Change Your Image
tedsteinberg
Reviews
Popiól i diament (1958)
A Greek Tragedy Masquerading as a Polish Farce by Fellini
Almost every major scene was overdone, especially the death scenes - as a farce this was a reasonably good film, as a tragedy it's tragic. At times, I was laughing and wondering if Fellini had seen this parody of his approach to telling stories via cinema.
I didn't read the book; I watched this film eagerly with no previously held opinion one way or the other I have a large collection of Criterion type films, and probably that's the reason I had never got around to watching Ashes & Diamonds. FWIW, I watched it alone because I wanted to "be in the tunnel" so to speak.
From the beginning, there were no real surprises and it was apparent the director was going to be in a "do you get it?" mood. Much of the acting was either wooden or in a state of suppressed hysteria.
As a chronicle of Poland's shock at not being victorious after years of hell, this film deserves high marks for it's depiction of Poles making the best of a hollow celebration. As a potential awakening for both the assassin and his intended victim, the film is entitled once again, to high marks. As a love story, much of it is well done.
Then, what's the problem? Too many cross currents, many of which were just exercises in thrashing and flailing, and, for me, I was looking for something to chew on and digest as opposed to being shown overly long drawn out scenes of either silliness or despair; that's when it occurred to me I was not a member of the director's choir; after a round of expletives I calmed down and thought of Fellini's and Bergman's approaches to developing a story and wished they'd made this film.
Lebenszeichen (1968)
Fine Art: non-hysterical look at our hysterical and consuming obligations
This film is smart enough not to let you know where the moment of tension, if any, or departure, will appear. The lead flips out when he does and for no better reason than he just flips out which makes his reactions to his situation all the better to appreciate. Herzog's other characters including the leads commandant deal with the situation in a perfectly sane manner, again surprising the viewer with their lack of all the hysterical clichés associated in movies by Kraut mannerisms. The photography in itself is like Henri Cartier Bresson was coaching Herzog. Visually, and as a screen play, you have the best combination like when Eugene O'Neil said that a play wright's job is to put people in a room and get them to talk to each other. This movie is fine sherry, it is not a champagne cocktail. The film glistens from it's lack of "get it's?"
Gosford Park (2001)
Great story - poorly executed. Farce? Drama? Mystery? What?
Way too many pseudo-clever British takeoffs. The story had great potential, but it was buried in a hodgepodge of pointless sub-text which gave little chance for the main characters to be characterized.
The inspector was ridiculous but he was obviously supposed to be, this was one more example of how to bury a good mystery buried in a pointlessly overdone movie with a production that reeked of Architectual Indigestion.
All that remained, was the oh, too obvious, conclusion, which was stupidly hinted at throughout the film.
Good talent and a good story sufferd from a poor script and an even worse production.