From: Serbia, Europe Watch: Trailer, JustWatch, Mubi Next: Dear Diary, Cosy Dens, The Marriage of Maria BraunContinue reading “Underground – A Madcap Satire of 50 years of Yugoslav History”
Life is Beautiful Film Difficulty Ranking: 2
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.
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!
Closely Watched Trains Film Difficulty Ranking: 3
This film starts with a shot of adolescent Milos standing in a shirt and boxer shorts in a plain bedroom. A narrator starts telling us about Milos’ family. The camera cuts to a picture of Milos’ uncle, a hypnotist whom the whole village was a con artist. He became famous for trying to hypnotise the Nazis into turning their tanks around. He obviously failed.
After we hear about Milos’ uncle, the camera turns to another family picture hanging on the wall to tell us another family story. We hear the stories of three of Milos’ family members through a montage of old photos. The camera ends on Milos’ shoes and tracks up his body as his mum says “what a looker”. A hat floats onto Milos’ head as magical music plays.
The style of the opening reminded me of the slow pans and fixed image montages used by Wes Anderson. Even the voice over narrations, quirky comedic tone, and close ups of props must have influenced Wes Anderson.
The story follows young Milos as he starts work at a quiet railway station in rural Czechoslovakia. At first the signs of the Nazi occupation are limited to the speeches of the regional councillor who stops by the station every other day. Otherwise life at the station is pretty normal. Milos spends a lot of time fawning over a local girl while his colleague womanises whilst on duty.
However, as the narrative progresses, the signs of the Nazi occupation gradually become more prominent. Milos’ political awareness grows alongside his sexual progression, both symbols of becoming a man.
As you will see, Closely Watched Trains, has a lot more substance than the comedic combination that carries the opening 30 minutes. It portrays the life of thousands of young kids that grew up during the war time period across Europe. This film is entertaining, stylish, and deep, which make it a must see film from the Czech New Wave.
A Man Escaped Film Difficulty Ranking: 2
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.
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.
Meet Theeb and Hussein, two Bedoiun brothers living in the Arabian desert during the First World War. Their lives are relatively peaceful until an Englishman appears from the desert and drags them into the violence of the war.
From: Jordan, AsiaContinue reading “Theeb – Journey Back in Time in Jordan”
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