Abre los ojos (1997)

Abre los ojos, the second feature by Spanish director Alejandro Amenabar, is a taut psychological sci-fi thriller that captivated audiences in Spain and abroad. The film takes place in a frame narrative: we meet our protagonist as he sits in a prison cell, recounting the events that led to his imprisonment. Eduardo Noriega is the erstwhile prisoner Cesar, who we learn used to be an attractive and self-styled player. When he rejects the advances of his ex-girlfriend Nuria (Najwa Nimri) at a party to pursue his best friend's current flame Sofia (Penelope Cruz), he sets in motion a chain of events that are both terrifying and surreal. The jealous and obsessive Nuria pulls up in front of Cesar's flat, where he has just spent the night with Sofia, to offer him a ride, only to suicidally crash the car into a wall.

Though Cesar survives, he is left horrifically disfigured. Despondent, he drinks heavily, until one night he wakes up from his stupor to find that his luck has changed dramatically. Plastic surgeons who had previously insisted that there was nothing to be done for his Quasimodo-esque face successfully restore his good looks, and Sofia, who had rejected him after the accident, insists that she loves him. Eager to buy into his good luck, Cesar feels as though he's been given a second change - until holes appear in his new, perfect reality. His friends begin to confuse Sofia and Nuria, and when Sofia transforms into Nuria one night and in a panic, Cesar smothers her to death with a pillow.

The prison guards eventually help Cesar to piece together his patchy memories of how he came to be there. It turns out that Cesar is a patient of a cryogenics company that preserved him after the accident to allow him to leave his new reality as a disfigured, lonely person and instead, traverse an idealized dreamscape through use of virtual reality technology, which was implanted in such a way that it replaced his actual memories. Disturbed that the cryogenics had morphed Nuria and Sofia into one person and desperate to reenter reality, Cesar demands to be removed from the treatment. Unfortunately, Cesar's mind has been so irreparably muddled that he becomes convinced that the accident itself and his facial disfigurement was the product of the company's virtual reality-gone-wrong, and commits suicide in an effort to "wake up."

The film, what was released in 1997, has been cited as an influential forebearer of everything from The Matrix to Inception in its treatment of dreaming and virtual reality. Unfortunately, the film was also remade by Cameron Crowe as Vanilla Sky in 2002, starring Tom Cruise in the leading role and with Penelope Cruz reprising her role as Sofia. Notably, Abre los ojos was the first Spanish feature to undergo the sort of glossy Hollywood remake that is common to films from other countries; this is likely due in part to the fact that the numero uno auteur of Spain, Pedro Almodovar, makes films that ostensibly could not be remade for wide release by Hollywood studios, given that they focus on themes including transvestism, drug abuse, homosexuality, and the corruption in Catholic church. Many critics also cited Vanilla Sky and the adapted role of Cesar as perfect for Tom Cruise, since he more or less reprised his role in Jerry Maguire. But the remake never achieved the level of international acclaim as Abre los ojos, which has retained a cult following in the United States and become a landmark achievement in modern Spanish cinema

Works Cited

White, Anne M. "Seeing double? The remaking of Alejandro's Amenábar's Abre los ojos as Cameron Crowe's Vanilla Sky." International Journal of Iberian Studies 15.3 (2002): 187. Web. 10 Dec. 2010.

"The Pumpkin Eater" (1964) -- Jack Clayton

One of the films I chose to review for UK week was the 1964 British film "The Pumpkin Eater", directed by Jack Clayton. The film, starring Anne Bancroft, focuses on a woman named Jo who is reflecting on her life with her third husband and six children after she learns of her husbands infidelity. We follow her through random stories of her life with her third husband and the film ends with her decision of whether or not to stay with him.

While I thought the story was somewhat interesting, it wasn't particularly well executed. The story shifts from problem to problem quickly, with little flow. The viewers are given little background information on the main character; we are left to assume facts based on things said in passing. The film is very dialogue heavy and tended to be slow because of all the talking and little action.

The plot was the only thing I disliked about the film; the other elements were good. The acting was phenomenal. Bancroft effectively portrays a mentally unstable woman's roller coaster of emotions, proven by the fact she won Best Actress at the Cannes Film Festival and was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actress. Chemistry between all the actors, especially the many children, was great and convincing.

The director provided a variety of angles and effects to shift into the next scene. When Bancroft's character Jo was feeling especially sad, reflective, or emotional, he would close up on her face, leaving nothing else in the shot. He also did this when other confronted her with criticism or an important issue, such as her husband and his infidelity claims or the woman in the salon who verbally attacks her.

Clayton also set up characters in interesting positions. One shot was a long vertical shot of Jo rummaging through the icebox while having a conversation with her friend sitting on top of it, another was Jo and her husband sitting on the couch, both their heads leaning back on the sofa, and a very low angle shot of Jo on the top of a windmill, looking out its window. All noteworthy shots that added to the aesthetic quality of "The Pumpkin Eaters".

The most memorable scene of the movie was the physical fight between Jo and her husband. Claytons technique somewhat reminded me of Hitchcock's thrillers: a slow paced movie until the end, when all the action occurs in less than 10 minutes. It didn't feel like you were watching the scene, you felt like you were part of the scene. The camera was shaking, the scene was spinning, and the cameras were directly in front of the actors, who were looking directly into them, which felt like you were either Jo or her husband. The technique was frantic but I could still see the emotions of the characters faces and clearly see both of them, regardless of the shaking. I really enjoyed it and appreciated the creativity.

Lastly, a prop that played an important role in the film was windows. Jo is often near a window or looking out of one and there are a few scenes where the children are playing outside in their large fields or she and her husband are talking walks with them. I think making a point of this shows how Jo feels trapped in her life and like something is missing; she has already been married three times and has six children. I think she is trying to produce something substantial in her life that will satisfy her, but nothing so far has done so. So she must look further, out windows and to open spaces, implying something more is out there. Overall, typical plot but execution was above average and worth a watch.

Almost Stranger, Almost Perfect

Almost Strangers is a BBC telefilm in three parts by Stephen Poliakoff. It follows Daniel, the son of the prodigal son, as he goes to a family reunion where he's never actually met any of the family. He and his father are drawn to unravel the mystery of two pictures, one of each of them as small children, and neither have a memory of the picture or why it was taken.
The film has an absurd kind of logic to it, placing surreal family members and encounters at a fairly normal event. One uncle channels his Robin Goodfellow, while another serves as a voice of reason, a conscious urging Daniel not to follow his heart. Daniel himself seems to be a ghost, filling in the shoes of a long gone relative, even though he does not know it himself.
The film is underscored by a haunting melody. The music, while at times almost melodramatic, is beautiful, and serves to underline important moments, and give a bit more to the mystical quality of the film. The music seems to linger, and where the film could easily have become overly melodramatic, it instead becomes simple melodrama - a story of a family trying to come back together after being driven apart by secrets and shame. And within that story is one of a father and son, long outcast from the family, discovering they have more in common than they had thought to begin with.

Mike Leigh

Mike Leigh’s film Vera Drake takes place in the 1950’s and explores themes related to social status and morality. The film utilizes Leigh’s signature style to create characters that are relatable and thoughtful. Leigh uses lengthy improvisations as a means for character and plot development and is open to many perspectives while filming. The works of Leigh are characterized by his focus on human emotions, connections, and relationships. Vera Drake, which was released in 2004, uses these themes to discuss the multigenerationally relevant issue of abortion.

The character of Vera Drake was developed around her occupation as both a wife and mother, but also an abortionist. Vera Drake is seemingly just a neighborhood mother, but in actuality she provides a highly sought after service for women in need. Drake performs illegal abortions without pay as a way to help desperate woman but in the end it deeply affects her family. The film ends with not much being resolved but instead acts as a way for Leigh to explore the class struggles, issues related to the family, and the question of abortion.

Leigh’s characters and scripts are created through improvisation and the actors who play the parts. This technique creates an interesting experience for the viewer because the characters are extremely authentic. An interesting example of Leigh’s technique can be witnessed through the dinner party scene. The main character, Vera Drake, played by Imelda Stuanton, was unaware of Leigh’s full plans for the scene and the end result is an intensely emotive scene that is utterly true to real life. The performance of Staunton as Vera Drake is outstanding and through the dinner party scene it is clear that she has fully explored and understands the character that she is portraying.

The film Vera Drake is an excellent example of Mike Leigh’s work and specifically his use of improvisation. Leigh’s overall goal while making films is to create a work that explores real issues that connect people and portray the emotion depth and realities of life.

Source: Singular Vision. Films Media Group, 2005. Films On Demand. Web. 28 November 2010.

Michael Collins

Michael Collins (1996), Neil Jordan’s epic motion picture about the Irish revolutionary leader, was one of the most expensive movies made in Ireland, costing Warner Brothers. and the Irish National Film Board more than $25 million (Merivirta-Chakrabarti, p 122).Indeed, Michael Collins sits squarely at the intersection of Hollywood convention and the conventions of European cinema and the idea of epic national cinema.

Filmed at a time when there seemed to be the first real, lasting cease-fire in Northern Ireland, a sudden outbreak of violence threatened the planned release and distribution of the film. Because of that pressure and because of some disappointing audience testing in America, Neil Jordan agreed to re-shoot some scenes and change the opening and closing of the film to fit a more traditional “Hollywood” understanding of filmic communication.

The film’s opening scene, which was added at the request of Warner Brothers, features a very traditional narration. Kitty Kiernan, Collins’ love interest, is lying on a bed in the background, while another character, Joe O’Reilly seems to speak directly to the audience.

Joe O’Reilly addresses the audience directly, saying: “You’ve got to think of him. The way he was…He was what the times demanded. And life without him seems impossible. But he’s dead. And life is possible. He made it possible”. (Merivirta-Chakrabarti, p 124).

The point of this pseudo-narration is to give away the ending. Most of the international audience had no idea who Michael Collins was, apart from the film advertisements they saw, and so it was important to set their expectations at the beginning of the film: Michael Collins is going to die.

Indeed, one other change that Neil Jordan made was to the ending of the film.

According to Bordwell (1990: 160), at the end of a classical Hollywood film, “the narration may again acknowledge its awareness of the audience (nondiegetic music reappears, characters look to the camera or close a door in our face), its omniscience (e.g. the camera retreats to a long shot) and its communicativeness (now we know all)”. Closely following this tradition, Michael Collins returns to overt narration towards the end of the film. (Merivirta-Chakrabarti, p 125).

The film returns to Joe O’Reilly’s narration to Kitty Kiernan, and we hear non-diagetic music, in the form of Sinead O’Connor’s rendition of “She Moved Through the Fair” during a montage of Kitty’s wedding preparations intercut with scenes of Collins’ assassination. Another addition that Warner Brothers suggested was a scene in which Kitty hears the news of Collins’ death (as she is shopping for a wedding gown). In the original version, according to Jordan, the film cut from his death scene “to a bridal wreath being placed around her head in the wedding shop. And in the great European tradition, emotion is implied rather than presented.” (Merivirta-Chakrabarti, p 124).

However, even as Neil Jordan made concessions to Hollywood, he maintained a strong sense of his European roots as well. The actual scene of Michael Collins’ death is very understated, which contrasts with the usual depiction of the death of a protagonist/hero in mainstream Hollywood fare.

Collins’s death is not mythologised but instead seems futile. Unlike the death of the hero in so many Hollywood films, Collins’s screen death is essentially undramatic and devoid of profound meaning. (Merivirta-Chakrabarti, p 125).

The camera stays in a long shot, and refuses any indulgence such as slow-motion or close-up. Indeed, it could have been easy to depict Collins dying in the midst of action, defending his fellow men, or engaged in some kind of gallantry (since he died in the midst of the Irish Civil War). But, staying true to his editorial intent, Jordan chose to show Collins as the target of an ambush while his convoy was making its way from one town to another: another needless victim of war. His death seems like a waste rather than an act of martyrdom.

It is in this way that Neil Jordan kept a healthy tension between Hollywood and Ireland, big-budget and art-house, melodrama and understatement, and in the process, helped the people of Ireland consider more fully the question, “where are we coming from and where are we going?” (Merivirta-Chakrabarti, p 123).

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Works Cited:

Merivirta-Chakrabarti, Raita. “Between Irish National Cinema and Hollywood: Neil Jordan’s Michael Collins” in Estudios Irlandeses, Number 2, 2007, pp. 121-127

Jean Vigo's L'Atalante

There are many differing opinions on the work of Jean Vigo but one thing that becomes evident when one sorts through the various critiques and reviews of his films is that it is very difficult to categorize him. Vigo died young and only had the time to make four films, yet each one of them has been given their fair share of academic discourse. However, none have been given more attention than his final film, L’Atalante (1934). Taken at face value the film is about relationships and perhaps seeks to point out the inherent difficulty of maintaining one even when a couple is truly meant to be together. However, beneath the surface this is a film that explores many nuanced topics including an examination of the battle between open space and claustrophobia. When the film ends, it is difficult to say which side wins though, one could argue, it doesn’t really matter. There are two major technical elements that serve to enhance the story. The first is its use of a cinéma vérité style of filmmaking (largely foreshadowing the Italian Neorealist movement still yet to come) and the use of certain surrealist experimental elements that set it apart from some other films being made at the time.

In brief L’Atalante tells the story of newlyweds Jean and Juliette. They start off as a happy couple but quickly digress, becoming angry and argumentative with one another. Their personalities are represented by the barge, (Jean) which is meant to symbolize containment and the normality of day-to-day life, and dry land, (Juliet) which is meant to express freedom and openness. By the end of the film Jean and Juliet realize that despite their differences they’re still meant to be together and a joyous reunion ensues. One interesting element that is worth pointing out occurs at the beginning of the film. Although the film opens on what is obviously the tail end of a wedding, it looks more like a funeral procession than anything else. The bride and groom march intently ahead of the rest of the group, all of whom are dressed in black. Furthermore, in the middle of what should be a joyous moment the mother of the bride is crying over the event. This is certainly done intentionally as a means to show the impending doom of their relationship.

As was previously mentioned the use of a cinéma vérité style is one key to the success of the film. There are no studio lights or sets, which consequently give the film a unique look for the time. In his 1951 article, Revaluations 9 – L’Atalante, Roger Manvell discusses this topic by saying that “The main faults of this film are, curiously enough, to a certain extent, assets. The photography is very rough—but how could it be otherwise unless the barge had been made artificially in a studio or every scene shot in special lighting and special weathers. This is an everyday story photographed in everyday lighting, and the narrow interiors do not allow for fancy shots.”[1] In this sense Manvell precisely highlights the point that this film is a direct influence on the Italian Neorealists that would arise in Italy about a decade later. Much like it’s offspring, L’Atalante uses reality to its advantage as a means to underline the core of the film as reality.

Another interesting aspect of this film is its timely use of surrealistic elements as a means to convey the star-crossed relationship of the two lovers, Jean and Juliet. Manvell describes Vigo’s surrealism as the “use of dream-imagery in the representation of experiences difficult or impossible to present directly.”[2] Early in the film Juliet explains to her new husband a legend, which is that when one’s head is under water you see the face of the person you love, saying, “It’s true. It happened to me. That’s how I recognized you when you first came to our house (00:15:34).”[3] Shortly after Jean jokingly tries out her theory. He is unsuccessful primarily because he treats the moment as a chance to mock her beliefs. However, later on in the film when Juliet has left Jean and he is distraught over his loss, he leaps into the water in an attempt to see what he once had no desire to even believe in. Now, fully capable of appreciating the love of his wife, he is able to see her in the water and recognize her as his true love. In order to show this transformation, Vigo uses a surrealist technique of superimposing one image on top of another. In this case, he superimposes the image of Juliet as she was on her wedding day, on top of an image of Jean in the water trying desperately to see the one he is meant to be with.

In conclusion the film L’Atalante is as brilliant as it is inspirational. In addition to its influence on the Italian Neorealist movement it was also a big influence on the French New Wave filmmakers, in particular François Truffaut. Sadly, Jean Vigo died tragically in 1934 due to complications from tuberculosis, ironically on the night L’Atalante premiered. His work, however, instantly became timeless and his notoriety and influence lives on to this day.

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[1] Manvell, Roger. “Revaluations 9—L’Atalante”. Sight and Sound. Volume 19. Issue 10 (1951): Pages 421-22.

[2] [2] Manvell, Roger. “Revaluations 9—L’Atalante”. Sight and Sound. Volume 19. Issue 10 (1951): Pages 421-22.

[3] L’Atalante. Vigo, Jean. Gaumont-Franco Film-Aubert, 1934.

Vittorio De Sica's Two Women (1960)

Vittorio De Sica’s Two Women contains various techniques which makes it one of the great films from the Italian Neo-Realism era. Set during the allied bombing in Rome, the film tells the story of Cesira (Sophia Loren), a beautiful widowed woman, and her religious and innocent 12 year old daughter, Rosetta (Eleanora Brown). The story follows Cesira and Rosetta’s tumultuous journey to and from Rome. Following the trend of other Italian Neo-Realism films by De Sica (such as Bicycle Thieves), Two Women explores the effect World War II has had on the basic human condition. The viewer comes to understand the effect on people’s most basic wants and needs such as shelter, food, and money. But what makes Two Women stand out among other films, is that it shows the effect war has on one of the most primeval of human needs; and this is the lust for love and sex. Two Women caused a bit of a stir when it released because of its brief nudity, suggestive camera shots, and rape scene. However, Two Women received an Academy Award (for Best Actress- Sophia Loren) and recognition elsewhere, because it is simply real. Regardless of the difficult times around them, people still have sexual and romantic desires, and some of them act on these impulses-whether they are welcomed or not.
The character of Cesira is particularly interesting because of her fire and passion for survival. We notice Cesira’s passion even more as she interacts with Michele (Jean-Paul Belmondo). When Cesira and Rosetta eventually make it to a small compound of refugees in the hills, they encounter and befriend Michele who is a student who sympathizes with Communism and other ideologies. Michele can’t seem to comprehend Cesira’s ‘obsession’ with supplies and survival. In one particular scene in the film, Michele reads passages of The Bible to the refugees. Rosetta is mesmerized by his reading of Holy Scripture. However the other refugees, and especially Cesira continuously interrupt him. He’s interrupted by a man delivering supplies who just barges in to make his deliveries. He’s interrupted by other refugees who are late. And lastly, he’s interrupted by Cisara’s rant about the possible bombing of her house in Rome. At this point in the scene, Michele is fed up with the interruptions. He tells the refugees they aren’t worth hearing the stories and they are better off dead. He storms off. Rosetta instantly defends Michele, accusing her mother of causing the outburst and Cesira goes after him. Cesira meets up with Michele, alone in a field and it’s in this scene that the viewer comes to understand the stark differences between these two characters, and thus the difference of feelings and priorities amongst Italians during this time.
Cisera represents the common people of Italy during this time. She is not rich, only a poor, simple widow (with beautiful features and outrageous sex appeal) trying to fend for and protect her daughter. Her first priority is food, shelter, and the preservation of Rosetta’s innocence. That is all. Michele, on the other hand wishes more refugees would stop hiding out and fight for what’s right (in his opinion: Communism), and stop fattening up like pigs while others die. Even though Michele and Cisera are two completely different people in terms of what’s most important, they learn something from each other; and that is basic human romantic and sexual desire.
Regardless of Michele’s vehement ideologies and theories, he admires Cisera for being so open about the things important to her. He mentions that he wishes he could be more like her in that respect. On the other hand, Michele inquires about Cisera’s love of life and if she’s ever loved before. After being reminded of that part of life, Cisera seems to develop a fondness of Michele- and so does her daughter, Rosetta. Cisera and Michele’s fondness of each other semi-blossoms into a glimmer of a romantic relationship. They end up kissing in a field during a bombing attack. Their being so oblivious during a dangerous scenario like this shows how much they are in need of passion- just as much as Cisera is in need of flour for bread. Additionally, an elderly couple catches them kissing in the bomb laden field and they carefully move away not to disturb them. The elderly couple seems to understand and sympathize with their need of passion even in a moment like this. Michele’s helping Cisera with her flour shows that he understands her need for it and has come to understand her point of view.
De Sica’s Two Women is a great portrayal of many ordinary citizens in Italy during this time. However, the film doesn’t just dote on romantic feelings and politics alone. The last portion of Two Women show just how ravaging and terrible wartime can be. After traveling to get back to Rome, Cisera and Rosetta are cornered in an abandoned church and raped by a group of Arabian Allies. Rosetta’s innocence is taken from her in the most malicious way, and there’s nothing Cisera can do about it. It’s at this point in the film that both Rosetta and Cisera become ‘two women’. Rosetta begins to act out because of what happens to her. She even sleeps with a stranger in exchange for a pair of women’s stockings. Eventually Rosetta and Cisera reconcile over the news of Michele’s death. What happens to Rosetta and Cisera in this film shows us that war affects everyone. Poverty, uncontrollable lust, and hunger affect everyone as well, even the most innocent. Vittorio De Sica’s Two Women is not only a great film from the Italian Neo-Realism period because of its classic story surrounding by theme, but because it dares to show the good bad and the ugly side of this time period in European history.

Sources:
“Vittorio De Sica- Neo-Realism, Melodrama, Fantasy”
http://hcl.harvard.edu/hfa/films/2010aprjun/de_sica.html
“Two Women (1960)
http://movies.nytimes.com/movie/51437/Two-Women/overview