The dead line for the second step of the International Cinema term-long project is coming up soon. By Tuesday, March 27, your need to watch a film from your chosen country and write about the experience in at least three paragraphs by commenting on this post. In your response, tell us your name, which country you're focusing on, and which film you watched. Also, answer at least two of the following questions:
- What specific moments of the film do you feel you would understand better if you knew more about the country's culture and history?
- After watching the film, what questions do you plan on asking when you interview someone from the country?
- What did you like and not like about the movie? Why?
- If the film had been made in the United States, what do you feel would have been done differently?
Autumn here.
ReplyDeleteI am studying Italy and I chose to watch a movie called Cinema Paradiso by Giuseppe Tornatore.
This movie made me so happy! I love the passion both on the screen and behind it. There were some amazing, artistic shots in it. It had a few parts in the movie that were a little hard to understand but for the most part it was communicated very well. I love how the old man (Alfredo) influenced the little boy (Toto) and made it possible for him to reach his dream. It goes to show how big of an impact we can make on one another and how we all need a little help now and then.
Oh gosh, if it was made in america? It would probably suck. It would be a sell out movie with every person the same and crappy, yet famous actors and the shots probably wouldn't be as beautiful and they'd need to spend most of the time explaining what was going on in the movie so the american audience can understand it. But it wouldn't be done for the art and beauty of it, it would defiantly be done just for the money. Unless it was done by one of those few american film makers who do it for the film and not the fame. But not likely.
I think I would understand more about how they treat each other if I knew more about the culture. Hmm I think I should put that in my interview questions. They seem very relaxed about their laws because in the film the mom was hitting Toto and the little boys were also smoking a cigarette that an adult gave them. I think they're probably more strict now though. I would also like to ask about the influence on film there and their beliefs on it all.
All in all this was an amazing, inspiring, beautifully shot film and I like it! I do recommend it to anyone and everyone. I just might need to steal some of Tornatore's lovely cinematography skills there.
Sir Whovian, OUT!
Autumn, don't forget to call your interviewee today!
DeleteGreat response, Autumn. Which version did you watch (there are two cuts with very different endings). How did the version you watch end?
ReplyDeleteI agree with you that most Hollywood filmmakers would have butchered this film because it is not high concept enough. Since the rise of the Blockbuster, Hollywood cinema hasn't had confidence in character-motivated art films (unless maybe they're an adaptation of a book that has proven itself already).
Do be sure to ask your interviewee about the strictness of the laws and culture. Speaking of which, let's sit down together during first period on Monday and arrange for that interview to happen!
Autumn-
DeleteIn the version I watched Alfredo dies and Toto comes back home to see this burial. And then they blow up the Paradiso to make way for a parking lot. It was all very sad. What happens in the alternate ending?
The alternative cut is longer. You'll have to check it out. The end is way more sad and sentimental.
DeleteThis is Rose! So, I changed my the movie I wrote on the paper, Pina, to The Nasty Girl, which was written and directed by Michael Verhoeven. I really adored this movie. It had such a quirky vibe to it, the humor was always weaved into the story even though part of the plot is a bit darker. I think this would be the type of film dubbed 'mocumentary', as it is filmed in documentary style yet is fictitious.
ReplyDeleteIt's the story of a young girl, Sonja Rosenberg, who begins to investigate her town's past and unveil little secrets about it during the war. The Nasty Girl is so brilliant. The writing and directing was really well done, and Lena Stolze who plays as Sonja is extremely talented and beautiful.
I feel like if I knew more about Germany's past and their involvement in the war - especially about her little town, Pfilz, it would be easier to understand more on why she was being so headstrong about learning about the history. It's also be interesting and more helpful for me to know more about the Catholic church. The Nasty Girl teases the Catholic church quite a bit in this movie, so it may be offensive, but back then, even from the little knowledge I know, they had power over a lot of things. I thought it was really interesting how the movie opened in the scene of Sonja's mother being fired from teaching religion, as she was pregnant, and the woman in charge did not want other kids to be asking questions, even though Sonja's mom was married. It was an usual form of foreshadowing, but I enjoyed it. I think German film is a great deal different than the American style, which I admire and is giving me a breath of fresh air... I mean cinema.
I still have yet to think of some questions. I think I will start off by asking Sabrina, the girl I am interviewing, if she has seen the Nasty Girl, and if she has, her opinions/views on it and all of it's validity through what she knows about the history and culture of her country. I am curious to ask her what she knows about Pfilz, or if she herself knows of anything scandalous or out of the ordinary about the town she lives in.
Ugh, I don't have any criticism for this film. The only little thing I can come up with is that I can't recommend this film to everyone. It can be slightly mocking of the Catholic church, which may offend some. It is in black and white, which I know some people *Tucker* are not a big fan of. I also couldn't recommend this to anyone who was really sore on the subject of Germany in any way, it would probably re open wounds in the most unpleasant of ways if you're one of those hardcore I HATE Germany fans.
I really do love everything about this movie! It was hilarious and had amazing acting and such an interesting plot. The pseudo-documentary style was the cherry on top.
If this film were to be made in the United States, I feel it wouldn't have that genuine German (if that makes any sense) feel to it. The Nasty Girl is raw and true to it's country when it comes to the film making style (kind of weird.) Not to mention, the whole story is about the history of a young German girl uncovering her town's past and it's involvement in the war. The people who made this movie are obviously very informed, and not to say that Americans can't be informed too, it's just not the same as one who lives in the country itself.
It would be just like having a Korean come to the states to make a film about KFC. Yeah, they can be informed, and know every little thing... but they don't, not really.
I hope that didn't sound racist or anything, I was only trying to make my point, hahah. :)
Sincerely Saving-Everything-For-The-Last-Minute-And-It's-11pm-And-I'm-Tired,
Rose P.
Great, very detailed response, Rose. I love the personal and fun voice that you use to express such intelligent and thoughtful analyses. Keep up the good work!
DeleteI know what you mean about films (and other art) made in other countries having a special essence about them that is difficult to describe. I can see you groping for the right language as you write but all you can say is, "genuine German". Each country has a cultural heritage that is inherited from centuries/millennia of people living and interacting and surviving in certain ways and conditions that influences how they communicate and create. (For example, Asian cultures that read right to left see a line going from the bottom-right to top-left of the screen as an ascending line while cultures like us who read left to right see it a descending line. Little cultural differences like that make a huge difference on the essence of art creation.)
The country I'm doing this project on is Japan. I figured that everyone would think everyone else would do Japan, so they would do another country. And I actually know someone who lived in Japan to interview.
ReplyDeleteAny who... the first movie I watched is Rashomon. It's another Akira Kurosawa film. The story deals with the murder of a samurai, and 4 different people who witnessed it tell 4 different versions of what happened. The 4 versions are tired together by a woodcutter and a priest telling some peasant the different stories that were told at the trial. The story is well done, and it's easy to tell which story is which. When you finally learn what really happened, it was actually a pretty cool revelation. Mostly because the characters that you think you know after hearing the other three stories, turn out to act like completely different people. And once you hear the truth, you also begin to realize why the characters twisted to truth of their versions of the story.
If this movie would have been made in the US, it might try to be the same basic film, but some of the major plot points would be completely different. In fact, this movie probably couldn't happen anywhere other than Japan. Many of the plot points would only happen because of Japanese culture. One of the bigger reasons for the characters doing what they do, is the whole "kill yourself is you're dishonored" mentality. Since America has never had anything near that type of thinking, the story would have to be completely re-written. The endings of two of the four stories depend on this type of thinking. And the other two have this thinking as a big plot point that lead to the endings.
One of the things that I thought was cool about the movie is that Toshiro Mifune, and Takashi Shimura return from Seven Samurai.(Even though Rashomon was made 4 years earlier) Mifune very much seemed like the same character. He even scratched his neck a lot, and forcibly laughed at weird moments. But I actually think he might have acted better in this film. I can't much hear if he's delivering lines in a believable way. But he did act a lot more with his face and eyes. Another impressive thing about the movie were the camera movements. It seemed like the camera was constantly moving. The film also had a lot of cuts. The only moments when the shot went on for a long time is when the tension, and pacing benefited from it.
I really liked Rashomon, and the style of story telling that it created. When we got this assignment, I thought it would be a great excuse to watch some movies that I never got around to. And I'm really glad I chose this movie.
Yeah, Rashomon is a pretty awesome movie! Did you know that this film was adapted in a Western. Check it out: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0058437/
DeleteI am doing France. The movie I picked was The Red Balloon, which is a fantasy short film made in 1956 written and directed by Albert Lamorisse. He cast his own son for the main boy, Pascal, which I found kind of interesting.
ReplyDeleteThis movie is about a young boy living in Paris. He finds a red balloon that acts like his pet, its fallows him around and listens to him. I feel like the balloon is kind of cleaver and funny, you can really feel like the balloon is alive which gives sort of an interpretation of childhood Fantasy. It’s just a really cute movie I guess.
After watching this film I plan on asking my step father how they view children in France, if they are seen the same way as they are seen here. In the movie the children just kind of run around the streets, was that normal in France for children to just be running around Paris, or big cities. Also when Pascal went off to school he got in trouble and was put in a room, how was there punishment for children, I know everyplace does punish their children different, was that room just a special time out type of room that most places have in France. What was the most significant difference between the children in France and the children in America, difference in behavior, games and interests?
There wasn’t much I didn’t like about the movie; I thought all of it was great. Unlike the first movie I watched that put me to sleep. I thought it was whimsical and fun, cute and playful. It made me remember why I used to find balloons so enticing when I was younger. When your younger you feel although everything is alive with a personality which I feel they portrayed very well. Although I didn’t like when the balloon popped, it honestly made me feel upset.
I really love how you are using the movie as a catalyst to think so much about the culture in question. It's so rewarding and important to connect with other cultures this way.
DeleteI think the balloon popping is the equivalent of the moment the sister dies in Grave of the Fireflies.
I chose Germany for my culture and the movie i chose is called, "The Wave". I chose Germany because my best friend is German and if i'm going to interview someone why not someone I can already have a normal comfortable conversation with instead of someone I don't even know.
ReplyDelete"The Wave" is about a man named Rainer Wegner (Jurgen Vogel) who is a high school teacher that is forced to teach about autocracy(A system of government by one person with absolute power, for example: Hitler) for the school's project week. He's not very happy about having to teach high school students this subject, because he really wanted to teach Anarchy. But, the students dedication and interest in the subject intrigued him to take things further. He then changes the classroom structure with seating arrangements, Uniform, and how the students were to, " Only speak when spoken to" kind of theme in the classroom. By the third day of the project things start resemble Germany's past.
I recommend everyone that enjoys learning about Germany's past dictation should watch this. I really enjoyed it, there was never a dull moment. Everything that happened either left you wanting to know what happens next or curious to why someone did what they did. The only thing I didn't like about this film was the ending, I kind of wanted it to be over dramatized and have a second German dictation, Haha. But, other than that I can't think of anything I didn't like.
I think that learning more about Germany's history would have helped me understand why the feeling of community is so important to the German culture. Community, the feeling of exception, and standing up for what you believe in and taking it to the extreme plays a huge part in this film. I'm curious to know if Adolf Hitler's dictation influences or has effected the German culture deeply enough that German's do feel they need a sense of community.
If this movie were made in the United States... Well, I really don't think we could connect that same feeling of dictation and community to our history, and even if we did connect it with something that effected our culture deeply like, " The Great Depression" I don't think the film would have the same meaning or feeling. I think the German culture has a unique feeling of community and I'd really enjoy learning more about how their past still effects their everyday lives. I can only imagine how it would make someone feel.
Sorry if this didn't make any sense i'm really tired, and wrote down everything i could possibly think of that had to do with the film. I'm going to miss you all tomorrow. I hope I don't miss anything exciting. I'd much rather be there than getting surgery, and I'll see you after spring break! Don't miss me too much! :p
-Bree (:
I agree that Germany has some very unique things to say when it comes to the subject of dictatorships and autocracy. When I did that family history show about Nazi Germany, I saw how German people of all generations are still trying to figure out what to think and feel about Naziism. It is a very sensitive subject for them that many don't like to talk about. But then, when they do talk about it, the things they have to say are so profound and philosophical. I'll have to check this film out. I've never seen it.
DeleteGood luck with your surgery, Bree. I hope it goes well!
DeleteYeah ... Pan's Labrynth is a hard film to watch .... When I saw it, I was thinking, "As a filmmaker, I know this is a really well done movie but as a human being, I'm having a very hard time stomaching it." One important clarification is that the film takes place in Spain. To learn more about what's going on, look into Spanish fascism. But Del Toro is a Mexican filmmaker so this can still be considered a Mexican film.
ReplyDeleteNext time, tell me less about plot and more about your reaction. I want to know what you're thinking and feeling.
The country that I chose to focus on was Germany. I took some German classes a few years ago to study the language, but German culture has always been interesting to me, so it was an easy pick. The film I chose to watch was The Lives of Others and I picked it because it had countless great reviews along with many award nominations and wins.
ReplyDeleteThe entire film was based around the division of East and West in Germany set in the 1980’s. The story is told on the East side of the wall. So because of this, I think that if I knew more about the history of Germany’s division (we study it in school, but I mean REALLY look into the history of it) and more about the facts of what it was like during that time period to live under the control of Communism/Socialism, I would be able to relate to the film more. This will definitely be a big topic of what I talk to my interviewee about. I’m genuinely interested to learn more about it.
Some questions that I plan on asking my interviewee after watching this film are: Did you know anyone who lived on the East side of Germany before the wall fell? If so, what kind of experiences did they have with the government? What do you think makes German films different than films made in the United States? What types of cultural differences translate to their filmmaking?
-Ryan Ditta
Great questions for your interviewee! I sure love this movie!
DeleteHey it's Tucker:
ReplyDeleteI watched my first movie last night called Le dîner de cons or The Dinner Game in English. This movie was well put together and had some great comedy.
The main idea in this movie was to see who could bring the dumbest guy to this party/dinner they do once a week. If you have seen the movie Dinner for Smuchks, it is the same concept but done in an American perspective. I personally like the French one better because it was the first one made and something about French movies intrigue me more.
The only down side is that if you didn't pay attention close enough you tend to get lost and confused about the story but other than that it was a fantastic comedic movie. I highly recommend it to anyone who enjoys comedy or likes French films.
Cool. What about the film made it easy for you to become lost or confused while watching it?
Deletehey, sup.
ReplyDeletethe culture or country i chose was the cezch republic, and the movie i watched was autumn spring. it is about an older man who is reaching the end of his life being in his late 70's who doesn't want to give up having hos fun by puling pranks on people and creating and using false identities to fool people. while his wife is growing more and more irritated with him not wanting to accept his mortality and play their funeral arrangments.
the humor in this film was really weird which might just be one of those cultural differences. it was pretty funny though even though it was kinda of hard to determine what was a joke and what wasn't.
it seems like, atleast from this movie, the cezch people are kind of ready to just get life over with. but maybe that was just his wife. idk
yeah. zak
"it seems like, atleast from this movie, the cezch people are kind of ready to just get life over with. but maybe that was just his wife" -- this would be a great subject to ask about in your interview.
Delete