Come and See
This Russian film from the mid-80s depicts the Nazi occupation during World War 2. It’s not a barrelful of laughs. The story follows young Florya as he is first enlisted into the Soviet army and the events that follow as he tries to return home with an abandoned girl and what happens when he gets there. Most easily compared to Apocalypse Now, the film feels like a nightmare as things slowly turn worse before culminating in a horrific finale. Like Coppola’s film, the madness of war is also a theme that runs through the film. Whether or not it is portrayed as cyclical is open for debate; whilst the final scene suggests this the final shot itself throws in some foreboding that could only come with 20/20 hindsight.
Much has been wrote about the emotional climax of the film but I won’t ruin it here. Suffice to say that coming after a scene that feels like it was shot in Hell, it’s emotionally charged but manages to offer just the slightest glimmer of hope for humanity.
No Man’s Land
Another war film, this time from Bosnia and set during the war of 1993. Much more intimate in focus and even grimly funny at times, it’s much more a study of the different types of individuals that war affects than an account of various battles and such. The film focuses on three soldiers caught in an abandoned trench in the middle of No Man’s Land, two from one side and one from the other. One of the two also happens to be trapped lying on a landmine that will explode if he gets off it. Power and attitudes towards one another switch throughout the film and they eventually manage to have the UN informed of their dilemma, who sends in a rescue team to investigate. Media from around the world also convenes on the trench.
With the language jumping from Bosnian, English, French and German depending on the group of people talking, it helps to pull the viewer in rather than confusing them and allows the situation to take on a universal feel. Motivations and decisions from all the parties concerned are examined as events take their course and it eventually becomes apparent that this a story that relates to the Bosnian War as a whole, rather than just the plight of these three men. It won many major Best Foreign Film Awards in 2001 (even beating Amelie to the Oscar) and is well worth a look.
Bad Education
Right from the opening titles this is ‘Almodovar goes Hitchcock’. At first they reminded me of North By North West (never a bad thing) but by the end of the film the reference is surely Vertigo. Like the 50s classic this film revolves around identity, betrayal and features mirrored events. What Almodovar does more explicitly is blur the boundaries of fact and fiction, showing us both and then leaving us to unravel which imitated which.
Gael Garcia Bernal shows once again what a talented and fearless performer he is, here playing three characters both within the film and as a part of it. I’ve yet to see him reach his limits, even in the slightly disappointing Science of Sleep. It’s also something that the biggest complaint I had with Babel was that he was sorely underused, but I’m sure some people could point out plenty more issues they had with it. Anyway, while nowhere near as fabulous as Volver it does play with form and conventions as his previous Talk To Her did and for that I rank it above All About My Mother but below those two out of those I’ve seen so far.
The Road Home
I stuck a few of Zhang Yimou’s pre-Hero films onto my rental list after laz mentioned preference for them and as Raise the Red Lantern is currently available this one got shipped out to me.
Wow.
It’s been a many, many films since I was touched right to my emotional core like this did. A manly tear even slipped down my cheek at one point. It’s a slight story that has a predestined outcome due to present day bookends, but I still got so caught up in Zhang Ziyi’s magical (debut!) performance. With much of the courtship between her and husband-to-be played out in longing glances and youthful giddiness, she succeeds in bringing the audience into her thoughts and feelings in every scene. When she smiles we’re elated and when she cries it’s almost too much to bear. 2046 aside, I’ve only seen her in martial arts related roles, so it was refreshing to watch her play a much simpler character and focus on the emotion rather than the action.
Overall, a wonderful film about young love and the rush of emotions that overwhelm those experiencing it. From what I’ve heard Zhang Yimou produced even better films before this and I can’t wait to sink into them all.
