Lourdes

There are movies that just mesmerize you like this Jessica Hausner film that will absolutely mesmerize you in so many levels that will blow your mind watching the layered story, the astonishing images and most of all the amazing storytelling. I was really dubious if I should watch or not this film, but finally decided to just watch and mentally ‘prepare’ myself to whatever was going to see.

As film has so many layers, let me start by sharing the one that spontaneously got me inside this mesmerizing film. I was born Catholic and was baptized in a rush because died when I was days-old and well, came back as I’m still here; but after my religious fifteen-years-old mass, religion left my life. Still had time to learn a lot about Catholicism so the first and second thirds of this film was a true experience of reliving rites and beliefs that I chose to leave behind and my honest reaction was to nervously laugh at the absurdity –yet puzzling- reactions, rites, belief, faith, etc that people have at was have been called the “Disneyland of Miracles”. The last third marveled me with people’s reactions to the miracle. This is a brief summary with my reactions to one layer of this amazing film but there is another layer that I feel like sharing.

From a cinematic point-of-view the layer that I enjoyed most even above the ‘emotional’ voyage was the one related to an almost perfect film about religion that is not religious. This is an extremely well designed voyage into the nature of miracles very similar to films by Cavalier, Rivette, Bresson, Reygadas and most of all Dreyer’s Ordet, which Hausner confirms was her source of inspiration. Aesthetically film belongs to this group, but Hausner does something different when approaches the idea of miracles with a detached, quizzical eye; this is what makes this film not only really mysterious but extremely interesting to watch if you are or are not familiar with the Catholic Church rites, as honestly maybe the film first third will enlighten you with objective facts that happen at Lourdes. Is the first third of the movie what looks and feels like a Lourdes pilgrimage documentary but also has other layer that works as an introduction to Christine, brilliantly played by Sylvie Testud, with her perspective of everything she’s seeing and living.

Second third starts to explore the small group perspective about what they’re living and doing in this pilgrimage. Most amazing is the joke told by one member from the Order of Malta about Virgin Mary approving God’s idea to go to Lourdes, as she never has been there; this serves as an example of the wry humor found in this segment and sets the mood to many other pilgrims behavior we will watch.

Final third is the most astonishing exploration about human and Catholic Church reactions to a (possible) miracle, which specifically tells about needs and dissatisfaction's of film other characters. Here is where Testud performance becomes the true miracle when her facial expressions and body language tell and reflect absolutely everything that words don’t tell; before this moment Testud performance was marvelously done only with her face as she was paralyzed from her neck down thanks to multiple sclerosis.

Definitively there are more layers to this story that some consider ‘blasphemous’, others call it Buñuel-esque, while others saw a profound yet controversial religious sentiment, etc. To me was obvious that the ample range of opinions prove the deliberate ambiguity of this cinema masterpiece by Jessica Hausner.

How can a filmmaker do this outstanding film? Not really a surprise but I was glad to find that Jessica Hausner was Michael Haneke’s pupil and ‘script girl’ which easily explains (to me) her amazing ability to so objectively tell a story about what many tend to do very subjectively. Chapeau to this outstanding director that shows superb mastery even when is only her third film.

Yes the film absolutely blew my mind and is one that I strongly recommend as excellent cinema that I believe could profoundly engage many even when movie has a slow pace, not much dialogue, many silences (but some extraordinary music score moments like when Bach’s Toccata and Fugue plays or when Herr Jesu Christ plays which not coincidentally is the theme from Tarkovsky’s Solaris –and there are more moments where music score is totally integrated to narrative), and many, but many, mind blowing takes with absolutely beautiful framed scenes. Marvelous, marvelous, marvelous.

Have to close with a line that have to share with you all as according to me brilliantly resumes what this film is all about: “The mysteries of life (which some call God) may remain unknowable, but in Hausner’s remarkable film, the needs and doubts of mankind are made all too clear.”

A must be seen film for many that honor me visiting this blog.

Big Enjoy!!!

2009 Viennale

Not long ago the fest had the awards ceremony and here are the award winners.

Wiener Filmpreis for Best Feature Film: Lourdes, Jessica Hausner, Austria and France, 2009
“I have never seen anything like it before, at least not in such an aesthetic form!’ This sentence springs to mind when watching Jessica Hausner’s film-passion “Lourdes.” In its unconventional film language, at times reminiscent of still life, in its various aspects, direction, acting performances, and camerawork, it is a truly outstanding film experience. It is about the unbelievable, hope and longing, and believers waiting for a miraculous healing in the Marian pilgrimage site of Lourdes, where this film was also shot.”

Der Standard Readers’ Jury Prize: Darbareye Elly, Asghar Farhadi, Iran, 2009
“Darbareye Elly is an artistically convincing, multi-layered drama about morals, responsibility to oneself and others, as well as the relationship to truth revealed by the dynamics of interpersonal relations. At the same time, it provides a rare view of Iran’s middle-class.”

FIPRESCI Award: Xiao Li Zi (Survival Song), Yu Guangyi, China, 2008
“For its strong portrayal of an area so remote, told through filmmaking so fresh with innocence and innovation, it almost seems like witnessing the invention of cinema at a place it never before existed.”

To read awards in all categories and browse the film program please go here.

Das weiße Band (The White Ribbon)

This the first time Chaos and Storyteller publish a review about the same movie. Maybe both reviews are similar, but I believe that Chaos points out different reasons to like the movie and the point is that we decided to share both reviews. In the future perhaps we will not agree or we will, but today we start the series: Chaos Says/Storyteller Says that we hope you'll enjoy!

CHAOS SAYS

The movie story is narrated by the schoolmaster, who warns us right at the beginning that his memories might not be accurate. The setting takes place in Germany, in 1913. Mysterious accidents start happening, causing severe injuries or even death. As the movie progresses we start to get acquainted with the village and it’s inhabitants: the Baron, the Pastor, the doctor, the farmers, their children…we are, of course, being presented with representations of power, religion, all the social classes fitting nicely in the habitual slots.

Is Haneke reproducing a small-scale of society? And is he talking about that society in a particular place and time, or any society on any moment? Most aspects of social life remain unchanged through time and geographic distances. There are power struggles, money struggles, dominant personalities, crimes and deception behind closed doors, adultery and murder. Bad instincts, unfortunately, have always been a part of human race and will continue to be.

Because of this aspect, The White Ribbon reminded me of another of Haneke’s works, 2003’s “Le Temps du Loup”. I think there is a clear connection between these two movies, at least because I can imagine The White Ribbon brewing on his mind as Le Temps du Loup was being created. As it happens, we are again looking to a small society, born out of odd circumstances, but facing the same kind of problems and tense interactions. It is not an easy movie to watch, but if you have not seen it I recommend doing so; but please do it before watching The White Ribbon. I’m afraid any of his previous movies will seem ordinary after watching The White Ribbon.

Brilliant cinematography, and if you have read any of my reviews before, you know I don’t like to praise cinematography “just because”. Haneke’s choice of black –and-white is magnificent and suits the movie perfectly. Color is not needed and would serve no purpose. Also, I don’t recall ever being so fascinated by the sharp, beautiful photography.

The acting is so good that I had a hard time finding the right words to define it. To show several emotions without saying anything is true art. I have to mention Leonie Benesch, playing Eva. Some scenes with her will be forever ingrained in my visual memory, much to my happiness. And Maria-Victoria Dragus as Klara. In both cases, two very young actresses that I’m certain have a bright future ahead.

As for the story…well, you can believe it happened as told, or not. Haneke has put a gigantic amount of effort in controlling all details about this movie; just for the children’s casting, they went through six months and 7.000 kids. Really. So, because of that, I am sure it’s not accidental that the movie is so ambiguous. Haneke plays with the audience but, for once, I enjoyed it.

Having watched the movie twice in one day, I must say I am absolutely in love. Being teased can be a great thing if it is done by a Master.

I only regret that I can’t find words good enough to describe this flawless movie, I feel like I’m giving Haneke a poor service. So, to put it simply: a Masterpiece.

Green light, full speed!

STORYTELLER SAYS

To be honest, watching this extraordinary film has been an amazing experience like no other I have ever lived -perhaps I’m exaggerating as I was really positively shocked with Passolinni’s Teorema and some Fellini’s films… and Bergman… and Tarkovsky… (lol!)-; but it’s close. Truth is this is the best Haneke film that I have ever seen and I enjoyed a lot his multiple award winner Caché and still have in my mind The Piano Teacher.

I’m really not kidding when I say that this film is extraordinary, so much that it has taken me almost a week to get the guts to write something about this unbelievable film and I know that I’ll ramble, so please I beg you loyal readers to bear with me.

My spontaneous and initial reaction was to think that the master filmmaker had to be laughing a lot when editing and when thinking about viewer’s reactions, as I believe that Haneke succeeded in manipulating viewers to think something that never happens and to see in the movie whatever the viewer wishes to see. This is simply Brilliant! He pours to us very well-crafted scenes, one after the other and everything makes total sense as the narrator in the very beginning tells us that he doesn’t know if the story is entirely true and that the strange events that happened in the village could clarify some things that happened in the country where the story is set. But just browse the net to read the many different story interpretations and you will gather how provocative the storytelling style and essence is. Brilliant! Brilliant! Brilliant!

So, what’s the story about? The story is set in 1913 and tells about a string of misfortunes that befall citizens of Eichwald, an agricultural community where half the population works for a Baron estate. It’s the story of a small community everyday life that definitively changed when WWI started. So you have crimes, misdemeanors, child abuse, adultery, premature death, malicious behavior, adultery, quiet gossip, severe punishment with nonsense children actions and I better stop or I’m going to stimulate your imagination in the wrong sense. Yes, that’s what happens but you see nothing in the screen, so you have to imagine most of what happens and I assure you that whatever you can imagine will not be what follows or what really the story is all about. Am I clear? No, I’m not and the movie is not either.

My brief and not spoiling interpretation is that this story is about human behavior and is not related only to Germany; this kind of behavior still is happening today in many places of the world; and, as Haneke’s leaves to your own interpretation the consequences of the human behavior displayed in the screen, real consequences are different in each culture where right now someone is doing something like what is done in the film. So, my point, there is not only one type of consequence for the shown behaviors.

But if the story could be highly controversial, the film as a film is a true cinema masterpiece in beautiful black and white, that allows extraordinary shadow/light playing and Haneke’s takes extremely good advantage of monochromatic filming to do outstanding outdoor and indoor compositions. Truly is an immaculately crafted master oeuvre. Performances are top notch and remember how difficult is to film children, but here they perform so natural that you the viewer easily get lost inside the film. Amazing!

But there is more. The film genre has been labeled as drama. Yes is a drama, a complex, dense and difficult drama. But also belongs to the soft thriller, whodunit, crime and (some will kill me) horror genres. The horror part is because for many moments the story development made me think about another film “Children of the Corn”, not because there is real horror in this film.

What a crazy GOOD movie that totally plays with viewers while watching the most amazing shadows and use of light.

A Must Be Seen movie and I strongly recommend you do NOT watch it alone as you’ll need someone to talk about the film when is over.

No, is not for all audiences; but as has been happening with the previous 2009 Cannes award winners films I have seen, the Palme D’Or winner is quite mainstream and if general audiences dare to watch it I’m sure many will love it and many will not. My only suggestion is to not think the story as a German story as really applies anywhere in the world. By the way the film full German title translates to “The White Ribbon: A German Children’s Story”. How ironic...

I really LOVE the film and strongly recommend it to EVERYONE!

The film has written allover Oscar for 2010; still, the Academy could give us a surprise…

BIG BIG ENJOY!!!

Watch trailer @ Movie On Companion

15th Identities Queer Film Festival

From June 4 to 19 the fest will take place in Vienna, Austria and will screen many movies known to the blog; but has one particularly elusive film from 1974 called Anna und Edith by Gerrit Neuhaus (the film, commissioned by broadcaster ZDF, was about the first German TV movie ever made featuring a lesbian relationship and is about two female insurance clerks who fall in love while fighting for better working conditions.) that perhaps some of my known readers that live around there will like to see in the big screen. Also elusive is Dos Miradas (Two Looks) by Sergio Candel.

To check the feature films in the fest go here where you can also check the shorts and documentaries.

The fest recalled me the following that I reproduce: "2009 is an anniversary year. 40 years of Stonewall."

So I know that June will be a month that could be full of celebrations around the world and hopefully, celebrations will include screenings of great genre films.