The Top 40 Films I've Yet to See

[B-side]

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So, this is essentially a review thread. I started this on another forum a bit ago and I'm already a few reviews in, but the premise is that I created a list of 40 films I thought I'd love that I felt I really needed to see. It's a combination of films other, trustworthy people love and films I've been wanting to see for a while. I'll post the reviews I've done so far and keep them linked in this post. If you wanna take a shot at which film I'll like the best, I can keep track and we'll see who wins when this is all finished.

THE LIST

Alphaville (Godard, 1965)
An Actor's Revenge (Ichikawa, 1963) (http://www.match-cut.org/showpost.php?p=258219&postcount=16)
Angel City (Jost, 1977) (http://www.match-cut.org/showpost.php?p=258103&postcount=2)
Ashes and Diamonds (Wajda, 1958)
Beau Travail (Denis, 1999) (http://www.match-cut.org/showpost.php?p=263071&postcount=68)
Birds, Orphans and Fools (Jakubisko, 1969)
Claire's Knee (Rohmer, 1970) (http://www.match-cut.org/showpost.php?p=261830&postcount=52)
Dangerous Game (Ferrara, 1993) (http://www.match-cut.org/showpost.php?p=258104&postcount=3)
Deep End (Skolimowski, 1970) (http://www.match-cut.org/showpost.php?p=260558&postcount=36)
Fellini's Casanova (Fellini, 1976)
Heroic Purgatory (Yoshida, 1970)
Imitation of Life (Sirk, 1959) (http://www.match-cut.org/showpost.php?p=258105&postcount=4)
Je t'aime, je t'aime (Resnais, 1968) (http://www.match-cut.org/showpost.php?p=258106&postcount=5)
L'Atalante (Vigo, 1934) (http://www.match-cut.org/showpost.php?p=260641&postcount=37)
L'Humanité (Dumont, 1999)
Life is a Dream (Ruiz, 1986) (http://www.match-cut.org/showpost.php?p=258107&postcount=6)
Lola Montès (Ophüls, 1955)
Medea (Pasolini, 1969) (http://www.match-cut.org/showpost.php?p=258108&postcount=7)
Minnie and Moskowitz (Cassavetes, 1971)
Nor'west (Rivette, 1976) (http://www.match-cut.org/showpost.php?p=258335&postcount=27)
October (Eisenstein/Aleksandrov, 1928)
Paris, Texas (Wenders, 1984)
Silent Light (Reygadas, 2007)
Steamboat Bill Jr. (Keaton/Reisner, 1928) (http://www.match-cut.org/showpost.php?p=259784&postcount=35)
Taste of Cherry (Kiarostami, 1997) (http://www.match-cut.org/showpost.php?p=261983&postcount=56)
The Belly of an Architect (Greenaway, 1987) (http://www.match-cut.org/showpost.php?p=258109&postcount=8)
The Cranes are Flying (Kalatozov, 1957) (http://www.match-cut.org/showpost.php?p=261961&postcount=53)
The Days of Eclipse (Sokurov, 1988) (http://www.match-cut.org/showpost.php?p=260912&postcount=44)
The Devil (Zulawski, 1972)
The Double Life of Veronique (Kieslowski, 1991)
The Hour-Glass Sanatorium (Has, 1973)
The Long Goodbye (Altman, 1973)
The Marriage of Maria Braun (Fassbinder, 1979)
The Phantom Carriage (Sjöström, 1921)
The Red Shoes (Powell/Pressburger, 1948)
The Suspended Step of the Stork (Angelopoulos, 1991) (http://www.match-cut.org/showpost.php?p=262398&postcount=60)
The Trial (Welles, 1962) (http://www.match-cut.org/showpost.php?p=262963&postcount=67)
Two-Lane Blacktop (Hellman, 1971) (http://www.match-cut.org/showpost.php?p=258110&postcount=9)
Yojimbo (Kurosawa, 1961)
Zabriskie Point (Antonioni, 1970)

What film will I like best?
Spinal: The Cranes are Flying (Kalatozov, 1957)

[B-side]

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Angel City (Jost, 1977)

Angel City is Jost's portrait of -- you guessed it -- Los Angeles. It's more of an experimental docu-essay in the vein of F for Fake. Jost's palette is a bit broader, though. Jost is painting a visually and aesthetically diverse portrait of a city that thrives on such techniques to sell its products. Jost is selling you Los Angeles completely naked. In one scene, we're treated to a ride in a helicopter to view the city from high above. The camera slowly pans across the little sections of houses and streets as Jost (I'm assuming) recites poetry that is interrupted occasionally by statistics on the city's population. The same thing is done during one of Jost's famous road sequences that last quite a while. Jost parodies a corporate businessman by allowing him to sell himself in a form reminiscent of a TV advertisement. A bad actress tries out for a film based around Triumph of the Will all the while being interrupted by the director trying to convince her to add something of herself into the mix. It's all a strange mix of political intrigue, not-so-compelling detective story and poetic rumination on the nature of capitalism and Los Angeles. It's among the best Jost I've seen so far. If you dig Jost's philosophies, this is the culmination of those.

[B-side]

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Dangerous Game (Ferrara, 1993)

Dangerous Game plays out like a confessional of sorts. Keitel's director character, who I'm assuming is a surrogate of sorts for Ferrara, especially considering he seems to have put his wife in the film playing the role of Keitel's wife, is making a film of which the footage we see is entirely melodramatic. We don't see the build-up to the sequences we see him filming, possibly because they don't exist. Perhaps the film is a string of incredibly intense sequences stemming from a relationship we are given no context to. This absence of traditional build-up coupled with the way in which Keitel's character exercises directorial control make one feel like he's living out his darker fantasies through his films, or perhaps he's exorcising demons. Keitel's character is himself unfaithful, much like the character his friend plays in his film. Keitel fancies himself a savior of sorts to the star actress of the film, hooking up with her and defending her from tension with Keitel's actor friend, all the while that fear of becoming part of the Hollywood system of amoral hedonists hangs over his head. James Russo and Madonna give it their all, but Keitel is the centerpiece here as he often is. Ferrara doesn't do as much with the premise as I think he could've, and the film is really didactic, but Ferrara, being the expert craftsman that he is, makes it work.

[B-side]

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Imitation of Life (Sirk, 1959)

My first taste of Sirk was a very good one. Probably even a great one. Despite a few slip-ups and some heavy-handedness that didn't sit well, Imitation of Life is pretty powerful stuff. Combining topical racial commentary with the familial struggles of an actress, Sirk provides two constantly melding narratives, interwoven in such a manner that each helps prop up the other both dramatically and thematically. Sarah Jane, the mulatto daughter of Annie, a full black, constantly rejects her mother for fear of racial discrimination. As you can imagine, this dynamic leads to a lot of the film's drama. Lora, the white woman who invited Annie and her daughter to live with them, deals with her acting career while trying to juggle loves and duties at home. This narrative isn't as involving as the former when it branches out on its own, but it's in the aforementioned melding of the two that makes it as compelling as it is. Wonderful colors liven up the screen. There may be more going on here in terms of the racial commentary than I'm thinking, so I'd like to sit on this for a while and see how I feel, probably doing some reading on it.

[B-side]

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Je t'aime, je t'aime (Resnais, 1968)

Resnais tries his hand at sci-fi with success. A film similar to Bad Timing in its fragmented look at the history of a turbulent relationship. Bad Timing does this better, but Resnais' film is certainly worth checking out. It's not as expertly edited as Roeg's, so the montage of disparate clips doesn't feel as urgent, and the film does suffer a bit from a somewhat detached approach. Plus, Roeg's film had nudity, which is always a bonus. :D

[B-side]

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Life is a Dream (Ruiz, 1986)

Suffocating under the shitty video quality is Ruiz's typically unique cinematography, which is always one of the highlights of his films. Suffocating under the shitty audio quality is Arriagada's(Ruiz's go-to composer) score. In spite of these hindrances, I still enjoyed the film. Ruiz's love for cinema shines through. When a new transfer becomes available, I'll be all over it.

[B-side]

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Medea (Pasolini, 1969)

So, uh, typically, somewhere in this write-up, I'd try and give you a decent sense of the trajectory of the film in question's narrative, but I'll be damned if I could do something like that for this one. Anyone that knows me knows that I have a knack for the surreal and non-narrative based cinema, but Medea is very narrative-driven, just without the worries of being particularly coherent. This could be more my fault than the film's. A person familiar with Euripides' original story would likely be able to follow the narrative fairly easily, but I found myself perplexed more often than not. Reading the Wiki entry does clear up the general trajectory, but I feel like I missed out on a lot of what Pasolini was saying by not having any prior knowledge of the story. What I could grasp was Pasolini's atheistic leanings wiggling their way into the narrative. Homoeroticism undermines the previously held notions of masculinity. All the men are half-naked, while the women are overly clothed. This of course brings forth the rampant misogyny of the era, though I don't think Pasolini touched on this so much as the shift in generations to a more rationalistic, less barbaric culture. Pasolini's somewhat rugged camera grounds the film, and the scenery is wonderful. I'm guessing a rewatch is on order for this.

[B-side]

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The Belly of an Architect (Greenaway, 1987)

Not quite sure what to write for this one. It's Greenaway, so it's highly theatrical from the framing to the staging. It's just outside the edges of reality, gracing surrealism every so slightly. As one would imagine, the film itself is in love with architecture. Greenaway's camera places a lot of emphasis on it. Apparently, the film contains a lot of visual references to Boullée's work, the architect Dennehy's character so admires. The compositions are great, occasionally making use of symmetry as Greenaway is often known to do. Though the slew of thematic starts and stops and a strangely alien narrative may make the affair a somewhat dry one, there's still plenty here to love.

[B-side]

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Two-Lane Blacktop (Hellman, 1971)

Despite my love for Warren Oates and Monte Hellman, I was a bit disappointed in this one. Couldn't conjure up much of a passion for this tale of male obsession and its occasionally inexplicable dialogue. Odd that Hellman placed the older man in the newer car for a battle between the old and authentic versus the new and inauthentic. GTO is an enigma. He has no real identity, and he reveals no serious backstory. He's always on the way to somewhere new. The 2 younger guys live off their winnings in races. They prey on those that underestimate the power behind their older and shoddy-looking Chevy. Appropriate that no character is given a name given their stringent adherence to the drifter way of life. It knocks on the door of profundity, but it doesn't quite enter the room. There's a great film in there somewhere, but I'm not quite sure this is it.

[B-side]

That's all my (crappy) reviews so far. :P

[Spinal]

Some of the films on that list are not that great. I'll cast my vote for The Cranes are Flying.

[Ezee E]

Nice thread.

[megladon8]

Really looking forward to thoughts on Paris, Texas :) I love that one.

[Mysterious Dude]

Imitation of Life was the first movie to make me cry. Or maybe it was Fluke. Who knows.

[B-side]

Thanks, everyone. I'll try to keep a fairly steady pace of reviews so as to not let it die for long.

[B-side]

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An Actor's Revenge (Ichikawa, 1963)

This one sounded a lot better than it ended up being. The tale of a Kabuki actor that seeks revenge on the 3 folks that murdered his parents shot in beautiful candy-coated colors? Where do I sign up? In terms of tone, the film is all over the place, though the pre-dominant one seems to be that of satire. People often confuse the protagonist for a female due to his never removing his makeup and garb. An eclectic mix of music populates the soundtrack, ranging from folk to jazz and more. The acting is predictably very theatrical, and the bookends to the film seem to suggest the tale of revenge is more folklore than anything else. Though, in all honesty, considering the last 5 mins of the film lacked subtitles, I can't be too sure. So, yeah, overall it's probably a lot cooler in theory than in action, but it's an absolute treat visually from those colors to the unique framing.

[Boner M]

I agree pretty much word-for-word on An Actor's Revenge. Can't really understand why it didn't work for me when I go over it in my mind... just felt remote, in a bad way.

[Boner M]

I'd suggest Beau travail and Taste of Cherry as next in line. #antispinal

[B-side]

I agree pretty much word-for-word on An Actor's Revenge. Can't really understand why it didn't work for me when I go over it in my mind... just felt remote, in a bad way.

Yeah, I mean, I feel like I should've loved it. Maybe some historical context in relation to Kabuki theater would've helped? I don't know.

Anyway, I'm glad to see you show up. Got a guess as to which film will end up as my favorite?

[B-side]

I'd suggest Beau travail and Taste of Cherry as next in line. #antispinal

I was going to ask which of the films he wasn't a big fan of.:D

I kinda figured Zabriskie Point would be among them. Few people seem to be terribly fond of that one. I know Qrazy hates it, but, well...

[Spinal]

I kinda figured Zabriskie Point would be among them. Few people seem to be terribly fond of that one. I know Qrazy hates it, but, well...

No, I actually like that one.

[B-side]

No, I actually like that one.

Ah, cool. That's good news. I was starting to get a bit weary about including that one.

[Raiders]

I really, really like Zabriskie Point also.

[B-side]

I really, really like Zabriskie Point also.

!

*feels warm inside*

[soitgoes...]

I love An Actor's Revenge. (http://match-cut.org/showthread.php?p=224215&highlight=ichikawa#post224215)

[Boner M]

I love lamp.

[B-side]

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Nor'west (Rivette, 1976)

Oh, Rivette, you wacky guy. Rivette's tale of revenge in the age of pirates is some sort of great. All the music in the film is provided from within the film's world via a traveling musical trio that wiggles its way into the frame whenever music is heard. Admittedly, the narrative lost me several times, but that could've been due to my not paying enough attention at times. Is a film still fantasy if it feels all too real? Because this isn't Disney's pirate world. This is Rivette's postmodern feminist pirate world with a final 20 minutes or so that is some sort of dance theater. I have little doubt a few of you would like this just as much as I did or more. It's right up there with Angel City as the best this list has had to offer me.

[Boner M]

Hah, I saw that on my NYC trip, a day after arriving, drifting in-and-out of consciousness via jetlag. Seems like the perfect way to appreciate it.

[B-side]

Hah, I saw that on my NYC trip, a day after arriving, drifting in-and-out of consciousness via jetlag. Seems like the perfect way to appreciate it.

Pretty much. I prefer this one to Celine and Julie. Were you particularly fond of it?

[Boner M]

Pretty much. I prefer this one to Celine and Julie. Were you particularly fond of it?
Seen C&J too long ago, but I loved it then. Rivette's been sort of tricky for me though, I never seem to know what mind to watch his films in and never really take away any cohesive impression... The Story of Marie and Julien went over my head and The Duchess of Langeais put me to sleep before I walked out. La Belle Noiseuse is pretty great, though it's also his most accessible... I got a friend to burn me a copy of Le Pont du Nord, so I'll see how I go with that one. He is, however, at least good for a laugh (http://archive.sensesofcinema.com/contents/01/16/rivette.html):

On Titanic:


On top of which [Kate Winslet] is awful, unwatchable, the most slovenly girl to appear on the screen in a long, long time. That's why it's been such a success with young girls, especially inhibited, slightly plump American girls who see the film over and over as if they were on a pilgrimage: they recognize themselves in her, and dream of falling into the arms of the gorgeous Leonardo.

On Funny Games:


What a disgrace, just a complete piece of shit! I liked his first film, The Seventh Continent (1989), very much, and then each one after that I liked less and less. This one is vile, not in the same way as John Woo, but those two really deserve each other - they should get married. And I never want to meet their children!

[B-side]

Seen C&J too long ago, but I loved it then. Rivette's been sort of tricky for me though, I never seem to know what mind to watch his films in and never really take away any cohesive impression... The Story of Marie and Julien went over my head and The Duchess of Langeais put me to sleep before I walked out. La Belle Noiseuse is pretty great, though it's also his most accessible... I got a friend to burn me a copy of Le Pont du Nord, so I'll see how I go with that one. He is, however, at least good for a laugh (http://archive.sensesofcinema.com/contents/01/16/rivette.html):

I just started downloading Duelle, so we'll see how that goes. Love those quotes. I'll definitely be reading more.:D

[dmk]

I just started downloading the follow-up to Nor'west, Duelle
Nor'west is actually the follow-up to Duelle, so... :cool:

[B-side]

Nor'west is actually the follow-up to Duelle, so... :cool:

Ha. You're right. My mistake.

[B-side]

For those of you that are crapping your pants in anticipation of my next groundbreaking review, I should be watching something from the list tonight.

[B-side]

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Steamboat Bill, Jr. (Reisner/Keaton, 1928)

It'd be difficult for me to write much on something that inspired so little in me. This one takes the cake for the biggest disappointment from this list so far. If it weren't for the neat cyclone sequence at the end, this would be a pretty boring whole. Marion Byron is adorable and Keaton is kinda charming as usual, but I found this to be pretty tedious throughout most of its running time. No real laughs like I'm used to with Keaton. This one sits alongside The General as Keatons I'm indifferent to.

[B-side]

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Deep End (Skolimowski, 1970)

For a bit in the beginning, I was fairly certain this just wasn't going to do much for me. I wasn't digging the aesthetic, and there wasn't much being done cinematographically that was capturing my interest. The silly, half-serious tone wasn't grabbing me and the film's sense of humor wasn't clicking. But, thankfully, the camera work and the narrative become a lot more compelling as the obsession of the lead character ramps up. His idiosyncrasies and strange behavior provide for some interesting tension. The narrative trajectory has been done before, and probably better, but this is still a pretty good film.

[B-side]

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L'atalante (Vigo, 1934)

Ah, Jean Vigo. Interesting filmmaker. I've seen all 4 of his films now. Shame he had to go so soon, I'll bet he had a few brilliant films in him down the line somewhere. À propos de Nice remains easily his best film. L'atalante concerns the life of 2 newlyweds on a boat trip to Paris. The husband is an overbearing douche, yet the woman can't help but love him. The deck hands consist of a younger guy and an older, eccentric chubby guy. More emphasis is placed on him, and thus the younger guy is essentially a background figure. Paris proves to be imposing, and only serves as a catalyst for the separation of the lovers. If Vigo weren't as talented a technician as he is, despite not doing much of anything worthwhile in terms of lighting, this likely would've been a total wash. The characters are pretty half-baked, and I wasn't terribly interested in seeing the two leads get back together considering the husband's aforementioned douche status. Still, I liked it OK.

[Raiders]

L'Atalante is just about the most gorgeous and romantic film I have seen. It's perfection is in the simplicity, the basic knowledge and desire of love and relationship. It's largely plotless and instead focuses its passion on smaller moments which you may think of as half-baked but is in actuality the essence of love and being together.

[Qrazy]

I don't agree with those last three reviews in the slightest. All very good to great films.

[Qrazy]

L'Atalante is just about the most gorgeous and romantic film I have seen. It's perfection is in the simplicity, the basic knowledge and desire of love and relationship. It's largely plotless and instead focuses its passion on smaller moments which you may think of as half-baked but is in actuality the essence of love and being together.

Yeah, my favorite scene is when the wife is exploring the room of the shipmate... such attention to detail there.

[B-side]

Yeah, my favorite scene is when the wife is exploring the room of the shipmate... such attention to detail there.

Yeah, that was a highlight.

[Qrazy]

So what has been your favorite film so far?

[B-side]

So what has been your favorite film so far?

This one. (http://www.match-cut.org/showpost.php?p=258335&postcount=27)

Which reminds me, I need to link to the last few reviews in the OP.

[B-side]

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The Days of Eclipse (Sokurov, 1988)

The first half is pretty meh, but the 2nd half feels more focused and appropriately weighted. I couldn't tell you much of anything about the narrative because even after 130 mins, I still don't really know much of anything. Something about exiles and such. Sokurov's sporadically inspired camera work is nice, and the earth tone filter is a nice touch.

[Derek]

The Days of Eclipse (Sokurov, 1988)

Heard great things like this one and like Tarkovsky's style, Sokurov's also seems well-suited to science fiction.

[B-side]

Heard great things like this one and like Tarkovsky's style, Sokurov's also seems well-suited to science fiction.

I assume I'll be in the minority in not loving the whole, so I'd say to go for it. I couldn't really tell you what the sci-fi aspect of the film is.

[Derek]

I assume I'll be in the minority in not loving the whole, so I'd say to go for it. I couldn't really tell you what the sci-fi aspect of the film is.

I won't be able to trust you until I forget you dissed L'Atalante. That's just not cool, but I'll get over it. ;)

[B-side]

I won't be able to trust you until I forget you dissed L'Atalante. That's just not cool, but I'll get over it. ;)

If a film has gotten praise from several reliable sources and you end up discovering that I'm less enthusiastic about it, you'd end up trusting them, and rightfully so. I'm crazy. Plus, admittedly, I've been having some trouble enjoying things as of late, so that could very well be a factor to consider, too.

Have you seen any of Vigo's other work? Seeing À propos de Nice would certainly give you a good idea why I still think it's his best.

Hint: It's his most experimental.

:P

[Derek]

Have you seen any of Vigo's other work? Seeing À propos de Nice would certainly give you a good idea why I still think it's his best.

Yeah, I love A propos de Nice. It's my second favorite of his films, but L'Atalante is one of my all-time faves. The underwater sequence, the mutual masturbation, the score, Gabin! It's divine.

[B-side]

Yeah, I love A propos de Nice. It's my second favorite of his films, but L'Atalante is one of my all-time faves. The underwater sequence, the mutual masturbation, the score, Gabin! It's divine.

It certainly had its share of good stuff. I just didn't jive much with the central romance. It was really pushing the angle of the distanced lovers in need of reconciliation, yet I really didn't wanna see them back together, especially after the husband had been such an asshat.

[Qrazy]

Heard great things like this one and like Tarkovsky's style, Sokurov's also seems well-suited to science fiction.

It's great, Sokurov's best film.

[B-side]

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Claire's Knee (Rohmer, 1970)

Simple and elegant is the 5th in Rohmer's series of 6 moral tales. Comparable to My Night at Maud's in terms of overall quality, though maybe not quite as good. I treasure warmth in a film, and Rohmer deals it in spades, especially here. The soft summer colors, the gorgeous scenery, the lakeside... all of it feeds into that warmth. I'm curious if people think Jerome's feelings toward the younger women were genuine or if he was playing the game to get closer to Aurora, as she seemed to be his true focus of attention throughout. Seemed pretty obvious he wasn't really in love with his fiancée, more attached to her because it felt right to do so. Regardless of the answers, this is a truly great film.

[B-side]

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The Cranes are Flying (Kalatozov, 1957)

Probably the worst I've seen from Kalatozov, though certainly not bad. Some inspired moments here and there, as well as some typically unique Kalatozov framing, but the story was a bit bland. I wish the feminist aspect of the film was explored in a bit more interesting a fashion. Eh, still, it's not a bad way to spend an hour and a half.

[soitgoes...]

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The Cranes are Flying (Kalatozov, 1957)

Probably the worst I've seen from Kalatozov, though certainly not bad. Some inspired moments here and there, as well as some typically unique Kalatozov framing, but the story was a bit bland. I wish the feminist aspect of the film was explored in a bit more interesting a fashion. Eh, still, it's not a bad way to spend an hour and a half.
Jesus, you really are my opposite. :|

;)

[B-side]

Jesus, you really are my opposite. :|

;)

Eh, some (or all) of these bad reviews could be due to my general lack of happiness, especially since I've started weaning off the depression meds. It hasn't been easy. Still, some of them break right through and work rather well (see: Claire's Knee). I can't help but feel like I'd have enjoy even the ones I love a bit more had I been feeling better overall.

[B-side]

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Taste of Cherry (Kiarostami, 1997)

Looking back on this, I'm not sure how much is really here to love. A man desires to commit suicide, but wants someone to bury him, or help him out of the hole if he just so happens to survive downing a bunch of sleeping pills. It's incredibly simple, almost a road film of sorts. The cast of people the protagonist encounters aren't particularly interesting people, and they all sort of serve as road blocks to keep him from doing what he wants to do. I was on board at first, even past the first half of the film, enjoying the film more than I think I would have in retrospect. Then the 3rd guy -- the older teacher -- comes in, spouts some anecdotes to try and make him stop, despite agreeing to carry out the deed of burying him, and, not surprisingly, his anecdote manifests itself in the narrative, which I found to be kinda contrived. Then the ending threw me for a complete loop. So this is me saying I don't really know how I feel, I guess. I'm leaning toward positive feelings, in any case.

[Raiders]

Yeah, I'm definitely with soitgoes here. The Cranes Are Flying is just awesome.

[Melville]

I really liked both of the last two movies: The Cranes are Flying because of Kalatazov's stylistic razzle-dazzle, and A Taste of Cherry for the reasons stated here (http://www.match-cut.org/showthread.php?p=86064#post860 64).

[B-side]

I really liked both of the last two movies: The Cranes are Flying because of Kalatazov's stylistic razzle-dazzle,

Some, maybe most, of the memorable parts of the film were the stylistic flourishes, namely the air raid and when she contemplates jumping in front of the train.


and A Taste of Cherry for the reasons stated here (http://www.match-cut.org/showthread.php?p=86064#post860 64).

I like your interpretation of the ending. It makes sense. The way you frame it makes the way in which the taxidermist's anecdote manifests itself in the narrative feel less contrived.

[B-side]

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The Suspended Step of the Stork (Angelopoulos, 1991)

A mild-mannered man in love amongst the political turmoil. The suspended step akin to a stork pleading to cross a border. I don't seem capable of disliking an Angelopoulos film. He just works for me in all the right ways. Though it took me a bit to be really entranced by The Suspended Step of the Stork, once Angelopoulos had his wrinkly Greek hands on me, he wasn't going to let go. The wedding sequence alone is worth the 2+ hour investment. As is typical with Angelopoulos, his camera glides effortlessly across and above terrain in a beautiful fashion. Events most directors would clumsily handle and render over the top and melodramatic, Theo handles gracefully, and these events arise casually and organically in and around the narrative framework.

[soitgoes...]

I have a weird relationship with Angelopoulos. The first film of his I've seen I absolutely loved. Since then I have started and stopped 3 of his films, rewatching only one of them since I stopped it, and seen another that I though was good not great. It seems I can't get on his wavelength when I sit down to watch his films. I have The Suspended Step of the Stork, but I'm wary of trying to watch it.

[B-side]

I have a weird relationship with Angelopoulos. The first film of his I've seen I absolutely loved.

Which one?


Since then I have started and stopped 3 of his films, rewatching only one of them since I stopped it, and seen another that I though was good not great. It seems I can't get on his wavelength when I sit down to watch his films. I have The Suspended Step of the Stork, but I'm wary of trying to watch it.

The subtitles are shitty on the copy I have, which I'm assuming is the same one you have. Eternity and a Day seems, to me, to be his most approachable that I've seen. Either that or The Beekeeper. They both have the star factor, too (Bruno Ganz in the case of the former, and Marcello Mastroianni in the case of the latter).

[soitgoes...]

Which one?Landscape in the Mist


The subtitles are shitty on the copy I have, which I'm assuming is the same one you have. Eternity and a Day seems, to me, to be his most approachable that I've seen. Either that or The Beekeeper. They both have the star factor, too (Bruno Ganz in the case of the former, and Marcello Mastroianni in the case of the latter).I've seen Eterntity and a Day which was good, and also The Travelling Players (the one I stopped and restarted) and it was good too, though not nearly as great as some have claimed. I think my knowledge of Greek history is too limited to be able to appreciate that one on the level it requires. I've stopped Days of 36 and The Weeping Meadow.

[B-side]

Landscape in the Mist

Ah, yeah, that one's loverly.


I've seen Eterntity and a Day which was good, and also The Travelling Players (the one I stopped and restarted) and it was good too, though not nearly as great as some have claimed. I think my knowledge of Greek history is too limited to be able to appreciate that one on the level it requires. I've stopped Days of 36 and The Weeping Meadow.

I actually just recently acquired The Travelling Players. Pretty excited about it. I loved Days of '36.:P

[soitgoes...]

I actually just recently acquired The Travelling Players. Pretty excited about it.
It's really amazing to see such long takes (80 shots for an almost 4 hour long movie!!). There are some great individual scenes throughout (an air raid scene early on is flat out fantastic), I just wish I could relate to the film's multiple levels. Perhaps one day I'll prepare myself with the knowledge needed before giving it another go.

[B-side]

It's really amazing to see such long takes (80 shots for an almost 4 hour long movie!!). There are some great individual scenes throughout (an air raid scene early on is flat out fantastic), I just wish I could relate to the film's multiple levels. Perhaps one day I'll prepare myself with the knowledge needed before giving it another go.

I've had similar concerns about my ignorance of 20th century Greek history when going into his work, so I've done some reading and gained a better understanding of the historical context of a lot of his work, which is more often than not autobiographical in some way.

[B-side]

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The Trial (Welles, 1962)

A powerhouse of expressionism, The Trial is overwhelming in its assault on Perkins' innocent-yet-somehow-guilty Josef K. I've not read any Kafka, let alone the book this is based on, but the film perfectly mirrors the communist witch hunts of the Red Scare. It's all a bit cold, though. I suppose that's probably intentional, but it didn't really do it any favors. Anyway, good flick, if entirely confounding.

[B-side]

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Beau travail (Denis, 1999)

Meh.

[Boner M]

Meh.
Go away.

[B-side]

Go away.

:lol:

[B-side]

Now that I've finished 20 of the 40 films, I figured I'd post my ranking thus far, and a few other statistics:

Great
The Suspended Step of the Stork (Angelopoulos, 1991)
Claire's Knee (Rohmer, 1970)
Nor'west (Rivette, 1976)
Angel City (Jost, 1977)

Good
Imitation of Life (Sirk, 1959)
Dangerous Game (Ferrara, 1993)
The Belly of an Architect (Greenaway, 1987)
The Trial (Welles, 1962)
Je t'aime, je t'aime (Resnais, 1968)
Life is a Dream (Ruiz, 1986)
Deep End (Skolimowski, 1970)
Taste of Cherry (Kiarostami, 1997)
Two-Lane Blacktop (Hellman, 1971)
L'atalante (Vigo, 1934)

Decent
The Days of Eclipse (Sokurov, 1988)
Medea (Pasolini, 1969)
The Cranes are Flying (Kalatozov, 1957)
An Actor's Revenge (Ichikawa, 1963)

Meh
Beau travail (Denis, 1999)
Steamboat Bill, Jr. (Keaton/Reisner, 1928)

Biggest Surprise: Nor'west (Rivette, 1976)
Biggest Disappointment (Relative to Anticipation): Steamboat Bill, Jr. (Keaton/Reisner, 1928)

[Boner M]

:lol:
Tell me you were being sarcastic?! BT seemed right up your alley. I am saddened. :sad:

[B-side]

Tell me you were being sarcastic?! BT seemed right up your alley. I am saddened. :sad:

I'm even more saddened. I just couldn't be bothered with it. I'm 0/2 with Denis.:sad:

[Boner M]

I'm even more saddened. I just couldn't be bothered with it. I'm 0/2 with Denis.:sad:
Watch it again! It shot up from 'admirable' to 'top 10 of all time' upon a second viewing.

[B-side]

Watch it again! It shot up from 'admirable' to 'top 10 of all time' upon a second viewing.

I will. Not right away, of course, but within the next, oh, few years.:D

[Boner M]

Note: Commiserators with B-Side's disappointment in B-Trav will be shot on spot.

[B-side]

I can't be trusted.