2024 Blind Spot Series: Berlin Alexanderplatz

 

Based on the novel by Alfred Doblin, Berlin Alexanderplatz is the story of a former criminal who tries to become a better person during the chaotic Weimar-era of Germany. Written for the screen, co-edited, designed, directed, and narrated by Rainer Werner Fassbinder, the 15-hour miniseries with 14 episodes explore a man’s attempt to redeem himself and start a new life as he struggles to adjust to a new society that overwhelms him. Starring Gunter Lamprecht, Gottfried John, Barbara Sukowa, Hanna Schygulla, Karin Baal, Annemarie Duringer, Elisabeth Trissenaar, Helen Vita, Barbara Valentin, Brigitte Mira, Roger Fritz, Ivan Desny, Buchriser Franz, Hark Bohm, Gerhard Zwarenz, and Volker Spengler. Berlin Alexanderplatz is an audacious and chilling miniseries by Rainer Werner Fassbinder.

Set in 1928 Germany during Weimar Republic era, the film follows a man who has just been released in prison hoping to become a decent man unaware that he is living in a world where decency is hard to find. It is a sprawling film that explore the life of Franz Biberkopf (Gunter Lamprecht) as he was a former pimp that was put into prison for killing his girlfriend Ida (Barbara Valentin) in an act of rage. Upon his release, Biberkopf re-enters society with a promise that he will become a decent person only to encounter a world that is on the brink of collapse. Rainer Werner Fassbinder’s screenplay that includes his own narration that include events happening around Berlin during that year as it plays into the decline of the Weimar Republic is broken in thirteen episodes with the first episode with an 82-minute running time and the other 12 at around an hour. The script plays into Biberkopf’s willingness to become a good man and not get into trouble although he is an extremely flawed individual who is also naïve about the ways of the world as he also has a childlike demeanor in his facial expressions and drinks a lot to the point that he would descend into alcoholism numerous times.

Each episode opens with an operatic song with images of the Weimar Republic era where it plays into Biberkopf’s encounter with the new world as he has a few friends in a former lover in Eva (Hanna Schygulla) and Meck (Buchrieser Franz) as the former would often give him money and other things to help him out every once in a while, with the latter trying to help Biberkopf in getting a honest job. Biberkopf and Meck would often frequent at a bar run by Max (Claus Hom) who often observes a lot while also giving the former some advice on things. The first five episodes has Biberkopf struggling to find honest work while also beginning a relationship with a Polish woman in Lina (Elisabeth Trissenaar) as well as work with a friend of Lina’s father in Luders (Hark Bohm) in selling shoelaces where things go wrong leading to a mental breakdown for Biberkopf until he is helped by a man in Baumann (Gerhard Zwerenz) to get back on track. It is there where he would meet a businessman in Pums (Ivan Desny) who runs an illegal markets operation where Biberkopf would befriend one of his men in Reinhold (Gottfried John).

The two would go into a woman-swapping scheme to help curb Reinhold’s dependence on women where Biberkopf would engage into another relationship with another of Reinhold’s former girlfriends in Cilly (Annemarie Duringer). The happiness would be brief in the seventh episode where Biberkopf is asked to fill in for one of Pums’ men where some revelations occur and would leave Biberkopf dead and losing his right arm. Once Eva and her lover Herbert (Roger Fritz) learn what happened, Herbert decides to use his connections to bring problems to Pums though Pums eventually decides to pay for Biberkopf’s medical bills with contributions from his men minus Reinhold. After meeting Willy (Fritz Schediwy) at a cabaret club where Cilly was performing having not seen or heard about Biberkopf believing he had died from the accident. Biberkopf goes into business with Willy through dishonest means just as Eva would introduce Biberkopf to Mieze (Barbara Sukowa) who would become the love of his life.

Despite learning that she is a prostitute and going to political meetings that has him relapsing into alcoholism, he would still enjoy his time with Mieze though would get despondent over her job prompting him to go Pums for help despite reservations from people working for Pums. The script has Fassbinder often highlighting things where Biberkopf going into situations including bad ones where he would be too forgiving through those close to him are aghast over this. Even in the last two episodes where Biberkopf would go insane over a major incident leading to a two-hour epilogue as the 14th and final episode. It is an episode of its own where it is surreal in its overall presentation as it plays into Biberkopf’s own faults, naivete, refusal to see reality, and his lack of judgement towards those who are truly the worst.

Fassbinder’s direction is immense not just in its grand presentation but also in creating a world that is on the verge of collapse where it is dirty yet exciting. Shot on location at Bavaria Film Studios in Munich, Fassbinder creates a world that plays into a period as Fassbinder would also be the film’s production designer. The sets such as the apartment that Biberkopf lives in as well as the bar he often goes to are key set pieces in the film where Fassbinder’s usage of wide and medium shots cover a lot of space as there are a lot of scenes where Fassbinder shoots on a wide shot to play into Biberkopf’s disconnection with reality. There are also shots that would last longer than a few minutes in some of these wide shots where Fassbinder showcase something happening where Fassbinder would also narrate whatever a character is thinking about or an offscreen event that is happening outside of the scene.

Fassbinder would also maintain an intimacy in some of the settings where he would use some close-ups to play into some of the moments where Biberkopf would gain a semblance of happiness or engage into something hopeful. Even as it also play into moments of suspense such as a scene where Biberkopf fills in for one of Pums’ men as they make a getaway where Reinhold becomes uneasy over Biberkopf’s behavior. The direction would also have this dream-like element as it plays into Biberkopf’s own happiness that is fleeting where is unable to face reality. Yet, he would encounter it through a flashback in which he beats Ida to death as it would appear often as a reminder of him at his most inhumane. Even in a scene late in the eleventh episode where Mieze confesses to Biberkopf leading to a moment of violence that even shocks the sadistic Reinhold where he would intervene.

The film’s final two episodes plus its epilogue would be the emergence of the inhumanity that Biberkopf would be ignorant to where he succumbs to madness over a tragic event while those close to him are trying to make sense of his behavior. The film’s epilogue is where Fassbinder breaks all the rules where he create surrealistic sequences that play into Biberkopf’s troubled mind including his regrets, failures, and inability to see the dark side of humanity. Especially in set pieces where there are a lot of anachronisms in its setting and music soundtrack with a couple of angels (Margit Carstensen and Helmut Griem) commenting on what is happening with even Fassbinder himself making a cameo as an observer. The film’s ending is really about Biberkopf’s fate but also being disconnected from the world that has already fallen into total chaos where he has accepted his fate despite being in Hell on Earth. Overall, Fassbinder crafts an astonishing and visceral 14-part film about a troubled man’s attempt to become decent in an indecent world on the verge of collapse.

Cinematographer Xaver Schwarzenberger does brilliant work with the film’s 16mm photography stock with its emphasis on heightened lights for some of the daytime interior/exterior scenes as well as low-key lights for the scenes set at night with an emphasis on soft lighting in some parts of the film. Editors Julian Lorenz and Rainer Werner Fassbinder (in his Walsch Franz pseudonym) do excellent work in the editing in maintaining straightforward cuts as well as a few jump-cuts in some of the film’s montage sequences. Costume designer Barbara Baum does amazing work with the look of the clothes the men wear as well as the stylish clothing that the women wear during those times.

The visual effects work of Theo Nischwitz is terrific for the film’s epilogue as it adds to the surreal presentation such as a boxing match between Biberkopf and Reinhold. The sound work of Hans R. Weiss, along with sound mixer Milan Bor, is superb for its natural approach to the sound in the way music is presented from a gramophone and the way a pub or a club sounds. Music by Peer Raben is incredible for its music score ranging from brass pieces as well as elements of piano-based music like the late 1920s and some low-key electronic pieces to give the film its odd presentation while its music soundtrack also features many of the music from that period plus an operatic piece that opens each episode while its epilogue would feature some anachronistic music from the likes of the Velvet Underground, Janis Joplin, Donovan, Kraftwerk, Leonard Cohen, and Dean Martin.

The film’s tremendous ensemble cast feature some notable small roles and appearances from Udo Kier as a young cabaret club goer, Lilo Pempeit as Pums’ wife Peter Kuiper as a bald man who runs a decadent district full of prostitutes, Margit Carstensen and Helmut Griem as a couple of angels in the film’s epilogue, Karin Baal as Ida’s sister Minna whom Biberkopf meets and later rapes, Herbert Steinmetz as the newspaper seller Eddie that Biberkopf befriends, Axel Bauer as a former friend of Biberkopf in Dreske who is part of a communist group that Biberkopf dislikes, Jurgen Draeger as a Jewish sausage seller who politely asks why Biberkopf would wear the swastika, Helen Vita and Irm Herrmann as a couple of women who would date Reinhold as part of a swapping scheme with Biberkopf, Volker Spengler and Gunther Kaufmann in their respective roles as two of Pums’ men in Bruno and Theo, Gerhard Zwerenz as Baumann who would help Biberkopf recover from alcoholism, and Barbara Valentin as Biberkopf’s lover Ida whom he would kill in an act of rage and jealousy as she would often be seen in flashbacks.

Fritz Schediwy is terrific as Willy as a young criminal that Biberkopf befriends as he would align himself into some political causes that would put Biberkopf in trouble. Brigitte Mira is superb as the landlady Frau Bast whom Biberkopf is fond of as she always takes care of him. Ivan Desny and Hark Bohm are fantastic in their respective roles as the crime boss Pums and the salesman Otto Luders as two men who would give Biberkopf employment with the former being an illegal markets operator and the latter who would put Biberkopf into trouble and a mental breakdown. Elisabeth Trissenaar and Annemarie Duringer are excellent in their respective roles as two of Biberkopf’s lovers in the Polish woman Lina and the cabaret performer Cilly as these two different women who provide Biberkopf with a sense of purpose and care only for certain things to end the relationships abruptly.

Claus Holm and Roger Fritz are brilliant in their respective roles as the bar owner Max and Eva’s husband Herbert as two men who often bring advice to Biberkopf with the former being more patient while the latter has connections to help Biberkopf. Franz Buchrieser is amazing as Meck as an old longtime friend of Biberkopf who tries to help him find honest work while is a reluctant employee of Pums as he later feels regret for what happened to Biberkopf as he would also deal with a tragic event, he played a part of to his own regret. Gottfried John is incredible as Reinhold as a man Biberkopf befriends who also works for Pums as he is a man with a stutter but also a sadistic man that would take advantage of Biberkopf to the point of extreme measures. Hanna Schygulla is phenomenal as Eva as a former lover of Biberkopf who has become wealthy as she helps him whenever she can while also having some love for him where she also copes with his own views of the world and her concern for Mieze.

Barbara Sukowa is great as Mieze as a prostitute who becomes Biberkopf’s great love as she hopes to give him some hope while is also insecure thinking, she is not good enough for him where she later copes with his own activities and those he surrounds himself with. Finally, there’s Gunter Lamprecht in a spectacular performance as Franz Biberkopf as a former pimp who goes to prison for killing his girlfriend as he is released where he hopes to become a decent man. Lamprecht brings this childlike presentation as someone who is hopeful about starting a new lease on life unaware of the world he is in where he is brought down by his own naivety, lack of judgement, jealousy, and delusions about life as it is an intense performance that is also reserved at times but also dangerous once he goes into a rage as it is a career-defining performance from Lamprecht.

Berlin Alexanderplatz is a magnificent film by Rainer Werner Fassbinder that features a tremendous leading performance from Gunter Lamprecht. Along with its supporting ensemble cast, striking visuals, study of humanity during an inhumane time, an offbeat presentation, and a whimsical music soundtrack. It is a daunting film that is challenging in not just its 902-minute running time but also in its study of a man trying to fit in at a world that is constantly changing but on the verge of collapse during a crucial period in Germany’s history. In the end, Berlin Alexanderplatz is an outstanding film by Rainer Werner Fassbinder.

Rainer Werner Fassbinder Films: Love is Colder Than Death - (Katzelmacher) - (Why Does Herr R. Run Amok?) - (Rio das Mortes) - (The American Soldier) - (Whity) - (Beware of a Holy Whore) – The Merchant of Four Seasons - The Bitter Tears of Petra von Kant - Eight Hours Don't Make a Day - (Jailbait) - World on a Wire - Ali: Fear Eats the Soul - (Martha (1974 film)) - (Effi Briest) - (Fox and His Friends) - (Mother Kuster’s Trip to Heaven) – (I Only Want You to Love Me) – Satan's Brew - (Chinese Roulette) - (Germany in Autumn) - (Despair) - (In a Year of 13 Moons) – The Marriage of Maria Braun - (Third Generation) - (Lili Marleen) – Lola - Veronika Voss - Querelle

© thevoid99 2024

Air (2023 film)

 

Directed and co-starring Ben Affleck and written by Alex Convery, Air is the story about the origin of the Air Jordan shoe line by Nike and how an employee from Nike makes a discovery about the then-unknown Michael Jordan and to build a shoe line around him. The film is about the creation of a shoe line that wouldn’t just save Nike from shutting down but create something that would play a key role in the world of popular culture. Also starring Matt Damon, Jason Bateman, Marlon Wayans, Chris Messina, Chris Tucker, and Viola Davis as Deloris Jordan. Air is a riveting and exhilarating film from Ben Affleck.

Set in 1984, the film follows talent scout Sonny Vaccaro (Matt Damon) who works for Nike’s basketball division as it is on the verge of shutting down due to low sales where he decides to bet on an idea in the hope of saving the division by building a shoe line for a future NBA prospect in Michael Jordan. It is a film that is about the creation of the Air Jordan shoe line and its origins as well as the impact it would have on Nike at a time when they were falling behind other competitive rivals in Converse and Adidas as Nike’s CEO Phil Knight (Ben Affleck) was forced to lay off people ever since the company has gone public. The film’s screenplay by Alex Convery, with un-credited contributions from Ben Affleck and Matt Damon, is largely straightforward in its narrative as it follows Vaccaro who is tasked by Knight and marketing VP Rob Strasser (Jason Bateman) to come up with a new spokesperson for Nike’s basketball shoes with a limited $250,000 budget. Yet, the choices he is given aren’t impressive with the exception of Charles Barkley while trying to nab Michael Jordan is impossible as he has already expressed interests from both Converse and Adidas who are preparing to make their offers.

While re-watching the 1982 NCAA championship where Jordan scored the winning shot, Vaccaro makes a discovery about that winning shot while also watching a commercial that Arthur Ashe did for Head tennis rackets as he came up with an idea that he knows is a major risk since he knows Jordan has no interest in Nike. After a dinner with George Raveling who coached Jordan for the 1984 Olympics, Vaccaro makes the decision to visit the Jordans at their home in Wilmington, North Carolina against the advice of Knight, Strasser, and Jordan’s agent David Falk who doesn’t like Vaccaro. Yet, Vaccaro’s meeting with Deloris Jordan about what he wants to do for her son has her intrigued as well as influence her about her upcoming meetings with Converse and Adidas. Vaccaro’s determination would win over Strasser as well as another VP in Howard White (Chris Tucker) and shoe designer Peter Moore (Matthew Maher) as they realize what they have to do to stand out against their competitors despite a rule by the NBA about shoes. Even as Nike knows they have a lot against them as well as trying to convince Jordan to sign with Nike where they would make a move that would prove to be groundbreaking.

Affleck’s direction is definitely stylish as it is shot in areas around Los Angeles but also places in Oregon including its headquarters at Beaverton, Oregon to create a world set during a fruitful period in time as basketball was about to reach newfound popularity in the NBA due to the rivalry between the Los Angeles Lakers and the Boston Celtics. While there are some wide shots to establish some of the locations including the look of the basketball division floor at the Nike headquarters. Affleck maintains an intimacy into the direction with its usage of close-ups and medium shots as well as some unique tracking shots with the usage of the Steadicam to get a look at the entire basketball division floor as it would show people at work as it feels more like a place where everyone is enjoying themselves despite the fact that they might lose their jobs. Affleck also plays up to a certain look and feel of the times that is the 1980s as it does evoke some nostalgia but it also plays into a world that is changing with American basketball becoming big business as Nike struggles to keep up with their competitors.

A key aspect in Affleck’s direction that is very notable relates to Michael Jordan (Damian Young) as his face is never shown throughout the film while he rarely speaks as Affleck focuses more on the people at Nike as well as Jordan’s parents as they play a major role in his ascent. The conversation between Vaccaro and Deloris Jordan at the latter’s backyard is a key conversation where Vaccaro reveals certain small details about her upcoming meetings with the people at Converse and Adidas as the meetings would reveal what Deloris sees in those small details but also in questions she needed to ask. The meeting between the Jordans and Nike is a key moment that begins the film’s third act as it relates to what Nike wants for Jordan where Vaccaro talks to Michael about his future and what he will face as it raises a lot into the decisions they would make. A decision that Deloris Jordan would make that isn’t just game-changing but also would give Vaccaro a wider view on the future of sports. Overall, Affleck crafts a riveting and evocative film about a Nike talent scout who takes a big risk in nabbing a future icon to be the face of a new shoe line made exclusively for him.

Cinematographer Robert Richardson does brilliant work with the film’s cinematography with its low-key yet colorful look to play into the look of the 1980s with its emphasis on low-level lighting as well as maintaining some grainy colors for some of the daytime exteriors as it is a highlight of the film. Editor William Goldenberg does excellent work with the editing as it has some stylish montage-style cutting but also some straightforward cutting to play into the drama and some of the comedic moments in the film. Production designer Francois Audouy, along with supervising art director A. Todd Holland plus set decorators David Smith and Henry Somarriba, does amazing work with the look of the Nike building interiors including Knight’s office as well as the exterior of the Jordan family home. Costume designer Charlese Antoinette Jones does fantastic work as it plays into the style of the 80s clothing including some of the Nike tracksuits that Knight wears as cheesy as it looks.

Hair stylist Jessica Allen and makeup artist Kerrin Jackson does nice work with the look of the characters with Knight being the most notable with his hairdo as well as the look of Deloris Jordan. Special effects supervisor Mark R. Byers and visual effects supervisor Hansjeet Duggal do terrific work with the visual effects as it plays into some of the TV footage as well as some set-dressing for some of the exterior shots. Sound editor Susan Dawes, plus sound designers Ai-Ling Lee and Tobias Poppe, does superb work with the sound as it play into the atmosphere of the offices and phone calls as well as the sounds of cars and such to play into the atmosphere of the 1980s.

Music supervisor Andrea von Forester does incredible work with the film’s soundtrack in cultivating a slew of music from late 1970s/early 1980s that include music from Dire Straits, Bruce Springsteen, Run-DMC, Violent Femmes, Mike + the Mechanics, Dan Hartman, the Alan Parsons Project, the Clash, Cyndi Lauper, Harold Faltemeyer, His Name is Alive, Tangerine Dream with additional score music by Paul Haslinger from the group, Squeeze, Rufus with Chaka Khan, Night Ranger, ZZ Top, REO Speedwagon, Big Country, George Clinton, Grandmaster Flash with Melle Mel and the Furious 5, the Dazz Band, Miami Nights 1984, Chris Boardman, Zapp, Pino Donaggio, Thomas Newman, Alexandre Desplat, Andy Partridge and Harold Budd, Mark Isham, and Be Chi. It is a soundtrack that is filled with a lot of the music from that time and it is such a fun soundtrack to listen to.

The casting by Lindsay Graham and Mary Vernieu does wonderful work with the film’s ensemble cast as it feature some notable small roles from Jessica Green as Knight’s secretary Katrina Sainz, Asante Deshon as a 711 clerk that Vaccaro chats with often about basketball, Jay Mohr as the American Adidas executive John Fisher, Gustav Skarsgard and Barbara Sukowa as the Adidas sibling executives in Kathe and Horst Dassler, Julius Tennon as James R. Jordan Sr. and Damian Young as Michael Jordan. Matthew Maher is terrific as shoe designer Peter Moore as an eccentric man who is going through a mid-life crisis as he also figures out the kind of shoe that would be marketable but also be something beautiful. Marlon Wayans is fantastic as George Raveling as Jordan’s coach during the Olympics who converses with Vaccaro about Jordan but also reveals to have owned something historical as he gives Vaccaro some words of wisdom in approaching the Jordans.

Chris Messina is excellent as Jordan’s agent David Falk who came up with the name Air Jordan as someone who is quite volatile towards Vaccaro while trying to do everything in the best interest of the Jordans. Chris Tucker is brilliant as Howard White as a Nike executive who is reluctant to get Jordan due to the fact that Jordan doesn’t like Nike’s products as well as understanding the culture though he is won over by Vaccaro’s determination. Jason Bateman is amazing as marketing VP Rob Strasser as a man who is often baffled and frustrated by Vaccaro yet is won over as he realizes there’s a chance that this move to get Jordan could save his job and hopefully more time with his daughter. Ben Affleck is incredible as Nike CEO Phil Knight as a man that is trying to keep his company away from a board of directors while is also trying to run Nike in the hope that he doesn’t shut down their basketball division as Affleck brings a lot of humor to his character but also some grounded aspects that makes him someone who does care about Nike and its employees.

Viola Davis is phenomenal as Deloris Jordan as Michael Jordan’s mother who is surprised by Vaccaro’s visit as she is aware about her son being a hot prospect as she also understands what Converse and Adidas are offering yet she realizes that Nike is offering something more that she wants to ensure her son’s financial future. Finally, there’s Matt Damon in a tremendous leading performance as Sonny Vaccaro as this talent scout who is trying to find a new spokesman for Nike’s basketball shoes as he makes a discovery in Michael Jordan where he is aware of the risk he is taking but is also someone that is direct in his pursuit where Damon brings the everyman quality to his character from his physical appearance as well as the sense of humility he brings as it’s one of his finest performances to date.

Air is a spectacular film from Ben Affleck that features a great ensemble cast led by Affleck, Matt Damon, Viola Davis, Jason Bateman, Chris Tucker, Chris Messina, and Marlon Wayans. Along with its stylish yet nostalgic look, its study of a man taking a risk to capture an once-in-a-lifetime megastar, and a killer music soundtrack. It’s a film that isn’t just this fascinating sports film of sorts but also a film that shows the origin of one of the greatest shoe lines ever created. In the end, Air is a tremendous film from Ben Affleck.

Ben Affleck Films: (Gone Baby Gone) – The Town (2010 film) - Argo - (Live By Night)

© thevoid99 2023

2021 Blind Spot Series: Lola (1981 film)

 

Based on Heinrich Mann’s novel Professor Unrat, Lola is the story of a cabaret singer/prostitute who decides to pit two men against each other as a way to become independent on her own in late 1950s West Germany. Directed and co-edited by Rainer Werner Fassbinder and screenplay by Fassbinder, Peter Marthesheimer, and Pea Frohlich, the film is a loose take on Mann’s novel as well as a homage to Josef von Sternberg’s The Blue Angel in the third and final film (second chronologically) in a trilogy that explores women trying to find themselves in postwar West Germany as the titular character is played by Barbara Sukowa. Also starring Armin Mueller-Stahl, Mario Adorf, Matthias Fuch, Helga Feddersen, Karin Baal, and Ivan Desny. Lola is a ravishing and enchanting film from Rainer Werner Fassbinder.

Set in late 1957 in the small town of Coburg, the film revolves around a cabaret singer/prostitute who becomes the object of affection towards a new building commissioner from East Prussia as he deals with her current lover in a corrupt property developer who also owns the cabaret club she sings at. It is a film that explores a woman who is trying to maintain control of her own fate as she is having an affair with this man whom she works for while is also intrigued by this new figure who is a straight-laced, moralistic individual that wants to clean things up. The film’s screenplay is largely straightforward in its narrative though it’s more of a study of people trying to be involved this power play for change in a new Germany just a few years before the Berlin Wall would be this symbol of the Cold War. The titular character is at the center of this emergence of a new West Germany as it’s been more than a decade since the war ended as she is just this cabaret singer who plays in a club while is a prostitute who gives her services to people in power including the club owner Schukert (Mario Adorf).

The arrival of building commissioner Von Bohm (Armin Mueller-Stahl) changes things as he is someone that is simple man from a different part of Germany that had its own unique history while he would live at a house where Lola’s mother (Karin Baal) would be his housekeeper unaware that she’s Lola’s mother since she refers to her daughter in her real name in Marie-Luise. Von Bohm would get Schukert’s longtime assistant/cabaret band drummer Esslin (Matthias Fuch) to be at his side where Von Bohm is aware of Schukert’s dirty tactics while he is fascinated by Lola unaware of her real job. Yet, Von Bohm would meet Lola under her real name as he sees her as this idea of purity and innocence with a young daughter whose father’s identity unknown except for her mother and other locals.

Rainer Werner Fassbinder’s direction definitely has a lot of style in its imagery as he imagines this small town as this vibrant town that is about to enter the modern age while retaining elements of the past with its desire to move away from the horrors of World War II. Shot on locations around Munich and Eichstatt in the Bavarian area of then-West Germany, Fassbinder does give the presentation a colorful vibe where there is a lot of stylish lighting for many of the interior/exterior scenes at night while he also play into this sense of decadence that has gone on for too long with Lola being part of it. There are some wide and medium shots to get a scope at the locations including scenes at the town square with the latter playing into the look of the cabaret club that Lola performs at. There is also these moments that do play into this idea of capitalism as it is a major theme in the film where Fassbinder showcases a lot of the scheming that goes on involving Schukert and other political officials involving a major project that would get them into this modern West Germany.

There are also these close-ups that Fassbinder creates as it relates to Von Bohm’s fascination towards Lola where Fassbinder does some unique compositions that play into the world of melodrama. It is among these moments that do play into a world that is incorruptible that includes a scene inside an office where the camera moves around the table on a dolly-track as it play into Von Bohm wanting to take control as a big “fuck you” to Schukert and everyone else who is corrupt. Still, Fassbinder reveals that someone like Von Bohm with all of his ideals is someone that is disconnected with the forces he is dealing with and the fact that he’s in a world where everyone uses everyone including Lola who uses sex and her beauty to get what she wants. Overall, Fassbinder crafts a luscious yet riveting film about a cabaret singer who pits her corrupt club owner lover against an idealist building commissioner for her affections.

Cinematographer Xaver Schwarzenberger does incredible work with the film’s cinematography as it is a major highlight of the film with its candy color-like lighting schemes for some of the interiors as it helps heighten the mood and look of the film as well as aiming for a naturalistic look for some of the daytime exterior scenes. Editors Rainer Werner Fassbinder (in his Franz Walsch pseudonym) and Juliane Lorenz do excellent work with the editing as it is stylish as it has some stylish transitions that play into some of the melodrama while also adding some ambiguity into the film with some jump-cuts that play into some of the intense moments of the film. Production designers Rolf Zehetbauer, Udo Kier, and Raul Giminez, along with art director Helmut Gassner, do amazing work with the look of the cabaret club as well as the house that Von Bohm lives in and the home where Lola and her mother lived in that also includes an American GI. Costume designer Barbara Baum does fantastic work with the costume from the stylish clothes that Lola wears from the more innocent and refined clothes she wears for Von Bohm to the lingerie and cabaret-style clothing for Schukert.

Makeup artists Anni Nobauer and Edwin Erfmann do terrific work with the look that Lola would sport in her different personas as well as the look of some of the cabaret players. The sound work of Vladimir Vizner is superb for the atmosphere of the cabaret club in the way music is presented as well as the sound effects for some of the scenes in the film including a traffic jam. The film’s music by Peer Raben is amazing for its playful cabaret style music with elements of dramatic string arrangements that play into the melodrama while its soundtrack feature an array of cabaret songs and traditional pop songs that play into that world of decadence as it is another highlight of the film.

The film’s wonderful ensemble cast feature some notable small roles from Udo Kier as a waiter at the cabaret club, Ulrike Vigo as Lola’s daughter Marie, Nino Korda as a TV deliveryman, Herbert Steinmetz as the doorman who works at Von Bohm’s building, Harry Baer and Rainer Will as a couple of protesters who side with Von Bohm, Karsten Peters as a newspaper editor, Gunther Kaufmann as an American GI who lives at the home where Lola’s mother lives in, Christine Kaufmann as a prostitute whom the GI often sleeps with, Isolde Barth as the mayor’s wife, Y Sa Lo as a prostitute who works at the cabaret club, Karl-Heinz von Hassel as the corrupt police chief Timmerding, Elisabeth Volkmann as a prostitute/cabaret performer in Gigi, Hark Bohm as the mayor Volker who likes to go to the cabaret club and doesn’t mind taking payouts, and Rosel Zech as Schukert’s wife who either has no clue that her husband is cheating on or is indifferent as someone who enjoys the lifestyle she’s living in.

Helga Feddersen is fantastic as Von Bohm’s secretary Miss Hettich as a woman who always bring something while is an ardent supporter of Von Bohm while Ivan Desny is superb as the bank president in Wittich who is intrigued by Von Bohm but warns him about Schukert. Karin Baal is excellent as Lola’s mother as a woman who wants her daughter to find happiness where she works as a maid of sorts for Von Bohm whom she believes is a good influence for Lola. Matthias Fuchs is brilliant as Esslin as an assistant to Schukert who becomes frustrated by him where he finds some hope in Von Bohm while he also works as a drummer for Lola’s cabaret performances. Mario Adorf is amazing as Schukert as a property developer who is eager to use his pull to create a building that would put Cobert into the modern world while is also a man of corruption as he is also using his affair with Lola for personal and financial reasons.

Armin Mueller-Stahl is incredible as Von Bohm as an East Prussian building commissioner who arrives to the town wanting to clean things up as he’s intrigued by Lola in the hope he can give her a better life unaware of what she really does with her life. Finally, there’s Barbara Sukowa in a phenomenal performance as the titular character as this cabaret singer/prostitute who is eager to move up for something bigger as she is torn with her affair with Schukert as well as a life outside of decadence that Von Bohm has to offer though there is a lot more that she wants as it is this radiant and exuberant performance from Sukowa.

Lola is a spectacular film from Rainer Werner Fassbinder that features a sensational leading performance from Barbara Sukowa in the titular role. Along with its supporting cast, themes on greed and corruption, Xaver Schwarzenberger’s lush cinematography, dazzling art direction, and Peer Raben’s offbeat music score. The film is a fascinating and compelling film that presents itself as an offbeat melodrama that also play into this study of a woman wanting to get something for herself as she pits two men against each other for her affection. In the end, Lola is a tremendous film from Rainer Werner Fassbinder.

Rainer Werner Fassbinder Films: Love is Colder than Death - (Katzelmacher) - (Why Does Herr R. Run Amok?) - (Rio das Mortes) - (The American Soldier) - (Whity) - (Beware of a Holy Whore) - The Merchant of Four Seasons - The Bitter Tears of Petra von Kant - Eight Hours Don’t Make a Day - (Jailbait) - World on a Wire - Ali: Fear Eats the Soul - (Martha (1974 film)) - (Effi Briest) - (Fox and His Friends) - (Mother Kuster’s Trip to Heaven) – (I Only Want You to Love Me) – Satan's Brew - (Chinese Roulette) - (Germany in Autumn) - (Despair) - (In a Year of 13 Moons) – The Marriage of Maria Braun - (Third Generation) - Berlin Alexanderplatz - (Lili Marleen) – Veronika Voss - Querelle

© thevoid99 2021

Native Son (2019 film)

 

Based on the novel by Richard Nathaniel Wright, Native Son is the story of a young African-American man who takes a job as a chauffeur for a wealthy white businessman in Chicago where things don’t go well as it seems. Directed by Rashid Johnson and screenplay by Suzan-Lori Parks, the film is an exploration of a young man who is given a major opportunity only to find himself in serious trouble as the story is set to modern times since the book and previous adaptations took place during the 1940s. Starring Ashton Sanders, Margaret Qualley, Nick Robinson, KiKi Layne, Bill Camp, David Alan Grier, and Sanaa Lathan. Native Son is a compelling and haunting film from Rashid Johnson.

The film follows a young African-American man who lives in the working class area of Chicago as he’s given the chance to take a job as a chauffeur for a wealthy white businessman only to deal with his wild daughter. It’s a film with a simple premise that does play into a young man given an opportunity that will help financially as well as socially though he is an anomaly of sorts as he prefers to listen 70s/80s punk rock and classical music than hip-hop. Suzan-Lori Parks’ screenplay is largely straightforward as it is told largely from the perspective of its protagonist Bigger Thomas (Ashton Sanders) who lives with his family in the streets of Chicago as it include two young siblings and his mother Trudy (Sanaa Lathan).

While Bigger has a girlfriend in Bessie (KiKi Layne), he is often pressured to take part in things some of his friends do that often involve criminal activities as this opportunity to be a chauffeur for the wealthy businessman Henry Dalton (Bill Camp) as he’s a kind and likeable figure that Bigger doesn’t have any disdain for. Yet, it is Dalton’s daughter Mary (Margaret Qualley) as she is a radical who is engaged to a young activist in Jan Erlone (Nick Robinson) as Bigger thinks they’re good people but also a bit disconnected with the real world.

Rashid Johnson’s direction does have elements of style yet much of his approach to the compositions are largely straightforward as it is shot on location in Chicago. Johnson uses the city as a character as it play into two different worlds of the city with one being urban and working class while the other is upper class and rich. Johnson’s wide and medium shots to play into these different worlds that Bigger is in the middle of as he wants to remain in his original environment but also sees the advantages of the upper class and what it has to offer. There are close-ups that Johnson uses to play into Bigger’s viewpoints on the world he’s in as he’s also narrating through voice-over narration as he copes with his situations in a poetic approach. Johnson also play into some of the tension that is happening with Bigger and some of his friends as one of them wants to do a robbery but is upset that Bigger isn’t black enough because of the music he listens to and the fact that he’s working for a white man. While Bessie gets to know Mary and Jan a bit, she is still unsure if they’re a good influence as she believes the former is trouble.

Johnson’s direction in the film’s second half is eerie as it play into the trouble Bigger gets into as it relates to Mary and Jan in their activities but also wanting to score drugs and be part of Bigger’s social circle. Bigger tries to keep them away from trouble but it is Mary and Jan that are the powder keg of emotions due to the fact that the former is really unstable. Its third act is about Bigger and the consequences of his time with Mary as he is aware that he would be in big trouble with the police largely due to the social injustices and inequalities. Johnson’s direction does put in some unique visuals yet play into the drama that Bigger endures as he is unsure of what he would do as he is also forced to confront his own identity as a young man and the world he’s in. Overall, Johnson crafts a riveting and eerie film about a young man’s opportunity goes wrong due to some awful decision involving both his urban environment and the world of the upper class.

Cinematographer Matthew Libatique does brilliant work with the film’s cinematography with its usage of natural lighting for many of the daytime scenes including some of its interiors as well as some low-key and stylish lighting for the interior/exterior scenes at night including a party scene with neon lights. Editor Brad Turner does excellent work with the editing as it has some stylish cuts including a few jump-cuts and montages as it play into the whirlwind that is Bigger’s life. Production designer Akin McKenzie, with set decorator Melisa Jusufi and art director Miles Michael, does fantastic work with the look of the Doyle family home as well as a few of the places Bigger goes to with Bessie, Mary, and Jan. Costume designer Elizabeth Birkett does nice work with the costumes from the leather jacket and punk paraphernalia that Bigger wears to some of the posh clothes that Mary wears in major social gatherings.

Hair stylist Tonya Johnson does terrific work with the look of the hairstyles of Bigger, Bessie, and their own social circle. Visual effects supervisor Joshua James Johnson does some fine work with some of the film’s minimal visual effects as it relates to a few dream sequences and set dressing in some parts of the film. Sound editors Mary Ellen Porto and Ryan M. Price do superb work with the sound as it play into the atmosphere of some of the locations including the parties that Bigger goes to. The film’s music by Kyle Dixon and Michael Stein is wonderful for its somber ambient music score as it play into the drama including moments of dramatic suspense while music supervisor Howard Paar creates a killer music soundtrack that ranges from classical music, hip-hop, and punk rock from Ludwig Van Beethoven, the Dead Kennedys, Bad Brains, and several others.

The casting by Raylin Sabo and Mary Vernieu do incredible work with the film’s ensemble cast as it include some notable small roles from Barbara Sukowa as the Daltons’ housekeeper Peggy, Jerod Haynes and Lamar Johnson as a couple of Bigger’s friends in Jack and Gus respectively with the latter feeling that Bigger is selling out, Stephen Henderson as the Dalton family’s old chauffeur who warns Bigger about what he’s getting into, David Alan Grier as Trudy’s boyfriend Marty who tells Bigger about the job, Elizabeth Marvel as Mary’s legally-blind mother, and Sanaa Lathan in a terrific performance as Bigger’s mother Trudy who is concerned about the opportunity that Bigger is embarking on. Bill Camp is superb as Mary’s mother and the wealthy Henry Dalton as a man who wants to give Bigger this opportunity and do well as he’s also someone who knows that Bigger is a good person and doesn’t want to get into any trouble.

Nick Robinson is excellent as Jan Erlone as a young activist who befriends Bigger as he wants to know more about Bigger’s world as isn’t as radical as Mary though is naïve about what he wants to do despite his good intentions. KiKi Layne is brilliant as Bessie as Bigger’s girlfriend who is a kind-hearted person that is a bit wary of Mary despite the opportunity that Bigger is getting as she becomes troubled by Bigger’s behavior late in the film. Margaret Qualley is amazing as Mary Dalton as the daughter of a wealthy businessman who is wild as well as having radical ideas of wanting to change the world yet is also a loose cannon due to her love of partying and causing trouble to the point that she would even make Bigger uncomfortable. Finally, there’s Ashton Sanders in a remarkable performance as Bigger Thomas as a young African-American man with a love of classical music and punk rock as someone who is given the chance to have this prestigious job yet he copes with the two worlds he live in as well as the consequences he would face as it is an understated and complex performance of a young man who makes bad decisions but also tries to comprehend what happened and how it would impact him.

Native Son is a marvelous film from Rashid Johnson that features incredible performances from Ashton Sanders, Margaret Qualley, and KiKi Layne. Along with its ensemble cast, study of social classes, killer music soundtrack, and its evocative visuals. The film is a unique character study that explore a young man trapped into two different social environments and how it would impact the decisions in his life. In the end, Native Son is a remarkable film from Rashid Johnson.

© thevoid99 2021

Atomic Blonde

Based on the graphic novel The Coldest City by Antony Johnson and Sam Hart, Atomic Blonde is the story of a spy who travels to East Berlin to find a list of double agents before the collapse of the Berlin Wall during the final days of the Cold War. Directed by David Leitch and screenplay by Kurt Johnstad, the film is a spy thriller of sorts where a woman finds herself dealing with dark forces that want to stop during a crucial moment in world history. Starring Charlize Theron, James McAvoy, John Goodman, Til Schweiger, Eddie Marsan, Sofia Boutella, and Toby Jones. Atomic Blonde is a high-octane yet exhilarating film from David Leitch.

Set in November of 1989 during the final days of the Cold War and the collapse of the Berlin Wall, the film revolves around a British spy who travels to Berlin before the wall’s collapse to retrieve a list of double agents that was in the hands of another spy. It’s a film with a simple premise yet it’s told in a reflective flashback style by its protagonist Lorraine Broughton (Charlize Theron) who is interrogated by her superior in MI6 executive Eric Gray (Toby Jones) and CIA agent Emmett Kurzfield (John Goodman) over what happened in Berlin as much of the action takes place more than a week earlier where Broughton learns a fellow colleague had been killed as he had a list of double-agents in East Berlin that the Soviet Union wants. Kurt Johnstad’s screenplay plays into the back-and-forth narrative of Broughton telling her story of what had happened as she had been sent by Gray and MI6 boss C (James Faulkner) to travel to West Berlin before the wall is to collapse where she meets her contact in another MI6 agent in David Percival (James McAvoy) to help her retrieve the list.

Percival is an eccentric figure who spends time dealing in black markets in East Berlin as well as live in West Berlin as he is trying to get the list as well as a Stasi defector named Spyglass (Eddie Marsan) to West Berlin as he knows the names on the list that was hidden in a watch from the MI6 agent who had been killed. During the course of finding out what happened and to find this watch, Broughton is aware that she’s a target as there’s KGB spies in both East and West Berlin as she had also been warned about a double-agent named Satchel who might be causing trouble for all sides. At the same time, she meets a rookie French spy named Delphine Lasalle (Sofia Boutella) who also wants the list but also knows that there’s something not right in the scheme of things. Even as there’s also rogue KGB agents that want the list and sell it off for a lot of money no matter who gets it making Broughton’s mission much more difficult.

David Leitch’s direction is definitely stylish in terms of the setting as it play into a moment in time where the world is about to change as there are those who aren’t ready for this kind of change. Shot on location in Berlin with additional shooting set in Budapest, the film does play into a world that is changing yet there’s also something exciting over the element of rule breaking and chaos that is to emerge. While Leitch does include many of Berlin’s famous landmarks including a few shots of the re-created Berlin Wall with graffiti sprayed on the wall. Much of Leitch’s direction emphasize on the sense of intrigue as well as who is trying to con who and who can be the one to get the list first as Leitch would use close-ups and medium shots for these moments without emphasizing too much on style. There are some wide shots Leitch use in not just to establish the locations or what is happening in a moment in time but also in some intense set pieces that relate to the action including a scene where Broughton is in a car and fighting against a couple of KGB officers trying to kill her.

One key sequence in the film during the second act is an intricate fight scene set inside a building where Broughton is fighting against several KGB officers as it is presented in a long continuous shot with tracking and hand-held cameras. It’s a moment in the film that really showcases what Broughton has to do as the stakes of her mission becomes important yet there are also these twists and turns as it relates to the people she encounters as there are very few she can really trust. Notably as the scenes where she’s interrogated as she knows she’s being watched emphasize what she knows and what she doesn’t want to reveal as it does add to this blur of who is in the right and who is in the wrong. Overall, Leitch crafts a thrilling and gripping film about a British spy traveling to Berlin to retrieve a list of double agents before the collapse of the Berlin Wall.

Cinematographer Jonathan Sela does brilliant with the film’s colorful cinematography with its usage of bluish lights and moods for some of the interior scenes as well as the usage of neon lights in the clubs as well as other stylish looks for some of the daytime exterior scenes. Editor Elisabet Ronaldsdottir does excellent work with the editing with the usage of stylish fast-cuts without being too fast as well as some amazing invisible cuts for the film’s continuous fight sequence. Production designer David Scheunemann, with supervising art director Zsuzsa Kismarty-Lechner plus set decorators Zsuzsa Mihalek and Mark Rosinski, does fantastic work with the look of the clubs in Berlin as well as the apartments and places the characters go to or live at. Costume designer Cindy Evans does nice work with the costumes as it is stylish from the coats the characters wear to the Soviet and Stasi uniforms some of the officials wear.

Hair/makeup designer Paul Pattison does terrific work with the look of the characters from the different wigs and hairstyles that Broughton wears as well as the look of some of the people she meets. Special effects supervisor Gabor Kiszelly and visual effects supervisor Michael Wortmann do superb work with the visual effects as it is mainly set-dressing for some of the exteriors along with a few of the film’s action scenes. Sound designer Jonas Jansson, with sound editors Thomas Huhn and Nicklas Lindh, does amazing work with the sound in capturing the way music sounds in a club or on speakers as well as through the audio tapes that Broughton uses to spy on people and how she would cut the tapes to create what she discovered. The film’s music by Tyler Bates is wonderful for its electronic-based score that play into the action and suspense while music supervisor John Houlihan provides a kick-ass soundtrack of music that definitely play into the period of the 1980s from artists and acts like New Order, David Bowie, Queen, Depeche Mode, Information Society, the Reflex, After the Fire, Nena, Peter Schilling, Til’ Tuesday, A Flock of Seagulls, the Clash, George Michael, Siouxsie & the Banshees, and Public Enemy along with covers by Health, Marilyn Manson, and Kaleida plus a couple of Eastern European music of the times.

The casting by Zsolt Csutak, Marisol Roncali, and Mary Vernieu is marvelous as it feature some notable small roles and appearances from Barbara Sukowa as a coroner of the spy who is killed earlier in the film, Sam Hargrave as the MI6 agent James Gascoigne who is killed in the film’s beginning, Johannes Johannesson as the rogue KGB agent Yuri Bakhtin, Roland Moller as a high ranking Soviet official in Aleksander Bremovych, James Faulkner as the MI6 head C, Bill Skarsgard as Broughton’s East German contact in Gordon Merkel, and Til Schweiger in a terrific small role as a reclusive watchmaker who creates special watches with codes as he helps out Broughton. Toby Jones and John Goodman are superb in their respective roles as MI6 superior Eric Gray and CIA official Emmett Kurzfield who interrogate Broughton over what happened in Berlin with the latter also making a brief appearance in West Berlin to give Broughton a debriefing.

Eddie Marsan is excellent as Spyglass as Stasi officer who wants to defect to the West as he knows the names of the double-agents where he becomes someone that Broughton has to protect. Sofia Boutella is fantastic as Delphine Lasalle as a French agent who is also after the list but also has feelings for Broughton as well as be aware of what is going on as she also has an idea of who the mysterious Satchel is. James McAvoy is brilliant as David Percival as a MI6 agent who aids Broughton as he also runs a black markets scheme in East Berlin as it’s an exciting performance from McAvoy who provides a lot of humor and swagger into his performance. Finally, there’s Charlize Theron in a phenomenal performance as Lorraine Broughton as a MI6 spy who goes to Berlin to retrieve a list as it’s an intense performance from Theron who brings some charm as well as a grittiness to the role as a woman who is hell-bent on succeeding in her mission as well as deal with what is at stake as it’s Theron in one of her career-defining performances.

Atomic Blonde is a tremendous film from David Leitch that features an incredible leading performance from Charlize Theron. Along with its supporting ensemble cast, dazzling visuals, intense fight scenes, and a killer music soundtrack. The film is definitely a fun and thrilling action-suspense film set during the final days of the Cold War that is filled with intrigue and excitement. In the end, Atomic Blonde is a spectacular film from David Leitch.

David Leitch Films: John Wick - Deadpool 2 - (Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw)

© thevoid99 2018

The Sicilian

Based on the novel by Mario Puzo, The Sicilian is the story of a notorious bandit named Salvatore Giuliano who tried to liberate Sicily from Italy in the late 1940s as he would also defy the Mafia and other forces who would have him killed. Directed by Michael Cimino and screenplay by Steve Shagan with contributions from Gore Vidal, the film is an unconventional bio-pic that plays into the rise and fall of Giuliano as he is played by Christopher Lambert. Also starring John Turturro, Joss Ackland, Barbara Sukowa, Richard Bauer, Ray McNally, and Terence Stamp. The Sicilian is a rich yet gripping film from Michael Cimino.

The film is about the life of Salvatore Giuliano who was considered to be modern-day Robin Hood for the people of Sicily in the 1950s who defied the rich, the Mafia, and others in power. In the course of his journey from being this simple bandit to being the ultimate enemy for Italy, there is this story of a man who had survived death and tragedies but would eventually become his worst enemy as he thinks he is a savior to the people of Sicily. Instead, he ends up angering those with power including a Mafia leader in Don Masino (Joss Ackland), who wants to become an ally, as it would lead to his death in 1950. Yet, Giuliano’s death wouldn’t just happen because of himself but also in how the world works where Giuliano thinks that the people of Sicily wants land but things become more complicated as the people eventually lose faith in him.

The film’s screenplay that is largely re-written by Gore Vidal plays into that world of a man falling for his own myth yet it begins and ends with Giuliano’s mentor in Professor Hector Adonis (Richard Bauer) who would meet the man that killed Giuliano. The first act is about Giuliano’s rise and how he believes he is immortal as he is joined by his cousin Gaspare “Aspanu” Pisciotta (John Turturro) in stealing bread for the poor. Giuliano’s action in being a bandit forces him to realize he has to do more for the people in Sicily as he would take on the Mafia, the rich, and the corrupt world of politics and religion. Giuliano’s actions would get Don Masino’s attention as he wants to meet him through Adonis but Guiliano would often refuse in an act of defiance. The film’s second act is about Giuliano becoming this mythic figure as he would gain some allies as well as detractors in Italian minister Trezza (Ray McNally) as well as the intrigue of Sicily’s Prince Borsa (Terence Stamp) whose wife Camilla, Duchess of Cortone (Barbara Sukowa) would be seduced by Giuliano.

One aspect of the script that is unique is Vidal’s dialogue which is very stylized and direct where it does play into some of the film’s campy tone in some respects though it’s not overly camp. One aspect of the script that doesn’t work involves some of the character development where much of the women characters like Camilla and Giuliano’s girlfriend Giovanna (Giulia Boschi) are underwritten while some of Giuliano’s motivations definitely become one-note as his development isn’t as smooth or as intricately-written as it could’ve been. Fortunately, characters like Adonis, Pisciotta, and Don Masino manage to be fleshed out more as Don Masino is an unconventional antagonist since he admires Giuliano’s determination while wanting to ensure that he doesn’t get harmed where there is this very strange father-son relationship between the two. Yet, it’s a relationship that Giuliano doesn’t want and it would eventually regret it once it becomes clear that Giuliano doesn’t have the power he once had as politicians and religious organizers come together to stop him.

Michael Cimino’s direction is very sprawling in the way he presents the film as an epic of sorts set in Sicily. Shooting on location in the island, much of Cimino’s approach is to go for something that plays to not just his love for epics with his use of the wide shots and shooting on vast locations with a lot of coverage. Some of it is a homage to some of the Italian epics in terms of the compositions and settings that Cimino wanted to create. There’s also some unique close-ups and medium shots that Cimino would use to play into the drama and suspense as some of the violence is quite brutal including some very terrifying execution scenes where Giuliano kills those who betray him. There is a fluidity to not just the tracking shots and hand-held camera shots that Cimino creates throughout the film but also in how it plays into some of these scenes where it is about the situations and the characters involved.

The element of camp isn’t told in a comical manner but rather in a style that is a bit over-the-top in terms of the delivery of some of the film’s dialogue along with a few scenes where there’s some dancing. It’s one of the few aspects of the film that doesn’t work where Cimino wanted to inject something more light-hearted in a film that is often quite grim and operatic. Notably as the tone of the film gets much darker in the third act when Giuliano is tasked to stop Communist party members from voting where his intention was to scare them. Instead, something tragic happens where it plays into Giuliano’s fall as well as the reality of what he’s facing as it becomes clear over who is really in charge and how out of touch he has become with the people he wants to help. All of which would lead to the inevitable as its aftermath would only play into Giuliano’s legend. Overall, Cimino crafts a very engaging and mesmerizing film about a bandit’s rise and fall.

Cinematographer Alex Thomson does brilliant work with the film‘s cinematography from the gorgeous yet naturalistic look of the locations around the Sicilian mountains as well as some stylish usage of lights for some of the nighttime interior/exterior scenes including some of the shots in Palermo. Editor Francoise Bonnot does excellent work with the editing in creating some unique rhythmic cuts to play into its action and suspense as well as some of the drama. Production designer Wolf Kroeger and art director Stefano Maria Ortolani do amazing work with the set pieces from the lavish home of Prince Borsa to the many places in Palermo where many of the characters go to.

Costume designer Wayne A. Finkelman does terrific work with the costumes with most of the rugged look of Giuliano and his men to the more lavish dresses that Camilla wears. Sound editor Fred J. Brown does superb work with the sound from the gunfire sounds from afar as well as some of the chaos that goes on with crowds and also in some of gunfights that occur. The film’s music by David Mansfield is fantastic for its orchestral-driven score that is operatic at times but also somber with some themes that play into Giuliano and Giovanna’s relationship while the soundtrack includes a lot of music of the late 1940s.

The casting by Deborah Brown is great as the cast features some notable small performances from Ramon Bieri as the town mayor Quintana, Andreas Katsulas and Derrick Branche as a couple of Giuliano’s men who were former mob enforcers, Joe Regalbuto as a priest who warns Giuliano of what he is doing, Michael Wincott as an army corporal who joins Giuliano, Barry Miller as a professor who arrogantly defies Don Masino, Stanko Molnar as Giovanna’s Communist brother, Trevor Ray as a barber Giuliano knew as a boy, Justin Clark as a young boy who would become part of Giuliano’s band of brothers, and Ray McNally as a scheming minister who tries to stop Giuliano only to push buttons and eventually take some drastic matters into his own hands. Giulia Boschi is pretty good as Giuliano’s girlfriend Giovanna who tries to cope with his actions while having her own views about the way things work.

Barbara Sukowa is terrific as the Duchess Camilla who is wowed by Giuliano’s determination as she becomes a supporter of sorts for his cause. Richard Bauer is excellent as Giuliano’s mentor Professor Hector Adonis as someone who tries to guide Giuliano into taking a path while dealing with Don Masino as they both realize how crazed Giuliano has become. Terence Stamp is wonderful in a small yet noteworthy role as Prince Borsa as this rich figure in Sicily who often sees everything from afar while getting to know Giuliano where the two strike a deal of their own. Joss Ackland is brilliant as Don Masino as this revered and intimidating Mafia head who has a strange admiration for Giuliano as he tries to protect him from the rich and powerful in Italy only to realize how troubled he’s become. John Turturro is fantastic as Aspanu who is very loyal to his cousin Giuliano while doing all sorts of things only to realize how crazy it’s becoming.

Finally, there’s Christopher Lambert in a superb performance as Salvatore Giuliano as this bandit who wants to rebel against the rich and powerful in Italy to help the people of Sicily only to lose sight of his original intentions. Though it’s a performance that is flawed as Lambert would often be seen as stone-faced for much of the film, he does manage to convey some charisma and determination into the character.

The Sicilian is an excellent film from Michael Cimino. Thanks to a great cast and some amazing visuals, the film is one of Cimino’s finer films though it is quite flawed. Yet, it is a film that captures a world that is quite fascinating in a time period where old Italy is to meet a new world. Especially one that is much more violent and unforgiving as it is shown through Cimino’s eyes in its uncut 146-minute version. In the end, The Sicilian is a superb film from Michael Cimino.

Michael Cimino Films: Thunderbolt and Lightfoot - The Deer Hunter - Heaven’s Gate - Year of the Dragon - Desperate Hours (1990 film) - The Sunchaser - To Each His Own Cinema-No Translation Needed - The Auteurs #35: Michael Cimino

© thevoid99 2014

Europa

Originally Written and Posted at Epinions.com on 9/9/05 w/ Additional Edits, Revisions, & New Content.

Directed by Lars von Trier and written by von Trier and Niels Vorsel, Europa chronicles von Trier's tale of the disintegration of European society. Straying away from the futuristic, post-noir style of Element of Crime and the bleak presentation of Epidemic, Europa goes back in time to 1945 Germany, shortly after the second World War. The story revolves around a naive American who goes to Germany to work with his German uncle as he falls for a woman who wants him to be a part of a plan for a fleeing group of possible Nazi sympathizers. Eschewing his stylish frame of cinema, von Trier pulls out all the stops for optical work, camera tricks with many of the film shot in black-and-white with a mix of color. Starring Jean-Marc Barr, Barbara Sukowa, Erik Mork, Eddie Constantine, Ernst-Hugo Jaregard, Udo Kier, and Max Von Sydow as the narrator. Europa is a visual spectacle where von Trier pulls out every trick in the book.

Leopold Kessler (Jean-Marc Barr) is a young American in Germany to work with his uncle (Ernst-Hugo Jaregard) for the Zentropa train company post-war 1945. With his uncle guiding him on what to do at the station, the idealistic Leopold gets to work at a restored train car as a conductor where he meets a woman named Katharina Hartmann (Barbara Sukowa). Leopold learns that Katharina's family runs the company as he meets her brother Lawrence (Udo Keer) and her father Max (Jorgen Reenberg) and the family priest Father Jaregard (Erik Mork) at a dinner. Leopold realizes that the family could be Nazi-sympathizers who are planning a plot to reclaim power for Germany until he attends another dinner with an American colonel named Harris (Eddie Constantine).

Harris asks Leopold to keep an eye on everything that happens at his train car though his uncle doesn't think the job will be easy following an an attempted assassination on a politician. After another dinner with the Hartmanns which Harris also attends with a Jewish man (Lars von Trier) about a questionnaire that Max had taken. Max gives Leopold a cryptic message as Leopold's relationship with Katharina blossoms despite an incident where Leopold meets a man named Siggy (Henning Jensen). Siggy is revealed to be the man that had planned the attempted assassination as he asks Leopold to take part in a plan for his ailing Werewolf company. After marrying Katharina, Leopold's life seems to go well as he has a conductor exam approaching until Katharina asks him to go to Frankfurt with her for an emergency. There, Leopold realizes what it is going on as Siggy wants him to do something which has Leopold becoming a pawn in a grand scheme.

The idea of conventional thrillers are something that is done in cinema but von Trier is very unconventional by bringing his radical, experimental approach to storytelling. Using all of the visual and technical camera tricks, rear-projections, super-imposed shots, and mixing color with black-and-white with computers. The enfant terrible goes for style while using all of those ideas to bring unconventional themes to his story. The storyteller of von Trier is really telling a story about a man who is pulled into all of these situations of conformity only to rebel in the end. There's even one poignant scene in which von Trier had Max Hartmann, just before his death, give a cryptic warning to Leopold Kessler.

The script is filled with kind of tension and dreamlike quality that appeared in all of von Trier's films but the film is also like previous parts of his European trilogy of The Element of Crime and Epidemic, the disintegration of Europe. In Europa, Germany's defeat in World War II really is defined as the end of an old Europe with Russia becoming a superpower and countries are being split into political factions. Something that would hurt Germany even more in the 1960s as it got split before officially reuniting in 1990. The tension is there as we see Americans taking over with the corruptible Colonel Harris wanting to control Zentropa trains for his own political gain. It's a film about power in the simplistic form. Even the narration of Max Von Sydow gives the film an impending doom for the protagonist along with foreshadowing events on what he might do.

The directing style of von Trier is all over the place like in his eerie, post-noir debut feature Element of Crime. Going mostly for black-and-white, there's moments in the film where it's very multi-dimensional on a visual scale where Leo would sleep and behind him, there's a message flashing with big letters across the screen. There's shots where there's another projection screen on display where it's like the audience is seeing two films in one. Then there's the use of color where von Trier would get the characters to go into color for emotional intensity or in an act of violence. There's a lot of spectacular moments in his directing except for the fact that he couldn't keep the film move fast enough to make it more interesting which is why the film does suffer a bit from its slow pacing. Also, because of its experimental, radical approach, the film might seem to other people as something very pretentious.

Helping von Trier in the technical, visual department are his team of cinematographers led by Henning Bendsten who brings an authenticity and graininess to the film's black-and-white photography while Edward Klosinski and Jean-Paul Meurisse bring in the more visual spectacle elements of color and rear-projection shots. Editor Herve Schneid also brings in a fluid, stylized editing format that helps brings tension to the film including in its intense moments though he too couldn't help von Trier's slow, languid directing style. Production designer Henning Bahs does wonderful work in capturing post-Germany's bleak outlook while costume designer Manon Rasmussen helps captures the time in the clothes, notably the business-like clothing of Katharina. Joachim Holbek brings in a symphonic, dreamy score in the film's dramatic moments but when the film intensifies into action, the score goes into full on overdrive.

Then there's the film's amazingly, superb cast of actors in which a few of them like Jean-Marc Barr, Udo Kier, and Ernst-Hugo Jaregard would become regulars to von Trier's films. Now most directors would love to appear in their own films and von Trier makes a great impression as a Jewish man from the Holocaust who signs a questionnaire for the guilt-ridden Max Hartmann. The late Ernst-Hugo Jaregard is excellent as the strict uncle of Leopold who is concerned with his nephew's future while having no remorse for what he is going through, especially at the troubling time his country is in as Jaregard gives a guarded, moralistic performance. Eddie Constantine is also wonderful as the American Colonel Harris who is a patriotic man who wants to rebuild the Zentropa railway station but his intentions are very strange since he's hoping it would give him power but is conflict over his own duties as he tries to find the remaining werewolf company.

Jorgen Reenberg is excellent as the guilt-ridden, weary Max Hartmann who realizes that all of his deeds in supporting Nazi Germany might get him trouble. Reenberg brings in a lot of the emotional tension of countryman wanting forgiveness while becoming an unlikely parental source for Leopold. Erik Mork also plays the moral card as the sympathetic and indifferent Father Jaregard who tries to show Max the right way while not wanting to be involved with any kind of troubles as he presents the rare moral guide of the film. Udo Kier is wonderfully devilish as the power-hungry Lawrence who has his issues with war and is hoping to go to America and gain some power there. Barbara Sukowa is wonderful as the complex Katharina who seduces Leopold with her beauty while having some dark intentions as her character has a conflicted side to herself since she wants what's best for her country or what she wants from Leopold which is love.

Jean-Marc Barr delivers probably his greatest performance to date as the naive, idealistic Leopold. Barr brings in all sorts of innocence early on to the role only to be confused and dumbfounded by his surroundings and the rules he's forced to live with. Barr really gives the film its heart as a dreamer who wants everything a man wants but finds himself in places that he doesn't like. When he rebels, we see Barr go into a full-on mode of some intense acting. It's no wonder von Trier has kept him all of these years into many of his films.

***Additional Content & New Conclusion Written from 12/31/11-1/13/12***

The 2008 Region 1 2-disc DVD from the Criterion Collection presents the film in a 2:35:1 theatrical aspect ratio for the widescreen format with 5.1 Dolby Digital Stereo Surround Sound. The film is given a new high-definition transfer supervised by director Lars von Trier. The first disc with new and improved subtitles plus various special features including its theatrical trailer.

The full-length audio commentary by Lars von Trier and producer Peter Aalbaek Jensen is a very relaxed and humorous commentary as the two men reflect on the production. The two talk about the actors that have passed on including Ernst-Hugo Jaregard whom von Trier talks fondly of despite some of the difficulties he had in wanting some attention. The same with Jorgen Reenberg whom von Trier found to be more difficult than Jaregard as it was among many things that kept the production tense as it went from 12 to 16 weeks. Jensen also revealed that it was hard to finance the film as they went to other countries for funding. The overall commentary is very enjoyable and entertaining for what von Trier and Jensen said about the production as they kept giggling throughout the duration of the film.

The 39-minute making-of documentary released in late 1991/early 1992 is a piece about the film’s production on set and how von Trier created many of the surreal yet dream-like moments of the film with superimposed backgrounds. A lot of the film’s exteriors and the bulk of the superimposed images were shot on location in Poland as von Trier used extras for the scenes of the train car being pulled and the church scene. The rest of the film was shot at a studio in Copenhagen, Denmark with the main actors as Eddie Constantine, Udo Kier, and Jean-Marc Barr talk about von Trier’s methods while von Trier also talks about the film as it’s a very intriguing documentary about the film.

The second disc of the DVD includes loads of special feature about the film’s production. The first is Trier’s Element, a 44-minute documentary about Lars von Trier as he discusses Europa as well as how it relates to his previous work in the Europa trilogy. The 1991 doc also features footage of the film’s premiere at the Cannes Film Festival and its press conference as well as the making of the project Dimension. The last of which was supposed to be a 30-year project that was eventually abandoned in 1998 as the doc featured von Trier shooting footage with Eddie Constantine, Jean-Marc Barr, and Udo Kier as the whole documentary is a wonderful piece about the young von Trier.

The 20-minute Anecdotes from Europa is a short documentary that features interviews with producer Peter Albaek Jensen, editor/assistant director Tomas Gislason, prop master Peter Grant, co-writer Niels Vorsel actor Jean-Marc Barr, and historian Peter Scheperlen. Schepelern discusses the importance of the film not just in von Trier’s career but for the history of European cinema as it heralded the arrival of von Trier as one of the key cinematic voices of the 1990s. Jensen, Gislason, and Grant discuss the difficulty of the production as well as Ernst-Hugo Jaregard who had a reputation for being difficult where Jensen took a stand at Jaregard to make sure he behaved where he would become one of their collaborators. Barr talks about a scene which nearly killed and a recent screening he attended where he was surprised to see how much it has held up.

The From Dreyer to von Trier interview with cinematographer Henning Bendtsen is a thirteen-and-a-half minute piece about Bendtsen’s work with Carl Theodor Dreyer and Lars von Trier and how different they are. Bendtsen reveals some wonderful stories about Dreyer and how von Trier was able to get the tuxedo he has while reveling in the similarities the two have as filmmakers. The Emotional Music Script is a 12-minute interview with music composer Joachim Holbek about his collaboration von Trier and their approach to music. Holbek reveals that both he and von Trier wanted the music to be emotional as well as stylized in scenes where it mixes two things that might not go together.

Lars von Trier-Anecdotes is a 17-minute short documentary that features interviews with actors Ole Ernst, Jean-Marc Barr, and Michael Simpson, editor/assistant director Tomas Gislason, art director Peter Grant, costume designer Manon Rasmussen, producer Peter Albaek Jensen, production manager Per Armen, and film school teacher Mogens Rukov. Many of them talk about von Trier’s early years and his reputation for being a provocateur with many sharing stories about him including the enfant terrible persona that he’s cultivated throughout the years.

The 44-minute conversation piece with von Trier has the director talking to journalist Bo Green Jensen about the Europa trilogy. The 2005 interview has von Trier discussing the origins of his trilogy as well as love for the work of famed Russian filmmaker Andrei Tarkovsky who was a primary influence for his early work. The discussion about all three films are talked about as von Trier recalls a lot about the production and influences he had in making the film that also included American film noir. Jensen asks if von Trier had seen the films recently as von Trier admits he doesn’t want to because it would have him relive the experiences of making it and he doesn’t want to know about how he would react to his early work.

The 10-minute short film Europa-The Faecal Location features rare footage shot by Tomas Gislason on the making of the film as it was originally presented on VHS video footage. The short has Gislason and Peter Albaek Jensen discuss some of the problems with the locations in Poland at the time. Due to the awful vegetation and rivers near their location, the toilets in the hotel they lived in weren’t able to flush properly. Even worse was when both Gislason and von Trier ate apples that made them sick while one of the producers also got sick in the very same apple. It’s a very funny short which revealed what to do when vacationing in Poland during the early years of post-Communism.

The DVD set features a booklet which includes an essay by film critic Howard Hampton entitled Night Train. Hampton discusses the film’s importance in von Trier’s career as well as how von Trier was able to take the idea of American film noir elements and infuse it with a European sensibility. Particularly as it would mark a turning point in von Trier’s career as it indicated that it would be the film that would really be the beginning of him becoming a serious filmmaker. It’s a great read that is part of a truly superb DVD release.

Europa is a stylish yet magnificent film from Lars von Trier. Featuring an outstanding ensemble cast and dazzling technical work, the film is among one of von Trier’s finest films in his career. Particularly as it’s the best work of his Europa trilogy of 1984-1991. In the end, Europa is a wondrous and imaginative film from Lars von Trier.

Lars von Trier Films: The Element of Crime - Epidemic - Medea - The Kingdom I - Breaking the Waves - The Kingdom II - Dogme #2: Idioterne - Dancer in the Dark - Dogville - The Five Obstructions - Manderlay - The Boss of It All - Antichrist - Dimension (2010 short) - Melancholia - Nymphomaniac - The House That Jack Built - The Kingdom: Exodus - (Etudes)

Related: The Auteurs #7: Lars von Trier

© thevoid99 2012

M. Butterfly

Based on the play by David Henry Hwang, M. Butterfly is the story of Rene Gallimard’s relationship with Chinese opera performer Song Liling in the 1960s as they embark on an affair that would last for several years. Directed by David Cronenberg with Hwang writing the screenplay, the film is a loose re-telling of the true events that happened between Gallimard and Liling as they’re both played by Jeremy Irons and John Lone, respectively. Also starring Barbara Sukowa and Ian Richardson. M. Butterfly is an interesting yet underwhelming film from David Cronenberg.

It’s 1964 as Rene Gallimard is a French diplomat working for the French ambassador Toulin (Ian Richardson) in Beijing. In order to get to know the Chinese better, Gallimard attends a Chinese opera of M. Butterfly with friend Frau Baden (Annabel Leventon). He is entranced by the performance of its lead opera singer Song Liling as he wants to learn more about her and the world of Chinese opera. The two befriend each other as Gallimard falls for Liling while dealing with work as a diplomat where Gallimard is eventually promoted. He and Liling embark on an affair that would last for a few years as Liling is really a spy working for the government.

When Gallimard learns about the Red Guard’s ban on art with Liling being targeted, Gallimard is unable to help Liling who is sent to prison. Gallimard reluctantly returns to Paris where he wouldn’t see Liling until 1968. Liling arrives to Paris to reunite with Gallimard who had already lost his diplomatic job as well as his reputation. Taking a job as a courier, Gallimard is suddenly in trouble for treason where he learns about the awful truth about Liling.

The film is essentially about a diplomat’s relationship with a Chinese opera singer unaware that it’s performed by men. Yet, it’s also a film about deception as this man playing a woman plays the ultimate part as both lover to this diplomat while providing information to a government official (Shizuko Hoshi) as this relationship between diplomat and opera singer would last for some years. That’s pretty much the plot of the film where writer David Henry Hwang creates a film that seems to have more than what the script has to offer. While Hwang does create fascinating moments in the relationship between Gallimard and Liling. There’s a lot of questions into why Gallimard was so unaware that all these years being with Liling that he didn’t ever see him naked or knew that he was a man when there were some clues. That’s among some of the shortcomings Hwang’s script has.

David Cronenberg’s direction is pretty good in some spots for the compositions he creates as well as having it shot mostly in China. While there is an air of theatricality to the way he frames the scenes between Gallimard and Liling including the operas that is performed. The film is definitely Cronenberg at his most restrained for the fact that there’s not a lot of stylistic shots as he prefers to keep things straightforward. In that approach, Cronenberg creates a film that isn’t very involving due to the lack of a strong script. With London and parts of Paris playing some of the scenes in Paris for the third act, Cronenberg doesn’t do enough to present the inevitable to be so shocking. The result is that Cronenberg made a film that feels very flat in its presentation despite the fact that he’s trying to take risks with a story like this.

Cinematographer Peter Suschitzky does an excellent job with the colorful photography from the lush look of some of the interiors in Paris and in Liling’s home as well as gorgeous exteriors for some of the Chinese location including the Great Wall. Editor Ronald Sanders does a very good job with the editing where he manages to maintain a pace that is leisured while utilizing a more straightforward approach to the editing. Production designer Carol Spier, with art directors Alicia Keywan and James McAteer and set decorator Elinor Rose Galbraith, does a fantastic job with the set pieces created in the look of Liling’s home as well as some of the theatrical sets for the Chinese opera scenes.

Costume designer Denise Cronenberg does a wonderful job with the costumes created from the theatrical clothing that Liling wears on stage as well as the silk yet stylish dresses she wears outside of the stage. Sound mixer Bryan Day does a nice job with the sound work to capture the atmosphere of some of the locations including the intimate moments between Gallimard and Liling. Music composer Howard Shore does a terrific job with the music to play up the romance and drama that occurs with swelling orchestral arrangements even though it tends to overwhelm the scenes in some spots.

The casting by Deirdre Bowen does a superb job with the cast that is assembled as it features small roles from Barbara Sukowa as Gallimard’s wife Jeanne, Annabel Leventon as his opera-loving friend Frau Baden, Shizuko Hoshi as Liling’s government friend Chin, and Ian Richardson as Gallimard’s boss Ambassador Toulon. John Lone is brilliant in a very daring role as Song Liling, an opera singer who poses as a woman while starting to be intrigued by this man who has fallen for him. Jeremy Irons is stellar as Renee Gallimard as a man who falls for this mysterious being as he is unaware of being deceived. Despite the weakness of the script that often makes Irons look foolish, it is still a fantastic performance as he gives it his all including the film’s ultimate finale.

M. Butterfly is a fascinating but un-involving film from David Cronenberg despite the performances of Jeremy Irons and John Lone. While Cronenberg deserves some credit for trying to stray away from his usual world of suspense and sci-fi thrillers by tackling a straight drama. It’s hindered by a very lackluster script by its actual creator David Henry Hwang. While the film does have some moments, M. Butterfly is definitely not one of David Cronenberg’s essential films.

David Cronenberg Films: Stereo - Crimes of the Future - Shivers - Rabid - Fast Company - The Brood - Scanners - Videodrome - The Dead Zone - The Fly (1986 film) - Dead Ringers - Naked Lunch - Crash - eXistenZ - Spider - A History of Violence - Eastern Promises - A Dangerous Method - Cosmopolis - Maps to the Stars - Crimes of the Future (2022 film)

The Auteurs #26: David Cronenberg Pt. 1 - Pt. 2

© thevoid99 2012