Published 28th Jun. 2021
Reading time
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The American West would not be the American West without Westerns. In this case, the Western was created by Italian Sergio Leone. Strolling through Monument Valley, Ennio Morricone's whining, sublime harmonica goes hand in hand with a cowboy jumping out from behind a rock.
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A definite must-watch, not so much to relive the anguish of beautiful Tippi Hedren, who plays Melanie in the film, but to discover with delight the hills of San Francisco, and the other side of Bodega Bay, the place the birds attack, and where Hitchcock filmed the main shots of the film - a maniac for detail, he shot only the bare minimum in natural light in order to fully control the light and sound of his images.
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This film can help you to understand the immensity of the landscapes of the American West before visiting. Feel the light, prepare to feel the thrill of driving on the long, straight roads of the great west, the impromptu stops in anonymous bars that line the sides of the road, which will only add to you memorable trip.
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Dive into the immensity of Las Vegas while laughing along the way. Take some notes, check the place out. Once there, play a bit of roulette and also spot the difference: which neon lights, signs and garish architecture are still there? Which ones aren't there anymore and which ones are from the movie? The buildings in Las Vegas, whose spirit endures and shape changes, are like a cinematic setting that is constantly reinvented.
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Winner of the Palme d'Or at Cannes and the Oscar for Best Screenplay, this film is a wonderful concentration of Los Angeles spirit. Created in the nineties with the distinct Tarantino touch, everything is so LA, from the diners and burgers (including the famous Big Mac scene), to the lighting, make-up, accessories and clothes from the West Coast, to even the intensity of the garish colours and the way everyone chews their gum.
Header image by Tim Hufner / Unsplash.com.
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