I was able to see 2046 this weekend. I’ve never seen one of Kar Wai Wong’s films before (the director/writer). It was incredible. I will be renting his other movies.
Two Classic Movies about the Classic Career
Butterfield 8 and Klute are interesting parallel movies. They both won Oscars for their leadings ladies, Elizabeth Taylor and Jane Fonda. Both films have a bit of a reputation for focusing on call-girls. Both films star kind-of-clunky men as the romantic leads. Each movie takes a different view of sexually liberated women.
I’d come across knowing references to both movies since childhood, which fueled my curiosity about certain things. Some of the references were in the oddest places, like a magazine article on lipstick (featuring that famous shot from Butterfield 8), or hair (featuring that shot of Jane Fonda striding down the sidewalk). I finally got to see both movies this summer.
A Beautiful Love Story
I’ve finally gotten to watch The Road Home.
It’s not very long but it covers a lifetime. Although a Chinese movie, it has a very French feel to it. The heart of the movie is probably the most beautiful love story I’ve seen on film. The story is both incredibly simple and the most extraordinary romance. There isn’t much more to the movie and yet it awed me. The movie is flawless; like a tiny, perfect gem.
Beautiful and simple.
Color Colour!
Although the vast majority of the population prefers color movies over black and white, few actually notice the use of color. Because the human eye sees in color, it’s taken as mundane truth. It is apparently believed that color is ‘real’ and represents the tangible world instead of realizing it can represent the unseen or completely obscure the truth.
Irreversible
Sitting and watching the modern, enormous screens in movie theaters gives me out-of-control feeling. The screen is so huge and overwhelming because I don’t know quite what is going to happen. Will the movie scare me, shock me, plod along, create absurd spectacles, jump out of the screen at me? Will I be moved or bored? It’s a momentary abandonment to someone else’s vision. I feel none of this when watching a movie at home on the TV. The screen is relatively small and there is a button that will stop the movie if I want. It is mine and I’m not captive to someone else’s ideas.
That opinion has changed since I watched Irreversible about a month ago.