Only Mike, Tom, Donna, and I stayed for the whole game. The celebration afterward was interesting. People were jumping around in the street, but when the lights changed, the police ushered everyone to the sides to let traffic through. When the lights changed back, everyone was back in the street again. This happened many times.
I got no sleep as the game ended at 7:00, we had a meeting at 9:30, and I had movies to watch starting at 13:30. At least I managed to shower. I also had an omelette from the place in the lobby of the UniLodge. It was very good, but I think I prefer the pancakes.
Battle in Heaven (2005, Carlos Reygadas)
I can see how it might be controversial, what with the fairly graphic sex, but it has nothing on In the Realm of the Senses except that the sex scene between the morbidly obese male lead and his equally obese wife nearly has it beat on sheer nausea inducing ability.
The story didn't seem to go anywhere, and his killing of Ana seems to come from out of nowhere with no real motivation.
The only positive thing I can say is that the walking on the knees to the cathedral was somewhat interesting.
Into Great Silence (2005, Philip Gröning)
Another in the list of really good films I've seen at the festival.
The director, after trying to get them to let him film for 16 years, was granted permission to film the Carthusian order of Le Grand Chartreuse, but only if he did all the filming himself, used no artificial lighting sources, and lived as the monks do for the duration of his stay. The result is a striking documentary that fully accomplishes its director's intent of turning its screening venue into (an extension of) the monastery.
Because these monks have taken a vow of silence, much of the film has no sound other than what is produced by the men's movements. Consequently, the visuals must carry the film and, when they do speak, the speech and singing is that much more striking.
The camera roves about the monastery, catching the monks at whatever their work happens to be. We are also withthemm for eating, studying, worshiping, and fellowship. They have a time set aside each week, with one exception, where they all get together to walk and talk with each other.
The silence of the men helps us to notice the beauty in the shots of celery stalks stacked on a counter, the architecture of the monastery's exterior and interior, the landscape in which they live, the plants growing in their garden, the sound of a number of cows' bells as the cows graze, the play of shadow on a floor, ripples in water caused by raindrops, church service and hymn chants, hard work, and very much more.
They aren't all seriousness all the time. On one of their weekly walking sessions one winter, the monks have fun sliding down a snowy hill, while standing. They often, it would appear, jest with each other in their free speech time. Despite the print quality (I believe it was shot on video and the lack of lighting enhancements has already been mentioned), it is a very good looking film. Some of the intertitles are overused for my preferences, but that is not enough to detract from the rest of the film.
It's simply great, and I'll probably try to find it on DVD somewhere even though I'm sure I would have to watch it in complete silence in the darkness of midnight.
**As a side note, I just noticed that the Blogger spell check utility inserted a good number of typos that weren't there before, I wonder how many of my previous posts look like a dullard typed them because of this.
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