His greatest films are rather obscure which means that there isn´t much that bears testimony of what a skillfull director Raul Ruiz is, and especially his early Chilean films aren´t even available with subtitles. I think one can find clear parallels to Luis Buñuel and Orson Welles in his oevre, and I would recommend you to check out The Hypothesis of the Stolen Painting, City of Pirates, Three Crowns of the Sailor or The Blind Owl at your local videoteque instead of any of his more recent films, and then you can decide for yourself if you should be exited or not. He also wrote a book called “Poetics of Cinema” which you might want to read as an introduction to his lectures.
Thanks for the recommendations, I will have a look, if u have any questions you wish me to ask him for you at a later date I will :-)
Be excited. And prepare to be confounded. Is this a production or history course? Definitely read the Poetics. They began as lectures, while he was a Harvard, if I’m correct. Report back. I’m curious as hell to know what he’s like as an instructor.
He also has a big role in the film making society at the uni….
so im excited about that.
So you may have the opportunity to shoot something under his guidance? Fantastic!
Of course you should be excited. He’s one of the greatest living filmmkaers and easily the most prolific.
Check my chapter devoted to him in my book “Film: The Front Line — 1984” (Arden Press)
KJ its a mixture, mainly theoretical but apparently there is a significant practical element to it.
http://www.csd.abdn.ac.uk/~cmellish/kings_high_street_1_image.jpg
this is where it will all be taught too! Beautiful isnt it ? It’s been open since 1495
If he’s even close to as good a teacher as he is a filmmaker you should have a fine time there indeed. I would hope that his lectures are a little more straight forward than his films though, otherwise your note-taking might get a little rough.
Excited?? I think there is room for lot more than just getting excited!!
Raul Ruiz is perhaps the most profound and philosophically conscious director around. He takes the surrealist aspect in his stories to the next level. I have seen only 2 Ruiz’ films, Genealogies of Crime and Three Crowns and the Sailor. Both have an underlying macabre feature, but they are very different films and don’t feel like coming from the same director.
I hear Hypothesis… is more approachable and hence more celebrated, waiting to see it!
you are all getting me very excited he sounds right down my street, I am going to purchase the Poetics of Cinema.
Yes, the building is beautiful. It’s the kind of structure Ruiz would find appealing.
Ruiz’s Proust film “Time Regained” is essential viewing. I also reccomend “The Top of the Whle,” “Hypothesis of the Stolen Painting,” and “Three Lives and Only One Death.”
You know what, we could seriously use an Eclipse collection devoted to Ruiz. Those last three there would be perfect.
He did a film on proust!!!! is it based on in search of lost time ?
I love proust!!!
ok im won over.
Yes!
some longtime Ruiz fans weren’t crazy about Ruiz’s Proust film (or most of his later films), but I liked it a lot. Comedy of Innocence as well.
Should you? YES YOU should!
PS
I wish I could attend those classes…
I did go and see l ile au tresor and he was there, very clever person, and at the end he also lingered around a little bit while they were selling his books…
my favourite of his film is La Ville Des Pirates but I havent seen many although I know very many others are available on the web…..
Klimt, Time Regained and Hypothesis of the Stolen Painting in queue rigth now, but damn can’t find Comedy of Innocence, The Top of the Whale, and Three Lives and Only One Death.
I have the top of the whale and the quality is awful
I couldn’t stand TIME REGAINED. But I didn’t have much patience that summer.
Regardless, you should be excited. Dunnottar Castle is one of the coolest places I’ve ever been to in my life. Shooting location of Zeffirelli’s HAMLET (and probably the best part of that movie along with the Morricone score). Don’t miss it while you’re in Aberdeen.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dunnottar_Castle
I love that film :-) and i’m going up tomorrow to have another look round and thats on my list!
Another great Ruiz obscuirty — in english — is “The Territory.” Roger comran produced it, as the story was about a gorup of people who resort to cannibalism. But the finished film had absolutely no gore whatsoever in it, so he never released it.
Wim Wenders visited the set to see his then-grilfriend Isabelle Weingaten. He was so taken with the atmosphere in and around the film’s making that he scooped up the cast, added a few others, and made “The State of Things.”
My favorite Ruiz film is Ce jour-là. It’s one of his lightest comedies (as well as one of his most straight-forwardly linear narrative films) but I really loved it.
http://revista.escaner.cl/node/479
(Sorry, Spanish only)
Saludos hermanos latinos: Ruiz, uno de los grandes de nuestro continente
En cada país que recorre ha legado imprescindible conocimiento
I found out he was teaching at the University of Arberdeen a week or two ago. And let’s just say that I wish I could leave now and join you.
in a couple of months if any of you have any questions you’d like me to put to him, il gladly do so.
Just found out that Marion couitard is goign to be in his next up coming film, if he can attract actors of her standard he must be good.
My first lecture with Ruiz is tomorrow, im excited!
He will be doing a few tutorials as well throughout the year which should be great.
That’s good Jamie. Please tell us about it!!
Good to hear, Jamie. I looked into going to the University of Aberdeen, but it seemed like he only lectured to 4th year film students. I guess that’s not the case.
Jamie Mattick
I’ve just been accepted to do Film at The University of Aberdeen and the head lecturer is Raul Ruiz, should I be excited ?