Initially one of the leading figures of New Hollywood, Bob Rafelson, who died at 89, ultimately failed to establish himself in the long term. Nevertheless, his filmography contains several important, even fascinating films, and at least one masterpiece. Jack Nicholson, his favorite actor with whom he collaborated many times, did not hesitate to say that he owed him a good part of his career. Top 5 of his best achievements.
5. Blood and Wine(1996). In this neon noir, Jack Nicholson plays a homecoming thief caught between an ex-alcoholic (Judy Davis), a deceitful stepson (Stephen Dorff), a new flame (Jennifer Lopez), and an unpredictable partner — and asthmatic (Michael Caine). Upon its release, the film did not make waves despite a fairly good critical reception. However, it is a proposal as ingenious as it is tasty, carried by inspired performers, including Michael Caine, who later confided that he had in fact retired, tired of making only bad films. , until his friend Jack Nicholson convinced him to return for Blood and Wine. Since then, Caine has experienced a professional second wind that does not run out of steam.
4. Mountains of the Moon(At the sources of the Nile; 1989). Unknown, this magnificent drama of adventures (photo direction of the great Roger “ blade runner 2049 Deakins) recounts the obsessive quest of English explorers Richard Francis Burton and John Hanning Speke, and their subsequent rivalry, to trace the sources of the Nile. At the time, Roger Ebert wrote:
“The film is not one of those epic wide-screen dramas that could have been directed by David Lean. The screen is wide, sure, and it’s epic, but it’s not a movie interested in adventure or action; it’s an epic drama about the personalities of men who have endured incredible hardships because of their curiosity, egos, greed, or even nobility. »
3. The Postman Always Rings Twice(The Postman Always Rings Twice; 1981). Unfairly abused when it was released because it tackled a film noir classic, this sixth (!) adaptation of James M. Cain’s novel was especially compared to that of 1946 set on fire by Lana Turner. The plot tells how a wandering worker and a lonely wife plot to murder the second’s troublesome husband. So recently featured in All That Jazz as an angel of death, Jessica Lange has nothing to envy to her illustrious predecessor. The chemistry between Jack Nicholson and her is palpable, and their love scenes are breathtaking.
In this regard, the film paved the way for the erotic thrillers that Hollywood would soon fall in love with, Jagged Edge (Double Edged, 1984) to Basic Instinct (1992) via Fatal Attraction (Fatal Liaison, 1987). The polished lighting by Sven Nykvist, Ingmar Bergman’s accomplice, adds enormously to the alternately dusty and sulphurous aura of the film. For the record, this is one of Jack Nicholson’s favorite career films.
2. Black Widow(The Black Widow; 1987). Another film noir, or neo-noir, and another film that was somewhat over the top when it was released but which turned out to be absolutely brilliant afterwards, Black Widow is perhaps the filmmaker’s most underrated work. We follow, separately, then together, a woman who, under the guise of different identities, marries rich men, kills them and inherits their money (Theresa Russell), as well as the FBI agent determined to catch her despite the lack of conviction from her male superiors and colleagues (Debra Winger). In short, this is a distinctly feminist film, both in its choice to focus on a female serial killer, still a rarity in cinema, and in that of having another woman as heroine who is also fighting, “in a world of men”, but differently. Once again stylized and meaningful, this time the direction of photography was by Conrad Hall.
1. Five Easy Pieces (Five easy pieces ; 1970) and The King of Marvin Gardens (1972), tied. An existentialist masterpiece carried by what remains undoubtedly the most complex and poignant composition of Jack Nicholson, Five Easy Pieces allows you to spend a short time in the company of a disenchanted man who can’t sit still. After turning his back on his bourgeois family, he is forced to return to their fold against the backdrop of the announced death of the patriarch (this scene between the latter, mute, and Nicholson, on edge, is heartbreaking). Also with a memorable Karen Black as a waitress fiancée who makes a mark in the social setting. For The GuardianPeter Bradshaw wrote in his obituary of Rafelson:
“Co-written with Carole Eastman, it’s an elaborate, subtle, complex and brooding tragicomedy that sets [le film] an appreciable part of Hollywood cinema, whether before or after the new wave, with something from Chekhov or Dickens. »
Appeared in stride, and generally suffering from the comparison, The King of Marvin Gardens is more fanciful in appearance, but ultimately paints a similar portrait of an America eternally in search of an elusive, unrealizable dream. Nicholson gives the answer to Bruce Dern and Ellen Burstyn, the first two camping brothers who, in Atlantic City, try to convert a bleak beach into a must-see tourist destination.
Finally, it should be noted that as a producer, Bob Rafelson allowed Easy Rider (which revealed Jack Nicholson in 1969) and The Last Picture Show (The last session ; 1971), pivotal films, to see the light of day.
The films mentioned are available in VOD on several platforms, including iTunes