Corneliu Porumboiu - 2006
'Politist, Adjectiv' is for me one of the best films of the last few years; this is nearly as good.
It opens with long scenes with a still camera. The light is like, well, late Godard, Tarr, a lot of people; dark inside, with outside overexposure peaking out. Can just having a big contrast, big difference between the lightest and darkest patches, make a fine image?
Whne we get to the TV station, we have what I loved about 'Politist, Adjectiv'; the idea of interrogation. Logic being used to generally try to get to the truth (I dont really buy the relativism). The necessity to get the facts, to pierce further in, to realise the true complexities of reality. What we find may not be to our liking, in fact, here and in 'Politist..' it is directly contrary to what I wanted. Yet there is always a sense of admiration for the process, of its greater importance; that is detail. The hymnotic search. The camera, and there are some funny self-reflexive lines about it, messes its focus and clumsily makes little moves.
We began with a deeply beautiful blue of the city, and such images return at the wonderful conclusion of this film. They are overlaid by the director's straight voiceover, earned so many times over (why would it need to be earned anyway?). The idea; stepping in front of the camera, dictating, leads to lies. Truth in observance, cine-truth by questions, not forcing.
The lights motif, and the city of this film and its end, is clearly deeply Antonioni influenced ('L'Eclisse', that means for me right now). The lights on and off in the empty streets, together and following each other. Porumboiu is personal, speaks, personal in that we discover with him what is outside of him; discover beauty, the world, whatever that is. He's going to make masterpieces; he's already made two great to ver good films.
Showing posts with label Romania. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Romania. Show all posts
Tuesday, 2 August 2011
Friday, 22 October 2010
Katalin Varga
2009 film from Romania, but directed by the Brit Peter Strickland. Seen as one of the better tiny budget films of the past few years.
This is undoubtedly a gothic piece of work. It deliberately crackles onto us, both formally and in its content? How does it do this? The settings of the shadows striking, the cobwebby forests. The plot is in a way very stylised, our lead even referencing the idea of a witch.
Perhaps this film may have worked slightly better had it in fact gone the whole gothic hog; it does not though do so. We have some touching and interesting scenes of the lead's relationship with her son, along with interesting riffs on feminism, masculinty, other things. If the film had been pure and sharp like this (not any shorter; it's a little too short as it is) then perhaps it would have held the attention slightly better. Then again, it would have lost these interesting realist elements. Would it would have prevented, which is a problem, is how some scenes do individually drag. As a whole, the film paces itself very well, but some scenes, rather than shots, simply are too long, while others are too short. The film as a whole is actually a little short, more lead up may have added more weight, make it less gothic and spikey, though it would then have lost its fable quality.
Let us look at some of the interesting formal elements in this film. We love how the British director had the imagination to do this, really respect that he tried to do something. Perhaps we would have liked even more of this. The deliberate colour contrasts, of the sharp brights at the start moving to the greys as she must leave the idyll, is well done. It is one of a number of deliberately jarring effects, we're especially thinking about the cuts which is clearly meant to jolt, to 'snap' us, part of the gothic atmosphere. The difference between hand-held P.O.V. work, and the wide, brooding mountain scenes with smoke, is accentuated by the scene, the only connection scene, where one cascades into another. Sometimes, Stickland falls into a trap of chucking in some 'beautiful images' around a plot, so we especially appreciated when the two come together in this key shot.
The sounstrack is deliberately ratcheting up the diagetic sound, with cracks and clicks and various noises. This is partly just an effect, but on occassion works, if at other times its concatation with music can be melodramatic.
What about the themes? This is a film with an interesting feminist slant, which sits, perhaps a little uneasily, between its universal quality as a fable and its very much immanenet depiction of modern day Romania, the povery and the life there.
We didn't love this film, we appreciated the intelligent attempts formalism, but felt it couldn't quite find its way onto either of the two stools it sits between.
This is undoubtedly a gothic piece of work. It deliberately crackles onto us, both formally and in its content? How does it do this? The settings of the shadows striking, the cobwebby forests. The plot is in a way very stylised, our lead even referencing the idea of a witch.
Perhaps this film may have worked slightly better had it in fact gone the whole gothic hog; it does not though do so. We have some touching and interesting scenes of the lead's relationship with her son, along with interesting riffs on feminism, masculinty, other things. If the film had been pure and sharp like this (not any shorter; it's a little too short as it is) then perhaps it would have held the attention slightly better. Then again, it would have lost these interesting realist elements. Would it would have prevented, which is a problem, is how some scenes do individually drag. As a whole, the film paces itself very well, but some scenes, rather than shots, simply are too long, while others are too short. The film as a whole is actually a little short, more lead up may have added more weight, make it less gothic and spikey, though it would then have lost its fable quality.
Let us look at some of the interesting formal elements in this film. We love how the British director had the imagination to do this, really respect that he tried to do something. Perhaps we would have liked even more of this. The deliberate colour contrasts, of the sharp brights at the start moving to the greys as she must leave the idyll, is well done. It is one of a number of deliberately jarring effects, we're especially thinking about the cuts which is clearly meant to jolt, to 'snap' us, part of the gothic atmosphere. The difference between hand-held P.O.V. work, and the wide, brooding mountain scenes with smoke, is accentuated by the scene, the only connection scene, where one cascades into another. Sometimes, Stickland falls into a trap of chucking in some 'beautiful images' around a plot, so we especially appreciated when the two come together in this key shot.
The sounstrack is deliberately ratcheting up the diagetic sound, with cracks and clicks and various noises. This is partly just an effect, but on occassion works, if at other times its concatation with music can be melodramatic.
What about the themes? This is a film with an interesting feminist slant, which sits, perhaps a little uneasily, between its universal quality as a fable and its very much immanenet depiction of modern day Romania, the povery and the life there.
We didn't love this film, we appreciated the intelligent attempts formalism, but felt it couldn't quite find its way onto either of the two stools it sits between.
Monday, 4 October 2010
Politist, Adjectiv (Police, Adjective)
We had to go and have another look.
Just a few extra things to say. On second viewing it loses nothing. It goes faster, it leads up in a kind of delayed climax until the final scene that is only becoming more powerful. The fine central performance stands well. We see some real resonances of a 'K', Kafka-esque figure in the portrayal. The lack of excitement with the changes, the figure of the unhelpful, almost comic assistant, and of course the endless rooms.
The sense of place is well done. The endless doors of the police station, the repititive similarity of the rooms, contrasts well with the pointless airiness of the outdoors. We go from the vertiginous horror of huge grey skys to characters crampt, bent overm compressed in the enviroments.
Visually, we look at the way the lead adopts a similar plane across the screen. From top left he skulks in, moving down to bottom right, up to and across the camera. Sometimes they have an axis in front, giving a perspective of people caught in the crowd.
This is a film where we atch someone watching. The sheer pointlessness of this excercise echoes the sheer pointlessness of the search. These questions resonate throughout the whole movie. What is the point of this? Why are we watching this?
And yet we do. The answer to these questions are that we watch because it is one of the finest movies of the year, its ability to snatch a futile beauty always crsuhed, always present in the contemplation. A piece of slow cinema, a piece of meditation. Very funny, very beautiful, worth seeing again and again.
Just a few extra things to say. On second viewing it loses nothing. It goes faster, it leads up in a kind of delayed climax until the final scene that is only becoming more powerful. The fine central performance stands well. We see some real resonances of a 'K', Kafka-esque figure in the portrayal. The lack of excitement with the changes, the figure of the unhelpful, almost comic assistant, and of course the endless rooms.
The sense of place is well done. The endless doors of the police station, the repititive similarity of the rooms, contrasts well with the pointless airiness of the outdoors. We go from the vertiginous horror of huge grey skys to characters crampt, bent overm compressed in the enviroments.
Visually, we look at the way the lead adopts a similar plane across the screen. From top left he skulks in, moving down to bottom right, up to and across the camera. Sometimes they have an axis in front, giving a perspective of people caught in the crowd.
This is a film where we atch someone watching. The sheer pointlessness of this excercise echoes the sheer pointlessness of the search. These questions resonate throughout the whole movie. What is the point of this? Why are we watching this?
And yet we do. The answer to these questions are that we watch because it is one of the finest movies of the year, its ability to snatch a futile beauty always crsuhed, always present in the contemplation. A piece of slow cinema, a piece of meditation. Very funny, very beautiful, worth seeing again and again.
Friday, 1 October 2010
Police, Adjective
This new Romanian film (from Corneliu Porumboiu) utterly, utterly excellent.
We start off with long long shots, and that is exactly how it continues. Apart from one character it doesn't really exaplin who is who. This takes a while for the viewer to work out where they are, what they are watching, how to adject ourselves to this. So we start off a little distracted, a little too easy to let the mind wander. But then we come to know the film, and we are drawn in until it grips with beauty, with power.
The long long static shots reming one of 'Hidden', if anything, but used rather differently. One has to learn to love the image, love the compositions, love the image (again). Watching a whole meal. We then come to understand the rythms of the dialogue, it is in a way funny, but also particulaly beautiful. It has a profound slowness, a profound contemplation on the subject.
This is what the themes of the film are; how infinity ends up into circles, into a kind of non-linear miasma. The space inhabited is a circular one. Then we have the definition seen. Brought out by the earlier repitions, this scene encapsulates how the logic itself of a discredited situation leads one to a moral avenue. As though life, and the place itself, lead one to the avenues of horrors.
Place is depicted through the characters, not under or over done. The lead actor is simply excellent, naturalistic and convincing.
This is a truly incredible, powerful film, with a moral dilemma but never overpowered by it. Indeed, it shows the banality of morality. It is a kick in the gut, as well as a slow experience of mourning for a culture that was never there. One of the best new releases of the year.
We start off with long long shots, and that is exactly how it continues. Apart from one character it doesn't really exaplin who is who. This takes a while for the viewer to work out where they are, what they are watching, how to adject ourselves to this. So we start off a little distracted, a little too easy to let the mind wander. But then we come to know the film, and we are drawn in until it grips with beauty, with power.
The long long static shots reming one of 'Hidden', if anything, but used rather differently. One has to learn to love the image, love the compositions, love the image (again). Watching a whole meal. We then come to understand the rythms of the dialogue, it is in a way funny, but also particulaly beautiful. It has a profound slowness, a profound contemplation on the subject.
This is what the themes of the film are; how infinity ends up into circles, into a kind of non-linear miasma. The space inhabited is a circular one. Then we have the definition seen. Brought out by the earlier repitions, this scene encapsulates how the logic itself of a discredited situation leads one to a moral avenue. As though life, and the place itself, lead one to the avenues of horrors.
Place is depicted through the characters, not under or over done. The lead actor is simply excellent, naturalistic and convincing.
This is a truly incredible, powerful film, with a moral dilemma but never overpowered by it. Indeed, it shows the banality of morality. It is a kick in the gut, as well as a slow experience of mourning for a culture that was never there. One of the best new releases of the year.
Wednesday, 21 July 2010
TranSylvania
This rather good slice of Euro film is sharp, with little excess fat, and some good meat in the bone to keep one more than occupied.
This is notably a film by a Romanian filmmaker, rather than by a foreign one about Romania; much of the time we view the action from the perspective of the locals themselves, with the ‘main characters’ an intrusion. These characters though are eventually the ones we identify with, the female lead is a curious mixture (who rather goes missing near the end) while in a smart move we only come to understand the male lead at the same pace she does.
The celebrations of the backdrop are curious and even handed, letting us see the slightly nihilistic joy as well as some less palatable aspects. The backdrop is a mysterious one, a place often ignored as having no distinctive features, but shown here to have its own grey beauty.
A good film, a good introduction to the culture that at the same time gives us an interesting enough narrative.
This is notably a film by a Romanian filmmaker, rather than by a foreign one about Romania; much of the time we view the action from the perspective of the locals themselves, with the ‘main characters’ an intrusion. These characters though are eventually the ones we identify with, the female lead is a curious mixture (who rather goes missing near the end) while in a smart move we only come to understand the male lead at the same pace she does.
The celebrations of the backdrop are curious and even handed, letting us see the slightly nihilistic joy as well as some less palatable aspects. The backdrop is a mysterious one, a place often ignored as having no distinctive features, but shown here to have its own grey beauty.
A good film, a good introduction to the culture that at the same time gives us an interesting enough narrative.
Saturday, 15 May 2010
4 Months, 3 Weeks And 2 Days
The Palme D'Or winner back in 2007, this Romanian film is seen as one of the better European films of the past decade.
And indeed it is excellent. Well acted, with an especially good lead performance (if the second women is rather irritating). One really gets a feel for the character's fast, changing emotions as the day wears on. The sense of place is also captured wonderfully (1987 Romania), with at once the gritty grimness and the starnge beauty in darkness that is attendent.
The story is also tightly, well told, with a fast pace and each scene contributing something strong in itself. Even when it moves away from the engine of the story, for example towards the scene at the boyfriend's house, we feel we are really finding our something new, not just padding time.
Perhaps the sharp pace and simplicity mean it is not quite as monumentally depressing as many found it. Yes, the story is a grim one, and one particular strand is truly awful. The general themes are those of violence, degradation, and despair. Despite this, the tone is rather one of sadness than agony, in our opinion. The slow unfolding of character is not visceral, but rather a floating away.
A fine film, deserving of its acclaim, if not quite of its guttural reputation. Worth seeing.
And indeed it is excellent. Well acted, with an especially good lead performance (if the second women is rather irritating). One really gets a feel for the character's fast, changing emotions as the day wears on. The sense of place is also captured wonderfully (1987 Romania), with at once the gritty grimness and the starnge beauty in darkness that is attendent.
The story is also tightly, well told, with a fast pace and each scene contributing something strong in itself. Even when it moves away from the engine of the story, for example towards the scene at the boyfriend's house, we feel we are really finding our something new, not just padding time.
Perhaps the sharp pace and simplicity mean it is not quite as monumentally depressing as many found it. Yes, the story is a grim one, and one particular strand is truly awful. The general themes are those of violence, degradation, and despair. Despite this, the tone is rather one of sadness than agony, in our opinion. The slow unfolding of character is not visceral, but rather a floating away.
A fine film, deserving of its acclaim, if not quite of its guttural reputation. Worth seeing.
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