They Shall Not Grow Old (2018)

☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ ½

They Shall Not Grow Old (2018) – P. Jackson

There was a time when “colorization” spruiked by Ted Turner was universally decried (and it is still a travesty when applied to the Golden Age of Hollywood).  But director Peter Jackson has found a brilliant way to use this technology to bring history to life.  He’s used found footage of British troops in WWI and matched it up with recorded oral histories from surviving vets to produce an astounding and physically impacting depiction/description of the Great War.  Beginning with recollections of their motives for signing up (and impossibly young ages), we move through boot camp and then over to the trenches in France.  After a brief beginning in B&W, Jackson and his team of creative wizards move into widescreen colour and the footage leaps off the screen.  It is gruesome as all hell and not for the faintly hearted.  The transformation from wide-eyed boys looking for adventure to weary wounded and traumatised souls is palpable.  There’s enough real detail here to create a “you are there” experience -- and you wouldn’t want to be.  Is it enough to prevent yet another war or will people feel that modern battle (with drones etc.) is different/detached? Innocent people still die.  And death is all around in this film that still manages to remain a tribute to the bravery of those who enlisted (on both the British and German sides, in fact) on the centennial anniversary of the end of the war.  Of course, one can question some of the choices here – clearly Jackson and crew added the soundtrack (created entirely from scratch to fit the images), selected the quotes, chose the footage (which is sometimes repetitive), etc.  It is not too far from a personal essay in that regard, though Jackson wisely keeps out of the frame.  In the end, it is impossible not to be walloped by this.

Ash is Purest White (2018)

☆ ☆ ☆ ☆

Ash is Purest White (2018) – Z. Jia

When we first meet Qiao (Tao Zhao), she is a gangster’s moll in rural Datong, China, hanging out with the “jianghu” (a sort of Chinese yakuza with a code of honour) in a mah-jong parlour. Her main man is Bin (Fan Liao), the leader of the local group who seems to be managing his affairs competently, assisting corrupt business leaders (the kind who enjoy ballroom dancing), until he is attacked in a gang war.  Soon, they are both in jail.  When she finishes her five-year sentence, things have changed. Director Zhangke Jia shows us a developing China (beginning in 2001 and ending in 2017), including the building of the Three Gorges Dam. (By the end, everyone is on their smartphones). At the same time, he charts the personal relationship between Qiao and Bin, which sees the power dynamic between the two subtly shift. Qiao is a strong female character who is mistreated but never gives up.  She remains loyal and supportive to Bin, if stony and aggrieved, but such traits may not allow women to retain the power they gain over men. Indeed, Jia’s main focus here seems to be about the plight of women in a world dominated by men (in which they can have power only by association or temporarily). But in the end, he gives us an interpersonal (if not sociological) tragedy, and a mesmerizing one with lots of wry anecdotes and some immense Chinese vistas thrown up on the big screen. Definitely worth a look. 

Waltz with Bashir (2008)

☆ ☆ ☆ ☆

Waltz with Bashir (2008) -- A. Folman

Intense animated history lesson (cum psychological quest) about the 1982 Lebanon War. Made me think about OUR shared memories (and their probable inaccuracy). (2010 review)

Tristana (1970)

☆ ☆ ☆ ☆

Tristana (1970) -- L. Bunuel

As Alfred Hitchcock once noted, "That leg!" Bunuel mercilessly mocks social conventions (and questions whether it is possible not to abide by them). (2010 Review)

Inglourious Basterds (2009)

☆ ☆ ☆ ☆

Inglourious Basterds (2009) -- Q. Tarantino

Tarantino superbly controls the dramatic tension, throws in earloads of his patented dialogue, and has fun with some gross-out movie gore. Plus pivotal scenes take place in a cinema, allowing a few winks from this fanboy extraordinaire. You tell me whether it crossed the line to bad taste or not. (2010 review).

The Harder They Come (1972)

☆ ☆ ☆ ☆

The Harder They Come (1972) -- P. Henzell

Rastaploitation! But also a low-budget almost verite look at Jamaica in the early '70s. (2010 Review). 

Masculin Feminin (1966)

☆ ☆ ☆ ☆

Masculin Feminin (1966) -- J.-L. Godard

The Children of Marx and Coca-Cola (indeed) or Antoine Doinel Goes Godard. With stimulating and swirling undercurrents but blunt like a slap in the face. Dated or not? (2010 Review).

Little Otik (2000)

☆ ☆ ☆ ☆

Little Otik (2000) -- J. Svankmajer

Surreal and grotesque fairy tale from Svankmajer -- even the camera angles are sensuously disgusting. Laced with subversive ha-ha's. (2010 Review).

The Gospel According to St. Matthew (1964)

☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ 

The Gospel According to St. Matthew (1964) -- P. P. Pasolini

Gripping neorealist version of Jesus story (non-actors, real locations) with Odetta and Bach on the soundtrack -- at least until I fell asleep. Wikipedia reveals that Pasolini was an "unbeliever with a nostalgia for a belief". Where myth and reality meet? (2010 Review).

Autumn Tale (1998)

☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆

Autumn Tale (1998) – E. Rohmer

Unmistakably an Eric Rohmer film – all that talk, talk, talk!  But what beguiling talk it is, developing the characters, setting out their wants and needs, orchestrating a delicious plot, and finally resolving in a conclusion that feels true and earned.  Yet at the same time, the film is romantic and even a bit of a fantasy, as things play out exactly as we hope they will (despite some narrative tension).  It is a beautiful autumn in France, somewhere in the south, a countryside winegrowing region, so the film basks in wonderful weather and picturesque surroundings.  The characters, too, are reaching the autumn of their lives (mid-forties!) and the film may resound especially for those of us in these middle years.  Isabelle (Marie Rivière) decides to find a new partner for her widowed friend Magali (Béatrice Romand), who seems a bit of a curmudgeon, focused only on her vineyard.  She puts a personal ad in the local newspaper for her.  At the same time, Magali’s son’s new girlfriend (Alexia Portal) hopes to match Magali with her philosophy professor (Didier Sandre) with whom she has had an affair herself.  When Isabelle finds Gérald (Alain Libolt), a possible suitor for Magali, there is suddenly competition for her attention.  It all comes to a head at Isabelle’s daughter’s wedding reception, held in the country garden at Isabelle and her husband’s estate.  All of these events and relationships are chewed over more or less realistically but it is the director’s nudging hand, pushing the characters in the right direction that makes the film so magical.  Somehow Rohmer manages to have both realism and a very orchestrated plot together at the same time.  Sheer delight!

The Singing Detective (1986)

☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ ½

The Singing Detective (1986) – J. Amiel

This six-episode British TV series from the 1980s written by Dennis Potter is heralded as some of the best TV of all time.  From the very opening scenes, when we meet Philip Marlow (Michael Gambon), but not _that_ Marlow (no E), in his hospital bed with severe psoriasis, the script keeps us off-balance.  Who expected a bedridden hero covered in a horrible scaly rash? He’s a writer of detective stories rather than a detective himself, but as he lies in bed, we see the plot of his novel (The Singing Detective, of course) that he is slowly rewriting (potentially to be made into a film) in his head.  These two narratives are then interwoven with a third, showing Marlow as a young boy and the events that happened to him, events that begin to make sense as having led to his (psychosomatic) physical condition.  At times, the characters in the different narratives seem to influence each other (and indeed some of the same actors feature in each thread). At the hospital, Marlow, always a sarcastic bloke, finally begins seeing a psychiatrist (Freudian no doubt) and this leads to his slow recovery.  Indeed, the various plots begin to resolve themselves as he slowly identifies and solves the issues of his life.  This detective is solving his innermost mysteries – and of course, he also sings (songs from the twenties, thirties, and forties) or rather lipsynchs, as do many of the supporting characters (a Brechtian device to be sure).  The only blot on the overall package is the 80’s TV production values and the less than sharp DVD quality.  But that’s a very minor complaint when we are talking about such a peculiarly fulfilling program as this.

35 Up (1991)

☆ ☆ ☆ ☆

35 Up (1991) -- M. Apted

Onward to 1991 in this incredible documentary series. Almost every life depicted conjures up thoughts and produces resonance with one's own. For example, I'm closest to Nick (same job), but find commonalities with Bruce (overseas travel to different culture), Paul (immigrated to Australia), even Neil (good to see he's back from the dead). At 35 (in 2002), I too was ready to settle down (with Ayako), like almost everyone here. Our individual differences may pale in the face of our common humanity. Bring on 42... (2010 review)

Saturday Night and Sunday Morning (1960)

☆ ☆ ☆ ☆

Saturday Night and Sunday Morning (1960) -- K. Reisz

Young amoral Albert Finney spinning his wheels and getting up to no good in working class Britain in this hallmark of social realism. (2010 review)

Shadows (1958)

☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆

Shadows (1958) -- J. Cassavetes

Wow. This caught me by surprise. Fresh, highly stylized, modern, adult....and entirely improvised? Mingus on the soundtrack. I should've checked out Cassavetes sooner. (2010 review)

Duck Soup (1933)

☆ ☆ ☆ ☆

Duck Soup (1933) -- L. McCarey

Anarchic lunacy that lathers itself up into a frenzy; my Saturday afternoon TV memories (probably of their later stuff) didn't prepare me. (2009 review)

Elevator to the Gallows (1958)

☆ ☆ ☆ ☆

Elevator to the Gallows (1958) -- L. Malle

Moody French thriller with all the trappings of noir. Early Louis Malle with perfect Miles Davis score. Recommended. (2009 review).

Milk (2008)

☆ ☆ ☆ ☆

Milk (2008) -- G. Van Sant

Can't say I'm a huge fan of the biopic as a form, but this one has several strengths: 1) progressive message; 2) Sean Penn virtually disappears; 3) good mix of stock and archival footage with new film. I haven't been following Van Sant's work for a while now (since Psycho?) so perhaps I should check out that trilogy I missed...  (2009 review)

Mary and Max (2009)

☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆

Mary and Max (2009) -- A. Elliot

Deliciously detailed with well-earned emotions. Clearly Australian, especially in its comic but honest treatment of darker material. Terrific. (2009 review)

28 Up (1984)

☆ ☆ ☆ ☆

28 Up (1984) -- M. Apted

Much more subdued episode, with everyone settling down (except Neil, poor Neil). Marked by some terrible 80s fashion and hair. Interesting side trips to the US and Australia. (2009 review).

Monsieur Verdoux (1947)

☆ ☆ ☆ ☆

Monsieur Verdoux (1947) -- C. Chaplin

Long, peculiar, and ultimately very bleak and biting. Great moments of suspense mixed with weird comedy. Numbers sanctify, indeed. (2009 review)

21 Up (1977)

☆ ☆ ☆ ☆

21 Up (1977) -- M. Apted

The interviewers are starting to broach adult topics (sex, politics) and our subjects are beginning to comment on the experience of being filmed. Will they regret the honesty they've shown thus far? Personality and affective tone are taking some from similar backgrounds in different directions. What will the future hold (or more properly what did the future hold?)? (2009 review)

Persepolis (2007)

☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ ½

Persepolis (2007) -- V. Paronnaud & M. Satrapi

Poetic, frank, culturally specific, universal and punk rock (in spirit). Also, beautifully drawn.  (2009 review).

Slumdog Millionaire (2008)

☆ ☆ ☆ ☆

Slumdog Millionaire (2008) -- D. Boyle
On the big screen, full of color and sound. Great, particularly for being just so unlikely. (2009 review). 

An Autumn Afternoon (1962)

☆ ☆ ☆ ☆

An Autumn Afternoon (1962) -- Y. Ozu

More nuanced emotions in another family melodrama from Ozu, again focused on a young woman's decision to leave her family to marry, this time from the father's point of view. Not in the league with his masterpieces but comfortable like an old pair of slippers. (2008 review)

Gold Diggers of 1933 (1933)

☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ ½

Gold Diggers of 1933 (1933) -- M. LeRoy

Racy, cheeky, emotive, sentimental, psychedelic -- and even better on the big screen. (2008 review).

Rescue Dawn (2006)

☆ ☆ ☆ ☆

Rescue Dawn (2006) -- W. Herzog

Unrelentingly tense -- even grim at times. But Christian Bale's confident, optimistic, humane performance carries the day. Plus Herzog's great landscape photography. Still, I won't need to see this again. (2008 review).

Lucifer Rising (1972)

☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆

Lucifer Rising (1972) -- K. Anger

In the new Anger set from Fantoma (Vol 2). Amazing and delirious -- all the tropes are here. Seems to be a new 1981 version with great Bobby BeauSoleil score (recorded in prison). Not as warped as Invocation of my Demon Brother--the first take on this theme (and its Mick Jagger Moog mind melt) but more watchable without a seizure. (2008 review).

Malcolm X (1992)

☆ ☆ ☆ ☆

Malcolm X (1992) -- S. Lee

Long, but gripping bio-pic (following the tried and true formula). I enjoyed the few Spike Lee flourishes (and a role for himself) even after reading that others thought they detract. A bit of a history lesson for me -- seems reasonably even-handed, siding with the more tolerant Malcolm X post-Nation of Islam... but not letting up on the issue of institutionalized (and personal) racism. Perhaps I would have wanted even more philosophy and less of the early years... (but I was looking to get educated). (2008 review).

Raise the Red Lantern (1991)

☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ ½

Raise the Red Lantern (1991) – Y. Zhang

I saw this on the big screen in the early Nineties but it still looks ravishing on my TV, with those amazing red lanterns, standing out dramatically from the blue, grey or brown monochrome background of the family compound.  Gong Li plays a headstrong young woman in 1920’s China who is seemingly sent back in time as the fourth wife to a domineering (by tradition) Master who wields power over his household by selecting which wife he will favour each night by sleeping in their bed. If a wife is chosen, then the red lanterns are hung and lit at her residence (and she also gets a foot massage and can choose the menu of the day).  Needless to say, this creates competition among the wives and although Gong Li’s Songlian easily wins the Master’s attention at first, being the youngest and most attractive of the four, she is soon undermined by the other wives (as well as her assigned maid who also seeks the Master’s fancy).  Although the focus is on the interpersonal machinations of the women, director Zhang Yimou does not hesitate to lay blame on “the system” that the Master and his ancestors have created (an extreme patriarchy and feudal to boot).  No doubt gender inequality (and its psychological effects) is critiqued here, but Songlian may also be likened to the modern Chinese people shackled to the archaic rules of the past and frustrated as a result (the film was initially banned although Zhang soon regained favour).  The tragedy progresses slowly and in a stately way, aided by static long shots, often from above showing the women relegated/locked in their respective areas of the compound/prison, with the loud and impressive soundtrack (bells, the hammers of the foot massage, a startling choir, etc). punctuating each scene.  We progress through the seasons until we end, aptly in winter, with the cold air synonymous with the chilly emotional tenor of the film.

Transit (2018)

☆ ☆ ☆ ☆

Transit (2018) – C. Petzold

Director Christian Petzold’s decision to include purposeful anachronisms in this purported tale of Nazi Occupied France is certainly disorienting but ultimately it allows viewers the ability to generalise the WWII refugees’ plight to our current world.  In fact, maybe the movie takes place in a parallel version of our modern world ... or maybe it takes place in a futuristic world?  In any event, it seems real enough and that’s the scary part, because we are viewing a fascist state dedicated to “cleansing” its populace of certain people.  Our “hero” is Georg (Franz Rogowski), a German Jew who is fleeing France and needs a visa and transit papers (not unlike people seeking the same in Rick’s Cafe Americain down in Morocco). The Germans are closing in on Marseilles where Georg winds up and where most of the film take place.  Georg is lucky, however, and he accidentally manages to impersonate a dead writer and obtain his travel documents (to Mexico) and those of his wife, who is also in Marseilles seeking reconciliation with her husband (not knowing he is dead).  But during the wait for the departure date, the relationships that Georg develops with the people he meets start to change his motivations. For example, a young North African boy and his deaf mother who are also stranded in Marseilles (refugees more like those we know today, perhaps) garner Georg’s sympathy, as does a doctor who feels torn at the prospect of leaving his new love, who is visa-less.  But “stranded” is the operant word, as all of the characters we meet seem stuck in Marseilles (in an indefinite time period) with no definite escape, bar death.  Undoubtedly, Petzold wants us to reflect on the similar plight of those stateless souls currently in transit between hardships back home and barricaded borders in front.  Would we have treated those fleeing the Nazis the way we treat people fleeing similar humanitarian crises today?  The film cleverly gets the audience to puzzle out its mysteries by introducing them slowly (those anachronisms, the mysterious woman approaching Georg, the unseen narrator – who is it?) and saving one last emphatic mystery for the end which helps its themes to linger long after the credits have stopped rolling.