Recently having seen Michael Powell's Peeping Tom (1960-also reviewed) at the cinema,and viewing Akira Kurosawa's first 15 films in a row, (all also reviewed) I decided to explore the third major auteur whose works I've been wanting to see: Robert Siodmak. Recently seeing his solo sound debut Abschied (1930-also reviewed) I decided to go back to the Sunday morning where it all began.
View on the film:
Revealed later that the film makers decided to set the title on Sunday,due to that being the day filming could take place whilst they were continuing with other weekday jobs, the distinctive visions of debut co- directors/co-writers Robert Siodmak (here joined by his brother Curt) Edgar G. Ulmer, Fred Zinnemann & Rochus Gliese (who quit during production) incredibly bind together for balancing act between a highly stylised surrealist atmosphere, with the shot on location,slice of life in the moment earthiness that pre-dates Neo- Realism and the French New Wave.
Filmed in the summer of 1929 with non-professional actors, (whose real day jobs were added to the background detail of the characters they played) Robert Siodmak unveils the beginning of his contrasting high and low lighting motif, via poking the sun from out of the branches and leaves onto the friends lounging round, capturing the push-pull romanticism they share,with a lingering melancholy of the sun slowly setting on this joyful day.
Each later trying to take sole credit for the praise the film got by downplaying the role of their fellow director such as "He only worked on it for an hour"- being the snarky comment Robert Siodmak made about co-writer Billy Wilder's involvement.
The directors dip into the bond shared between the friends and lovers (played by a bubbly,infectiously enthusiastic ensemble cast) with gorgeous superimpositions and gliding panning shots across the lake during a pedal boat ride bringing a dreamy quality from out of the water,which splashes over in elegant, glittering extreme close-ups on the waves of love and jealousy that the care-free group swim through,as they go in search for other people on Sunday.
View on the film:
Revealed later that the film makers decided to set the title on Sunday,due to that being the day filming could take place whilst they were continuing with other weekday jobs, the distinctive visions of debut co- directors/co-writers Robert Siodmak (here joined by his brother Curt) Edgar G. Ulmer, Fred Zinnemann & Rochus Gliese (who quit during production) incredibly bind together for balancing act between a highly stylised surrealist atmosphere, with the shot on location,slice of life in the moment earthiness that pre-dates Neo- Realism and the French New Wave.
Filmed in the summer of 1929 with non-professional actors, (whose real day jobs were added to the background detail of the characters they played) Robert Siodmak unveils the beginning of his contrasting high and low lighting motif, via poking the sun from out of the branches and leaves onto the friends lounging round, capturing the push-pull romanticism they share,with a lingering melancholy of the sun slowly setting on this joyful day.
Each later trying to take sole credit for the praise the film got by downplaying the role of their fellow director such as "He only worked on it for an hour"- being the snarky comment Robert Siodmak made about co-writer Billy Wilder's involvement.
The directors dip into the bond shared between the friends and lovers (played by a bubbly,infectiously enthusiastic ensemble cast) with gorgeous superimpositions and gliding panning shots across the lake during a pedal boat ride bringing a dreamy quality from out of the water,which splashes over in elegant, glittering extreme close-ups on the waves of love and jealousy that the care-free group swim through,as they go in search for other people on Sunday.