film
Objects: Matt’s Stuff
It’s been a month since my last post. Is it even still relevant? Yes — especially when I have friends who so kindly answered my questions about their beloved possessions. In fact, I could probably tangent off their responses.
Matt — an amazing drummer, all around good guy, and one of the biggest cinephiles I know — owns hundreds of movies, each significant in their own way –
– partly for their monetary value:
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Tangent from: Objects
Yes — objects. Some weeks ago I saw two very different but equally wonderful movies that focus on the value of material objects (monetary, sentimental, etc).
Olivier Assayas‘ Summer Hours shows the simultaneously solemn, humorous, and emotional introspection that occurs when one has to decide how to deal with the belongings of a recently deceased loved one. It questions the true value of objects and examines attachments to material things. It’s a quiet, thoughtful movie that moved me so much that I found it difficult to hold back tears when recounting the story to a friend.
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Objectified, on the other hand, touches on sentiment, but focuses more on the utility, efficacy, and aesthetic of objects. Gary Hustwit, the design-focused filmmaker who aimed his camera at Helvetica two years ago, now turns his attention away from typography and towards industrial design. He speaks with some big names in the field who offer their historical knowledge and philosophical outlook on the subject. It was clever, enlightening, and certainly gave me a deeper appreciation for the potato peeler. (Seriously.)
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Since watching these films I’ve been absorbed with material objects. I’ve thought about my own — what I love, what I’ve paid loads for, what affection and memory won’t let me part with, etc. This got me thinking about my friends and their possessions — particularly those whose interests have led to the accumulation of a lot of… stuff. So I asked them about it. And they told me about it…
The Thin Man: Murder By Death
Murder By Death is a comedy (written by Neil Simon) with an all-star cast that pokes fun at some well-known and beloved mystery novel detectives (Charlie Chan, Nick and Nora Charles, Hercule Poirot , Sam Spade, and Miss Marple).
I’ve seen it a number of times. It’s a really silly movie but it cracks me up every time I watch it!
The movie is a lot of fun and I think the opening credits do a good job in showing that.
Tangent from: The Thin Man
I’ve recently been on a Thin Man kick. This involves reading The Thin Man and then watching and re-watching all the movies from the series. I’ve realized that the subsequent movies aren’t as wonderful as the very first, but I’m happy that the witty banter between the husband and wife team played by William Powell and Myrna Loy (a great pairing) remain clever and charming throughout. I’ll admit that The Thin Man is also the only Dashiell Hammett novel I’ve read (though certainly not the only Hammett film adaptation I’ve seen) and I’m eager to read more of his work.
Just as charming are the film posters for the movie, with the lovely type from the time period and (surprise, surprise) a lot of images of Nick and Nora Charles, my favorite detective team.
Into the Sunset: Spaghetti Westerns
Geographically, Spaghetti Westerns are filmed nowhere near the American West, but they’re obviously about/influenced by it. These low-budget films introduced an international audience to cinematic and musical talents and maintain a significant place in film culture and history.
They’ve also produced some badass film posters.
Kid: The Tramp (and The Kid)
The recreation of heartwarming scenes and the combination of varying colorful type make for some very sweet and touching film posters for the Tramp’s The Kid.
Tangent from: The Third Man
I’d forgotten all about the excellent opening credits to The Third Man until I borrowed the DVD from a friend and watched it again this week.
It’s the perfect introduction to the film. The zither score contributes so much to the tone of this movie and is far more versatile than I ever imagined. The Third Man is about an American writer who travels to Vienna to visit his old friend, but ends up investigating this friend’s death instead — all this to the sweet playfully melancholic sound of the zither. Like I said — versatile.
Other reasons why I enjoy this movie:
1) My infatuation with Joseph Cotten. We also share the same birthday, so I’m pretty sure that if fate did a better job of coordinating the year of our births we would have been an awesome match.
2) The sinister brilliance of Orson Welles.
3) The sharp and clever dialogue of Graham Greene.
4) The subtle and beautiful imagery of Carol Reed, reinforcing the emotion and mood at the core of the scene (a swinging door and a coat on the floor; fingers through a sewer grate; the twisted body of a teddy bear). I would frame the final scene if I could.
If you’ve seen this film, then you know that these are fairly obvious reasons and you understand why ‘The Third Man’ is now stuck in my one-track mind.
Third Man Theme by The Band
The Wife: Scenes from a Marriage
This is, undoubtedly, one of my favorite movies.
Ingmar Bergman’s Scenes from a Marriage is an examination of the relationship of Johan and Marianne, a married couple who, after 10 years of a seemingly happy union, sever their marital ties when Johan leaves Marianne. The separation forces them to develop strengths, face weaknesses, and forge an unexpected bond their marriage never offered.
Originally a six-part mini-series that aired on Swedish television, Mr. Bergman edited it for cinematic release. It was one of his more accessible projects, drawing the general public to their television screens, as opposed to the usual art-house crowd. Part of its appeal, of course, is that the subject matter is so relatable and the characters so real and engaging. It was easy for me to lose myself in this three hour film — the acting so amazing and intense, the angles and close-ups punctuating the sheer agony, joy, shock, anger, and heartbreak of this couple.
While there is a lot of raw emotion here, it is, after all, called ‘Scenes from a Marriage.’ It does include all the rote and mundane things that occur, and most times this benign scene is what is on display for the outsider. So fitting then, I think, is The Criterion Collection’s simple and beautiful packaging for the film’s DVD.
The Wife: To Walk A Mile In Your Heels
There’s nothing like cross-dressing to give you some perspective.
Anyway, that’s what I enjoy about movies that involve playing dress-up. The protagonist develops: an awareness of his/her surroundings; an appreciation for his/her colleagues, peers, and companions; and an understanding of the other gender, as well as his/her self. Plus, it makes for good comedy.
The Wife: Two’s a Party
Stored in a basement somewhere are my old high school notebooks — full of doodles, magazine cut-outs, and MASH results. One of those magazine images was a montage of famous couples. Not only did it cover a range of pop culture references — for example, comic strips (Blondie and Dagwood), cinema (Hepburn and Tracy), and literature (Romeo and Juliet) — but it also included pairings whose share of conflicts made them just as memorable as their ardor (Burton and Taylor). My favorites of these are the ones who work in the same industry; better yet, the ones who share projects. The potential for something productive, constructive, or destructive (usually all three) is great, exposing the complexity of human relationships.
In an attempt to recreate a page from my teenage-decorated notebooks, I offer a collection of photographs of some of my favorite collaborators: Burton & Taylor; Bergman & Rossellini; Fellini & Masina; De Beauvoir & Sartre; Lennon & Ono; Carter & Cash; Hepburn & Tracy. These pairs are far from perfect, but their energy and intensity make even their moments of scandal and dysfunction just as captivating as their displays of tenderness and devotion.