Favorite Movies

Here's the results of the favorite movie question from our quiz:
1. Bicycle Thieves 6
2. The General 4
3. His Girl Friday 3
4. Boudu Saved from Drowning 2

Independent films: what are your recommendations and why?

I decided I needed a fun blog post:

Independent films are often considered overly artsy, raunchy, pretentious, or just plain bad. While this may be true for some independent films (BOHICA, Alexander the Last, and Ciao to name a few...) there are many great films too (A deal is a deal, Cherry Blossoms, Back Soon, Live and Become...). Throughout the years a select few indies (mostly that screen at Sundance), can come to general release, and even can become cult favorites (Little Miss Sunshine or Napoleon Dynamite anyone?)

Some of my favorite indies are the comedies, foreign films, (and especially foreign comedies) because they are more than just the film itself, they help bridge cultures. While I'm sure many would not be thrilled about seeing an Icelandic film, an Icelandic film about the misadventures of a pot dealer might get some more interest (Back Soon). Maybe you're a 'Heroes' fan and like James Kyson Lee, then you might get a kick out of "little tokyo, Big dreams" about a caucasian guy trying to be Japanese (or maybe this director's more recent comedy 'White On Rice'). If you like sports movies I think most people would enjoy "Guys and Balls" a German comedy about a gay soccer team.

That said, there are many great dramas as well. Some of my favorites include: Live and Become (Israel) and Cherry Blossoms (Germany), among others which I can't think of right now.

There are so many amazing movies that just don't get the same marketing as your typical hollywood movie, but many more titles can be found on clevelandfilm.org in the archives, and many are available on DVD through blockbusteronline (not in the store) or netflix.

Does anyone else have any indie favorites? Any must-sees?

Cleo's Odyssey

The motif of a journey is one of the oldest in literature. Much like Odysseus' travels, Cleo in Cleo from 5 to 7 is also engaged in a life-changing journey. What are some of the obstacles she must overcome? What are some of the things she learns? How does her outward journey mirror her inner one? What, if anything, is her goal?

Female Director, Female Protagonist, Feminist Film?

Cleo from 5 to 7 is our first film directed by a woman. In addition it has a female protagonist. But does that mean this film has a feminist perspective? Are there any feminist ideas in this movie and if so what are they? Are there any elements in this film that might preclude or at least challenge a feminist interpretation?

Mono No Aware

Mono no aware is the Japanese idea of the awareness of the transience of beauty and the ultimate sadness of life. After watching Tokyo Story can you better understand this concept? What were your emotional feelings at the end of the film? What were you thinking when you saw the final image: the old man alone in the house fanning himself?

The Japanese Aesthetic

For many moviegoers, the films of Ozu are typically Japanese, drawing on a history of theater, printmaking, and Zen rituals that are very different from the West. Do you find an aesthetic or "feel" to Tokyo Story that is different from American or even European films? If you know anything about Japanese culture, do you see parallels between this film and other Japanese art or rituals? Do you gain a sense of mono no aware, the appreciation of the inherent sadness of life due to the transcience of beauty?

The Post-War World

Two films we have screened, Bicycle Thieves and Tokyo Story, are set in the years immediately after World War II, in countries defeated by the United States and its allies. What can we learn about the nature of the war from its aftermath? What do these films tell us about the costs of the war? Do we have any clues about the ascent of America and its culture in the post-war world?

Down and Out in Paris and Rome

Two films we have screened, Boudu Saved from Drowning, and Bicycle Thieves, portray the sometimes harsh life of those at the bottom of the economic ladder. How are the poor and homeless portrayed in both films (Boudu and Antonio Ricci) ? How are they similar and how different? Who or what is responsible for the character's poverty? Is there is a political message in either film?

Jay Gatsby vs. Charles Foster Kane

Most of us read The Great Gatsby in our junior English class. Both Gatsby and Citizen Kane, produced about twenty years apart, focus on a man who some might say is the epitome of success. What similarities and differences do you see? Are these works celebrations or critiques of these men, or somewhere in between? Or something else?

Rosebud

Rosebud is perhaps the most famous symbol in movie history. What is the significance of the name "rosebud?" What is the significance of the sled? Is it the key to understanding Kane's life or just one missing piece of a jigsaw puzzle that does not explain much at all?

Faulkner, and Joyce and Eliot -- Oh My!

Citizen Kane has a distinctive narrative technique in which Welles tells Kane's story from multiple perspectives and uses flashbacks rather than a chronological order. Do you see any connection between Welles' storytelling and modernist fiction? Why do you think he tells his story using these innovative techniques rather that just a straightforward narrative?

Newspapers on Film

We have seen two films, His Girl Friday and Citizen Kane, in which the protagonists work in the newspapers business. What do these films tell us about the job of a reporter or publisher in the 1940's? What is the role or status of the newspaper at that time? How have things changed since that time?