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decembernaghi
Reviews
Le fantôme de la liberté (1974)
A bizarre, thought-provoking movie
Luis Buñuel's "The Phantom of Liberty" is definitely a thought-provoking film. His surrealist approach to film questions society's rules and customs. Though the scenes are quite bizarre, they still manage to feel "right." The way in which they question the social order of things is like a visual manifestation and elaboration of questions I have asked myself. The contradictions Buñuel proudly exhibits are fabulous. People have been brought up to think a certain way and expect certain things, and Buñuel's humorous defiance of our expectations makes one think about where our expectations come from, and how legitimate they really are. And yet, everything is done with a lot of fun. "The Phantom of Liberty" is like a philosophical discussion about life and individuality and independence of thought made into a movie. I really liked it because it truly made me think about why I am the way I am. It's a good movie to see. I definitely recommend it.
El espíritu de la colmena (1973)
A simply gorgeous memory of childhood life
Victor Erice's "The Spirit of the Beehive" is a beautiful, refreshing, and nostalgic look at the world through the eyes of a little girl. Erice brings us into a magical reality as Ana goes on a quest to find Frankenstein. Ana Torrent's wonderfully expressive face is stunningly uplifting. Nothing is overdone in this movie. Everything feels very realistic and plausible. As we watch her in her own little world, Ana grows and learns and changes. Also, the cinematography is incredible. The little town the girls live in looks beautiful and magical. Moreover, Erice captures the relationship between the two sisters, Ana and Isabel, beautifully. Ana looks up to Isabel, but when Isabel pretends to be dead, she feels betrayed, and retreats into herself. As a theme, the childhood fascination with death is an intriguing and sometimes disturbing one. Isabel especially seems almost obsessed. Her attempt to first strangle the cat and then to convince her sister that she is dead makes one wonder about what's going through her head. What motivates this young girl to do something so cruel yet so naïve? This film is all about what is beneath the skin, behind the words—the subtext, the spirit. It is a quaint, beautiful, and wistful evocation of growing up and I loved it.
Idi i smotri (1985)
Utterly stunning in its mesmerizing storytelling
Elem Klimov's "Come and See" is possibly the most moving film I have ever seen. As a war movie, it is unique in its genre in my opinion. It engages the audience with all five senses in its nightmarish reality. The war came to life right in front of my eyes. When the first bombs erupted around Florya and Glasha, the use of sound made me feel like I was right there. I smelled the rotting bodies when Florya came back to his hometown and all he saw was flies and bowls of soup. I felt the slimy grip of the marshes when he dragged Glasha through them as he fought the idea that his entire family was dead. During the most harrowing and excruciatingly miserable part of the movie, when the Russian village was burned to the ground with the people inside, I felt the fear and pain and panicked helplessness. I wanted to cry out, to scream, to run. In the burning farmhouse, I wanted to claw my way out. I felt the terrifying responsibility of having to decide whether to take the chance to jump out the window or risk staying inside. My throat was dry, my body went from hot to cold to hot again. I shivered and I felt the burn of heat. While the disconcerting use of close-ups made it almost painfully intimate, the movie was all the more haunting because Florya was only one of thousands experiencing the same and worse. By the time Florya was shooting the picture of Hitler and using his gun for the first time, I felt battered and burned, exhausted and deeply disturbed, but also oddly satisfied. Though shooting Hitler's picture was just a symbol, it really made me think. What if Hitler had been killed as a baby? Would that be wrong? It made the film feel more well-rounded. I felt like I'd lived an entire lifetime in the space of a few hours. It was a truly remarkable film. I've never seen anything like it, and I don't think I ever will again.
Yuki yukite, shingun (1987)
Uncomfortable but brilliant
I can't say that watching "The Emperor's Naked Army" was an uplifting experience, or that it made me 'feel good.' Many times during the movie, I was uncomfortable; I was shocked, even disgusted by Okuzaki's behavior
but the documentary was brilliant. It was the utter definition of realism. Even when the protagonist started beating up people on camera, Hara kept filming. The result was somewhat mind-boggling. I mean, even with all his faults, Okuzaki gets results. By the end, I really started to wonder if maybe what he was doing was justifiable. This movie really was educational, though. I've learned about WWII many times in school, but I had no idea cannibalism ever occurred. I could barely believe my own eyes and ears! Never before have I seen something so raw and so real. Even though I hated the violence, I'm happy the world gets to see the truth. I've never seen a documentary like this. Michael Moore's movies are more for entertainment purposes than anything else, for example. But this goes back to what a documentary is really supposed to be. Showing the world the truth.
La otra conquista (1998)
Intriguing and thought-proviking
I think one of the most important roles movies have in today's world is their influence on cultural education and their ability to make people think about and connect to peoples from all around the world. Salvador Carrasco's "La Otra Conquista" does just that. It starts out showing a chilling scene with many dead Aztec natives and goes on to tell the story of the attempt to conquer the spirit of a population that will not let go. It explores religious justifications, and questions just how different the Christian Mary brought by the Spaniards is from the Aztec worship of their mother goddess. However, it is a universal question that can be applied to many different religions. How different really is the Jewih God from the Christian one? How different is Allah from Hashem? Topiltzin, the protagonist, struggles with these questions and his ultimate discovery is a melding of the Virgin Mary and his Aztec Mother Goddess. Although he dies at the end, the movie is still uplifting because it suggests a possible middle ground that can be reached not only between different religions, but between different cultures. Combined with the authentic use of the languages spoken at the time and the stunning cinematography, "La Otra Conquista" provides intriguing, powerful storytelling and intellectual stimulation—a truly well done film, I would definitely recommend it.
Dom za vesanje (1988)
A Colorful look into a vibrant culture
Emir Kusturica's "Time of the Gypsies" gives a colorful, magical look into a culture not often talked about or looked at. Full of symbols and telekinetic and healing powers, this movie still manages to feel believable. It toes the line between fantasy and reality very well as we see Perhan moving forks and such around with his mind. Kusturica masterfully tells the story through the eyes of the Yugoslavian gypsies we come to know and love. Though we see Perhan's flaws and sometimes wish he would make better choices, we come to understand why he and the others in the movie do the things they do. The most poignant example of this is right at the end when Perhan chooses to go back and kill Ahmed instead of going home with his sister and the boy who might be his son. I know that I personally wish he could have just let it be, but I understand that dignity and honor are important in that culture, and he wouldn't have been able to live with himself had he not settled his score with Ahmed. Overall, I loved the complex exploration of character in "Time of the Gypsies," and how Kusturica didn't hide or glorify the dirty side of the story. Also, the dream-like sequences definitely gave the film a very vibrant, surreal, and fantastical tone. I would definitely recommend it.
Fa yeung nin wah (2000)
A Romantic and Meaningful Work of Art
My first reaction to Wong Kar Wai's "In the mood for love" was purely emotional. As the credits rolled by on the screen, my mind raced to make sense of the roller-coaster of desire, frustration, and aesthetic awe my body was going through. At times, I would find myself smiling, and at times, I would find myself almost overwhelmed by tears. I know all this might sound cheesy, but this film truly affected me on all levels. With almost no exception, all the factors that make a movie great were not only present here, but crafted to perfection. Although the English translation was definitely pretty horrible, and it sometimes became slightly hard to follow what exactly was going on plot-wise, I was never lost because Kar Wai's expert use of music and cinematography created a magical atmosphere that communicated everything I needed to know. The surprising, yet effective use of the Spanish songs gave a teasing romantic feel to the connection between Mrs. Chan and Mr. Chow, the two main characters. The other musical theme of the film, an exquisite instrumental piece, has character and meaning of its own, giving the tension between Chan and Chow even more power. I don't usually go out and buy movie soundtracks, but I'll definitely be getting this one. As for the camera placement and cinematography, I loved how every object had a meaning. Every shot had a purpose. Of course, that meant that I had to pay close attention to the little things, but that wasn't very hard to do! The love story isn't a conventional one, that's for sure. Watching "In the mood for love" was like looking at a wonderfully complex work of art. You could stare at it forever and always find some new and exciting symbol in its design. You could come back and look at it time and time again and get something different from it. Maybe it'll make you happy, or sad, or angry, or even confused, but it will always make you think and feel, and hey, that's what a movie is supposed to do.