Welcome back to Thursday Movie Picks by Wandering through the Shelves! According to the theme of the week, we pick and share three to five movies are with the reason. Should anyone be interested in joining in, feel free to visit the main page here.
This week's theme is Desert. For this theme, I'll go with popular choices and big names. Desert has always been an immense setting for films - whether to mark wastelands, post-apocalyptic, expedition, wars, nature powers... and romance. So, here's my picks!
01. The English Patient (1996, Anthony Minghella)In Anthony Minghella's best picture winner, desert becomes the place where it all started-the love affair between Count Almasy (Fiennes) and someone's wife. As a film, The English Patient is ambitious in every possible way; it is as captivating as Ralph Fiennes' performance and chemistry with Kristin Scott Thomas and others. Yet, the desert always becomes an important point of the storytelling (yes, that sex scene, too).
02. Tracks (2013, John Curran)Tracks chronicles a real-life journey that Australian writer, Robyn Davidson (portrayed by Mia Wasikowska), has walked across desert for 2,700 kilometers. Ambition, contemplation and self-acceptance color Mia Wasikowska's stunning performance... with camels and dog.
03. Mad Max: Fury Road (2015, George Miller)Desert, as a wasteland, has never been this stunning. Namibian desert is made into a dystopian Australian wasteland in this high-octane film. Desert is infused with striking visuals and Oz-pera metal riffs in Fury Road, as it made like a setting of a 3-minute progressive death metal anthem itself-with excessive drum solo and versatile guitar distortion. It was straight-forward, violent, but philosophically enticing.
