RoweReviews
  • Viewing Log / Reviews
  • Search
  • Ramblings
  • Contact Me

The Thoughts That Once We Had (2015) - Thom Andersen

10/21/2015

0 Comments

 
Picture
Thom Andersen, the intricate filmmaker behind such pensive documentaries as Los Angeles Plays Itself & Red Hollywood, returns with his new film 'The Thoughts That Once We Had', a personal love letter to the history of cinema, which is at least somewhat inspired by the books of Gilles Deleuze (The Movement-Image and The Time-Image).  While many will write off The Thoughts That Once We Had as the type of film that only cinephiles can enjoy, I'd argue that what Thom Andersen has created with this film is a crash-course in film history which exudes his passion for the power of cinema, an infectious attribute that could serve as a great starting point to those who simply want a better understanding of cinema as an art-form.  Running approximately 105 minutes in length, The Thoughts That Once We Had is the filmmakers shortest effort, making it more accessible than the 3+ hour Los Angeles Plays Itself, but that doesn't mean it's any less dense.  Featuring very little dialogue, The Thoughts That Once We Had dances with glee through the expansive world of cinema, showing the universal quality of image, contrasting documentary filmmaking, silent filmmaking, musicals, and action films in a way that beautifully expresses how cinema is reflective aspect of life itself.  Cinema, and art in general really, are reflective of life, humanity, and society, but Thom Andersen's film takes it one step further, arguing that the true power of cinema lies in its ability to restore our belief in the world.  One aspect which really stood out to me about The Thoughts That Once We Had is just how unstructured it can be at times, jumping around the timeline of cinema in a way that gives the film a beautiful, unhinged feeling of exploration.  Perhaps the best way to describe the film is that it isn't a story of cinema but rather a love poem, as the film flows freely through the expansive world of the moving image with the passionate filmmakers as our guide.  For those wanting a thorough and objective education on film history this isn't the film, but that's what makes The Thoughts That Once We Had so compelling to me, as it's truly a film that exudes the passion of its filmmakers who deliver a powerful ode to the moving image.  

Picture
Picture
Picture
0 Comments



Leave a Reply.

    Author

    Love of all things cinema brought me here.  

    Archives

    December 2022
    November 2022
    October 2022
    September 2022
    August 2022
    July 2022
    June 2022
    May 2022
    April 2022
    March 2022
    February 2022
    January 2022
    December 2021
    November 2021
    October 2021
    September 2021
    August 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    October 2013
    September 2013
    August 2013
    July 2013
    June 2013
    May 2013
    April 2013
    March 2013
    February 2013
    January 2013
    December 2012
    November 2012
    October 2012
    September 2012
    August 2012
    July 2012
    June 2012
    May 2012

    RSS Feed

Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates.
  • Viewing Log / Reviews
  • Search
  • Ramblings
  • Contact Me