What struck me most about Tarkovsky’sAndrei Rublevis the utter bareness of the world depicted in the film. We begin our journey from above, piggybacking onto a man flying over the vastness of Russia on a prototype of a hot air balloon. As he looks down onto the land, he sees people sprawled around like ants, … Continue reading Andrei Rublev and the Transcendent Artist
“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
The conflict within The Aviators Wife is instigate by François overseeing his girlfriend Anne as she leaves her flat with a man. In the briefest of moments, he is able to work out that the man in question is in fact Anne’s ex-lover, the aviator Christian. This sighting sends François’ world into a tailspin. Sleep deprived and … Continue reading “I’m looking at you looking”: Sight and Oversight in The Aviator’s Wife
Yasujirô Ozu is notorious for his slow-paced family dramas and the explorations of profound human emotions through the seemingly mundane plots. Late Spring is no different. The plot revolves around the daily life of an elderly professor and his unmarried and firmly devoted daughter. The majority of the action takes place within the confines of their house … Continue reading “I am happy just as I am”; The Quotidian in Late Spring
I love crime. Do you love crime? I bet you do. And who else knows we love crime? David Fincher. In fact, he knows it so well that the new season of Mindhunter cannot stop satirising our sick fascination with crime. We are the middle-aged professional fathers at a barbeque, pestering Bill Tench for details … Continue reading The Kids are Not Alright; Society and Trauma in Mindhunter Season 2
Once upon a time in Hollywood, Quentin Tarantino decided to make a movie that would make people say “WOW”. I must say that he has succeeded, in his own idiosyncratic way. However, what Tarantino most succeeds in doing is selling us the magical, glitzy, outrageous side of the 60’s. Our eyes light up when we mingle … Continue reading In Search of Lost Cool in Once Upon a Time in Hollywood
