Nausicaa, A Separation, Amour, and/or Castaway to the Moon

We will watch / have watched most of these movies during the last week of International Cinema but you are not required to write about them. If you do choose to write about any of them then do so as a comment to this post and answer two of the following questions and you receive extra credit. Be sure to write which of these films you are responding to:

• What is the theme of the film? Explain.
• How was color used in the film? What did it symbolize?
• How did the film help you understand another culture better?
• Name something you've learned in this class that helped you appreciate the film more. Explain.
• Imagine that a friend of yours was going to watch this film. What would you tell him or her ahead of time to prepare him or her to appreciate the film more?
• How would this film be different if it were made in Hollywood?

Princess Mononoke (1997)

So, this film took A LONG time to watch. It's 132 minutes spanned three class days! I hope you thought it was worth it.

Personally, I hadn't seen Princess Mononoke for a few years before we watched it in class together. And I must say that I forgot THAT IT IS A FREAKING AMAZING FILM! Wow. I really like it.

So, now you get to say what you like about it. Please answer two of the following questions or respond to something someone else wrote:

• What is the theme of the film? Explain.
• How did what we learned about Japanese culture help you appreciate the film more?
• How did the film help you understand Japanese culture better?
• What did you like most about the film? What did you like least about the film? Explain.

High and Low (1963)

High and Low (perhaps better translated, "Heaven and Hell") is a film with a crazy story structure: it changes protagonists half way through and it actually works (unlike some films ... ahem Chungking Express).

I'm super curious to hear what you thought of it. Please answer two of the following questions:

• What is the theme of the film? Explain.
• Did the change of protagonists work for you in this movie? Why or why not? Compare it to the change of protagonists in Chungking Express.
• What do you make of the title? How do you think it relates to the plot / theme of the film?

Good Movies to Watch if You Desire

In class, you guys asked me to put together a list of great movies to watch from different countries. First of all, I haven't seen all that's out there so I highly recommend using google search to find additional movies from each country that people on the internet recommend. But here's my list:

• Japan
• Ikiru.
• Redbeard.
• Seven Samurai.
• Nobody Knows.

• Iran
• Color of Paradise.
• Children of Heaven.
• Anything by Majid Majidi.
• Italy
• Bicycle Thief.
• Life is Beautiful.
• 8 1/2.
• Rome, Open City.
• Ireland
• Millions.
• France
• Breathless.
• Amelie.
• The Son.
• Germany
• The Lives of Others.
• Goodbye Lenin.
• Brazil
• Ciudade de Deus (very difficult content but an important film).
• Elite Squad.
• Central Station.
• The Middle of the World.
• Canada
• Away from Her.
• Juno.
• England
• Monte Python (any of their stuff).
• China
• The Road Home.
• Hong Kong
• Drunken Master.
• Russia
• Stalker.
• Operation Y and Other Shurik Adventures.
• The Orphan.
• Solaris.
• Sweden
• Wild Strawberries.
• Anything by Ingmar Bergman.
• Mexico
• La Misma Luna.
• Pan's Labyrinth.
• Cuba
• Soy Cuba.
• The Buena Vista Social Club.
• India
• I don't know where to start: anything made in Bollywood.

Film Essay Peer Feedback

Click this link to access the form which you will use to give feedback on another student's film essay draft. You need to give feedback to another student and receive feedback from another student. When giving feedback, answer every question on the form about the essay you are feedbacking.

You need to have given and receiving feedback by Tuesday, Feb. 19, 2013.

Aguirre: the Wrath of God (1972)

Aguirre: The Wrath of God is a German New Wave film made by Werner Herzog. Herzog, like the other German New Wave filmmakers grew up in post WWII Germany under the shadow of German guilt that the German people felt for having participated in the holocaust. To put it simply, the German people felt really sucky inside for having unknowingly been party to the death of six million Jews. Really sucky. It is interesting and informative to consider how growing up with this guilt influenced films like this.

On a lighter note, it is good to know that Aguirre is a very famous and influential film. For example, this famous character was inspired by the mannerisms of the character Aguirre in this film.

As you write about Aguirre, please answer two of the following questions or respond to something someone else wrote before you:

• In what was do you feel German post-holocaust guilt may have influenced the theme or tone of this film?
• What is the theme of this film? Explain.
• What did you like and dislike about this movie. Justify your response with specific examples.
• Why do you think this film has become so famous in the international film community?

Mostly Martha (2001)

I'm really interested to hear what all of you thought of Mostly Martha. I personally had mixed feelings. It was a fun movie but I really didn't buy that the two main characters would end up together. I was far more interested in the relationship between Martha and Lina than I was the relationship between Martha and Mario. I did find it interesting that the actress who plays Martha (Martina Gedeck) seems to be Julia Robert's German dopplegänger (which BTW, is a German word).

So, go ahead and check out this little meme that I found amusing and then answer one of the questions below or respond to something someone else said:

• Do you agree or disagree with my assessments of the film above? Explain.
• What did you like about the film? What did you dislike?
• What impressions did you get about modern German life from the film?

Metropolis (1927) + A Bonus Film!

Fritz Lang's Metropolis might not seem too impressive to us today but in 1927, it pushed the boundaries of special effects. I hope as you watched that you were able to look past the dated-ness of the film and see it through the eyes of the people who saw it first and consider just how much work and ingenuity went into creating the images on the screen.

I hope the film also helped you to gain a firmer grasp of what German Expressionist cinema is like and helped you to understand what the German people were feeling and struggling with during the woe-some years of the Weimar Republic.

As you write about Metropolis below, please answer two of the following questions:

• What moments in the film stuck out to you as particularly great examples of German Expressionism? Why?
• Which special effects impressed you the most? Why?
• In what ways do you feel this film is a reflection of what was happening in Germany during the Weimar Republic? Explain.
• Which soundtrack (Radiohead or Billy Joel) did you appreciate more and why?

And then, if you'd like some extra credit, you can also write about Leni Riefenstahl's masterful Nazi propaganda piece Triumph of the Will (1935). If you choose to write about this one, please answer at least one of the following questions:

• How did you personally respond to seeing Triumph of the Will? What did you find uncomfortable? What did you find impressive?
• How did seeing Metropolis prepare you to see Triumph of the Will? How did seeing Triumph of the Will change how you think of Metropolis?
• Is there value in modern audiences watching Triumph of the Will? Explain.

The Hedgehog (2009)

What do I say about this movie? I got really emotional when we watched it together. I hope you enjoyed it as well. It has to be the most heartfelt, lovable, life-affirming about a twelve-year-old girl's plan to commit suicide.

As you write what you thought of the film, answer the following questions:

- What is the theme of this film?

- Do you think Paloma lives or dies at the end? Why?

- In what ways does this film draw on the French New Wave tradition?

- In what ways did you personally relate with the characters in this film?

The Umbrellas of Cherbourg (1964)

One of my favorite movies of all time, Jacque Demy's bittersweet love story is a audial and visual feast. Most famous for its use of music (every line is sung), we discussed in class how the film also masterfully utilizes color to tell its story about the choice to follow one's heart in the rain or put up an umbrella and play it safe.

As we discuss this film, let's begin with the following questions:

- What did you like or not like about the use of music and color? Why?

- Which characters do you most relate with? Why? Which characters do you dislike? Why?

- How did this film help you connect with French culture?