This week at Cornell Cinema, we are thrilled to revisit last year’s hit, The Green Knight, in collaboration with graduate students from Cornell’s Medieval Studies Program. Following a screening of this artful and epic retelling of the Arthurian legend—which stars Dev Patel as the ill-fated Sir Gawain—panelists will discuss what this recent film reveals about the cultural practices and lasting influence of the Middle Ages. This special screening is part of the “Producing the Middle Ages” series and sponsored by the Medieval Studies Graduate Association and Cornell’s Graduate and Professional Student Assembly.
Next, we wrap up our French Film Festival with 35mm screenings of Robert Bresson’s The Devil, Probably and René Clément’s Purple Noon. A nihilistic story of a disaffected young man who attempts to lend meaning to his life through sex, drugs, therapy, religion, and radical politics, Bresson’s visually arresting film was originally banned in France for fear that it would incite teenagers to commit acts of self-harm. While Purple Noon—a sun-soaked adaptation of Patricia Highsmith’s novel The Talented Mr. Ripley—initially seems a carefree tale of friendship, the film soon morphs into a thrilling saga of seduction, identity theft, and murder.
We also continue our Doc Spots series this week with Blue Island, a timely, new documentary by Chan Tze-woon that testifies to Hong Kong’s complex history of resistance and revolution, and Hallelujah: Leonard Cohen, A Journey, A Song. This in-depth chronicle of Leonard Cohen’s beloved hymn is directed by Cornell alum Daniel Geller and Dayna Goldfine, who will kindly offer a virtual introduction to the film.
Finally, don’t miss your chance to see Jordan Peele’s highly-anticipated Nope. This genre-bending, neo-Western, sci-fi horror stars Daniel Kaluuya and Keke Palmer as siblings OJ and Emerald Haywood, who run the only black-owned horse ranch in Hollywood. After their father’s mysterious death, the appearance of an ominous mega-cloud over the homestead spurs an epic encounter with extraterrestrial forces. This one’s meant to be seen on the big screen, so grab some popcorn and buckle up for a wild ride!
