Sight and Sound (2002) Greatest Films Club - Page 27

Lew Crippen · 07-30-2003, 09:30 AM

Pyaasa is an excellent introduction to ‘Bollywood’ films, but first-time viewers should be aware that most of them do not carry social messages like this. This is melodrama in every sense of the word—the struggling, misunderstood artist in love with the prostitute with a heart of gold; the artist rejecting love due to a woman who rejected him (and love) for a marriage based on materiality; artistic acceptance too late; comic relief; denial by friends and family; and extravert musical numbers.

But ultimately, this is a deeply pessimistic movie—it lays serious charges to Indian society and answers those charges with cynicism and despair. In fact the ending is so downbeat that director Guru Dutt’s co-writer desperately tried to get him to change the ending (which is different than the source) and was unsuccessful.

Otherwise the acting is mostly quite good, the music, though it may seem a bit strange to Westerners is both powerful and charming and the cinematography outstanding. Johnny Walker steals all his scenes as a street masseur—perhaps because he is the one optimistic character in the film.

Simon_Lepine · 07-30-2003, 08:24 PM

Thought I'd point out that Criterion has announced Tokyo Story for this October. Like probably many pothers here, it will be my first occasion to watch this film, really looking forward to it.

Adam_S · 07-30-2003, 09:59 PM

I saw Tokyo Story earlier this year, that one will be an almost certain purchase for me.

On another Japanese note, I saw Red Beard earlier today.

Red Beard may very well wind up being my favorite Kurasawa, the film just connected 100% with me; of his, only Seven Samurai has done that. It is emotional without being manipulative (IMO) because I think those emotions are honestly achieved by the narrative. The progression from arrogance to deference by Yasumoto in the first half was marvelous, I really loved the way that worked out. But it is the second half (IMO) that is pure filmic magic. Everything in the second half is absolutely perfect, I loved every second of it, and by the films end, my only regret was that this story is complete and I must leave these characters now. I was absolutely stunned by the cinematography, incredibly beautiful, perhaps the best looking Kurasawa I've seen.

Toshiro Mifune was, as always, magnificent, and it was delightful to see him in a very different role than his Rashoman, Yojimbo/Sanjuro, Seven Samurai roles. I was surprised his was a supporting turn, and he is just as good as ever.

I was really impressed with the actor playing Yasumoto, as well as the two children, all gave outstanding performances that seemed wonderfully natural.

Just a wonderful, powerful film I can't say enough good about, Very well may wind up in my top twenty next to Seven Samurai.

Adam

Kirk Tsai · 08-01-2003, 03:51 AM

Watching the first thirty minutes or so of Once Upon A Time In America (146) makes me wonder why Leone, with the help of Morricone, ever needs an actor to deliver a line. In these early scenes, Leone's compositions and Morricone's score combine to be as emotional and as expressive as any part of the film. And what a hook the opening is; it starts off with a web of intrigue, mysterious pasts, and the promise of titanic confrontations. It's too bad the film does not live up to opening promise.

I believe this is not the first time I've seen this version. A few years ago I rented a two tape VHS copy of the film, and if my memory is correct, the versions are identical. I wasn't completely sure about the versions, and also because I had a lukewarm reaction the first time around, I watched the new DVD. My thoughts this time around aren't that much different, though I have had more time to reflect on some of the ugly actions that Noodle took part in.

There are plenty of small moments that are beautiful--"I slipped," cake eating, switching babies, etc--but to me the film never gels together. The even more problematic aspects might be that I find Max to be far more fascinating a character than Noodles, and that the film never does build toward the intrigue offered in the prologue. Although none of its nearly four hour running time is boring, the setup at the beginning unbalances the film. There are also some major problems I have with the 1968 sequence, which maybe Lew and Schickel's idea on the film might help explain. I need to hear more about that theory for it to grow on me. I usually don't go for those types.

Not to be overly negative, the picture is very worth watching. The production is often amazing. Anybody know how the casting process came about? Some of the teenage actors outshine their grown up counterparts. This is espcially true for the young Jennifer Connelly. Since Elizabeth McGovern and Connelly do have a lot of resemblance, and that Connelly is so much more charismatic in the film, did they actually cast Connelly first?

Lew Crippen · 08-01-2003, 10:17 AM

As far back as I can remember, I've always wanted to be a gangster.

is the famous beginning of Goodfellas, a stunning gangster film by Martin Scorsese. Considered as a film, the movie is almost above criticism. However, as we follow the decline and fall of Henry Hill many of the societal issues that arise are not examined, but rather merely noted.

I don’t think that this is a particular failing, but IIRC, there were some critics at the time, who considered this a defect. Certainly, Scorsese brings us into the ‘wiseguy’ world with a skill that makes us believe that this is a real world, populated by real people acting as they would in real life.

This no doubt is in part due to the fact that there was a real life Henry Hill on whose life and times the movie was based (and a book as a source for the film). It is clear in the end that Henry still feels as he did in the beginning—the final line particularly accurate in summing up his new life:

…the first time I went out for spaghetti marinara, I got egg noodles with ketchup.

george kaplan · 08-01-2003, 11:09 AM

I'm not sure I can explain (or understand) why, but this is by far my favorite Scorsese film (as a matter of fact, it's the only one of his I've liked enough to want to purchase). A great film, and after the Godfather films, the best 'mafia' film ever made.

Brook K · 08-01-2003, 02:34 PM

Been away awhile, so multiple comments before my review

1. Nobody else has seen Performance and liked it??!! C'mon, I can't be the only one telling George he's off his nut all the time.

2. Haven't watched my tape of Pyaasa yet

3. Tokyo Story is one of my top 10ers. It resonates more deeply with me than all but a couple of films. Truly life as it is. I was able to see it on film last year at a Japanese cultural festival and deeply regret that I had to work and couldn't come back the next week for I Was Born, But...

4. Glad you enjoyed Red Beard so much Adam. For the most part, I think his Gedeki (or is it the other way around, anyway, non-samurai) films are even better than the more famous samurai (forgot the Japanese word) films. I love Red Beard as well but Ikiru is the one that means the most to me and is one of my 3 favorite films. Stray Dog, Madadayo, Record Of A Living Being, High and Low, all not to be missed.

5. Haven't seen Once Upon a Time in America either but Dario Argento cast Connelly in his movie Phenomena after seeing her onset and her performance. One of his better films, and I think on the short list of best 80's horror films. Certainly between her and Donald Pleasance it has the highest profile talent Argento ever worked with.

6. While I think the direction, script, music, etc of Goodfellas is outstanding, the one problem I have is Ray Liotta. To me he's overshadowed by the supporting cast and not equipped to carry this kind of film. I haven't seen it in a few years so I may feel differently if I viewed them again, but I prefer Casino, and would take Mean Streets over either picture.

Happiness is not always fun

This is the quote that begins Rainer Werner Fassbinder's most recognized film and one of his finest Ali: Fear Eats The Soul (or more properly from the German Angst Essen Seele Auf - Fear Eat Soul). Taking its beginnings from a story told in one of Fassbinder's previous films The American Soldier and the influence of Douglas Sirk and his film All That Heaven Allows, Fassbinder created a film that is both a love story and a commentary on both Germany and the world we all live in.

Emmi (Brigitte Mira) is a hardworking 60ish widow who enters a bar for Ostlanders (foreign workers) to get out of the rain. After some uncomfortable looks, Ali (a Morroccan somewhere between 30-40) is goaded by his friends into asking her to dance. But instead of a joke, he finds an interesting, intelligent, and sensitive woman who will listen to him and cares about what he thinks. A far cry from his usual experience with Germans that he expresses sadly to Emmi "German master, Arab dog". A relationship, and deep love develops between the two. When they are together, Emmi is as happy as she has ever been, but the continual disdain and even hatred of those around her regarding her relationship wears on Emmi. Neither her friends or family can accept her relationship with a man of a different race who is much younger than she is. She wants to disregard the prejudiced thinking of others but the isolation from her friends and even strangers proves as much as she can bear. As for Ali, with Emmi or without, he is still in a foreign land that only wants him as a thing to be exploited and finds that the Arab saying "Fear eat soul" (as Ali speaks in his broken German) is true.

As was his usual practice, Fear Eats The Soul was made fast and cheap (we went from day 1 of filming to answer print in 4 weeks, editor Thea Eymesz says in an interview on the bonus disc), but this was never a detriment to Fassbinder in creating great cinema. This is a film of emotional, social, and, ultimately, human truth.

The performances by the leads, Brigitte Mira and Ali, are impeccable, relating both joy and pain with grace, intelligence and sensitivity. Their faces and eyes speak volumes; it is acting but authentic. Fassbinder and his cinematographer, Jurgen Jurges, also use the camera in important ways to express not only the story, but the feelings and themes of the piece. Characters are shot through doorways, windows, the space between the bars of a staircase, anything to shrink the frame and focus attention on a couple or individual. Often characters are posed motionless while the camera reveals to us a person or couple isolated from a larger group. It is this isolation, both physical and emotional that is societies' weapon to encourage conformity. Hate and fear can overwhelm even the strongest person. Is love enough for two people to live on, especially when your wife doesn't know how to make couscous?

As some of you already know, Fassbinder is one of my 3 or 4 favorite directors and I love many of his films (I've seen 20 of the 40+ he made before his untimely death) so there are many more aspects of this film that could be discussed. Hopefully we can do that when more have seen the film.

Evan Case · 08-01-2003, 09:43 PM

Quote:

1. Nobody else has seen Performance and liked it??!! C'mon, I can't be the only one telling George he's off his nut all the time.

george kaplan · 08-01-2003, 11:30 PM

Quote:

I can't be the only one telling George he's off his nut all the time.