Why This Film?

La cérémonie (1995, Claude Chabrol) with Girish Shambu - Criterion Spine #1199

"It's an incredibly rich film." In this episode of Why This Film?, I'm joined by film critic and scholar Girish Shambu to explore La cérémonie, Claude Chabrol's 1995 masterpiece and Criterion Collection Spine #1199. La cérémonie follows Sophie, a withdrawn live-in maid hired by the welcoming Lelièvre family at their country estate. The family is pleasant. The job is fine. And then Sophie meets Jeanne, the local postmistress. Jeanne is sharp, reckless, and already on bad terms with Sophie's new employer. The two women become close. And that friendship, combined with a secret Sophie has been hiding since she arrived, sets the film on a course it can't turn back from. Girish brings his perspective as a critic who has spent years thinking about films that take economic inequality seriously from the works of Ken Loach, the Dardenne brothers, and Aki Kaurismäki. He's currently writing a book about the marginalization of women in the history of auteurism, which gives him a precise eye for how class, gender, and power operate in everyday life. Together, we move through the film scene by scene and discuss: * How class war can still operate through politeness and generosity * The role secrets and shame play in shaping Sophie's identity * How critical reception of the film has recently changed * Chabrol as an underappreciated filmmaker of the French New Wave Whether you're discovering La cérémonie for the first time or returning to it, this conversation explores why a film dismissed for years suddenly became recognized as one of the essential films of its era. You can find more from Girish Shambu below: Girish Shambu [https://girishshambu.net/] The New Cinephilia [https://newbooksnetwork.com/the-new-cinephilia] Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2528877/fan_mail/new] Hollywood ManeStays [https://hollywoodmanestays.com/] - Not a pin, not a clip. Just Better. Support the show [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2528877/support] Follow the Podcast: Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/whythisfilmpod/] YouTube [https://youtube.com/@whythisfilm?si=VTzo_p2RzQ2pRJf_]

Guillermo del Toro's Pinocchio (2022, Guillermo del Toro & Mark Gustafson) with Caleb Tyson - Criterion Collection Spine #1201

"It's a perfectly imperfect film." In this episode of Why This Film?, I'm joined by film editor Caleb Tyson to explore Guillermo del Toro's Pinocchio (2022), the Academy Award-winning stop-motion feature and Criterion Collection entry that reimagines one of the world's oldest stories through an entirely new lens. Set in Mussolini's fascist Italy, del Toro's Pinocchio follows a grieving woodcarver named Geppetto who, lost in sorrow after losing his son Carlo, carves a puppet from a pine tree grown near his son's grave. When a wood sprite brings the puppet to life, Pinocchio must navigate a world that sees him as either a miracle or a monster - all while Geppetto struggles to accept this strange new creation for what it is, rather than who he wishes it could be.  Caleb Tyson brings his perspective as a working film editor and animator to the conversation. His background in pacing, rhythm, and visual storytelling gives him a uniquely technical eye for how del Toro uses stop-motion, shadow, score, and imperfection to build a world that feels entirely tactile and alive. Together we move through the film scene by scene and discuss: * How del Toro uses fascist Italy as a backdrop to ask: who is the real puppet? * Guillermo del Toro's craft - his use of lighting, intentional imperfection, and stop-motion animation * The Christ imagery woven throughout the film and what del Toro is saying with it * Themes of grief, identity, disobedience, forgiveness, and the father-son dynamic at the heart of the story * The film's voice cast, including Ewan McGregor, Cate Blanchett, Christoph Waltz, Tilda Swinton, and David Bradley * Why a puppet who refuses to obey is more human than the people around him * Why Pinocchio earns its place in the Criterion Collection as a perfectly imperfect film Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2528877/fan_mail/new] Hollywood ManeStays [https://hollywoodmanestays.com/] - Not a pin, not a clip. Just Better. Support the show [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2528877/support] Follow the Podcast: Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/whythisfilmpod/] YouTube [https://youtube.com/@whythisfilm?si=VTzo_p2RzQ2pRJf_]

Kagemusha (1980, Akira Kurosawa) with Michael Repsch - Criterion Collection Spine #267

"Is our identity predetermined or something we can create?" In this episode of Why This Film?, I'm joined by Michael Repsch, President of Dark Star Pictures, to explore Kagemusha - Akira Kurosawa's sweeping historical epic and Criterion Collection Spine #267. Released in 1980, Kagemusha follows a thief who is spared execution because of his uncanny resemblance to the powerful warlord Takeda Shingen. When Shingen dies, the thief is forced to assume his identity, and the fate of the entire clan depends on if the illusion can be sustained. Michael brings his perspective as a longtime film distributor who has helped release over 200 films and now leads Dark Star Pictures. He discusses what makes Kagemusha endure not only as a viewer, but as someone who understands how films are preserved and passed on to new audiences. Together, we move through the film scene by scene and discuss: * Akira Kurosawa's style and use of color, shadow, and movement * How Kagemusha differs from the traditional samurai epic * Themes of identity, power, and succession * Why the film rewards repeated viewings * Why Kagemusha remains one of the most visually stunning, thought-provoking, and essential films in the Criterion Collection Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2528877/fan_mail/new] Hollywood ManeStays [https://hollywoodmanestays.com/] - Not a pin, not a clip. Just Better. Support the show [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2528877/support] Follow the Podcast: Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/whythisfilmpod/] YouTube [https://youtube.com/@whythisfilm?si=VTzo_p2RzQ2pRJf_]

The Royal Tenenbaums (2001, Wes Anderson) with Chris Cook - Criterion Collection Spine #157

"To me, it's a perfect film." In this episode of Why This Film?, I'm joined by assistant director Chris Cook to explore The Royal Tenenbaums (2001), Wes Anderson's meticulously crafted family drama and Criterion Collection Spine #157. Released in 2001, The Royal Tenenbaums follows the once-brilliant Tenenbaum siblings - Chas, Margot, and Richie - whose early promise has long since faded. When their estranged father Royal suddenly re-enters their lives under false pretenses, the family is forced into a reluctant reunion. Chris Cook brings his perspective as an assistant director working across film and television, with credits including The Killer, Ted Lasso, and The Morning Show. He talks about what stands out in The Royal Tenenbaums not just as a viewer, but as someone who understands how a film like this has to come together behind the scenes. Together, we move through the film scene by scene and discuss: * Wes Anderson's visual style and early run of films * The ensemble cast * The film's production design, soundtrack, and use of montage * Royal Tenenbaum as both a deadbeat father and an oddly compelling force within the family * Themes of early success, failure, grief, and reconciliation * Why The Royal Tenenbaums remains one of the most emotionally resonant and distinctive films in the Criterion Collection. Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2528877/fan_mail/new] Hollywood ManeStays [https://hollywoodmanestays.com/] - Not a pin, not a clip. Just Better. Support the show [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2528877/support] Follow the Podcast: Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/whythisfilmpod/] YouTube [https://youtube.com/@whythisfilm?si=VTzo_p2RzQ2pRJf_]

The Thin Red Line (1998, Terrence Malick) with Jared Frederick - Criterion Collection Spine #536

"I think of it as Saving Private Ryan for thinkers." In this episode of Why This Film?, I'm joined by historian, author, and educator Jared Frederick to explore The Thin Red Line (1998), Terrence Malick's philosophical World War II epic and Criterion Collection Spine #536. Released in 1998 after a 20-year hiatus from filmmaking, The Thin Red Line marked Malick's long-awaited return to cinema. Adapted from the 1962 novel by James Jones, the film follows soldiers of C Company as they arrive on Guadalcanal during the brutal Pacific Theater campaign of World War II, confronting both the physical violence of war and the deeper questions it raises about human nature, morality, and the natural world. Unlike many traditional war films, The Thin Red Line moves beyond spectacle and patriotism. Through shifting perspectives, poetic voiceover, and sweeping cinematography, Malick turns the battlefield into something closer to a philosophical meditation. Jared Frederick brings both historical expertise and a cinephile's perspective to the conversation. As a World War II historian and the co-creator of the YouTube channel Reel History, Jared examines where the film aligns with historical reality and how Malick pursues something reflective and artistic. Together, we move through the film scene-by-scene and discuss: * The Battle of Guadalcanal and the real history behind the events depicted in the film * Why The Thin Red Line feels different from other WWII films like Saving Private Ryan * Terrence Malick's use of nature, voiceover, and shifting perspectives * The film's ensemble cast, including Sean Penn, Nick Nolte, Jim Caviezel, Adrien Brody, and George Clooney * The moral ambiguity of war and the film's empathy for both American and Japanese soldiers * Why The Thin Red Line remains one of the most philosophical and visually ambitious war films ever made You can find more from Jared Frederick below: Reel History on YouTube [https://www.youtube.com/c/ReelHistory/about] Jared Frederick [https://historymatters.biz/index.html] Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2528877/fan_mail/new] Hollywood ManeStays [https://hollywoodmanestays.com/] - Not a pin, not a clip. Just Better. Support the show [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2528877/support] Follow the Podcast: Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/whythisfilmpod/] YouTube [https://youtube.com/@whythisfilm?si=VTzo_p2RzQ2pRJf_]