Classic Films - Reviews and Reflections with Stuart Fernie

Send us Fan Mail Not intended as literary criticism, this episode aims to familiarise young or new readers of Baudelaire with some of the ideas, thoughts and themes contained in the poems, thus allowing greater appreciation.

Send us Fan Mail Reflections on themes and characters, especially Tibbs and Gillespie in “In the heat of the night” (1967)

Send us Fan Mail Reflections on style, character and themes in Basil Dearden’s “The League of Gentlemen” (1960)

Send us Fan Mail Discussion and analysis of characters and themes in Richard Fleischer’s film starring Charlton Heston, Edward G Robinson and Leigh Taylor-Young.

Send us Fan Mail Discussion and analysis of characters and themes, especially racism and McCarthyism, in “Bad Day at Black Rock” directed by John Sturges and starring Spencer Tracy, Robert Ryan, Walter Brennan, Dean Jagger, Ernest Borgnine, Lee Marvin and Anne Francis.

Send us Fan Mail Discussion and analysis of the tone and film noir roots of Michael Crichton’s entertaining but underrated heist film starring Sean Connery, Lesley-Anne Down and Donald Sutherland.

Send us Fan Mail Discussion and analysis of the Dreyfus Affair with reference to “I accuse” (1958), “Prisoner of Honor” (1990), “J’accuse” / “An Officer and a Spy” (2019) and The Enlightenment Movement.

Send us Fan Mail A personal interpretation of characters and themes in Bergman’s “Persona”, starring Bibi Andersson and Liv Ullmann.

Send us Fan Mail Discussion and analysis of characters and themes in Bergman’s famed work, “The Seventh Seal”, starring Max Von Sydow, Gunnar Bjornstrand, Bibi Andersson, Nils Poppe et al

Send us Fan Mail Discussion and analysis of characters and themes in Stanley Kubrick’s film version of “A Clockwork Orange”, originally written by Anthony Burgess.

Send us Fan Mail Discussion and analysis of characters and themes in Quentin Tarantino’s “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood”, focusing on Tarantino’s strengths and weaknesses as a film-maker.

Send us Fan Mail Discussion and analysis of characters and themes in Todd Phillips’ “Joker” starring Joaquin Phoenix and Robert De Niro.

Send us Fan Mail Discussion and analysis of the character of Charles Foster Kane and themes in Orson Welles’ “Citizen Kane”.

Send us Fan Mail Discussion and analysis of characters and themes in a selection of Luc Besson’s earlier work, focusing on Le Dernier Combat, Subway, The Big Blue, Nikita, Leon (a.k.a. The Professional) and Angel-A.

Send us Fan Mail Discussion and analysis of characters and themes in Stanley Kramer’s “Judgment at Nuremberg”.

Send us Fan Mail Discussion and analysis of characters and themes in Sidney Lumet’s “The Verdict” starring Paul Newman and Charlotte Rampling.

Send us Fan Mail Discussion and analysis of characters and themes in “Road to Perdition” directed by Sam Mendes, starring Tom Hanks, Paul Newman and Jude Law.

Send us Fan Mail Discussion and analysis of characters and themes in Kieslowski’s Three Colours Trilogy.

Send us Fan Mail Discussion and analysis of characters and themes in Coppola’s Vietnam war epic, “Apocalypse Now”.

Send us Fan Mail Discussion and analysis of characters and themes in, but also the tone and the influence of “The Adventures of Robin Hood” starring Errol Flynn.

Send us Fan Mail Analysis and comparison of Valjean and Javert, two of the main characters in Victor Hugo’s “Les Misérables”

Send us Fan Mail Discussion and analysis of characters and themes (from an existential perspective) in Ridley Scott’s “Blade Runner” starring Harrison Ford.

Send us Fan Mail Discussion and analysis of characters and themes in “Gattaca” starring Ethan Hawke, Uma Thurman and Jude Law.

Send us Fan Mail Discussion and analysis of characters and themes in the historical fantasy film, “Highlander” starring Christopher Lambert and Sean Connery.

Send us Fan Mail Discussion and analysis of characters and themes in Clint Eastwood’s western, “The Outlaw Josey Wales”.