I just came back from watching Au Hasard Balthazar at a screening room at the art college with a film professor, a couple of film students and a handful of philosophers. A logn discussion about Bresson and grace followed, which was almost over my head.
I don't know if I liked the film so much--The passivity of the actors was making me craaaaaazy, and I think I empathized far too much with the donkey. But I do love watching films with people who know the history and background a film. The best thing is that this may be an in more to these informal screenings. I so miss having a rep cinema in town.
Has anyone seen Waltz with Bashir? Usually not my kind of movie, but the animation made it watchable for me.
think I empathized far too much with the donkey
That wasn't a donkey! That was Jesus!
I love that movie for being so batshit crazy, but I think Megan might have a few choice words about it.
That wasn't a donkey! That was Jesus!
Oh, we discussed the blatant Jesus imagery. The film guy seems to be in love with Bresson. I think he called this movie "the epitome of cinema."
Ultimately, I think I found it too bleak that the animal was the only one capable of grace.
I thought that was pretty funny, actually. I mean, misanthropic, yes, but funny.
I'm not always in agreement with Pauline Kael, but ultimately we both like a fair bit of razzle dazzle sensation in our movies so quiet, slow, deliberate directors like Bresson or Ozu can be a trial.
I'm not always in agreement with Pauline Kael, but ultimately we both like a fair bit of razzle dazzle sensation in our movies so quiet, slow, deliberate directors like Bresson or Ozu can be a trial.
This is me w/r/t Antonioni, with the exception of Blow Up.
Has anyone seen Waltz with Bashir? Usually not my kind of movie, but the animation made it watchable for me.
I saw it, DJ. I don't know if I could say I liked it, but I thought it was very powerful, and the animation was fascinating -- it helped to make the whole subject of the movie feel more distant, so that I didn't even realize it was a documentary until halfway through.
Just saw
A Serious Man
a few nights ago, and LOVED it. I can't stop thinking about it.
Don't know if I should put this here or in Natter, but the brother of director Christopher Nolan is currently incarcerated in downtown Chicago awaiting extradition to Costa Rica on a murder charge, and he was caught planning an escape.
Oh, I thought it was Jonathan. I didn't know he had another brother.
