An evocation on class struggle and the various dynamic social strains which subsist in any hierarchical, market economy, Bahram Beizai's poetic exploration uses the mysterious death of Yazdgerd III, the last of the Sassanid kings of Iran, as his central conceit to explore the vast complexities of society. Taking place in a sole location, Death of Yazdgerd plays largely like theater, yet the cinematic language implored by Bahram Beizai is impressive, oscillating between polemic diatribes and tranquil observation, the combustibility and tension of this situation being felt in every frame through use of staging, composition, and editing, juxtaposed with theatrical performances which combine to deliver a simple yet effective poetic literary-based construction that is full of dynamism. The complexities which strain any social formation or society when confronted by the vast power vacuum left in the wake of a king's death is explored in a way which the weight of the situation is felt in every frame, disparate souls - whether it be paupers or the king's most loyal subjects - all confronted with the unknown when the authority structure of one man - a god king in this case - is taken swiftly and mysteriously from this world.
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An incisive sociological allegory which could easily feel stale yet it doesn't - deadpan comedic sensibilities beautifully juxtaposed against a stoic like acceptance of the inevitability of man's self destruction under the current socio-economic system. The Dead Don't Die is a film of subtle layers, one in which its droll performances and comedic sensibilities serve a salient purpose, amplifying humanity's slow, methodical march to self destruction. Jarmusch's purview is concise and unwavering in its acceptance of this inevitability, weaponizing the zombie genre to illustrate the willful ignorance of collective humanity under the current global system, illustrating how this self-imposed allotment at the precipice of the planetary hierarchy has placed humanity on the slow path of self-induced destruction. This crude, monolithic ignorance, one which places mankind as master of his natural environment, has led to acceptance of this existential threat, with notions of growth and technological progress under this global system being at odds with any notion of sustainability, leading the individual to have no choice but to firmly accept the inevitability of their fate. Much has made about Jarmusch's The Dead Don't Die being a slight film for the long revered filmmaker, yet The Dead Don't Die illustrates a filmmaker whose perspective has turned into a type of frustration and acceptance, an acceptance rooted in inevitability which could only viewed as nihilistic by those who haven't been paying close enough attention.
Replacing an unnecessarily complex love story archetype with a stripped-down Revenge thriller, Ninja: Shadow of A Rear offers rather immediate improvement over its predecessor, moving at a brisk, chaotic pace. More of the same in terms of action - the choreography and composition in harmony, a mutual respect between director and martial artist is palpable in its presentation with brutal, visceral fight sequences which thrill without sacrificing coherence.
Jingoistic and affirmative in its support of neocolonialism, Wolf Warrior 2 is a slick, dynamic action film which repels any sense of nuance when it comes to notions of good and evil. Slick action set pieces oscillate between grounded and patently absurd, as the film's clean aesthetic and escapist sensibilities offer up a slick piece of propaganda. Adhering to the savior complex archetype of militaristic action films, the film is an engaging yet silly action film which is hilariously nationalist, placing the Chinese state firmly as an edifice for good in a chaotic and savage world.
Evokes a naturalism more akin to documentary than fiction, employing the visual language of the familiar - repetition and routine of day-to-day life - to tell its sensual tale of young love and personal identity. The idyllic mountainside, one of omnipresence yet desolation, provides the perfect juxtaposition for its main protagonist in Yara, a young woman whom in meeting a young man, finds her life filled with insurmountable promise. Feelings of connection, the power which the emotive instills in the disparate soul is what grants Yara a newfound sense of strength, giving her the courage to grapple with her own personal identity and sheltered upbringing, leading her to a path of personal growth and individual identity, one which is still rooted in her social environment but one that is not defined by it. Up to this point her existence, her way of life was never questioned, and yet this potential romance awakens Yara to the perils of her spatial environment, one which has become desolate due to emigration and modernization, an aging populace all that remains. A coming of age story which recognizes the omnipresent nature of love, specifically in how it can subvert social milieau and personal identity, Yara evokes an ethereal quality due to its mature understanding of such forces, encapsulating the insurmountable promise of autonomy which love grants to the individual.
Employs a textual precision to its ecological prescriptions, Dead Horse Nebula's aesthetic evokes the complexity in nature through complementary ascetic stylistic design. An in-elaborate narrative which manages to evoke the contextual relationship between man and nature within the larger social fabric of existence, where the metaphysical and natural worlds collide through the ontological lens of man.
A quiet sense of danger envelopes Liang Ying's A Family Tour, it's one of continuous affect, evoking the consciousness of the main protagonist - an exiled film director in Hong Kong who was forced to flee China, leaving everything and everyone she has ever known behind, including her own mother. A Family Tour understands that freedom is not easy, exhibiting how there is an element of chaos intrinsic to freedom, escape from authority is escape from repression but also the structural familiarity of one's social milieu, placing great strain and sacrifice on not just the individual in rebellion but also those they cherish. Illustrating in its main protagonist a character whose life has been in a sense, chaotic, since her subversion of the state, A Family Tour illustrates the diasporic induced fractures on personal identity, being a family drama in which our main protagonist is affronted by the notion that she will not be able to take care of her aging mother.
Certainly epitomizes the notion that film is adept at spectacle like perhaps no other artistic medium. An action-packed, slapstick comedy epic which dabbles in existential inquiry, time travel, and Buddhist mysticism. Discombobulated at times, frantic, yet aggressively creative and consistently invigorating despite feeling at times to be completely untenable when it comes to narrative coherence. Wuxia coalesces with slapstick comedic sensibilities, with the film's narrative mosaic serving a purpose, evoking the chaotic, disparate nature of life, exhibiting how it is one of continuous affect, with individual perspective being both everything and nothing, with knowledge and happiness in turn being intrinsic to those individuals whom accept this realization.
Huston weaves an elegiac construction of James Joyce's short story in which the dialogue is left nearly untouched. An exquisite example of visual construction. A near single location, polite conversations, yet with Huston it has a quiet, profound spirit lurking in the subtext which provides quite an emotive punch. Honestly, not the type of film I'm typically drawn too, but its grace and aesthetic construction remain damn near instructional for aspiring filmmakers
One doesn't really watch this film one experiences it. The costume design, production design, cinematography, etc. all coalesce into an outre creation that is decadent yet depraved, a mischievous psychedelic experience where delusion is in a sense, comforting when juxtaposed against the destruction left in wake of deceit.
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AuthorLove of all things cinema brought me here. Archives
June 2023
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