We invite you to the fifth season of the Film Club at Iluzjon Cinema: “Cowboys vs. Aliens. The American Myth in 1960s Cinema.” Iluzjon Cinema, 50A Narbutta St., Warsaw Until the end of the year, every other Thursday at 7:00 PM, we meet to watch films and discuss them The Wild West ends where a new reality begins—urban, technological, futuristic. The 1960s were a time for American cinema to reckon with the legend of the cowboy, who moved from saloons and prairies to the streets of metropolises, and even to distant galaxies. “Cowboys vs. Aliens” is a series of films showing how American cinema reinterpreted its most important myths. From confronting the legend of the Wild West (“The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance”), through parody (“Cat Ballou”) and romanticizing outlaws (“Bonnie & Clyde,” “Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid”), to urban variation in “Bullitt” and futuristic fantasy in “Barbarella.” It’s a story about freedom, rebellion, and the search for new heroes for new times—a journey that reminds us every era needs its own cowboy. - ✦ 09.10 | 19:00 ✦ "The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance" - ✦ 23.10 | 19:00 ✦ "Cat Ballou" - ✦ 06.11 | 19:00 ✦ "Bonnie and Clyde" - ✦ 20.11 | 19:00 ✦ "Bullitt" - ✦ 04.12 | 19:00 ✦ "Barbarella" - ✦ 18.12 | 19:00 ✦ "Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid" ✦ Meeting I ✦ 09.10 | 19:00 ✦ "The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance", dir. John Ford, USA, 1962, 122 min. Senator Ranse Stoddard (James Stewart) arrives with his wife for the funeral of his friend—Tom (John Wayne). Their arrival is a sensation for the local press. The senator tells a journalist his story, when as a young lawyer he came to town and was robbed by Liberty Valance (Lee Marvin). Stoddard declared war on the bandit, aided by gunslinger Tom. As the hero’s story unfolds, it turns out the truth about past events was different than the townspeople believed. "The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance" is one of the most important westerns reworking the mythology of the genre. It’s in this film that the famous line is spoken: "This is the West. When the legend becomes fact, print the legend." John Ford, author of classic westerns like "Stagecoach," created a self-reflective and melancholic film that is a must-see for all fans of the genre. As critics wrote, "The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance" is "at once a political western, a psychological crime film, and John Ford’s confrontation with the past—personally, professionally, and historically." ✦ Meeting II ✦ 23.10 | 19:00 ✦ "Cat Ballou", dir. Elliot Silverstein, USA, 1965, 97 min. Elliot Silverstein’s debut is a parody of the western based on the popular American legend of a girl who, in the early 1890s, organized a gang of ruffians in Wyoming to avenge her father’s killers. The film combines musical, operetta, and traditional western, and its strengths, besides excellent acting, include the sound layer—carefully selected music, ballads performed by Nat 'King' Cole and Stubby Kaye, which complement and comment on the action, as well as interesting choreography and funny gags. Lee Marvin won an award at the Berlin IFF '65 and an Oscar for his role. ✦ Meeting III ✦ 06.11 | 19:00 ✦ "Bonnie and Clyde", dir. Arthur Penn, USA, 1967, 111 min. The story of the legendary couple counted among the most wanted public enemies of 1930s America, when criminal activity flourished in various forms. The film posits a thesis about the motives driving young criminals, pointing to boredom with small-town life and the desire to escape monotony. Director Arthur Penn revises the classic gangster genre model, creating a work full of nuances that play with established film conventions. ✦ Meeting IV ✦ 20.11 | 19:00 ✦ "Bullitt", dir. Peter Yates, USA, 1968, 113 min. Detective Frank Bullitt is tasked with protecting a witness who is to testify against the mafia. Unfortunately, the witness is killed, and all indications are that the murder was ordered by someone in the police. Bullitt begins a private investigation. This is the starting point of a now-classic crime film, which still impresses with its great car chase scene through the streets of San Francisco and Steve McQueen’s excellent performance. ✦ Meeting V ✦ 04.12 | 19:00 ✦ "Barbarella" dir. Roger Vadim, USA, 1968, 96 min. It’s the 41st century. Interstellar agent Barbarella arrives on the planet Sorgo, ordered by the President of Earth to find Durand-Durand, the inventor of a deadly weapon whose use could disrupt intergalactic peace. After a forced landing, the heroine is drawn into a series of cosmic adventures, including an attack by bloodthirsty children and robot dolls, and a visit to a city of debauchery, where she is imprisoned in a pleasure machine. "Barbarella," which can be ironically called a cosmic sex odyssey, is a comedy based on comics by Jean-Claude Forest, with Jane Fonda in the title role, created as a sex goddess by her then-husband and director Roger Vadim. The thin plot is compensated by great self-awareness and consistency in aesthetic choices. The film is hard to categorize, as the creators use altered states of consciousness to parody sci-fi cinema, resulting in a more sophisticated, psychedelic camp that often brings a smile to the viewer’s face, charming with its awkwardness, but also engaging and absorbing. ✦ Meeting VI ✦ 18.12 | 19:00 ✦ "Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid", dir. George Roy Hill, USA 1969, 110 min. The film is one of the most popular westerns in cinema history, telling the story of two real-life Wild West heroes who robbed banks and trains. By reversing and mocking traditional western tropes, the director masterfully builds the myth of unconstrained heroes who want to maintain their independence to the end. The film is also a charming story of true friendship between two completely different but equally likable characters. The carefree atmosphere of the delightful buffoonery at the beginning of the film imperceptibly turns into drama. The film is full of surprising situations, light, intelligent dialogues, and great acting episodes. It won Oscars for best cinematography, music, and screenplay. Kasia Stasiełuk will give lectures and lead discussions after the films You’re invited!
