Here is a still from Terrence Malick’s Days of Heaven (1978). The whole movie looks like this. Go watch it.
All posts for the month May, 2012
Terrence Malick’s Days of Heaven
Posted by Ross Berman on May 8, 2012
https://cahiersoncinema.wordpress.com/2012/05/08/terrence-malicks-days-of-heaven/
Richard Linklater’s Slacker
Richard Linklater’s debut feature film Slacker, released in 1991, became something of a manifesto for Generation X (despite the fact that Linklater himself is a baby boomer).
The film, as is the case with a lot of Linklater’s work, has no real plot or characters. It is a series of vignettes of different residents of Austin, TX holding different intellectual discussions. In this regard, it is similar to his later work Waking Life (2001) (see my previous post), yet it differentiates itself by its mood. Slacker has a very playful, energetic feel to it. The different conversations are connected by space – that is, someone will leave one conversation and pick up another conversation with somebody walking by.
Other than that, there is no real link between the conversations. They range from philosophical meditations to political rants (not shying away from conspiracy theories either) to pop culture obsessions (one character attempts to sell an alleged pap smear from Madonna [the entertainer]). Placed together, the vignettes form a resonant impression of an unmotivated but intelligent generation. However, the film is not fettered by age – the spirit of the generation still echoes today, and probably echoes for anyone who was ever a bored 20-something.
Here is a trailer for the film: Slacker trailer
Posted by Ross Berman on May 7, 2012
https://cahiersoncinema.wordpress.com/2012/05/07/richard-linklaters-slacker-10/
Malick/Bernanke???
Are Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke and acclaimed American filmmaker Terrence Malick the same person? I can’t say for certain, but see for yourself! Perhaps this would explain what Malick has been doing with his decades worth of free time.
Posted by Ross Berman on May 7, 2012
https://cahiersoncinema.wordpress.com/2012/05/07/terrence-bernanke/
Stanley Kubrick’s Full Metal Jacket
I mentioned this film in passing in a previous post, but I feel it is a movie that deserves its own discussion. For many, this is their favorite Stanley Kubrick movie. I have had problems with it in the past, but after a recent rewatching I have found that I am more impressed with it now than I was previously.
Since 2001 (1968), Stanley Kubrick has broken almost all of his movies up into several distinct sections. In A Clockwork Orange (1971) there is the beginning section with Alex as a delinquent, followed by his stint in prison, and concluded with his time after being released. I have never taken issue with the fragmented nature of Kubrick’s storytelling, finding each section to complement the other ones, and never having a significant drop in quality. Full Metal Jacket (1987) is the exception to this statement.
The opening segment is phenomenal. It shows the process of a group going through marine bootcamp. Amongst the group is Pvt. Joker, who is the film’s main character-of sorts, and Pvt. Pyle, a fat, stupid layabout. Pvt. Pyle consistently makes mistakes and is unable to complete the physical demands imposed upon him by the strict drill instructor, who verbally and physically harrasses Pyle at every opportunity. After enduring months of abuse, Pyle finds his calling in riflery. The night before graduation, however, Pyle shoots the drill instructor with his rifle before shooting himself in the mouth. The film then cuts to Joker in Vietnam.
After this, the film takes a nose dive. The opening is a brilliant exploration of the dehumanizing effects of bootcamp, while the rest of the film struggles to find what it is it wants to say. After numerous forgettable interactions, Joker and his unit attempt to kill a sniper who is slowly picking them off.
Before this, however, Kubrick flirts with different ideas. Joker is originally deployed to Vietnam as a photographer, which allows him to critique the media’s representation on the Vietnam war. However, Kubrick quickly drops this promising concept. This prevents Full Metal Jacket from reaching its full potential as a great movie.
Posted by Ross Berman on May 6, 2012
https://cahiersoncinema.wordpress.com/2012/05/06/stanley-kubricks-full-metal-jacket/
Terrence Malick’s The Thin Red Line
In his career lasting over four decades, Terrence Malick has directed five feature length films. He released his debut film, Badlands, in 1973 to great acclaim before releasing what some consider his magnum opus, Days of Heaven (1978). He then disappeared from the film scene for 20 years until releasing The Thin Red Line in 1998. Since then, he has directed two more films, the temperately received The New World (2005) and the phenomenal (in my opinion, at least) The Tree of Life (2011).
I had only seen Days of Heaven and The Tree of Life prior to watching The Thin Red Line, but they were two movies I had immense respect for. I found The Thin Red Line to not only continue but to increase my admiration for the elusive Malick. Within his works, Malick has created a style that allows his films to speak on a different level than most films. As opposed to using a traditional narrative style, Malick instead waxes philosophical, utilizing long takes showing beautiful images of nature, while a voiceover takes the viewer through a philosophical meditation on man’s meaning and place in the universe.
The Thin Red Line continues Malick’s exploration of ordinary characters dealing with the struggles of life. There is no true main character in the movie, as Malick uses an ensemble cast for his story. However, Malick expertly weaves through his cast, showing the characters within the warzone they inhabit before quietly retreating into their minds for them to deliver Malick’s trademark voiceovers. One of the film’s main concerns is man’s identity – as he steps into foreign lands, slaughtering strangers in the name of abstract concepts, how different is he from the combatants? Perhaps, as one characters remarks, all men have one soul that they share, that all faces are faces of the same man. During the voiceovers, all of the actors speak in a calm, meditative voice, creating a similarity between the speakers. The speaker is identified through camerawork, yet sometimes Malick doesn’t carefully define who is speaking, creating the impression that perhaps they all truly are the same person.
Malick is one of the great filmmakers alive today. He has surprisingly announced two upcoming films, generating much excitement within the film world.
Posted by Ross Berman on May 5, 2012
https://cahiersoncinema.wordpress.com/2012/05/05/terrence-malicks-the-thin-red-line/
Maryland Film Festival Podcast
Here is a podcast I made reporting on the upcoming Maryland Film Festival happening in Baltimore! Check it out!
Posted by Ross Berman on May 1, 2012
https://cahiersoncinema.wordpress.com/2012/05/01/maryland-film-festival-podcast-2/
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