Hanna Schygulla in “Die Ehe der Maria Braun” [1979 W.Germany]

Posted on April 7, 2011 by TR

Continuing the filmography of Rainer Werner Fassbinder, his 1979 film, “Die Ehe der Maria Braun” [Eng. Title: The Marriage of Maria Braun] is the last in his BRD Trilogy, all relating to women and marriage during post-war Germany.

The film starts with Maria getting married to soldier Hermann right on the street – the registrar’s office had just been blown up by advancing Allies. It’s the last few days of the war in Europe, and Hermann is asked to report back to duty after half a day and one night’s marital bliss. When he’s reported as missing in action, Maria refuses to believe he’s dead, and decides to live in hope. But for that she needs to survive among the debris of war. She works at a bar frequented by American soldiers, and befriends a black sergeant who showers her with gifts and falls in love, but she refuses his marriage proposal, saying, “I’m fond of you, but I’m in love with my husband”.

The husband returns unexpectedly, but ends up in prison under dramatic circumstances. Maria visits Hermann in prison regularly and assures him she will become successful and rich by the time he is released. She now befriends a French industrialist and ends up working as his private secretary, later to have an affair with him, even becoming heiress to his fortune. Maria is determined to succeed and live for her husband, even if that requires having affairs with other men, and foreigners too. In fact, Maria the character is a parable for post war Germany itself, and the enforced break-up of the country into East and West.

The film is very well written, and the sharp-witted dialogues makes it a very fine satire. Even though I’m just scratching at the surface, I’m beginning to thoroughly enjoy Fassbinder. It is also amazing to see how much he puts into each of his films, considering he was a prolific filmmaker churning out films in quick succession, and with swift production schedules too. The film also features his regular muse and long-term friend Hanna Schygulla in the title role of Maria. This superb actress with oodles of class gives a sterling performance here.

The nudity is mainly through Hanna Schygulla. The DVD also came with some surprising extras, including a very interesting retrospective of women in Fassbinder’s films. Highly Recommended Viewing!

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Maria Grazia Cucinotta and Simona Borioni in “La Bella Società” [2010 Italy]

Posted on April 5, 2011 by TR

Gian Paolo Cugno’s film, “La Bella Società” [Eng. The Good Society] is a family drama spanning forty years of the lives of two Sicilian brothers. The film covers various sociological/historical events during the period that challenged deep rooted values within a traditional Sicilian society.

Young Giuseppe and Giorgio are protective of their mother Maria – after their father had been taken away by gangsters several years ago. Even if Maria is resigned to the fact that he is no longer alive, the boys are in denial, and when she meets and falls in love with a casting director from Rome, they go to extraordinary lengths to discourage their relationship. This leads to an unfortunate accident in which the casting director gets killed and Giorgio, blinded. When Maria hears the news, the shock causes a miscarriage and she dies too, leaving Giuseppe to take care of his brother from a tender age. He becomes protective of his brother and when they grow up, a time will come when they will need to go their separate ways.

The film has some decent production values, and the cinematography offers some great views of both Sicily and Turin, where the bulk of the events take place. On the whole, the film is well made and worth watching – Recommended Viewing..!

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The Nudity: Maria Grazia Cucinotta and Simona Borioni

Maria Grazia Cucinotta and Simona Borioni nude in La Bella Società

Bountiful cleavage from Maria Grazia Cucinotta, and nudity from Simona Borioni in “La Bella Società”
aka “The Good Society”.

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Clara Choveaux in “Tiresia” [2003 France]

Posted on April 4, 2011 by TR

Bertrand Bonello’s 2003 film, “Tiresia” is a strange drama relating to obsession and possession. The title and main character’s name apparently allude to Greek mythology where a blind prophet transforms into a woman for a number of years.

Terranova is obsessed with Tiresia, a Brazilian transsexual. He first notices her waiting for custom at a kerb-crawl-junction. One night, he brings her to his house, and promptly locks her in. He doesn’t appear to be sexually attracted to her – in fact he barely touches her, merely watching her with some kind of morbid fascination. But deprived of her regular harmonal injections, Tiresia gradually turns back into a man, and Terranova looses interest in her after her metamorphosis or rather, return to normal state. He wanted to let her go but is afraid of future retribution from her friends, and so crudely blinds her and dumps her by the woods, leaving her for dead. After being rescued by a young village girl, Tiresia had developed a sense of clairvoyance, and predicts the future for those who are willing to listen. Word spreads, and the local priest, strangely resembling Terranova arrives to find out more. The end is the most baffling of all when Tiresia is killed after being mowed down by a car.

I find this film either incomplete, or, assuming the film is truthful to its original source, Bonello expects us to be well versed in the myth before visiting his film. Whatever the case, I found the film as it stands pointless. The eponymous character is subject to inhuman treatment throughout the film, but it fails to justify its purpose. At least in Pascal Laugier’s “Martyrs” there is justification for the cruelty (that film by the way, is by far the most disturbing I’ve seen), but there really is none here. There are also some gaps in the plot which have either been brushed past or ended on the cutting floor. For e.g., why does Terranova scout the district looking for transsexuals if he hasn’t shown the remotest interest in them, whether for sexual or moral reasons? Why should the same actor playing Terranova appear as the priest later in the film? And the actors playing Tiresia before and after rescue are as different as day and night. Tiresia at the beginning is played by Clara Choveaux, an actress, and later by actor Thiago Telès. Perhaps this could have been a good film if it were put together differently during post production, but not as it stands.

Clara Choveaux in Tiresia

Clara Choveaux appears as a transexual prostitute in “Tiresia”.

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Alba Rohrwacher in “La Solitudine dei Numeri Primi” BR720 [2010 Italy]

Posted on April 3, 2011 by TR

Very occasionally, a film affects you so deeply that it leaves you speechless and numb. After watching Saverio Castanzo’s poignant film, “La Solitudine dei Numeri Primi” [Eng. Title: the Solitude of Prime Numbers], I pretty much didn’t feel like doing anything – everything else appeared less important after what I saw. The haunting story, imagery and sounds are going to stay with me for a while. And that in any language, is a “memorable experience” indeed!

Storyline:
Mattia and Alice are friends, each scarred by a horrific event during childhood that prevent them from having normal relationships. Based on a novel by the same name, the title alludes to the loneliness of prime numbers – divisible only by themselves or the number 1. Just as these numbers can’t fit anywhere else apart from the group of ‘misfits’ called Prime Numbers, Alice and Mattia are also destined to lead lonely existences. While Alice is left with a permanent handicap after a skiing accident, Mattia is ridden with guilt for abandoning his autistic twin sister, when specifically instructed by his mum to keep her with him at all times during a classmate’s birthday party. Unable to reach out to anyone else, they meet as teenagers at school, and connect. When they grow into adulthood, Mattia accepts a scholarship to study abroad, and they go their separate ways. But destiny had bound them forever, which plays a role in bringing them back together after seven long years. Mattia is now overweight, and a prominent scientist in Germany, and Alice is suffering from eating disorders following a failed marriage. The film doesn’t furnish too much details during this period, or predict what happens to them next, but merely poses the question whether these two prime numbers will ever find it within them to live together.

About the film:
The actors portraying the protagonists as adults, Alba Rohrwacher as Alice, and Luca Marinelli as Mattia, had to literally undergo physical transformation – Ms. Rohrwacher lost 10 kilos, and Marinelli gained 15 kilos for the seminal scenes that happen after their seven year separation. The director felt it was important to show the passage of time in a believable manner, and also that these major transformations will help his actors to relate intimately with what is happening to the characters they are playing. That’s some sacrifice from both the main actors, and hats off to their artistic commitment. Both their performances are exceptional, and Alba Rohrwacher is especially sensational. She is now definitely up there along with Giovanna Mezzogiorno as among the finest actresses in Italy today.

The film is excellently directed – the screenplay weaves a delicate story by shredding and repositioning various events tactfully in a non-linear fashion, like an exquisitely made piece of tapestry. The soundtrack is thoughtfully chosen to resonate with the mood of the characters and the period in which they are playing. The cinematography and lighting beautifully captures the mood and circumstances of every single event in the film. I’d indeed be angry if this film doesn’t go on to win several more awards.

This film isn’t actually a tragedy, it isn’t a ‘conventional’ love story either, but portrays some painfully tragic moments and its aftermath in the protagonists’ lives. The director has termed it “a romantic horror story”, but whatever it is, it is certainly one of the best new films I’ve seen this year. Needless to say, Highly Recommended Viewing..!
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The Nudity: Alba Rohrwacher

Alba Rohrwacher gives an awesome performance in the Italian film, “La Solitudine dei Numeri Primi”.

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Amanda Donohoe & Sammi Davis in “The Rainbow” [1989 UK]

Posted on April 2, 2011 by TR

Ken Russell was one of the more quirky directors in British Cinema – while his recent works have been ordinary, there was a time when he was making rather interesting films. I’m therefore moving backwards with his filmography, starting with his 1989 drama “The Rainbow”, which I consider to be his last significant film.

Based on a DH Lawrence novel, “The Rainbow” follows the trials and tribulations of a young lady in early twentieth century England. Even as a precocious child, Ursula had always wanted what isn’t possible, like asking her dad for the rainbow one day – and the rainbow remains the constant metaphor through the film. As an adolescent, she catches the attention of her gym teacher Winifred, who becomes Ursula’s first love. She does fall in love with a soldier however, and they even get engaged, but soon decides against marriage. Deep down, she hates the idea of leading a conventional life like her mother – instead, she finds contentment by chasing her own rainbow.

Ken Russell’s made a fine film from a fine novel. The cinematography is excellent, beautifully capturing the picture-postcard English countryside, and the art direction is superb. You also have Russell’s trademark edits and surreal moments – one of which is included in my compilation. The other surreal scene is of Ursula being chased by horses through the countryside. For an introduction to Ken Russell, this is definitely Recommended Viewing.

Amazon DVD Link [PAL]

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