|
It is
4AM in the middle of finals week and I still
have 3 finals remaining. Why am I not sleeping? Is it because I’m
studying? Is it due to stress? Or is it because I have noticed that people
just don’t watch any films except post 1975 American films?
The
answer is none of the above. I have no reason why I am up at this hour and
I wish I could fall asleep. For the purpose of this article, let’s assume
that the reason is because people only watch post 1975 American films.
During the commentary of Citizen Kane, Roger Ebert mentions how most
young moviegoers today believe that film started with Star Wars in
1977. I laughed but I have found that this is very true. The sad thing is
this truth doesn’t entail just the normal moviegoer but so called, “cinephiles”.
My evidence of this is my experience with various movie message boards
online. Whenever a poll is asked on what some ones favorite movie is or
best movie the answer is always a post 1975 American film. On one message
board, there is currently an attempt to create a top 15 best movies of all
time. The initial voting finished and the result is a list of 50 nominees
that posters will vote on to create the top 15. Of the 50 nominees, nearly
half of them (24) are films from 1990 on, 37 from 1975 on. Also, only six
films are foreign.
This
saddens me. This is a period when classic films can thrive in ancillary
markets. We have access to these films. Criterion consistently puts out
foreign and classic films. I don’t want to hear the “my local video store
doesn’t carry those films” or “Blockbuster sucks” because Netflix gives
anyone with an online connection and a mailbox the opportunity to view these
films.
So,
I think it is my task and duty as film student and snob to list out some
important movements and directors in film history with some DVD
suggestions. My hope is that readers will seek these films and no longer
say that Donnie Darko or Fight Club are the best movies ever made.
Soviet Montage (20s & 30s)
This is where you look if you want to see some crazy USSR films. These
films are the antithesis of Hollywood. The films rely on editing to create
an emotional impact in the viewer. Cutting images that juxtapose the
previous image; breaking the 180 degree rule to disorient the viewer are
some examples of the unique use of editing often used to advance a political
view.
Suggested Viewing:
Battleship Potemkin – Sergei Eisenstein 1925
A very famous film that many scenes (mainly one, “Odessa Steps” sequence)
have been taken from and used in other films (see The Untouchables). I
can’t say that I am a huge fan of the film but it is something to behold.
It is interesting to see how different something can be when it doesn’t
follow any of the Hollywood rules that have been imprinted into our minds.
Italian Neo-Realism (Mid 40s – Early 50s)
In post-World War II Italy, filmmakers were creating gritty realist films
that often featured non-professional actors and on location shooting. These
films often looked at poverty and emphasized the struggle of individuals
during this time.
Suggested Viewing:
The Bicycle Thief – Vittorio de Sica 1948
One of the most touching films I have seen. A great look at a father/son
relationship. Great performances by two non-professional actors and a
realist look at the streets of Rome.
French New Wave (Early 60s)
Of the film movements, this is in my opinion the coolest. Technological
advances (ie portable cameras and sound equipment) allowed for film critics
turned filmmakers to go out into the streets of
Paris and shoot
their own films. These filmmakers have an incredible love and knowledge of
film and show this with constant references to other films inside their own.
Suggested Viewing:
Breathless – Jean-Luc Godard 1960
One of my favorite films, this film is over 40 years old and still seems
fresher than half the stuff in the theatres today. Breathless
presents an interesting twist on the Hollywood Film Noir genre. The film is
most famous for the use of the ‘jump cut’ which rebels against Hollywood
rules and constantly reminds the viewer that this is a film.
The 400 Blows – Francois Truffaut 1959
Some people say that children cannot act but this film proves them wrong.
This film follows a young adolescent as he quits school and runs away from
home. The film is difficult to describe because the importance is in the
emotion of the film not the action. The ending is very famous and would be
imitated for years.
Ingmar Bergman (1940s – 1980s)
Swedish director Bergman doesn’t belong to any film movement but in my mind
is the greatest director of all time. No one uses imagery and the close up
better than Bergman. He created some of the most emotional films that I have
ever observed. His films exemplify what is and what makes an ‘art film’.
Suggested Viewing:
Wild Strawberries – 1958
Probably my favorite Bergman film; it looks at an elderly man as he
deals with his past. It makes you wonder what you will think about your
life when you hit old age. The film features a famous dream sequence that
uses a clock without hands for imagery.
Cries and Whispers – 1972
This is probably the most painful movie I have witnessed. It looks at 3
sisters and their relationship as one of them is dying from cancer. The use
of flashbacks and the color red really stand out. This film features scenes
and moments that will stick with you forever.
This
is just a start of films that I suggest people go out and look at. I have
picked some of the most accessible films and ones that you should easily be
able to find. There are countless other important foreign works that should
be looked at (see Akira Kurosawa, Michelangelo Antonioni & Federico Fellini).
I have also not even touched on important
Hollywood films but a
lot of them are engraved in our culture and most of you probably know of
them anyways.
If
any of you should look at any of the above films, let me know. I would like
to hear your feedback, so send me an email (rmlumley@wisc.edu)
or A Rob (SHAFTR) on the VA Board. Now, time for bed. |
