Mind numbingly long and rather dull, once the novelty of the POV wears off the film dives into endless poorly acted, trite 'repercussions' of the main event that continually return to aimless visual sequences of little value and misogynistic nudity. Found myself banging my head against the chair with an hour and a half to go. "It's meant to be difficult" is also a very lazy and overdone comment that doesn't add any value to a film. Definitely one of my least favourite film experiences.
This resonated very strongly with me on a number of levels, being the same age as Xavier Dolan when he made this film, struggling with the desire to make movies and harbouring a lot of the same feelings he puts across in this debut. Very strong effort and extremely inspirational for young filmmakers, i'm excited to follow his career.
Stunning, shocking, heartbreaking movie. This is my favourite war film of all time and the Carl Davis score is one of the best ever written for the movies in my opinion, there really are few films that are this emotional and engaging that also give such a strong impression of what history was like. So many films about The Great War have been released since and it seems the harder they try to emulate the horrors of the war with modern techniques and technology, the further they come from the truly great, emotional cinema that was made in the years following the war itself. All Quiet on the Western Front is later a more bitter, realistic portrayal of WW1 but the way this movie mixes a lot of brutality and hardness in with good old optimistic movie magic cannot be matched, King Vidor was a master of this combination and i'll be watching this film for many many years to come. Just wish i could now see it in the cinema!
Wonderful, wonderful film. The lack of production code makes this hilariously risqué and sexy, and the song sequences are some of the most beautiful scenes I've seen in any film. Masterpiece. Must see.
A very fun little world to be in! I had a riot watching this adventure, a very traditional minded caper film from Wes Anderson. I dare say the visuals threatened to overpower the film at times (and trust me, i'm crazy about pretty looking films) as i found myself looking for the line of symmetry or noticing similar compositions in each painstakingly designed shot at expense of story, but there are are many great jokes in this film and the modern scenes with F Murray Abraham are very poignant. The underlying darkness present in most Wes Anderson is especially prominent in TGBH, the Gustave H. character conceals a lonely sadness underneath his charm and cordiality - watch for the shot of him sitting silently in his peeling, tiny staff bedroom - and the mention of war is repeated consistently throughout the story but ignored by the characters until - well, you'll see for yourself. The nostalgia for the past is wistful and close to the tone found in Evelyn Waugh's books, along with the satirical take on upper class decorum. However above all else this is a very enjoyable film and one to rewatch and rediscover many times, like a candy coloured ribbon-wrapped box filled with tiny treasures.
What a wonderful short! Very inspirational for filmmaking, the sound was charming too.
Watching this i couldn't help thinking it's a shame that decades after and with more technology, places like Youtube never really lived up to producing lots more of this sort of creativity.
Interesting to see the 40s in such intimacy and colour, it's very odd to think this is older than say, Stalag 17 or your typical mid-century Hollywood, when most movies were shot in distant mediums (and B&W) as standard.
Fun but watching these quite offensive Betty Boop shorts makes you wonder how much a lot of people today know before they buy a cutesy Betty Boop jumper
This reminds me of one of Susan Sontag's essays where she says how old photos gradually become more interesting over time because we view them with the perspective of the future looking at the past. These films fascinate me. Effects wizardry and moviemaking fashions are often outdated quickly, but even something as mundane as a train journey filmed for 6 minutes takes on its own kind of magic as time passes on, being a window into another time and a perfect capture of a place during one moment in history. It's moving to watch these early documentaries knowing that all of these now-dead people were once ordinary folks with full, colourful lives and the only thing that we have of most of them are glimpses on a few frames watched 100 years later.
I feel like watching these films on anything but a big screen defeats the experience, but nevertheless quality is essential
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KJKC3cwv5b0
Nightmarish and visceral, very Lynchian, it's easy to forget this kind of subversive filmmaking has always been around underneath the Lawrence of Arabias and It's A Wonderful Lifes that spring to mind when you think back on the past century.
Comments 1 - 25 of 36
Movie comment on Enter the Void
moontopmountain
Mind numbingly long and rather dull, once the novelty of the POV wears off the film dives into endless poorly acted, trite 'repercussions' of the main event that continually return to aimless visual sequences of little value and misogynistic nudity. Found myself banging my head against the chair with an hour and a half to go. "It's meant to be difficult" is also a very lazy and overdone comment that doesn't add any value to a film. Definitely one of my least favourite film experiences.Movie comment on J'ai tué ma mère
moontopmountain
This resonated very strongly with me on a number of levels, being the same age as Xavier Dolan when he made this film, struggling with the desire to make movies and harbouring a lot of the same feelings he puts across in this debut. Very strong effort and extremely inspirational for young filmmakers, i'm excited to follow his career.Movie comment on The Big Parade
moontopmountain
Stunning, shocking, heartbreaking movie. This is my favourite war film of all time and the Carl Davis score is one of the best ever written for the movies in my opinion, there really are few films that are this emotional and engaging that also give such a strong impression of what history was like. So many films about The Great War have been released since and it seems the harder they try to emulate the horrors of the war with modern techniques and technology, the further they come from the truly great, emotional cinema that was made in the years following the war itself. All Quiet on the Western Front is later a more bitter, realistic portrayal of WW1 but the way this movie mixes a lot of brutality and hardness in with good old optimistic movie magic cannot be matched, King Vidor was a master of this combination and i'll be watching this film for many many years to come. Just wish i could now see it in the cinema!Movie comment on Gold Diggers of 1933
moontopmountain
Wonderful, wonderful film. The lack of production code makes this hilariously risqué and sexy, and the song sequences are some of the most beautiful scenes I've seen in any film. Masterpiece. Must see.Movie comment on The Grand Budapest Hotel
moontopmountain
A very fun little world to be in! I had a riot watching this adventure, a very traditional minded caper film from Wes Anderson. I dare say the visuals threatened to overpower the film at times (and trust me, i'm crazy about pretty looking films) as i found myself looking for the line of symmetry or noticing similar compositions in each painstakingly designed shot at expense of story, but there are are many great jokes in this film and the modern scenes with F Murray Abraham are very poignant. The underlying darkness present in most Wes Anderson is especially prominent in TGBH, the Gustave H. character conceals a lonely sadness underneath his charm and cordiality - watch for the shot of him sitting silently in his peeling, tiny staff bedroom - and the mention of war is repeated consistently throughout the story but ignored by the characters until - well, you'll see for yourself. The nostalgia for the past is wistful and close to the tone found in Evelyn Waugh's books, along with the satirical take on upper class decorum. However above all else this is a very enjoyable film and one to rewatch and rediscover many times, like a candy coloured ribbon-wrapped box filled with tiny treasures.Movie comment on Steamboat Willie
moontopmountain
What an asshole!Movie comment on Neighbours
moontopmountain
What a wonderful short! Very inspirational for filmmaking, the sound was charming too.Watching this i couldn't help thinking it's a shame that decades after and with more technology, places like Youtube never really lived up to producing lots more of this sort of creativity.
Movie comment on Snow-White
moontopmountain
The animation for the clown's song was superb, like watching a motion capture!Movie comment on Children's Party
moontopmountain
The last scene was interesting, how many parties did a dress up horse show?Movie comment on Begone Dull Care
moontopmountain
The best use of this 'collage' style filmmaking that i've seen yet, really complements the music!Movie comment on Der Fuehrer's Face
moontopmountain
Aren't those Nazis silly with their swastikas and patriotism! GO USA <3333333333333333Movie comment on Red Hot Riding Hood
moontopmountain
Definitely of another time. Though that key joke was outrageous!Movie comment on Scotch Hop
moontopmountain
An inspiring film for shooting video diaries and events, great editing.Movie comment on Rabbit's Moon
moontopmountain
Gorgeous lighting on this one, very pretty short.Movie comment on Porky in Wackyland
moontopmountain
C-r-r-r-r-r-r-a-a-a-azy! Also isn't the voice actor for Daffy Duck in this?Movie comment on Arnulf Rainer
moontopmountain
It takes a true artist to make 7 minutes feel longer than watching every series of Doctor Who back to backMovie comment on Puce Moment
moontopmountain
Interesting to see the 40s in such intimacy and colour, it's very odd to think this is older than say, Stalag 17 or your typical mid-century Hollywood, when most movies were shot in distant mediums (and B&W) as standard.Movie comment on La poulette grise
moontopmountain
Beautiful little film, imagine the work that went into animating that! Every image is exquisite, really magical.Movie comment on Out of the Inkwell
moontopmountain
Fun but watching these quite offensive Betty Boop shorts makes you wonder how much a lot of people today know before they buy a cutesy Betty Boop jumperMovie comment on A Noite
moontopmountain
I still have nights like this one, except without the mum!Movie comment on New York Subway
moontopmountain
This reminds me of one of Susan Sontag's essays where she says how old photos gradually become more interesting over time because we view them with the perspective of the future looking at the past. These films fascinate me. Effects wizardry and moviemaking fashions are often outdated quickly, but even something as mundane as a train journey filmed for 6 minutes takes on its own kind of magic as time passes on, being a window into another time and a perfect capture of a place during one moment in history. It's moving to watch these early documentaries knowing that all of these now-dead people were once ordinary folks with full, colourful lives and the only thing that we have of most of them are glimpses on a few frames watched 100 years later.Movie comment on The Dante Quartet
moontopmountain
I feel like watching these films on anything but a big screen defeats the experience, but nevertheless quality is essentialhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KJKC3cwv5b0
Movie comment on Thigh Line Lyre Triangular
moontopmountain
Well, that certainly wasn't Call The MidwifeMovie comment on Thanatopsis
moontopmountain
Nightmarish and visceral, very Lynchian, it's easy to forget this kind of subversive filmmaking has always been around underneath the Lawrence of Arabias and It's A Wonderful Lifes that spring to mind when you think back on the past century.Movie comment on Symphonie diagonale
moontopmountain
Reminds me of MC Escher...pretty amazing when you consider these sci-fi style images were made the same year as The Navigator or The Last LaughShowing items 1 – 25 of 36