BrandonLee_Dizuncan

The Tribe is a remarkable movie set in a boarding school for deaf students, or more specifically its dark side. The world of bullying, violence, juvenile delinquency and prostitution. It is brutal, visceral and tragic. The dialogue is in Ukrainian sign language without any subtitles or spoken words. I expected watching such movie to be a torture. I was wrong. It is gripping, immersing, thought-provoking and quite watchable. But it does demand attentive, patient and interested viewer. When Norma Desmond, a character played by Gloria Swanson in Billy Wilder's Sunset Boulevard said: "We didn't need any dialogue, we had faces", she was part right. We really do not need dialogue to grasp the story, but we don't need faces either. We never see any close ups in The Tribe. What we do see is a bigger picture. And that's what this movie is about.

Old movies are usually not very subtle, they don't leave much to desire, and Stella Dallas is not an exception. It is a weepy melodrama, very emotional and straightforward, but it never goes over the top. It's understandably fast paced, considering that it covers around twenty years of its characters' lives. I found it very amusing and touching. Much of my enjoyment of it is in big part due to wonderful Barbara Stanwyck, one of those rare old Hollywood actresses capable of conveying realism. She plays titular character Stella, a woman who desperately craves for becoming a part of high society. But she just doesn't have enough class to fit in. Her tacky behavior and dressing are off-putting and obviously a big problem for both her husband and her daughter. So Stella may have flaws but being a bad mother is not one of them. She is very proud of her daughter and loves her more than anything. And is extremely dedicated to her well being. Her daughter, Lollie, loves her mother back unconditionally, despite their differences. This movie unequivocally sympathizes with Stella, but doesn't blame any other character for her misfortune either. It seems to only criticize the puritanical society with its prejudice and strict moral norms, and I personally love when movies do that. I also love fun, good-hearted, flawed characters like Stella, especially when they are played by terrific actors such as Barbara Stanwyck.