Utamaro and His Five Women (1946) Made under the American occupation, Kenjii Mizoguchi directed this fictional account of the famous printmaker Kitagawa Utamuro, some of whose depictions of the ‘floating world’ of geishas so incensed the magistrates that Utamoro was handcuffed for 60 days. Film scholars claim that Utamuro is really Mizoguchi’s self-portrait as a … More Utamaro and His Five Women (1946)
Swing Time (1936) George Stevens directed what is now regarded as the best Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers dance film. “The Way You Look Tonight” won the Academy Award for Best Original Song, but I still sing “Pick Yourself Up” which strikes me as quite relevant these days. The “Bojangles of Harlem” number, more a … More Swing Time (1936)
Asparagus (1979), Suzan Pitt’s first breakthrough animation, and Pinball (2013), her last animation, showcase amazing accomplishments celebrating independent filmmaking. On the CalArts Web site, Maureen Seawood wrote, “She [Suzan] believed that within us, we had the ability to unfold the way we dream. That each image leads us to the next image, giving birth to … More Asparagus (1979) and Pinball (2013)
The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1923) [Silent Movie] Lon Chaney transforms into Quasimodo as if one of the gargoyles along the church walls had come to life. Patsy Ruth Miller plays the innocent beauty Esmeralda in this classic romance. Produced by Carl Laemmle, overseen by Irving Thalberg, and directed by craftsman Wallace Worsley, this movie … More The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1923) [Silent Movie]
Le Ballet Royal de la Nuit (1653/2017) A “ballet de cour” with libretto by Isaac de Benserade , featuring multiple composers, began at 6 pm and ended at 6 am with the arrival of fifteen-year-old King Louis XIV as Apollo. Recently reconstructed by Sébastien Daucé, and performed at the Théâtre de Caen with poetry of … More Le Ballet Royal de la Nuit (1653)
Faces/Places [Villages Visages] (2017) Documentary filmmaker Agnès Varda joins forces with instillation photographer J. R. on a road trip across France, visiting coal mines, stockyards, factories, farms, and enlarging photographic images of the people who live and work there, to plaster across buildings, silos, train cars, crates, etc. The impermanence of art is J. R.’ … More Faces/Places
Egon Schiele: Death and the Maiden (2016) Dieter Berner wanted young people to play young people, and cast the male model Noah Saavedra as Schiele even though “he couldn’t memorize two lines.” Subtler and more dynamic performances characterize Maresi Riegner as Gerti, the sister, and Valerie Pachner as the devoted Wally, perhaps due to … More Egon Schiele: Death and the Maiden
Final Portrait (2018) Stanley Tucci wrote and directed this independent film that focuses on the unrelenting obsession of Alberto Giacometti when at work making a portrait of his friend James Lord, who wrote about the experience. Geoffrey Rush provides a credible performance as the artist, and Tony Shalhoub surprises as his brother Diego. The excruciating … More Final Portrait (2018)
The Bird People in China (中国の鳥人) (1998) In this dark comedy, a yakuza is sent into the Chinese boondocks to keep track of a junior executive whose bank wants to ascertain if there’s jade to mine. Takashi Miike directs this anthropocentric fable that becomes a quest for an obscure tribe of Chinese people who have … More The Bird People in China
Blog with a View After Terry Wright’s Fractal Blog Page 1. By the image in the word Meaning casts its shadow By the word in the image Colors strain to stain. 2. Flow sweeps away on Mercury wings With magnification The hidden emerges 3. Gaudy or polite Or impish wisdom Sharing the void Ought … More Fractal Delight
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