Around the world in 50 films: #10 Senegal — Moolaadé (2004)
| June 12, 2012 | Posted by Simon Brand under around the world in 50 films |
Into unknown territory for me, with a film from Africa. Why I chose this film Easily the most famous Senegalese film-maker and accredited by many as the father of African film, Ousmane Sembène was an easy choice for director. Moolaadé had been on my watchlist for some time, so I decided that this was the perfect time to watch it. This marked a milestone in my film viewing in that it was the first African film I had ever seen. After years of watching more Russian and Japanese films than any Scotsman should have business seeing, I found it very interesting to be introduced to a culture completely different from that which I am used to. What could push a Westerner out… more
Around the world in 50 films: #9 Iceland — Nói Albínói (2003)
| May 11, 2012 | Posted by Simon Brand under around the world in 50 films |
Why I chose this film: I’m not going to lie here: this was the only Icelandic film I had on my watchlist, and I think the only one I’d actually heard of. If someone is outraged at my ignorance of Icelandic cinema, please let me know and suggest films for me to watch. I started my Red Desert review with a rant about use of colour in films. I hope you will forgive me for doing the same here by saying AAAAAHHH, COLOUR FILTERS! WHYYY!? Seriously, Nói Albínói could be an incredibly beautiful film if the team would stop screwing around with different filters and turning the contrast settings up to 11. I feel bad about starting the review on such a negative note, as… more
Around the world in 50 films: #7 Iran / #8 Mexico — Taste of Cherry / Japón (1997 / 2002)
| May 8, 2012 | Posted by Simon Brand under around the world in 50 films |
Kiarostami is arguably the most famous name in the Iranian New Wave. Having seen The Wind Will Carry Us previously, I was eager to see some of his other works and Taste of Cherry seemed as good a place to start as any. Why I chose Japón: I had originally planned to review one of Alejandro Jodorosky’s films, since they are mainly produced and made in Mexico. After watching Japón because I liked an image I saw of it online, I decided I would sneak Jodorosky in under Chile later, because this film needs to be better known. Iran has an exceptional and mature independent film industry, despite (or perhaps because of) the draconian restrictions placed on it. Kiarostami’s humanist style of cinema has thus far evaded the… more
Around the world in 50 films: #6 Czech Republic / Slovakia ‒ The Cremator (1969)
| May 1, 2012 | Posted by Simon Brand under around the world in 50 films |
A note about the country: Perhaps I am cheating here by lumping two countries together, but the film was made when Prague existed in Czechoslovakia (which is now the Czech Republic) and the dialogue is in Czech, but the director is Slovak. The film is also considered part of the Czechoslovak New Wave, so I think you’ll allow me to join the two. Why I chose this film: I’ve only been getting into Czechoslovak cinema recently, despite the love for Jan Svankmajer’s shorts that I developed years ago. The Cremator seems to be a perfect coupling between the visual style of Svankmajer and the political mindset and absurdist humour of the New Wave. I hope it will lead more people into discovering another pocket of… more
Around the world in 50 films: #5 Belgium – Jeanne Dielman, 23 Quai du Commerce, 1080 Bruxelles (1975)
| April 13, 2012 | Posted by Simon Brand under around the world in 50 films |
Why I chose this film: I am a huge fan of a number of directors that have been clumped under the so-called Contemporary Contemplative Cinema aesthetic. Chantal Akerman falls under the same banner, but is a director with whose works I am unfamiliar. I put off watching Jeanne Dielman because of its length and reputation, but felt that the empty Belgium review was calling for it. I like to think when I’m watching films. If I’m not thinking, I often grow bored and fidgety. Films can generally get away with not making me think if they have a particularly excellent atmosphere, but generally I like them to present an interesting matter, explore it, and move at a pace slow enough… more
Around the world in 50 films: #4 Japan – horror special
| April 3, 2012 | Posted by Simon Brand under around the world in 50 films |
Why I chose these films: I found it absolutely impossible to choose one Japanese film to write about. I’ve probably seen more films from Japan than any other country in the past few years so I have quite a number of favourites. I felt that an ensemble review of some of my favourite Japanese films in the genre would allow me to praise as many films as possible. Note: This article doesn’t seek to provide anywhere near a broad overview of Japanese horror, simply the films which I personally enjoy. If you want a more in-depth discussion of the subject, I highly recommend the Introduction To Japanese Horror Film by Colette Balmain and Japanese Horror Cinema by Jay McRoy. Japan’s… more
Around the world in 50 films: #3 Brazil – Black God, White Devil (1964)
| March 27, 2012 | Posted by Simon Brand under around the world in 50 films |
Number three; exciting times. I have something a bit different this time around. Why I chose this film Because it would be boring if I liked every film I reviewed for this series. Also because I wanted an outlet for ranting about how bad this film was and this series was lying around, unsuspecting. Enjoy. I am a very open-minded person. I also tend to see the good in things, be it people, food or film. I can generally look past the flaws in a work if it really has something to it and I pride myself on being able to take something from almost every picture I watch. But this film was complete and utter rubbish. Let me tell… more
Around the world in 50 films: #2 Italy – Red Desert (1964)
| March 23, 2012 | Posted by Simon Brand under around the world in 50 films |
Number two in my series. That means I’m actually committing to doing this and not letting it get lost in the sea of other projects and responsibilities that come with being an Honours student. I’m here to stay. Why I chose this film Antonioni’s films have been sitting like a gaping hole in my generally broad film-watching spectrum. I hadn’t seen a single one until around a month ago when I watched Blowup and was left unimpressed. However, I decided last week however to persevere and watch some others from his impressively large list of supposed “masterpieces”. This lead me to taking out his whole 60s trilogy on alienation (L’Avventura, La Notte and L’Eclisse) alongside his first colour film, Red Desert, from the library. I appreciated L’Avventura for its cinematography… more
Around the world in 50 films: #1 Sweden – Persona (1966)
| March 20, 2012 | Posted by Simon Brand under around the world in 50 films |
This review marks the first of many to come. I have set myself an aim to watch and review a film from as many countries as possible for the St Andrews Award as well as my own pleasure. The initial target is fifty, but that may increase depending on how I feel. Why I chose this film Tracing my love for foreign, artistic and generally weird films back to one picture leads me to Ingmar Bergman’s Persona. I took this out of the university library on a whim after an online recommendation and was awestruck from the initial montage. It seems a perfect choice for my first review, so here commences my epic journey around the world of film. Bergman has made a great number of influential,… more
