The Films of Morris Engel offers a full examination of the first successful American independent filmmaker, a man whose influence was gigantic in comparison to his small personal films, which appeared years before the work of the director often credited with pioneering independent film: John Cassavettes. Francois Truffaut, Martin Scorsese, Albert Maysles, and D.A. Pennebaker have all acknowledged a massive debt to the highly personalized, hand-held, trailblazing work of master photographer Engel, who employed his own special-made camera (sort of a proto-steadicam that allowed him to shoot unnoticed in crowds). Engel's wife Ruth Orkin (who also had a background in photography and worked at MGM studios) served as his editor, and in the bonus materials here Engel credits her with being his only link to narrative continuity. The three films compiled in this boxed set tell magnificent “little stories” about regular people. Engel's 1953 first film Little Fugitive (made with a 35 mm camera for just $30,000) is a sweet and touching tale of a boy who flees to Coney Island after a cruel practical joke leads him to believe that he has killed his brother (the film expands on Engel's award-winning street photography and his love for the disappearing popular carnival attraction). Lovers and Lollipops (1955)—an amiable story about a young girl opposed to her widowed mother's (played by Orkin) plans to marry a returning boyfriend—broadens the canvas to all of NYC. Weddings and Babies (1958) focuses on a photographer in NYC's Little Italy who wants to make more important work than simply shooting the titular subjects (this was the first film to use fully mobile synchronized sound). Loosely referred to as the “New York Trilogy,” Engel's films are enjoyable low-key masterpieces suitable for all ages and levels of film enthusiasts, presented here in pristine prints. DVD extras include audio commentary by Engel on Little Fugitive, and two featurettes by daughter Mary Engel (2008's “Morris Engel: The Independent” and 1995's “Ruth Orkin: Frames of Life”). Highly recommended. Editor's Choice. (A. Jacobson)
The Films of Morris Engel
Kino, 2 discs, 289 min., not rated, DVD: $39.95 Volume 23, Issue 4
The Films of Morris Engel
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