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Re: Sight and Sound (2002) Greatest Films Club
Two good ones tonight!
#314 - Strike - Pretty amazing. And this was Eisenstein's first feature, too. I'm a little surprised that it's Battleship Potemkin that gets all the praise, this one was so much more impressive to me (although I admit it's been a few years since I've watched Potemkin). Lots of techniques and imagery that I was stunned to see in a 1925 film. Very poetic and stunning, with a great eye for composition and timing. There's even some humor. They're not kneeslapping gags or anything, but at least he tried. Of course, the story is pure propaganda (not that I object to a pro-union sentiment one bit), but it's told very well and with a few surprises. It's really exciting stuff. I haven't seen a ton of Soviet silent films (mostly just the well-known ones) but this ranks way up there, right behind Man With a Movie Camera. I may have to revisit me some Eisenstein. Rating: 9
#315 - Orlando - Sad to think this would have completely slipped under my radar if it hadn't appeared on this list. Based on a Virginia Woolf novel (which I haven't read), it's wildly inventive and very playful. I don't know which inventions are Potter's and which are Woolf's, but I loved how it toys with gender roles, time, and the fourth wall. And all with sparkling wit and whimsy and insight. Tilda Swinton is absolutely terrific in it. It greatly resembles a Peter Greenaway work, not only in its conception but also in the music (very Michael Nyman) and the production design (by people who have also worked with Greenaway). The film is quite beautiful. However, the very end was a letdown -- a dreadfully blunt song by Jimmy Sommerville (who I already wasn't that fond of) in a cameo appearance. Not enough to ruin the whole experience, but that final moment really just didn't work at all for me. Rating: 9
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