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nalle_bjorn
Reviews
The Man Who Wasn't There (2001)
Not as original as one would wish
Before I used to be annoyed at critics accusing the Coen brothers of just making flashy pastiches, and saying nothing. But with their two last movies, I have started to agree. Yes, 'Man who wasn't there' is beautifully filmed and Billy Bob is great. And sure, the plot is not insignificant: although to me it was a rip-off on the famous novel 'The Stranger' by Camus, depicting absurdity and cruelty in everyday life. Not some gangster environment, like the classic film noir, from which it borrows its form. But the movie doesn't feel as original as it should, perhaps because the brothers are distancing themselves too much from the story and borrowing too much. I never did like Camus too much either.
Der Krieger und die Kaiserin (2000)
I forgive him the ending
I liked this movie, although it certainly had some flaws. Its major achievements was that it was very unpredictable plotwise. I like it when people don't act rationally in movies. Also two sequences, where Sissi gets hit by a truck, and a bank robbery, stand out for their quiet despair. Beautifully done. The movie was full of little cinematic tricks, almost to the point of being annoying, but Tykwer pulls it off in my opinion. I was so impressed by the good bits I hardly noticed how crappy the ending was...
Banshun (1949)
Interesting but not quite accomplished
My first view of an Ozu film, and it is clear he was a very talented director. I liked how the movie was mainly shot from a 'sitting position', something you can also see with Mikio Naruse. Also, the themes of family ties, loyalty and tradition were nicely explored, with good performances by the actors. But even though the slow tempo certainly fills a function, I also thought the director lingered a little too long on sequences sometimes, especially towards the end. While there were some very emotionally strong scenes, they were broken up by what felt a little like filler. I think perhaps it was therefore that I was not really able to sympathise with the characters. Perhaps this was not the director's intention either (he certainly seemed to work against it by having the lead actress smile so sheepishly 80 per cent of the time, even while she was in the dark!), but to me it seems that there weren't enough poetic moments and interesting ideas to fully make up for this lack of emotional involvement. And that dragged the movie down a bit for me.
Koroshi (2000)
cold and beautiful
Set in freezing Japanese winter, Koroshi (=killing/film noir in Japanese) is a quite typically Japanese movie, first and foremost inspired by Melville and to a lesser extent by fellow countryman Takeshi Kitano.
The main character is a normal Japanese worker who is now unemployed - a fact he hides from his wife by spending his day at a gambling hall and making "salary payments" to himself. One day he is contacted by a mystery man who offers him a job as a contract killer. The job is easy, just shoot at the neck, never look in the eyes. And then: run. The man accepts this and soon finds new meaning and joy in life...
The movie is absurd, and a thoroughly original take on the morale in Japanese society. The images are beautiful, and the people are as cold as the snow that surrounds them. The take on Melville's "Samoraï" from -67 is obvious, but Kobayashi turns the image around and portrays the killer as the weakest person in the movie - haunted by his demanding wife and the moaning contractor, who is one of the most mysterious characters ever portrayed in a movie.
Perhaps the sound is the most masterful feature of this film. The humming of the wind power stations and the creaking sound of snow under boots leaves you chilled and muted. I left 'Koroshi' freezing, but I can't wait to get back in.