Syndromes and a Century (2006)

Syndromes and a Century

Apichatpong Weerasethakul

Thailand

Syndromes and a Century premiered at the Venice Film Festival where it was nominated for the Golden Lion and went on to screen at many other festivals around the world but it was barely shown in its home-country of Thailand. Their Ministry of Culture wanted four scenes cut so it could be shown to native Thai speakers but director, Apichatpong Weerasethakul, decided to pull it from exhibition instead. This created controversy surrounding the film and Weerasethakul ended up agreeing to a limited release in Bangkok with a black screen replacing the cut scenes as a form of protest. The scenes that were found “offensive” were: a scene of two doctors kissing in a doctor's office, a group of doctors having a drink of whiskey in the hospital basement, a monk strumming an acoustic guitar and another monk playing with a remote-controlled flying saucer. Real incendiary stuff. Makes you wonder what happens to American films that are released there.

The film is composed of a thoughtful contemplation on memory. The film is cut in half and each part mirrors the other as if two different people are describing the same events in the way they remember them, but maybe not as they actually happened. Both halves center around two different doctors with certain events happening in similar ways but from different points of view and the details end up being entirely different. The first half takes place in a small hospital in the country and the second half takes place in a more modern city medical center. Memories are often unreliable and events jump from one to the other and sequences are sometimes left unresolved. A favorite sequence involves a dentist whose hobby is singing working on a monk's teeth when they strike up a conversation where the monk reveals he has had dreams of being a radio disc jockey. Later the singing dentist brings the monk a gift of his newest CD.

The film's cinematography is beautiful and displays the natural beauty of the Thailand countryside and city and the constant images of a giant stone Buddha that seems to exist in both places at once. The events in this film are simple but the film as a whole is complex. Its strange structure makes the viewer have to work out the story for themselves. There seems to be no continuity and the film unravels at its own pace with quiet grace. Meaning becomes interpretive by the viewer and the film is stronger for it. There is a dreamy atmosphere that pervades the entirety of the film where watching the minor instances shared by two becomes more important than an involved overarching plot. Weerasethakul is well known on the festival circuit with other films like Tropical Malady and Blissfully Yours while his newest film Uncle Boonmee Who Can Recall His Past Lives won the Palme d'Or (Grand Prize) at the 2010 Cannes Film Festival.

In an article in Time Magazine they spoke to the head of the Cultural Surveillance Department at the Ministry of Culture and she said the reasons for cuts like the ones inflicted on Syndromes and a Century was that Thai filmgoers are “not intellectuals – That's why we need ratings.” She went further to add, “Nobody goes to see films by Weerasethakul. Thai people want to see comedy. We like a laugh.” So they're in luck if they love light entertainment, not so much if they enjoy anything cerebral and inventive, or – God forbid – subversive. If I lived in Thailand I would probably be pretty irritated about this whole situation, especially with the kind of broad generalizations she makes, as if anyone can speak for a whole nation of citizens. So I am glad I was able to enjoy seeing such a great film by a modern auteur.

Rating: 9/10

-Ryan Sallows

Casino Royale (2006)

Casino Royale

Martin Campbell

United Kingdom

For the 21st Bond film based on Ian Fleming’s infamous MI6 secret agent, Daniel Craig was selected to play Agent 007. Casino Royale marked the first film for Craig as James Bond, and a much needed “reboot” of the entire series. For a fresh start on the Bond character, the film turned to Fleming’s first novel in the 007 series, Casino Royale. As the series of Bond moives has spanned across 3 decades, the films have gathered many die hard followers. The decision to cast Craig, and portray a fresh-faced and much more vulnerable James Bond, was risky. But the lucrative payoff of this decision is proof that simply adding a new twist to an old formula can breathe new life into a successful film series.


The film opens with a black and white flashback of an intense fistfight, ending with Bond killing the man by gunfire; Bond’s first kill as an MI6 agent. Back in real time, Bond confronts MI6 agent Dryden with accusations of selling MI6 secrets. Needless to say, Bond outsmarts Dryden, shooting him dead. With his second kill, Bond obtains his infamous Double-O status, now forever known as Agent 007. With the transition from black and white to color, Director Martin Campbell has shown the birth of 007, and the dawn of new era in Bond films.


With his newfound status as 007, Bond starts out on the trail of his first villain, France’s world famous terrorist financier known as Le Chiffre. Following leads from a local bomb-maker in Madagascar onto an associate of Le Chiffre in the Bahamas, Bond travels the world to these exotic locations in search the man financing international terrorism. Along the way he manages to find fast cars and beautiful women; some things never change.


Le Chiffre (Mads Mikkelson) is the typical Bond villain, with a scar the size of his head and a laundry list of broken international laws. However, MI6 discovers that Le Chiffre has a weakness for gambling, as he enjoys putting his clients money on the line at high stakes poker tables. Instead of getting to Le Chiffre with the bullet, Bond takes his talents to the green felt tables. Her majesty’s government agrees to finance Bond in a high stakes no-limit Texas hold ‘em tournament. Beating Le Chiffre at his own game will simultaneously bankrupt the terrorists and place a price tag on the Frenchmen’s head.


However, M’s healthy distrust of Bond’s reckless methods prompts her to assign the beautiful Vesper Lynd as a representative of her majesty’s treasury department. Vesper is tasked with monitoring Bond’s every move, and in time falls for his charm and charisma. However, Vesper is not alone in her feelings, as Bond allows himself to fall in love and in turn questions his future as a secret agent. As we know from five decades of films, Bond must set aside his personal desires for the good of the mission.


Described by M, the head of MI6, as “half monk/half hitman,” Bond once again straddles the line in Casino Royale. This time around, however, Craig introduces a vulnerability that has rarely been portrayed throughout the James Bond film series. By allowing himself to become emotionally involved with the endearing Vesper, Bond glimpses a future without fast cars and ugly villains. Following Bond’s first kill, M exclaims, “Just because you’ve done something, doesn’t mean you have to keep doing it.” The tragedy of the character of James Bond, is that we as an audience know what he must do, and what he will become. Still, the humanity found in Daniel Craig’s Bond is a welcomed addition to the story of 007, and one that will prolong the film series for years to come.


Rating: 8/10

-Joshua Albrent

Still Life (2006)

Still Life

Jia Zhangke

China

Sorry, there was not an English trailer available.

Jia Zhangke rose to prominence through a decade of underground Chinese filmmaking sponsored by money from international sources and, until recently, his films went unseen in his own country. Still Life was approved (probably begrudgingly) by the government in his home-country and saw a limited theatrical run with low attendance but was heavily bootlegged as is the norm in China. The film premiered at the Venice Film Festival where it took the prestigious Golden Lion, the top prize of the event. Zhangke's work has been a favorite of the festival circuit with other popular films of his such as Platform, Unknown Pleasures and The World. His films are usually low budget and with a slow pace. He is also known for using non-actors or actors that are unknown to the general public.

The plot follows two people that are traveling to Fengjie, a small city outside the immense Three Gorges Dam, to find spouses that they have not seen for years. Their lives intersect in some ways but they never come face-to-face. They arrive to find the city in a state of deconstruction. The Three Gorges Dam project has already caused many in the city to lose their homes so when Han Sanming arrives he finds that his wife's family's home is already submerged underwater. Soon the water level will rise again forcing many more to have to relocate and the area shown in the film is filled with ruins of old tenement buildings and housing projects. There is an eeriness to the landscape as the buildings are set to disappear and be swallowed by the river with the natural beauty of the land taking everything back to a more natural state. Unfortunately, this is achieved at the expense of the relocation of over one million inhabitants who lose their homes and pasts. While Han waits to find his wife he takes a job doing demolition work, taking down the ruins. The focus is then shifted to Shen Hong, a nurse from another province, whose husband had ran out on her to the Three Gorges, where he is a sort of local gangster. Both Han and Shen need to decide why they have come to this area which will be submerged even more shortly and decide what they need to save and what they need to leave behind as far as their relationships with their spouses go.

The Three Gorges Dam project has seen much criticism in China as over one million citizens have had to relocate their homes and entire cities, especially Fengjie, with its 2,000 year history have been submerged. The themes and style of this film bring to mind the works of Pedro Costa (reviewed earlier on this blog with focus on Colossal Youth.) Both artists use minimalist plots with a slow stately pace to bring attention to a marginalized people who have been dispossessed of their homes and forced to relocate because of their inability to “get with the plan.” Almost all of the people shown in the film are people left behind by modernization and retain employment as demolition crewmen or coal miners. Women in the area are often sold to their husbands by their families as in the case of the main character, Han Sanming. Issues of legality in the town are blurred as gangsters work for the government project leaders and often use violence to enforce the new rules of demolition and relocation as shown by the murder of a young man Han meets. Jia shows some differences in style from Costa's more rigidly documentarian style by using simple computer graphics to mark the switch in focus between Han and Shen with a small UFO and the ruins of a building that blast off into space. He also portrays the influence of Chinese pop music through a young boy who sings pop songs throughout the film.

There is great beauty in Jia's portrayal of modern underclass Chinese life. His slow, deliberate pace creates a poetic and lyrical style and consists mostly of ruminations on daily life in an area that is decaying and will soon no longer exist. The use of high definition digital cameras give life and beauty to the rainy, ruined urban area with areas of natural beauty outside the city. There is also a tone of political dissent present, but not overt, which is preferable to being preached to. Like with the works of Pedro Costa, it is evident that Italian neorealism have influence on the works of Jia Zhangke and like all great films of that era, brings dignity to these people who may not have otherwise been given voices by a great work of art. With his mix of poetic lyricism, introspection and political criticism, Zhangke is one of the greatest filmmakers currently active.

Rating: 9/10

-Ryan Sallows

The Lives of Others (2006)

The Lives of Others

Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck

Germany

Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck’s debut film, The Lives of Others, touches on one of the most pivotal time periods in Western Civilization. Earning the Oscar for Best Foreign Language Film, von Donnersmarck’s film humanizes the story of post-war East Berlin and fall of the Wall. Many would agree this is no small task. But, he does so by conveying the compassion that lies within all human beings, and the change that developed as a result; and the result that changed the world forever.


Prior to the fall of the Berlin Wall in the fall of 1989, East Germany, also known as the German Democratic Republic (GDR), fervently attempted to maintain the socialist country they had preserved since the end of the Second World War. However, much like all attempts to suppress human growth and free will, a resistance was built over time against the socialist establishment. In direct opposition to the rapidly developing Western Germany, GDR was clearly falling behind the western world.


The film centers on Stasi Captain Gerd Wiesler, played by Ulrich Muhe. The Stasi were created as East Berlin secret police, made up of spies and informants for the socialist party. We are introduced to Captain Wiesler while he is teaching a class of Stasi recruits the brutal interrogations tactics of the secret police. Wiesler’s superior officer Anton Grubitz (Ulrich Tukur) endows him with the task of spying on the East Berlin social scene; most notably freelance playwright Georg Dreyman (Sebastian Koch) and his girlfriend, actress Christa-Maria Sieland (Martina Gedeck).


As Wiesler begins his spy operation on Dreyman, it soon becomes clear as to why he has been tasked with finding dirt on the popular playwright. GDR’s Minister of Culture, Bruno Hempf (Thomas Thieme), has his eye on Dreyman’s girlfriend and plans to exert his power to get what he wants.


Yet, as Wiesler begins to watch over the day-to-day life of Georg and Christa, he begins to develop sympathy. However, this sympathy is not born from their political affiliations, but rather from the simple compassion for the life of another human being. Wiesler’s empathy also appears to draw its strength from his solitude. Being the captain of the Stassi secret police does not bring many friendships or relationships, and we can clearly see the loneliness that troubles him.


For quite some time, Wiesler continues to cover up the activities of Georg and Christa by lying in his daily reports on the lives of each. Shortly after the suicide death of his favorite director and closest friend, Georg, using his only weapon to fight against the socialist government, decides to write an anonymous article in the German magazine Der Spiegel. In the article, Dreyman speaks to the apparent concealment of the strikingly high suicide rate in East Germany; second only to Hungry during this time period. Heartbreaking tragedy ensues following the decision of Wiesler to protect Georg and Christa, after it becomes clear that Georg will be accused of penning the article.


The tragedy that ensues as a result of the unkempt secrets and the relentless pressure of the Communist Party is overshadowed by the compassion of Gerd Wiesler. The example of his empathy becomes a microcosm for the collapse of the Communist Party and the unification of Berlin after the fall of the wall. In his attempt to intimidate Dreyman, Minister Hempf exclaims, “no matter how many times you say it in your plays, people do not change.” Cleary he is wrong. What is also clear is von Donnersmarck has created a masterpiece of dramatic film, which comes with our highest recommendation.


Rating: 10/10

- Joshua Albrent 

Inland Empire (2006)

 Inland Empire

David Lynch

USA/Poland/France

David Lynch is a modern day Renaissance man. He is a painter, cartoonist, musician, composer, Paris night club designer and even sells his own brand of coffee beans and designs and makes furniture. He also has a foundation that advocates transcendental meditation and research on its technique and its effects on learning. All that said, he is mostly known for his filmmaking and his unique style, which even has been termed “Lynchian” because while he does have influences on his work, his approach and technique are so singular. Most of his films have a strange sense of terror or dread and the plots follow dream logic which can be impenetrable to the uninitiated. He has been creating his own brand of cinema since he put out his first feature length film in 1977 with his surrealist masterpiece, Eraserhead, which became a cult classic and lead to many works with larger distribution but few compromises to his artistic integrity (Dune is the only thing that comes to mind.)

This brings us to his latest and (rumored) last feature, Inland Empire. The film is highly experimental in structure. It is difficult to explain the plot because I am not even sure I understand it all. In the words of Lynch, it is "about a woman in trouble, and it's a mystery, and that's all I want to say about it." I would also say there are elements of horror thrown in as well. The film follows an actress, played by Laura Dern, down the rabbit hole in a sort of waking dream as the lines between role and reality begin to blur and a murder may have occurred or is going to occur. It is difficult to tell tense as time and the visuals are heavily distorted and disjointed. This may be due to the way the film was made, as Lynch wrote the script scene by scene as he went along during the filming process. For a long time, he did not know how it would end or turn out as the filming took 2 ½ years. Laura Dern and Justin Theroux both play two characters each, so even they were confused about who they were portraying and how the film would turn out. This is the first time Lynch had worked this way, and it is also his first film made on standard definition digital video. The film also has other themes of adultery, jealousy and delusion similar to Lynch's own Lost Highway and Mulholland Dr.

The film can only be described as a nerve-shattering experience and is entirely unpredictable. I sat gripped by the film, anxious for the next scene but frightened by the possibilities that it could bring. Partly due to its length and the way the stress caused by the film never lets up, after the film was over I felt like I had gone through something harrowing. Literally anything could happen at anytime with no rulebook to guide the viewer through the film. Not even seeing other Lynch films can prepare you for this one. Most horror films use eerie or gory imagery to frighten the viewer. Instead, this film uses frightening ideas: you create your own horror with anticipation. I'm not sure my heart has ever felt more present inside my chest – I was sure I could feel it thumping – and sometimes I wanted to stop the film. The film manipulates you through distorted sight and sound to be frightened by things that would otherwise not be scary. Many things that happen are symbolic, sometimes for specific reasons and sometimes things are open to interpretation. I'm not going to pretend I understand everything that happens in this movie and I'm not even sure Lynch or the actors involved could. Some things will always remain a mystery and despite the frustrations that result, it is sometimes necessary. This is a experience where you just have to give yourself to the film and let it take you where it wants to. Go along for the ride and you may learn something about filmmaking. Who knows? Maybe you will even learn a little about yourself.

As far as influences, there are specific points of reference that I could tell you but it would mean little because Lynch's style is everpresent. Some people have refered to the film as his Sunset Boulevard, his Persona or his 8 ½ but I think its structure and form is very reminiscent of Alain Resnais' Last Year at Marienbad. Both films have a dream-like structure and a very divisive style that will either captivate or alienate. There really is no in-between. People have been simultaneously entranced and bewildered by that film for 50 years and it still firmly holds its secrets. The end credit sequence calls to mind the interpretive dance scene at the end of Claire Denis' Beau travail and is, in essence, just for fun. If the rumors are true, it seems as if Lynch knew he would retire from filmmaking after this because there are references to past works in the dance scene, with actors returning from them, such as Laura Harring and Laura Dern is wearing a dress from Blue Velvet. It would make a nice end cap to an distinguished career. It also seems to serve as a celebration or reward for enduring the preceding madness.

Inland Empire is an amazing experience and the work of a cinematic genius, but as much as I would like to recommend the film I think it would be more enjoyable and rewarding to become familiar with other works directed by the artist first. It isn’t for the uninitiated. Definitely see Lost Highway and Mulholland Dr. first because they share themes and form a sort of very loose thematic trilogy. Additionally, check out Blue Velvet, Eraserhead, The Elephant Man and Wild at Heart because they are all brilliant as well. Also, you know if this kind of thing is for you already if you can sit through a three hour film that does not explain itself whatsoever to you. The plot is in your head and you have to actively puzzle it out. The film does you no favors. I, myself, understand maybe a quarter of the film, and I may someday understand another quarter. Another quarter will probably remain a complete mystery to me and the final quarter was simply there to throw you off the right track. I wouldn’t have it any other way.

Rating: 9/10

-Ryan Sallows