July Film Journal
The Age of Innocence (Martin Scorsese, 1993)
Madame Bovary (Rodney Bennett, 1975)
Downfall (Oliver Hirschbiegel, 2004)
Capote (Bennett Miller, 2005)
My Voyage to Italy (Martin Scorsese, 1999)
Grave of the Fireflies (Isao Takahata, 1988)
Match Point (Woody Allen, 2005)
Tabu: A Story of the South Seas (F.W. Murnau, 1931)
L'Avventura (Michelangelo Antonioni, 1960)
Germany, Year Zero (Roberto Rossellini, 1948)
Crimes and Misdemeanors (Woody Allen, 1989)
High and Low (Akira Kurosawa, 1963)
Hawaii, Oslo (Erik Poppe, 2004)
The Ghost and Mrs. Muir (Joseph L. Mankiewicz, 1947)
Red Beard (Akira Kurosawa, 1965)
posted by Diane @ 2:39 PM
12 comments
12 Comments:
Your thoughts on "Hawaii Oslo"?
You've watched two of my favorite Kurosawas, plus about the only Woody Allen film I can say I liked (C&M). Should we expect short comments on each of these as per your old blog?
John, I got kind of burnt out on leaving comments on all of the films, so I've ditched that idea for now. But I will post thoughts soon on the films you and Christian have mentioned.
Thanks for the comments, guys.
I hear you Diane. No pressure.
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Sorry for the delay, guys. Stressful days lately.
Anyway, Christian, it's not a perfect film, but I really enjoyed Hawaii, Oslo. I guess I'm a fan of those Magnolia-esque movies with characters whose lives intersect. I loved the emotion on display--Vidor's care and concern for Leon...the young couple with their newborn baby...the two brothers in crisis. Very moving stuff, and eveyone seemed very believable. I was quite surprised by the spiritual aspect, too. I don't think I was expecting it to be so strong. Beautiful closing moments, as well.
Back with Kurosawa notes later.
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Again, apologies for the delay.... For anyone who doesn't know, I don't have a computer at home, so I can only post here while I'm at work. But I've got to get my act together here.
Anyway, John, about the Kurosawa films--
I loved both High and Low and Red Beard, though I'd give an edge to the latter.
High and Low was gripping, with an interesting social commentary and some spectacularly exciting moments (the bullet train, especially). Aside from the scenes involving the train, I felt the film peaked on a visual level as the story descended into the drug underworld--very striking and unsettling stuff. And the ending was brilliantly done.
Now, I've not seen many Kurosawas, but Red Beard has shot up to the top of my list as my favorite so far. Aside from the beautifully moving and uplifting story, this film seemed to be filled with transcendent cinematography--more so than his other films that I've seen. (Is it just me, or are the visuals more striking here?) And I found the portrayals of women especially interesting.
Crimes and Misdemeanors--I've not had a lot of luck with or interest in Allen's films, John, but this one was quite gripping, though I vacillated a bit at first with how I felt about the mix of comedy/tragedy (see, it's very obvious that I'm an Allen newbie). Actually, I watched this one after grabbing Match Point from my library, and since C&M is so often referenced in reviews of MP, I figured subsequent viewings were in order. Have you seen MP? I was going to make some comparisons, but maybe I need to hold my tongue....
Sigh.
I wish I could edit comments here. Someday, I'll learn how to post a comment without needing to trash it and start over. :)
Diane, thanks for the great comments. I am totally with you on the visuals of both H&L and Red Beard. At least to my untrained eye, he hits his peak with these final two B&W films, but especially RB. In scene after scene I feel myself just gushing that it all just seems framed perfectly. This is a quality I admire in all his films, but it just all comes together here with greater consistency.
I haven't seen Match Point, being an Allen newbie like yourself. His "great" movie, Annie Hall, left me cold and frustrated, and while I really appreciate C&M, my understanding is that it is a bit of an anomaly. Maybe I'm wrong about that, but at any rate, that gets at why I've not gotten around to MP, even if it does look at least somewhat interesting. Should I see it?
Hmm. It's hard to say, John. Seeing the two films allows for some interesting comparisons, but I'd guess that everything you appreciate in C&M is missing in MP. You might want to read the following with caution, in case you do plan to see MP.
First, take C&M and cut out every ounce of humor. Delete the secondary storyline. Then subtract all of the moral questioning, the nagging conscience, the sense of guilt, and a positive theological figure. What you then have is MP.
It's an interesting film, John, but it's exceedingly chilling and ultimately frustrating, all by design. One of the most intriguing (and troubling) developments was watching the protagonist attempt to read and understand Dostoevsky. The film plays off Crime and Punishment a bit--but in such a way that makes you think you can hear Dostoevsky rolling in his grave. There's one moment (a rather nice dream sequence) that makes you think the film is going to venture into deeper territory, but nope. In the world of MP, theological discussions are laughed at and quickly dismissed. There is no God, no conscience, no justice--only luck, and it is a fickle creature.
I admit that MP held my attention, and it has stayed with me so far. But given a choice between the two, I'd take C&M. At least the big questions were being asked back then....
Thanks Diane. I'll probably pass for now, as that summary kind of confirms my fears. Besides, there are so many other things I am much more interested in and that I suspect will be much more rewarding.
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