Ok I promised to write about a couple of films I saw for the first time this year that barely missed being included in my top ten of all time. Both films had barely been seen in America before being released this year by Criterion. I'm talking about The Spirit of the Beehive and Army of Shadows.
The Spirit of the Beehive is almost impossible to describe. The best way to describe it is the only film I've ever seen that captures what it is like to be a small chid with a strong imagination. It's about two sisters living in a small village during the Spanish Civil War. One day the movie Frankenstein is screened for the town. The film has a strong, unsettling effect on the youngest sister who believes the monster is real. She discovers a wounded soldier and cares for him in secret, and is eventually faced with the realization of death. But this is not really a film where plot takes center stage. It's hazy and dreamlike and lingers in small moments between the two children. It sets up a world where the characters are trapped in their insular home [the hexagonal amber windows reveal the home to be the titular beehive] until the young girl Ana breaks free and experiences the conflict that surrounds her country. The most apt comparison for this film would be Pan's Labyrinth and The Devil's Backbone with young, imaginative children using the fantasy worlds they create to shield themseves from the wars surrounding them. But those films seem loud and show-offy in comparison to this small film that manages to make more out of less. It also seems like the kind of film that gets better each time you see it.
It's no real surprise that Army of Shadows made a number of critics' ten best lists upon its theatrical release last year. The film is undoubtedly a masterpiece. It may even be Melville's best. [though I probably prefer Le Samourai] The single word review would probably be tension. The single word that is not really a word review would probably be holyshitomgsomuchtension! It's based on a book about the French resisitance during World War 2, and shaped in part by Melville's own experiences working with various resistance groups. It mostly follows Phillipe Gerbier, a resistance chief and his 'adventures'. I put adventures in quotes because the film isn't really about fighting or heroism, but about the very difficult choices these people had to make when fighting the Nazis. Not to say it's boring in the slightest, but that all the action is based in reality and carries with it consequences that affect the characters in different ways. It's an amazing film that will probably only grow in stature as more people discover it.
That brings me to the main point I want to get to. What would have happened had these films not been largely unseen in America for 30+ years? And what other masterpieces from around the world have been undiscovered? How much would what we see as our film 'canon' change if more films like these were available? I'm not sure I know the answers to these questions, but I'd like to discover two films in the next year that are as good or better than these.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
1 comment:
re: The Spirit of the Beehive
--
did you ever get to see Son of Rambow? I don't know whether it'll hold up to TSotB or if it's even similar enough for me to compare them, but your description reminded me of it. SoR is a silly cutesy story, as you probably know, the main character sees his first movie: First Blood, and his imagination drives the rest of the film. it's fun. you should watch it if you haven't already, but I doubt that it'd even come close to being a top film of 2007.
oh wait. it doesn't come out until next year. oops. silly me. well, you should see it when it comes out for real.
Post a Comment