Rowan Sullivan

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Investigation of a Citizen Above Suspicion

Investigation of a Citizen Above Suspicion Film Difficulty Ranking: 2

Can anyone ever be above the law? Well this film argues that there are already people who are above the law. It points the finger squarely at the police department of Italy in the 1960s/70s. However, before you get the idea that this film is just a political slow-boiler, read on. This film is a crime thriller like no other. You will be on the edge of your seat repeatedly asking yourself why. Why is no one condemning him? Answer: he’s too damn powerful.

Why Watch Investigation of a Citizen Above Suspicion?
  • To find out if there can ever be anyone above the law
  • It won the Academy Award for Best Foreign Film in 1970
  • For a glimpse of Italian society in the late 1960s/early 1970s; a period of violent student/worker uprisings amidst social and political conflict that came to be known as the “years of lead.”
  • If you like a great satire – one of the best ways to critique
The Breakdown

Quick cutting and camera movement introduce us to a police inspector walking along a black fence. The camera follows his movement and his eyes as he looks up to a lady in an apartment window. They obviously know each other, as their faces are match cut looking at each other. He opens the gate, walks up the stairs, and enters her apartment. “How are you going to kill me this time?” she asks him playfully. “I’m going to slit your throat” he replies sincerely. And sure enough, after brief foreplay and sex, he slits her throat.

The murderer methodically arranges his own crime scene, takes two bottles of champagne, and drives off. He calmly drives to the police station, jumps out of the car and starts to celebrate his promotion. He walks into the office, orders someone to get glasses and sits down at his new desk with a big map of the city behind him. It is obvious that he is in a position of huge power. That he is in a position that is above suspicion.

The director, Elio Petri, shows us how power is divided in Italy. The powerful hold control of the media, the public, and the police. The police inspector holds power over all three of these. Each one refuses to follow the clues he gives them. Instead they all follow him blindly, or, in the case of the public, represented by the tin-smith, they renounce their testimony out of fear, as if the inspector is a king, and they are worried of being accused of treason by incriminating him. The film is a parable of the corrupt police force that victimised students and labourers, and put themselves above the law.

Conclusion

In his portrayal of the police inspector, Petri exposes the corruption in the Italian police force. He shows the authoritarian position that the police inspector has and shows that they control everything. The media publish what the police give them, the public are too scared to stand up to the police, and his colleagues are too ‘stupid’ to follow the clues he leaves.

The tension in the film doesn’t come from us asking when he is going to get caught, but how far other people go to vindicate him.

432

The Lunchbox (India)

The Lunchbox Film Difficulty Ranking: 2

“Sometimes the wrong train gets you to the right station”

Are you looking for a great Indian film that isn’t a musical? Well here’s a good place to start. Ritesh Batra’s The Lunchbox is a beautiful celebration of Indian culture alongside a warning of the effects of rapid economic development. At the heart of the film is food; what it symbolises and how it can bring people together. For a trip to Mumbai, go watch The Lunchbox available on YouTube and (I think) Netflix – it’s also worth your money – click on the picture for a link to buy.

Why Watch The Lunchbox?
  • You don’t like musicals, but you want to see a great Indian film.
  • To see the amazing lunch-box service system in action
  • Meet ‘Auntie’ the go-to lady for all your questions – also a character that we don’t even see
  • For Irrfan Khan on top form (you may recognise him from Jurassic World, Life of Pi, Slumdog Millionaire, or Talvar which was reviewed here earlier).
The Breakdown

The Lunchbox starts with a montage of Mumbai. Director, Ritesh Batra, shows us the trains, shoes cleaners, and cars before stopping at the house of Ila. Ila is fussing over her young daughter before she goes to school, telling her be careful. Her daughter disappears and she goes straight to her cooking. She tastes the contents of one of the pots and figures it is missing something. A basket appears at the window with a pot of spices, lowered down by ‘Auntie’. Ila adds the spices and readies the food for collection.

The lunch box prepared by Ila travels through the incredible lunch box system and ends on the desk of Saajan (played by Irrfan Khan) who is seduced by the amazing smells of this unexpected lunchbox.

Food is central to the narrative of this film and also shows us a lot about each of the characters. At home, Saajan eats heated up food from a plastic bag. In comparison with the fresh cooked meals that a family next door eats, his plastic meals are a symbol of his loneliness.

Food also symbolises class. Shaikh, an orphan who becomes Saajan’s apprentice, always brings in two pieces of fruit for lunch, usually two bananas. In comparison with the lunch box that Saajan can afford, a banana is a lunch for the lower class.

In addition, The Lunchbox does not hide the stress of life in Mumbai. Each of the main characters has experienced the death or absence of family. On the news, we hear of a mother jumping off the top of a tall building with her daughter to escape life. Ila blames it on the government that prioritises the GDP over happiness. The country has got caught up striving for a greater economy and forgotten about the importance of happiness.

Conclusion

The Lunchbox cleverly shows the current state of life in Mumbai through a romantic tribute to the lunchbox system. In doing so, it shows us a lot of Indian life: the food, the people, the transport, and relationships. It also subtly depicts the burdens that the Indian people are carrying as the country develops rapidly. This reminded me a lot of the Chinese film A Touch of Sin, which shows the strain of economic growth on people in China. However, in contrast to A Touch of Sin, The Lunchbox is much more upbeat and has plenty to celebrate.

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Son of Saul (Hungary)

Son of Saul Film Difficulty Ranking: 3

Are you ready to watch an amazing visual recreation of the Holocaust? You will see it all from the point of view of Saul, a Jew forced to help in the Nazi death camps. The camera shoots the whole film with Saul’s head in close up. We see everything he does, as if we are controlling him in a video game. If you liked the long takes of Alfonso Cuaron’s Children of Men, or Martin Scorsese’s Goodfellas, you will appreciate this film.

Why Watch Son of Saul?
  • It won the Foreign Language Academy Award in 2016, beating the equally incredible Embrace of the Serpent
  • For some amazing long takes that reminded me of Alfonso Cuaron’s Birdman and Children of Men.
  • For another great, but harrowing Holocaust movie. Son of Saul offers a different aspect to what you have seen in Life is Beautiful and Schindler’s List
  • Learn about the SonderKommando – groups of Jews who were forced to carry out the Nazi’s dirty work
The Breakdown

The film starts with a blurred image full of green vegetation. You can just about make out two people with their shirts off, digging a hole by a tree. A man approaches the camera and his head comes into focus. The camera sticks to him, always showing his head in close-up focus and everything happening around him out of focus. He herds people onto a train and into the Nazi Death camps where they are frantically stripped and sent to their deaths in the gas chambers.

The man who the camera has stuck to is Saul, a Sonder Kommando. The Sonder Kommando were strong men, usually Jewish, selected by the Nazis to clear the gas chambers. We see them clearing dead bodies, rifling for valuables in the dead’s clothes, and digging burial plots. They were effectively slaves for the Nazis. If they didn’t obey the Nazis, they were shot and replaced. However, like the prisoner in A Man Escaped, there is hope where there is life and always opportunity to rebel and escape.

The director, Lazlo Nemes, chooses to focus on one man, Saul, throughout the film. The camera stays glued to Saul’s face for the whole film. Our view is restricted by Saul’s movement – even the background is rarely in focus. It gives us a unique point of view which immerses us in the horrors of life in the Nazi death camps. However, the blurred background hides a lot of the gore and violence from clear view (even though we know what is happening). I believe the director leaves these blurred to show that Saul has become accustomed to the horror/violence. He knows it is there, but doesn’t want to see it any more, so he blurs it out of his memory.

Conclusion

As hinted at before, Saul blurs out the horror and violence of the Holocaust as he doesn’t want to see it. As a result, his perspective and life retreats into himself as he tries to leave reality. He makes it his duty to ceremonially bury a boy killed by the Nazis who is left for experimentation. He prioritises this over everything else (escape, rebellion, and protection).

“You have failed the living for the dead” – One of the Sonder Kommando to Saul.

434

The Courtyard of Songs (O Patio das Cantigas) – Portugal

The Courtyard of Songs Film Difficulty Ranking: 2

Image result for o patio das cantigas

If you’re looking for a bunch of laughs after a long hard day at work, watch this. You have the option of watching the classic original from the Portuguese golden age, or the updated version (which I’ve reviewed here). Either way, watching it is your chance to experience life in Lisbon. You’ll meet a mix of Portuguese stereotypes that you’ll quickly fall in love with.

Why Watch The Courtyard of Songs
  • To see life in beautiful Lisbon!
  • For a good, light comedy (a rarity on Film Root, for more comedy check out the German Toni Erdmann)
  • It’s a great alternative to art-house Portuguese film (such as Tabu or In Vanda’s Room) and the old Portuguese classics (Aniki Bobo)
  • It was recommended by a Lisboeta (someone from Lisbon)
The Breakdown

The film starts with a view of the neighbourhood. We can see lines of colourful bunting stretched across a courtyard in Lisbon surrounded by houses with balconies. A guy with a slicked back hair and a Mohawk walks out onto his balcony, scratches his balls, and cat calls an attractive woman walking past. The woman acknowledges him (luckily they know each other) and the narrator steps in to introduce us to all of the characters in the neighbourhood.

In this neighbourhood, everyone knows everyone. They are like one big family. They fight, they argue, but they will also support each other when it matters (such as when Amalia sings or when Evaristo bails out his neighbours). On the street, they share their emotions: their life ambitions, their love interests, and their gossip, which travels like wildfire. Gossip is their form of news. People are so eager to be on top of the local news, that they all follow the inspector round to try and solve the crime before him!

In addition, pay attention to the structure of the neighbourhood because it is typically Lisbon. The neighbourhood is divided into two levels: the street level, and the balcony level. People go to their balcony when they want to watch life in the neighbourhood and each character uses it differently. Evaristo uses it to watch out for Rosa, another character uses it to cat call girls, Amalia uses it to showcase her figure, and another uses it for his exercise bike. In contrast, people go to the streets when they want to share their emotions and party.

Conclusion

The Courtyard of Songs is great to watch to get an understanding of neighbourhood dynamics in Lisbon. The film is full of wittiness and laughs, a lot like a good episode of Friends. Watch this if you’re interested in visiting Lisbon, and if you want to go make sure you visit during the June festival!

 

435

An Investigation On the Night that Won’t Forget

Investigation on the Night that won’t Forget Film Difficulty Ranking: 5

Image result for an investigation on a night that wont forget

Lav Diaz is always a challenge to watch, so don’t start watching this on a first date. He is the master of slow-cinema, so expect long takes (55 minutes to be precise) and silence. I’d recommend checking out the more Filipino Elegy to the Visitor of the Revolution or even the 7 hour Melancholia before this one. In contrast, Investigation on the Night that Won’t Forget is a documentary centring on Erwin’s story.

Why Watch this Film?
  • For another film from the master of slow-cinema – Lav Diaz
  • It’s an exploration of spontaneous storytelling and cinema’s role in documenting memory
  • There’s a very poetic and cinematic prayer to end the film
  • Hear about the struggle against Filipino bureaucracy and politics
The Breakdown

This film opens with the title card: “Part 1: Cradle of Memory”. Erwin sits uncomfortably in a chair in the middle of a small office, framed by a door frame. There are many books piled on his desk as he starts to tell us the story of two of his friends who were murdered in their own home.

The interview is shot in one long 55 minute take. He speaks in a mixture of English and Tagalog, often switching between the two mid-sentence. He pauses every once in a while as he either tries to remember details or to reflect. Erwin is not interrupted for the whole take. We hear all of the story that his memory can recount. He actually states that “it’s good that we are recording as my memory is failing,” emphasising that we only hear what he can remember.

Lav Diaz uses one long take to show the fragility and spontaneity of memory. One minute Erwin is confident in what he says, only to recount the same detail as he remembers more. Erwin’s natural, spontaneous narrative, is evidence that every source is limited. We do not doubt anything he says, but his many corrections and pauses indicate that his memory may have forgotten some details. Lav Diaz presents film as an answer, as he documents Erwin’s story to protect it from further decay.

Conclusion

Lav Diaz’s slow films are a challenge to watch, and this one proves to be no exception. However, where there is a challenge, there is often a reward. In this case, it is a chance to explore memory and narrative; how events are remembered and how they can be reconstructed from the depths of the mind.