Hey folks! Want to watch something different this holiday? Here are 4 more top recommendations from more beautiful friends. Damn, what a tasteful lot! Get your watchlists ready because these are all must-watches.
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter… and Spring
Spring, a lesson in karma. Summer, a lesson in desire. Fall, a lesson in responsibility. Winter, a lesson in tradition. And spring again, a lesson in heritage. It feels more like a morale fable with its surreal and isolated environment, a floating monastery on a lake. And we only ever see this place, a peaceful sanctuary sealed away from the outside world and (most) of its influences. When people travel in and out it’s always through metaphorical means, and all of these elements combine to make this film feel like an allegory of man’s accord with wisdom. It’s technically arthouse, but it’s barely artsy and incredibly accessible. It’s beautiful, absolutely beautiful. And as shallow as this sounds it’s about the human condition: seasons mirror the phases of one’s life, and a change in the former corresponds with change in the latter. It might seem trite and perhaps a bit too on-the-nose, but it managed to move me like few other movies can. Cinema is alive.
Ingmar Bergman has a long career of so many movies. Movies recognised by cinephiles and critics alike. We talk about Persona, The Seventh Seal, Fanny and Alexander, but we barely talk about his masterwork on relationships, Scenes From A Marriage. The best way to describe Scenes from a Marriage is ‘episodic’. You glimpse into a couples lives, you see Bergman’s craft constructing their characters and deconstructing their relationship that was built on a foundation of sweet lies as ugly truths come plummeting towards them. You see resentment and spite being built up over time, but you see them experience a vast array of emotions. Through Liv Ullmanns and Johaans acting, you to are carried with them. The surprising thing is how it still manages to capture the Bergmanesque feeling of the whole thing while not diving into many philosophical ideas and moments of existential dread. But it’s an odyssey instead into the exploration of the human condition. Sven Nykvists fantastic use of lighting and shadows and camera work also make up Bergman’s films.
And truth be told, its staggering 4 hours seems daunting but the journey is worth it. It’s arthouse at its finest yet it doesn’t really feel arthouse. Though it has a bit of an unconventional narrative, we are just seeing fragments like it’s real. I can understand if one finds it too long but the true magic of the film to me is how Bergman creates a world, structures his characters and immerses you with the power of his dialogue.
(In conversation with me) I recommend Burning (2018) because I truly think that it’s one of the best thrillers of the decade and you would really enjoy it. As a self-described A24 filmsis, I think this would fit into the vibe you normally like. You seem to be a fan of other South Korean thrillers, such as the works of Bong Joon-ho so I thought you might like to try one in a different style. It’s kind of a slow burn but it’s honestly worth it for the ending. I really love this movie and I hope you do to!
This film speaks the language of friendship or human connection in a way not many other films can. It has a very distinct texture to the soundscapes and images; which it meticulously stumbles upon through the unification of both cultures our characters belong to. Another thing this movie does well that may be an added advantage is an impeccable director-actor relationship ‘Rainer Werner Fassbinder‘. His role in the film is a crucial voice in the themes and moods of the majority of the audience this was released to in 1974. From a purely cinematic standpoint, the writing and storytelling tie together a masterpiece, that pulls no punches in revealing the racism and classicism that was peaking across Europe, Germany in particular. It does all this without becoming too political itself, rather following the impact of those fundamental laws on the people.
Well, there you have it! Aren’t they all gorgeous?
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