Short introduction to the Dogme 95 movement

Two years ago, my Philosophy teacher handed in a list of good movies and must-see's. Being attracted to his sparkling intelligence and, therefore, arrogance, I started watching all those movies. Almost anyway. On that list was also Lars von Trier's Dogville. That movie was a total enlighting cinematic experience for me. One of the most unusual movies I've ever seen. Why is that? Because it belongs to the Dogme 95 movement. I will list some of its principles to give you an insight and to show you how unsual it is. 

To this avant-garde movement belong Lars von Trier (Dogville, The Idiots), Thomas Vinterberg (The Day that Never Comes, The Celebration) and Susanne Bier (After the Wedding). This Dogme wanted to rethink and purify the language of cinema and filmmaking. But once an unconvention is permanent, it becomes a convention, which is exactly what the promotors of this movement wanted to avoid. So the Dogme had to fade away.

Lars von Trier and Thomas Vinterberg composed some rules to which every Dogme film must conform. They called this set of rules 'VOW OF CHASTITY', here's an excerpt:

'I swear to the following set of rules drawn up and confirmed by Dogme 95:

1. Shooting must be done on location. Props and sets must not be brought in.
2. The sound must never be produced apart from the image or vice-versa.
3. The camera must be handheld. Any movement or mobility attainable in the hand is permitted.
4. The film must be in colour. Special lighting is not acceptable.
5. Optical work and filters are forbidden.
6. The film must not contain superficial action.
7. Temporal and geographical alienation are forbidden.
8. Genre movies are not acceptable.
9. The film format must be Academy 35mm.
10. The director must not be credited.'

Special thanks to Matthias who helped me writing this blog post!

"The Words" are not enough

"The Words" is a visually wonderful film that creates a superb atmosphere, but it utterly fails at the end.

I didn't know the plot, so I had no expectations from this movie. I only knew it had something to do with writing. And it is indeed about plagiarism and authenticity. 

The film opens with Clay Hammond (Dennis Quaid) reading excerpts from his book of the same title. The book is about Rory Jansen (Bradley Cooper, trying to get loose from the sex symbol status) who finds a lost manuscript and passes it as its own. After being known in the literary world, he is being confronted by the real author, The Old Man (Jeremy Irons).

The soft tones and lighting create a dreamy world, accompanied by Hammond's baritone. The crossed stories aren't hard to follow: one guy can't get published, another loses his manuscript and the third can't get laid. 

All in all, the movie is good for a dreamy, lazy and unpretentious Sunday, but you must know that the ending lacks imagination, it left me wondering how can one promote the idea of someone being so low in order not to realise that money and fame won't make it up to your consciousness, or to put it in another way,  that besides money, you have to live, first of all, with yourself. Zoe Zaldana and Olivia Wilde I liked.

Master David Lynch

Source: last.fm

This post is a bit different from any other on this blog. This one goes to the unique David Lynch. His credits? Director, visual artist, musician and meditation practitioner. He has developed his own cinematic surreal style in cinema and the fact that his movies are hard to decipher makes it even more fascinating. Eraserhead, The Elephant Man, Wild at Heart, Blue Velvet and Mulholland Drive are films that stick in one's head.

Because I own one of his books called Catching the Big Fish: Meditation, Consciousness, and Creativity, I thought I might share some of his ideas on filmmaking, cinema and creativity.

"Life is filled with abstractions, and the only way we make heads or tails of it is through intuition. Intuition is seeing the solution – seeing it, knowing it. It’s emotion and intellect going together. That’s essential for the filmmaker.

How do you get something to feel right? Everybody’s got the same tools: the camera and the tapes and the world and the actors. But in putting those parts together, there are differences. That’s where intuition enters.

Personally, I think intuition can be sharpened and expanded through meditation, diving into the Self. There’s an ocean of consciousness inside each of us, and it’s an ocean of solutions. When you dive into that ocean, that consciousness, you enliven it."

"Sometimes you hear a piece of music, and it marries to a scene in the script. When I’m shooting, I will often play that piece of music in the headphones whilst listening to the dialogue. Hearing the music is just a verification that things are going the right way – for instance, the right pace or lighting. It’s just another tool to ensure that you’re following that original idea and being true to it."

"Stories have tangents; they open up and become different things. You can still have a structure, but you should leave room to dream. If you stay true to your ideas, filmmaking becomes an inside-out, honest kind of process. And if it's an honest thing for you, there's a chance that people will feel that, even if it's abstract."

"I like making films because I like to go into another world. I like to get lost into another world." 

Got any favourite director quotes?

Blue Valentine (2010)

There are two words that could describe the independent "Blue Valentine": "love" and "deterioration". Connecting the dots we will end up having the "deterioration of love". How does it happen? 

This dark drama is one of the most intimate pieces of cinema ever made. It has a great deal of emotion and honesty. Taking a close look to it, we actually realise that when falling in love we seem to have the answers, but then, when falling out of love we only have unanswered questions. It's the path love stories go through, in some people evolve together, and in most they come apart.

Cynthia (Michelle Williams) and Dean (Ryan Gosling) beautifully portray the theme of young vs. adult love. How scintillating the beginning of a relationship is and how frustratingly heavy it ends. The middle part of it is what sets this movie apart. Because there is none. We sit in front of the screen trying to gasp what destroyed the kindness and admiration towards each other. Weariness? Unfulfilled career plans? High expectations? Inability to feel love?

Those who have seen the movie know that these are the reasons she, and not him, is to blame for. Because, like the director stated, it's the image of a man. A man with his efforts to win the girl that is different, with his deep love, his desire to change his life for her and to be the best there is, just for her. We never really understand what is going on in their minds, but we see him at least trying to get close to her.

There is a lot to say about "Blue Valentine", but to wrap it up, this movie is one of the few really honest love stories on screen, with great performances and tightly framed cinematography giving it a deep feeling of authenticity. And yes, there is no answer to the first question. There are rarely answers.

Here you can find a much more detailed review and, if you want to watch another independent romance, a lighter one, watch "(500) Days of Summer", it's adorable.

Cloud Atlas Trivia

I'm continuing to write about this movie because this project took four years and it had a lot on-and-off moments due to financial reasons.

Here's what you might find interesting:

• at a press conference for the world premiere of the movie, Lana Wachowski, co-director, openly talked about her transsexuality; consider the fact that the movie is about overcoming boundaries
• it is one of the most expensive independent films of all time (from independent sources the budget reached $102 million)
• the most expensive German-produced film to date
• at the premiere it received a 10-minute standing ovation!
• Tom Tykwer, the co-director, also composed the Original Soundtrack
• the OST was nominated for a Golden Globe Award for Best Original Score
• it is one of the few films in history that has three directors working together as an original team who equally share directing credit. 
• Luisa Rey's apartment number is 451, a connection to Somni-451. Both characters take enormous risks to fight injustice. 
• the number 451 comes from a classic science fiction novel "Fahrenheit 451"; it denotes a temperature needed to burn books.

 Knowing stories behind the curtains makes you appreciate the movie even more, isn't it?

Cloud Atlas - a visual epos

Tom Tykwer, Lana & Andy Wachowski: three directors, who approach the mainstream in a poetic and philosophical way and who don't fear greatness. The novel "Cloud Atlas" by David Mitchell is long. It spans 1000 years and follows six destinies. So, the three filmmakers try to tell a story about people who at some point between 1849 and 2346 were challenged by fate, it's more or less a journey from slavery to a phantasy anarchy.

Each of them fights against power, enviousness and order. It is a movie about revolutionaries, nonconformists, martyrs who want to overcome conventions and limits. The purpose? A new world.

Source: rottentomatoes.com

What makes this movie a great cinematic experiment is the fact that the actors (Tom Hanks, Halle Berry, Jim Sturgess, Ben Whishaw and other famous actors) embody up to six characters, roam together through various times and continents, love and fight sometimes with and sometimes against each other.

The annoying part of the movie could be the that at times one may find themselves thrown out of the genre and into a comedy or a soap opera. Plus the linkage of the protagonists may not be always comprehensible. In fact, that's why the movie is so challenging. Watch it twice.

Oh, and my favourite quote:

         "A half-finished book is, after all, a half finished love affair."                                                                                       (Robert Frobisher, interpreted by the wonderful Ben Whishaw)

 

 

 

 

What to get a movie lover for Christmas

It's that time of the year again...and we're all wondering what to get our loved ones. If they are movie lovers, here are some ideas, some of which I would personally like to receive, if you know what I mean...

• tickets for the latest movies released - also consider a couple of movies and/or the premiere
• a collection of classic movies always works
• autobiography or biography of favourite actor(s), 'cause we love finding out what happend behind the scene
• unique posters of the actors - if you get the chance, why not get them signed?
• a movie magazine subscription is an awesome gift; consider the great one Variety
• a wide screen monitor, if you got the money
• cinema books - what a delight!
• movie action figures - they really add colour to your life and office
• movie T-shirts - let's include TV shows also
• a movie calendar would keep a movie lover happy all year long
• aaand...what about movie themed shower curtains? 

Psycho! - uncommongoods.com

Ho Ho Ho!

On leaving and living

Source: wikipedia.com

L'auberge espagnole (2002), also known as Pot Luck or The Spanish Appartment, presents one of the greatest experiences ever: the Erasmus life. This French movie presents 6 students from Europe living under one roof, enjoying the hot city of Barcelona. Probably the success of the movie is owed to the fact that many students (or not) recognize themselves in one of the characters: either untidy, or funny, or too serious. Erasmus students, be prepared for a bit of nostalgia...!
~ "I did some research on the exchange program at my university. It’s called Erasmus and it’s a complete mess."~



Xavier (Romain Durris) studies economics and reaches the conclusion that a year abroad would help him with his career. He is the main character and we see everything through his eyes. During the movie, the director does not focus on his studying, but on his private life, because Erasmus means actually personal development.
~"Leaving isn’t easy."

Packing, leaving the airport, crying on the plane, missing the girlfriend, meeting new people, being shy, sightseeing, language problems, partying, falling in love, learning, breaking up, saying goodbye, coming home and then so much changes. The story is the true portrayal of an Erasmus student. Cause I am one!
~"The confusion that dominated there seemed a lot like my own muddle."~
 
Otherwise, the movie does not impress from a directorial point of view, it has its funny moments and also a lot of stereotypes. While some are true, some are totally wrong.
~"There has happened a lot between the two kisses."~

Being released in 2002, the movie could also be a metaphor for a united Europe. Young people everywhere are the same. They are connected by the same things and have a huge desire to live life to its fullest.

~"It's all about taking off."~

Sing sing sing!

Last week I was listening to Travis - "I love you anyways" and this lyric stuck in my head: "You were on my mind inside the cinema/ I almost had to go", so this is how the idea of showing you guys songs about cinema, movies and movie stars popped into my head. 

Songs in movies, but how about songs on movies? Here you go, they're worth your time!

Pixies - Debaser
Based on the movie "Un chien andalou"
*funky*


Kate Bush - The Red Shoes
"The Red shoes", dance dance dance!
*energetic*

Oasis - Wonderwall
You probably love the song, but don't know the movie. Being a wonderwall isn't always good.
*hopeful*

Deep Blue Something - Breakfast at Tiffany's
Haven't seen it yet? It's time. Now!
*AudreyHepburn*

The New Pornographers - Twin Cinema
About what happens in the cinema. And when you're in love.
*powerful*

Ladytron - He took her to a movie
If only the movies were the solution in every situation...!
*intense*

Kinks - Celluloid Heroes
A lot of references on Hollywood! "Everybody's a star"
*melancholic*

The Eagles - James Dean
A real rock'n'roll song on James Dean. "You were too fast to live, too young to die, bye bye"
*feelgood*

Kim Carnes - Bette Davis Eyes
One of my favourites!
*jazzy*

Erin McKeown - Cinematic
"Longshot! Jumpcut! Close-up!"
*lalala*

Radiohead - Motion Picture Soundtrack
"Cheap sex and sad films", no thank you. 
*depressing*

Sleeping With Sirens – If I’m James Dean, You’re Audrey Hepburn
Teenage rock, but what a title!
*cute*

James - Just Like Fred Astaire
Who do you feel like when in love?
*eliberating*

K-OS - I wish I knew Natalie Portman
Natalie is mentioned only in the title, but "I can't really make you love me"
*RappinOn*



What's your favourite song from the list? Can't wait to read your comments!



PS. Some songs cannot be played on YouTube in Germany. You can look them up on Spotify.