#oscars 57

[theoscarsproject]

A Soldier's Story (1984). An African-American officer investigates a murder in a racially charged situation in World War II.

While it'll never quite stack up when it comes to the In the Heat of the Night comparisons (the two films share a director and thematic throughline after all), this is still an excellent, intelligent thriller grounded in great performances and a sharp script. Denzel Washington's the clear standout (I can't believe this is only his second feature!), but he's bolstered by a great cast all around. Just a really great watch. 8/10.

[theoscarsproject]

Splash (1984). A young man is reunited with a mermaid who saved him from drowning as a boy. He falls in love with her, not knowing who or what she is.

As much as I love mermaid movies, this just hasn't aged well. It has its moments - largely due to the very charismatic cast - but the storyline is questionable at best. The born sexy yesterday trope is just simply not it. 5/10.

[theoscarsproject]

Starman (1984). An alien takes the form of a young Wisconsin widow's husband and makes her drive him to his departure point in Arizona. Distrustful government agents, along with a more ambivalent scientist, give pursuit in hopes of intercepting them.

Aliens have long been used in sci-fi to inspire a sense of wonder in the audience, but I can't remember the last time I saw a film that captured the wonder of its characters so organically. This is John Carpenter at his best and Jeff Bridges and Karen Allen are just magic together. Really loved this one. 8/10.

[theoscarsproject]

The Killing Fields (1984). A journalist is trapped in Cambodia during tyrant Pol Pot's bloody 'Year Zero' cleansing campaign, which claimed the lives of two million 'undesirable' civilians.

There's a lot to like in this harrowing film about the Khmer Rouge regime in Cambodia, from the friendship between Sydney Schanberg and Dith Pran's to the sublime cinematography. I particularly appreciate the way the film used the American journalism angle as an entry point but stayed with Dith's journey in Cambodia afterwards. It felt almost like a way to trojan horse a broader audience into the story, and it's particularly compelling given that act is by far the strongest of the film. Pretty solid, albeit also pretty flawed. 7/10.

[theoscarsproject]

Streetwise (1984). Gritty documentary that looks at the lives of teenagers living on the streets of Seattle.

Harrowing, haunting and somehow oddly charming. This deeply felt documentary about street kids in Seattle in the 1980s is difficult viewing, but also never loses sight of itself. It's as empathetic a documentary as I think I've ever seen, and I found it profoundly moving, even as I found it hard to watch in parts. 9/10.

[theoscarsproject]

Romancing the Stone (1984). A mousy romance novelist sets off for Colombia to ransom her kidnapped sister, and soon finds herself in the middle of a dangerous adventure hunting for treasure with a mercenary rogue.

I've never really enjoyed Michael Douglas as a romantic lead, but man, he crackles in this one, in no small part because he and Kathleen Turner have such great chemistry. She gets the richer character arc, but he gets satisfying beats to play opposite her and it makes them a pretty fun dynamic to watch. The movie definitely falls into era-typical sexist and racist tropes, which can be jarring, but outside of that, it's the sort of adventure-rom-com I wish Hollywood was still making. 7/10.

[theoscarsproject]

Places in the Heart (1984). In central Texas in the 1930s, a widow with two small children tries to save her small 40-acre farm with the help of a blind boarder and an itinerant black handyman.

Found family stories, my beloved. The central story of a widow, a blind man and a Black drifter building some sort of life together as they try to navigate a world with no place for them is genuinely so rich and compelling, especially when the characters are played by Sally Field, John Malkovich and Danny Glover respectively. Unfortunately though, it's bogged down by a heavy-handed and boring subplot about the affair of Edna's brother-in-law that really adds nothing to the story at all. If it had dropped that, I feel like this'd be an 80s classic. 7.5/10.

[theoscarsproject]

In the Name of the People (1985). Four filmmakers secretly entered El Salvador to follow a guerrilla movement going in combat against military forces run by the government during El Salvador's civil war. This socialist insurgent movement is formed by peasants, women and children, poor people who are fighting for better life conditions and against the tyrannic repression of the government.

I have mixed feelings on this one overall, particularly with the way it feels pretty naive about the nature of imperialism, but at the same time, it's pretty hard to argue that this is a really affecting documentary that provides unprecedented insight into the Salvadoran Civil War. It's a hard watch in many ways, particularly with the children being taught guerilla warfare, but also one that feels vital in the way only documentaries often can. 8/10.