My Ingmar Bergman Affair
Thursday, December 21, 2006
Following my enjoyment of Ingmar Bergman's Seventh Seal, my first experience of his work, I decided to raid the SRC at the library for more delights. I chose Persona, (above), Wild Strawberries (below) and The Silence (bottom), placed in order of favourites.
Persona has become an instant top five movie of mine for its incredible performances and eye opening insights into knowledge and perceived knowledge of ourselves and others and the resulting affects they have on our actions. It follows the story of a nurse (Alma, Bibi Andersson) and her patient (Vogler, Liv Ullmann), a patient that has seemingly decided not to talk-though we don't know why, as they retreat to a silent empty seaside locale in attempts to improve Vogler's condition.
Posted by FofR
| Permalink
| Comments (0)
| 
Sans Soleil or Sunless (1983)
Thursday, December 14, 2006
"The first image he spoke to me about was the one of the three children on a road in Iceland in 1965.
He said that for him it was the image of happiness and also that he had tried several times to link it to other images, but it never worked.
He wrote me:
one day I'll have to put it all alone at the beginning of a film with a long stretch of black; If they have not seen the happiness in the image, at least they will see the black."
"I think of a world where each memory can create its own legend."
I really cannot think how to put into words my sentiments towards this part documentary, part fiction, seemingly science fiction mosaic of stunning and obscure footage that is accompanied by an easy-to-listen to narration questioning time, memory and space and the instantly recognizable Isao Tomita accompaniment. Once more my intellect and interest has been stimulated by dialogue and striking, impacting visual imagery that I shall forever carry with me. The single framed direct stare of the girl on the street, the Icelandic conclusion, the Zone, the man from 4001 where total recall is memory anesthesised and the bobbing heads of the sleeping Japanese commuters that are paralleled with the Asian confrontation of Horror in film.
Sans Soleil is a work of lingering and subtle beauty that percolates through my bloodstream, informing the hours and days, changing the things and ways I see... - Jonathan Rimorin.
For discussions and a script write up head here.
Labels: Documentary, Movie
The Seventh Seal
Wednesday, December 13, 2006
The Seventh Seal, or Det Sjunde Inseglet in its home tongue, is the first of Bergman's features I have encountered after I decided to take it out on loan from the university library. Within it a man seeks answers about life, death, and the existence of God as he plays chess against the Grim Reaper during the Black Plague. The YouTube video above shows their first meeting and the commencement of the game, sadly there are no subtitles so you better go away and learn Swedish. Or:
KNIGHT:Who are you?
DEATH: I am Death.
KNIGHT: Have you come for me?
DEATH: I have been walking by your side for a long time.
KNIGHT:That I know.
DEATH:Are you prepared?
KNIGHT:My body is frightened, but I am not.
DEATH:Well, there is no shame in that.
KNIGHT: Wait a moment.
DEATH: That's what they all say. I grant no reprieves.
KNIGHT:You play chess, don't you?
DEATH:How did you know that?
KNIGHT: I have seen it in paintings and heard it sung in ballads.
DEATH:Yes, in fact I'm quite a good chess player.
KNIGHT: But you can't be better than I am.
DEATH :Why do you want to play chess with me?
KNIGHT: I have my reasons.
DEATH: That is your privilege.
The assortment of characters and their theological and philosophical arguments combined with quirky, humorous and interesting interactions created within me the exact same sentiments I had when I read Voltaire's Candide. That feeling of discovering, through reading or watching, something utterly brilliant and enlightening whilst being thoroughly entertained both through humour and intellectual stimulation.
Matt Huls' review at IMDB encapsulates my feelings in a nice package of four paragraphs:
The mysteries of religion and death have long been a popular focus among artists of all media, including film. And while many films question these mysteries, they seldom provide any real insight into the world of the unknown. In Ingmar Bergman's THE SEVENTH SEAL, these mysteries are not only questioned; they are dissected, splayed, and scrutinized.
THE SEVENTH SEAL could very well serve as sort of a manifesto for existentialism. Its deep acuity and haunting imagery is powerful enough to jar even passive viewers out of their complacency and force them to examine their own reality. The delicately crafted story centers around a 14th century knight named Antonius Block and his ongoing game of chess with a shadowy, hooded figure: Death. Bergman uses this allegory not just to personify death, but to illustrate the lengths man will go to in order to avoid it. In the end, however, Death is a much better player than any of us, and though he may humor some of his opponents by letting them think that they have the advantage, the end result is inevitable: Death always wins. No matter how skillfully we plan our moves or how determined we are to win, we can never beat Death.
In Antonius's search for answers, he encounters a variety of very unique characters, each with their own outlook on life, death, faith, fear and love. Their commentary on such matters is often dryly funny and always brilliant, continuously and effectively challenging our perceptions of the world around us. For me, the dialogue was definitely the high point of the film, as it was extremely thought-provoking and carefully constructed throughout. Almost every line spoken is, in one way or another, daunting and unforgettable. Jöns's description of love as "the blackest of all plagues" is a quote that will forever be engraved in my mind.
THE SEVENTH SEAL truly is a remarkable accomplishment in the world of cinema. It is a deep, mesmerizing, and darkly beautiful work of art. More importantly, THE SEVENTH SEAL is one of those rare movies that doesn't just entertain, but also has the power to change the way one thinks.
I have now picked up Wild Strawberries to watch ASAP.
Pan's Labyrinth
Tuesday, December 12, 2006
I caught this last Friday in a sell out screening at Warwick Arts Centre. Guillermo Del Toro has really created something quite special, combining a magnificent and provoking tale of civil war with the fantasy realms of a trapped young girl, Ofelia. Not for the faint of heart, but drag them along anyway.
Flushed Away
Monday, December 04, 2006
A tidy little kids comedy that should have been released in the summer, its "Christmas holiday season" promotion seems out of place with the summer and World Cup fever content of last July. Obviously the production and release were delayed, maybe it was the removal of the little butlers as seen in this trailer which are nowhere to be seen within the feature. I laughed out loud and the film genuinely appeals to the whole family or even just your girlfriend that doesn't like Borat or Will Ferrell. A lot of the best jokes are in the trailer, but thankfully not all of them. As you leave you may have to brush off the ever present stereotypes.