The Passion Of Joan Of Arc

Quite, quite remarkable film for Dreyer, 1928
what is there to say? A real blow to the cortol
the close-up, Jean looks up, the grotesques look down
vivdly highlighting just one level, with frontlighting
an incredible study of the face; the texture, the sweat, the ringing of flesh
the use of the close-up in various parts around the screen; it is trapped, it is subjected
but also here we have Dreyer's transcendental; the pure affect, against the white of the back wall. Away from all else. The extra dimension that Dreyer can produce
Space is almost entirely in the viewer's creation; from one to another. Takes it to an almost literal unreality, a space beyond earth, purgatory
use of a few beautifully smooth pans (see 'Day Of Wrath') add to atmopshere of flies against a wall, swatting about, starnge two dimensional, though opens up two more...
huge canted angles throughout, remarkably experimental in nearly every shot (which could be hung on a wall, but remain fast, gritty, so sudden)
as though what it is to film was being constantly refound. Dynamic
Snappy, shoots along. Goes at the jugular from the first close-up, and keeps it there, at a quite incomprehensible level of pace and effect
manages to balance every shot, of the inquisitors and town, as well as Joan, in this status beyond normal life. All is at once questioned in this new 'reality'
the use of space clearly influenced Bresson (not least his version of the same story), as the close-up options opened up space for Bergman ('Persona'), and even Godard ('Vivre Sa Vie')
rightly seen as one of the most distinctive films of the silent era, and perhaps in the canon of European cinema. Quite, quite astonishing

Tabu

F.W. Murnau, 1931 with the (also great) R.J. Flaherty, go to the South Seas
Stunning to look at; immediate questions of the documentary nature; seeing people as they are
And what is unreal? What is real? Incredibly difficult to say. Some things done seem astonishing
The pure locale holds a fascination, a balance of celebration and sheer implacability
The, again, whiteness, the body, the orgy of the dancing, all are on show
Around the plot, constant cut aways to people (never solo shots) and the locale
This is also the minimalist Muranu’s de-dramatization technique; the ellipses, the underplaying, the refusal to show emotion. The single action that means so much. The stubbornly still camera
Saying that, there are some wonderful lazy pans in this picture, though no pyrotechnics
Especially noticeable is the shot of the islander with feet touching bottom of the screen (i.e. first shot), which is constantly repeated. Stands out as a beautiful framing, the at once upright and coiled body
Among the island, there is actually quite a standard, heavily editing-driven story
Murnau manages to use all his usual tactics; shadowplay, especially of the evil male, and the deluded male lead
Also the close-ups, shots of pure emotion, as the only singles in the film, the decentered framings
It’s a strange balance, the first half in particular as this fascinating look, with this story going on meanwhiles
There are endless analyses of colonialism, the myth of the ‘happy savage’, that can come out here
However that comes out, this is a at times very powerful film, with two such disparate strands to it that it truly is a fascinating piece; a metaphysicians return to nature, the cinema put into the sun and the sand

Faust

Groundbreaking in its effects, F.W. Murnau in 1926
Slightly faster pace, in a very free adaption
Again the use of the blazing light and the darkness
Very expressionist. Particularly in the set design. Can see why the budget overran...
Some extremely dynamic framings (influence of Lang?) Harsh dark objects close to camera
Throughout his work, Murnau not afraid to use depth
Frequent uses of superimpositions and various in-camera work
Faster cut, with space generally created by the viewer
Saying that, a lot of two-work, with sensual aspects lingered upon. This film isn’t lying; it really is about love
Many individual shots are works in themselves; perhaps more in the visual side than what can be a rather uneven ride story-wise
For that, an astonishing film on frequent occassions

The Last Laugh

F.W. Murnau, 1924, innovative, but that seems almost besides the point....
Manichean black and white stock, shocking, and photography
Use of light and shining/ out of dark, into light
Almost as though wanting to hide from the light
Constant themes of smoke and fire. As though hell burned within
‘Nosferatu’ / ‘Sunrise’ like poses of the male lead. Another of Murnau’s flawed men
A kinf od terror on the work, towards this fire, within the seemingly parochial setting
Hugely atmospheric, even the use of the famous shadows
The pacing makes this incredibly powerful; clinging to walls, slow walks
Shots that linger; we don’t see some of the crucial action, deep sadness
Low angle shots of huge amounts of the city; prefigures much
These harsh contrasts provide a stunning backdrop; combined with often unncentered framings, and the lighting, have the figure lost in the city
The occasional uses of the track forward add to this feeling
Though what they really do is add to the almost animalistic part; the rage, the smoke, the whiteness
As though there is an urge for the camera to move forward, a demonic part of Murnau’s work
This really is exceptionally powerful for its milleu
Masterfully told, without intertitles, and deliriously smooth early continuity work, with almost no repititions
Use of impressionist gauzes and superimpositions also add to this
While creating another theme; the two locations, the ‘heaven’ / ‘hell’? ‘Earth’ / ‘Hell’? Dream / Real?
The ending, after the harsh tone, is a surprise
This is really a sensational work; at time brooding, always as though an unassailable power is at work...

True Grit

Coen Brothers' latest, a remake of the Hathaway film (or at least sharing a source)
perhaps the Coen's poorest work; not a disaster, but very dissapointing
The huge frame (at least 2.35:1) is largely used for solo shots/ rather uninspired close ups
rarely have the Coen's used such a technique before; but they're not suited for close-ups, this film is about perception rather than affect. No character is able to sustain a close-up
the typical Coen (rather, Roger Deakin) telephoto pin-the-face-on-the-wall is used, but this time with backlighting rather than frontlighting
there really are very (comparitively) few shots of multimple characters in frame; a few wider ones, but generally rather dissapinting over the shoulder stuff
this is really stand and deliver; a lot of visually dull ping-pong (with characters framed slightly to the side of the screen to even things out)
the colour scheme (greens, browns) has a nice feel to it, and of course the Western landscape can't fail to have moments of beauty
but this is really underexplouted; don't get a feel of the landscape and the mis-en-scene is surpirsingly poor; everything looks a bit faked
For the plot, we are entirely with Mattie Ross, but this kind of single-view technique needs a faster plot
the problem arises that it isn't directed to give us a sense of character, but the plot is simply too slow/ the script is too interested in the characters
have certain scenes (way) too long, some too short, feels unbalanced in its parts
All that really saves this film is Bridges creating a distinct character (though not capable of some scenes, i.e. the action; he is an excellent character from another film)
the script will be seen as sweet, but it doesn't really work, especially in the wordier parts where it's nearly embarrasing watching the actors have to split out the lines
the characters, and the setting, deserve a better made film than this
so, despite decent characterisation, and the in-itself interesting milleu, this really left us wanting to watch the cooler, slower, more involved Hathaway film; which isn't all that great, anyway

Turtles Can Fly

2004 film, the first released from Iraq since the occupation, by Bahman Ghobadi, who gave us the below-standard '...Persian Cats'. This is much better
the dialgoue generally veers above the level of annoying, the plot does not exactly fly along, but has a smooth enough arc to go with its main point, which is obviously a kind of reportage
use of various framings; rather standard singles, but some nicer medium shots, and the much more interesting extra-long shots, which are the closest to giving us a sense of the (largely neglected) landscape, by creating some space
the colour scheme is throughout an interesting one, with good browny/grey washed out work on the rubbish heap, mirrored in the water
this film isn't really about the style though;
this is realism, but it's not quite your standard misery film.
Not just the mystical elements, by the strangely ordered way the action is moved around, almost a flippany seems to enter at times
the same sense of fatalism of 'Persian Cats'
the misery we're shown here may have been better dealt with in a documentary; especially considering the lack of context shown (few newsreel shots just beg the question)
alternatively, could have beena complete fantasia
what we ultimately have is a film that is not your standard realism, too jerky and staged for that, but at once is focussed on a very real happening
in no way a particularly good film, but interesting nonetheless
It would be patronising to congratulate it for simply being made; the greater complement is to analyse how it works

Lovers Of The Arctic Circle

Julio Medem, 1998, pretty poor work....
Mild ADHD direction, hopping about, swishing the camera
Fast, intensified continuity. Pretty much close work, average takes, little noticeable variety
Saying that, really tries to punch on the visual style with colours and wacky framings. Remains dull
Very dull visually, completely fails to use ‘Scope for anything but pointless single shots
Heavy handed symbolism throughout. Slight strangeness just acts as a non-sequiter
Very perfunctory story, just getting the job done. Little to no characterisation beyond a bunch of clichés
A few half-decent ideas here; same thing seen differently from viewpoints
But the general theme is largely idiotic, the ending pretty much a case of ‘who cares?’
Shows that keeping things moving doesn’t not make a film boring
Any slight lag in plot is multiplied one hundred fold. Would pretty much have to work at hyperspeed to work at all
Pretty stupid cinema, in a thrall to deeply by-numbers direction and plotting, even if it’s not a blockbuster
Not exactly unpleasant to sit through, but really very poor, and on reflection quite depressing.

Import/Export

Ulrich Seidl, 2007, cultures, capitalism
This seems to be about the state of realism today
Noticeable for remarkably perpendicular framings; largely in long shot, but throughout
Gives sense of actors as in, rather than controlling environment. Few uses of off-screen space
Often all focussed pretty sharply
Danger of this becoming stylised is deliberately offset by some handheld work, but not character motivated
Both camera styles strive for objectivity; could barely be less involved with the characters (apart from the plot)
Usually light backgrounds, exposed fully, creates a washed out look
Dirty exteriors, air of a kind of hygenised grubbiness about the thing
Very downbeat, bleak picture of the desperate searches for jobs, money, anything
Clear thematic moments; the prostituition, the birth to death axis
And character comparisons demonstrate how this situation crosses boundaries
Exploitation, how the new poor live; no grandeur. Cross-boundaries take away any kind of direct responsibility, specifi country problem.
Air of constant violence, in a low key way
Certain framings accentuate feeling someone is always going to come in and look, dismiss
Not much analysis/ idea of how this has come about, apart from plain mean other characters (not the most successful part)
This kind of failure to find causes leads to a kind of absurdism, the closest we get to stylised moments
The parts at the end, where no so much hope as change occur, are glimmers of supposed life that we realise are put in their place
The pretty long takes and framings, along with the millieu filmed, clearly intended to at once expose and indite, but generally just give a hard-worn picture
The kinds of framings and atmosphere shared by various European releases in the realist tradition; this is a decent work, but doesn’t have the knife-sharp, piercing gaze of a ‘4 Months...’
This is a good picture; it perhaps overloads the bleakness, which is nearly a wallow, and the lack of context is a (political worry); but there has to be a place for this kind of cinema to be seen

Que Viva Mexico

1979 reconstruction of Eisenstein's 1931 footage from Mexico, on a thin line between documentary (actors at a minimum) and fiction (rehearsed/ cut scenes)
impossible to really know how Eisenstein would have cut it, must take it as is
more axial cutting, among the geometric shapes
longer shots, an almost lazy rythm. If Eisenstein has come from a non-ideological film industry
shots themselves have that kind of paradiscal warmth, lazy rythms
high contrasts/ differences in the increasingly wider frames
though of course we're still largely working on heroic close-ups and so on
extensive use of deep-framings, deep focus
especially as this is combined with outsized heads, Welles clearly took this look. Remarkable similarities of the Wellesian style and some shots here, though dwelled on a little less in this case
Eisenstein was here entering perhaps his most 'psychological' so far
really internal portrait here, every shot is filled with almost Freudian import
bizarre series of cagings, of uneven colour mixes
Eisenstein as always interested in the spectacle/ circus (attractions, of course), but continues here to the kind of psychological excess, not comprehensible
focus on masks and the carnival, the uncontrolled. Eisenstein seems to at once hate it, want to dismiss it, but it rather lingers on
genuinely uncanny use of masks; always surprise (even to Eisenstein) what is behind them. How can he ever find out what is behind them? What if what one does find destroys ones entire world?
This is pure, masterly filmmaking in simple plot terms as well; a fine story, always a joy to watch, with strong excitment at the end (Leone stole most of the visual tricks)
a fine work, wonderfully shot and told. Superior than expected. Due to the location and style, not really comparable directly with Eisenstein's other work, but certainly stands as at least an equal

The General Line / Old and New

1929 feature, from Eisenstein, with the purpose to forward agricultural mechanisation
the montage has again slowed down. Intensely lyrical once again, but more in the content that the rythm
use of the rippling cornfields, and weather effects, show Tarkovsky as becoming increasingly concerned with what is in frame
the heroic framing has also been upped, as has the axial cutting
showings of wild excess in the creamery, and in the quite, quite surreal cows
the whole cows motif, of dreams, is at once intellectual montage and the kind of view of the 'organic' removed from the more mechanistic parts of Eisenstein
there are sections with significant cloe-ups, but Eisenstein probably has more mid and ling shots here than before
ultimately, there's a lot of cows and tractors, but Eisenstein manages to still create some striking images, always beautiful
almost documentary-like fascination with his rural subjects
understandably not seen as one of the 'essential' Eisensteins, but clearly the work of a master, if the content isn't all too much

Oktyabr 1917

Eisenstein's (and Aleksandrov's) 1928 masterstroke of recreation
wild crosscutting at the start, actions taking place in one location, effected in another. Powerful (and still 'new') use of the medium
Much faster montage, more dramatic, more associative than Potemkin
Use of axial on occasion, still rare. Different angles on one image, really chucks it at you
Truly the intellectual montage
Not much continuity; profound conflicts between shots
Slightly less lyrical/ rhythmic than Potemkin. Longer takes and shots, in parts
Different pacings at beginning, middle (slower) and end
Incredible sights displayed; hauntingly beautiful images, by the by
Tarkovsky uses more heroic framings, they're largely absent in 'Potemkin'
keen use in both of backlit, almost sillouhetted framings. Side lighting to accentuate shadows across the high-contrast faces
Frankly bizarre moments, more depth than ‘Potemkin’; horse, horses’ backsides, little jokes
Fascinating studies in the magisterial winter palace scene; anarchies
Moments from Metropolis; very opening shots, and those aristocratic empty rooms/ squares
more bitty than 'Potemkin', as it reaches for the intellectual montage
but another stunning document, and still powerful watch

Battle Potemkin

Sergei Eisenstein's 1925 movie, another look at that;
a singularly more pleasurable watch; moving, exciting, strikingly beautiful
Strangely lyrical, with editing pace key
Simple story, easy to understand. Moves back and forth.
Lack of character drama worked out in large scale scenes (attractions), one following another: revolt, steps, flotilla, etc
Not a lot of axial cutting; same thing from different angles
Very effective close-ups
Much of the montage is still plot based/ eyeline
Conflict within the the shot
Odessa steps; it’s the moving camera that gets us....
for all its great historical worth, it's also simply a finely executed, deeply stirring film, even for the modern viewer

Valerie and Her Week of Wonders

1970, Jaromil Jires, a short piece that is genuinely off-beat
images with either little contrast, then a surprise
or with overexposure and white lighting
this is pretty much the cliche of 'dreamlike'; add to that the shades used
the camera is watching, rather than concentrating on the affect though (rather underplayed, if anything, at times)
seeing Valerie through thickets between her and the lens, and then seeing her perception view
it decenters the character of Valerie herself
add to this the high-angle (among other dramatic angles); not classic 'dreamworld' stuff
the piece is generally a calm fantasia, perhaps in her dreams, symbolising her growth
it can come on a bit like a random melange, a coherent (associative) narrative could perhaps be cut through it
quite short takes mean this really isn't an actors piece, nor is there any kind of drive
a curio rather than anything particularly brilliant

Festen

1998 film, the first of the Dogme grouping, by Thomas Vinterberg
starts off with of course that handheld, but very fast cutting, chucking the camera around, all close-ups
then moves to a few wider shots, mixing the two up, always a dynamic camera
this is a sensational film; because it succeeds in creating, and communicating in, its own language
the earlier techniques are revealed to be drawing us into the language, which from there can use a mixture of tight framings/ length of shots/ objective vs subjective (ish), to communicate to us perfectly
this is really pure cinema; everything communicated by the editing and framing
musical, in the way that it tightens things up, choosing to cut from close-ups of the key players, but then rests us (really more vectors than just these two, of course) with the move to wider framings and so on
constantly redefining what each technique means; thye longer take creates suspense, the tight cloe-up changes from heightened intensity, to suspense, to violence
this is like conducting an orchestra; creates some wonderfully cinematic effects, the slight reframing; a different character
the narrative is at the beginning (with occasional returns) a little- action from start to end- but when it becomes more open-ended, retains non-literary quality
the uses of montage are supremely powerful; those close-ups as pure affects, atoms coming to collide
from their we have soviet montage influences, and the switches in tone we have the nouvelle vague, with a wonderful bit of cross-cutting in the middle making us say 'Griffiths'
but it is to the French impressionist cinema this most resembles; the rythmic editing
the ability, after the tightening, to produce some incredible, longer take, fantasy-ish sequences towards the end is masterly, recalling as much Vigo as anyone
the Dogme constraints are even constrained themselves, in the use of close cameras and various other technqiues, but these constraints force it to be a film that is properly filmic
the even 'mistakes', where it does slip up narrative and editing wise, are properly 'filmic' mistakes; which makes this such a superior movie
this is really a modern work of brilliance

Funeral Parade Of Roses

Toshio Matsumoto, 1967, Japanese new wave
Clearly been watching some New-wave, right from the ‘Hiroshima Mon Amour’, bodies disconnected and overexposure, at the start (also used in ‘Une Femme Marie’)
This is really a Godard film though, very, very similar; the essay, the different styles
The more objective shots at the start and end, and the subjective camera floating around (likes the tightish framings)
And the alienating effects, including interviews
Used to make us consider the piece, the film is a study on that scene, gives us a cinematographic representation; this is wonderful, really appreciate the style. Very very much like ‘Deux ou Trois Choses que je sait d’elle’)
And the skittish political messages, the presumably unscripted interviews, filmmaking, dancing, all there
Slightly different use of narrative; less so at the start, ramps it up at the end
In a way, a very organised film; less spontaneous and duration-feeling than the classic new wave
But mixes in the different aspects well; not always a perfect mix, of course, a few scenes would be better with longer takes, break up the subjective stuff in the middle a little bit, but this is really so far superior to the vast majority, seems almost churlish
The morals of the script are questionable, at one point almost offensive if it’s trying to posit a ‘cause’ for its subjects, this works better as a self-reflexive essay....
The final scenes would be gratuitous, but entirely saved by the insert, a great moment
A terrific, terrific film, genuinely a thoughtful cinema, an essay on a people and on real life
Could criticise for making so similarly to Godardian techniques, but really, the standard modes of criticism fall down here, need a new kind of engagement
Cinema to take seriously, cinema to love

Not One Less

Zhang Yimou, 1999
Aesthetic steps backwards; use a few of the long shots, and a fe close ups, but otherwise dull
Many medium shots that really don’t succeed
It could be argued the film relies on close-up at the conclusion, but too little
Really, the film is a piece of straight=up old fashioned neo-realism, which of course was very special, but can’t just be repeated
Use of disconnected located (one space: school), elliptical narrative, journey theme
A few slow pans, long takes, all very much classic neo-realism of the city
Themes of the country meets the city. Accentuated by clothing/ conformity versus ‘naturalness’
Has similar themes to recent Iranian work (and shares a screenwriter)
And the huge guilt-trip at the end, but this isn’t at all social criticism; everyone’s very good, but just on occasion mistakes are made
A pretty disappointing work as compared to ‘Raise The Red Lantern’
Not a really poor film; some nice details, the neo-realist actions revealing situation is still a superior narrative model, but you’d really be hoping for a bit more

Raise The Red Lantern

1991 Zhang Yimou
Straight on framings, straight on space, confined views, even from on high don’t get their view
Mixture of close ups, with straight on, frontlighting
And long shots, pretty long takes, with some depth. Nice and cool
Film does lapse into some not quite-anything medium shots, which aren’t so great
Nice use of colours to convey inner and external states, and all the mixtures
And some nice rhythmic stuff too; on a few occasions it would have been better to stick with the close-ups longer, though, and get away from this mid stuff
Passings-on of oppression in the situation, clearly allegorical
The use of the first eyeline shot to indicate the ‘now you see...’ is added in well
An impressive piece of work, though a little underpowered, could have done with bit more exploration of the close-up and a little more willingness to stick with the long as opposed to the medium
All told, a good modern picture

Re Lear

1998 Godard
Certainly the work of his we’ve got the most out of from the 80’s
A film fascinated with the close-up; mixture of straight, angled and side close ups, on the often white faces
Affecting, lack of shadow on the ‘real’ faces, compared to the montage of artworks
Whiteness throughout; against an aqua sea, genuinely painterly in an otherworldy manner
Use of long shots at times (always long takes), creating that Godardian absurd tableau, with its neat pans, on this occasion often from a low level
Mixture of levels this film works at; the sound at once is with the image, often in monolohues, but drifts away to tell its own story, or to overlay and overdetermine (difficult questions of sound/image identity/primacy). Very much helped for us by being in English...
At once we do have the ‘Lear’ story, told in a nearly linear manner, as though trying to burst through the (deeply affecting) lines that keep breaking through at the ‘wrong’ time
This perfect piece of classic narrative almost untellable; trying to be rewritten (after nuclear disaster?)
Attempt to discover how to write something worthwhile; directly commented on at times
This piece is also frequently very funny, especially in Godard’s self-portrait (who probably has some of the weaker scenes too, but is still riotous)
The kind of deep sadness and, while at once with the intensity and creativity of pretty much the rest of cinema put together, the inability to act that we also saw in ‘L’Elogie Par L’Amour’
Not completely flawless (few not great scenes), but a work that can shift into the spectacular. Hopefully a guide for becoming more involved with Godard’s later work, and in itself a terrific artwork.

Nouvelle Vague

Godard in 1990, had a real problem with this one
it generally works on more master shots than the other works (which often don't establish a space at all)
it just came across as slightly bland, not quite pictorialism, but not far away at times
of course, it could occassionally do something breathtaking, but it just came across as slightly pointless
Godard is clearly trying to alienate the viewer to the extent; the purpose of this (or even the lack?) remains misty
the inexhaustible richness of each scene in fact manages to block thought; there is simply not the time to take most of it in
difficult to say anything was really taken from this experience

Passion

Jean-Luc, Godard, 1982
very difficult to describe unified formal system
yes, there's use of deep focus, some beautifully symetric framings, but always the opposite
curling camera-strokes around the lit-up tableaus are spectacular, really a punch of the 'real' in these shadowless worlds
Godard also frequently returns to much backlighting and a sillouhetted foreground figure
use of close-ups, sometimes moving, for long periods
yet mix that in with the classic Godard long-shot, farcical and atmospheric, strangely capturing a kind of 'beauty', always
and the discontinous sound and image; flags up 'falsity' of gaze, but also a kind of truth in an narration that one can't really say...
plot and study-wise, we have the comparison's of the worker and the director, the relation to actual emancipatory movements, a kind of study of work
some moments of course work better than others, there's a bit of dead time here (and not just, one suspects, in a deliberate sense)
neither Godard's finest or his worst; but at least enters a dialogue with his '60's stuff

Revanche

Recent (2008) movie from one Gotz Speilmann
use of frequent still shots, usually mid shots or three quarters
not much camera movement in these long pieces, though not excessively long (with movemtn usually pretty neutral reframing stuff)
low key lighting in a low-contrast, washed out locale
much talking of dark shapes, of shadows to obscure faces; fits tonal range of film
interesting conundrum; with this imposed, needs to fit two actors into a frame, yet show their alienation. Frequent use of actors on different levels, requiring a certain deep focus
usually, both in frame shows a connection; constant fight against this with different (often not all in focus) levels, with occassional reliefs when they meet
not a huge amount of blocking, really; stay pretty still
use of off centre framings to also show a deliberate unevenness; chickens out a little by filling the blank part of the frame later in the shot
use of door to screen left, narrows space as though we see the film through a black tunnel
for the content themes, we have a pretty simple economic narrative, cogar chomping capitalist, prostitute with a heart of gold, artist/ thief, caught in between, a good man but complicit
women in this film either to be perfect and unattainable (fetished photo) or just to annoy/ be chucked around to demonstrate the male thematics
clear readings of the lead taking his double's desire/ how to cope with the law, etc
the first half, with the floating commodity-signifier and the women, very much 'Bring Me The Head of Alfredo Garcia'
becomes pretty predictable after that, though at least stops when it realizes there's not much point going on
with all its faults, it is solid, nice evocations of the sex/money/death play

Yi Yi (A One and a Two...)

Edward Yang's acclaimed 2000 work
use of master shots with depth, in each scene barely change angles
few exceptions, some cross-cutting for isolation, but generally these master shots
nothing too long though, short scenes; not ostentatious
and that is really the theme here; demdramatized
camera very much seems to observe with its stillness, a kind of coldness
action off screen
further, the use of clothes fitting into backgrounds,
and some decentered framing
the key is drawing the eye (with movement) to two parts of the shot simultaneously; means the viewer studies the screen, the whole screen, taking attention away (with lights as well) from the putative 'centre' of the action
this is clearly all pretty Antonioni like, but without that directors residual beauty
this is (digital film enhancing) a deliberately dead film, no beauty, just characters pushed around by things outside of them. No grandeur
use of repetition nicely underlines this, showing at once a kind of cyclical
stupidity
no beauty not entirely true; an ice cold use of windows, reflections, and shining light do add something to some scenes...
an austere film, yet at once a family story. The acting isn't underplayed, and really rather a lot happens, it's a huge family saga 'Il Gattopardo' style, that for this century
but the overall themes are of dislocation, coldness, and a sympathy that can't really be extended
not the fireworks of Antonioni with space and so on, far more low key and simple
but an interesting, intelligent, and timely film.

La Sang d'un Poete (The Blood Of A Poet)

Jean Cocteau, 1930, short work, not really narrative cinema
a film about dimensions; start off with only two
characters nailed to backdrops with front-lighting, no depth, very narrow spaces
artist as voyeur to larger world, but in the artist's world only 2D can reflect 2D
then we move to the greater depth with the children
the tension is now between the depths of the various levels, which struggle to interact
but chopping the different locales up, but connecting with eyeline, this is strongly evoked
throughout, have the editing tricks where things pop into view; as though from one dimension to another
artist is rather trapped in between; at once in both and neither
we find hints of the otherwordly in each individual; strong use of the crosses by the gables
and it is the blood (of the poet...) which seeps through from level to level
an inventive work, beautiful in its own way.
Strongly related to the surrealists, but with a personal sensibility and more concern for the individual artist
curious and luciously constructed as well

Audition

Takashi Miike's 1999 film, famous for its shock value, though that's not really the point
nice skewerings of male complacency at points; almost Kitano-esque deliberate naivete of everything going right at the start
even there, though directoral flourishes indicate more
not using 360 rule throws things a little off-balance, as does not fixing the camera for the talking bits
mixture of style for the shots, some ping-pong, some two shots, a bit of panning
use of a pretty deep persepctive throughout, with large, looming faces in the foreground
settles into being pretty noir-ish; all narrative from male protagonists P.O.V., his santity questioned, all about him investigating a woman
strong expressionist lighting (some shadow, not black necessarilly), canted angles, bizarre and Lynch-esque grotesques the man meets on his journey
film becomes the man's own psychodrama, in impressive not-continous-narrative stretch of montage that seem to be a kind of surrealist memory
the gore isn't a particularly interesting part of the film really, the psycho stuff is more interesting, the intersections of realities becoming touching, on occassion
however nice it is to critique the male complaceny, this film does in the end portray a women as a sexually-defined psychotic, violent and guilty
if it is a fantasy, that doesn't really stop that we do see the women in this film entirely from the male perspective
an interesting and at times formally exciting view of how men see woman, if not always the most subtly executed

Spring, Summer, Autumn, Winter... and Spring

2003 movie, from Ki-duk Kim; very poor
direction is far too fast for the subject, randomnly jittering about
master shots just randomly changed angle, no sense of duration
minimal camera movement makes it visually dull,
as does the grey lighting, the lack of shadow and pictoral interest
such an opportunity as well; a few glimpses of bright leaves, lovely fog, all wasted
its not a bad idea, and does create some interesting correspondences and mood changes
but this is so philosophically inert, really pretty nasty
negative view of some putative 'human nature', with some fridge magnet style evocation of a deeply conservative superior world
better to read it as a deeply unpleasant old man....
also nastily mysognistic when the female comes; simply not acceptable, director lacks brain
a certainly stupid film, not a bad idea, but terribly executed

Celine et Julie vont en bateau

Jacques Rivette, 1974..... with a masterpiece
one must settle into a pace at once leisurely and observant, a critical attitude while at once dreaming
use of long takes, with those snatched shots (often close-ups) we have seen from Rivette before
long, improvised takes, with the camera reframing, centering
also quite a few bits of analytical cutting in. Real mixture of styles
shot in a real mixture of high and low key. Sometimes a bit of colour saturation
the editing is the real excitement formally; the play of narrative
the slow, undertow of narrative, "always there", often rarely visible
yet it does move on; elliptical editing to hurry us along
use of discontinous editing as we try to piece the stroy together
and some edits simply don't make "sense" with the previous
use of snatched cross-cuts, isn't really about tension, just genuinely, not in an intellectual manner but in the language of the cinema, doing dialectics
use of sound, cut out on occassion, as well
use of repetition and occassions of cubist style editing
bringing us into its temporality; long, warm, lazy takes that break into parts
truly see here not a "narrative" with "character psychology", but that fragmented surface
throughout themes of magic (of the cinema), spectatorship
often putting puzzles together; leading the other through the city (Alice in Wonderland)
drawing maps for others, guiding them through the streets
women come to mimiic each other, takes pieces from each other to make a whole. Genuinely touching togetherness (incredible performances), without the need for a solid 'arc'
wonderful peripetetic quality, at once washes over
yet there's a pretty harsh critique, as the opposite of the dream-world is brought out by what it is not
reminders of 'Clergyman and the Seashell', this film is more languid, less thrusting
and this is the film that 'Mulholland Drive' (very very good as that is) wishes it was; this achieves a genuine play of narrative, not so much throwing things as being a different world
the use of narrative utterly confounds what one has grown to accept aas narrative
one of the great achievements; why we frequent the movies

Les Demoiselles de Rochefort

1967 work from Jacques Demy, a musical, with a clear follow on from '...Cherbourg'
more straightforward song and especially dance numbers
use of long takes, slow panning crane shots; certainly doesn't cut around
not that Demy is afraid to change the angle
the dancing is pleasingly loose, not over-choreographed/ acrobatic. Pleasingly human
use of a couple of shot-reverse to break up, and most notably head-on shot-reverse, with a number of to-camera occassions that heighten the unreality and give the film its knowing air (without underming the plot)
nice use of different staging constructions, with longer takes and shots shows inventive new waves of manoevring characters around, smart framings for comedy
same use of pastel colours, occassionally dropped for contrast, and always high-key
again, use of some pretty nasty plot stuff taken outside, giving a sense of connection
and the oil adverts; really quite funny
the story is deliberately playing with the audience, complete rubbish, but looking at those kind of plots at the same time
not quite as impressive as the masterful '...Cherbourg', with a slight sense of the sheer idiocy of the plotline not quite able to overcome its self-relexivity
still, charming and beautifully executed, Demy could certainly direct

Cleo de 5 a 7

Agnes Varda's seminal new-wave work, from 1962
great mix of the objective and the subjective
early shot, with canted angles, big close-ups, fast, pretty shocking cuts
reflects a subjectivity, a splintered one (see cubist editing, quick swipes, graphic mismatches) to reflect her view
also use of jump-cuts, as well, is this to an extent
clear that we have a splintered persona, a woman reduced to parts, trying to regain whole
contrast this with the 'objective' parts. street photography, longer shots
nice use of mirrors to extend the frames, reflect how she views others
move of Cleo from the centre to the sides of the frame
real sense of the 'accidental', almost Tati-like activation of entire frame
some charming, thoughful longer takes of the streets, with no stars except every single person
use of music not to signal to us, but to reflect a moment of reflection
very quick mood changes, ridiculous clothes, etc, typical of new wave
perhaps becomes a little one-paced in its use of mid-shots as it goes on, however
a wonderful film, questioning the femal identity, and maturation

101 Reykjavik

2000 film from Baltasar Kormakur (Jar City)
not the most innovative film formally, takes not really long enough to create much
generally shot-reverse stuff, with a floating camera at times
canted angles to look a bit 'zany' (not completely ineffective), ditto on close-ups
seems to change filmstock halfway through; move from theatrical pastels and lots of fill lighting (low key on faces) to faster, higher contrast, creating greater 'realist' affects
at times dawdles along like a slacker comedy, but has some excellent moments
clear psychoanalaytic interpretations, which are brought to the fore in pleasingly complex ways (though whether this is luck or judgement)
film could be too subjective, but has some moments where the lead (too attractive for a 'nerd' manages to come outside of himself, break up his own character and unsettle the audience)
these (too few) moments deliver a pretty cutting and effective view of the milleu; the lack of the paternal figure, the casual racism, the casual violence in the gender relations
politically, the film is difficult to read; could easily be regressive, wish for return to the symbolic order (conclusion), if straightforward critique, yet a darker sort of satire seems to at once emerge on this very wish
dissapointing for its lack of invention, when, despite itself nearly, it has some fine moments

Le Trou

1960, Jacques Becker prison breakout plan work
high key lighting, pretty traditional opening
some wider shots, but pretty fast cutting, close-ups of faces. Repition and continuity establish space of room
pretty sharp stuff, with the close-ups and some very swift movement to convey excitement
use of wideangled lenses also, for depth and for extra power on the close-ups; these stay throughout the film
high-key lighting, pretty jolly stuff. Strangely cheery film, don't get much analysis of the prison system, discussion of evil depth here
the film isn't interested in this kind of excavation, really
theme is the friendships (war/ resistance related? None of the 'criminals' are negative)
the film really takes off with the shots of the individual objects
and the long, long shots of the smashing
this, and the food-parcel scene, show firstly a great monotomy to the process
creating dead time really is a well-executed bit of creating screen duration; living it with them
further, the switch to longer takes, even for non-action, really heightens the suspense
becomes incredibly powerful, long takes of 'objectively' dead time that are really overlaid with a wider knoweldge
becomes more intense as the takes get longer; audience considers what is to happen next
long takes always make the audience expectant of something to happen (the diggers' discovery), as the duration is counterpointed with the earlier short scenes
really effective use here
also the switch into shorter takes, back to the old close-ups, classical shot-reverse, lulls us in before the gatecrashing ending
so, really effective use of duration in paritular here
a fine piece of mainstream filmmaking

IMAGO: Meret Oppenheim

1980's documentary about the Swiss-German-French-Mexican surrealist
Sound and image both lyrical, bit slight disjunctions in both
sound as the doubled through a narrator, and mix of perspectives
use of sound against the image, for wry content/ humour. A few good dialectical moments
generally pretty straightforward, slow montage, a few interesting juxtapositions of banal urban mundanity with the (generally clearly and well shown) art
use of video and backlighting also give high contrast and 'holes' in the image
as far as content, really sets on to think about surrealism
lack of political content; portrays her as a bit of an ingenue, with rather all over the place psychoanalytic influences
condemns herself with her essentialist readings, becomes out of date
shows the inability for surrealism to any longer have a critical message
yet her art is fine, and is historically critical; a crucial feminist work
work seems surprisingly good, always better than the words would seem...
a great artist, and an interesting enough film, if a little pedestrian

Crimson Gold

Jafar Panahi's 2003 picture, written by Kiarostami
opening scene with the fixed camera, T-shaped, with some offscreen space emphasised more than others
simple direction; reverse and back, long takes, with frequent master shots as well
a few head on framings that again give this film a simple atmosphere
general quite contained in the frame, but not monotomous due to break up in the motorcyle elements, with vertical space
the temporal disjunction challenges the viewer, one of the film's main themes
really all about creating something repellent, and then learning to sympathise
also a film considering class issues, and kinds of pleasures
his eating indicates his last pleasure; all is taken away
fame uses an elliptical style where the main 'reasons' are withdrawn; this is why it's more of a character portrait than a classic narrative
not the most ambitious film ever, but well made (and wonderfully well pitched writing), make it a decent film

Lancelot Du Lac

1974, Robert Bresson (so late-ish)
no one better at explaining Bresson's films than the man himself, but anyway
usual use of largely close-ups, audeince creates the film in the gaps of the edit
hardly any master shots; space completely constructed by eyeline matches and viewer
Bresson keeps things simple enough that this is never disorientating
use of focus on feet, and of horses, to create the appropriate reaction in the audience
as is the use of the armour; the never-ending, horrible sounds
oppressive atmosphere of constant reminders of off-screen people watchin, interrupting
creates this very open space Bresson has, without it ever being a square space
use of silence, also, release when the armour comes off
lingering, just for a second more, over certain shots of nature
all about the idiotic banging-head-against-wall of a certain kind of masculinity
one of Bresson's grimmer films
with his characteristic originality