Day 8: Oldboy (2003) [South Korea]

After being held in a room and tortured for 15 years, Dae-Su is released into the world with new clothes, money, and a cellphone, only to learn he must discover who his captor was and why he was held for 15 years. To further complicate things, he falls in love with a girl, which turned out to be part of the plan all along.

To be honest, I'm not the biggest fan of East-Asian cinema however I found Oldboy to be very intense, thrilling, mysterious and it definitely kept me on the edge of my seat wanting to unravel the plot.

The end did leave me a little... confused. The revenge sought didn't seem quite justified to me so it made all the previous action seem much overdone. Regardless, I definitely enjoyed watching the film and there was a lot of good philosophical pondering thrown into the mix.

RB

Day 7: Russian Ark (2002) [Russia]

Watching Russian Ark, simply put, was like watching living, breathing, moving historical poetry. It was a very strange film with a very difficult timeline to follow, considering there was really no plot.

We follow a man dressed in black through the State Hermitage Museum from the POV of the camera/narrator/mystery man who has no recollection of how he got there and what's going on. The man in black leads us through the museum, and consequently through over 200 years of Russian history. And here's the kicker.... it was all done in ONE CONTINUOUS SHOT! If you are to take away anything from this film, it's at least the sheer appreciation of the coordination this took to shoot without cutting for 1.5 hrs. With over 2,000 actors & extras, totaling approximately 4,500 members total (actors, extras, crew, etc).... it's really incredible and mind-boggling.

The interaction the man in black had with others in the scene, and the mystery as to how and why we are in this place, each room changing and showing us a new moment in history- was all very very strange. I will admit, between the lack of plot, confusion, and the lulling score, I had a hard time staying awake halfway through.

I did absolutely love the haunting intro, and in general the score was very well done- moving, unsettling, and sad. Listening to it put me in a trance and I felt like I was in a weird time-warp. There was a very melancholic, dark undertone which evoked an emotion in me I wasn't quite sure how to interpret considering I'm not very well versed on Russian history.

Definitely makes a great movie to discuss, and is a good example of a "long shot" for the technical junkies.

Day 6: The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (2009) [Sweden]

The original adaptation of the Swedish novel by Stieg Larsson (not to be confused with the American adaptation from 2011 directed by David Fincher starring Daniel Craig and Rooney Mara), The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo is chalk-full of mystery, intrigue, and bad-assery.

After journalist, Mikael, is sentenced to prison because of a set-up by a large corporation, he is recruited by Henrik Vanger to investigate the disappearance of his niece from over 40 years ago before his sentence begins. Meanwhile Lisbeth Salander, an experienced and highly skilled researcher/hacker with a photographic memory, is hired to investigate Mikael, and in the process stumbles upon the mystery he is investigating and they join forces. Together they unravel a darker series of events than they could have imagined.

Although the movie's runtime is approximately 2 hrs 30 min, I did not find myself checking the time to see when it would be over. Once I got into it, I was in it and committed. There are some very difficult scenes to watch, specifically referring to the rape scenes. However, I thought it was brilliant to see the weakness in even the toughest of characters. What got me though, was how Lisbeth goes home with the perpetrator and abuser on tape, sacrificing herself for a greater purpose, lights a cigarette and watches the video... that look on her face is absolutely priceless.

It becomes apparent that the underlying question the film presents is: How and are our actions justified depending on what has happened to us in the past? Not only that but what defines right and wrong in difficult situations where one party may seem deserving or guilty? It's all relative. Everyone has a different way of defining right and wrong. Is it morally just to let someone die if you are capable of saving them, even if they've committed heinous crimes? Are they a victim or is it just karma giving them what they deserve?

Very interesting and captivating film. I've had this one on my list for sometime now but could never make it a top priority, so I'm glad this challenge gave me the opportunity to watch it.

RB

Day 5: La Pianiste (2001) [France/Austria]

The Piano Teacher is an erotic thriller/drama that tells the story of piano teacher, Erika, an emotionally and sexually repressed masochistic woman who still lives with her mother, and her relationship with a 17 year old student.

During the scenes where Erika is instructing her pupils, I found it very intriguing to hear a pianists interpretation of music and how she read between the lines. I also found the suspended looks and long shots during the initial seduction to be very powerful and had me suspended in the tension alongside the characters on screen. I found her control and power over the student to be very French and very... I can't think of the proper word, but perhaps commanding and modernly feminine will suffice. She knows how to play the game, let's say that- to make a man be driven wild for her. I mean, Walter practically reeked of sex through the screen.

All that being said, this film was 50 shades of messed up. Somewhat early on we learn she is a masochist and self-mutilates her downstairs business- leading up to her presentation of a letter detailing all of the pain she wishes to be inflicted upon her by Walter. While she appears to be completely confident in her sexuality and sexual fantasies at first, she later realizes the danger and vulnerability she opened herself up to, irregardless of "love." It's interesting that she displays so much strength and confidence in her sexual desires, yet in such a controlled relationship from her mother, she still demands for a man to be in control and abusive.

While the film had it's moments, there are a lot of scenes that are quite uncomfortable to watch, specifically a later scene with her mother where she mounts her with kisses (VERY weird relationship), as well as the rape scene. It definitely makes you questions your judgements of others: If she got what she asked for (sadism), but rejects it as it comes, is he in the right or wrong? How does it provoke lust when it's so disturbing at times (definitely builds from erotic to psychotic)?

The movie ends with a literal self-inflicted "stab in the heart" when Walter passes with no acknowledgement to their relationship, and left me saying WTH?! Very ambiguous ending with a strange silence.

Day 4: Tsotsi (2005) [South Africa]

Wow. In every way, shape, and form, this film is a MUST SEE. What a heart wrenching, touching, and impactful example of cinema. My heart felt like it was being squeezed the whole time and at moments I got the chills. The 2006 Oscar winner for Best Foreign Language Film, Tsotsi tells the story of a young gang leader who, after a series of crimes, shoots a woman and hijacks her car only to discover a baby in the back seat. It is a story of a man's journey to discovery "decency."

So many themes are explored in this film:
-The desire for unconditional love between child & parent- having something that's innately yours : I think it's safe to say that most human beings crave that relationship that embodies unconditional love. Whether it's from parents, a sibling, a partner, or a child. Of all the above, a child for so long, is completely dependent on the parent, making a very strong relationship and feeling of need, want and love. That child is unable to survive without a parent. This may have been a motivation and rationalization to keep the child as a means of compensating for what Tsotsi lacked in his childhood.
-The value of a child's life and the desire to provide a better life to the youth than the previous generation: From the small fragment we see of the relationship between Tsotsi and his father, it is apparent that there is a strong resentment towards his father for a) denying him his sick mother b) harming the dog and c) perhaps being a drunk. From this, Tsotsi aspires to provide a better life for the child, and is perhaps another rationalization in keeping the child, so he can do right to it the way his father never did for him.
-The beauty and strength in motherhood and how irreplaceable that presence is in one's life: The first time we see Tstotsi smile is while watching Miriam, his neighbor, breastfeed the child. That realization of the beauty in nature and motherhood is something so touching. He remembers how his mother loved him and treated him, and through that spawns respect for the woman who helps care for the child. And Pumla, the biological mother's, strength and drive to find and protect her child is tearjerking.
-Even the thickest skin has a touchable soul and compassion deep with in: The parallel that comes to mind is from The Godfather where Marlon Brando sits stroking a cat while plotting an assassination. Even Tsotsi is unable to walk away from a crying child whom he is responsible for unintentionally kidnapping and harming his mother. There is a drive to protect the children and an instinct to care for them. To love them.
-Survival instinct: Naturally with any crime dramas or films where the characters are involved in gang-related activity due to the socio-economic background they live in, survival instinct will be a central theme.
-The influence parental figures have on children: We see Tsotsi's father in a flashback harm the family dog, which parallels Tsotsi's actions toward the cripple. He even compares the man to the dog and asks why he continues to live his life if he lives like a dog. That scene under the bridge has to be one of the most powerful in the movie.

The cinematography was beautiful with striking colors juxtaposed against the drab slums, the performances were incredibly strong, and I found it very difficult not to tear up periodically.

At the beginning of the film we see a ruthless gang leader who harms others without a blink, no matter how close. By the end we see him in a position of surrender having learned that decency and self-respect, enough to do the right thing. It's on Netflix so you have no excuse not to watch it.

RB

Day 3: The Bicycle Thief (1948) [Italy]

An Italian classic, The Bicycle Thief tells the story of a man who ventures all of Rome with his son in search of his stolen bicycle which is required for his job. That's the plot. More than that, it explores themes of the father-son bond, leadership by example, and the pressure and expectation for a man to provide for his family and how failing to do so can lead one to rationalized actions and disappointment.

The whole film-enthusiast world and probably all of my fellow peers will hate me for saying this, but I've never been a fan of classics. Our generation has been spoiled with the improvement in cinematography, sound quality, etc. What I'm sure attracts most people to the classics are the stories themselves, and I can agree that a significant amount of films lack the same quality of story as back in the day.

I was first presented clips of this film in my Foreign Cinema class at NYU, so I remembered bits and pieces, and was also recommended by a friend. The acting in the film was very believable, especially for non-actors, and the story itself heartbreaking. The little boy's emotion and reaction to his father's actions was on point. And I don't know about you, but I can't think of anyone who would go through a similar course of actions in search of a stolen car nowadays.

Now that I have seen it in its entirety, I feel that it's a film that sparks interesting conversation and can really help drive home the importance of staying true to yourself and values, rather than pursuing the 'eye for an eye' mentality, or putting material values ahead of family. At least that's what I took away from it! (So hard describing things without giving away too much!)

"Why should I kill myself worrying when I'll end up just as dead?"

-Antonio Ricci

Day 2: Troll Hunter (2010) [Norway]

A mockumentary style "horror"/fantasy film about three college kids tracking down an illegal bear hunter, Hans, who turns out to be a government-hired Norwegian... you guessed it... troll hunter.

Prior to watching, I wasn't extremely excited to watch it- not my typical movie. However, I found myself entertained and looking to see what happens next. The tension was nicely built, though I never was on the edge of my seat. To me it was mystical, like Harry Potter in the Forbidden Forest, mixed with first-person POV movies, such as Quarantine, [REC], etc. I will admit that at times, I forgot it was being filmed by someone present in the world of the film- but typically handheld cam and 1st person POV is too much for me.

Overall, it was an interesting world created- all things normal except old folklore of trolls is real, and newly discovered by townfolk as the audience is introduced to it as well. Plus the Norwegian scenery is gorgeous, so that was nice to look at!