Change Your Image
Jules-81
Reviews
The Tree of Life (2011)
What the dinosaurs mean...
The encounter between the dinosaurs is one of the most beautifully crafted (I almost said "acted") portions of cinema I have ever witnessed. - It depicts the emergence of Mercy in a brutal world - The foot movements of the predator betray pity, and we see the first awkward merciful decision stumbling into being in a still-young creation; a saurian forerunner of the Christ. ...and the rest of the movie is a mind-blowing masterpiece, by the way; I just wanted to offer this thought to anyone who felt baffled by that particular set-piece. Interpret and enjoy for yourself, please. I think I may track down the sources of the music Malik used as well; even if you have no interest in "understanding" the themes of the film, it is, even at the most superficial level, achingly beautiful sound and image.
Breaking the Waves (1996)
So beautiful it must be watched: but beware; the viewer, too, is painfully violated.
This movie is searingly authentic, and I speak as someone who grew up in a Brethren "meeting" in 70's Scotland, who lives on a remote part of the coast and works on a North Sea oil rig! The performance of Bess is beyond praise, the cinematography is ravishing..... it has all been said. B the W is without doubt one of the great movies. The question is - why was it made? Why did the director conceive of such a painful story, and inflict it on the world? The story has the clarity of a fable; you can see where it is going, but you really do not want to go there. I watched it in private while offshore; tearful, helpless. And at the end, I did not know whether to bless or to curse the makers. I think it may, just, have been a positive experience, in that Bess's radiantly pure love was uplifting in a Christ-like way.
Minor notes - the elder of the church crushing his glass: brilliant! These people still exist, by the way, and theirs is a valid path which outsiders should not be too glib in criticising. The movie's only flaw - the bells..... The fable would have been all the stronger for avoiding any supernatural references. True religion and true love do not require miracles.
Salon Kitty (1976)
Smart and opulent 70's Euro-smut; a visual feast but unengaging.
I first saw Salon Kitty in a provincial Scottish cinema with my school pals; nudity was the attraction, and "X" was the certificate. UK Channel 4 recently screened it during their "Censored Weekend" and, as a middle-aged man no longer completely mesmerised by the (considerable) display of rosebud nipples, I was able to enjoy the extraordinary sets and costumes, the operatic staging (production designer Ken Adams - a man of many credits) and the convincing performances of Helmut Berger as the self-intoxicated, onanistic, ruthless, cynical swine who makes the mistake of abusing the indomitable Madame Kitty (Ingrid Thulin - accomplished cabaret turns and remarkable legs for her age).
Many interesting things are hinted at but not explored, such as the contest between the Nazi/Nietzschean will to power and the subtle strengths of womankind. Many things are inserted for gratuitous sensation (the schoolboy was appreciative!). The film is what it is - European soft porn, an exploitative caricature of history, but well done the makers for giving their smut such a visually memorable vehicle. It was too much to ask for a truly engaging drama as well.