Monday, November 12, 2012
Expressionism Class
I am pursuing an independent study of German Expressionism and Film Noir as one of my classes this semester, and, as a result, I'm doing a lot of writing about movies. Expect a barrage of posts sometime this winter.
Monday, May 31, 2010
The End of St. Petersburg
The End of St. Petersburg
*****/5
by Pudovkin
Whenever I see a Russian or Eastern European film, I sort of want to give up on filmmaking. How could I possibly hope to come close to what these people were doing? They work entirely in emotions, utilizing and changing connotations as they take the audience through a vast common experience.
I loved this film so much that a couple weeks after seeing it in class, I rented it to show to Stu. In home viewing, it fell so much shorter of the experience I had in the theatre. After seeing it in class, the word most people used to describe it was “overwhelming.” At home, it was just so much...smaller.
The End of St. Petersburg was made in celebration of the Russian Revolution. As with most Russian films of the time, it was intended as semi-educational propaganda for the illiterate farmers on the outreaches of the Russian countryside who had little idea a revolution had even taken place.
The photography is completely beautiful and inventive. Statues of czars around the soon-to-fall city of St. Petersburg are photographed almost as characters, using not only their faces, but their connotations. A statue of Czar Nicholas edited against a money-grubbing factory stock holder makes the comparison clear. The statues turn their faces away from the starving peasants wandering the empty town squares looking for work. Clouds sweep in fast motion over vast countrysides, indicating turmoil and change. If you ever get the chance to see this movie on a large screen, do it.
Recommendations
Strike!
*****/5
by Pudovkin
Whenever I see a Russian or Eastern European film, I sort of want to give up on filmmaking. How could I possibly hope to come close to what these people were doing? They work entirely in emotions, utilizing and changing connotations as they take the audience through a vast common experience.
I loved this film so much that a couple weeks after seeing it in class, I rented it to show to Stu. In home viewing, it fell so much shorter of the experience I had in the theatre. After seeing it in class, the word most people used to describe it was “overwhelming.” At home, it was just so much...smaller.
The End of St. Petersburg was made in celebration of the Russian Revolution. As with most Russian films of the time, it was intended as semi-educational propaganda for the illiterate farmers on the outreaches of the Russian countryside who had little idea a revolution had even taken place.
The photography is completely beautiful and inventive. Statues of czars around the soon-to-fall city of St. Petersburg are photographed almost as characters, using not only their faces, but their connotations. A statue of Czar Nicholas edited against a money-grubbing factory stock holder makes the comparison clear. The statues turn their faces away from the starving peasants wandering the empty town squares looking for work. Clouds sweep in fast motion over vast countrysides, indicating turmoil and change. If you ever get the chance to see this movie on a large screen, do it.
Recommendations
Strike!
Monday, January 25, 2010
Alphaville
Alphaville
**/5
by Jean-Luc Godard
To be honest, I didn't like Alphaville very much at all. I felt very mistrustful of the film: it seemed to be making fun of me.
It was constructed with all of these “genre” elements: a spy, a femme fatale, a superintelligent computer, a secret organization, etc. but separated them from any of the style or artistry that actual genre films often contain. The bare plot devices were pasted together, which I felt created quite a misrepresentation of the source material. It was as if the film was intended to expose the flaws of the films it derived itself from, and, by proximity, those who enjoy such films, which seemed like a rather immature and cynical venture.
Besides that, there were some scenes that did not really blend with the others (like the fight scene in the hotel room near the beginning), and the whole thing was devoid of any kind of dramatic tension. Events just sort of played out until the end. And by the end, you realize that this film also states that love is among those preposterous things that only happens in movies.
The stylistic decisions that were added onto this strange film were ones that I just didn't get. The two second long interludes of neon signs and things speeding by or flashing seemed to be some kind of visual metaphor, the meaning of which escaped me. The distant and sterile mood of the film coupled with incredibly long handheld takes just exhausted me. I felt cut off from the characters, but also unpleasantly trapped. If this is what was intended, I fail to see why.
It is quite possible I'm missing something here, but if I am, isn't it a problem that the point wasn't made clear?
**/5
by Jean-Luc Godard
To be honest, I didn't like Alphaville very much at all. I felt very mistrustful of the film: it seemed to be making fun of me.
It was constructed with all of these “genre” elements: a spy, a femme fatale, a superintelligent computer, a secret organization, etc. but separated them from any of the style or artistry that actual genre films often contain. The bare plot devices were pasted together, which I felt created quite a misrepresentation of the source material. It was as if the film was intended to expose the flaws of the films it derived itself from, and, by proximity, those who enjoy such films, which seemed like a rather immature and cynical venture.
Besides that, there were some scenes that did not really blend with the others (like the fight scene in the hotel room near the beginning), and the whole thing was devoid of any kind of dramatic tension. Events just sort of played out until the end. And by the end, you realize that this film also states that love is among those preposterous things that only happens in movies.
The stylistic decisions that were added onto this strange film were ones that I just didn't get. The two second long interludes of neon signs and things speeding by or flashing seemed to be some kind of visual metaphor, the meaning of which escaped me. The distant and sterile mood of the film coupled with incredibly long handheld takes just exhausted me. I felt cut off from the characters, but also unpleasantly trapped. If this is what was intended, I fail to see why.
It is quite possible I'm missing something here, but if I am, isn't it a problem that the point wasn't made clear?
Monday, January 18, 2010
House of Wax
House of Wax
****/5
by André De Toth, starring Vincent Price
I recently rewatched this film and was pleased to find it was as great as I remembered. This is the film that made Vincent Price the face (and voice!) of horror in the 50s and 60s. Full of excellent scares, creepy sets, and imagery that is still shocking by today's standards, this film sticks with you. For a couple years I was trying to remember what film it was that had a particularly terrifying murder in it, and watching House of Wax again, I realized this was it!
The only parts of this movie that fall short are the interludes intended to showcase the film's original 3-D. On DVD, you wonder why there are so many Can-Can dancers and obnoxious guys with paddleballs. Other than these pitfalls, though, the movie is generally well paced, concise, and totally scary. Highly recommended.
Recommendations
The Abominable Dr. Phibes (one of Vincent Price's last great horror roles)
****/5
by André De Toth, starring Vincent Price
I recently rewatched this film and was pleased to find it was as great as I remembered. This is the film that made Vincent Price the face (and voice!) of horror in the 50s and 60s. Full of excellent scares, creepy sets, and imagery that is still shocking by today's standards, this film sticks with you. For a couple years I was trying to remember what film it was that had a particularly terrifying murder in it, and watching House of Wax again, I realized this was it!
The only parts of this movie that fall short are the interludes intended to showcase the film's original 3-D. On DVD, you wonder why there are so many Can-Can dancers and obnoxious guys with paddleballs. Other than these pitfalls, though, the movie is generally well paced, concise, and totally scary. Highly recommended.
Recommendations
The Abominable Dr. Phibes (one of Vincent Price's last great horror roles)
Tuesday, January 5, 2010
La Fille d'Eau
La Fille d'Eau
*****/5
Jean Renoir
I got a whole box set of Renoir films for my birthday that I'm just now getting around to watching. This is the first one, from 1925, and in fact, it was Renoir's first solo directing role. It seems Renoir has been making incredible films since the beginning. The story, as with most good films, is simple. A girl's father dies, and when her uncle treats her horribly, she runs away and falls in with some bad people until she can be redeemed. However, this is barely the surface of what it is like to watch this film. My history teacher, Gene Stavis said the other day, “The story is less than 50% of what a film is about.” I could not agree more. This film, ridiculously retitled Whirlpool of Fate for America, has so much more going on. It is a complete coalescence of the state of film up to that point, in much the same way people mention Citizen Kane being. However, Citizen Kane blends its ideas much more smoothly than this film does, although the chunkiness here does not really detract. There are scenes of Russian montage, and a magnificent nightmare sequence that has got to be one of the best dreams committed to film. You can see more than a little of this dream in the films of Jean Cocteau. La Fille d'Eau is shot mostly on location, with the scenes on the water being the absolute best. Look for (although I don't think you'll miss it) the shot where a man walks in place along the top of a moving barge. Also when the girl is sitting on the barge's rudder, the camera is on the other end, which keeps her in the middle of the frame as she swings on it and moves the whole background. The effect is simply incredible.
Recommendations
Anything by Jean Renoir or Jean Cocteau
*****/5
Jean Renoir
I got a whole box set of Renoir films for my birthday that I'm just now getting around to watching. This is the first one, from 1925, and in fact, it was Renoir's first solo directing role. It seems Renoir has been making incredible films since the beginning. The story, as with most good films, is simple. A girl's father dies, and when her uncle treats her horribly, she runs away and falls in with some bad people until she can be redeemed. However, this is barely the surface of what it is like to watch this film. My history teacher, Gene Stavis said the other day, “The story is less than 50% of what a film is about.” I could not agree more. This film, ridiculously retitled Whirlpool of Fate for America, has so much more going on. It is a complete coalescence of the state of film up to that point, in much the same way people mention Citizen Kane being. However, Citizen Kane blends its ideas much more smoothly than this film does, although the chunkiness here does not really detract. There are scenes of Russian montage, and a magnificent nightmare sequence that has got to be one of the best dreams committed to film. You can see more than a little of this dream in the films of Jean Cocteau. La Fille d'Eau is shot mostly on location, with the scenes on the water being the absolute best. Look for (although I don't think you'll miss it) the shot where a man walks in place along the top of a moving barge. Also when the girl is sitting on the barge's rudder, the camera is on the other end, which keeps her in the middle of the frame as she swings on it and moves the whole background. The effect is simply incredible.
Recommendations
Anything by Jean Renoir or Jean Cocteau
Mr. Wong Movies
This is a little embarrassing. A couple times I have been randomly picking films out of my 50 Horror Movies box set (which is a medley of public domain art and trash) and come across a “Mr. Wong, Detective” film. Something about my undying love for mysteries, the 30s, and utter garbage comes together for me in these films. I have no illusions that they are good, but they do keep me interested. And if I had to pick an aspect of casual racism, I'd pick these films over anything with a caricatured black person.
Bela Lugosi's Mr. Wong fell victim to a lot of horrible things. Firstly, he was the bad guy, which pretty much gave the guys over at Monogram Pictures the liberty to make him as despicable as they wanted. He speaks in halted English and has a ridiculous underground lair. Not even his wife or daughter like him. However, Boris Karloff's Mr. Wong is a highly respected private detective. He is most often called in when the police are dealing with a crime where they need information from Chinatown, and he is more likely to get it than they. Mr. Wong always solves the crimes the police assume to be open and shut. He performs scientific analysis and picks up clues they overlook. As far as a stereotype goes, Wong doesn't really fulfill any racial caricatures. Now, this does not entirely redeem these movies, but they are an interesting relic that is decent entertainment as a mystery.
The best one I've seen so far is The Fatal Hour. The movie starts when the main cop, Captain Street, gets a phone call that his long-time friend has been killed while working undercover. The tone is somber, which removes a lot of the overblown “comedy” banter from the picture. People look at each other with sad understanding and Wong comes in mostly to console his friend. The characters deal with much heavier issues than normal, such as who will tell the officer's wife he has been killed. As the film progresses, solving the crime comes to the forefront over the personal issues, but it never comes back to the level of annoying chatter of the other films.
I would certainly not go so far as to recommend these pictures, but maybe I feel it should be noted that they are not the racist exploitation films that it would be easy to assume they are. In fact, I always find it a little comforting that Mr. Wong is the most respectable and well liked guy in the movie. People are comforted by his presence and cherish his friendship. He is intelligent without being cartoonishly wise or enigmatic, and he is capable without using any “Oriental secrets”. He's a down to earth kind of guy, heads above the rest of the San Francisco police force.
Recommendations:
The Fatal Hour, if you absolutely must
Bela Lugosi's Mr. Wong fell victim to a lot of horrible things. Firstly, he was the bad guy, which pretty much gave the guys over at Monogram Pictures the liberty to make him as despicable as they wanted. He speaks in halted English and has a ridiculous underground lair. Not even his wife or daughter like him. However, Boris Karloff's Mr. Wong is a highly respected private detective. He is most often called in when the police are dealing with a crime where they need information from Chinatown, and he is more likely to get it than they. Mr. Wong always solves the crimes the police assume to be open and shut. He performs scientific analysis and picks up clues they overlook. As far as a stereotype goes, Wong doesn't really fulfill any racial caricatures. Now, this does not entirely redeem these movies, but they are an interesting relic that is decent entertainment as a mystery.
The best one I've seen so far is The Fatal Hour. The movie starts when the main cop, Captain Street, gets a phone call that his long-time friend has been killed while working undercover. The tone is somber, which removes a lot of the overblown “comedy” banter from the picture. People look at each other with sad understanding and Wong comes in mostly to console his friend. The characters deal with much heavier issues than normal, such as who will tell the officer's wife he has been killed. As the film progresses, solving the crime comes to the forefront over the personal issues, but it never comes back to the level of annoying chatter of the other films.
I would certainly not go so far as to recommend these pictures, but maybe I feel it should be noted that they are not the racist exploitation films that it would be easy to assume they are. In fact, I always find it a little comforting that Mr. Wong is the most respectable and well liked guy in the movie. People are comforted by his presence and cherish his friendship. He is intelligent without being cartoonishly wise or enigmatic, and he is capable without using any “Oriental secrets”. He's a down to earth kind of guy, heads above the rest of the San Francisco police force.
Recommendations:
The Fatal Hour, if you absolutely must
Tuesday, September 22, 2009
Le Corbeau
Le Corbeau
*****/5
Henri-Georges Clouzot
The French continue to casually make beautiful films with important social messages. I guess not "continue" since this film is from the '40s, but "consistently".
The story is of an anonymous informant who sends exposing letters to every person in a small town. The infrastructure and relationships crumble as treachery and secrets come to light. The mystery of "Who is 'Le Corbeau'?" is not nearly as thrilling as the human drama, which explores how easily people can be swayed to keep themselves safe. It was made as a response to the occupation of France, and therefore the comments are rather subtle, but not easy to miss.
I first thought of recommending The Exterminating Angel, which is one of my favorite films ever, but I'm not sure if that is the strongest connection I can make. Apparently, Godard's Weekend was inspired by The Exterminating Angel, so maybe I'll save the recommendation for that.
*****/5
Henri-Georges Clouzot
The French continue to casually make beautiful films with important social messages. I guess not "continue" since this film is from the '40s, but "consistently".
The story is of an anonymous informant who sends exposing letters to every person in a small town. The infrastructure and relationships crumble as treachery and secrets come to light. The mystery of "Who is 'Le Corbeau'?" is not nearly as thrilling as the human drama, which explores how easily people can be swayed to keep themselves safe. It was made as a response to the occupation of France, and therefore the comments are rather subtle, but not easy to miss.
I first thought of recommending The Exterminating Angel, which is one of my favorite films ever, but I'm not sure if that is the strongest connection I can make. Apparently, Godard's Weekend was inspired by The Exterminating Angel, so maybe I'll save the recommendation for that.
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