Yeah, you're right.knives wrote:Okay so no worse than a Riefenstahl or Mizoguchi.
War crimes. Why did I even bother mentioning them? [/sarcasm]
If it makes you feel any better, I think Underground is trash on purely aesthetic terms as well.
Yeah, you're right.knives wrote:Okay so no worse than a Riefenstahl or Mizoguchi.
I'm not saying that he actually committed any war crimes. He's a director, not a soldier. I'm saying that his films endorse and celebrate those who have committed war crimes, while at the same time actively attempting to hide the existence of the latter, and slandering those who were killed. As for whether he's done anything "worse" than Mizoguchi or Riefenstahl, I don't know. I'm not even sure what you're referring to in Mizoguchi's case.knives wrote:I don't see any war crimes mentioned in what you said. What did he do that was worse than the two people I mentioned?
I'm genuinely fascinated by the dismissal of Mizoguchi's entire career as the work of a "no talent" - and would like to know what it's based on, and how many of his films that Knives has actually seen in order to have that kind of confidence. I'm far from a Mizoguchi expert, but I'd have a hard time claiming that the man who made Sansho Dayu was a hack.Peacock wrote:Knives, please drop comparing Mizoguchi to Leni.... i'm guessing you've not seen his propaganda films which you'll find that anyone making films in Japan at the time had to make; I suggest you do some reading on the films in question, and their reception, before comparing any of them to Triumph of the Will.
Outside the Palais Stephanie on Wednesday, I ran into a member of the Official Competition jury. The person – who, bien sûr, will remain anonymous – asked me how I was. “Still shivering from the Malick,” I replied; “Me too!” responded the juror enthusiastically (before adding the obligatory “Oops! I should keep my mouth shut” expression). Plugging away, I asked Mr/Mrs Juror what the chances are of The Tree of Life winning something. The answer was not promising: “It’s going to be difficult.”
Could you elaborate (in the official Mizoguchi thread?)knives wrote:I am indeed not saying that. In fact I couldn't in Mizoguchi's case since I find him to be a no talent.
\Okay, it was a stupidly large statement to make anyways.Michael Kerpan wrote:Could you elaborate (in the official Mizoguchi thread?)knives wrote:I am indeed not saying that. In fact I couldn't in Mizoguchi's case since I find him to be a no talent.
I've seen plenty of less than positive reviews reviews for Drive.Finch wrote:Reviews for Drive seem to be near-universally positive. Here's the Guardian's take.
Geoff Andrew wrote:Utterly derivative LA neo-noir. Think Walter Hill and Michael Mann, but not as good
Henry Barnes wrote:Drive would have struggled in last year's competition, let alone this. Very stylish. Very violent. Very empty.
Derek Malcolm wrote:The result is a film that may please and horrify his fans at the same time. But not a very convincing one to be displayed among the rarities in the Cannes competition.
Finch wrote:Plus Peter Bradshaw's written roundup
The point is that this giggling prankster of the cinema rarely "means" anything: all too often – though not always – the movies themselves are japes and stunts. I have long suspected that, despite his claim to be suffering from depression, what this talented man actually has is limelight addiction, and depression is a periodic symptom of not getting his fix. And it could be that Von Trier was also suffering from some variation on "Cannes madness", which can afflict everyone out here from the grandest auteur to the humblest hack. The sun, the parties, the rosé, the absence of spouses and children ... on this annual bacchanal-pilgrimage to the south of France, people can get overexcited. Generally, there's a "what happens in Cannes, stays in Cannes" rule. But not if you've done something silly in front of the world's press...
sounds fantastic.Finch wrote:Reviews for Drive seem to be near-universally positive. Here's the Guardian's take.
Plus Peter Bradshaw's written roundup
I read there were filmgoers fleeing due to some aggressively violent and disturbing content. The hometown crowd for the most part (the ones who stayed in the theater) gave Almodovar a five minute standing ovation for the adaptation. Critics have also fallen in love with the upsetting film and are placing it in contention for the highest Cannes honor, the Palme d'or.Kellen wrote:What was the overall consensus about Almodovar's The Skin I Live In?