Senior Experience: International Cinema

Senior Experience Foreign Film Project Day 5: French Romantic Film Today's films to close out the week were two that have been on my radar for quite a while now, "Pierrot Le Fou (1965, directed by Jean-Luc Godard)" and "Portrait of a Lady on Fire (2019, directed by Céline Sciamma)" Pierrot Le Fou (1965, dir. Jean-Luc Godard) As far as a first film by the legendary Jean-Luc Godard I was very happy with this movie, especially the style. The framing and composition was unique and purposefully disconnecting that made the film seem vibrant and full. The acting across the board was incredible and passionate, and the editing was stand out. The way cuts are made break the sense of reality in such a unique way that they become enjoyable, reminding the viewer that it is just a movie. Technically a marvel but I did have a hard time connecting with the plot, even if the two leads were great characters it was hard to form an emotional tie with the movie personally. That said...

Senior Experience Foreign Film Project Day 4: Iranian Romantic Film Probably the closest to the themes of "romance" I have lined up this week, although of course there are elements of today's pictures that, while focusing on Iranian cinema, toes the line of the definition (Abbas Kiarostami is Iranian, which is what made "Certified Copy" qualify for me, but the movie takes place in Italy and only uses Italian, English, and French). That being said, today's movies are "Certified Copy (2010, directed by Abbas Kiarostami)" and "Downpour (1972, directed by Bahram Beyzai)". Certified Copy (2010, dir. Abbas Kiarostami) A great film... up until the last 20 minutes. Every performance is excellent and convincing, the camera following the couple, along with the streamline editing, makes for a great experience for the eyes. And while a lot of the dialogue feels very much like a constant philosophical debate, it somehow works. The only problem is ther...

Senior Experience Foreign Film Project Day 3: Italian Romantic Film Due to unforeseen circumstances, I'll have to be pushing back this week's schedule by a day and watch the French movies on Saturday. Not very much an issue as I'm excited to see the movies coming up. Anyway, today's movies are "L'Avventura (1960, directed by Michelangelo Antonioni)" and "La Dolce Vita (1960, directed by Federico Fellini)". L’Avventura (1960, dir. Michelangelo Antonioni) Somewhat disappointed with this one. Excellent framing and composition throughout the movie, very interesting to look at throughout, and very strong in basically all its technical aspects (great performances, great editing, etc.). However, the script left something to be desired. The way men act and women react in this movie is entirely unbelievable. I get that Antonioni is trying to make a point on the gross objectification of women (which I agree with), but this is not a compelling portrayal of ...

Senior Experience Foreign Film Project Day 2: Japanese Romantic Film Today is one of two days for the currently planned schedule where I will be watching one movie instead of two, due to the length of said movie. Today's film will be the 4 hour opus "Love Exposure (2008, dir. Sion Sono)". I'm imagining this will fit the romance and love theme a lot more than the Russian ones. Love Exposure (2008, dir. Sion Sono) This is a dense film, which makes sense for a 4 hour movie. It's so dense, however, that I'm not sure how to start. I think the first thing that jumps out about Love Exposure is Sion Sono's iconic style. Low-budget, fast, and oftentimes surreal, the movie is absolutely dripping with uniqueness. Of special mention is the editing. Cuts in this movie are used liberally yet incredibly purposefully, maintaining this sort of momentum throughout the daunting runtime. Imagery is constant but used with purpose, especially Christian symbolism as the movie ta...

Senior Experience Foreign Film Project Day 1: Russian Romantic Films For the first week of the project, I will be watching films that center around themes of love and romance. While a defined "genre" of film, finding movies that fit this for the 5 countries was somewhat difficult, so some of these are going to be a bit of a stretch. That said, the two movies for day one will be "The Cranes Are Flying (1957, dir. Mikhail Kalatozov)" and "Solaris (1972, dir. Andrei Tarkovsky)" The Cranes Are Flying (1957, dir. Mikhail Kalatozov) Pleasantly surprised with this one. One thing that obviously deserves mention is the visuals. As far as shot by shot composition and general choreography (the way the actors and camera moves is beyond impressive), "The Cranes are Flying" is a masterwork. Every single scene feels thought-through and incredibly entertaining, giving even the slower scenes something to chew on. Although, unfortunately, the editing was fairly sl...

 Recently, I've become fascinated with International Cinema. My friends are already very knowledgeable in a variety of films, but I still feel I lack understanding. With the help of my friends, I made a list of films that will both give me information about new forms of filmmaking, but also how different cultures approach similar topics. Over the course of the next month, through my school's Senior Experience opportunity, I will be watching around 36 movies, writing my thoughts, and trying to tie the threads in between them. Still from my current favorite international movie, Come and See (1985)