Change Your Image
Walter-11
Reviews
Nieuwe gronden (1933)
More than a documentary
This film is a strange mixture of a documentary and a political pamphlet. Ivens first shows how thousands of courageous workmen toiled for years to give Holland new fertile soil to grow wheat on. When you see the first harvest, you think the film is over, but suddenly the tone changes dramatically: "but we all know wheat isn't grown for eating, but for speculating". The last ten minutes of the film are a strident accusation against the industrialists who rather burn wheat or throw it into the sea than lower the price so poor people can afford to buy it. At the time millions of people in Europe and America were ruined because of the economic depression and there was also a famine in Manchuria. Ivens shows images of hunger marches in New York and London and corpses of starved Manchurians, accompanied by the endless repetition of the word of an anonymous industrialist: "We stikken in het graan" (we're smothered by wheat). A very effective movie, also thanks to the vigorous music by Eisler, and very useful in reminding us that destroying good food while people are starving was, is and will always be plain murder, whatever the economical reasons behind it may be.
Mediterraneo (1991)
nice, but not really good
This is a nice Italian movie, with some beautiful scenes and adequate acting. It would seem that some scenes have been cut in a clumsy effort to speed up the story. One wonders what the Academy Awards jury were thinking when they awarded the Oscar for best foreign language film to "Mediterraneo", rather than to "Raise the Red Lantern". I could easily name a lot of films from 1991 that weren't even nominated and deserved the Oscar more than this movie: La belle noiseuse, Delicatessen, Europa, Obloko-raj, Toto le héros, Tous les matins du monde, Urga, Merci la vie, and maybe even Go Trabi Go or probably a dozen others I haven't seen. Still, "Mediterraneo" might give you about 90 minutes of light-weight entertainment; so do watch it if it's raining and you're feeling lazy and have nothing better to do. But don't expect a great classical movie that changes your life.
Garden State (2004)
Somewhat tedious romance
I don't understand why anybody would give this movie a 10/10. OK, the acting work is adequate, the script contains some good lines and ideas (I liked the miniature pet cemetery and the scene in the boat) and the music is not as bad as one would expect. And I assume that younger people will recognize more of their own life and attitude in it than I do.
But when I read that people liken this movie to a classic like "The Graduate", I wonder how they even can start to compare. I have nothing against Zach Braff, but he's definitely no Dustin Hoffmann (yet?) and even less a Mike Nichols. The romance between Large and Sam is quite nice, but it contains far too much saccharine. The ending of the movie is so disgustingly syrupy my teeth started to ache. Compare that to Benjamin and Elaine driving away in the bus without looking to each other: now that's an image one never forgets and what makes "The Graduate" a classic. Two minutes after the end I had completely forgotten what music what music was used in "Garden State"; I just remembered it hadn't disturbed me much. Forgetting "The Sound of Silence" or "Mrs. Robinson" is nearly impossible, because it's really music that can change your life.
I found "Garden State" sometimes boring, sometimes funny, and it's probably worthwhile watching it on TV while socializing with friends. But I wouldn't advise anybody to watch it in the theater or buy the DVD. Personally I would prefer to have my money back and not have seen this movie. But as Sam was really cute I'll give it a 4/10.
Artemisia (1997)
Beautiful film, no biography
I enjoyed every moment of this beautiful film and was intrigued about this female painter I had never heard of before. So I set out exploring her life and work afterwards. As could be expected, I found out that the film was not exactly historically accurate. I was a little astounded however by the very negative comments on the film because of this inaccuracy. Come on, guys, a film isn't and shouldn't be a biography (nor a novel!). Any historical film distorts reality, because it should be a work of art in its own right. A film director is fully entitled to use elements from reality and history to create a world of his own. Artemisia is a wonderful film and I think it brought many people (including some that now give negative comments) to explore the life and work of this fascinating artist.