To Become Immortal, and Then, to Die. 1969 - 1970 • "32 Days of Movies" Day 19

The nineteenth chapter in "32 Days of Movies", an audiovisual tour through 366 films
Stay tuned through the credits today, as there will be a surprise at the end
(2015 update: included Vimeo embed after the jump)

View "Chapter 19: To Become Immortal, and Then, To Die."

To Become Immortal, and Then, To Die.

Chapter 13 began it. Chapters 16 - 17 shifted it into full gear. Today, in Chapter 19, the sixties come to an end. I will let the images (and sounds) speak for themselves, but would like to note that this is my favorite chapter, in terms of its construction (there are no loose ends, everything adds to the building theme and aesthetic flow), its references (this is to me one of the most exciting, poignant, and fascinating periods in history, cinema or otherwise), and its ending. Or rather its endings...

(continued below, along with NSFW specifications & other warnings)

There is first the smooth shift into credits, in which the penultimate selection (quite possibly my favorite movie scene of all time) seems not to conclude - the moment feels suspended in eternity, yet the music keeps building. Then there is a visual surprise for those of you who stick with me, highlighting the fact that this chapter, though still only two-thirds through the series, represents the end of an era and a kind of climax to cinema history, in which everything else afterward seems a generous epilogue. Then, finally, there is one more clip, a quiet conclusion in which a right-wing World War II general delivers a stirring, stoic epitaph to the revolutionary zeitgeist. All glory is fleeting.

NSFW/content warning: racist imagery 1:39 - 2:11, profanity 3:25 - 3:55; nudity 4:40 - 5:00.

Extremely fast montage at 6:52, be warned if you experience epilepsy or similar conditions.

I have covered today's films here, here, here, and included a longer clip from one here.

Tomorrow: Dispersed into the Seventies

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Yesterday: Shadow of '68

Visit the Video Gallery for a complete list of the chapters so far.