Cinecast #37: Still In The Mood For Love
As challenging to discuss as it is to summarize, Wong Kar-Wai's intricate new film "2046" sees the celebrated Hong Kong director exploring familiar ground -- romantic obsession and unrequited love in 1960's Hong Kong (see: 2000's "In The Mood For Love"). Although Adam and Sam disagree on how successful the director is in achieving his lofty ambitions, they agree that he and his trio of cinematographers create some of the most beautiful images they've seen on screen this year. Cut from the broadcast: a 30 second exchange between your hosts as they debated the correct pronunciation of "Zhang Ziyi."
Also on the show, we kick off the "Western-a-Week Marathon" with some thoughts on "High Noon." Plus, Listener Feedback, Massacre Theatre -- presented by Movies Passions.com -- and a look ahead to Friday's Top 5 Foreign Films.
Music by Martin Sexton courtesy of Kitchen Table Records ... Cinecast theme music by Age of the Rifle.
Cinecast #37
:33-14:45 - Review: "2046"
Music: Martin Sexton, "Black Sheep"
15:39-29:39 - Cinecast Online Poll, Western-a-Week Marathon: High Noon, Listener Feedback
Music: Martin Sexton, "Glory Bound"
32:06-35:24 - Massacre Theatre
35:25-41:21 - Top 5 Foreign Films Preview
Have a comment or Top 5 list you'd like to share? Send us an e-mail at cinecast@cinecastshow.com. Or give us a call at 206-203-CINE and leave a voice message.
6 Comments:
What is it about the Hong Kong and Chinese film makers that they are so good visually? It seems that their mediocre stuff is as good as America's best visual work.
Sub question:
Who is the best visual director in American film?
I have mixed feelings about 2046, and may watch it again several months from now. I do think that In The Mood For Love is a much better movie.
when it comes to the visual style of Wong Kar Wai, we should not forget about Christopher Doyle, his main Cinematographer, who also responsible for the style of The Quite American, Rabbit-Proof Fence and lots of asian movies, including all Wong Kar Wai movies since 'Days of Being Wild'...
sub answer:
Darren Aronofsky - I think, even if I hate him now, because he will refilm "The Lone Wolf & The Cub", this remake stuff really has to stop, what better time than now
If you guys are going to watch High Noon, you really need to see Rio Bravo. It's Howard Hawks and John Wayne's response to the nonsense at the heart of High noon's plot: it isn't the townspeople's job to fight crime, that's what they hired the sherriff for.
sub response:
We don't get to see mediocre Chinese films here. If all we saw of American directors was Terrence Malik, Martin Scorsese, PT Anderson and Quentin Tarantino, we'd think Americans were pretty great visually too.
Sean I did think of that. Lastnight I was considering this question myself and another realization came to me. The simple fact that foreign films are in a foreign language. The ones we get here, are the ones that have a greater visual offering. Films that can almost stand on their own as photography.
If the movie is in English I tend to focus more on the dialouge and how the photography supports the language. American directors seem to use the camera and framing to project the feeling or emotion of the character and situation. Many times great visual work goes unnoticed.
Woody Allen's Crimes and Misdemeanors is a good example of this. While I don't know of anyone considering this a great visual piece, the interior settings especially have a closterphobic feel that adds to the tention of the situations. You can almost feel the discomfort of the characters as their surroundings press in on them.
Hi guys. I love your show and I'm glad you reviewed 2046 because I'm a big Chinese cinema fan. I really wanted to see it when it came out last year in China but never got around to it. There were huge posters and advertisements for it everywhere, but it didn't have english subtitles so I was out of luck. Where did you see this film at in Chicago?
If nobody has told you this yet, the proper pronounciation of "Zhang Ziyi" would look like this: Jong Zee-Yee. In chinese language when u see a "z" and "h" together it sounds like a "j". When u see a "q" it's pronounced like "ch" and an "x" is prounonced like an "h" and "s" together. The rules take a while to get used to.
What are your opinions of Zhang Ziyi starring in the Spielberg film of "Memoires of a Geisha"? I don't know if either of you have read this book, but this movie could be big. I have my own opinions about this which you can read if you want: http://latentimageblog.blogspot.com/2005/08/house-of-flying-awesome_16.html. Thanx a lot and keep up the good work!
Post a Comment
<< Home