The only bleak movies I can think of are Hollywood blockbusters that are mainly a product and not a work of art. It’s depressing to see that those types of films are what the masses watch.
Liem, I don’t think your list is depressing at all. It’s mainly a list of movies with strong characters having a go at it, struggling and trying to find meaning. From the list you mentioned “Wings of Desire”, “Lost in Translation”, “Magnolia”, “Eternal Sunshine…”, “Annie Hall”, even “Rear Window” are pretty feel good movies for me. They end on bittersweet tones, they make you think and smile at their portrayal of life.
A favorite of mine is Agnes Jaoui who directs, co-writes with husband Jean Pierre Bacri and they both act in her films. From the list you posted at the top of the thread I think you’d like her. =)
The funny thing is (since someone mentioned black /white and color) that Lelouch used black and white because he just couldn’t afford doing it all in color.
The scene in the restaurant with the children is amazing. A lesson in flirtation. That scene alone is invaluable. I’ve never watched anything like it. Riveting performances with a lot of improv around the children.
Un Homme et Une Femme is a classy film, full of elegance, grace and visual beauty.
The sequence in Machuca, where he walks through the slum, amidst fire, soldiers and violence, is an amazing dream-like sequence, nothing happens to him, he is allowed to walk freely and see all the horror . Also, Aline Kuppenheim’s “numbness” throughout the film, a calm exterior that suggests, however, that at any point madness might set in, like she’d break.
Machuca is truly a powerful film.
As for Raul Ruiz, he’s pretty brilliant and widely respected, although not recognized in his own country. Perhaps it’s because he was always more experimental and avant-garde, less politically inclined (as were the other directors of his generation, like Miguel Littin). You have to bear in mind that he started working on films a couple of years before the UP, Chile’s socialist experiment, so Ruiz being apolitical, so to speak, was odd, especially around that time, where politics was an important part of Chilean life. Ruiz has made around 60 films and worked with top-notch actors. Cinema lovers owe him a great deal.
He once stated that “En Chile la gente no vive, se desvive”, (“In CHile, people don’t live, they un-live”, which is also a play of words as “desvive” can be interpreted to mean “exhausting effort on one’s part to achieve something”). What Ruiz was trying to convey is that it is very difficult in Chile, to get artistic projects up and running and that most Chileans are concerned with survival under tough conditions that with art. He was trying to explain the reasons why he was happier abroad.
(And finally, I really want to see “The Maid”!!!, I hope to do that soon!!)
Jaspar said it before me… Sylvester Stallone in Cop Land blew me away. There was such a sense of sorrow, regret and just plain weariness about him… but no bitterness… which made the character all the more enjoyable. Great role.
@Kenji: You should definitely visit Chile someday. We are a nice bunch. And yes, Santiago is full of young romance (and good cinema) and Puerto Montt, where I currently reside is sort of magical… a melancholy port city where you can dance Tango and sit on benches by the ocean. =)
@Rick Hunter: Promedio Rojo is what you’re looking for. http://www.promediorojo.com/
What a great topic. So interesting to read everyone’s thoughts.
IN my childhood, I had been watching mainly American Cinema (my father was a huge American Cinema fan). Granted we watched pretty classy stuff, Sidney Pollack, Woody Allen… but we were also into the big Hollywood blockbusters… One day, in my mid teens, I was invited by a friend to watch “Faraway, So Close” by Wim Wenders. I fell in love with the plot, the use of color, the different languages spoken… It was a far cry from the American films I was used to.
Some time after that, I strayed into a Truffaut film festival on my way home. There was a screening of Farenheit 451. I was enthralled by the bright colors, the camera angles and the perfect rendition of a book I loved…
I found myself avidly seeking out foreign film festivals as they were my only shot of watching avant-garde cinema, experimental cinema or foreign cinema. There was no Bittorrent back then (late 90’s) and buying DVDs on amazon was not something everyone could do in Chile.
The moment, though, that really sealed the deal for me was the day I left the movie theater, after watching “Le fabuleux destin d’Amélie Poulain”… I realized I was elated. The colors, the dialogue, the narrative, the plot… all that French! The message: that any life can be extraordinary no matter how simple it is. But above all the imagery and the use of color.
And then I knew my Cinema taste was changed forever. And now I’m much more inclined to foreign films (understanding foreign as not American) and/or indie cinema (American, etc). ;)
According to www.newwavefilm.com, Un Homme et une Femme ranks 6th:
10 BEST NEW WAVE LOVE STORIES
1. Les Parapluies de Cherbourg (The Umbrellas of Cherbourg, 1964) – dir: Jacques Demy
2. Jules et Jim (1962) – dir: Francois Truffaut
3. Pierrot le fou (1965)
4. L’Amour l’Après-midi (Chloe in the Afternoon, 1972) – dir: Eric Rohmer
5. Le Mépris (Contempt, 1963) – dir: Jean-Luc Godard
6. Un Homme et une Femme (A Man and a Woman, 1966) – dir: Claude Lelouch
7. Ma nuit chez Maud (My Night with Maud, 1969) dir: Eric Rohmer
8. Les Demoiselles de Rochefort (The Young Girls of Rochefort, 1967) dir: Jacques Demy
9. Les Deux Anglaises et le Continent (Two English Girls, 1971) dir: Francois Truffaut
10. L’Eau a la Bouche (A Game for Six Lovers, 1960) dir: Jacques Doniol-Valcroze
This film is by no means inane (as one post put it). It’s a beautiful film for so many reasons…
The black- &- white- then- color- then- switch- to- black- &- white shots (which critics attributed to some “artistic epiphany” had by Lelouch… he rebuffed the latter saying merely that he had started shooting in color but had no money to continue so he had to use black and white… ), then there’s the amazing chemistry between the main characters, emphasized by Aimée exuding femininity, flirtatiousness and Trintignant being as manly as a man can be… Reminding us just how much the sexes differ and how good it is that they do.
The film is of course a visual treat. Black & White. Then Color. New Wave. Images used so much more than dialogue. Aimée jumping into Trintignant’s arms and a kiss we don’t see but know took place… Insinuations. A flirtatious glance here and there. The hint of a smile. A muffled laugh. And the dialogue that is used and not used… nothing less than superb. Precise, to the point and beautiful.
And the restaurant scene! Much of it improvisation around their children according to Lelouch. Executed beautifully. Shot beautifully. Just the right amount of coquetry, laughter, cigarette-smoking… (yes, children were present but it was after all, the sixties…)
What Lelouch accomplished on a tight budget (and several setbacks) is a film that lingers in the memory. So nope, it is nothing but inane. I love this film. =)
The other day I was doing some pointless browsing on the net and discovered a film student who posted a list his teacher gave him regarding the 10 most disturbing movies of all time, a sort of “blacklist” of movies, if you will.
Some of the movies listed were: Salo, 120 days of Sodom by Pier Paolo Pasolini; Man Behind the Sun (T.F Mous), Last House on the Left, Wes Craven; Eraserhead by David Lynch; Bloodsucking Freaks by God knows whom; The Guinea Pig movies and others I cannot recall… if you want to look at the post (not for the faint of heart, it’s here: http://my.spill.com/forum/topics/947994:Topic:220170?commentId=947994%3AComment%3A1286985)
Thankfully, for my mental environment, I had watched none of them. But I am curious about the other film lovers on here… what is the most (or are the most) disturbing/controversial films you’ve ever watched and why? And I’m not really talking about horror films (though those of course are included)…
In my case,
La Ville Est Tranquille (though a masterpiece) filled me with despair. Robert Guédiguian depicts working-class life in Marseilles. It’s a movie of such anguish, despair and darkness that I almost went into depression after watching. It has never left my mind. It is beautiful though, in a VERY sad way. I’d love to get my hands on more of Robert Guédiguian films, but in Chile they are hard to come by.
Irreversible by Gaspar Noe, the bashing of the skull and the rape scene… need I say more?
and Demon Lover by Olivier Assayas was an absurd tale of pointless violence and sexuality. It made me a bit sick.
I recall Frailty… I saw it, didn’t really make an impression except for the fact that it’s typical Hollywood. Nothing much there. A surprise ending if I recall correctly…
Regarding Happiness, I’ve read about it… I’d like to watch it.
“Las Edades de Lulú” by Bigas Luna I stopped watching after the incest scene. Disturbing. I had forgotten that one…
@Den: Do you mean Snuff by the Findlays? They also have this weird “Flesh” Trilogy I’ve read about? You’re the only person I know that’s ever watched these kinds of exploitation movies… I guess they don’t rattle you? =) The honest truth is that exploitation and mondo movies make me curious, but I’m affected by film in general, so I try to take care of my mental environment. But I am curious. What are your thoughts on exploitation films, mondo films…? =)
I also believe Exploitation and Mondo are interesting as a manifestation of the way individuals “do” culture…. Why did the Findlays choose to do what they did, for instance? What made them want to work with such subject matter? There surely couldn’t be that much money in the genre?
Or what about Mario Bava? George Romero? What went through their minds…? This is geeky stuff I think about sometimes. =)
@attitudeajm – How awful… I believe I read about that movie in the post I mentioned at the beginning of this thread, but I wasn’t sure if the author was serious when he said that animals were killed. I assumed it was all fake. That’s where anyone would draw the line. Hurting animals or causing pain for the sake of shock is unacceptable. One thing is to create fantasy, no matter how twisted… it’s only that, fantasy (though I do have some reservations regarding the impact it has on the human mind)… another is to murder a living being for the sake of film or art, twisted or not. That’s super awful what you mentioned. =( Which is why even though exploitation and mondo films interest me in a geeky way, I have never watched one. Because of the protecting- yourself- from- unnecessary- shock thing which I discussed with Den above…
@ Alex et Nico Born from Pain looks interesting. The plot sounds good. Pity it’s not available to watch here. At least, not for me. =) As for Breaking the Waves, I’ve always wanted to watch it. Hopefully soon.
I found this movie to have many Southern Gothic elements to it. In a highly twisted way, though.
I found it disturbing, interesting… It made me feel like a voyeur, perhaps that’s where its main appeal lies, in that it’s pretty convincing visually. I did watch it quite a few years ago, though. It had slipped my mind until I saw this thread.
Of Korine’s films, I’ve only watched “Kids”. I found Gummo to be more interesting, though it was hard to stomach.
The typical Hollywood drama where EVERYTHING is bad.
Contrast this to Latin American Cinema or to one concrete expample: Spanish Cinema’s Pedro Almodóvar whose films show terrible situations happening (for instance, “Volver”, dealing with child abuse and murder or “Hable con Ella” dealing with obsession, death and mourning or “Todo sobre mi Madre”, the death of a son, drug abuse, etc… Just very painful stuff), however, in the midst of all this family tragedy, Almodóvar shows us hilarious moments, funny in an almost surrealist way… characters that are a hoot… which makes Almodóvar amazing to watch… in short, in the midst of tragedy there is also a celebration of life… And this is akin to our day-to-day experience. We all go through awful, heart-wrenching times, but there is comedy going on in our lives in the midst of all the tragedy. We laugh, even with difficulty, we see bright colors out on the street, we buy a cappuccino. And we continue mourning…
However, in typical (award-winning) Hollywood dramas there isn’t. It’s all bad… (and visually unappealing, color-wise, camera-wise, but that’s another story). I wish I could think of examples! But these movies are all so forgettable, that I just cannot remember any…
Thinking about films that actually depict the main characters falling in love makes for a really nice thread.
Regarding when Harry Met Sally, I have to admit I really disliked it. But I tend to dislike most typical American romantic comedies. They really do nothing for me. If anyone can point me towards one that is fresh and interesting, I would really appreciate it.
Regarding films that actually show the characters falling in love (and aren’t sappy):
Un Homme et Une Femme (1966), Claude Lelouch. Amazing film. Loved everything about it. Performance by A.A. is amazing. Subtle, flirtatious.
Jane Eyre (1996), The Zeferelli version which I liked a lot.
Punch Drunk Love (2002), Paul Thomas Anderson. Quirky and typically Andersonesque of the early 2000’s. Same takes, same colors. But a nice watch.
Three Days of the Condor (1975) Sydney Pollack.
The Thomas Crowne Affair (1968) Norman Jewison (I loathed the 1999 remake). No one can outdo Steve Mac Queen and Faye Dunaway.
@Filmstress: The masses liking Hollywood “consumption product” is sad I agree with you when you say “the horror”. Hollywood knows how to tap into desires created by the media and then get the masses to flock to the movie theaters. It’s the way of the world. They say democracy gives us freedom, but we are so manipulated by the media that the only true freedom we have is the freedom to purchase. We are like puppets who believe they have no strings attached. It was the infamous Leo Strauss that said that masses are dumb and a ruling elite must take care of the government (democracy). And to control the masses manipulation through symbols must be used (the media).
There is a book called “El Hombre Light” by Dr. Rojas that speaks of the “light” man of the 21st century. “Light” in reference to those diet products that have no “substance” as this “light” man that has no substance either.. This man appears in developed countries of North America and Europe. He doesn’t understand idealism, has no taste for thought-provoking literature or films and his values are based on acquiring material things to show signs of status, getting pleasure and adhering to relativism as a moral mast. He prefers to read magazines instead of books and watch meaningless television and/or Hollywood blockbusters. Rojas called our times, the end of the era of the revolutions. It’s pretty sad, but it is what it is.
I often wonder what the future of art (films and music) will be in the midst of all this.
Anyway, I digress. But I had to put it out there… =)
Last minute step in: charging $100 dollars for something you can do yourself here or on Facebook or Twitter or whatever social media thing is hip nowadays seems like a ripoff.
And what is still unclear to me from watching the video is: 1) People request screenings of the film right? Numbers build up. There are sufficient people to screen the film… So who finds the venue to screen? Who actually walks the streets and does whatever is needed in order to and before the film gets screened? This is a lot of work… Open Indie? Because if they’re just charging you to put your film ON A SITE… then hmm….
I’m sure this filmmaker had his epiphany and did his whole Open Indie film with good intentions in mind… but 100 dollars seems way too much. Forty films on there would be 4 thousand dollars for instance. Is 4 thousand dollars a normal fee to pay for upkeep of a website of those dimensions? (I’m in Chile so I don’t know). If the answer is “yes”, then OK. He uses that money to help keep his Open Indie alive. If the answer is “no way”, then it’s a money-making scheme. And if this person wants to make, then OK… go for it…. But don’t disguise it as idealism and epiphanies and big revolutions. When you’re passionate about something, you usually don’t mind the $ that much. You just do it.
In Chile, filmmakers have to walk the streets and find financing, distribution and “tienen que moverse” (they have to “move”) as we say over here (popular expression). It’s not easy to get a film screened. Getting funds is not easy. Chilean cinema is pretty good, but still in diapers. However if you’re passionate about film making then you knock on doors and walk and struggle until your film gets out there. I truly wish you the best, may your film get made and may it be beautiful and unconventional.
And if the only screening you are able to do is for your friends and family and community center, so what? It doesn’t make your film any less important. I once wrote a short story and got this national award and I was featured in the paper. Then I wrote a book and only 5 people read it, LOL. Who cares? The world is a playground. You’ve got your whole life to experiment and try again, better and maybe bigger. Just write your script, start shooting, get the movie out there and take the rest as it comes.
There have been times in my life when I’ve revisited films that I saw as a teen. Years later, those same films acquire another taste for me. It’s as though I have brand new film buds and can better taste subtle flavors that weren’t there the first time I watched a particular film. Characters that seemed so old for my teenage eyes were suddenly my age… I could relate to them better… Colors and tones and dialogue and camera angles that were lost on me were better appreciated by the eye I spent years trying to train. Thus, re-visiting became a whole new experience based on the same film.
So revisiting is a good thing, for me at least… I know other film lovers out there may differ… =)
Watching movies should be about enjoying the experience, connecting with the director, actors, characters, plots, subplots, aesthetics… and saving that precious memory… and if you should find the memory fading, revisit the film, as you would look at an old photograph and bask in the emotions that photo stirs up in you… film appreciation shouldn’t be be about acquiring statistics the size of an encyclopedia, it should be about just that: appreciation. For me, appreciating a film usually calls for a re-visit.
Good thread. I enjoyed reading everyone’s comments. =)
Hubble’s Law would be responsible for the idea that the known universe is expanding, although Lemaître, a Roman Catholic priest and professor of physics had already talked about an expanding universe some years before Hubble (Lemaître was also responsible for the Big Bang theory) . Anyway, the idea is that the universe is Isotropic and homogeneous and expands in this manner (in a nutshell: the expansion is uniform in all directions: Cosmological Principle). The above is what we’re taught at school. However, this is now in dispute.
Others out there claim that Hubble never supported the expanding universe theory and was misinterpreted.
Some doubt the Big Bang altogether.
Others believe in twin universes. A universe that existed before the Big Bang and collapsed giving birth to ours. The Twin Universe theory would be considered proof by some of what is stated in Genesis 1:2, (first book of the Pentateuch), when it speaks of the Earth (some believe it also applies to the Universe) being in disarray (dark and without form).
There is also a scientist out there named Leong Ying (PhD in Nuclear Physics from Manchester University) who wrote a book in 2007 that gave rise to his theory in which he uses the laws of thermodynamics to show the existence of a “single omnipotent consciousness” or god, bonded by a force our finite human minds would only understand as “love”, residing in the parallel universe. Leong Ying is currently traveling and discussing his theory in scientific circles (as per his newsletter).
Anyway, all the above to postulate that we don’t really know a thing!
There are different truths to different individuals… We pose our paramount questions but we know there isn’t an answer….
As for me, I love reading Genesis and the thought of a being named YWHW Elohim devising and bringing about space, time and matter really appeals to me.
All I know for sure is that I’m here… and I try to make the most of it. In a flawed way, but hey, I keep trying. =)
@ K.J Farrington: Thanks K.J. ! You mean “Lost”, right? I’ve never really followed it (except for a few random episodes that made me wish I had followed it). Interesting! I may have to rent the whole thing on DVD in the future… =)
Quote from the article: "Having closed 90 distribution deals for 1200 films (Lars von Trier’s Dancer in the Dark has been showing on The Auteurs in 150 countries), Cakarel kept realizing that many people had no idea what the word “auteur”—a French word for author that has come to mean a film director with a signature style—actually means. It was not accessible. "
But anyone out there who does not know what an “Auteur” is, cannot be true film lover… And I thought the purpose of this site was to discuss films in a more knowledgeable manner, raise the bar a little in terms of film discussion.
I’d really find it sad to see a thread called “How awesome is the new Transformer Movie???” I’d just leave and sulk for a day or two.
The name is awful. Just awful. I’m sure there were better options out there. Mubi sounds like a social networking site for teens. Or a teddy bear. It does not embrace the spirit of this site at all. At all. The other thread “Mubi” speaks for itself. Probably 99% on the people on there dislike the new name and they all give valid reasons for such dislike that have nothing to do with a whim.
Please find something better than “MUBI”.
Or not, since the Marketeers have already gotten their paycheck. Sad. Pretty sad.
I quote Anthony: “at the root of your love for film is a pretty similar kind of love that nearly everyone else has for some or another discipline.”
Exactly.
While it is amazing to run into another cinephile and discuss films and get excited, feeling we’re part of something worthwhile … there are other disciplines and areas of study we do not know…. and those people probably feel exactly the same way as we do.
I know at times I’ve behaved like a Cinema snob when I’ve asked other people what their favorite films are and I get replies like “My 50 first dates” or “Titanic”… at those times I’ve felt that maybe that person is really not worth talking to… Now I ask, is this right? Of course not and I’m ashamed to confess it.
It used to be the same with music. If anyone would have told me Brittney Spears or Paulina Rubio or Ricky Martin were among their favorite “musicians”, I would have just walked away.
But the older you get the more you learn (obviously) and the more tolerant of others you become. You begin to understand compassion and exercise it. Nowadays if anyone tells me their favorite movie is “Transformers” I just smile and change the subject. There are so many topics under the sun…
And those rare occasions in which I run into another cinephile, I treasure and my elation lasts for a week.
=)
(However all this does not mean I’d be super thrilled if this new “MUBI” site loses what makes it unique, a haven for knowledgeable film lovers. A place to connect with others of the same tastes / direction in film… To see it bite the dust and become just another “flixster” or IMBD would be very sad).
I believe everyone here has spoken their mind. It’s sad that the creator of this amazing site (EFE) would forgo the opinion of his users for that of the Marketeers. If those Marketeers had come up with a name as good as “The Auteurs”, fine; I can deal with it (to paraphrase someone on this thread, it’s a sad day when we have to bow down to the mediocrity of the internet masses and exchange the word Auteur – word that stood for revolutionary thinking in terms of film – for something as banal and trite and immature as “Mubi”, but I digress).
The core issue is that the Marketeers made a blunder. It doesn’t take a high IQ to realize that “Mubi” sounds rather ridiculous. Can you imagine a banner somewhere at Cannes saying "Sponsored by www.mubi.com? Or at Toronto or some other film festival? Would anyone seriously interested in film even have a shred of curiosity as to what the site is? It sounds like a teddy bear! Or a vapid social networking site…
I believe EFE should listen to the people that “are” the site. EFE and the Auteurs team should reconsider this awful name and / or discuss with those that support the site, those have started it from scratch making up the database, posting on the forum and paying their 2 bucks to watch a film. Even though I am not one of the latter, being more or less new to the site, I believe no one should turn their backs on the “supporters”, the “fans” and those that make up the very community you aim to reach. Especially when the mistake that is “Mubi” is so blatant.
Do great films have to be depressing and bleak to be great? over 3 years ago
The only bleak movies I can think of are Hollywood blockbusters that are mainly a product and not a work of art. It’s depressing to see that those types of films are what the masses watch.
Liem, I don’t think your list is depressing at all. It’s mainly a list of movies with strong characters having a go at it, struggling and trying to find meaning. From the list you mentioned “Wings of Desire”, “Lost in Translation”, “Magnolia”, “Eternal Sunshine…”, “Annie Hall”, even “Rear Window” are pretty feel good movies for me. They end on bittersweet tones, they make you think and smile at their portrayal of life.
A favorite of mine is Agnes Jaoui who directs, co-writes with husband Jean Pierre Bacri and they both act in her films. From the list you posted at the top of the thread I think you’d like her. =)
Go to Comment
Claude Lelouch's " Un Homme Et Une Femme " over 2 years ago
The funny thing is (since someone mentioned black /white and color) that Lelouch used black and white because he just couldn’t afford doing it all in color.
The scene in the restaurant with the children is amazing. A lesson in flirtation. That scene alone is invaluable. I’ve never watched anything like it. Riveting performances with a lot of improv around the children.
Un Homme et Une Femme is a classy film, full of elegance, grace and visual beauty.
I love it.
Go to Comment
What's your favorite chilean film? over 2 years ago
The sequence in Machuca, where he walks through the slum, amidst fire, soldiers and violence, is an amazing dream-like sequence, nothing happens to him, he is allowed to walk freely and see all the horror . Also, Aline Kuppenheim’s “numbness” throughout the film, a calm exterior that suggests, however, that at any point madness might set in, like she’d break.
Machuca is truly a powerful film.
As for Raul Ruiz, he’s pretty brilliant and widely respected, although not recognized in his own country. Perhaps it’s because he was always more experimental and avant-garde, less politically inclined (as were the other directors of his generation, like Miguel Littin). You have to bear in mind that he started working on films a couple of years before the UP, Chile’s socialist experiment, so Ruiz being apolitical, so to speak, was odd, especially around that time, where politics was an important part of Chilean life. Ruiz has made around 60 films and worked with top-notch actors. Cinema lovers owe him a great deal.
He once stated that “En Chile la gente no vive, se desvive”, (“In CHile, people don’t live, they un-live”, which is also a play of words as “desvive” can be interpreted to mean “exhausting effort on one’s part to achieve something”). What Ruiz was trying to convey is that it is very difficult in Chile, to get artistic projects up and running and that most Chileans are concerned with survival under tough conditions that with art. He was trying to explain the reasons why he was happier abroad.
(And finally, I really want to see “The Maid”!!!, I hope to do that soon!!)
Go to Comment
That one great perfomance by a generally bad actor about 2 years ago
Jaspar said it before me… Sylvester Stallone in Cop Land blew me away. There was such a sense of sorrow, regret and just plain weariness about him… but no bitterness… which made the character all the more enjoyable. Great role.
Go to Comment
What's your favorite chilean film? about 2 years ago
Sorry to reply so much later…
@Kenji: You should definitely visit Chile someday. We are a nice bunch. And yes, Santiago is full of young romance (and good cinema) and Puerto Montt, where I currently reside is sort of magical… a melancholy port city where you can dance Tango and sit on benches by the ocean. =)
@Rick Hunter: Promedio Rojo is what you’re looking for. http://www.promediorojo.com/
@Greaseman64: Wer’e nice. =)
Go to Comment
what film changed you about 2 years ago
What a great topic. So interesting to read everyone’s thoughts.
IN my childhood, I had been watching mainly American Cinema (my father was a huge American Cinema fan). Granted we watched pretty classy stuff, Sidney Pollack, Woody Allen… but we were also into the big Hollywood blockbusters… One day, in my mid teens, I was invited by a friend to watch “Faraway, So Close” by Wim Wenders. I fell in love with the plot, the use of color, the different languages spoken… It was a far cry from the American films I was used to.
Some time after that, I strayed into a Truffaut film festival on my way home. There was a screening of Farenheit 451. I was enthralled by the bright colors, the camera angles and the perfect rendition of a book I loved…
I found myself avidly seeking out foreign film festivals as they were my only shot of watching avant-garde cinema, experimental cinema or foreign cinema. There was no Bittorrent back then (late 90’s) and buying DVDs on amazon was not something everyone could do in Chile.
The moment, though, that really sealed the deal for me was the day I left the movie theater, after watching “Le fabuleux destin d’Amélie Poulain”… I realized I was elated. The colors, the dialogue, the narrative, the plot… all that French! The message: that any life can be extraordinary no matter how simple it is. But above all the imagery and the use of color.
And then I knew my Cinema taste was changed forever. And now I’m much more inclined to foreign films (understanding foreign as not American) and/or indie cinema (American, etc). ;)
Go to Comment
a man and a woman: have people forgotten that it exists about 2 years ago
According to www.newwavefilm.com, Un Homme et une Femme ranks 6th:
10 BEST NEW WAVE LOVE STORIES
1. Les Parapluies de Cherbourg (The Umbrellas of Cherbourg, 1964) – dir: Jacques Demy 2. Jules et Jim (1962) – dir: Francois Truffaut 3. Pierrot le fou (1965) 4. L’Amour l’Après-midi (Chloe in the Afternoon, 1972) – dir: Eric Rohmer 5. Le Mépris (Contempt, 1963) – dir: Jean-Luc Godard 6. Un Homme et une Femme (A Man and a Woman, 1966) – dir: Claude Lelouch 7. Ma nuit chez Maud (My Night with Maud, 1969) dir: Eric Rohmer 8. Les Demoiselles de Rochefort (The Young Girls of Rochefort, 1967) dir: Jacques Demy 9. Les Deux Anglaises et le Continent (Two English Girls, 1971) dir: Francois Truffaut 10. L’Eau a la Bouche (A Game for Six Lovers, 1960) dir: Jacques Doniol-ValcrozeThis film is by no means inane (as one post put it). It’s a beautiful film for so many reasons…
The black- &- white- then- color- then- switch- to- black- &- white shots (which critics attributed to some “artistic epiphany” had by Lelouch… he rebuffed the latter saying merely that he had started shooting in color but had no money to continue so he had to use black and white… ), then there’s the amazing chemistry between the main characters, emphasized by Aimée exuding femininity, flirtatiousness and Trintignant being as manly as a man can be… Reminding us just how much the sexes differ and how good it is that they do.
The film is of course a visual treat. Black & White. Then Color. New Wave. Images used so much more than dialogue. Aimée jumping into Trintignant’s arms and a kiss we don’t see but know took place… Insinuations. A flirtatious glance here and there. The hint of a smile. A muffled laugh. And the dialogue that is used and not used… nothing less than superb. Precise, to the point and beautiful.
And the restaurant scene! Much of it improvisation around their children according to Lelouch. Executed beautifully. Shot beautifully. Just the right amount of coquetry, laughter, cigarette-smoking… (yes, children were present but it was after all, the sixties…)
What Lelouch accomplished on a tight budget (and several setbacks) is a film that lingers in the memory. So nope, it is nothing but inane. I love this film. =)
Go to Comment
Most disturbing/controversial film you've ever watched? about 2 years ago
The other day I was doing some pointless browsing on the net and discovered a film student who posted a list his teacher gave him regarding the 10 most disturbing movies of all time, a sort of “blacklist” of movies, if you will.
Some of the movies listed were: Salo, 120 days of Sodom by Pier Paolo Pasolini; Man Behind the Sun (T.F Mous), Last House on the Left, Wes Craven; Eraserhead by David Lynch; Bloodsucking Freaks by God knows whom; The Guinea Pig movies and others I cannot recall… if you want to look at the post (not for the faint of heart, it’s here: http://my.spill.com/forum/topics/947994:Topic:220170?commentId=947994%3AComment%3A1286985)
Thankfully, for my mental environment, I had watched none of them. But I am curious about the other film lovers on here… what is the most (or are the most) disturbing/controversial films you’ve ever watched and why? And I’m not really talking about horror films (though those of course are included)…
In my case,
La Ville Est Tranquille (though a masterpiece) filled me with despair. Robert Guédiguian depicts working-class life in Marseilles. It’s a movie of such anguish, despair and darkness that I almost went into depression after watching. It has never left my mind. It is beautiful though, in a VERY sad way. I’d love to get my hands on more of Robert Guédiguian films, but in Chile they are hard to come by.
Irreversible by Gaspar Noe, the bashing of the skull and the rape scene… need I say more?
and Demon Lover by Olivier Assayas was an absurd tale of pointless violence and sexuality. It made me a bit sick.
How about you?
Go to Comment
Most disturbing/controversial film you've ever watched? about 2 years ago
I recall Frailty… I saw it, didn’t really make an impression except for the fact that it’s typical Hollywood. Nothing much there. A surprise ending if I recall correctly…
Regarding Happiness, I’ve read about it… I’d like to watch it.
“Las Edades de Lulú” by Bigas Luna I stopped watching after the incest scene. Disturbing. I had forgotten that one…
@Den: Do you mean Snuff by the Findlays? They also have this weird “Flesh” Trilogy I’ve read about? You’re the only person I know that’s ever watched these kinds of exploitation movies… I guess they don’t rattle you? =) The honest truth is that exploitation and mondo movies make me curious, but I’m affected by film in general, so I try to take care of my mental environment. But I am curious. What are your thoughts on exploitation films, mondo films…? =)
Go to Comment
Most disturbing/controversial film you've ever watched? about 2 years ago
Well put. Thank you Den for the explanation. =)
I also believe Exploitation and Mondo are interesting as a manifestation of the way individuals “do” culture…. Why did the Findlays choose to do what they did, for instance? What made them want to work with such subject matter? There surely couldn’t be that much money in the genre?
Or what about Mario Bava? George Romero? What went through their minds…? This is geeky stuff I think about sometimes. =)
Go to Comment
Most disturbing/controversial film you've ever watched? about 2 years ago
@attitudeajm – How awful… I believe I read about that movie in the post I mentioned at the beginning of this thread, but I wasn’t sure if the author was serious when he said that animals were killed. I assumed it was all fake. That’s where anyone would draw the line. Hurting animals or causing pain for the sake of shock is unacceptable. One thing is to create fantasy, no matter how twisted… it’s only that, fantasy (though I do have some reservations regarding the impact it has on the human mind)… another is to murder a living being for the sake of film or art, twisted or not. That’s super awful what you mentioned. =( Which is why even though exploitation and mondo films interest me in a geeky way, I have never watched one. Because of the protecting- yourself- from- unnecessary- shock thing which I discussed with Den above…
Go to Comment
Most disturbing/controversial film you've ever watched? about 2 years ago
@ Alex et Nico Born from Pain looks interesting. The plot sounds good. Pity it’s not available to watch here. At least, not for me. =) As for Breaking the Waves, I’ve always wanted to watch it. Hopefully soon.
Go to Comment
Thoughts on "Gummo" about 2 years ago
I found this movie to have many Southern Gothic elements to it. In a highly twisted way, though.
I found it disturbing, interesting… It made me feel like a voyeur, perhaps that’s where its main appeal lies, in that it’s pretty convincing visually. I did watch it quite a few years ago, though. It had slipped my mind until I saw this thread.
Of Korine’s films, I’ve only watched “Kids”. I found Gummo to be more interesting, though it was hard to stomach.
Go to Comment
EVERYTHING IS GOING FINE IN THE FILM AND THEN THIS HAPPENS... about 2 years ago
The typical Hollywood drama where EVERYTHING is bad.
Contrast this to Latin American Cinema or to one concrete expample: Spanish Cinema’s Pedro Almodóvar whose films show terrible situations happening (for instance, “Volver”, dealing with child abuse and murder or “Hable con Ella” dealing with obsession, death and mourning or “Todo sobre mi Madre”, the death of a son, drug abuse, etc… Just very painful stuff), however, in the midst of all this family tragedy, Almodóvar shows us hilarious moments, funny in an almost surrealist way… characters that are a hoot… which makes Almodóvar amazing to watch… in short, in the midst of tragedy there is also a celebration of life… And this is akin to our day-to-day experience. We all go through awful, heart-wrenching times, but there is comedy going on in our lives in the midst of all the tragedy. We laugh, even with difficulty, we see bright colors out on the street, we buy a cappuccino. And we continue mourning…
However, in typical (award-winning) Hollywood dramas there isn’t. It’s all bad… (and visually unappealing, color-wise, camera-wise, but that’s another story). I wish I could think of examples! But these movies are all so forgettable, that I just cannot remember any…
Go to Comment
How Do You Feel About When Harry Met Sally? about 2 years ago
Thinking about films that actually depict the main characters falling in love makes for a really nice thread.
Regarding when Harry Met Sally, I have to admit I really disliked it. But I tend to dislike most typical American romantic comedies. They really do nothing for me. If anyone can point me towards one that is fresh and interesting, I would really appreciate it.
Regarding films that actually show the characters falling in love (and aren’t sappy):
Un Homme et Une Femme (1966), Claude Lelouch. Amazing film. Loved everything about it. Performance by A.A. is amazing. Subtle, flirtatious.
Jane Eyre (1996), The Zeferelli version which I liked a lot.
Punch Drunk Love (2002), Paul Thomas Anderson. Quirky and typically Andersonesque of the early 2000’s. Same takes, same colors. But a nice watch.
Three Days of the Condor (1975) Sydney Pollack.
The Thomas Crowne Affair (1968) Norman Jewison (I loathed the 1999 remake). No one can outdo Steve Mac Queen and Faye Dunaway.
(@Den: Bride of Chucky, LOL)
Go to Comment
Most disturbing/controversial film you've ever watched? about 2 years ago
@Filmstress: The masses liking Hollywood “consumption product” is sad I agree with you when you say “the horror”. Hollywood knows how to tap into desires created by the media and then get the masses to flock to the movie theaters. It’s the way of the world. They say democracy gives us freedom, but we are so manipulated by the media that the only true freedom we have is the freedom to purchase. We are like puppets who believe they have no strings attached. It was the infamous Leo Strauss that said that masses are dumb and a ruling elite must take care of the government (democracy). And to control the masses manipulation through symbols must be used (the media).
There is a book called “El Hombre Light” by Dr. Rojas that speaks of the “light” man of the 21st century. “Light” in reference to those diet products that have no “substance” as this “light” man that has no substance either.. This man appears in developed countries of North America and Europe. He doesn’t understand idealism, has no taste for thought-provoking literature or films and his values are based on acquiring material things to show signs of status, getting pleasure and adhering to relativism as a moral mast. He prefers to read magazines instead of books and watch meaningless television and/or Hollywood blockbusters. Rojas called our times, the end of the era of the revolutions. It’s pretty sad, but it is what it is.
I often wonder what the future of art (films and music) will be in the midst of all this.
Anyway, I digress. But I had to put it out there… =)
Go to Comment
Are You Mad as Hell? about 2 years ago
Last minute step in: charging $100 dollars for something you can do yourself here or on Facebook or Twitter or whatever social media thing is hip nowadays seems like a ripoff.
And what is still unclear to me from watching the video is: 1) People request screenings of the film right? Numbers build up. There are sufficient people to screen the film… So who finds the venue to screen? Who actually walks the streets and does whatever is needed in order to and before the film gets screened? This is a lot of work… Open Indie? Because if they’re just charging you to put your film ON A SITE… then hmm….
I’m sure this filmmaker had his epiphany and did his whole Open Indie film with good intentions in mind… but 100 dollars seems way too much. Forty films on there would be 4 thousand dollars for instance. Is 4 thousand dollars a normal fee to pay for upkeep of a website of those dimensions? (I’m in Chile so I don’t know). If the answer is “yes”, then OK. He uses that money to help keep his Open Indie alive. If the answer is “no way”, then it’s a money-making scheme. And if this person wants to make, then OK… go for it…. But don’t disguise it as idealism and epiphanies and big revolutions. When you’re passionate about something, you usually don’t mind the $ that much. You just do it.
In Chile, filmmakers have to walk the streets and find financing, distribution and “tienen que moverse” (they have to “move”) as we say over here (popular expression). It’s not easy to get a film screened. Getting funds is not easy. Chilean cinema is pretty good, but still in diapers. However if you’re passionate about film making then you knock on doors and walk and struggle until your film gets out there. I truly wish you the best, may your film get made and may it be beautiful and unconventional.
And if the only screening you are able to do is for your friends and family and community center, so what? It doesn’t make your film any less important. I once wrote a short story and got this national award and I was featured in the paper. Then I wrote a book and only 5 people read it, LOL. Who cares? The world is a playground. You’ve got your whole life to experiment and try again, better and maybe bigger. Just write your script, start shooting, get the movie out there and take the rest as it comes.
And that’s your pep talk of today. =)
Go to Comment
The importance of revisiting/re-watching films? about 2 years ago
There have been times in my life when I’ve revisited films that I saw as a teen. Years later, those same films acquire another taste for me. It’s as though I have brand new film buds and can better taste subtle flavors that weren’t there the first time I watched a particular film. Characters that seemed so old for my teenage eyes were suddenly my age… I could relate to them better… Colors and tones and dialogue and camera angles that were lost on me were better appreciated by the eye I spent years trying to train. Thus, re-visiting became a whole new experience based on the same film.
So revisiting is a good thing, for me at least… I know other film lovers out there may differ… =)
Watching movies should be about enjoying the experience, connecting with the director, actors, characters, plots, subplots, aesthetics… and saving that precious memory… and if you should find the memory fading, revisit the film, as you would look at an old photograph and bask in the emotions that photo stirs up in you… film appreciation shouldn’t be be about acquiring statistics the size of an encyclopedia, it should be about just that: appreciation. For me, appreciating a film usually calls for a re-visit.
Good thread. I enjoyed reading everyone’s comments. =)
Go to Comment
Off-topic. Is the universe infinite? about 2 years ago
Hubble’s Law would be responsible for the idea that the known universe is expanding, although Lemaître, a Roman Catholic priest and professor of physics had already talked about an expanding universe some years before Hubble (Lemaître was also responsible for the Big Bang theory) . Anyway, the idea is that the universe is Isotropic and homogeneous and expands in this manner (in a nutshell: the expansion is uniform in all directions: Cosmological Principle). The above is what we’re taught at school. However, this is now in dispute.
Others out there claim that Hubble never supported the expanding universe theory and was misinterpreted.
Some doubt the Big Bang altogether.
Others believe in twin universes. A universe that existed before the Big Bang and collapsed giving birth to ours. The Twin Universe theory would be considered proof by some of what is stated in Genesis 1:2, (first book of the Pentateuch), when it speaks of the Earth (some believe it also applies to the Universe) being in disarray (dark and without form).
There is also a scientist out there named Leong Ying (PhD in Nuclear Physics from Manchester University) who wrote a book in 2007 that gave rise to his theory in which he uses the laws of thermodynamics to show the existence of a “single omnipotent consciousness” or god, bonded by a force our finite human minds would only understand as “love”, residing in the parallel universe. Leong Ying is currently traveling and discussing his theory in scientific circles (as per his newsletter).
Anyway, all the above to postulate that we don’t really know a thing!
There are different truths to different individuals… We pose our paramount questions but we know there isn’t an answer….
As for me, I love reading Genesis and the thought of a being named YWHW Elohim devising and bringing about space, time and matter really appeals to me.
All I know for sure is that I’m here… and I try to make the most of it. In a flawed way, but hey, I keep trying. =)
Go to Comment
Off-topic. Is the universe infinite? about 2 years ago
@ K.J Farrington: Thanks K.J. ! You mean “Lost”, right? I’ve never really followed it (except for a few random episodes that made me wish I had followed it). Interesting! I may have to rent the whole thing on DVD in the future… =)
Go to Comment
mubi about 2 years ago
Awww… =(
I really liked “The Auteurs”. But… they must have had their reasons.
Mubi sounds like a Teddy Bear.
Go to Comment
mubi about 2 years ago
Mmm… ok I read the article.
Quote from the article: "Having closed 90 distribution deals for 1200 films (Lars von Trier’s Dancer in the Dark has been showing on The Auteurs in 150 countries), Cakarel kept realizing that many people had no idea what the word “auteur”—a French word for author that has come to mean a film director with a signature style—actually means. It was not accessible. "
But anyone out there who does not know what an “Auteur” is, cannot be true film lover… And I thought the purpose of this site was to discuss films in a more knowledgeable manner, raise the bar a little in terms of film discussion.
I’d really find it sad to see a thread called “How awesome is the new Transformer Movie???” I’d just leave and sulk for a day or two.
=(
Go to Comment
Why did we change our name to MUBI? about 2 years ago
The name is awful. Just awful. I’m sure there were better options out there. Mubi sounds like a social networking site for teens. Or a teddy bear. It does not embrace the spirit of this site at all. At all. The other thread “Mubi” speaks for itself. Probably 99% on the people on there dislike the new name and they all give valid reasons for such dislike that have nothing to do with a whim.
Please find something better than “MUBI”.
Or not, since the Marketeers have already gotten their paycheck. Sad. Pretty sad.
Go to Comment
Why did we change our name to MUBI? about 2 years ago
ABEL couldn’t have put it better. This is probably what MUBI will end up becoming. It’s the way of the world, the bucks rule all the time.
How frustrating for us all.
Go to Comment
Favorite use of a song in a film. about 2 years ago
Michael Nyman in Peter Greenaway’s films and Michael Nyman with Damon Albarn for “Ravenous”.
Also Yann Tiersen for “Le Fabuleux Destin d’Amélie Poulain”.
Go to Comment
MUBI: VOTE about 2 years ago
I preferred “theauteurs.com”: (73)
Go to Comment
Why did we change our name to MUBI? about 2 years ago
@Jon Kennard: “As long as we keep acting snobbish and abrasive we should be able to keep those pesky kids away.”
LOL… Thanks for the first laugh of my day. =) !!!
Go to Comment
Who the hell is Godard? about 2 years ago
I quote Anthony: “at the root of your love for film is a pretty similar kind of love that nearly everyone else has for some or another discipline.”
Exactly.
While it is amazing to run into another cinephile and discuss films and get excited, feeling we’re part of something worthwhile … there are other disciplines and areas of study we do not know…. and those people probably feel exactly the same way as we do.
I know at times I’ve behaved like a Cinema snob when I’ve asked other people what their favorite films are and I get replies like “My 50 first dates” or “Titanic”… at those times I’ve felt that maybe that person is really not worth talking to… Now I ask, is this right? Of course not and I’m ashamed to confess it.
It used to be the same with music. If anyone would have told me Brittney Spears or Paulina Rubio or Ricky Martin were among their favorite “musicians”, I would have just walked away.
But the older you get the more you learn (obviously) and the more tolerant of others you become. You begin to understand compassion and exercise it. Nowadays if anyone tells me their favorite movie is “Transformers” I just smile and change the subject. There are so many topics under the sun…
And those rare occasions in which I run into another cinephile, I treasure and my elation lasts for a week.
=)
(However all this does not mean I’d be super thrilled if this new “MUBI” site loses what makes it unique, a haven for knowledgeable film lovers. A place to connect with others of the same tastes / direction in film… To see it bite the dust and become just another “flixster” or IMBD would be very sad).
Go to Comment
Why did we change our name to MUBI? about 2 years ago
I believe everyone here has spoken their mind. It’s sad that the creator of this amazing site (EFE) would forgo the opinion of his users for that of the Marketeers. If those Marketeers had come up with a name as good as “The Auteurs”, fine; I can deal with it (to paraphrase someone on this thread, it’s a sad day when we have to bow down to the mediocrity of the internet masses and exchange the word Auteur – word that stood for revolutionary thinking in terms of film – for something as banal and trite and immature as “Mubi”, but I digress).
The core issue is that the Marketeers made a blunder. It doesn’t take a high IQ to realize that “Mubi” sounds rather ridiculous. Can you imagine a banner somewhere at Cannes saying "Sponsored by www.mubi.com? Or at Toronto or some other film festival? Would anyone seriously interested in film even have a shred of curiosity as to what the site is? It sounds like a teddy bear! Or a vapid social networking site…
I believe EFE should listen to the people that “are” the site. EFE and the Auteurs team should reconsider this awful name and / or discuss with those that support the site, those have started it from scratch making up the database, posting on the forum and paying their 2 bucks to watch a film. Even though I am not one of the latter, being more or less new to the site, I believe no one should turn their backs on the “supporters”, the “fans” and those that make up the very community you aim to reach. Especially when the mistake that is “Mubi” is so blatant.
I’m with RLS on this one. Feedback is a must.
Go to Comment
FILM DATABASE SUBMISSION MAY 2010 about 2 years ago
The Night of the Generals (1967)
Anatole Litvak
Go to Comment