The cinematography in Godfrey Reggio’s films provides enough to sustain; but the messages behind the collective images turn them into apocalyptic lamentations, laden with regret and despair – resulting in two devastatingly beautiful works. Koyaanisqatsi, roughly translated as “life out of balance” fuses images of earth, of nature, of human Read More
“Humanity’s relationship to the eternal” is Ron Fricke’s favorite theme. His works are wordless observations of humanity: portraits of contemporary subjects who quietly stand and stare into the camera, while the past lingers on in half-decayed statues from no particular location — the shape of a nose, a mouth and Read More
“He was the most extraordinary man I ever knew.” “Did you know him well?” “… I knew him.” These are the opening lines of Lawrence of Arabia, in which many any will encounter the title character of David Lean’s visual epic, but few can claim to know him. Like Citizen Read More
I only knew Roger Ebert through his writings, but that was more than enough. His backlog of reviews is a budding cinephile’s dream. His Great Movies list opens artistic treasures in ways anyone can understand. And his blog posts felt like messages from a friend; by the time I read Read More
I admire, above all else, the subtlety that an actress can bring to a role. Besides this subtlety, consistency is also crucial to an actress’ career and performance. Samantha Morton is a particularly fascinating actress and one who has consistently used her subtlety to its most effective. Morton is a Read More
A documentary was put together last year, exploring a load of different viewpoints and explanations surrounding Stanley Kubrick’s The Shining. But as peculiar as these individuals were, and as controversial as their “discoveries” turned out to be, Room 237 will always be a reminder of Rashomon — a classic Japanese Read More
This happened — so then that happened. Every action brings on a consequence. Every cause is followed by an effect. And although deep inside all films feature the one and only linear narrative, that in which such action causes such result — many writers choose to tell more than one Read More
Chileans needn’t witness director Pablo Larraín standing on the stage of the Kodak Theater with an Oscar in his hands to know that No, the first movie in the country’s history to be nominated as Best Foreign Language Film, has already achieved something momentous. Taking an Oscar home is possible, Read More
Congressman Francis Underwood understands exactly why he is in politics. It is not merely for power – that would be too simplistic for a man so mindful of himself as Underwood, and it isn’t merely for something as simplistic as “control.” Politics for him is a means of survival in Read More
In 1971 a carefully selected group of Stanford University college students were assigned the roles of prisoners and guards in a mock-prison psychological experiment. In simple terms, it went too well — “guards” began to show actual sadistic tendencies against “prisoners” who accepted psychological abuse, and the two-week schedule was Read More
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