Movie journey with Mr Minio

[Mr Minio]

Sooner or later it had to be done. The fact why I've chosen sooner is completely irrelevant. Well, you wouldn't care anyway. Inspired by numerous lists on this forum I decided to create my own. The main goal is to get a lot of... ekhm, expand other people's tastes and present my own views on cinema as well. This will not be an ordinary journey, though. On our way, we shall transcend time, genres and geographical difficulties freely crossing the borders between old and new, rich and austere and so on. That's a never-ending story, but we can't be sure how long we could be forced to stay. Intervals are something we need to fully comprehend the things we've seen on our way. But enough talk. Fasten your seatbelts, embrace your buttcheeks and prepare yourself for a movie journey with Mr Minio!

Oh, and one more word. It's gonna be long, so if you don't like reading, well... I've added some photos especially for you!

Part 1 - USSR & Russia

Our story begins in Russia. A motherland of Tzars, bolsheviks and many glorious directors. Not a good comparison I'd say. I shouldn't have put these 3 in one sentence. Anyway, USSR cinema greatly differs from later Russian cinema. It often shows brave Russian soldiers struggling and fighting with the enemy to defend their homeland. It may be seen as propaganda, but as for me most of these films don't really differ from American war movies. In both the soldiers deliver sobby claims saying they believe they've died for their country etc. The only disadvantage I find in films of this period is they usually depict Russia as a country of wealth and prosperity, but it's not a big problem when you're watching an absorbing film.

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Since, more or less, I've been talking about Soviet war films, I'd like to focus on that topic in the first place. And the best place to start I believe is Come and See by Elem Klimow. It's one of the most violent films I've ever seen. However, its violence is not represented by a big amount of blood and guts seen on the screen. Yeah, some scenes are really disturbing, but it's more of a psychological drama, in which the atrocities of war are shown through the psyche of a young boy. There's no need to give a short synopsis, as I believe even a short summary may be a spoiler. Just watch it so we can continue. No, really? Nope. I'll already start with another film, but reading this small guide and watching the movies simultaneously would be a nice experience, wouldn't it? If you only have some patience... My rating: 4.5

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If you're still interested in brutal Soviet film that depicts war, you don't have to look too far. Klimow's wife Larisa Sheptiko made a movie called The Ascent, which I believe is a perfect choice after Come and See. It's harsh and austere but deals with quite different topic. Also it features a great actor Anatoli Solonitsyn you may know from Tarkovsky movies. My rating: 4

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Being tired or frightened of previous films, you probably would like to see something different. And here comes At Dawn It's Quiet Here. A film that delivers some lightness. The director didn't forget it's a war film, though, so we've got a lot of firing and even some knife fights. Besides one guy, who looks like typical kolkhoznik, the cast is filled with nice ladies, so it's always delightful to watch them and there's a scene of them taking a bath. Was it enough to recommend the movie? I know it was you kinky little thing, you! My rating: 4

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The first Tarkovsky full-length film, Ivan's Childhood, was one big annoucement of his later works. The poetry oozing from the screen and long nicely-composed shots have later become his trademarks. Even though, I believe that one should watch Stalker first, when starting with Tarkovsky, watching Ivan's Childhood may be a great experiment considering the fact it's the simplest and the most accessible of his works. My rating: 4

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The Cranes Are Flying is a really powerful melodrama with some impressive cinematography and acting. It shows how cruel war can be. Some shots are very long and it's fun to watch the camera following the character, be it in a crowd of people, or in the staircase. The ending is incredibly moving as well. I can't remember any bath scenes, but this (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3U9ceWpqyMk) should do. Now I only have to watch I am Cuba. My rating: 4

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Fate of a Man directed by Sergey Bondarchuk, who also played the protagonist is another great and harsh drama about war. Bondarchuk gives an outstanding performance and empties a mug of vodka in one of the best scenes in the movie. Waterloo is another director's masterpiece and it also deals with a war. More precisely it's about Waterloo Battle, so it's really worth to see if you're an history buff like me. My rating: 4

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Ballad of a Soldier is another great Soviet melodrama. It made me cry several times throughout the film. The director introduces the characters in a way it's hard to don't sympathize with them. My rating: 4.5

Few observations:
1. It wasn't as long as I expected.
2. It wasn't as good as I expected.
3. I am as demanding as I expected.
4. Damn, it takes a lot of time.
5. More people outta here should watch Soviet/Russian films!

To be continued in part II where we will look into more sophisticated side of Russian cinema.

[TokeZa]

Im really looking forward to this thread and very nice post to start of with!

So far I have seen Come and See (4.5), The Ascent (4.5) and Ivans Childhood (4), all of those are great movies and among my top war movies.

The Cranes are Flying is on my watchlist. The rest i haven't heard about, but will definitely look them up.

I hope Lopushansky and Sokurov is going to show up somewhere :)

Anyway keep up the good work!

[jiraffejustin]

I'll definitely be following this thread. I don't think I've seen a Soviet/Russian film yet, but Come and See has been on my watchlist for a long time.

[mark f]

I've seen them all, except Fate is a Man, and I've only seen the edited version of And Quiet Flows the Dawn. The Bondarchuk film is at the top of my queue, I own his War and Peace and I saw Waterloo at the theatre when it came out. I'd recommend all your films to everyone too.

EDIT - Oops! I haven't seen The Dawns Here Are Quiet. :o

[Gabrielle947]

Great thread! I'm guessing that from all your journey I will be unfamiliar with most of the films but it will help to choose what to watch later. ;)

I've seen only a small amount of USSR films but I always feel that I understand them better than any other country cinema.No matter how surreal or harsh,they always seem familiar but that's because my country has nearly the same culture as Russian.

From these films I've seen Come And See and Ivan's Childhood,they both left me a strange impression.I've seen Waterloo,I liked it so maybe I will check out Fate Of a Man. ;)

[Guaporense]

Ivan's Childhood 4
Come and See 0_5 (entertainment value rating 3_5)

I have a certain ideological problem with Come and See.

Ivan's Childhood is Tarkovsky's worst movie but still better than over 90% of all other movies. Tarkovsky didn't have full creative control of Ivan's Childhood, so it isn't a 100% Tarkovsky film in fact.

[Guaporense]

5. More people outta here should watch Soviet/Russian films!

Indeed, when most people think of non-English movies they think of Western European movies. People should also watch more Indian, Chinese, Russian and Japanese films as well, these four countries combined have produced many more films than Hollywood.

[donniedarko]

Just one thing about Soviet cinema a cool cartoon Junior and Karlson, it's for kids, and I'm not sure if there's a subtitled version out there, but that's pretty much the cartoon I grew up on. Also Battleship Potemkin is a phenomenal film, not sure if this will be mentioned during the more sophisticated side. Love the idea, subscribed.

[Mr Minio]

I hope Lopushansky and Sokurov is going to show up somewhere Lopushansky will show up for sure. Not sure what to do with Sokurow as I've seen only one film directed by him. Probably will see more and he will return in some kind of annex or supplement list.

Guaporense, I tried to discuss your rating in another thread (critically acclaimed films you hated or something like that) but can't remember whether you answered.

People should also watch more Indian, Chinese, and Japanese A lot of films from these countries will show up later. Especially from Japan. Not too much from India, though.

a cool cartoon Junior and Karlson Haven't seen it, but animations will have their spot too as well.

Also Battleship Potemkin is a phenomenal film, not sure if this will be mentioned during the more sophisticated side. Not only this but also some other Eisenstein films! There's a lot to come!

[Harry Lime]

these four countries combined have produced many more films than Hollywood.
Maybe that's because they are four countries combined.

annex or supplement list.
What's an annex list?

[Mr Minio]

What's an annex list?

I meant annex or supplement list not annex list or supplement list. ;)

[Mr Minio]

Part 2 - USSR & Russia - continued

This time as I've said we will take a look into more sophisticated side of Russian cinema. When talking about the subject, it's hard not to mention Andrei Tarkovsky, who I believe is the most known and praised director hailing from the biggest country in the world. Although his last two films were produced outside USSR, one could see his yearning for motherland. He had to leave the country, but he stayed there forever with his spirit.

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Andrey Rublyov played by Anatoli Solonitsyn.

After Ivan's Childhood, Tarkovsky directed Andrey Rublyov, which tells the story of famous Russian icon maker. It's set in Medieval Russia - the time of Tatars invasions, peasant rebellions and famine. After that he directed Solaris - an adaptation of a book written by Polish sci-fi writer Stanisław Lem. The writer wasn't satisfied with the final outcome, but Tarkovsky didn't seem to give a damn. I mean, look at the writers. They are never satisfied with the screenings of their works. Let's take Stephen King and Kubrick for instance. Anyway, the main plea of Lem, who was an atheist, was that Tarkovsky added some religious themes into the story. After Solaris Tarkovsky has released arguably his most poetic and ambitious film.

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Good God! Look at the composition of this shot from The Mirror.

The Mirror is a really complicated film with a structure similar to a dream. Anyway, there's an anecdote saying that after a screening of the film in one of the cinemas a group of movie critics and experts stays for a while to share their thoughts, but they don't seem to find the point of the film, so they just keep talking about it. It's getting late, so the cleaning lady shows up, notices the conversation and joins the talk. She claims she understood the movie and gives her simple and quick explanation surprising all the critics. Tarkovsky who still has been in the cinema was asked to comment woman's interpretation. He said he has nothing to add. Cool story, eh? You don't have to be a nobleman to watch ambitious films and seek a real art in the movies.

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Three fellows walk on the meadows and in the ruins for 2 hours.

By the end of the seventies, Tarkovsky being at the peak of his artistic powers released his most known film. Stalker, an interpretation of Roadside Picnic by Strugatsky Brothers. It's a very special movie, which combines the great themes of the book, spices them up with philosophical mantle and adds an outstanding cinematography. Georgi Rerberg did a great job in both The Mirror and Stalker. It's the use of something I call intelligent camera I love in these films. At the beginning of the movie there's a shot of people lying on the bed. The camera observes them and then respectfully moves back through the door frame. Not to mention the great takes on the railway. The car vanishes, the camera records something else, and then the car appears again. It's hard to write about it. One has to see it to fully appreciate it.Just watch it.

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The man walking back and forth for 2 minutes with the candle in his hands.

Next, there comes Nostalghia. The movie made in Italy, far from Tarkovsky's home. The fact it's not in Russia does not stop the director from creating another masterpiece. The technical side, as always, is just breathtaking. The story once again - poetic and engimatic. The last Tarkovsky film - The Sacrifice - was kind of Bergman-like. And it shouldn't be too surprising considering the fact it was made in Bergman's country, with Bergman's cinematographer, Sven Nykvist(another genius), and with one of Bergman's actors - Erland Josephson. The film is considered to be Tarkovsky's artistic testament. There's a scene in the film where they have to destroy an enormous "decoration"(don't want to spoil too much), but when recording they screwed something up so they had to rebuild the decoration and record it again. The shot we're talking about lasts for a few minutes. Here's the end of the great Tarkovsky, who died in 1986 leaving seven masterpieces. It's interesting how many directors made some kind of a tribute to his works - be it as a subtitle at the end of their film, or evident reference.

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Nice panorama in The Banishment.

The references in general are seen in the works of contemporary Russian director Andrey Zvyagintsev, who even included a scene very similar to the one from Stalker in his second film The Banishment. He made 3 full-length films, 2 of which I consider masterpieces. The Return and The Banishment are outstanding pieces of art and proofs that contemporary Russian cinema is one of the best in the world.

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Do I really have to comment this picture? Really? Elena.

The Return was the first film Zvyagintsev ever directed... damn, the way these names are spelt in an English way is horrible. In a Polish way it's spelt Zwiagincew which is far more similar to the way it's actually pronounced in Russian, but well, we are both Slavic nations. Anyway, The Return has immediately given Zwja..Zvy...Zvia.. HIM a great recognition among the fans of arthouse. He was called the second Tarkovsky and was believed to be his spiritual successor. It's pretty rare to make a debut an instant masterpiece. Look at Kubrick for instance. Or Bergman. They started making decent movies and got their mastery after few films. He got it instantly. After he announced he's working on the second movie many people didn't believe he can repeat the success of his debut. Some people were disappointed, but The Banishment was appreciated among the critics. It got Palme d'Or for the best actor for Konstantin Lavronenko. I'd say the second film of Zvyagintsev is even more mystical than the first one. Maybe it's the minimalistic music of Arvo Pärt, or the terrific cinematography of Mikhail Krichman. Hard to say. Director's last film up to date - Elena - is quite worse than the rest. It's also quite different in style, so I wouldn't call it inferior. Just unlike the other two. It's a great film, anyway.

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The first Zvyagintsev film that granted him recognition.

Contemporary Russian cinema is full of young directors, who didn't make too much films. However, the quality of these flicks is astonishing. Let's take Ivan Vyrypayev for instance. His film Euforia was one of the strongest film experiences I've ever had. A combination of glorious cinematography, magnificent music and compelling yet pretty simple story gives a mesmerizing effect. The feeling I got from this film is indescribable. Vyrypayev's second film - Oxygen - is so different I'd say it's almost an reverse of Euforia. Oxygen, built of several hip-hop songs(!!!) transfers so much contents it's hard to keep up with it. Damn it, I can't spoiler, so I can't write anything more, therefore I can't write a moral. But wait, there's this spoiler thingy... Read on your own risk:
Later the characters find out that all this talking was but a mumbling and the silence is the real answer to everything. Nope, the last part I made up. Anyway, it's some sort of that.
I really enjoyed Oxygen and I DON'T EVEN LIKE HIP-HOP. Loved the cinematography, especially the shots in the swimming pool. Profound experience.

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I want these sneakers! Girl where'd ya soiled your dress? Euforia

We continue our long journey, wait... I am tired. Gotta fix me some sandwiches and you have to wait. Gonna be right back. Oh, I thought that I might fetch you some screens so you don't get bored. KTHXBAI.

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That's a nice tree. The Sacrifice.

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That's an awkward situation in Solaris.

...

...

...

I am back, so we can continue. Yuri Bykov - Zhit. And we've got very similar situation. Only one film. Great cinematography. Wise story. And for all the action film lovers, it's an action movie. A lot of shooting, but in an arthouse style. I haven't seen anything like that, or just don't remember right now. My rating: 4.5

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Let's shoot some MoFos! Zhit.

Oh, and if anyone's interested, I rate all Tarkovsky films above 4.5. Two Zvyaginntsev films 4.5. Elena I rate 4. Euforia I rate 4.5. Oxygen I'm not sure how to rate.

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Wow! Isn't Syberia beautiful? Siberia, Mon Amour.

Another impressive film is Siberia, Mon Amour by Slava Ross. It feels like Russian Amores Perros, only better. It's really interesting how many great movies Russians produced over last 20 years. 4.5

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Aren't you a bit lonely outta here? How I Ended This summer.

Here come another great flicks:
-Silent Souls - 4
-How I Ended This Summer - 4
-Yuri's Day - 4
-Russian Ark - 4

You can classify them all as arthouse cinema.

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Due to the disturbing content of most Cargo 200 screens I decided to post a picture of kittens instead. Sincerely, Mr Minio.

Some of the films I've described before were quite disturbing and violent to some extent. They had its brutal scenes, but it's nothing compared to the movie Cargo 200. You see, in the times of Soviet Union, directors couldn't present their country's flaws, so they've been showing all the people being happy and stuff. Given that, all the bad things were secretly concealed. After the fall of USSR, Russian directors began to show all the atrocities of living in USSR. Many films present the misery of the people, but Cargo 200 does it in the most horrific way. It shows the pathology at its worst. I don't really want to spoil too much, but the things you can see in this film could be really shocking to some audiences. My rating: 4

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Are you sure you know how to use it, madam?

Russians are really fond of their art. Especially the writers like Dostoyevsky. His book Crime and Punishment is known worldwide, so it shouldn't be very surprising it's been moved to the silver screen many times. The 1970 adaptation directed by Lev Kulidzhanov is my favourite. Even though, some parts of the plot have been omitted (religious elements and my favourite part of the book - the ending) it's still a well-made adaptation with great acting and scenery. 4

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Oh come on, what's all the fuss about? I'm sure it's possible to repair these glasses!

When talking about Russian cinema one shouldn't forget about two names. Tarkovsky and Eisenstein. The Battleship Potemkin is arguably the greatest masterpiece of Sergei Eisenstein. This silent film from 1925 manages to work like very few silent films. It can absorb the people that don't even like silent cinema, so if you're getting it started with the beginnings of the film, I'd recommend watching either Potemkin or Dreyer's Joan of Arc, of which I shall write more... sooner or later. The movie affects the viewer so much thanks to the perfect montage of the scenes. Remember, it was in 1925 when a montage was a horrible chore. However, they managed to link the takes perfectly. The most known part of the film, Odessa stairway scene, belongs to one of my favourite silent movie era scenes. The way the stroller moves down on the stairs... Great. My rating: 4.5

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Revolution was quite bloody I'd say. Ten Days That Shook the World.

If The Battleship Potemkin is not enough for you, you can also watch Ten Days That Shook the World and Alexander Nevsky. Both of them have some great scenes like the thin ice and horse on or rather off the bridge (trying to omit the spoilers).

It's the end of our journey. For now.

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See ya!

To be continued in part III where we shall discover the cinema of Lopushansky, Russian animation and way, way more!

ndescribable

[seanc]

Really enjoy the way you are doing this thread. I probably wont be adding much because I probably will not have seen much. I think you will be loading up my watchlist however and want you to know the time you are obviously going to put into this is appreciated.

[The Gunslinger45]

Well this should be a very interesting thread as I continue my expansion of cinematic tastes. And you have me interested in this movie Zhit, which is good since the only Soviet film I have seen is Battleship Potemkin. Looking forward to the Japanese film review as well.

[Mr Minio]

Zhit is a contemporary Russian film from 2010. Just in case you'd thought it's an old Soviet film. ;)

[The Gunslinger45]

I just wanted to see Zhit from what you described. Lol but I still want to watch more old films from the Soviet era too.

[Tyler1]

Added Crime and Punishment (1970) to my "to-watch" list.

[mark f]

Awesome post! The Return affected me more than any Tarkovsky has, but I don't find it a "masterpiece" Ask Harry Lime, I'm a prejudiced, unwashed heathen. I still think viewers should watch all the films for themselves since there's a lot of beautiful imagery and deep philosophy to be found,

[jiraffejustin]

Can't wait for the Soviet animation portion, I've seen Hedgehog in the Fog and it's awesome.

This is seriously becoming one of my favorite threads! It also has me thinking about the possibility of doing a MoFo non-english language countdown thing if enough people were interested.

[Harry Lime]

To be continued in part III where we shall discover the cinema of Lopushansky, Russian animation and way, way more!
Yeah, Russian animation is great. I posted a short or two here before (Tale of Tales and another I think) but I'm sure nobody watched it. And surely you don't want to leave out early masters such as Vertov, Dovzhenko, Pudovkin - Eisenstein wasn't the only one working back in the pre-war days of the Soviet Union. Also, since you seem keen on Russian film have you heard of, or seen, Aleksei German's films? If not check his films out. He died recently, but he has one last film being released this year after 10+ years of complacency. He's almost like the Russian Malick in that sense.

Ask Harry Lime, I'm a prejudiced, unwashed heathen.
It's true.

[Mr Minio]

And surely you don't want to leave out early masters such as Vertov, Dovzhenko, Pudovkin Part 3 will be the last part from Russia. The last but not the least. After we explore some other countries, we will get back to Russia. ;)

have you heard of, or seen, Aleksei German's films? Sure I've heard about him, but didn't see any of his films. I've got some on my watchlist, though.

[jiraffejustin]

Mr Minio, I like how interesting this thread has been and I think you could provide some interesting selections to our Hall of Fame. What do you think about joining up?

Edit: The last spots have just been filled, but you should definitely sign up for the next round. We could use some European flavor.

[Mr Minio]

I don't think I'd join anyway. Lately, I haven't got too much time and I've got this thread to take care of.

[jiraffejustin]

I don't think I'd join anyway. Lately, I haven't got too much time and I've got this thread to take care of.

Fair enough. I wouldn't want this thread being derailed. Keep up the good work. :up:

[The Gunslinger45]

This thread must continue...

[Mr Minio]

It will.
I just finished my final exams and have some spare time. Going to watch more films and listen to more music, but will try to add the next part in a few days as well.

[Tyler1]

Thanks to this thread, I saw Crime and Punishment (1970). For those still hesitant, don't be - it is a wonderful film.

[Mr Minio]

Part 3 - USSR & Russia

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In his masterpiece Tarkovsky adapted the famous novel of Strugatsky brothers. Back then Konstantin Lopushansky worked as a production assistant. Thanks to this he gained the filmmaking experience and inspiration to create his own films. The first one, Solo, is but a thirty minutes long short shot in black and white. I wouldn't say it's a must see, but it could be an interesting addition if you have seen all his full-length movies. It's very austere and quirky thus really unappealing for people not knowing Lopushnsky's other works. Six years later Letters from a Dead Man was released. In his best known film up to date, which is often regarded as his magnum opus, Lopushansky managed to conceptualize some ideas he used in the short. It's hard not to notice Tarkovsky inspirations as the film features very limited colour palette interestingly similar to Stalker's bleaker parts at the beginning of the film. It's pretty bleak, austere and almost hopeless being an considerable improvement in relation to the short. It's said to be the greatest Soviet sci-fi film on par with Stalker and/or Solaris.

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One could think that after he has released his masterpiece, Lopushansky wouldn't have anything more to say. Surprisingly enough, only three years after, his sophomore film had its premiere. Visitor of a Museum seems to be even gloomier, almost mournful in its moments, religious in content, being even more Tarkovsky alike. Audience being used to simple formulas found it strangely equivocating and therefore the film didn't get too much praise. However, in my opinion it's even better than Letters from a Dead Man. The man being some kind of a messiah or seer to a group of handicapped fellows climbing up the mountain, struggling to reach the Absolute should be an image as known as the shower murder in Hitchcock's Psycho or the airport scene in Casablanca. It's so iconic yet having this metaphysical vibe to it. The film is worth seeing just for this one scene, but it's far more than that. Seeing the obscure, dingy, dilapidated world portrayed in Visitor of a Museum is an unforgettable experience, including the final shot with a post-apocalyptic landscape and a man walking away, quickly blending into panorama, which portrays nothing more but death. It's still, unmoving and the only living thing are these crows flying above being a harbringer of the end of the world.

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Moving to the next film, Russian Symphony. Lopushansky didn't change too much and kept the theme he feels the best with - post-apocalyptic. Being not too different in style compared to two previous films, Russian Symphony still uses the colouring tricks, bleak atmosphere and iconic, metaphysical metaphors such as a pilgrimage, the most interesting protagonist comparing himself to the greats of Russian literature trying to give a speech, which results in some sort of Dies Irae and masterful ending being a penance or atonement. Another great masterpiece.

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After three masterpieces, Lopushansky made another film called The End of Century being completely antagonistic to anything he has ever done. It's probably a family drama. I couldn't find it anywhere and we can forget about English subtitles. In his last film, The Ugly Swans, Lopushansky returns to his favourite genre creating another post-apocalyptic gem, once again including every trick, he has done before, yet not being recurrent or repetitive.

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Unfortunately, Lopushansky never got adequate public praise and has been criticized for the seriousness of his works lacking humour and lighter moments thereupon not being "fancy" for mainstream audience. In spite of that I think that all his films are a must-see for either a post-apocalyptic theme lovers, arthouse film lovers, or Tarkovsky lovers. Being aware of the variety of the themes of his films I dare to say he's equal to Tarkovsky in metaphysical filmmaking. The later one was more diverse, but I've got pretty similar feeling from the films of both these geniuses.

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Thanks to Harry Lime I watched Check-up On the Roads and found it to be a great film. I'd like to thank you, Harry. Would love to watch more of German films, but they aren't that easy to find. Great filmmaking.

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Now moving to Russian animation, I'd just like to point I don't feel like I know too much about it, or about the animation in general, but I just wanted to introduce my two favourite animators. The first one, Yuriy Norshteyn, created his first film in 1968 and then made another two in 1969 and 1971. Although stylistically faultless, they didn't enchant me as his later films. Worth seeing, but after the newer ones. With The Fox and the Hare Norshteyn began creating child tales with very wise moral. Altough rather simplistic, they make adults cry and are proper for people of any age. He continues this formula in The Heron and the Crane and completely gorgeous Hedgehog in the Fog.

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However, he reached his artistic peak with flawless masterpiece Tale of Tales. It combines top-notch animation and fairytale aesthetics with metaphorical naturalism, giving an outstanding results and it's still suitable for both kids and adults. The first group should like the beautiful visuals and characters, such as a small wolf (look at the picture, isn't he cute?), while the second enjoying the complexity rich of symbolism and many ways of interpretation.

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Aleksandr Petrov, another Russian animator created shorts such as The Cow, Mermaid, Oscar-winning Old Man and the Sea and My Love, of which all are worth seeing due to their undeniable visual mastery. But it's The Dream of a Ridiculous Man, which adds more substance, creating a very emotive and philosophical Dostoyevsky-adapted story, full of symbolism, including some Biblical metaphors, some of which I still don't get.

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Besides these two masters, there are films like The Cameraman's Revenge, made by a Pole, but in 1912 (!) when Poland was still annaxeted by Prusia, Austro-Hungary and Russia and thus treated as Russian film. It's truly incredible they managed to create such film about 100 years ago!

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Another thought-provoking, or just plain enjoyable shorts include:
Cheburashka (1972)
Island (1973)
Budet laskovyy dozhd (1984)

The last one being a hidden gem, truly great short animation with post-apocalyptic theme to it.

That's it folks!

... to be continued (?)

[The Gunslinger45]

You had me sold on post apocalyptic themes...

[jiraffejustin]

This thread is so awesome.

[Mr Minio]

I'm glad you enjoy it and provide positive feedback. It motivates me to continue this thread.

[Gabrielle947]

Old Russian animation was a part of my childhood but, out of those,I'm only familiar with Hedgehog in the Fog,although I don't think I've seen it.I also remember Winnie The Pooh(Russian) very well and,of course,"Nu,Pogodi!"
There used to be an hour of old Russian animation shown on TV,so I've seen lots of it,it's very kind,warm and unique piece of film industry. :))

[Mr Minio]

I'll probably make another USSR/Russian part instead. ;)

[jiraffejustin]

I'll probably make another USSR/Russian part instead. ;)

Keep 'em coming, you lovely bastard. :D

[jiraffejustin]

Where'd you go? I miss you so. Seems like it's been forever that you've been gone.

Raise this thread from the dead, I want a Hungarian part so you can gush about Bela Tarr. Speaking of, have you seen The Man from London? I'm watching it now and it's my first Tarr, I was wondering your thoughts on it.

[Mr Minio]

Sure I've seen it. Lately I've been very busy and had seen only 2 films in past week or so. I haven't seen Tarr early works, so without knowing them I don't think I'm capable of writing about him. Maybe I'll scribe something about South Korean cinema, though.

[jiraffejustin]

Sure I've seen it. Lately I've been very busy and had seen only 2 films in past week or so. I haven't seen Tarr early works, so without knowing them I don't think I'm capable of writing about him. Maybe I'll scribe something about South Korean cinema, though.

I look forward to it. Most of the acclaimed Korean films have already been added to my watchlist, but hopefully you'll have something in there I missed.

[Mr Minio]

Part 4 - My thoughts on contemplative cinema

It's been awhile since my last post has been added to this thread and I feel like I have to expand it with new content. As for now I leave the country idea to more topic concerned theme, but it doesn't mean it's a pernament change.

While watching Ming-liang Tsai's highly appreciated 2003 film Goodbye Dragon Inn I was struck by its slowness and stagnacy. I've seen his two other works before, but none of them had reached such complexity with such minimalistic approach. It may have been the slowest film I have ever seen and I've seen a lot, believe me. It got me thinking about topics I'd been wondering about for about a year.

Right now I probably should have added a spoiler alert, but I don't even know whether it's needed, as Goodbye Dragon Inn isn't a film that enchants the viewer with nicely-developed scenario, or electrifying twists. Being almost plot-free it tells the story of allegedly haunted cinema, slowly evolving around several people, which are totally anonymous to each other. The only thing linking them might be the cinema itself, the incredible power of film, galvanizing them around a screening of wuxia cult film Dragon Inn.

For 82 minutes of Goodbye Dragon Inn the viewer contemplates people, observing their behavior and nature trying to learn as much as he can about them, while the director hides as much as possible. He or she can only suspect, as no answer is ever given. Is an old nervously looking around man sitting next to a child a pedophile or just kid's relative? Why has the movie moved another man so much he began to cry? Why is cinema such a powerful force? Why do we go to the cinema? What is left when screening is over?

Nothingness, which is hauntingly tangible, after everyone leaves the hall. The film is incredibly ironic and undeniably funny. I'm watching a film, in which people are watching a film. I'm staring at their movements. When they don't move it's fully understandable, as they're involved in a movie. But wait, as I am watching this film right now and contemplating it, I am involved in it as well. When another shot begins and I can see what they see, which is a screen with another film playing, I am watching and experiencing the same thing they do. I am watching a film in a film. Movie in a movie. I am observing someone observing.

Besides the screening room itself, the camera leads the spectator to the cinema's hallways and whereabouts. Once again its contemplative nature helps us to observe a Japanese guy awkwardly pushing his way through narrow pathways, trying to hug another man, which makes us suspect he might not be straight. Awkwardly stretched to the max scene in the bathroom is an another example of Tsai's style. Is he trying to make us think? What do the characters think? Why do they do what they do? Like in Tarkovsky Stalker's long railway scene, when we see three main protagonists' faces, we wonder what are they thinking. In this film it's kind of the same, but also ridiculous in a way. A man is standing before an urinal for a few minutes. Two other men at his sides. They stand. Do not pee. Do not move. After a while another guy leaves a closet. He washes his hands. Slowly. For dozens of seconds. Is Tsai making fun of the viewer, laughing at people trying to find sense in his work?

I just used Goodbye Dragon Inn as it's a perfect example of contemplative cinema, which has become my favourite film style. It's not a genre, as different films of various genres can be contemplative and, of course, it's a very contractual name. A lot of people find them boring, but I think they're strangely emotive, realistic and beautiful. Just think about a daily routine, say, walking from your work to home. In real life you can't cut the scenes. In a lot of films the director would have made a shot portraying the protagonist leaving the workplace and then used the cut and another take to depict him approaching his home. In contemplative cinema you most likely would have been forced to observe his walk. No cuts, no speed-ups. Just a man walking.

Call me mental, but I love to contemplate such shots! In my all-time favourite Werckmeister Harmonies such moments are utterly magical, but in Goodbye Dragon Inn they are as realistic as possible. Limp woman walking up the stairs. And again. Again. Again. You slowly begin to realize how hard is it for her. You already have known that before and instead of this slow, so-called boring film you could have watched an action-packed superhero movie, or blood-freezing thriller. But you didn't. You are watching a desolated cinema room. Nothing moves. Nothing. Nothing. Nothing happens. Nothingness. Why am I watching this? Am I bored? What is a boredom? It's an unpleasant state, in which we feel anxious. Why? Contemporary cinema has taught us there must be a cut every few seconds. What if there is not? Is it boring? And what if somebody's observing a static picture in real life? Isn't that boring? No pictures, only a big wall of text in this post. Is it boring? What's boring? Why is it boring?

I don't find contemplative films boring and I like that dizzy state they put me in. As I've said before there's no rule saying which film can be classified as contemplative and which one can't, but almost every film using long takes, portraying slow routines I regard as contemplative. I wanted to write even more, but I think that's it.

I am sorry if you expected another part as the previous ones or if you didn't like my mumbling above, but I just wanted to discuss this topic with you, guys. What do you think about contemplative cinema? Do you like "boring" films? What are your favourites?

[The Gunslinger45]

I have no issues watching a slow movie. My favorite movie Taxi Driver is not a very fast movie, Tokyo Story is slow but beautiful, and The Road was pretty slow too.

But the one movie I watched that I can best describe as a movie where nothing happened would be Gerry. I did not like Gerry at all. It was literally Matt Damon and Casey Affleck walking through a damn desert. Nothing else happened. I don't know if this is a good example or a bad example of of contemplative cinema, or if it is even contemplative cinema since they do not show a routine. All I know was I was bored out of my mind.

[mark f]

One of them jumped off a big rock. :)

[The Gunslinger45]

That was the action scene! lol:D

[Mr Minio]

Forgot to mention in contemplative cinema there are hardly any dialogs, so Bergman or Ozu films, although slow-paced are not contemplative cinema.

[The Gunslinger45]

Forgot to mention in contemplative cinema there are hardly any dialogs, so Bergman or Ozu films, although slow-paced are not contemplative cinema.

I did not think they were. What about Tarkovsky though? If not then I really need to see this Werckmeister Harmonies movie.

[Mr Minio]

Tarkovsky, yes, partially. Angelopoulos as well.

Weerasethakul, Reygadas, Fliegauf and Tarr are 100% contemplative directors to name a few

[The Gunslinger45]

good place to start

[Tyler1]

Eg. Tsai Ming Liang, Hou Hsiao Hsien, Jia Zhangke, Tarr, Apichatpong, Pedro Costa, Lucrecia Martel, Abbas Kiarostami, Nuri Bilge Ceylan, Cristian Mungiu.

A Top 10:

Jeanne Dielman (1975)
Satantango (1995)
The Long Day Closes (1992)
Life and Nothing More... (1991)
Platform (2000)
The Hole (1998)
4 Months, 3 Weeks, 2 Days (2007)
Oxhide (2005)
Syndromes and a Century (2006)
Landscape in the Mist (1988)

[Mr Minio]

Precisely.

[Tyler1]

If anyone is planning to watch some films that fit Mr. Minio's description of the Contemporary Contemplative Cinema, here are some films that have left me gravely disappointed and I would advice you to stay clear of these:

The Corridor (1994)
Mother and Son (1997)
In Vanda's Room (2000)
La Cienaga (2001)
La Libertad (2001)
Distant (2002)
Silent Light (2007)
The Headless Woman (2008)
Honey (2010)

[Mr Minio]

I found both Honey and Silent Light masterpieces. Dying to see Mother and Son as well as other Sokurov works.

EDIT: Distant (Uzak) I have ready to be seen.

[donniedarko]

This was such a great thread, you should bring it back Minio!

[jiraffejustin]

I second that motion.

[Mr Minio]

Only one exam left and I will start my holiday! If I pass that one, that is. If I do, you can expect a new write-up, probably about pinku films! Stay tuned!

[Mr Minio]

http://i58.tinypic.com/rbctxu.gif

Not only did I pass the last exam, but also scored the best of all people studying my major!

I just used a GIF from ERBOH Michael Bay - the most mainstream director of them all. There's a blow of mainstreamness in every explosion in every one of his films. There's so much mainstreamness in his veins he may die of asphyxiation. So could I when celebrating my great success in MovieGal's kinky dungeon.

Celebration and Michael Bay aside, you can expect a kinky pinku article pretty soon!

[honeykid]

Congratulations, Mr.Minio. :up: It's great when all the hard work pays off, isn't it?

[Mr Minio]

PINK FILM

http://i.imgur.com/TnqXLTY.png


Pink films emerged from dirty minds of Japanese directors in the mid-60's and, although in a small scale, are still being produced. 'Pinku eiga' means 'pink films' but even though they are called 'pornographical' in Japan, they have more to do with Western genres of erotica and sexploitation than anything you would call porn. Another thing that distinguishes them from your favourite kind of adult movies is the fact that the display of genitalia has been strictly forbidden in Japan, so the directors had to look for other ways to titillate the audience. The sheer image of female breasts that was obviously not forbidden wasn't enough, so the filmmakers quickly found many alternatives in a form of flogging, beating and other kinks. Many pink films contain themes of sadism, bondage and rape.

Although low-budget and made to gather as much money as possible (Japanese film studios were coping with financial problems at the time) many pinku films presented a high level of artistic value. One of the most famous directors of the time, Koji Wakamatsu, directed a handful of films from the genre starting from the mid-60's. Some of them would contain political themes and all would aspire to be perceived as art films. Shot mostly in black and white, they had one or two scenes shot in colour. Wakamatsu's films such as The Embryo Hunts in Secret, Violated Angels and Go, Go Second Time Virgin often presented a twisted invidual killing and torturing women, or a group of people committing rape or murder. Films like Ecstacy of the Angels were filled with political ballyhoo, whereas Violent Virgin was a surrealistic tour-de-force that would impress Bunuel.

https://68.media.tumblr.com/d1960508ca91a1f7dc66cf3df817f896/tumblr_oldx38UytD1uwa65vo1_1280.jpg
The Embryo Hunts in Secret


Pinku films quickly bred some new sub-genres, such as Pinky Violence that was a mix of violent action-filled flicks with eroticism. Often with a woman as protagonist, taking revenge on men who raped her or done her harm. In the process she gets violated again, but eventually gets her revenge. That's only one of many possible scenarios in the subgenre. As varied as pink films are, even the subgenres can present various stories. Pinky Violence films, such as Female Prisoner series with Meiko Kaji, or Girl Boss series, often had comedy elements and being in fact entertaining action flicks, were easier to digest for wider audiences.

Pinku films were often shown on a trimple bill program. The first film was often a roman porno ('romantic porno') and therefore the most sophisticated, that didn't contain that much nudity. The second and then finally the third escalated the amount of kink and nudity. These were popular and prevented the studios from bankrupcy. However, with the introduction of adult films in Japan (films we, Western audience, would actually call porn*) in the 80's, the popularity of pinku started to drastically decrease announcing the downfall of the genre. By the 90's pornography was already widely available, but it didn't lead to the complete death of pink film. The new generation of directors would still direct this kind of movies often expanding the borders of the genre. One of the most prominent filmmakers of the era, Hisayasu Satō, specialized in dark films tackling topics like alienation, perversion and obsession, directed dozens of films of the genre. Always with a tempting title**, the films mixed erotica and Cronenberg-esque atmosphere to create very interesting outcome. Sometimes I think that the out-of-nowhere erotic scenes were only added to the film, so the producer would agree to release it, or pay for it. Some of these don't have much to do with the plot and could've been deleted with no harm to the story. They are nicely made, though, so I can't (and shouldn't!) complain. My favourite Sato film and perhaps my favourite pink film of all time is Love - Zero = Infinity. An incredibly atmospheric dark story on vampirism!

https://womenshapingtechnology.files.wordpress.com/2012/04/quick-006b.jpg?w=490&h=263

Love - Zero = Infinity


If you don't count Nagisa Oshima's daring and controversial film In the Realm of the Senses, that may or may not be perceived as pinku (more about classification later), the first pink film I have seen was Noribumi Suzuki's School of the Holy Beast. Not only does it contain a lot of bare breasts and flogging, but also is a Nunsploitation kind of a movie, which means the screen is populated with nuns! Not to mention the excellent cinematography. This is a perfect example of a pink film. Controversial, sexual, with its usual immoral themes, but also beautifully shot and artsy with some sort of hidden message. This one is pretty funny, too. There's a scene of two guys disguised as nuns that slip into the convent to make mother superior's wild dreams more real, if you will. I wonder if any Catholic Church superiors have seen the movie. I haven't heard of any 'curse', or anything, I can't remember seeing the movie on any of the various 'Films condemned by the Church' lists. Maybe the fact this film was made in a country like Japan made it obscure enough to miss pious hands of the evil-smiters.

https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/736x/54/88/1a/54881ad94963fc94aab0d7d30c798b6a.jpg

School of the Holy Beast


After my first pink film, everything went downhill. I started watching more and more films of the genre. Like these of Teruo Ishii, who directed the trash-sleazefest Evil Brain From Outer Space and never ever could forgive himself after that (the movie is in fact a masterpiece equivalent to the works of Ed Wood!), so decided to film breasts of Japanese females until he dies. Horrors of Malformed Men and Blind Woman's Curse are highly recommended. If you like his style watch Inferno of Torture, Orgies of Edo and Shogun's Joy of Torture. Female Yakuza Tale: Inquisition and Torture is tastefully tasteless, so watch it only if you really like the rest of his films and low humour. I loved it myself. Actually, watch it. No matter what. It's like Lady Snowblood. No. It's like Sex and Fury, but even crazier!

http://www.asiateca.net/cinedb/fichas/img_gal_large/1367_6.jpg

Orgies of Edo


Criminal Woman: Killing Melody and the Female Prisoner Scorpion are the representatives of W.I.P. (Women in Prison) genre in pink film. They have strong female protagonists that kick ass! Zero Woman: Red Handcuffs is another glorious example. Blind Beast, a film that depending on definition can be seen as pink film, is another fairly interesting flick. The decorations in a form of giant human parts are creepy, almost surreal, while the ending is nothing short of disturbing. Even I felt uneasy, a person who has seen a lot and is not easy to impress. The last gem I will write about is Love Hotel. Coming from arthouse (!) director Shinji Somai it is the only pink film in his career. Even though it contains erotic scenes, yet again, it can be argued if it should be classified as pinku. The subject matter is interesting, the music beautiful and everything else so memorable... The ending is simply stunning. It avoids cheap titillating nudity as the director focuses on the drama and his characters rather than sex. There is sex to be found, but it's very fluid in the context of the whole picture. Masterful work.

https://68.media.tumblr.com/4d950f72e1d15556077eb3f388ef092b/tumblr_no5thiMY1v1tc3wpso1_400.png

Zero Woman: Red Handcuffs


It is very hard to classify a movie and tell whether or not it is a pink film, if only because there's not only one definition of what a pink film is. Should we take the very narrow definition and even most Wakamatsu films don't classify as pinku, but as Japanese New Wave movies. However, if we broaden the definition, every erotic film from Japan is pinku. The usual consensus is that most low-budget, erotic films from Japan are pinku. If they contain scenes of violence, well, it makes them even pinkier.

With 30 pink films I have seen I am but an initiate of this kinky genre fandom, but the world of kink to be found in Japan is vast enough for me to have fun for next decades!

http://www.brutalashell.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/exploitation-3.jpg

Reiko Ike in Sex and Fury


* Even though, these films were porn and not just erotica like pinku, the censorship laws in Japan haven't changed, so the genitalia still had to be blurred. The inability to show human reproductive organs forced adult film directors to look for other ways of sexual activity that would bypass the censure. One of them was bukkake, since neither the face of an actress, nor any fluid was censored. I will finish at this, since this write-up is supposed to be about pinku films, not porn. I will only add that if you ever wondered what's the reason for all the weird fetishes to-be-found only in Japan, the little blurry circle on vaginas and penises is probably the answer.

** Some titles (these are real titles of the movies!): Office Lady Rape: Disgrace, Rape Climax!, Lolita Vibrator Torture, Molester's Train: Dirty Behavior.

[cricket]

Would you consider most of these pinky films to be equal to exploitation movies? I ask because, as you know, I recently watched Second Time Virgin, and I found it a little more serious and emotional than the average exploitation I've seen.

[Mr Minio]

As I wrote, pink films are very varied. Some of them are just mindless erotica to titillate the viewer, while some other are pieces of art that only use sex and fetishes as means to tell story.

Wakamatsu's films are in fact Japanese New Wave. Just as I wrote, some people don't even classify them as pinku. Go, Go Second Time Virgin can be seen as a serious drama. Embryo Hunts in Secret has pinku qualities to it, but can also be seen as a serious film. In fact, most pinku can.

Besides, sexploitation and erotica are the closest genres to pinku, but I only wrote it to make an unaware reader know what he's getting into. In fact, there's no Western genre equivalent to pinku.

[Mr Minio]

I thought of watching movies chronologically, year by year. How do I even approach such an impressive task?

From what I gathered so far, it looks like this:
1. I will go a year for every decade, because if I went 100% chronologically, I would've died of silent cinema overdose (don't take me wrong, I love silent flicks, but some variety is needed), so I take 1910, 1920, ..., 2000 and watch as many movies from these years as possible for an unspecified time period (I guess until I run out of movies to watch from these years, which may take like a year, or two, lol). Then I switch to 1921, 1921, 1931, ..., 2001 and do the same thing. I will also watch films from other years during the process, because I don't want to restrict myself, but the main focus will be on given year.
2. Alternatiely, I can just randomly choose any year from 1910 to 2000 and watch all the movies from the year I want to see. Then, the year is excluded from the next draw
3. I may also make some director retrospections or genre/movement discovery to make it more fun.

However, here arise two questions:
1. Is it even worth it? Does it make any sense?
2. Will I be able to stick to this routine?

[honeykid]

1. It makes as much sense as anything else we do.

2. Probably not. Most don't.

[Mr Minio]

2. Probably not. Most don't. I guess so. Failed after 30 minutes.

[Dani8]

Good read, Minio! I didnt know the japanese banned showing genitalia. I thought it was OK as long as there was no pubic hair? Same for manga? I dont recall seeing any pink bits in films or manga when I lived there but I remember discussing this with some uni students.

[Mr Minio]

Replaced some corrupted photos in my Pinku article!

Also, the number of pinku eiga films I've seen is 68 now.

I didnt know the japanese banned showing genitalia. I thought it was OK as long as there was no pubic hair? Yeah. Both genitalia and pubic hair was strictly forbidden. However, in contemporary porn films, they take way more liberties. For one, the censure mosaic is much smaller and less blurry. Pubes are alright now, I guess. Also, the censorship does not apply to anuses. Porno shot in Japan still has to abide these laws, but there are some studios that shoot their films outside of Japan and that makes it possible for them to totally ignore the censorship laws!

[Dani8]

I found their censorship absolutely fascinating when I was there. Quite surprising for a country that historically was pretty together with nudity in art (but same as westerners. Just look at how some people freak out at OMG bewbs and peens when we'ver had beautiful nude art through the ages). It;s skin. I dont get why it freaks some people out. You know, I dont want some guy flopping his best friend out when I'm having lunch in a restaurant but I dont understand why screen nudity is offensive.

[Mr Minio]

Velvet has literally given me about 200 rep points only today. I swear to God, the man is crazy.

[Velvet]

I very much like your threads :love:

[Mr Minio]

Psychofan!

[Mr Minio]

The Romances of Johnnie To

https://i.imgur.com/ERsoiHy.png
Romancing in Thin Air (2012)

Johnnie To, a Hongkong director best known for his action and gangster films, is a prolific auteur of films spanning many genres. Besides his arguably most popular and critically-acclaimed Triad films, To has a long history of dabbling in Comedy and Romance. Often made to raise money for his more personal projects, To's romances get largely overlooked by critics and cinephiles alike, finding their popularity in the general audience. After having seen more than 40 films by Johnnie To, the alleged dichotomy (both in quality and artistry) between his romances and action/crime films melts away as I find To's romantic comedies and romantic dramas an inseparable part of his oeuvre. This piece of writing is both an attempt to bring attention to the underseen world of Johnnie To's romances and analysis of an important part of his body of work.

A Moment of Romance as Johnnie To's First True Masterpiece

It's 1990 and A MOMENT OF ROMANCE is released. Directed by Benny Chan and produced by Johnnie To, the film is a huge hit. Later on, Johnnie To famously claimed that he in fact ghost-directed the movie. This is going to happen again with the films of Patrick Yau, including but not limited to the electrifying THE LONGEST NIGHT. A MOMENT OF ROMANCE is an offbeat quasi-Romeo and Juliet type of story, in which Jo Jo, a young girl from a rich home played by the beautiful Jacklyn Wu, falls for an underdog gangster Wah Dee (Andy Lau) after being taken hostage following a bank heist. Visually slick and lavishly stylish, A MOMENT OF ROMANCE explores the forbidden love using motorcycle night-rides, a stolen wedding dress, and a romantic ballad.

https://i.imgur.com/UFIIBie.png
A Moment of Romance (1990)

Two A MOMENT OF ROMANCE sequels were made. A MOMENT OF ROMANCE II, again directed by Benny Chan, sees Jacklyn Wu in a tragic romance. Cheesy songs and Hongkong cinema's trademark blue light are used for a good measure. An unexpected Anthony Wong performance cements the film as a worthy follow-up.

Johnnie To decides to signature A MOMENT OF ROMANCE III with his name. Unfortunately, the film is easily the weakest of the three. Jacklyn Wu and Andy Lau reunite in a cookie-cutter wartime romance, which occasionally offers smooth visuals but undercuts what was most touching about the first two installments, reducing A MOMENT OF ROMANCE III to a bland ableit tolerable mess of a film. To's flashy style works pretty well for the pastoral scenes, but the second part of the movie could be summed up as Johnnie To's PEARL HARBOR, which, I believe, warrants no further explanation.

Needing You... Or Where It All Starts

For the 2000 film NEEDING YOU..., Johnnie To teams up with his frequent co-director and writer Wai Ka-Fai. Two big stars, Andy Lau and Sammi Cheng do their best in a little romantic comedy that nevertheless exhibits ideas and traits that will define future Johnnie To & Wai Ka-Fai romantic comedy collaborations.

Exquisitely shot by To's regular cinematographer Cheng Siu-keung, NEEDING YOU... displays To's attraction to dolly shots and free-roaming, floating camera moves, which greatly enliven the film. Romantic comedies are rarely shot with such finesse. To doesn't seem to see the difference between romances and action scenes, and he shoots both with a great amount of style. Every To film is romantic, and he shoots action scenes like romance pieces and romance pieces like action scenes.

Toward the end of NEEDING YOU..., in an unexpected turn of events, Andy Lau is helped by a ghost motorcycle rider who turns out to be Andy Lau himself (obviously a throwback to his character from A MOMENT OF ROMANCE). This otherworldly element in an otherwise realistic film, besides being a wink to the audience, is a display of magic to be found in later Johnnie To movies.

To's characters often operate on two planes - that of reality and that of fiction, freely trespassing and blurring the line between the two. The boundaries are never truly definite, and a perfectly realistic film might unexpectedly turn quasi-fantastical. To's post-modern approach allows him to not only freely move between genres (this isn't new as countless other HK directors had an affinity for genre-hotpots) but also deconstruct tropes and recycle ideas to arrive at new points.

https://i.imgur.com/7JpgzFp.png
Sammi Cheng in Needing You...(2000)

NEEDING YOU... contains yet another trait to reappear in many future films. Fate. This time represented by a lucky love charm lost by Sammi Cheng and found by Andy Lau. It takes Lau a long time to realize the importance of his finding just as it takes him a long time to realize he loves Sammi. His attempts to throw the charm out of the window of his car prove fruitless because the charm, as if carried by the wind called fate, repeatedly flies back inside his car. Yet another beautiful, slightly transcendental moment.

Another visual idea reused in future To films is when Lau writes the eponymous words on a piece of cardboard, hoping that Sammi will see it. DON'T GO BREAKING MY HEART (2011) reuses this motif when two actors separated by space (yet another trait to appear many times in Johnnie To's work) - in this case, literal space in between the buildings - communicate with emojis and short texts written on a piece of paper.

Given all the traits and ideas packed up in this entertaining yet slight piece of filmmaking, NEEDING YOU... is a fine boilerplate for future romances of Johnnie To.

Romantic Comedies and Sammi Cheng

Released one year after NEEDING YOU..., LOVE ON A DIET brings Johnnie To, Wai Ka-Fai, Sammi Cheng, and Andy Lau back together. This time the two stars appear in wacky suits supposed to make them look fat. A visibly artificial costume will reappear in To's Buddhist parable on fate RUNNING ON KARMA (2003), in which Andy Lau (again!) wears an odd-fitting body-builder outfit and dances in a nightclub.

Sammi Cheng sings the theme song just like she did in NEEDING YOU... and will in ROMANCING IN THIN AIR.

MY LEFT EYE SEES GHOSTS released in 2002 finds Sammi Cheng trying to cope with the loss of her husband. To make it worse, she starts seeing ghosts (if you haven't already realized it from the title). A set of both hilarious and moving scenes ensues. This time the male lead is not Andy Lau, but another To regular Lau Ching-Wan - an underrated actor of great range. The mix of comedy and melodrama works exceptionally well in this tale of coping with grief and accepting loss - a theme that will appear in future Johnnie To films (and Wai Ka-Fai's WRITTEN BY).

2003 brings us LOVE FOR ALL SEASONS. Andy Lau joins Sammi Cheng in what is perhaps To's slightest romantic comedy. A dorky romance intersected with comedy and a shameless Nike & Puma ad (making films in HK is hard) are split between high altitude mountain ranges and a more regular city.

Johnnie To & Wai Ka-Fai direct another romantic comedy in 2003. TURN LEFT, TURN RIGHT has Takeshi Kaneshiro and Gigi Leung - two people obviously meant for each other, kept apart by fate. The two characters are often trapped in the same frame but go without noticing each other. The invisible space separates the protagonists outside. Inside, living in the same building, they are separated by a literal wall. Once they find each other, they promise to meet again, but a cruel turn of fate separates them again. Lost and found, then lost again, the two wander, trying to find each other. Then, in a breath-taking finale of the film, an almost divine intervention brings them back together.

https://i.imgur.com/qNHif0Q.png
Sammi Cheng in My Left Eye Sees Ghosts (2002)

YESTERDAY ONCE MORE (2004) is Johnnie To's riff on Ernst Lubitsch's TROUBLE IN PARADISE. Two jewel thieves - Andy Lau and Sammi Cheng - divorce, and then find each other again after a set of events. Constantly playing a love-game, often using cruel jokes and trying to outsmart each other, the pair goes from one frame to another. Mr. and Mrs. To (sic!) love each other deeply but it doesn't stop them from playing dirty, misleading each other, and keeping secrets. The film is madly entertaining, and it's worth noting that some scenes take place in Italy.

All His Films Are Romantic and the Perhiperies

In 2008's LINGER, an ineffective and insipid revival of the coping with loss theme, a woman sees a ghost of her boyfriend who died in a car crash. The movie is a more serious version of MY LEFT EYE SEES GHOSTS, but has neither the charm nor power of the Sammi Cheng film. As a matter of fact, Linger might be To worst film whose sole merit was that it cleared the trail for ROMANCING IN THIN AIR.

Johnnie To directed many films in genres other than romantic drama or romantic comedy, but a certain air of romance is inseparable from his work. To finds poetry in the least expectable places. For example, a dense thriller like BREAKING NEWS (2004) contains a totally off-the-hook romantic moment toward the end. A meeting of two strangers is heightened by a sense of sentimental beauty. Similarly, RUNNING OUT OF TIME has an arresting, magical moment of the same nature.

https://youtu.be/8188hAnvNK4

A musical-without-songs, SPARROW (2008) might not be explicitly romantic in the usual sense, but the following scene might be To at his most alluring.

https://youtu.be/u3k2aPIn2oI

And then you have many scenes that I wouldn't call romantic, but rather magical, enchanting. Like the red balloon scene in THROWN DOWN (2004).

https://youtu.be/OryYlL1aUq4

But these are digressions meant to show how eclectic Johnnie To is. Let's get back to our topic and deep-dive into what I consider Johnnie To's all-time best.

Romancing in Thin Air or The Power of Cinema

ROMANCING IN THIN AIR (2012) is Johnnie To's magnum opus. It takes the ideas and traits from the romances he made until now and turns them into a tour-de-force of romantic drama, adding a meta-layer and finishing on the most powerful, touching, loveable note imaginable. A film that is doubly moving. On one layer, it moves you with its story. On another, with To's belief in the therapeutic and healing power of cinema. Cinema that changes lives.

And when it comes to movies there are rules and there is an exception. Life is the rule. THE THIN BLUE LINE is an exception. The exception is still a subset of the rule, only much more visible, tangible, popular. ROMANCING IN THIN AIR, just like the late works of Nobuhiko Obayashi, balances on a thin line between the rule and the exception.

ROMANCING IN THIN AIR is a disassemblage of the romance genre and a great treatise on Johnnie's work. Sammi Cheng cannot cope with the death of her husband who got lost in the mysterious labyrinth woods next to a picturesque hotel. It's a secluded place rightly reflecting Sammi's own few-year-long retreat from acting. Meanwhile, a great star played by Louis Koo ditches his bride-to-be and appears out of nowhere in the high-altitude hotel. You can guess the rest. Sammi Cheng is a great fan of Koo and a fan of A MOMENT OF ROMANCE at that, including a motorcycle and countless gadgets and posters!

https://i.imgur.com/6vjxYDs.png
Romancing in Thin Air (2012)

Koo falls for Sammi and wants to win her heart by mimicking whatever her late husband did to win her heart. Her husband behaved like Koo does in films, and now Koo has to behave like her husband and therefore like himself in film. Sammi falls for a movie image, then falls for a man reproducing this movie image, and then falls for a man who was that movie image (he isn't that image in real life but then redoes the image so that she falls in love with him). Before Sammi would bring an image to life using a real person, she would project that image to that person. But by directing a film in which Sammi's husband didn't die, Koo brings a real person to life using an image. It's upside-down - a negative thing turned positive. And this is the true power of cinema demonstrated in one of the most sincere, powerful ways. Art can do what life cannot. “Film can change the future, if not the past” as Obayashi said. And exactly this is what makes ROMANCING IN THIN AIR To's best.

ROMANCING IN THIN AIR is an amalgamation of To's previous efforts: it has a motorcycle from A MOMENT OF ROMANCE, a high-altitude place like LOVE FOR ALL SEASONS, coping with loss through art like WRITTEN BY, coping with loss through resurrection or haunting like LINGER and MY LEFT EYE SEES GHOSTS, characters separated from each other or imprisoned within a frame like TURN LEFT, TURN RIGHT, and a strong element of fate like many To films, including NEEDING YOU. Add to those moments of poetry, beauty, and romance so apparent in all To's previous work.

https://i.imgur.com/g6AUo0h.png
Bested by loss and afraid of the chance given by fate, Sammi Cheng is trapped within a frame, in a kaleidoscope of oppressive rectangles.

But above all, ROMANCING IN THIN AIR talks about relations between people, things and space in between. Between life and cinema. Between life and image. Between popular cinema and auteur film. Between a place, an object and the sentimental value they hold for us. ROMANCING IN THIN AIR makes us simultaneously fall in love with life and film, endlessly romancing on the themes occurring throughout Johnnie To's extensive filmography. This is a film for people who love life and cinema. I love life. I love cinema.

Read More:


My thoughts on Don't Go Breaking My Heart 2 (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?anchor=1&p=2179854#post2179854)

[jiraffejustin]

Four years later, one of the best threads of the forum is resurrected. Good stuff, Minio. I guess I need to check out some Johnnie To.

[Tyler1]

I must admit I am only familiar with his gangster films like The Mission, Exiled and Election. I've always seen any romance threads as peripheral sub-plots in those films. Now I am interested in exploring this aspect - where they take center stage. Asking someone who has watched dozens of To's films, what are the common tropes and/or peculiarities that you see in his oeuvre that can be linked more broadly to Hong Kong cinema?

[Mr Minio]

https://i.imgur.com/nLYpbkU.png
https://i.imgur.com/c2yL0Cj.png