Change Your Image
pillowman
Reviews
Idi i smotri (1985)
The face of horror
This has become one of my favorite war movies. The face of the protagonist still echos in my head as he watches a church full of people burn to the ground; or as he realizes that his family has been murdered; or in the most intense and abstract of scenes, when he gazes down upon the picture of Hitler and fires his gun for the first time as a mélange of war footage is interwoven with his disturbed expression. Many times throughout the film Klimov's use of sound creates an intense overwhelming feeling which almost literally makes me feel the anxiety that the characters must be experiencing in the scene. A good example is when the protagonist realizes his family is dead and unites with the surviving villagers. There is an effective use of disorienting sounds that really do start to make you feel like the world is collapsing around you. What sticks with you the most after seeing this movie is probably its depiction of the reality of war. In so many ways this movie puts Saving Private Ryan to shame (still an awesome movie) where we get a bunch of high paid heads to make us "feel" for them through acting. Rather, in "Come and See" we get the opposite, very few, low paid actors. The "feel" then comes from the directing style and the directors voice.
Dom za vesanje (1988)
Why Perhan!?! WHY?!
This movie has a very nice blend of comedy and tragedy. Often times Kusturica puts you in the position where you find yourself laughing at the irony of Perhan's misfortunes and crying at the beauty of his ambition. The story follows the path of a young boy's loss of innocence as he dedicates himself to the well being of his family and naively sacrifices his integrity for them. Though it is not entirely his fault, it is surely that naiveté that is both the source of his folly and it's redemption. There are occasional moments of surrealistic events in which they unfold in a manner that leaves their existence ambiguous though later events support it. It's almost as if Kusturica combines reality with the character's imagination and the resulting product is the subjective experience of the character. These are probably the scenes that contribute the most to the movies replay value as it's becomes fun to decide what's real and whats in Perhan's head. While the ending kind of left me thinking "Why? Perhan, Why?" I still loved the movie as a whole and have been recommending it to anyone who loves movies.
Qian li zou dan qi (2005)
To be human
I like how this movie compares two cultures that historically hated each other. Remaining unbiased to the justness of each, Zhang explores a variety of contrasting aspects between the Chinese and Japanese cultural norms. He leaves us with an insightful appreciation of both. On one side we have the Chinese valuation of family and community; on the other side we witness the Japanese regard for independence. We are shown both Japanese strength of composure and Chinese openness to expression.
Takakura does an amazing job of acting like he's not acting. By this I mean Mr. Takata's battle with the suppression of his emotional expression. Takakura's challenge was to obviously exist in anguish while showing signs to no one. Throughout the movie you can see the torment in his eyes while he struggles to shroud it from his hosts. Needless to say he can't always hide it (otherwise Takakura would of had it a little easier) and the times that he slips up and makes the sad face are the times that reassure us of his humanity. In fact, many times it takes just that to remind ourselves of the very same thing.
Viskningar och rop (1972)
Newly developed fear of broken glass
I wasn't a big fan of this movie but I must acknowledge the power of it's cinematography. While i don't think I can ever again bring myself to have sex with a woman named Karin, I have to admit it took intense dramaticism and emotional manipulation to ruin my love of all vagina. Bergman's style shines (or glooms) in this movie with it's use of very long facial cuts and drawn out silence. The opening scene was truly a test of emotional tolerance as you observe Anna's expressions of agonizing pain in a excruciatingly time-binding fashion. Bergman further expands the emo vibe through his use of dark lighting and sad rich women who hate their lives. I think the most ironic part of the story is that the woman dying of agonizing pain is likely the only one that ever felt a moment of happiness. Meanwhile the desperate housewives despise each other and feel mental agony comparable to Anna's physical from simply spending time together. While I myself will likely never watch this movie again, any aspiring directors interested in making the audience literally feel the pain that that is being experienced on screen may want to study it.
Le fantôme de la liberté (1974)
'Please, can you just leave the monks?'
Buñuel's interest in surrealism shows prominently in his films. It's no surprise then to his relationship with painter Salvador Dali. My favorite feature of this movie is the seamless transition of scenes. It is a story within a story within a story within a story. Themed around an idea of exploring cultural taboos that are often taken for granted, the film depicts acts and events that are shocking specifically because they defy the norm. Yet nothing depicted could truly be argued as wrong or impossible with significant evidence. The film's lingering impression is the realization that so many things in society are ignorantly accepted as the norm and then integrally defended. There is a introspective experience resulting from ones examining their shock from each scene. What really disturbs you? Why? and what things more than others. It really does upon your eyes to your own beliefs at times. While the movies layout can be confusing at times the "big picture" is apparent. The confusing layout only makes it more interesting to re-watch and try to catch all the little nuances is social normality. While some may not enjoy the style, no one can deny it's artistic value.
La otra conquista (1998)
The blindness of faith
There are not many movies that can express both the ignorance and tyranny of oppressive religious practices as well as their underlying humanistic concern. As was the case with Friar Diego's life long goal of converting Topiltzin to the Christian faith. On one hand was his inablity to make any associations between Topiltzin's Mother Goddess and his own motherly icon; his inability to associate the barbaric practice of secular murder to those that will not convert with that of the human sacrifices in which he feared so much (which were performed with sacrosanctity) and the imposition of his faith upon those that already had faith. On the other hand was the ignorant belief that he was actually helping Topiltzin; his unquestionable concern for Topiltzins well being and his fatherly methods of instilling his faith.
While the movie is about the Spanish conquest of the Aztecs, and the slaughter and assimilation of a massive indigenous population; it is also about the human spirit. You would think that with the overlying theme, after watching this you would become a little angry at the Spanish barbarism that was so socially acceptable back then. However Carrasco does a very nice job of making said barbarism ambiguous. History cannot be changed but it's interpretations never stop teaching. We are left with a since of sorrow for both the misguided actions of the Spanish colonists and the fate of a vibrantly developed culture. What we take with us is a broader perspective on our own beliefs and an introspective peek at their integrity. One thing I can never do after experiencing this movie is refer to the Mexican people as Hispanic (in fact I can't understand why I ever did anymore). The people of Mexico are Mexican. The dark skinned people they deny to this day, are my kindred spirits.