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The Caine Mutiny (1954, USA, Dmytryk)

The apparently insane captain isn’t an unorthodox genius, but a genuinely insane captain who’ll get us all killed.  Watched it all before, and again now, and Bogart’s crazy eyes are unforgettable, but in retrospect Queeg is a one-dimensional stock character in the making.  Also, the movie ends with a long courtroom scene.  I hate those.

Devil Girl From Mars (1954, UK)

Recent events on Mars show what can happen when women take their struggle for equality too far: They turn into unsmiling, cape-wearing overlords who travel around the solar system stealing males for their breeding program.  Oh no!  We must stop this from happening here?!  Watched: 4 minutes, + this.

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Seven Samurai (1954, Japan, Kurosawa)

Society is an uneasy alliance between bewildered civilians and men who find murder exciting.  Watched it all before, and again now.  Now here’s a proper movie, with proper samurais, proper bandits, and proper sword fights.  Even proper slow-motion death scenes, (a first?)  Movie violence as entertainment, it all comes back to Seven Samurai, (although I insist it should be spelled samurais).

Far til fire i sneen (1954, Denmark)

It flatters my inner patriot that a 1954 Danish family’s idea of a luxurious vacation is to go skiing at Geilo in Norway.  Watched: 10 minutes.