Rowan Sullivan

451

Life is Beautiful

Life is Beautiful Film Difficulty Ranking: 2

Maybe you’re put off from watching foreign films because they are generally too pretentious. A lot of them have long scenes where nothing much happens. Well this is why I’m recommending you watch Life is Beautiful. It’s got all the makings of a great and familiar Hollywood movie; great story, a lot of emotion, and simple film-making, but you’ll earn kudos for watching a foreign film. So gather your family round the TV and watch this one tonight!

Why Watch Life is Beautiful?
  • For an alternative take on the Holocaust
  • Because this film won the Best Foreign Language Oscar and Best Actor Oscar in 1999
  • To learn how to talk your way into trouble and then your way out of it
  • Stay positive!
The Breakdown

It is obvious from the very first shot, of a misty, poorly lit street that the film is going to go through bad times. (The scene is later matched with the misty, poorly lit concentration camps). However, the immediate switch to a car whizzing through sunny Italy makes us forget the bleary omen.

The omens are hard to come by for the first half an hour or so. If you look closely, you might notice a line of Mussolini posters on a wall in the background. You may also notice that Guido does not repeat asking one man what his political views are when he finds out his kids are called Benito and Adolf. Otherwise, the signs of fascist Italy are hidden until Guido assumes the role of a school inspector, required to school the children about the superior race. As the film progresses, the signs of fascism become more and more apparent, bringing us closer to the prophecy of the opening shot.

What does Guido do to survive within this ever more obvious fascist state? He just talks and talks. He talks to a German doctor, his friend, and of course Dora. Guido even talks himself into trouble and then out of it again. His speech is almost magical, and I believe it creates a world in which the reality of growing fascism does not exist. He talks so much to avoid hearing about the growing anti-Semitism and to shut himself off from his increasingly fascist country. Just like a politician’s speech may hide the truth from people, Guido’s speech allows him to hide the truth from himself.

Conclusion

Life is Beautiful is one of those classic films that everyone should watch. It reminds me of a great Hollywood movie. It is easy to follow and that the shot structure follows pretty intuitively. On top of that it is very emotional, it will have you crying with laughter and sadness (a feature of many Oscar winning films). So go watch this one now!

452

Mysterious Object at Noon

Mysterious Object at Noon Film Difficulty Ranking: 4

Are you looking for something new? If you’re tired of watching films which all look the same then we have something for you here. Mysterious Object at Noon explores the role of storytelling in film by creating a game of Exquisite Corpse (where you create the start of the story and get different people to write the next lines). People from all across Thailand give their input, through a range of storytelling devices. If you’re a fan of creativity, give this film a go!

Why Watch Mysterious Object at Noon?
  • Have you seen a Thai film before? If you have, great to hear, here’s another one, if you haven’t hears something interesting to start you off!
  • To see the parts of Thailand that you probably won’t see from the tourist resorts
  • To see the debut from innovative Thai director Apichatpong Weerasethakul
  • Explore the world of storytelling through a wide range of arts: music, theatre, sign language, writing, and spoken word.
  • Did you know after the war
The Breakdown

Once upon a time… Mysterious Object at Noon starts with the famous four letter opening. It marks the fine division between non-fiction and fiction that the film will follow. The camera starts at the front of a vehicle driving along a highway in the Thai capital, Bangkok. Whilst Thai music blares through the radio, the driver takes an exit and within a few turns is in what could be the country. We hear a voice on the loudspeaker:

“Fish sauce for your curry…Tuna fish is coming…steamed of salted”

The camera then cuts to a woman sitting in the back of the fish sales truck and the director starts interviewing her. We learn that her father sold her to her Aunt and Uncle for the price of a bus fare! She never went home again. The shots of the lady telling the story are cut with shots of election posters with men in smart suits. Is Apichatpong implying this hardship was the fault of the government?

After she tells her story, Apichatpong asks the lady if she has any other stories to tell us, true or fake. This question sets up the game of Exquisite Corpse that Apichatpong plays for the rest of the film. He travels around the country asking the next person or group of people he meets to add a few more lines to the story he starts with. We hear parts added from kids at a school, from a theatre production, an old woman, and more. In this regard it is a celebration of the creative process, and the imagination of people. However, the myth/story they create is a mess. As put by one lady:

“My story is not really connected. I just made it up in an instant”

Conclusion

Once you realise that Apichatpong is playing a game of Exquisite Corpse the film gains meaning. It is a puzzle of stories from across the country. It is also a puzzle of images collected from his tour of Thailand, introducing us to a country that isn’t obvious from the guide books. Film needs innovators like Apichatpong to show others what is possible with this artistic medium. Film also needs viewers open to innovation, so go watch this!

453

Alexandra

Alexandra Film Difficulty Ranking: 3

Alexandra is a great film to watch for an insight into the Second Chechen War in southern Russia. This is probably a topic that you heard about in the news in the 2000s but didn’t know much about. Through our protagonist Alexandra, we are introduced to both sides fighting the war: the Chechens and the Russians. And, along the way, we also witness the reality of modern warfare, as well as a little bit about Russian family tyranny.

Why Watch Alexandra?
  • To find out something about the Second Chechen War in Chechnya
  • Experience life as a soldier
  • Learn about Chechen v. Russian culture (also two different languages)
  • It was nominated for a Cannes Palme D’Or
The Breakdown

Alexandra Nikolaevna hops off of a train on the way to visiting her son, fighting for Russia against the Chechen Republic. A few army officers come and find her and guide her to another train and then onto the top of an armoured vehicle. It isn’t clear what she is doing there, she is obviously out of place. Even the troops seem reluctant to talk to her and help her on her way.

She is ushered to sleep in a tent within the Russian army camp. The next morning she sees a man sleeping in a bed opposite hers. The director, Alexander Sokurov, guides us towards a close up of the man’s sleeping head which tracks down his body from head to toe. Alexandra and the audience both see his war battered body. The camera then focuses on an army jacket, showing the stars on the epaulettes showing his higher ranking. These two camera movements introduce Alexandra’s grandson Denis. From what we are shown, we can tell he is a soldier of a higher rank, and he is young, but already battered by what must be a prolonged war. (A great way of introducing a character without having to say anything).

After waking up, Denis takes his grandma for a tour around the army camp. Unlike other war films which focus on action, Alexandra (and Sokurov) direct our attention to the banalities of war. Sokurov shows us a line of men cleaning their guns, zooming in to show us the details. Denis then takes Alexandra into an armoured vehicle. Inside, Alexandra comments on the horrible smell and focuses on the wires, pumps, and empty drivers seat. In Alexandra, we see the guns and armoured vehicles but we don’t see them in action. This is the reality of war, prolonged periods of waiting.

Conclusion

Alexandra is our unbiased insight into the Second Chechen War. She gets everyone at the camp talking, from the lowly privates to the unit commander. Then, right when you think we are only going to hear from the Russian side of the story, she goes wandering into a nearby Chechen town and has a chat with an old Chechen woman. In a way that only an old woman could, she shows us life on the front line and gets soldiers to talk to us.

Also when you’ve watched this film, I’d recommend following this link to KinoKultura to read a more in-depth analysis of Alexandra.

454

A Simple Life

A Simple Life Film Difficulty Ranking: 2

A Simple Life may just restore or justify your faith in humanity. If you like character study films, than this one is for you. A beautiful study of two reserved people that express their love in their own way. Another reason to watch this film is for a unique view of Hong Kong society. We witness the passing of New Year and Autumn festivals, dodgy retirement home politics, and how to cook the best Cantonese food.

Why Watch A Simple Life?
  • Learn how to properly cook rice and a few other Cantonese dishes!
  • Get a better understanding of Hong Kong society
  • For a great acting performances from Deanie Ip and Andy Lau
  • A truly humanistic portrait of two people that you will grow to love
The Breakdown

This film is based on a true story, of a Chinese girl (Ah Tao) orphaned because of the Japanese occupation. We see Ah Tao as an old woman, having spent her life serving one family. Only one man is still living in China, Roger. We meet him sitting in an empty train station in remote China waiting for a train to take him back home. We first see Ah Tao wandering into a grocer’s refrigeration room to pick out some food.

Roger arrives home and we instantly understand his relationship with Ah Tao. He hardly acknowledges her as she places food in front of him. He even leans back and crosses his legs when she puts a plate in front of him, as if he is a high class businessman and she is a waitress. Next, we see her washing and hanging up his clothes. She even cooks Ox tongue for him (his favourite food) despite telling him it is bad for his health. She is like a mum that can’t accept that her son has grown up, whilst he is too spoilt to lose the benefits.

Their relationship only starts to develop after Ah Tao suffers a stroke in the opening minutes and requests to be put in a retirement home. His search for a retirement home is a quick insight into the retirement home business and Hong Kong society. The manager, a friend of Roger, admits that owning Retirement homes is a great business because Hong Kong has an ageing population that has access to social security payments. Also during Ah Tao’s stay in the home, we witness men begging for prostitute money, visitors that take away their gifts, and New Year celebrations. It becomes a microcosm through which we see Hong Kong society.

Conclusion

A Simple Life is a heart warming film. It centres around the relationship between an old maidservant and one of the ‘sons’ that she helped raise. Both are very sincere and reserved but still express their love for each other in ways that will make you feel happy. It will make you want to go pay a visit to your (probably) neglected older relatives.

 

455

A Man Escaped

A Man Escaped Film Difficulty Ranking: 2

Yes, this is an old black and white film and it is subtitled. But do you really think that these two things are only equal slow moving romances? If you do, you’re mistaken because A Man Apart will hold your attention until the very end. With no boring or unnecessary scenes, A Man Apart is everything an escape film should be about: the escape! Escape or die!

Why Watch A Man Escaped?
  • You liked The Great Escape or Escape from Alcatraz and want to see the original escape film!
  • Learn what it is like to be trapped in a prison cell
  • Learn how to escape from a prison cell
  • If you don’t believe me, check Rotten Tomatoes, Imdb, or wherever you get your film reviews!
The Breakdown

The Montluc Nazi prison camp in France is where 7,000 out of 10,000 prisoners died during the last few years of the Second World War. We are introduced to Fontaine’s hands and knees stuffed into the back of a small car. His hand reaches for the door handle, then quickly retracts his hand to the side of his body. He is calculating an escape from the Nazi car. His hand reaches out, and returns to his side as a car passes in the opposite direction. Does he make a break for it or die at the hands of the Nazis?

Usually there’s a lot to write about each of the foreign films I watch. However, the beauty of this film is it’s simplicity. Bresson (the director) only includes that which is necessary to the film. There are no special effects, there is no fancy camera shots, the editing is simple, and dialogue is kept to short bursts. Nothing else needs to be there. I’d recommend aspiring directors to watch A Man Escaped to understand the importance of every scene.

The decisive film-making matches the character of Fontaine. He always figuring a way to escape in a escape or die scenario. We never see him sitting on his bed getting over emotional or hopeless. Unlike other films, this one is all about the action, and Bresson doesn’t allow any emotions to disrupt the flow of the film or the moments of tension. It is for this reason that Bresson made a point of hiring non-actors. He did not want any ‘acting’ or style, just someone playing his part.

Conclusion

A Man Escaped is both a thrilling escape film as well as a lesson in film-making. Every scene is vital to the film, therefore there are no irrelevant scenes that distract or bore the viewer. You will be glued to the screen until the very end. Also, because of the detail Bresson pays to the prison cell and daily routine, it will feel like you’ve been imprisoned with Fontaine the whole time.