fires on the plain

another anti-war film by kon ichikawa. but this time instead of showing the positive humanness he portrays its desperateness and incredible selfish drive for survival. it was upsetting, still a good film.

the burmese harp

another great anti-war film by kon ichikawa. probably one of the most interesting plots you can ever see in a war film. he really is a great director.

tokyo olympiad

kon ichikawa's 1965 film. one of the best films i've seen in my life. the depth in simplicity, matching of form and content, the craftsmanship of the director as an editor and the philosophy and politics at work within the film made this film a masterpiece. i feel like all the film students and filmmakers should watch this to understand what is meant by film as an art form.

the draughtman's contract

greenaway is a genius, how did i miss this? this film is blow-up meets dangeorus liasons. i have to watch it again i guess, as i gulped down the wine while watching missing a lot of serious conversations.

regular lovers

i could only stand this film in XFF2 format, it was too long, too stylized. and made me ask whether if may 1968 the best thing that ever happened to les francais? i'm fed up with french new wave and its remnants. but louis garrel is very very handsome.

private fears public spaces

resnais latest film was banal and not so new in neither content nor in form. there were some funny parts. but my question is what's the point alain?

if...

i was glad to find out that criterion issued the dvd of this 1968 palme d'or winner by lindsay anderson. of course as was the case with conformist, years of waiting builds up the expectation so my judgment is inevitably flawed. i liked the film but the message seemed a bit too much of a "message". finger in blind's eye kind. of course for a film that has been made in 1968 the message of rebellion and resistance is worthwhile. also compared to the mixed messages of godard films from the same period this film at least has integrity. although stylistically one can raise many questions about the director's choices. over all, i'm glad i watched it.

the thin blue line

another brilliant documentary by errol morris about the conviction of an innocent man. it appears in texas they would do anything to give a death penalty, including letting a guilty minor with history free in order to blame an innocent record-free 28 yr old who is sure to get death penalty. i love these kinds of documentaries.