Melbourne Cinémathèque 2009 Program
Melbourne Cinémathèque 2009 season kicks off on Wednesday, February 11 with imported 35mm prints of the two of the great 1950s melodramas, Nicholas Ray’s *Bigger Than Life* (1955) starring James Mason and Vincente Minnelli’s *Some Came Running* (1958) starring Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin and Shirley MacClaine. *Bigger Than Life*, a profoundly disturbing portrayal of the madness lurking beneath the surface of ordinary suburban life and *Some Came Running*, an adaptation of James Jones’ novel exploring life in a small mid-Western town, are both characterised by evocative CinemaScope cinematography and searing social critiques of post-war America.
The 2009 director retrospectives include key European figures such as Ingmar Bergman, Louis Malle, José Louis GuerÃn, Chris Marker, Jerzy Skolimowski, Roberto Rossellini and Marguerite Duras as well as Frank Borzage, one of the most prolific and enduring directors of the Classical Hollywood era, and the long awaited survey of Samuel Fuller’s career including: *The Steel Helmet*(1951), *White Dog* (1982), *Pickup on South Street* (1953), *Underworld USA* (1961) and *Shock Corridor* (1963).
Other highlights include *Japanese Noir: Violent Cops and Pistol Operas*, a season of crime films produced by the Shochiku studio featuring works by many of the most innovative directors of Japanese cinema: Takesi Kitano, Masaki Kobayashi, Masahiro Shinoda, Nagisa Oshima, Tai Kato and Seijun Suzuki; and *Dissent in the Revolution: Soviet Cinema* a season of films from directors that dared to express individual artistic visions and political integrity under the repressive Soviet regime in the 1960s*.*