BenLaw
Well-known member
I also watched A Hijacking today, basically the Danish version of Captain Philips. Slightly different perspective and manner of resolution but really quite similar - I'd only bother if you're a big fan of Captain Philips.
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I'm pretty sure that everyone has watched La Antena now, and if they haven't, they really should should have, so feel free to start the discussion whenever you like, Ben.
BenLaw
Well-known member
I'll kick it off later on today if that's ok BBB. I'm getting stressed and agitated and now trying to distract myself from the tennis final at the moment.
Whenever you're ready, Ben.
I've got the tennis on, but it's on in the background, and I'll have to admit to not caring who wins.
I've got the tennis on, but it's on in the background, and I'll have to admit to not caring who wins.
BenLaw
Well-known member
I can't believe how involved and stressed I get when Murray is in a grand slam final. The two cups of coffee probably don't help either....
BenLaw
Well-known member
BenLaw
Well-known member
BIGBERNARDBRESSLAW said:
I think getting smacked up probably would be a good solution. I have to take asher swimming later, so perhaps not so good for that....
BenLaw
Well-known member
BenLaw
Well-known member
I'm not overly optimistic, but I was hoping that film club members would enjoy this film rather more than my previous two selections. It seems to me it's rather more accessible than LQV and The Trial, whilst still being incredibly rewarding if one wants to dig a little deeper. I say that because even I was able to follow the relatively straightforward narrative, but I get a strong sense it's a lot deeper than that in a way I don't understand!
I should start with an apology, as I'd proffered a selection of films I'd described as animations. It's many years since I saw this film, and whilst I'd enjoyed it enough to keep a copy on disc, my recollection was clearly mistaken. My retrospective explanation is that I watched it at a time before I'd paid much attention to concepts such as expressionist cinema and it's style and visuals are so striking and unusual that my brain wrongly remembered them as the striking and unusual images of animation. The only non-animated film that I can think of with reminiscent visuals is Sin City, although that's more consistently noir.
I was very taken with the look and feel of the film. I can now see just how much of an expressionist film it is, with the clearest and perhaps most effective example being when Mr TV strikes his son, causing him to fall to the floor and he appears in miniature, cowering at his feet, There were also some fairly classic noir images, such as the silhouettes chasing across angled corridors and stairs (this seemed reminiscent of a particular film to me but I couldn't think which, anyone any ideas?) or the shooting of machine guns into buildings. Despite having seen this type of image before, the film didn't feel derivative to me.
The point of expressionism, as I understand it, is to present a subjective and emotionally derived perspective. I thought this was done really well throughout, on a small and large scale. An example of the small scale was early on when the father says to the daughter 'don't feel GUILTY' (or similar, I didn't write that one down) and the last word is capitalised to show what the daughter is concentrating on and thinking about.
On a larger scale, the film is presenting a broad political, anti authoritarian message from a personal (three or four people) perspective. As strapped has already commented, the political message is pretty similar to the one in Metropolis. That probably presents anti-capitalist or anti-elitist argument (I'm sure I'm over-simplifying and doing it a disservice) whereas La Antena has those elements but is also affected by the second world war and the cold war. We see some fairly blatant Nazi / Jewish imagery (the bearded grandfather with the ID card and number, the blind boy being on a star of David, the rat wearing what looks like Nazi insignia, and even a swastika, merging into the antena) and Communist imagery (CCCP on the boy's helmet, a communist star on the father's).
I think having watched the film again that that message may be a little simple or obvious, but it has nuance through the metaphor of removing speech - and then removing even words - and some humour from more contemporary society (the dominance of TV and TV dinners, the little girl with the typewriter key head dancing manically like on one of those dance machines).
Ultimately, it seemed an incredibly original film to me, in style if not in theme, it was brilliantly and consistently realised by the filmmakers and the style and imagery fitted the message just as it should - a fusion of form and content, much like Metropolis. For example, the opening and closing image of disembodied hands playing a symphony and striking invisible typewriter keys is stunning visually and orally but links perfectly to the themes of removing speech, and words, and thus empowerment.
I'd made quite a lot more notes, so hopefully I have a few more things to chip in with as appropriate, but I'm sure that's more than enough for now!
I should start with an apology, as I'd proffered a selection of films I'd described as animations. It's many years since I saw this film, and whilst I'd enjoyed it enough to keep a copy on disc, my recollection was clearly mistaken. My retrospective explanation is that I watched it at a time before I'd paid much attention to concepts such as expressionist cinema and it's style and visuals are so striking and unusual that my brain wrongly remembered them as the striking and unusual images of animation. The only non-animated film that I can think of with reminiscent visuals is Sin City, although that's more consistently noir.
I was very taken with the look and feel of the film. I can now see just how much of an expressionist film it is, with the clearest and perhaps most effective example being when Mr TV strikes his son, causing him to fall to the floor and he appears in miniature, cowering at his feet, There were also some fairly classic noir images, such as the silhouettes chasing across angled corridors and stairs (this seemed reminiscent of a particular film to me but I couldn't think which, anyone any ideas?) or the shooting of machine guns into buildings. Despite having seen this type of image before, the film didn't feel derivative to me.
The point of expressionism, as I understand it, is to present a subjective and emotionally derived perspective. I thought this was done really well throughout, on a small and large scale. An example of the small scale was early on when the father says to the daughter 'don't feel GUILTY' (or similar, I didn't write that one down) and the last word is capitalised to show what the daughter is concentrating on and thinking about.
On a larger scale, the film is presenting a broad political, anti authoritarian message from a personal (three or four people) perspective. As strapped has already commented, the political message is pretty similar to the one in Metropolis. That probably presents anti-capitalist or anti-elitist argument (I'm sure I'm over-simplifying and doing it a disservice) whereas La Antena has those elements but is also affected by the second world war and the cold war. We see some fairly blatant Nazi / Jewish imagery (the bearded grandfather with the ID card and number, the blind boy being on a star of David, the rat wearing what looks like Nazi insignia, and even a swastika, merging into the antena) and Communist imagery (CCCP on the boy's helmet, a communist star on the father's).
I think having watched the film again that that message may be a little simple or obvious, but it has nuance through the metaphor of removing speech - and then removing even words - and some humour from more contemporary society (the dominance of TV and TV dinners, the little girl with the typewriter key head dancing manically like on one of those dance machines).
Ultimately, it seemed an incredibly original film to me, in style if not in theme, it was brilliantly and consistently realised by the filmmakers and the style and imagery fitted the message just as it should - a fusion of form and content, much like Metropolis. For example, the opening and closing image of disembodied hands playing a symphony and striking invisible typewriter keys is stunning visually and orally but links perfectly to the themes of removing speech, and words, and thus empowerment.
I'd made quite a lot more notes, so hopefully I have a few more things to chip in with as appropriate, but I'm sure that's more than enough for now!
That's a great start to the discussion, Ben, so I'm not sure I can add a great deal.
I kind of enjoyed the film, though I did struggle to maintain my interest throughout. Visually, it's extremely good, and I can understand why it stayed in your memory as an animation film. I can't really fault it visually, and to be honest, that's all that kept me watching.
The storyline was very simple, though I'm as sure as you are Ben that there was far more to it than was obvious on the first viewing, but, I found myself losing interest, and looking for something else to do after the first 30 minutes or so, so the remaining hour was a bit of a struggle.
I enjoyed it more than LQV, but I quite enjoyed The Trial, because it was just so weird.
I think it was a good choice, Ben, but not necessarily for me. I'm interested to see what the other members thought of it though.
I kind of enjoyed the film, though I did struggle to maintain my interest throughout. Visually, it's extremely good, and I can understand why it stayed in your memory as an animation film. I can't really fault it visually, and to be honest, that's all that kept me watching.
The storyline was very simple, though I'm as sure as you are Ben that there was far more to it than was obvious on the first viewing, but, I found myself losing interest, and looking for something else to do after the first 30 minutes or so, so the remaining hour was a bit of a struggle.
I enjoyed it more than LQV, but I quite enjoyed The Trial, because it was just so weird.
I think it was a good choice, Ben, but not necessarily for me. I'm interested to see what the other members thought of it though.
It's been over 3 months since I watched the film, I enjoyed it at the time , it's a film I can see me buying or at least renting again.
I can see why Ben remembered it as an animated film, and you could argue the case that it is but with live actors if it makes sense.
At first I wondered what all the gimmick was with the subtitles and how they were presented, but soon realised it was critical for the film.
I really liked the use of back projection even where it obviously wasn't need, and the overall style of the film is a massive tribute to Metropolis not just in visuals but in relationship between father and son, and the comparison between The Voice when she is connected to the machine, and the transformation of Maria in Metropolis.
i havent read up on the film, but is it a commentary on the old dictatorship of Argentina, or other nations. The boys helmet had CCCP ON IT. or is it about corporate domination as along with all the products, the constant falling snow is the ash from Mr TVs cigar.
Also,what's with the Rat Man ?
I can see why Ben remembered it as an animated film, and you could argue the case that it is but with live actors if it makes sense.
At first I wondered what all the gimmick was with the subtitles and how they were presented, but soon realised it was critical for the film.
I really liked the use of back projection even where it obviously wasn't need, and the overall style of the film is a massive tribute to Metropolis not just in visuals but in relationship between father and son, and the comparison between The Voice when she is connected to the machine, and the transformation of Maria in Metropolis.
i havent read up on the film, but is it a commentary on the old dictatorship of Argentina, or other nations. The boys helmet had CCCP ON IT. or is it about corporate domination as along with all the products, the constant falling snow is the ash from Mr TVs cigar.
Also,what's with the Rat Man ?
expat_mike
Well-known member
BIGBERNARDBRESSLAW said:
Having read the comments made so far, I am tempted to watch the film again. The film didn't grab me, and I needed to watch it in three sections - admittedly not the best approach to understand continuity.
A lot of thought had obviously gone into including as many visual effects as possible, but I didn't understand all of them:
1 - I am also confused what the ratman was about - unless it was to tap into the general human dislike of rats, as a way to engender hostility towards the character.
2 - I can understand that the owner was given a sweaty complexion, to signify that he was untrustworthy, and the baddie. But why the painted-on black hair? There must be a reason, because surely it would have been easier for the guy to wear a wig.
3 - Why did the voice have to wear that headress that obscured the face? was there some symbolism that I didn't understand?
But when all is said and done, and the visual imagery removed, it was a simple reworking of an everlasting plot. The world is threatened by an evil monster, then an unassuming character is put in a difficult position, and "cometh the hour, cometh the man". This character performs heroic deeds, to defeat the monster, and wins the heart of his princess.
Frank Harvey
Well-known member
Like Richard, I watched it some time ago, so I'm going to watch it tomorrow night and join in then.BIGBERNARDBRESSLAW said:
BenLaw
Well-known member
Frank Harvey
Well-known member
Apologies - watched Jack Reacher last night. Do feel free to continue and discuss though, as it'll either get rewatched tonight or sometime on my day off tomorrow 
BenLaw said:
Fundametally, yes, expressionism is the representation of character psychology.
Noir combines expressionistic methods with so-called "classical Hollywood" stylistic conventions.
The German influence is evidenced by tropes such as chiaroscuro (accentuations of light and dark suggesting duplicity, for instance). Lang moved to the United States after fleeing Nazi Germany and then wife Thea von Harbou (Metropolis screenwriter, novel author, and "Nazi "b*tch," to quote Lang).
It's probably unsurprising, therefore, that Lang integrated expressionist techniques when directing Hollywood movies.
BenLaw said:
Lang was particularly unhappy with the ending of Metropolis, and I've observed before that the film concludes with perhaps the most offensive platitude in cinema history.
To compare the Metropolis and La antena endings, it's necessary to understand why Lang was so upset by the former film's denouement.
I apologise, as I feel a bit like I'm setting an essay question, which I've no right to do!
BenLaw
Well-known member
Before we chat about the points everyone's raised about La Antena, just wanted to say I had the rarest of rare forays to the cinema yesterday and watched Ex Machina. Lots of elements and themes from last year's Under the Skin and Her but better than both in my opinion, unsettling and thought provoking and very well acted.
Having owned the blu ray for over a year, I thought it was about time that I watched Kick-Ass. Not exactly arthouse I know, but I enjoyed it so much more than say the Dark Knight films, or Scott Pilgrim vs The World (which I genuinely hated), and it also gave the surround system a good work out.
Having heard a few bad things about Kick-Ass 2, I'm not sure I'll be watchingit, but you never know, it might happen, though I doubt I'll be proposing it as one of my film choices.*smile*
Having heard a few bad things about Kick-Ass 2, I'm not sure I'll be watchingit, but you never know, it might happen, though I doubt I'll be proposing it as one of my film choices.*smile*
Frank Harvey
Well-known member
It seems the discussion of La Antena has come to an end, so I just want to remind you all to watch Mike's film choice 'The Girl From Nowhere' by the end of February (2015) *biggrin*.
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2332514/plotsummary?ref_=tt_ov_pl
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2332514/plotsummary?ref_=tt_ov_pl
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