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I agree totally on the "dating" thing.
After seeing Jules et Jim as many times as I have, you do lose some interest in the trio for sure. But it's spirit will always live on.
The sense of freedom, the carefree air of life, that song, the beauty of it is just perfect.
Jules and Jim is even more free-spirited than Breathless.
(Breathless is much more edgy).
I still can't believe Truffaut starred in Spielberg's Close Encounters. My guess is that Francois liked Jaws?
Good comments, to which I can add nothing. I think the reason why film does date more than music or fiction is the photographic images, which contain a time capsule of fashion, etc. -- such that the "period" flavor itself dates, i.e., the men's haircuts of a Seventies movie supposed to be set in the 1890's suddenly begin to look 1976, etc. But if it's a great movie of course that hopefully doesn't date. However when you're talking about Joyce or Chopin you're talking about great genius and unique style.
The key to his casting on Spielberg's movie rests on another film you brought into the discussion: The Wild Child. Truffaut's performance as Dr. Itard in that film, his first substantial role, concerns Itard's efforts to communicate with Victor, a child alienated from civilization. This theme of communication is of special interest to Truffaut. His Lacombe, in Close Encounters, is a scientist who directs an international effort to communicate with extraterrestrials. He is a very likable, heroic character.The irony is that Lacombe finds a way to communicate directly to the aliens whereas he often needs a translator to communicate with fellow humans.Quote:
Originally posted by Johann
I still can't believe Truffaut starred in Spielberg's Close Encounters.
This is why you are so vital to this site oscar.
I'm surprised you didn't comment on the use of the name Lacombe.
+ Gracias por the kind words Johann.
+ My sole cinematic reference is the titular character of a Louis Malle movie. I think "la combe" means "the valley". You tell us, CK.
Monday August 15th
Swing Time (USA,1936) on TCM
Nice score by Jerome Kern, including great songs like Oscar-winner "The Way You Look Tonight". Absolutely awesome dancing numbers featuring Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers. But the story is utterly lame, which becomes immediately obvious because there's no dancing or singing during the interminable first 25 minutes of the picture. Go ahead, shoot me.
The Mad Songs of Fernanda Hussein (USA, 2001) dvd
A classic example of true independent, regional filmmaking. Just under 3 hours long, John Giavito's labour of love combines documentary segments with three fictional stories set in New Mexico during the Gulf War. The titular character is a Mexican-American whose kids become victims of anti-Arab hatred while her husband has returned to his native Egypt because no one wants to hire him. The second story concerns a pacifist teenage boy who's angry at his dad's politics and frustrated about the failure of his activism to change people's attitudes. The third story concerns a veteran who returns from Iraq with physical and psychological scars. These stories make ample use of footage of actual pro and anti-war demonstrations, welcome parades, and TV coverage of the war. The documentary segments include several melodious songs by Iraqi activist Naseer Shamma, performed on a string instrument called "oud", information and footage of the effects of the US bombing campaign on Iraqi women and children, and a montage of unbelievably sadistic pro-war paraphernilia (a substantial portion aimed at children). The fictional segments are careful to depict in detail typical New Mexican environments, particular desert landscapes not unlike those found in theatre-of-war locations in the Middle East. The Mad Songs of Fernanda Hussein uses non-actors which is, at times, apparent. Moreover, the film leaves no doubt as to its stance regarding US intervention outside our borders. You'd have to look elsewhere for contrasting points of view. The Mad Songs of Fernanda Hussein is an inspired denunciation of racial hatred, nationalism, and militarism in the USA; I love it for that.
Production Notes:THE MAD SONGS OF FERNANDA HUSSEIN
The Mad Songs of Fernanda Hussein
Is this available via Netflix? (I tried to check, but they're once again down--which seems to happen a bit too often.)
Lacombe I thought it would be a reference to Malle's Lacombe, Lucien. Just shown at the Pacific Film Archive.
Yes, Fernanda is available via Netflix.
No relation bet. Malle's film and Truffaut's Claude Lacombe.
I had my dates confused. Claude came before Lucien.
Tuesday August 16
Memories of Murder (South Korea, 2003) DVD
The second film from director Joon-ho Bong (Barking Dogs Never Bite) was a commercial and critical success, earning awards for Best Film, Best Director and Best Actor from the prolific Korean film industry. Memories of Murder is based on a series of bizarre and brutal murders of women which took place in a semi-rural burg in 1986, while South Korea was governed by the Chun dictatorship. The film centers on the investigation from the point of view of local cops and one that comes from Seoul to volunteer his services. The scope of the film can be illustrated by the FIPRESCI award it received at the San Sebastian Film Festival for "giving new insight into the roots of political repression in a dictatorship under the guise of the hunt for a serial killer". Mind you, Memories of Murder is full of suspense and comedic asides, but still manages, at the edges, to provide a type of state-of-the-nation commentary. Memories of Murder had a limited release in the US on June 24th but it's already available on dvd. I wish I could refer to the plot, in order to make some critical observations, without spoiling your enjoyment. The film boasts excellent production values. It has also received very good reviews in North America and I guarantee you'll agree that it's at least worth a rental. Enough said.
A year or so ago you sent me a list of Korean movies you recommended. They were very hard to find, and only on video. Are more of them now available on DVD, and do you have any new recommendations. So far as I've seen, Korean movies seem to be more remarkable for their violence and extremism than for anything else. The more unconventional ones, like Oldboy, are fun though. The war stories are a bit of a bore.
Chris, would you like the names of some good/interesting Korean films? I can't vouch for their general availability, certainly not in the US but ones that you might want to keep a look out for.
Cheers Trev.
Originally posted by Chris Knipp
A year or so ago you sent me a list of Korean movies you recommended. Are more of them now available on DVD
Suddenly many recent Korean movies have come out on dvd in the US, but not necessarily the best.
The biggest beneficiary is Mr. Ki-duk Kim. The Isle, Bad Guy, Spring, Summer, Fall... and Samaritan Girl are all available now. He has a unique vision or "world-view", problem is there's something truly fucked-up about it. Dude can be simultaneously exploitative and priggish, like a voyeur with an exaggerated sense of guilt. It's hard to explain because I'm still trying to figure it out, but it seems to stem from his take on female sexuality. Thing is that I've enjoyed, to some extent, everyone of his films.
Others recently out on dvd: the political thriller Joint Security Area, the black comedy The Quiet Family, and Untold Scandal, a retelling of "Dangerous Liasons" I liked a lot.
do you have any new recommendations.
Lamentably I haven't seen a great Korean film since I sent you that list. (Untold Scandal and Memories of Murder would be the two I recommend. I also liked Oasis but I think you've seen it already.)
Tale of Two Sisters was more confused than anything else.
Camel(s) was undernourished.
Avoid a movie titled Eunjangdo.
Save the Green Planet, Happy End, and This Charming Girl are the next Koreans on my "To Watch" list. I've been been planning another viewing of the wonderful romance One Fine Spring Day, a personal fave.
So far as I've seen, Korean movies seem to be more remarkable for their violence and extremism. The more unconventional ones, like Oldboy, are fun though.
Perhaps, you'd also enjoy the previous film from the director of Oldboy. It's titled Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance and even though it's on dvd everywhere, it will finally get a theatrical release (limited) in America tomorrow from Tartan USA. I assume they will release it on dvd real soon.
I will take note of all these, and trevor, please do give any additional recommendations you have besides those already mentioned here. I have got to see Kim Ki-duk's other stuff, no doubt about it, but I have to tell you all, that I've got a Netflix queue a mile long now and it's 95% French films.
The fact is that a lot of the more interesting films of the past remain only on tape and will remain so.
I'd certainly go along with Untold Scandal and Memories of Murder, I can also recommend Happy End, excellent underplayed film making, same goes for Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance, in my opinion a far superior film compared to Oldboy.
Save the Green Planet is truly out-there, it's one of those oddities you'll love or hate and This Charming Girl and Failan are on my must see list.
Other recommendations:
The Surrogate Womb aka The Surrogate Woman.
Virgin Stripped Bare by Her Bachelors
Woman Is the Future of Man
Take Care of My Cat
3-Iron
Samaritan Girl
Birdcage Inn
Holiday in Seoul (even though it's a rip of "Chungking Express")
Tears - Hard hitting teen drama.
Spider Forest
+ others already listed by Oscar.
Christmas in August and Harmonium in my Memory are said to be very good as well but I won't know for sure till next week.
For something light:
Love Wind Love Song
Ditto
The Way Home
My Beautiful Girl, Mari - animated
Oseam - animated
I did have a lot of reviews that disappeared when foreignfilms.com was virtually wiped out.
There are a hell of a lot of fair to average horror films as well as some truly awful ones but I have no idea if you watch these.
I personally like a lot of Kim ki-duk's films but I can certainly understand why they would upset a lot of people, I had very mixed emotions after seeing The Isle.
Anyway I'm sure that's enough for now, it would be just as easy to list the films to avoid simply because they are awful but it's always more pleasurable to recommend the good.
Cheers Trev.