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The recent heat wave may be a distant memory, but movies are meant to preserve memories, and in many of them, the brutal summer climate plays an important role in creating the drama. In the mid-20th century, when airing homes was difficult in the summer, most movie theaters were air-conditioned: even as the characters sweated, the audience shivered. Here are some of my favorite films shot in the sun, which you can watch at home at your own comfortable temperature. — Richard Brodie
Clarke Peters in Summer in Red Hook. Photo by David Lee/Variance Films/Everett Collection
“The Lost Patrol” (1934, John Ford)
This World War I drama about British troops fighting in the desert of Mesopotamia is one of the most moving war films ever made. The film focuses on the mesmerizing power of the scorching sun and the stunning emptiness of the sandy landscape; the film’s dark core is the emptiness of death itself.
Rear Window (1954, Alfred Hitchcock)
Although Hitchcock's voyeuristic look at life in and around the backyards of several Manhattan apartment buildings is one of his signature detective stories, the story's central mystery is love, sex, and the connection between them. James Stewart and Grace Kelly are the central romantic leads; the heat of a summer night is the most important symbol of their erotic connection.
“The Sun Don't Shine” (2012, Amy Seimetz)
Set in her native Florida, Seimetz's debut feature is a sun-baked neo-noir with a modern twist. It's also a road movie about a young couple (Kate Lyn Sheil and Kentucker Audley) whose turbulent journey is fueled by a murder and attempts to hide the truth.
“Taboo” (2012, Miguel Gomes)
The Portuguese director explores his country’s colonial history to create a new form of anti-colonial drama that is both analytical and ironic. Part of the film’s action takes place in contemporary Lisbon, where a political activist meets an elderly man who once lived in colonial Mozambique. Gomes then moves the action to a retrospective of the man’s life, filled with passion and adventure in a tropical climate, which leads to personal and political violence.
“Summer in Red Hook” (2012, Spike Lee)
This self-financed film, shot quickly and enthusiastically on location in Brooklyn, is a coming-of-age story that simultaneously exposes secrets and lies. It follows an Atlanta teenager named Flick, who spends the summer with his grandfather, a pastor, in Red Hook, as the community risks being torn apart by long-hidden violence.
In the spotlight
Sourse: newyorker.com
