Mar 3, 2016

Finally grew some balls and watched Satantango, yesterday, and was not disappointed. It's definitely one of the greatest films of all time, and in spite of my slight reservation (99, not 100), in some ways I think it's the greatest film ever made. Werckmeister Harmonies is still my favourite film of his, but this undeniably has more going on. I guess it depends on how you criterion a film's worth. I'm still thinking non-stop about it 24 hours later so I think that's a good sign.



Review

http://aestheticsofthemind.com/2016/03/03/satantango-tarr-1994/

Tarr’s poetic vision, a realism so uncanny, so surreal, so alive, is realized in each and every frame of the film, only minorly slighted by Tarr’s undeniable social-satirical agenda. This affectation of his work, which is exceedingly present in his early films, is nearly overcome in Sátántangó, a film which seems to demarcate Tarr’s transcendence to the purely cinematographic—purely poetic cinema—that is found in his final two features, Werckmeister Harmonies and The Turin Horse.

Sátántangó is a monumental cinematic achievement. It uses the art of cinematography, poetry, and literature to convey an image of the experiencing of life, an image which seeks to contain within its form the very depths of space and time, ephemerality and eternity, being and nothingness. There is perhaps no other film more formally daring, more patient and resolute, more wholly encapsulating than Sátántangó.

99/100 – Masterful



I also wrote an explanation of the film's seemingly ambiguous ending which I see constantly being misinterpreted online:
http://aestheticsofthemind.com/2016/03/02/satantango-explained-tarr-1994/


@Rowjay Stan

 

Mar 3, 2016

 

Mar 3, 2016

@Rowjay you see Francofonia yet? thoughts? It's playing again here soon so I might rewatch.

 

Mar 4, 2016

100% right except in reverse order.

Also isn't it simply Badlands?

 

Mar 4, 2016

I decided to watch another Zulawski picture since he passed last month. What a master.

 

Mar 4, 2016

Well, s---...I guess I should really man up one day and finally watch it. Did you watch it all in one sitting?

Which one? His final film, Cosmos, recently played here, but I didn't get to see it.

Finally saw Knight of Cups...My initial impression is positive, but I think I might be with @Rowjay Stan on this one. I need to let it linger for a bit, but this excellent review from ReverseShot offers a lot to consider.

http://reverseshot.org/reviews/entry/2185/knightofcups

 

Mar 5, 2016

I'd watched Possession (1980) and That Most Important Thing: Love (1975) previously. Last night I put on The Devil (1972) which was banned in Poland for ~20 years and led to his exile. It's kind of a twisted historical fantasy borrowing elements from Hamlet and, in my opinion, A Christmas Carol. The score is all twisted 70s hard psych and prog rock. He draws such intense, hysterical performances out of his actors and every one of his pictures can be described as a "manic fever dream". I'll probably tackle The Third Part of the Night (1971) next as I believe that's his last horror picture even though genres very loosely define his work.

 

Mar 5, 2016

Yup, and I think it's well worth doing in one sitting. Once you get into the groove of Tarr's long takes it goes by quite swiftly, cause each of those 8-10 minute takes can be likened to a 30 second take in the average film. They stretch but its quite easy to digest when each of the 12 sections are about 45 minutes and have only a handful of takes. If you go the multiple day route, there are two intermissions, so it makes for an easy 3 night film.

 

Mar 6, 2016

More thoughts on Knight of Cups to come, but my ranking for Malick is like this at the moment...

1. The Tree of Life
2. Days of Heaven
3. Badlands
4. The Thin Red Line
5. To The Wonder
6. The New World
7. Knight of Cups

 

Mar 7, 2016

mine is currently

1. The Tree of Life
2. The Thin Red Line
3. To The Wonder
4. Days of Heaven (3 & 4 interchangeable atm until I see Days again)
5. Knight of Cups
6. Badlands (Saw this a long time ago)
7. The New World (most in need of a rewatch. Wasn't big on the 3+ hour extended version I saw)

 

Mar 7, 2016

I don't know how I missed this. The trailer for the new Jeff Nichol's picture is out.

 

Mar 7, 2016

This was a great read. thanks.

 

Mar 7, 2016

Instead of highlighting the strengths and many interesting aspects of Knight of Cups, which I think Nick Pinkterton's review does more lucidly than I possibly can, I'll be a downer and just articulate quickly why I somewhat struggled with it, especially in comparison to To the Wonder, the film it most closely resembles in sensibility.

In To the Wonder, while there certainly were no characters in a traditional sense nor was there a natural depiction of marital strife, there was a bit more of a baseline foundation there, a palpable feeling of love found and love lost. With her incessant twirling, Olga Kurylenko's character may not have behaved like anyone in the real world, but she still felt like a person. Accordingly, not only did I witness her character's' central conflict, I felt it, even with the film's unconventional, even experimental approach.

In Knight of Cups, Bale's Rick is less a person and more a vessel to walk alongside as we sift through the memories and images of his past. We never get to know him, even in sketch, before being thrown into his memories and existential despair. With no character or even just something real with which to connect, I found it difficult to find my way into the film. While I could see his crisis of faith, I struggled to feel it. And the following may skew more towards personal prejudice than actual critique, but it was even more of an obstacle for me to empathize with the struggles of a rich white guy, who parties all the time and beds a parade of supermodels and actresses. This isn't to say I'm incapable of connecting with such a character, but without something concrete to hang my hat on, it was more of a challenge here.

On another Malick-related note, I thought this article from some of the comedians who cameo-ed in Knight of Cups to be really funny and interesting.

http://www.gq.com/story/nick-kroll-joe-lo-truglio-thomas-lennon-terrence-malick

 

Mar 8, 2016

I thought the distance worked in favor of the existential crisis. It's a fruitless search for meaning and throughout the picture we struggle as much as the main character to find any. I will say it makes this movie more of an in the moment experience than something to sift through afterward. As far as finding sympathy for his plight, it's the classic "man with everything has nothing". It's Gatsby. It's impenetrable. It's something I want to watch again and again just to feel a little closer to. The rigid structure with tarot cards representing each vignette. The way Malick continues what he started in To The Wonder by turning Vegas into Sodom and Gomorrah. There's something old and mythic about how he transforms the modern world.

On a related note, I kind of hate the idea that white people are no longer allowed to experience adversity. That seems very in vogue in the current political climate. I'd rather hear an argument for originality than one of moral highground. I'm not saying #WhiteLivesMatter, but politicizing film so broadly makes me want to gag.

 

Mar 9, 2016

@MovieSXN can anyone send me 11/22/63 link pls? charlie when you stop pretending to not read my posts, id appreciate a working stream/download

 

Mar 9, 2016

agreed. might switch 1 and 2 tbh. maybe move up badlands to 4/5

 

Mar 11, 2016

So Sofia Coppola's Somewhere (2010) is really, really good. I definitely was not expecting that.

 

Mar 11, 2016

Yep, it's pretty dope! A movie about the plight of a rich white guy that I actually like a lot

 

Mar 11, 2016

I actually mentioned on Letterboxd how it reminded me of Knight of Cups.

Somewhere (2010)


Sofia Cappola accomplishes much the same here that Terrence Malick does with Knight of Cups using patience and observance in place of poetry and allegory. It plays much the same way as a silent picture where action takes precedence over dialogue. It's a gentle portrait of a meaningless life where crippling emptiness is broken up by an estranged daughter. Have yourself a happy cry.

http://boxd.it/8TDoX

I was never a fan of Lost in Translation, but this is a masterpiece.

 

Mar 15, 2016

I'm Back!

L'Avventura? really Twan? i thought you wasn't a big fan of that one, i'm not. You used to have the Godfather II on it

My Top 10 hasn't changed, specially because i'm not seeing films anymore =( =( =(

1. The Godfather
2. The Godfather II
3, Inglourious Basterds
4. No Country For Old Men
5. Once Upon a Time In The West
6. The Good, The Bad & The Ugly
7. Once Upon a Time In America
8. Before Sunrise
9. Mulholland Dr
10. The Tree Of Life

Before Sunset, Caché, Punch Drunk Love and Il Gattopardo come really close.

On another note, i went to see 10 Cloverfield Lane with @Vahn it was good but at the end it got a bit incoherent. it reminded me of Looper, great development and weak ending. 7/10