Eyes Without a Face, originally considered a critical and commercial flop, has now acquired a cult status as one of the most stylish films ever made. This is a film where the protagonist does not possess a face due to scarification so bad, that it is referred to by some as a “gaping wound”; where someone’s … Continue reading Eyes Without a Face: A Beautiful Nightmare
The slice of life that Yasujirô Ozu’s Good Morningpresents to us is as homely and delightful as a freshly baked pie. Through a series of vignette-like neighbourly interactions and daily occurrences runs an ephemeral plot line centring on two brothers going on a silence strike until they are granted their faithful wish: a TV. The brothers, … Continue reading “Money makes the world go ’round… the world go ’round…the world go ’round”: or Exchange in Good Morning
“I know a lot about desperate women” declares Marco at the beginning of Talk to Her, a statementthat could have easily come from Almodóvar himself. Although Almodóvar frequently explores the predicaments and triumphs of women in his work, he is equally committed to exploring the boundaries – or the lack thereof – between masculinity and femininity. In Talk … Continue reading “Nothing is simple”: Gender Stereotypes and Reversals in Talk to Her
Critically, László Nemes’ Sunset has been dubbed a slightly disappointing follow up to the triumph of Son of Saul. The invasive in-your-face camera work is no longer novel, the meandering plot doesn’t lead anywhere concrete, and the whole odyssey just seems a bit too long. All of these statements are true, but I don’t think these aspects of the … Continue reading Darkness Visible: Somnambulant Narrative of Destruction in Sunset
When Burnt by the Sun was released back in 1994 it took the world by storm, winning both the Cannes Grand Prix and an Oscar. A large part of its appeal lies in the fact that it was the product of the newly founded Russian Federation, which was finally looking back on its traumatic Soviet past without fear of … Continue reading The Innocent Eye: Soviet Atrocities Through a Child’s Perspective in Burnt by the Sun
