A View From Abroad
Often when the topic of foreign films comes up, people generally have three possible opinions. The first is that they hate foreign films. "Too depressing. Too dark, too complicated." They're boring, hard to follow, etc., etc. Another view is that they're okay, but the person expressing their thoughts hasn't seen very many movies from other countries. If they have, sometimes they'll say they're "okay" but that again, it's not as exciting as the average Hollywood product, or they aren't crazy about subtitles. The third group loves foreign films, but again, opinions vary. Some just like specific titles, or a specific genre, or even films from particular countries only. Hardcore film lovers will dissect foreign films and directors just as much as they do our domestic product.
Tonight we went to LACMA to the Ingmar Bergman film festival to view "The Seventh Seal" and "The Virgin Spring," a double billing that opened the series. Generally, Bergman's films are dark and depressing; I guess living in a land where part of the country is within the Arctic Circle and sees only darkness six months a year has its effect. I've seen quite a few of his movies, and only like a couple of them. One of them is "The Seventh Seal." One reason why it appeals to me is that it depicts life during the height of the Middle Ages, and throughout the movie I usually try to immerse myself in the film, and try to get a "feel" for what it was like living back then. Second, unlike a lot of period films, the movie uses sets, costumes, and scenery that looks as if though it was a movie shot during that time and place. Third, there's dark events and dialogue, sure, but there's also life, comedy, and sex, mixed in with the death and gloominess. Last, it gives a sense of what it was like living during the infamous Black Death. Most people have at least seen a still shot of Death with his arm outstretched, or a photo of Death playing chess with the knight, Antoninius Block. Block is played by Max Von Sydow, who I think is a terrific actor. Essentially the movie is about Death coming for Block, who has returned from the Crusades. Block staves off Death by challenging him to a game of chess, and uses the time to achieve some meaning to his life.
A specific reason why we went was that since we're deaf, it's nice to go to a movie and understand everything. We were actually on equal footing with the other moviegoers, since the movie's dialogue was in Swedish. I wasn't sure how many people would be there, since it was a Friday night, and as I said, Bergman is not everyone's cup of tea as a director. Still, it was about three-quarters full in the auditorium at LACMA when the movie started.
Another reason we went is that it's rare to see older films in the theaters and thus in their proper perspective. There are quite a few places that hold revivals, but because of the need for captioning/subtitling, we rarely attend. I did go to see "Sleeping Beauty" a couple years ago, when Disney showed it for a couple of weeks at the El Capitan in Hollywood, across from the famed Mann's (Grauman's) Chinese Theatre. The El Capitan is a renovated old movie palace now operated by Disney, and is where most Disney films nowadays have their premiere.
There was a ten-minute intermission, and quite a few people left, even though it was a double bill. "The Virgin Spring" also starred Von Sydow, and was equally short (something like 90 to 100 minutes?), but was much darker and more harrowing than "The Seventh Seal". I'd never seen this second film, so it was entirely new for both of us. This one was again set during medieval times, and told the story of the rape and murder of a beloved only child, and the aftermath. It depicted a time when Christianity was overtaking pagan beliefs, and so the movie was more than just a crime flick; it sought to explore what Christianity meant then, and what it meant to Bergman.
We left LACMA a bit drained due to "The Virgin Spring", but we both enjoyed ourselves, and our evening out. I just wish we had the opportunity to go see more films like this. It's a pain sometimes to have to wait and see if a movie we want to watch is either subtitled or open-captioned, or even has rear-window captioning. Then we have to decide if it's a movie worth watching, and if the limited showtimes correspond with our schedule. Our pinched budget these days means we're far more selective than we used to be, and a lot of times, we'll wait until it's out on DVD and get it through Netflix.
One thing I enjoy about movies from other countries is that they represent a view from abroad; while our films run the gamut from comedy to action to thriller to drama, and can represent anything from entertainment for entertainment's sake to a political commentary to a piece of trash that should never have been made, foreign films are much more focused on the director's message (although not exclusively! Foreign directors do make entertainment, and trash as well...). Sometimes a movie made outside the U.S. has a more nuanced view of a historical, political, or social event/message, and represents a perspective you don't find here. There definitely is less gratutious violence, which I think reflects the fact that a lot of countries have had personal, up-front experiences with war that we have been fortunate to avoid since 1865. There's a looser emphasis on sex compared with American films, but I'm ok with that. I'd rather see a few cocks and pussies and lots of cleavage than be exposed to brains pouring out, blood spurting everywhere, and images and feelings of hate every thirty seconds.
A lot of times original films are much better than the American remakes, although that isn't always true. One example is Wim Wenders' "Wings of Desire" which I thought was an extremely convoluted film. Its remake, "City of Angels", has its own flaws, but was a much more approachable movie. On the other hand, the French film "The Tall Blond Man with One Black Shoe" is better than its remake, "The Man with One Red Shoe", despite having Tom Hanks in the leading role. The same is true for "The Return of Martin Guerre" (which I highly recommend-- one of Gerard Depardieu's best roles, IMHO), while "Sommersby" was a bit lackluster by comparison. Sometimes both movies have their highs and lows, such as "La Femme Nikita" and its counterpart, "Point of No Return".
One thing I enjoy about foreign films is a lot of the larger themes in these films deal with the biggies: life, death, sex, and the meaning of it all. A lot of Hollywood films try to do this too, but somehow I guess Europeans, Asians, and South Americans "get" the angst of it all a lot better than we do. Also, some of the overarching or background themes are the historical/social events of the nation where it was made, which with the exception of our wars, isn't something American moviemakers necessarily do a good job with. Some of the best WWII movies I've seen have been American ("The Great Escape", "The Longest Day", "The Big Red One", "Saving Private Ryan", "The Bridge on the River Kwai", "The Guns of Navarone", etc.), but there are some good international collaborations, such as "Is Paris Burning?" and "Tora! Tora! Tora!", and then the foreign entries are great, like "Das Boot", "Hope and Glory", and "Soldier of Orange". But when it comes to the Holocaust, some of the best movies are European, with American directors only catching up lately. It's a depressing topic, I know, but films like "Au Revoir Les Enfants", "Europa, Europa", and "Life is Beautiful" are only now being matched by movies like "Schindler's List" and "The Pianist".
Sometimes foreign films are a great way for me to learn more about another country's history and culture. For example, Peter Weir's "Gallipoli" was a great film about one battle during WWI (one of Mel Gibson's earliest, and IMO, best films). But because many of the dead were Australian and New Zealanders, the battle and its aftermath has a special resonance for Aussies. ANZAC Day is their version of Veteran's Day, and a big deal there. When my sister went to live in Australia, I encouraged her to watch this movie, so she would understand a little better how Australians felt about this incident.
Crime movies are a big deal here, but I don't see a lot of such movies coming out of other nations. One exception is one of Peter Jackson's films, "Heavenly Creatures" (one of Kate Winslet's earlier roles). It's well done, and I learned about this sensationalistic crime that took place in Christchurch in 1954 (if you've seen the movie and want to know more, this is a great site -- a fan site, yes, but full of information and details!).
I could go on and on (and I probably have!), but I did want to share what I've been up to tonight, and my thoughts on foreign movies in general. Often the cinematic view from home is fantastic, but the view from abroad ain't bad, either.
Tonight we went to LACMA to the Ingmar Bergman film festival to view "The Seventh Seal" and "The Virgin Spring," a double billing that opened the series. Generally, Bergman's films are dark and depressing; I guess living in a land where part of the country is within the Arctic Circle and sees only darkness six months a year has its effect. I've seen quite a few of his movies, and only like a couple of them. One of them is "The Seventh Seal." One reason why it appeals to me is that it depicts life during the height of the Middle Ages, and throughout the movie I usually try to immerse myself in the film, and try to get a "feel" for what it was like living back then. Second, unlike a lot of period films, the movie uses sets, costumes, and scenery that looks as if though it was a movie shot during that time and place. Third, there's dark events and dialogue, sure, but there's also life, comedy, and sex, mixed in with the death and gloominess. Last, it gives a sense of what it was like living during the infamous Black Death. Most people have at least seen a still shot of Death with his arm outstretched, or a photo of Death playing chess with the knight, Antoninius Block. Block is played by Max Von Sydow, who I think is a terrific actor. Essentially the movie is about Death coming for Block, who has returned from the Crusades. Block staves off Death by challenging him to a game of chess, and uses the time to achieve some meaning to his life.
A specific reason why we went was that since we're deaf, it's nice to go to a movie and understand everything. We were actually on equal footing with the other moviegoers, since the movie's dialogue was in Swedish. I wasn't sure how many people would be there, since it was a Friday night, and as I said, Bergman is not everyone's cup of tea as a director. Still, it was about three-quarters full in the auditorium at LACMA when the movie started.
Another reason we went is that it's rare to see older films in the theaters and thus in their proper perspective. There are quite a few places that hold revivals, but because of the need for captioning/subtitling, we rarely attend. I did go to see "Sleeping Beauty" a couple years ago, when Disney showed it for a couple of weeks at the El Capitan in Hollywood, across from the famed Mann's (Grauman's) Chinese Theatre. The El Capitan is a renovated old movie palace now operated by Disney, and is where most Disney films nowadays have their premiere.
There was a ten-minute intermission, and quite a few people left, even though it was a double bill. "The Virgin Spring" also starred Von Sydow, and was equally short (something like 90 to 100 minutes?), but was much darker and more harrowing than "The Seventh Seal". I'd never seen this second film, so it was entirely new for both of us. This one was again set during medieval times, and told the story of the rape and murder of a beloved only child, and the aftermath. It depicted a time when Christianity was overtaking pagan beliefs, and so the movie was more than just a crime flick; it sought to explore what Christianity meant then, and what it meant to Bergman.
We left LACMA a bit drained due to "The Virgin Spring", but we both enjoyed ourselves, and our evening out. I just wish we had the opportunity to go see more films like this. It's a pain sometimes to have to wait and see if a movie we want to watch is either subtitled or open-captioned, or even has rear-window captioning. Then we have to decide if it's a movie worth watching, and if the limited showtimes correspond with our schedule. Our pinched budget these days means we're far more selective than we used to be, and a lot of times, we'll wait until it's out on DVD and get it through Netflix.
One thing I enjoy about movies from other countries is that they represent a view from abroad; while our films run the gamut from comedy to action to thriller to drama, and can represent anything from entertainment for entertainment's sake to a political commentary to a piece of trash that should never have been made, foreign films are much more focused on the director's message (although not exclusively! Foreign directors do make entertainment, and trash as well...). Sometimes a movie made outside the U.S. has a more nuanced view of a historical, political, or social event/message, and represents a perspective you don't find here. There definitely is less gratutious violence, which I think reflects the fact that a lot of countries have had personal, up-front experiences with war that we have been fortunate to avoid since 1865. There's a looser emphasis on sex compared with American films, but I'm ok with that. I'd rather see a few cocks and pussies and lots of cleavage than be exposed to brains pouring out, blood spurting everywhere, and images and feelings of hate every thirty seconds.
A lot of times original films are much better than the American remakes, although that isn't always true. One example is Wim Wenders' "Wings of Desire" which I thought was an extremely convoluted film. Its remake, "City of Angels", has its own flaws, but was a much more approachable movie. On the other hand, the French film "The Tall Blond Man with One Black Shoe" is better than its remake, "The Man with One Red Shoe", despite having Tom Hanks in the leading role. The same is true for "The Return of Martin Guerre" (which I highly recommend-- one of Gerard Depardieu's best roles, IMHO), while "Sommersby" was a bit lackluster by comparison. Sometimes both movies have their highs and lows, such as "La Femme Nikita" and its counterpart, "Point of No Return".
One thing I enjoy about foreign films is a lot of the larger themes in these films deal with the biggies: life, death, sex, and the meaning of it all. A lot of Hollywood films try to do this too, but somehow I guess Europeans, Asians, and South Americans "get" the angst of it all a lot better than we do. Also, some of the overarching or background themes are the historical/social events of the nation where it was made, which with the exception of our wars, isn't something American moviemakers necessarily do a good job with. Some of the best WWII movies I've seen have been American ("The Great Escape", "The Longest Day", "The Big Red One", "Saving Private Ryan", "The Bridge on the River Kwai", "The Guns of Navarone", etc.), but there are some good international collaborations, such as "Is Paris Burning?" and "Tora! Tora! Tora!", and then the foreign entries are great, like "Das Boot", "Hope and Glory", and "Soldier of Orange". But when it comes to the Holocaust, some of the best movies are European, with American directors only catching up lately. It's a depressing topic, I know, but films like "Au Revoir Les Enfants", "Europa, Europa", and "Life is Beautiful" are only now being matched by movies like "Schindler's List" and "The Pianist".
Sometimes foreign films are a great way for me to learn more about another country's history and culture. For example, Peter Weir's "Gallipoli" was a great film about one battle during WWI (one of Mel Gibson's earliest, and IMO, best films). But because many of the dead were Australian and New Zealanders, the battle and its aftermath has a special resonance for Aussies. ANZAC Day is their version of Veteran's Day, and a big deal there. When my sister went to live in Australia, I encouraged her to watch this movie, so she would understand a little better how Australians felt about this incident.
Crime movies are a big deal here, but I don't see a lot of such movies coming out of other nations. One exception is one of Peter Jackson's films, "Heavenly Creatures" (one of Kate Winslet's earlier roles). It's well done, and I learned about this sensationalistic crime that took place in Christchurch in 1954 (if you've seen the movie and want to know more, this is a great site -- a fan site, yes, but full of information and details!).
I could go on and on (and I probably have!), but I did want to share what I've been up to tonight, and my thoughts on foreign movies in general. Often the cinematic view from home is fantastic, but the view from abroad ain't bad, either.
posted by Mr. Sandman | 11:55 PM
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