The WHF Film Club

[strapped for cash]

? As I said in my last post, I think it's ambiguous, probably deliberately, and the explanation that he has killed her is perhaps the more likely.

You did.

 

[BenLaw]

So we have:

LQV 6pts

IABW 3pts

S 3 pts

Hadn't realised LQV had been on film4. I rented it and will need to buy a copy if it is voted for

 

[BIGBERNARDBRESSLAW]

So we have:

LQV 6pts

IABW 3pts

S 3 pts

Hadn't realised LQV had been on film4. I rented it and will need to buy a copy if it is voted for

I just double checked to see if I hadn't deleted it, but unfortunately, I did.

I recorded "The Third Man" from Film4 the other day though, never seen it, and also "Monsieur Lahzar", which was mentioned by HFO I think, so worth keeping in case it gets voted for in the future.

I've been spending too much on records recently, so have to be a bit tight with the films.

 

[strapped for cash]

Sorry for my ignorance, but it is needed such a deeeeeep interpretation of this movie?!

I'd argue that in-depth analysis is preferable to shallow analysis, not that I'm suggesting I/we attempted to thoroughly unpack the film.

 

[strapped for cash]

So we have:

LQV 6pts

IABW 3pts

S 3 pts

In order of preference:

LQV

S

IABW

Le Quattro Volte is potentially the most formally interesting choice, which is why I placed it top of my list. On the other hand, it might be too Malick for my tastes (I tend to think Malick is to existentialism as Airplane is to comedy, though Badlands is great).

 

[strapped for cash]

I have some ideas about what individual elements of it meant but was there any cohesive message?

Just to pick up on this (since I don't think we've said much at all about SS5+), if we accept that this is an example of surrealist filmmaking, should we expect coherence?

If we think, for instance, about early examples of surrealist cinema, notably Un Chien Andalou and L'Age d'Or, the former has no discernable narrative and the latter has at best a very loose narrative structure about obstacles to sexual union.

Should we be frustrated when narrative threads are less easy to follow and meanings are less explicit? To what extent are we conditioned to enjoy certain styles and conventions, associated with narrative cinema and continuity especially?

 

[BenLaw]

So we have:

LQV 6pts

IABW 3pts

S 3 pts

In order of preference:

LQV

S

IABW

Le Quattro Volte is potentially the most formally interesting choice, which is why I placed it top of my list. On the other hand, it might be too Malick for my tastes (I tend to think Malick is to existentialism as Airplane is to comedy, though Badlands is great).

So that's:

LQV 9pts

S 5pts

IABW 4pts

So IABW is out of the running. Can Mike and HO vote then we can get the next film?

 

[strapped for cash]

Are we done with Survive Style 5+, then?

Even if we're not interested in close textual reading, I think the discussion so far throws up all sorts of interesting questions about our relationship with film as an artistic medium, the nature of taste, and what we might want or expect from a film. (Subsets of these questions can be found above).

 

[BIGBERNARDBRESSLAW]

I don't think we're completely finished with SS5+, especially as Mike hasn't said anything other than to confirm that he has watched it.

I think it would be good to get the other film chosen, then we'll have a few more weeks to discuss SS5+ while we're seeking out copies of the new film.

I have become a little preoccupied with the very recent failure of my very expensive turntable, so how much time I'll have to discuss SS5+ inbetween repeatedly banging my head against a brick wall, I don't know.

 

[John Duncan]

Are we done with Survive Style 5+, then?

Even if we're not interested in close textual reading, I think the discussion so far throws up all sorts of interesting questions about our relationship with film as an artistic medium, the nature of taste, and what we might want or expect from a film. (Subsets of these questions can be found above).

No we're not. Though I think some of the things I still want to say on it stray more into the territory you mention here ("what we might want or expect from a film" especially).

 

[strapped for cash]

I have become a little preoccupied with the very recent failure of my very expensive turntable, so how much time I'll have to discuss SS5+ inbetween repeatedly banging my head against a brick wall, I don't know.

That's fair enough. You've got to have priorities. Sorry to hear about your turntable.

 

[BenLaw]

I don't think we're completely finished with SS5+, especially as Mike hasn't said anything other than to confirm that he has watched it.

I think it would be good to get the other film chosen, then we'll have a few more weeks to discuss SS5+ while we're seeking out copies of the new film.

I have become a little preoccupied with the very recent failure of my very expensive turntable, so how much time I'll have to discuss SS5+ inbetween repeatedly banging my head against a brick wall, I don't know.

Yikes, that sounds upsetting. Agree we're not done, also agree it would be nice to hear from Mike and more from HFO. The forum setting tends to avoid one problem with book club which is separate conversations starting up and having to shout over one another but still risks the discussion being conducted amongst a small number of the group. Plus I'm preferring to post something sensible when on a computer which, as discussed, is relatively infrequent.

I dont think I've seen a lot of surrealist cinema, certainly not the early stuff strapped mentions. Has anyone seen Holy Motors?

LQV is pretty much inevitable for the next choice but we need to get another vote in oke:

 

[strapped for cash]

I think some of the things I still want to say on it stray more into the territory you mention here ("what we might want or expect from a film" especially).

I'd be really interested to find out what people think.

 

[strapped for cash]

I dont think I've seen a lot of surrealist cinema, certainly not the early stuff strapped mentions.

Maybe I'll suggest these two films (available together on a BFI Blu-ray) when it's my turn. They're both relatively short; and I'm sure you can watch them online easily enough.

Another suggestion I had in mind is out of the question because the film's so difficult to get hold of, which is a shame. Anyway, I'm getting ahead of myself. It's not my turn yet...

 

[strapped for cash]

Has anyone seen Holy Motors?

I haven't, but strangely I find little opportunity to watch much new cinema.

On that note, the suggested films tend to be new. There's more than a century of cinema to mine and it'd be useful, I think, to anchor discussion of recent films in analysis of older, influential works. I know you have an interest in early cinema, Ben.

None of that means Holy Motors wouldn't be an interesting watch.

 

[BIGBERNARDBRESSLAW]

If you're jumping ahead of yourself, then I really am, but one of my next suggestions may well be a 60 year old film.

 

[Hi-FiOutlaw]

This 3 films are all good ones, i'll watch them all no doubt.

so...

ST 3

IABW 2

LQV 1

I like true stories, and The fact that the actors are not professional ones! I've try 3 times to watch IABW in 2011 and never did.

 

[BenLaw]

So

LQV 10pts

ST 8pts

IABW 6pts

So we need Mike to vote to see where we're at. Mike?

 

[BIGBERNARDBRESSLAW]

Ben

If you have a deciding vote (like I did), which film would you choose between the 2 front runners?

I need to get the film ordered asap, working away again next week.

 

[BenLaw]

JD, could you email Mike and get him to cast his vote? I don't want to influence things by saying which I'd pick unless it's absolutely necessary.

 

[expat_mike]

Sorry for the delay.

My choice is:

LQV 3 pts

IABT 2 pts

S 1 pt

 

[Hi-FiOutlaw]

So we have:

LQV 6pts

IABW 3pts

S 3 pts

Hadn't realised LQV had been on film4. I rented it and will need to buy a copy if it is voted for

I just double checked to see if I hadn't deleted it, but unfortunately, I did.

I recorded "The Third Man" from Film4 the other day though, never seen it, and also "Monsieur Lahzar", which was mentioned by HFO I think, so worth keeping in case it gets voted for in the future.

I've been spending too much on records recently, so have to be a bit tight with the films.

Yes, it will be in my nominations...

 

[Hi-FiOutlaw]

...and we have a winner...!

 

[expat_mike]

I have enjoyed reading everyones analyses of the film. On Wednesday night I started mentally analysing the film, but I never realised about the Freudian interpretation, until I read SFCs comments.

After my first viewing I thought that maybe the common thread was the changes in the characters lives. Then I read a review that said that the common thread was about acceptance:

1 - the man finally accepts that he has killed his wife

2 - the ad executive finally accepts that her ad ideas are crap

3 - the lad finally accepts that his father will always be a bird

4 - the one burglers acceptance that he is gay

But this gave no explanation regarding Vinnie Jones - he has changed, but what has he accepted? The only thing that I could think of was that someone could have no function in life.

I also have some questions about the filmcraft:

1 - After both viewings, I had the unanswered question - why did the man want to murder such a beautiful wife in the first place? Does anyone else think that it would have helped the film, to have a short introductory section explaining the murder (maybe them having a row, or whatever)?

2 - I could never understand why we needed to see the dancing rabbit in the hypnotism show - I do not think that the rabbit added anything to the film.

3 - Why did the ad executive need to have her moment of realisation that her ideas were crap, in such a sudden manner? If felt as though it was a forced sudden ending, because the budget had run out, or the director knew that the film was too long, or the writer had run out of ideas. All the other characters were allowed a gradual realisation of acceptance.

4 - I don't understand the closing portion with the murdered being flown around by the birdman. Is it an analogy for the murderer has committed suicide, and is being flown to heaven?

5 - I was puzzled by the schoolgirls in the cafe, talking about being injured by birds - what was that about?

6 - I also wondered if the murderer was intended to be the anti-hero, but that left the question about why then kill him at the end of the film.

Sorry that there are more questions here, than answers, but hopefully it will help continue the discussion.

 

[strapped for cash]

If you're jumping ahead of yourself, then I really am, but one of my next suggestions may well be a 60 year old film.

I'm now thinking "What films were released in 1953?" The answer is of course many, so we'll have to wait for your next round. (Perhaps you meant 1954, since it'll be 2014 when you next post suggestions.)

You should definitely watch The Third Man.