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
Sunday, 13 February 2011
Friday, 11 February 2011
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
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
Wednesday, 9 February 2011
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.
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
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
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
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
Tuesday, 8 February 2011
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
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
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