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hans_damm
Location: Aarhus, Denmark.
Favorite films:
1. Dr Strangelove
2. Brazil
3. Planet of the Apes (1968 version)
Reviews
Requiem for a Dream (2000)
Visually stunning and highly provocative (an interpretation of the film)
[Tiny spoilers; won´t ruin the film]
One thing has to be said about the film-making of Aronofsky; he is constantly in pursuit of fulfilling his own dreams when it comes to the cinematographic issues of this film. Requiem is so unlike any of its predecessors in drug films. He has twisted the issues of the ideal drug film and has put together a highly provocative film that shatters the idea of the American Dream; hence the title of the film. So don´t have the idea that this film solely pictures the outcasts of the American society, namely the drug addicts, because it tries to picture addiction as a phenomenom in any way that it can be defined. I think this personel quote of Aronofsky sums up the key issues of this film well: - "I try to live my life where I end up at a point where I have no regrets. So I try to choose the road that I have the most passion on because then you can never really blame yourself for making the wrong choices. You can always say you're following your passion."
Although each protagonist in this film experience the Fall of mankind (as experienced by Adam & Eve) as a result of their individual fatal indulgences, the paths taken by the protagonists are in relation to their uncontrollable passions which render the lives of the protagonists non-regrettable. As Aronofsky puts it; if you choose the path with the most passion, then you can never blame yourself because every other possible path would have yielded less passion. This key element in the film is shown at the end, where each person have completed the Fall and is in a state of sin but still has a smile on their face. And the corporeal changes of the protagonists are similar to the ones seen in the Passion of Jesus. Here are the similarities: 1) In the film, Sarah's hair and face is ruined which is similar to the fact that Jesus wears a crown of thorns. 2) Tyrone ends up in jail which is a loss of liberty similar to Jesus who was crucified. 3) Harry's arm is amputated. The big inflammation was caused by needles in the same way that Jesus was nailed to the cross. 4) Marion disgraced her body because she succumbed to her drug abuse and had to sell her body for drugs. This humiliation is similar to that fact that Jesus was cruficied on a hill so everyone could see him in the most humiliating position.
Maybe I have overinterpreted the film but the similarities are striking. And Aronofsky grew up in Brooklyn, NY (the film takes place here) so he knows of this urban alienation that threatens to overthrow everyone who gives in to their passions and follows the passionate path that is attractive, yet deceitful. And Aronofsky gives us the proof through Sarah Goldfarb: "Every nobody dreams of being a somebody, not just anybody."
The Straight Story (1999)
Very not mainstream despite the 'straight' storyline.
[No Spoilers]
Being a David Lynch film, one could have the idea that it depicts that enigmatic mind of his like the majority of his feature films do. But it is a very straight story as the title might hint. Don't except to be caught in the usual Lynchian void of incomprehensibility that usually occurs after viewing i.e. Lost Highway. It is a simple film but it is indeed a great film. That is both from a innovative and an entertaining aspect. It's innovative because it so not Lynch. But maybe that IS Lynch. He likes to twist our minds and therefore puts together a film that might seem very mainstream and far from Lynch himself. Being a very avantgarde director, he might just make a film like this just to tease his regular audience because he knows what they expect but he doesn't give it to them. That would be crafty.
The pace of the film is slow. I would almost say lawn mower speed... Don't expect an action orgy, but the film is truly entertaining for the ones who go with the flow of the film. Look carefully for those small details that Lynch plot throughout the movie for our entertainment. Look for the great cinematography that makes this film come to life. And listen to Badalamenti's score and the main theme that really animates the Iowa and Wisconsin landscapes shown frequently.
Farnsworth puts in one of his best performances in this film, making him one of the most likeable ol' men ever depicted on film. He doesn't have to say anything to express his feelings and thoughts. His cheerfulness just shines right through him and his acting earned him an Oscar nomination. Need I say that his weak health in this film wasn't acted? He was diagnosed with cancer and shot himself right after this film was complete. That knowledge just puts more emphasis on the film because it becomes more of a homage to Farnsworth.
All of the above form a very nice motion picture that is suitable for all kinds of people that like a film the way they are supposed to be done. One could ask for homilies that aren't that obvious and a bit naive but it doesn't ruin the overall picture, being that it is a memorable motion picture. 9/10.
Blue Velvet (1986)
Astonishingly provocative. Lynch at his best.
[No spoilers]
Blue Velvet (1986) is as close as you get to the real David Lynch. The film is a provocative rave about what NOT happens in what could be every town in the US. But to Lynch, everything that doesn't happen happens - but not on the surface. This is also the theme in his Lost Highway and Mulholland Dr. In Blue Velvet this 'America beneath the surface' is quickly summarized in the beginning of the movie with a simple camera movement from surface shots to underground shots. These surface/underground distinctions are brilliantly spread throughout the movie by Lynch. He is using almost every frame to expose this shallowness that he sees in society.
The plot of the film is centered around Jeffrey Beaumont (MacLachlan) who finds a cut-off human ear in a field and turns it in to the police. He decides to do his own investigation which leads him into this underground society which to Lynch is so in contrast to the life lead on the surface even though the two worlds coexist in the same town. His findings are horrible but Lynch takes us through every upsetting moment of this venture into the unknown. Jeffrey is the parallel between surface life and the beneath and he is split up because he doesn't know which is the better. He is divided between maintaining the superficiality and giving in to his urges.
The film caused a great upset when it was released because of its complex nature. Lynch likes to provoke people in this way, and he did. He is obsessed with small-town America and the way life goes on in these clusters of human habitats. He knows that he can twist people's minds when he makes a film about something that doesn't happen because people don't want it to. But it happens whether people like it or not, that's it. Drugs and abuse are out there, and Lynch is one of the people that shows us that it might happen next door in small-town America on an everyday afternoon with the sun shining and dogs barking. He uses all kinds of symbols to show us what we don't want to see. And he does it in a great way. Blue Velvet is a provocative film that almost makes your stomach turn when he puts you through scenes of abuse with music(!) running in the background. Notice the use of songs and music (by A. Badalamenti) in this film - the songs creates contrasts rarely seen in films save other Lynch pictures. Truely a great piece of art that makes you think in a Lynchian way very like so many other of his works. A flawless picture. 10/10.
Dune (1984)
Bad acting but innovative design and good story.
'Dune' was David Lynch's first real feature film though his first reached unusually heights at the box office for a newcomer. He had success at the box office with 'The Elephant Man' (1980) and Dune got a very high budget so Lynch had something to work with. Critics claim that Lynch failed turning Herbert's novel into a feature film. But the film tells the story of the planet Dune in quite the same way as the book. The protagonist Paul Atreides (played by Kyle Maclachlan) is supposed to be agitative, like a Messiah. There is no over-acting as some critics would put it. But other roles in the films are less successful due to the fact that many of the supportive roles was secondary actors that Lynch used for some reason. And the effects are acceptable - the contemporary possibilities taken into account.
The whole of the film works great though details are not abundant. Lynch tried to make the film reflect the style of the book as much as possible, but many would state that he didn't succeed. The persons surrounding Paul Atreides are all subordinate characters whose main purpose it is to support Paul's role in the film. Therefore they may seem hollow but their missing profundity is what makes Paul strong and that is exactly the purpose of the film. He is doubtful than he may be The One but his ignorance is carried out by the way the characters are implemented in the film.
The story in the film is not as awkward as people perceive it. Paul is the Messiah, the savior, much like Frodo is Lord of the Rings and Luke in Star Wars (just to relate to a common denominator) and he carries out that role well. And the film contains several both unique and funny characters (i.e. the Baron) and they all make this film worth seeing even if you haven't read the book. Though the effects are not 21st century technology they still work. And the story is good compared to many other scifi-films.
8/10.
Short Cinema Journal 1:1 (1999)
A must-have for every short film fan.
I bought Short 1: 'Invention' with just the knowledge that Some Folks Call It A Sling Blade was on it, which was the short film I was after. Sling Blade is the flagship of this dvd that contains 8 other short films, some of them quite brilliant. The topic for this dvd is invention though I don't know quite to interpret that topic having seen all the films on it. Yes, they are quite inventive, but I think the right term would be more like innovative. Especially the 8 minute long Mr. Resistor has a unique message which is told in an astonishingly innovative way. I won't ruin the experience of seeing it so I won't tell the details.
Sling Blade is the longest film on the dvd and also the best. It tells the story of a man that has spent the most of his life in a mental hospital and is interviewed by a reporter just before he is released. Everything around it is quite unique and you can watch it several times and still discover new things in the aspects of film-making. The feature film "Sling Blade", which is a conversion of this short film, won an Academy Award for best screen play which tells you something about it's worthiness.
The dvd also contains the 12-minute "Black Rider" which is a German film about a racist encounter taking an unexpected turn. The message of this film makes you put on that little smile which is a rare thing these days. It will roam in your mind for some time because it is certainly a valuable film in terms of getting a clear message out. Also an Academy Award-winner.
Unfortunately, the dvd does not contain enough background material. If you wanna know which circumstances surround which films you have to use the Internet or books. It is a shame because the films become more notable if you their context. But definitely worth having if you are the short film kinda guy (or girl). You can get it for around 9 £ most places so it's not that big an investment.
8/10.
U Turn (1997)
Oliver Stone hits the bottom
By far the worst movie he's ever made. U-turn was supposed to be this modern Film Noir movie where nothing is as it is supposed to be, including the characters being the opposite of what they appear to be. Stone fails to complete this and the movie turns out to be nothing but a poor story about a man entangling himself in a web of dangerous circumstances in a small town, all spun together in a weak plot that bores the s..t out of you. Worst picture ever by Stone.