Sight and Sound (2002) Greatest Films Club - Page 97

rich_d · 08-25-2006, 05:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Brook K

Here's a repost of my review of Venice as a counterpoint. Lew and Glen also have posted positive reviews in this thread:

Death In Venice

Visconti's 1971 film is a sublime experiment in style as substance. Using extremely long takes, often shot from a distance, we are introduced to Gustav (Dirk Bogarde), a composer vacationing in Venice. Dialogue is minimal, we often only hear the muted sounds of conversations, only some of which we can understand. For a very long time, Bogarde only speaks to waiters, a gondolier, hotel personnel, only the banal requests and pleasantries of everyday conversation.

But then flashbacks begin, and we find out that Gustav has suffered a nervous breakdown. His music has become empty and he is empty. In Venice maybe he will find something. He sees a blonde boy of 13-14 and this boy is a vision of the beauty that he has lost in his own art.

Empty? Well that's one way of looking at it but how would we know? By the the 10 seconds of his music that we actually hear? Further, we have virtually no idea what he was as character development is close to non-existent except for 10 seconds of him rolling in the grass with his daughter and less than that amount of time with his wife. Actually the prostitute gets more time than the wife. The only other flashback that might be considered personal (concerning Gustav) is a debate with another man on what makes music in which the other man comes across as interesting and Gustav a hollow shell.

Actually, we can surmise the daughter died tragically but do we even know what happened to the wife? Perhaps I dosed off a bit.

Quote:

Bogarde hits all the perfect notes in his performance.

Yes. How does he maintain that look of nothingness for 2+ hours? That and it is always great to have a english speaking actor speaking english as a German in an Italian film. Acting. Brilliance!

Quote:

By the end, we find that far from an empty experiment in style, Death In Venice is a powerfully emotional journey. It is steeped in sorrow for the past and longing for a fresh and joyous future.

Steeped in sorrow? Agreed. I have much sorrow for the time spent watching this dribble in the theatre.

Fresh and joyous future? Did that begin with him getting the dye job and the Jack Nicholson Joker styled facial?

Quote from the film. "Do you know what lies at the bottom of the mainstream? Mediocrity."

Agree. And do you know what lies at the bottom of the non-mainstream?

Death in Venice.

Brook. If you and others liked or love the film, all the better.

However, I do think that people can over romance films. Try to find the positive aspects of a film and try to find the brilliance that the filmmaker obviously wanted to bring to the screen.

Then there are films that remind you that, sometimes it is as tragically simple as the emperor really doesn't have any clothes on.

Quote:

Wowser... I've got L'Avventura on deck, these comments aren't filling me with an overwhelming urge to check it out...

I have to say, my experience with Italian cinema hasn't been very positive.

While I can see how L'Avventura is not for everyone, L'Avventura is miles and miles apart from the film listed above.

Thi Them · 08-25-2006, 05:29 PM

Martin, I've added you.

~T

george kaplan · 08-25-2006, 08:06 PM

I have to say, my experience with Italian cinema hasn't been very positive.

Have you seen Open City?

george kaplan · 08-29-2006, 10:33 AM

Pickpocket

The best Bresson film I've seen so far, which is fairly dim praise. There's a potentially great movie here, but Bresson never goes there. I enjoyed watching the pickpocketing scenes, and looking at the Keira Knightly lookalike, but the acting is horrible, the story is MIA, and this is one big missed opportunity IMO.

Holadem · 08-29-2006, 04:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by george kaplan

I have to say, my experience with Italian cinema hasn't been very positive.

Have you seen Open City?

Nope. but I like what I read.

Is Au revoir les Enfants (Louis Malle) on this list? If not, it should be. It's my latest discovery

.

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H

Holadem · 08-29-2006, 04:59 PM

Thi,

I noticed the list of participants has been trimmed by quite a bit. I know I've not been very diligent with this challenge in the last year, but please do add me back

.

I stand at 83 seen (sad I know, but double of what I started with 2 years ago

).

Tokyo Story is next.

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H

Thi Them · 08-29-2006, 07:48 PM

Holadem, the forum crashed a long time ago and I lost the original formatted list of movies and members. I've added you.

Hope you like Tokyo Story. It's one of my favorites.

~T

Holadem · 08-30-2006, 09:22 AM

#84 - Tokyo Story

This delicate, deceptively simple tale of generational estrangement in a family turned out to be far more accessible than I had feared. Ozu's famously unmoving camera captures the humanity under the masks in this minimalist drama seemingly without trying. While every movie benefits from a large screen, Ozu's formalism (low camera angles, depth of field lines) make me thankful for my projector.

The rating will doubtless rise on repeat viewings.

Next: Finish La Grande Illusion (I am about 2/3rd through, not too impressed).

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H

Holadem · 09-05-2006, 11:32 AM

#85 - Lacombe Lucien (1974)

A dissafected, fairly dim country boy with something of a mean streak, and a likely inconsequential life ahead of him, unexpectedly find himself in a position of power when he joins the Gestapo during the German occupation of France. Lacombe Lucien is a portrayal of power at it's most insecure, pettiest, yet dangerous as only empowered ignorance can be. While in not so dire circumstances, we've all met a Lacombe Lucien at some point in our lives, be it the traffic cop or the post office clerk who relished on making your life miserable for those few moments they could.

Ultimately, my ratings are indicative of the enjoyment I derived from a movie, and the sole work from Louis Malle on this list is compelling (and true) from a thematic and historical POV (I never tire of that setting), but one I will not be revisiting.

I watched Le Souffle au Coeur / Mumurs of the heart (1971) as well, very enjoyeable and surprisingly undisturbing movie, I am still trying to figure out if that is something to hold againsi it movie given the subject matter. Not on this list though. Just had to mention it

.

#86 - Le Mepris / Contempt (1963)

Umm... well... gee. Not really sure what to say about this one? Not exactly a trial to sit through (especially the opening...), it was visually interesting and moody enough, but, really, just barely.

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H

Adam_S · 09-05-2006, 03:59 PM

The Good The Bad and the Ugly -

Hard to believe this terrific film only got two votes, but then I think both Once Upon a Time films are better. I actually prefer for a Few Dollars More of all of this 'trilogy' and am I right in assuming this film is a sort of prequel to the first two? While enjoyable I think this one was a bit overlong and rambling, it was superbly made and riviting to watch and any reservation about the film was wiped away by the utterly incredible final shootout, gorgeously done.

Fantastic