Wednesday, June 09, 2004

Stone 101

I picked up the film Wall Street on DVD yesterday for $9.99. Oliver Stone's follow up to the Oscar winning Platoon is a welcome addition to any collection, especially at such a low price.

Made prior to Stone's ground-breaking, visual assault style that began with The Doors in '91, Wall Street is still a worthwhile watch for any movie lover. The film which features Charlie Sheen, Daryl Hannah, and Michael Douglas in an Oscar winning performance, chronicles the rise of a young upstart stockbroker who is seduced by the prospect of money and power.

Along with Salvador, Platoon and Talk Radio, Wall Street is a good start for anyone that is looking for an introduction to Stone.

If you're more adventurous though, you can jump right in and experience some of his more visually exciting films. The Doors, JFK and Natural Born Killers introduced new ideas and concepts to the language of film. Through the use of innovative cinematography, different film stocks, quick-cut editing, and old school technology like rear-projection, Stone reinvigorated the medium, while adding a ton of new tools to the toolbox of future filmmakers.

Stone is one of only a handful of directors that I will trust completely, and probably the most important filmmaker of the past 20 years.

No comments: