collaborator William Wyler, who himself was returning from the battle after having filmed the exploits of the Memphis Belle B-17 bomber. Wyler was reluctant to join the project at first, if for no other reason than to proceed at full steam with the independent production company he'd formed with directors Frank Capra and George Stevens, a short-lived entity called Liberty Films. He was won over by the material however, and the opportunity to direct something with a substantial message and not a mere commercial entertainment.

One of the major changes he brought to the table, perhaps the most significant, was the infirmity suffered by the most tragic of the main characters, switching from involuntary spasmic PTSD to amputee. He found the perfect actor, actually a complete amateur, in Harold Russell, and Army vet who'd lost both his hands during a training exercise, and who Wyler'd seen in a documentary called Diary of a War Sergeant. Russell more than held his own alongside the seasoned pros who rounded out the cast, including Teresa Wright, Myrna Loy and Fredric March, the latter of whom shared Oscar glory at that year's Academy Awards along with co-star Russell.

The film is long, the themes deep, the emotions raw. It is an exemplar of the fullest experience the cinema may offer, even these 68 years later. There are many things the Film Forum offers for sale, boxes of Kleenex are not among them. I advise you make said purchase before you take your seat.

William Wyler's THE BEST YEARS OF OUR LIVES screens today all day at Film Forum. I choke up a little just typing that.

For more info on these and all NYC's classic film screenings in June '14 click on the interactive calendar on the upper right hand side of the page. For the monthly overview and other audio tomfoolery check out the podcast, and follow me on SoundCloud! For reviews of contemporary cinema and my streaming habits (keep it clean!) check out my Letterboxd page. And be sure to follow me on both Facebook, where I provide further info and esoterica on the rep film circuit and star birthdays, and Twitter, where I provide a daily feed for the day's screenings and other blathery. Back tomorrow with a brand new Pick, til then safe, sound, make sure the next knucklehead is too.

-Joe Walsh

JoeW@NitrateStock.net

P. S. Even though we're coming into the summer months and therefore not often as mindful of the displaced, some of our fellow NY'ers are yet to be made whole since Hurricane Sandy hit nearly two years ago. Check in with the good folks at Occupy Sandy to see if you can't still volunteer/donate to our neighbors in need. Be a mensch.