July 11-13, 2008

The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari -

A german expressionist film from 1919. I'm not terribly familiar with german expressionism. I've seen Der Golem, and while Metropolis is not considered a german expressionist film per se, it is heavily influenced by the movement. However, that's pretty much my exposure to the genre. But this is a very influential film in its own right. It is one of the early horror movies. Admittedly the horror is extremely dated, and I didn't feel a twinge at this point, but I can imagine audiences of the time freaking out at the film.

As with most silent films that do not fall in the comedy grouping, the acting was way over the top. That's the way it is, and that's why I tend not to like silent dramas. It's too much. The story of the film was fairly interesting if not simplistic. In a small town during a fair, a series of murders occurs that seemingly have a connection to sideshow run by the aging and creepy Dr. Caligari. The show is called the Somnambulist (a fancy term for a sleepwalker, though here the somnambulist was closer akin to a zombie). The Somnambulist is kept in a cabinet and comes out to read the future.

Really, the thing to talk about here is, of all things, the set design. The set design was, in a word, brilliant. For nearly every set in the film, there is not a straight line or a right angle to be found. Everything is at an odd angle. Walls are set at angles, doors within the walls aren't even close to rectangular, more trapezoidal or even triangular. Everything is exaggerated. Authority figures, such as the town clerk or the police officers, sit at desks easily 5 feet tall, and their chair have seats at the same height, so they are all towering above other people. Even the doors of Dr. Caligari's cabinet aren't in a straight line. In an amazing feat of engineering, they made the seam between the two cabinet doors crooked. This all produces a really eerie feeling. This feeling has a purpose, though I won't say why because it has to do with the twist ending. And the twist was pretty damn cool. It's not Sixth Sense wow-factor, but still pretty damn good in it's own right. I was pleased.

Grade: B-

Alexander Nevsky -

Considered the masterpiece of legendary Russian filmmaker Sergei Eisenstein, who created one of the most influential movies in history, Battleship Potemkin.

In terms of theme and story, this is pretty clearly Communist propaganda. It's the story of 13th century "Prince" Alexander, the prince of a small community in Russia that is really more common than royal. However, he is a brilliant tactician and warrior. The people rally around him to repel an invasion by German (Teutonic) knights. Nevsky is more of a common man in stature (metaphorically, as literally he is shown to tower over other people). He incenses other royalty, but rallies the commonfolk into a fighting force, under the banner of a unified Russia, to repel the invaders. Most people consider Nevsky an allegory for Stalin.

While the theme and story are pretty bland, the imagery is very well done. While the russian peasants are barefaced, the germans all wear helmets that cover their faces (some even extremely elaborate with pagan symbols and such), making them a more intimidating appearing fighting force. Sort of a stormtrooper effect. Also, intriguingly, the germans are shown to be heavily religious, covered in cross symbols and bringing an entire christian retinue with them, including a priest that wears a sort of Inquisitors robe and makes him look like Emperor Palpatine. That same religious symbolism is missing from the Russians, though presumably they were similarly religious at the time. Seems like that Eisenstein was using religion derogitorily which falls in line with the communist political views, but I find this surprising. I'm not expert on Russia, but I'd think that there would still be pretty heavy russian orthodox christians in Russia in the 1930's despite the communist government. Of course, I could be wrong.

Grade: C

Flatliners -

A thriller about a group of med students that use their knowledge to kill themselves to investigate death and return back to life. What they see haunts them when the come back, literally.

This actually was a pretty damn good movie. The story was inventive and intriguing, and it certainly kept me interested. The visual style was well done. Lots of use of color, not just in contrasting the death vs. life states, but also states of mental consciousness and emotions. Lots of good imagery in the film as well, and the pacing was good.

Where this film suffers is in the cast. Don't get me wrong, the acting wasn't exactly bad (though Oliver Platt needs to be sedated as usual). The problem is that the case is a bunch of pretty people. It's Keifer Sutherland, Julia Roberts, Kevin Bacon at his 80's mulletted best, a young Billy Baldwin before he went nuts, and the aforementioned Oliver Platt. This cast was clearly designed to draw audiences in based on them being pretty, and not the film itself even though the film doesn't need any help. It's just, at every turn you see the cast standing there saying, "Hi. We're pretty people. Love us!" A less physically pleasing cast would probably have worked better. It felt too much like the Lost Boys Go to Med School.

Grade: B