The White Ribbon

cjfilmlover — Fri, 22 Jan 2010 01:04:15 +0000

I thoroughly enjoyed my day at the Palm Springs International Film Festival. It was fun to chat with other film lovers, and run from film to film. At the end of the first two films I saw, the audience applauded and whistled, and dutifully scored the ballot to vote for “audience favorite film”. The last film of the day was truly the kind of film that festivals like this are designed for: experiencing cinema as an art form.

Michael Haneke’s THE WHITE RIBBON (2009) is just that film that brings you in and keeps you there for its narrative, its cinematic beauty, and its tight crisp editing. I was expecting this to be a good one, because it had won the Palme d’ Or at Cannes, and the Golden Globe for Best Foreign Film. Even with some preparation I could not have anticipated the experience I had with this film. The story is set in a small German village just before World War I broke out. Strange and concerning things are happening in the village but no one seems to know who is responsible or why things are happening–or do they? The story unfolds through the eyes of the schoolteacher in the village, who in a way acts as a superego or conscience of sorts. The movie is over two hours long, but I don’t think I moved in my seat. There is no musical score, not a note, and amazingly, I didn’t even notice that. This film absorbs you. It is also disturbing. At the end of this movie, there was no applause. There was a true hush, then murmuring, murmuring as I and others around me began to discuss our points of view. I think great films make you do that.

The pairing for this film is a comfort food dinner and discussion directly after the film. The four of us went upstairs to a small bistro above the Camelot Theater for pasta bolognese. I had a nice glass of wine, and we had a good sharing of different reactions to the film. How does a person face the fact of atrocity? How does a village? How does a country? Do they, or do they look the other way, because of the discomfort or shame it brings? How does that relate to these small German children as they grow up and experience (or participate) in Nazi Germany twenty five years or so later?

I’m still thinking about this film.

Words and Music

cjfilmlover — Sun, 03 Jan 2010 18:17:49 +0000

I have a great film pairing for you. First, I’ll start with the great screenplay that George Bernard Shaw adapted from his own play,which contributed greatly to the crisp, sharp, luminous 1938 film, PYGMALION. What I love most in this and other movies of the 1930s is the witty dialogue, and what could be better than Shaw himself bringing his words to the screen? I don’t quite know why it took me so long to discover this film, but I enjoyed it immensely. Wendy Hiller’s performance as Eliza Doolittle is fantastic, and her transformational journey is beautifully portrayed. Leslie Howard portrays Professor Higgins with an equal measure of pomposity and likeability. Within the dialogue of this nifty film you will hear pieces of very familiar lyrics to Lerner and Lowe tunes.

The pairing for this film is, of course, MY FAIR LADY (1964). The Broadway show and this film are based on Shaw’s adapted screenplay, not his original play. This has not been my favorite musical, but after seeing the 1938 film, I really view it through different eyes. Do see the the 1938 film first if you have not yet seen MY FAIR LADY. I really can appreciate the talent and creativity it takes to reshape a good screenplay, transform it to a musical, having the lyrics of the songs carry the story along so well, and create a whole new experience for the audience. Terrific.

Here’s another little surprise for you: When Shaw adapted the screenplay for the 1938 film, he changed his own ending—his OWN ending!! That then carried over to Lerner and Lowe’s musical. Now you may want to read Shaw’s play to discover the difference, and see if you agree with his decision.

filmpairings

The White Ribbon

Words and Music