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pgregorjones
Reviews
Mozart - Aufzeichnungen einer Jugend (1976)
Brooding, sweeping requiem
As part of the 250th anniversary of WA Mozart's birth, this film was shown at the Boulder Public Library, Colorado, USA. It is a period piece B&W epic of the German New Wave. Released a year after Effi Briest, it has many thematic and cinematic similarities to Fassbinder's masterpiece. Long slow, camera sweeps and richly detailed frames of nature, art, architecture, clothing and food form a picture of a society in it's final days of glory as the national transformation of Europe was about to begin. The analogy to contemporary Germany and it's traditions is easily seen. Many young artists of the day (1970's) were trying to re-define their identity in the wake of the Nazi legacy of their fathers yet maintain the respect and tradition of their long and rich history. So too was Wolfgang divided with a love/hate relationship to Leopold and the social traditions and constraints of his day. The film depicts Mozart's childhood as a study in parental exploitation, but gives a level understanding of Leopold and his reasoning. Each is a product of their respective environments and must be viewed with that understanding. Not to get too deeply entrenched WA Mozart's psychological development (or lack thereof),or musical comparisons, I can only see a similarity to the exploited childhood musical talent of Michael Jackson and his current state of affairs.
Wonderful Days (2003)
excellent homage to American action movies
Never mind the graphics (which at times is both dis-jointed and stunning), the flat characters and bad dialog or the predictable plot, the film is an homage to American action movies. It's all a tribute to Clint, Arnie, Spaghetti Westerns, Thunderbirds, Mad Max and bad 70's movies. The scene where the hero's head rises from the water is right out of Apocalypse Now. I thought at any time he'd say "Make my day". the English language edition is masterfully done. Many Christian overtones are also present also bringing in a large part of modern Korean and global society. I understand the budget and box office sales for this movie were huge. Although it seems quite amateur, I'm sure that was the intention. Certainly worth viewing again under a magnified, slow motion.
Borneo (1937)
humorous and disturbing
A very good depression-era propaganda film disguised as an anthropological and natural study which lies somewhere between King Kong and a Margaret Mead journal. As Mr & Mrs. Johnson travel upland and upriver they encounter flying snakes, various simians and apes, climbing fish, tree oysters and indolent natives. A scientist with a fake German accent gives explanations. Assumed to be filmed on location, the natives converse in rehearsed, broken English and are dressed according to Christian decency. Lowell Thomas' narration is quite humorous at first until the real reason for their expedition is divulged. The film culminates in the American management of the capture of a 300lb. orang-utan (literally meaning the "wild-man of the jungle") who will live the rest of his life in "some American city zoo lazily eating bananas". The scene is powerful and disturbing.