Some really nice shots in the last third. But the first 2/3 was uninspired. Like 2 different pieces. I don't know why Viola thought it all fit together in one cohesive whole.
A masterful film with the same themes that Antonioni and Godard grapple with. More radical than any of Godard's 60s work. A masterpiece in color and mise-en-scene. I'm still recovering from this. A "horror" movie in every way, except it is not a genre movie at all. Extremely disturbing. The "plot" is secondary in this avant-garde work. It is really just the machinery for Robbe-Grillet to channel the themes of consumerism, alienation, superficiality, boredom, and nihilism in contemporary capitalist society.
Easily one of the best of this new century. The images are at Tarkovsky-level. The narrative is mostly abstract and symbolic. Highly cryptic, it is not easy to understand. An aging, sick man is stuck in a hospital, his deteriorating mind is displayed through the blending of past memories and the present. A critique of the immigrant experience in Portugal and Portugal's passed colonialism.
Wow! We are seeing Gance inventing the cinema before our eyes! This is far ahead of its time, seems like it was made during the peak of silent cinema. He focuses on light, movement, stillness. Great emotional storytelling that approaches his later masterpiece la roue. Later war melodramas like say, All Quiet on the Western Front, really don't add much of anything. Gance was truly an innovative genius.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ou5gBQ9IrKQ
It starts at 37:04. This video is only about 10,000x better quality than the first video that pops up from a search. Some of the images are quite beautiful.
One of the finest cinematic experiences I've had. The montage is fabulous, invoking Soviet montage in that it is intellectual rather than continuity editing. It seems Watkins was more interested in the time period and social problems going on than any one person. He intercuts between individual freedom/creative freedom, sex, gender, among other issues. The narration is perfect. The cinematography is beautiful. The perfect balance of aesthetics and intellectually-engaging content. A masterpiece to be cherished.
Wonderful color palette. Beautiful and weird compositions. Like Marketa Lazarova it deals with superstition and human barbarism. Perhaps evoking Throne of Blood near the end. Shouldn't be this obscure - a bizarre gem.
Very unique compositions using multiple exposures. I am probably way off, but I do not remember an earlier film utilizing freeze frames ... unless you count reconstructed "Greed."
I don’t get why so many dislike this one. Ebert one star. It has double as many dislikes as favorites. 5.8 imdb.
It has some of the most beautiful imagery I’ve ever seen. It reminds me of the essay masterpiece Man with a Movie Camera. It’s easy for me to go into an avant-garde film with the idea to just enjoy the beauty and accept the lack of plot and characterization. But this seems tough for so many, especially for Godard’s films since people are always expecting his 60s fiction narratives for some reason.
Making a film in movements of different speeds is genius. Truly as haunting as a musical composition.
As for an earlier comment, I don't know how a movie can be "useful."
Thank you! Now we need Dennis Grunes, Donald Richie, and Film General top 1000.
Dennis Grunes - chronology of world cinema
http://www.icheckmovies.com/lists/dennis+grunes+a+short+chronology+of+world+cinema/3eyes/
Donald Richie's a hundred years of Japanese cinema
http://www.icheckmovies.com/lists/donald+richies+a+hundred+years+of+japanese+film/mightysparks/
FG's top 1000
http://www.icheckmovies.com/lists/fgs+top+1000+-+2013+edition/nopros/
Plus, like other people said, more film festival awards needs to be added. Thanks again!
I recently figured out there are 11,883 official checks. So (630/11883)*100 = 5.30%. I don't know if that is higher or lower than I expected. I guess somewhat good, considering for a whole decade Hollywood only had one female director.
It's funny - you're getting rid of the strip of film just like cinema itself has done!
As many people have said, the green/beige/red is more pleasing than the blue/gold.
But I like the Similar movies addition. Overall, I like it. How many thousands of hours would it take to add a banner image to every single film? That seems like way too much work to me.
A bit irrelevant but you should add a recommended lists page. There are thousands of lists by users, so introducing people to lists that fit their taste would be a nice idea.
Thanks, and keep up the good work!
Thanks for doing this every month! I always think I know what I want to watch but then I always see movies I had put on my watchlist and had forgotten about.
I'm most excited about Russian Ark, Memories of Murder, and etre et avoir
Comments 1 - 21 of 21
Movie comment on La corruzione
Sonjay89
Great! It's a shame it has so few checks!Movie comment on Um Século de Energia
Sonjay89
Beautiful!https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8yr8hEyFYcg
Movie comment on Institute Benjamenta, or This Dream People Call Human Life
Sonjay89
Insanely beautiful! If this was seen by more people, the Brothers Quay would be demigods to those who love cinematography.Movie comment on Hatsu yume
Sonjay89
Some really nice shots in the last third. But the first 2/3 was uninspired. Like 2 different pieces. I don't know why Viola thought it all fit together in one cohesive whole.Movie comment on Hélas pour moi
Sonjay89
Sublimely beautifulMovie comment on L'Eden et après
Sonjay89
A masterful film with the same themes that Antonioni and Godard grapple with. More radical than any of Godard's 60s work. A masterpiece in color and mise-en-scene. I'm still recovering from this. A "horror" movie in every way, except it is not a genre movie at all. Extremely disturbing. The "plot" is secondary in this avant-garde work. It is really just the machinery for Robbe-Grillet to channel the themes of consumerism, alienation, superficiality, boredom, and nihilism in contemporary capitalist society.Toplist comment on The Eye of Cinema: Stunning Color Cinematography
Sonjay89
You should add Kieslowski's "A Short Film About Killing." It is one of the best.Movie comment on Carol
Sonjay89
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yEk6GH4imC8Great!
Movie comment on Cavalo Dinheiro
Sonjay89
Easily one of the best of this new century. The images are at Tarkovsky-level. The narrative is mostly abstract and symbolic. Highly cryptic, it is not easy to understand. An aging, sick man is stuck in a hospital, his deteriorating mind is displayed through the blending of past memories and the present. A critique of the immigrant experience in Portugal and Portugal's passed colonialism.Movie comment on J'accuse
Sonjay89
Wow! We are seeing Gance inventing the cinema before our eyes! This is far ahead of its time, seems like it was made during the peak of silent cinema. He focuses on light, movement, stillness. Great emotional storytelling that approaches his later masterpiece la roue. Later war melodramas like say, All Quiet on the Western Front, really don't add much of anything. Gance was truly an innovative genius.Movie comment on Castro Street
Sonjay89
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ou5gBQ9IrKQIt starts at 37:04. This video is only about 10,000x better quality than the first video that pops up from a search. Some of the images are quite beautiful.
Movie comment on Edvard Munch
Sonjay89
One of the finest cinematic experiences I've had. The montage is fabulous, invoking Soviet montage in that it is intellectual rather than continuity editing. It seems Watkins was more interested in the time period and social problems going on than any one person. He intercuts between individual freedom/creative freedom, sex, gender, among other issues. The narration is perfect. The cinematography is beautiful. The perfect balance of aesthetics and intellectually-engaging content. A masterpiece to be cherished.Movie comment on Himiko
Sonjay89
Wonderful color palette. Beautiful and weird compositions. Like Marketa Lazarova it deals with superstition and human barbarism. Perhaps evoking Throne of Blood near the end. Shouldn't be this obscure - a bizarre gem.Movie comment on The Train
Sonjay89
Why would a German guy say "miles per hour"?Movie comment on Lot in Sodom
Sonjay89
Very unique compositions using multiple exposures. I am probably way off, but I do not remember an earlier film utilizing freeze frames ... unless you count reconstructed "Greed."Movie comment on Film socialisme
Sonjay89
I don’t get why so many dislike this one. Ebert one star. It has double as many dislikes as favorites. 5.8 imdb.It has some of the most beautiful imagery I’ve ever seen. It reminds me of the essay masterpiece Man with a Movie Camera. It’s easy for me to go into an avant-garde film with the idea to just enjoy the beauty and accept the lack of plot and characterization. But this seems tough for so many, especially for Godard’s films since people are always expecting his 60s fiction narratives for some reason.
Making a film in movements of different speeds is genius. Truly as haunting as a musical composition.
As for an earlier comment, I don't know how a movie can be "useful."
Blog comment on Se7en
Sonjay89
Thank you! Now we need Dennis Grunes, Donald Richie, and Film General top 1000.Dennis Grunes - chronology of world cinema
http://www.icheckmovies.com/lists/dennis+grunes+a+short+chronology+of+world+cinema/3eyes/
Donald Richie's a hundred years of Japanese cinema
http://www.icheckmovies.com/lists/donald+richies+a+hundred+years+of+japanese+film/mightysparks/
FG's top 1000
http://www.icheckmovies.com/lists/fgs+top+1000+-+2013+edition/nopros/
Plus, like other people said, more film festival awards needs to be added. Thanks again!
Movie comment on Une catastrophe
Sonjay89
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XTuLi2OSCBcToplist comment on Every Title on an Official iCM Checklist Which Has a Woman Director
Sonjay89
I recently figured out there are 11,883 official checks. So (630/11883)*100 = 5.30%. I don't know if that is higher or lower than I expected. I guess somewhat good, considering for a whole decade Hollywood only had one female director.Blog comment on Men at Work
Sonjay89
It's funny - you're getting rid of the strip of film just like cinema itself has done!As many people have said, the green/beige/red is more pleasing than the blue/gold.
But I like the Similar movies addition. Overall, I like it. How many thousands of hours would it take to add a banner image to every single film? That seems like way too much work to me.
A bit irrelevant but you should add a recommended lists page. There are thousands of lists by users, so introducing people to lists that fit their taste would be a nice idea.
Thanks, and keep up the good work!
Toplist comment on TCM Schedule for December 2013 (Turner Classic Movies)
Sonjay89
Thanks for doing this every month! I always think I know what I want to watch but then I always see movies I had put on my watchlist and had forgotten about.I'm most excited about Russian Ark, Memories of Murder, and etre et avoir