2012 MUBI World Cup Voting, Match #63: China (This Life of Mine) vs. Tunisia (A Summer in La Goulette)
I’ve missed the last two rounds, but I might actually have time to watch these!
China (This Life of Mine) 1 – Tunisia (A Summer in La Goulette) 0
This Life of Mine – I can imagine how historically important this film is for China and the good part about it is that its also well made. More than anything else, it made me look up the wikipedia page for China to learn a bit about its history which is always useful.
A Summer in La Goulette – Another film that captures the times of a bygone era. It has some good moments but the truth is that I was too besotted by the beautiful women in this film to pay any attention to the rest of the story.
China (This Life of Mine) 0 – Tunisia (A Summer in La Goulette) 1
Rohit, as Preston Sturges said: “A pretty girl is better than an ugly one” :D
This Life of Mine is a very difficult type of film from the point of view of a dramatic progression: The epic film that chronicles the life of some characters over the course of several decades in a historical setting. Whenever the film starts to get one-sided, it quickly tips the scales the other way. Very few successful films come to my mind, Xie Jin’s Legend of Tianyun Mountain is one of them but that’s another story (a much more complex non-linear narrative structure).
China (This Life of Mine) 1 – Tunisia (A Summer in La Goulette) 0
China (This Life of Mine) 0 – Tunisia (A Summer in La Goulette) 1
I was disappointed by the Chinese film, which i’d been wanting to see. From what i’ve seen, Boughedir is quite a reliable and good natured rather than inspired director, and i like the setting and blues with the whites and creams. The prettiness of the daughter (Sonia Mankai?) who is the object of desire (and her mother too) wins out over intended socio-political examination of community relationships, which falls short and is hardly incisive, while the group pranks and good humour feel a little forced rather than convincing. The heart attack was a predictably tidy way out of the awkward situation. At the risk of seeming a dirty old man, i understand why Rohit and the landlord were besotted, but it’s no masterpiece. Do see Moufida Tlatli’s Silences of the Palace for a superb Tunisian film set a little bit earlier.
China (This Life of Mine) 1 – Tunisia (A Summer in La Goulette) 0
at work, i’ll post my thoughts on both a bit later
VOTING IS CLOSED
Final tally:
China (This Life of Mine) – 3
Tunisia (A Summer in La Goulette) – 2
The winner is:
CHINA!
Arise! All those who don’t want to be slaves!
Let our flesh and blood forge our new Great Wall!
As the Chinese people have arrived at their most perilous time.
Every person is forced to expel his very last cry.
Arise! Arise! Arise!
Our million hearts beating as one,
Brave the enemy’s fire, March on!
Brave the enemy’s fire, March on!
March on! March on! On!
China (This Life of Mine) 1 – Tunisia (A Summer in La Goulette) 0
La Goulette is just some other silly movie where everyone is peeping through holes as if they had never seen naked people bathing. How many times do we have to see the same things again and again without the slightlest variation? Dumb telemovie, trying to “refer” to religious or politics In the most banal and reductive ways. I don’t think this pile of cliches and visual laziness represents Tunisia in the least.
Sorry Javier you came in just a little past the deadline for the vote to count, but thank you for your comments.
Yes, it was a matter of two or three mins. No problem Riss. Thanks.
Risselada
This topic is part of the 2012 MUBI World Cup. If you have not already done so, please read the first post at the topic for an introduction to and rules about this year’s World Cup:
http://mubi.com/topics/2012-mubi-world-cup-introduction-submit-your-list-of-films
China
Original title: Wo zhe yi bei zi
Directed by: Shi Hui
Approximate runtime: 120 min
Submitted by: ys
Tunisia
Original title: Un été à La Goulette
Directed by: Férid Boughedir
Approximate runtime: 89 min
Submitted by: Angel
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The purpose of this topic is to cast votes in the matchup listed above and also to be a forum for discussing the films in the match.
Anyone who has seen both of the films listed above may vote in this match. You must vote for whichever of the two films you personally like better. In order to vote you must post a reply to this topic containing one of the following sequences:
If you are voting for This Life of Mine: “China (This Life of Mine) 1 – Tunisia (A Summer in La Goulette) 0”
If you are voting for A Summer in La Goulette: “China (This Life of Mine) 0 – Tunisia (A Summer in La Goulette) 1”
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