Not One Less
Not One Less is the type of film that I think Dudley Andrew would expect a film class to watch. First, this film is original, the story it tells and in the way in which it delivers the story. The director clearly strived for realism when making his film. Not only is the story believable and possibly true, but it does not rely on action or unnecessary elements in order to excite the audience. The realism of the film was strengthened by the fact that it was made in the style of a documentary. This can have a bad affect on the popularity of the film because this can take away for the entertainment factor of a film but, ultimately, the most important part a foreign film, according to Dudley Andrew, is the knowledge and wisdom one can gain from the message of the story. I also think that Not One Less is a strong foreign film do to its local qualities found throughout the film. The documentary style of the film and the use of realistic characters, give the feeling that the film simply follows regular people through their everyday lives. This allows Not One Less to leave out appeals to the global culture that you sometimes see in foreign films. The realistic and local qualities of the film allowed it to portray important messages to the audience, it allows the audience to come to the realization of what is important in life. And that by caring for each other people and communities can be truly happy, that you do not need riches and an easy life style, but by helping each other the human race can truly achieve happiness. Not One Less is a strong film that gives credit to Chinese films, and shows that they are not all pointless martial arts films.
"Swades"
Swades gives me a good impression of Indian cinema and the movies it produces. First, the film was well made which makes it easy for the viewer to watch. The film was clearly produced with care to detail, while this may have to do with a better budget than some films, this is still a notable quality. Swades also has a very good story, the writer put a lot of thought into the message he is giving the audience and did a very effective job of setting it up and leaving a lasting impression. I also think this film has perfected the art of showing local qualities, while at the same time making the movie enjoyable for foreign viewers. Much of the film takes place in a remote Indian village, which I felt was at least somewhat accurately portrayed. The film shows several local scenes and customs, such as a village meeting, and even addresses local issues such as arranged marriage and electricity problems. The film does deny the local culture’s trend of breaking out into song and dance routines. The film does however, show these thing in a way that is enjoyable for global culture that might not be used to these qualities. On the other hand, the fact that this is easy for global viewers perhaps means that the film conceals some of the local culture in exchange for entertainment. In an article read earlier Dudley Andrew said, “A course in study of world cinema…should put students inside unfamiliar conditions of viewing rather than bringing the unfamiliar handily to them”. This suggests that a film such as Swades is not a foreign film that is a good representation of local qualities, and does not help to educate the viewer. I would agree with Andrew on this statement.
Monsoon Wedding
Monsoon Wedding, a Hindi produced film, follows the arranged marriage between Aditi and Hemant, who lives in Houston. This film is very strong in that it does a good job of keeping the audience entertained, while also remaining seemingly true to the actual culture in which these characters exist. In effect the actors are portrayed in such a way to remain loyal to the local culture, but at the same time they show the cultural shift that the people are currently experiencing. The final results are characters and a storyline that are not only enjoyable but also believable. Monsoon Wedding, like most Hindi movies, incorporates local song and dance routines into the movie. However, in Monsoon Wedding this is done in a way that feels natural to the viewer, as opposed to Hindi movie like Kuch Kuch Hota Hai, which break out completely from the storyline, which takes away from realism of the film. The once again contributes to the local feel of the film, but also accounting for the current globalization of that culture. Because of these, already discussed, topics I feel this is a great movie which makes a strong realistic stance on the issue of global and local films. It is important for a film to represent the local qualities of its people in order to portray a realistic view to the global audience. But at the same time a film maker can be caught between doing this and creating a movie that appeals to the rest of the world. I feel this film maker has found a desirable and realistic medium between creating a truly local film, which show the local qualities which in reality are going through changes as an effect globalization.
Amores Perros
Amores Perros, a Mexican film directed by Alejandro González Iñárritu, looks at the stories of three different sets of people who seemingly have no relation. While the idea behind this film has already been used in Hollywood, the story is still portrayed in a strong appealing way. When examining why Amores Perros entertains its audience so well, one notices that the movie utilizes several qualities of Hollywood movies. This raises two important questions, has the movie sacrificed local qualities for success in the box office, and does the success of this movie mean that it was a good movie with an important meaning. One does notice in this film that there are many local qualities. From the detail inside the houses of the families, to the authentic feel of the streets this movie seems to accurately represent aspects of the local area. However, just because the movie creates a realistic atmosphere does not mean that the movie shows aspects of local cinema. The director relies greatly upon devices to entertain the audience without forcing them to think or work in any way to draw a meaning from the film. The film has lost of action, dog fights, a car chase, gun shots, and several special effects which catch the audience’s attention. The film also uses an upbeat soundtrack to keep the audience from losing interest. The traits employed by the director take away from any local aspects that he has incorporated into the movie. All considered this film may be creative, entertaining, and have an unexpected twist, but the movie does not leave the audience with an important message. This film lacks the opportunity to show local film aspects and leave a moving impression on the audience.
"Life is Beautiful"
The Holocaust is an extremely important historical event that has left a lasting effect on humanity. A common way to present ideas and reflections on such historical tragedies is through the medium of film. “Life is Beautiful”, a 1997 Italian film directed by Roberto Benigni, focuses on the story of a Jewish father who uses his playful attitude and creativity to help his son survive a Nazi concentration camp. While many films focused on the Holocaust look mostly at the horrible happenings in concentration camps and the local aspects that affected the victims, “Life is Beautiful” takes a different approach on this issue. The first noticeable difference about this movie is that fact that it shows much fewer scenes of torture and murder involved with concentration camps. Some critics think poorly of this movie, suggesting that it takes away from the in-humane actions of the Nazis in World War II. However, this is false, the movie simply takes a different approach which allows the director to present a different meaning, that is equally effective to all cultures. The fact that this movie has the ability to affect all cultures the same way, supports the idea that it is a global film. Robert Benigni, while taking a daring step by making a comedy set in the Holocaust, made a strong film which has an important and global effect through his production of “Life is Beautiful”.
Possibly the most noticeable aspect of this movie is the fact that it is focused on a serious subject, the Holocaust, but it is, for the most part, a dramatic comedy. Some critics have responded to this factor of the film with disgust for the lack of respect of what was a severely tragic event. Charles Taylor, of “Salon.com” expressed similar reviews in his review for “Life is Beautiful”. Taylor writes, “That Benigni does not treat the extermination of Italian Jews as a laughing matter is beside the point. The point, I think, is the sheer callous inappropriateness of comedy existing within the physical reality of the camps -- even the imagined reality of a movie”(Taylor). Taylor recognizes the fact that Benigni does not actually make a joke out of the killing of the Jews, but still does not agree with presenting a comedy in the setting of what was a grim time for humanity. However, this point of view is poor for two reasons. First, certain scenes in the film do recognize the seriousness of the Holocaust. Dana Renga argues, “Benigni by no means undermines the seriousness of the subject matter: on the fundamental images of the film – a large mound of bodies encountered by the protagonist in a foggy, ill-defined space”(Renga 463). This scene mentioned by Renga and others give reminders to the audience about the gruesomeness of the Holocaust. By taking short moments in the movie to show what was truly happening in the concentration camps proved that Benigni recognizes the true events of the Holocaust. This brings us to the second reason for which the view that Benigni’s film mocks the Holocaust, the point that Benigni tries to make about how unreasonable the actions of the Nazis were in World War II.
Guido protects the innocence of his son from the concentration camp by telling him that the concentration camp is a game, in which they must earn a thousand points in order to get the grand prize. This is what causes the tragedy of the Holocaust to be turned into a much lighter situation. However, J. Hoberman points out that, “by turning the death camp into an improvised children's game, Benigni articulates a partial truth. Auschwitz was, in the deepest, most awful sense, an absurd place--a monstrous realm of institutionalized irrationality”(Hoberman 135). Hoberman thinks that Benigni’s illogical comic twist of the Holocaust emphasizes the insanity of the concentration camps. A published writer has a similar view on this idea, “Guido’s game is ludicrous precisely because the camp system itself was a highly bizarre universe, characterized by a myriad of rules and statutes and in which inmates brought there to be killed were for the intervening period of detention required to adhere to strict codes of behavior, dress and organization”(Wright 19). This stresses a specific scene in Benigni’s film, When Guido and his son were first taken to the concentration camp they were given instructions by a German soldier. Guido volunteered to translate for everyone so that his son would not hear the truth. As the soldier gave instructions Guido explained his made up game, the scene lasted a few minutes which showed that the long list of rules confirms Wright’s idea. Benigni’s idea of a game does not make fun of the Holocaust, but rather points out its absurdity and insanity. Having examined how this film is viewed in relation to historical events, we can move to look at the meaning that the movie outlines and the audience to which it is aimed.
“Life is Beautiful” has an easily distinguishable meaning, that life is in fact beautiful, but the strength of this message is due to the global appeal of Benigni’s film. Pamela Schaeffer argues in her review, “ ‘Life is Beautiful’ is a fable about hope, about keeping hope alive. It offers another window for looking back at the Holocaust, for imagining the courage it must have taken to survive, even if we cannot imagine the pain”(Schaeffer 35). Schaeffer has found the true meaning of this movie, while at the same time revealing a factor of its success. The subject of the holocaust is typically portrayed in movies by the realistic suffering of Jews in concentration camps. However, a director must realize that only a small percentage of people can relate to that amount of suffering, as stated by Schaeffer, “even if we cannot imagine the pain.” Benigni instead looks at the story from the point of view of a father attempting to protect his son from an evil that could rob him of his innocence and his life. This different approach on the Holocaust sends a message that can be related to by a much wider audience, and relating to an audience is the best way a director can make his message effective. Benigni sends a strong message with this movie because he relates to a global audience, rather only relating to people directly affected by the Holocaust. By making his movie with a theme of love, caring, and light humor, Benigni relates to his audience by their common human factor. Relating to his audience this way allows Benigni’s message to have a crucial impact on a global scale.
“Life is Beautiful” makes an important impression on a global audience. Many films have attempted to create a moving and profound message by examining the events of the Holocaust, but the original comic genre of this holocaust film allows the Benigni to write a new meaning for his audience. The playful nature of the main character, Guido, and general happy mood of this movie, despite the tragic setting, allows the audience to leave with an appreciation for the true beauty of life. It is important to recognize that this film does not disrespect the events of the Holocaust, but rather shows their absurdity in an original way. The movie looks at a commonly discussed historical event and concludes with an original meaning. Most importantly, Benigni’s “Life is Beautiful” leaves an original and lasting impression on a global audience.
Cited Works
Hoberman, J. "Nazi Business." The Village voice 4327 October 1998 135. 1 March 2008.
Renga, Dana. "Staging Memory and Trauma in French and Italian Holocaust Film." Romanic Review 97(2006): 463.
Schaeffer, Pamela. "Benigni's Film, Like Life Itself, is Beautiful." National Catholic Reporter 35(1999): 35.
Taylor, Charles. "The Unberable Lightness of Benigni." 30 October 1998 1 March 2008.
Wright, Melanie J. "'Don't Touch My Holocaust': Responding to Life is Beautiful." Journal of Holocaust Education 9,1Summer 2000 14.
Possibly the most noticeable aspect of this movie is the fact that it is focused on a serious subject, the Holocaust, but it is, for the most part, a dramatic comedy. Some critics have responded to this factor of the film with disgust for the lack of respect of what was a severely tragic event. Charles Taylor, of “Salon.com” expressed similar reviews in his review for “Life is Beautiful”. Taylor writes, “That Benigni does not treat the extermination of Italian Jews as a laughing matter is beside the point. The point, I think, is the sheer callous inappropriateness of comedy existing within the physical reality of the camps -- even the imagined reality of a movie”(Taylor). Taylor recognizes the fact that Benigni does not actually make a joke out of the killing of the Jews, but still does not agree with presenting a comedy in the setting of what was a grim time for humanity. However, this point of view is poor for two reasons. First, certain scenes in the film do recognize the seriousness of the Holocaust. Dana Renga argues, “Benigni by no means undermines the seriousness of the subject matter: on the fundamental images of the film – a large mound of bodies encountered by the protagonist in a foggy, ill-defined space”(Renga 463). This scene mentioned by Renga and others give reminders to the audience about the gruesomeness of the Holocaust. By taking short moments in the movie to show what was truly happening in the concentration camps proved that Benigni recognizes the true events of the Holocaust. This brings us to the second reason for which the view that Benigni’s film mocks the Holocaust, the point that Benigni tries to make about how unreasonable the actions of the Nazis were in World War II.
Guido protects the innocence of his son from the concentration camp by telling him that the concentration camp is a game, in which they must earn a thousand points in order to get the grand prize. This is what causes the tragedy of the Holocaust to be turned into a much lighter situation. However, J. Hoberman points out that, “by turning the death camp into an improvised children's game, Benigni articulates a partial truth. Auschwitz was, in the deepest, most awful sense, an absurd place--a monstrous realm of institutionalized irrationality”(Hoberman 135). Hoberman thinks that Benigni’s illogical comic twist of the Holocaust emphasizes the insanity of the concentration camps. A published writer has a similar view on this idea, “Guido’s game is ludicrous precisely because the camp system itself was a highly bizarre universe, characterized by a myriad of rules and statutes and in which inmates brought there to be killed were for the intervening period of detention required to adhere to strict codes of behavior, dress and organization”(Wright 19). This stresses a specific scene in Benigni’s film, When Guido and his son were first taken to the concentration camp they were given instructions by a German soldier. Guido volunteered to translate for everyone so that his son would not hear the truth. As the soldier gave instructions Guido explained his made up game, the scene lasted a few minutes which showed that the long list of rules confirms Wright’s idea. Benigni’s idea of a game does not make fun of the Holocaust, but rather points out its absurdity and insanity. Having examined how this film is viewed in relation to historical events, we can move to look at the meaning that the movie outlines and the audience to which it is aimed.
“Life is Beautiful” has an easily distinguishable meaning, that life is in fact beautiful, but the strength of this message is due to the global appeal of Benigni’s film. Pamela Schaeffer argues in her review, “ ‘Life is Beautiful’ is a fable about hope, about keeping hope alive. It offers another window for looking back at the Holocaust, for imagining the courage it must have taken to survive, even if we cannot imagine the pain”(Schaeffer 35). Schaeffer has found the true meaning of this movie, while at the same time revealing a factor of its success. The subject of the holocaust is typically portrayed in movies by the realistic suffering of Jews in concentration camps. However, a director must realize that only a small percentage of people can relate to that amount of suffering, as stated by Schaeffer, “even if we cannot imagine the pain.” Benigni instead looks at the story from the point of view of a father attempting to protect his son from an evil that could rob him of his innocence and his life. This different approach on the Holocaust sends a message that can be related to by a much wider audience, and relating to an audience is the best way a director can make his message effective. Benigni sends a strong message with this movie because he relates to a global audience, rather only relating to people directly affected by the Holocaust. By making his movie with a theme of love, caring, and light humor, Benigni relates to his audience by their common human factor. Relating to his audience this way allows Benigni’s message to have a crucial impact on a global scale.
“Life is Beautiful” makes an important impression on a global audience. Many films have attempted to create a moving and profound message by examining the events of the Holocaust, but the original comic genre of this holocaust film allows the Benigni to write a new meaning for his audience. The playful nature of the main character, Guido, and general happy mood of this movie, despite the tragic setting, allows the audience to leave with an appreciation for the true beauty of life. It is important to recognize that this film does not disrespect the events of the Holocaust, but rather shows their absurdity in an original way. The movie looks at a commonly discussed historical event and concludes with an original meaning. Most importantly, Benigni’s “Life is Beautiful” leaves an original and lasting impression on a global audience.
Cited Works
Hoberman, J. "Nazi Business." The Village voice 4327 October 1998 135. 1 March 2008
Renga, Dana. "Staging Memory and Trauma in French and Italian Holocaust Film." Romanic Review 97(2006): 463.
Schaeffer, Pamela. "Benigni's Film, Like Life Itself, is Beautiful." National Catholic Reporter 35(1999): 35.
Taylor, Charles. "The Unberable Lightness of Benigni." 30 October 1998 1 March 2008
Wright, Melanie J. "'Don't Touch My Holocaust': Responding to Life is Beautiful." Journal of Holocaust Education 9,1Summer 2000 14.
The Wind Will Carry Us
I feel that The Wind Will Carry Us was most like the type of movie that I was expecting to see in a course focused on International Cinema. I felt like I had viewed a film completely different from a normal Hollywood film. This film has very many dimensions, both local and global elements. I think this is important because it allows the viewer to be exposed to the culture while not being lost on the meaning. The reason this movie has received good reviews is for this reason and because of the fact that it is so extremely different from traditional Hollywood films in what it relies on to make its points. It is almost impossible to argue that this movie is entertaining, the viewer is clearly forced to extract the meaning of the film. Hollywood films make all their points with fast action and dialogue. In this film there is a theme of death and of waiting. The viewer is forced to wait for things to happen, just like the characters are forced to wait for the death of the woman so that they can do what they set out to. By having to wait by viewing boring everyday scenes, the viewer is allowed to truly contemplate death and what message is being portrayed. I think that this film is more real than ones we have watched, in life we spend a great amount of time waiting for things to happen. Movies usually skip the waiting to avoid boring the viewer, while this may entertain it greatly sacrifices true realism, that is what it would really feel like to be in the situation of the characters. If the viewer can force himself to wait through the movie he can extract the importance of it and leave enlightened.
"No Man's Land"
“No Man’s Land”, a foreign film directed by Danis Tanovic and produced in Bosnia-Herzegovina, focuses on the civil war that took place in this country. This film seems different from the typical war film, due to its lack of fighting and a different main focus than normal. A typical war film usually focuses on important battles that may have had a drastic affect on a war, while No Man’s Land focuses on a situation that does not involve any major fight or look at a crucial event that has an effect on the war. Also, a war movie is usually known for having large amounts of weapons firing, planes dropping bombs, or some kind of combat. However, I can only recall a handful of scenes that involved a weapon actually being fired. This makes for an extremely different movie, the main focus is on the relationship of a few people and how they interact with each other.
War movies are similar in that they usually have some kind of objective, hero, or villain but this movie simply looks at the people involved with war, what they go through and how they feel. This makes for an interesting movie. It is revealed that the soldiers and others involved in the situation do not really have anything against each other, just a warped sense of patriotism, the origin of which they do not understand. The factor of realism that you feel watching this movie is further emphasized by the plot only covering one day of events.
Because this movie mostly took place in a trench and involved characters of a few different races, this film lacks local traits and has a global affect. Overall, this is a good movie that presents an original idea on the idea of war.
War movies are similar in that they usually have some kind of objective, hero, or villain but this movie simply looks at the people involved with war, what they go through and how they feel. This makes for an interesting movie. It is revealed that the soldiers and others involved in the situation do not really have anything against each other, just a warped sense of patriotism, the origin of which they do not understand. The factor of realism that you feel watching this movie is further emphasized by the plot only covering one day of events.
Because this movie mostly took place in a trench and involved characters of a few different races, this film lacks local traits and has a global affect. Overall, this is a good movie that presents an original idea on the idea of war.
"Underground"
"Underground" is a film co-produced by a few countries, including Yugoslavia, and directed by internationally recognized film director Emir Kusturica. This film follows the life of two friends in Yugoslavia after World War II. The issue of how a movie appeals to local and global audiences is a common issue when discussing foreign films. Other well know foreign films, such as "Nine Queens", are usually criticized for concealing local traits that might not agree with common Hollywood film traits. Film makers in foreign countries likely do this in order to appeal to global audiences, especially Americans. However, some foreign films are not afraid to show aspects of their local communities. Despite the large amount of local aspects shown in “Underground”, it was still able to make a strong appeal to a global audience. The characters’ actions were drastically different from American culture, meaning the director did not with hold any local traits. The fact that the movie preserves local aspects and is still popular among global audiences speaks to the true strength and universal application of the movie’s message. This is also a good trait for a foreign because it allows global audiences to hear the messages of other cultures through a strong medium. “Underground” was focused on an important issue, the happenings in Yugoslavia after World War II, which means that the success of this movie made a crucial impact on what the world knows about Yugoslavia. Despite Kusturica’s local film, he was able to make a significant affect on a global audience.
My Sassy Girl
My Sassy Girl, a South Korean produced romantic comedy, is well known on the international film scene. The movie centers around a man who chooses to enter into a relationship in which he has no free will and that is very difficult for him. This love story is extremely different from the traditional relationship, in that the role of the man and the woman seem to be switched as according to traditional Korean relationships. The man is submissive to the woman throughout the plot of the movie which is making an obvious statement or push for increasing feminism in Korean culture. This may be why My Sassy Girl gained so much popularity in South Korea, the challenge to traditions likely drew interest of local cinema goers, especially the younger demographic. However, the movie likely gained popularity on the international scene for different reasons. In countries which already have strong independent figure established for women, such as America, this movie is simply seen as a comedy, possibly just a humorous exaggeration of some relationships. Despite the different affect on different cultures, this movie clearly has been influenced by growing globalization, due to the fact that it has gained global recognition. Globalization is another growing issue in South Korea, along with the previous mentioned feminist movement. Because the government still has affect over on the films that are released in South Korea, cinema is a very crucial form of expression for movements, such as the feminist movement, of culture in South Korea. My Sassy Girl is a perfect example of how South Korea is attempting to lead social movements utilizing the cinema outlet.
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Welcome to my "International Cinema" blog! I know you're all looking forward to reading my movie reviews on the best of international film!
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