Rowan Sullivan

411

The Red Turtle (Netherlands)

The Red Turtle Film Difficulty Ranking: 2Image result for the red turtle

If you’re a fan of Studio Ghibli or struggling to answer some of life’s big questions, you should check out this film. It is a beautiful animation that explores some of the biggest philosophical debates. Who are we? What is the meaning of life and death? And what is beauty? Go ahead and watch Michael Dudok de Wit’s animation, birthed when Studio Ghibli sent him a letter out of the blue asking if he wanted to make a film!

Why Watch the Red Turtle?
  • You want to see a European Studio Ghibli film from Michael Dudok de Wit, complete with magical realism and beautiful animation
  • To hear an excellent soundtrack composed by a former doctor (it’s never too late to do what you love)
  • If you love the idea of being stuck on a desert island (Robinson Crusoe was the inspiration for this film)
  • Watch and question who you are really are if you were to be stuck on a desert island
The Breakdown

The film starts with a night time storm in the ocean. A man struggles to stay afloat as huge waves swirl and crash around him. He spots his dinghy but as he swims towards it, a wave crashes on top of it, breaking it into driftwood.

There are no colours in this opening scene. All of the night time scenes are shot in black and white. Later, on the island, the night sky shines with a beautiful mat of stars. The monochrome nights appear more real than the heavily lighted night scenes we are used to. They contain what the director calls ‘beauty in subtlety.’ There are no bright colours or heavy lighting similar to the Hollywood films we are used to. In fact the first appearance of the red turtle is the first moment in which red appears on screen. The director’s subtle palette is reminiscent of Studio Ghibli (see Tale of Princess Kaguya) and Japanese art in general. It is from these influences that the director found beauty in subtlety, used in this film.

The film is also a tale of life and death, similar to the circle of life in Lion King. You see animals on the island full of life in one scene and then dead and being fed on in the next. The film’s cyclical view of time and narrative (another Eastern inspiration) contrasts with the traditional Western linear narrative. It gives the story a certain timelessness (are the characters dead or in a dream?). It also questions the meaning of life – why do we so desperately strive for goals when nature and time are cyclical? (see more on linear vs. cyclical time here).

Conclusion

The Red Turtle is a beautiful animation that on the surface is a story about a man stranded on a desert island. However, on further analysis, it’s subtle techniques and cyclical narrative reveal questions about the meaning of life and time. With only nature to keep you company, you find out who you really are.

412

The Marriage of Maria Braun (Germany)

The Marriage of Maria Braun Film Difficulty Ranking: 2

Click on the Poster to Rent!

Do you want to see a great German film that resembles a Hollywood great? Here’s Rainer Werner Fassbinder’s most accessible film. It’s the story of Maria Braun, the German ‘American dream’. She lives the rags to riches story, but in typical Fassbinder fashion, she carries a lot of baggage. For a introduction to Fassbinder, this one is perfect. Then, follow it up with Ali: Fear Eats the Soul.

Why Watch The Marriage of Maria Braun?
  • For a German film that appeals to anyone used to watching Hollywood dramas
  • It’s a perfect gateway into Rainer Werner Fassbinder films (he’s one of the most renowned German directors)
  • To experience post-war Germany through Maria Braun (she’s an allegory for the countries ups and downs)
  • Or, you just want to watch a long, immersive, classic drama
The Breakdown

“Do you, Hermann Braun take this woman for this lawfully wedded wife”

As Maria and Hermann get married, a bomb drops on their ceremony, shattering the glass of all the windows and leaving a gaping hole in the ceiling. Their wedding papers fly out the window. Before the vicar can run for safety, the couple grab him and they all fall to the ground on the marriage document. As more bombs drop and the buildings around them start falling down, they sign their marriage with the scared vicar as witness.

The manic introduction continues throughout the film. It is a tremendous roller coaster ride! Maria is the crazy woman who takes centre stage for the film. At times she is the ‘American dream’ as she makes her own opportunities and success. However, she is also an allegory for the plight of post-war Germany so make sure you pay attention! For example, she is supported by America and later finds success with a united Europe whilst her husband is lost in Russia (East Germany).

In addition to the allegories, listen out for some scenes which use sound to eke out even more emotion. One example of this is obvious when Maria goes to the train station for the last time wearing her ‘Have you seen Hermann Braun’ sign. In this scene, the background noise of the crowds of people fade and the sound of the steam train gets louder. All you hear is the steady spurting of the steam: on, off, on, off. At this time, Maria looks at the fence covered in posters of missing soldiers and hopelessly at the train. The sound enhances her despair as she realises she will never see her husband again.

Conclusion

The Marriage of Maria Braun is an incredible portrait of a strong woman who makes her own success against the odds. She is Germany’s melancholic heroine, at times an epitome of the American dream. However, whilst this film is Fassbinder’s most Hollywood film, it mirrors the fate of post-war Germany. Go watch some Fassbinder!

For more Fassbinder, we highly recommend Ali: Fear Eats the Soul. For another great

413

The Film Root World Map

Choose a Continent!

Choose a continent to find the best films from Africa, Europe, Asia, North America, South America, or Australasia! Start your film adventure!

More

Find out Which Countries Make the Best Films!

414

The Devil’s Backbone (Spain)

The Devil’s Backbone Film Difficulty Ranking: 2

Click on the Poster to Watch!

If you liked Pan’s Labyrinth you’ll love The Devil’s Backbone. It’s another great film from Guillermo del Toro set during the Spanish Civil War. The Devil’s Backbone is a horror film with depth, unlike a bunch of the horror films around today. So go ahead, watch this and let your imagination loose!

Why Watch the Devil’s Backbone?
  • It’s one of Guillermo Del Toro’s first and best films (he’s famous for Pan’s Labyrinth, Hellyboy, and Blade)
  • You want a horror film with a bit more depth than your classic slasher or psychological thriller
  • It’s another great movie about which plays out during the Spanish Civil War (also check out Lengua de las Mariposas and Pan’s Labyrinth)
  • There’s also the classic Guillermo Del Toro creations and style
The Breakdown

“What is a ghost? A tragedy condemned to repeat itself time and again? An instant of pain, perhaps. Something dead which still seems to be alive. An emotion suspended in time. Like a blurred photograph. Like an insect trapped in amber”

As the opening lines above are read, a plane flying across the night sky opens it’s bomb doors to drop bombs on a village below. One of the bombs falls into the ground, brutally injuring a young boy.

The boy was a member of a small walled sanctuary in the middle of the Spanish desert. The sanctuary is full of young boys left by men and women fighting in the Spanish Civil War. The place is run by an old woman with a wooden leg and an old man who has a love for books and curiosities (typical del Toro style). The location is like the wild west and is ripe for the spookiness that unfolds.

Del Toro perfectly stages the horror scenes. Each one follows the rhythm written by the many horror films that preceded it. There’s the first ominous sighting early on in the film which goes unnoticed by all of the characters. This reveals the ghost to us. Next, the protagonist sees the ghost and the rest of the character’s usually don’t believe him. This identifies the audience with the protagonist (we’re the only one’s who know of the ghost). Then finally, in the climax, the ghost is revealed to all.

The Conclusion

The Devil’s Backbone is one of Guillermo del Toro’s best. Just like Pan’s Labyrinth it contains a young kid living during the Spanish Civil War. However, this film is a more classic horror. Even though Pan’s Labyrinth borrows from the horror genre, The Devil’s Backbone will give you more spooks. What’s the best thing to do? Watch both!

 

415

Fragment 53 (Liberia)

Fragment 53 Film Difficulty Ranking: 3

War. What is it good for? Absolutely nothing.

However, you can learn a lot from this documentary about the Liberian Civil War. It features interviews with the people responsible for killing hundreds if not thousands of people. You’ll also get to hear from all sides in the conflict and what they did in the role and what they think of the murders they committed now that the conflict is over. If you can’t imagine a time in which eating a heart is normal, I recommend you check out this film to find out.

Why Watch Fragment 53?
  • You don’t know anything about the Liberian Civil War, or anything about Liberia for that matter
  • Learn about the nature of war from the warlords, generals, and soldiers that fought in the Liberian conflict
  • Hear from General “Butt naked”
  • It’s a perfect compliment to Indonesia’s The Look of Silence and The Act of Killing
The Breakdown

Fragment 53 starts with the sound of a trumpet, a sound connected to war memorial services. The sound of the trumpet sets the tone of this war documentary, a tone that both recognises those lost, but also questions the nature of war. Alongside the trumpet we are shown a montage of statues and statuettes. Each one of them is a deity of war from various human cultures. War has been around for millennia. Is it a part of humanity or something we can stop?

Before, and also between the interviews of the war generals, the film hints at the surreal. We are shown shots of people working at roadside stalls, a cloud of fruit bats stripping the leaves off of a tree, and hills covered in rain forest and mist. Why are these images included? They are included as they show time passing. These mundane images are just as natural as war is to mankind. Bats will always strip the leaves off of trees, mist will always collect in the hills, and people will always be making a living. These things, just like war, will also continue into the foreseeable future.

The director’s also manipulate the interviews with the warlords and generals. Each interviewee is given the same introduction text and are all shot in close-up. But look out for how the director leaves them after the interview is complete. The first interviewee is rather vague about his opinion of war so his interview finishes with a blurred and dark image of him getting up to leave. The second interviewee is consistent in his views of war and his role and therefore the director ends his interview with a clear head shot. This is just one of the ways a director can influence our perception of interviewees in documentaries!

Conclusion

Fragment 53 is an intriguing look into the nature of war. Is it something that is a part of humanity or can it be eliminated? Hear from seven warlords/generals from Liberia. Their answers offer an insight into both the Liberian war and humanity as a whole.

For more documentaries on the nature of war, check out The Look of Silence and also Little Dieter Needs to Fly.