When I found out that No Country was being made into a film by the Coen Bros I read the book. Regarding the ending I, literally, flipped the pages backwards thinking that I had missed the climax! I knew that if they kept the entire final third of that book in many audience members would not care for the film. It seems I was somewhat wrong - many loved the film but there seemed to be many that did not like the missing finality.
BTW, if anyone is wanting to start in on McCarthy - NCFOM is a very quick read and probably his most accessible book in terms of reading difficulty.
I still haven't read NCFOM yet, but Blood Meridian is one of two books I have read in my life to give me chronic nightmares due to the violence (the other being the biography of Ivan the Terrible written by Henri Troyat).
My DVD copy of Andrei Rublev showed up today. I'm not going to watch it right away though, as I'm currently reading The Films of Andrei Tarkovsky: A Visual Fugue and I'm going to go through Tarkovsky's filmography chronologically while reading each section of the book.
I hope you have the curse where Criterion announces a blu upgrade right after you purchase the DVD. Nothing personal, just really want this one on blu!
[Show spoiler]My brain is going to hurt after this, but here goes...
Krzysztof Kieslowski's 1991 film, The Double Life of Veronique, could be viewed as a prototype test run for his Three Colors Trilogy that would soon follow, but I prefer to think of this film in its own terms as a game changer of art house cinema. Films like Quentin Tarantino's Pulp Fiction and Jean-Pierre Jeunet's Amelie quite possibly followed cues of character nuance, color saturation, and skewed image perspective found in this Kieslowski film to achieve their own influential end results.
The Double Life of Veronique can be frustrating for a first-time viewer who is accustomed to conventional films where all of the pieces fit together into a house of cards, and opinions of this movie will vary across the board depending on how one responds to this story that focuses more on specific feelings instead of specific plot points. At its worst, The Double Life of Veronique could be perceived as a diversion that is just offbeat enough to graze artistic appreciation sensibilities without disturbing or unsettling the recipient, almost like one of those ambient electronic CDs that one might find at the checkout counter of a Starbucks Coffee shop. At its best, however, The Double Life of Veronique challenges us with strange cinematography that compels us to see the world in a different way, and a concept of doppelganger character existences that turns our focus inward so that we second guess our own place in the world.
After my first couple of viewings of The Double Life of Veronique, via my old Criterion DVD edition, I gave up on trying to fit any puzzle pieces together, and, instead, pondered the film's examination of narcissism and of how we view our own places in the world. In her dual roles as the Polish Weronika and the French Veronique, the beautiful Irene Jacobs smiles in the raindrops instead of moving to shelter, looks at the world through odd glass reflections, moves through the streets often unaffected by surroundings (political protests, an unpleasant encounter with an old man on the street, etc.), and follows a series of puppeteer clues under the assumption that these clues cater only to her and that they could not possibly cater to any other person. We all arrive at epiphanies in our lives when we realize that the world does not revolve around us, and we accept the notion that we are simple parts of a whole in the grand scheme of nature. Veronique flees from a cafe when she realizes that someone else's elaborate plan may have been intended for any woman and not specifically her, and later cries when viewing a photo that could indicate to her that she may not be as unique or significant as she fancied.
Others may interpret The Double Life of Veronique in an entirely different way, and that was actually Kieslowski's plan all along, since he originally intended for different versions of the film to be shown at each theater screening. This Criterion title even provides an alternate U.S. ending that is pleasing, but non-revelatory.
Regardless of how one decides to view The Double Life of Veronique, the joy of simply viewing the film is undeniable. Like Audrey Tautou's Amelie character, Irene Jacob's dual roles are presented in a way that to look at them is to fall in love with them, because the film does not readily offer any other option. This movie also has some of the most creative use of color tinting and camera perspective that I have ever seen, and this collage of images comes together better than ever in high definition on this Criterion Blu-ray. A handful of helpful supplements serve to shed light on certain clues and interactions in the movie without trying to lead us through the maze.
Great analysis! I never really thought of it from that perspective, so thank you for sharing.
I hope you have the curse where Criterion announces a blu upgrade right after you purchase the DVD. Nothing personal, just really want this one on blu!
I wouldn't complain. I want it on blu just as bad, but couldn't hold out any longer.
jw, do you see ANY similarity on a visual level between Pulp Fiction and Double Life?
Yes, the part about Tarantino being influenced by Irene Jacob's haircut for Uma's character in Pulp Fiction (or at least the role of Fabienne was written with Irene Jacob in mind). The Great Owl is correct about that bit because I watched the supplements from TDLOV and I think that was mentioned there.
Speaking on visual levels, I need to see TDLOV again to verify there is any similarity. The first time I watched it, I never was trying to compare both films.
Brandon, I love Tarkovsky, but when are you gonna get to The DePalma?!
I did watch Femme Fatale and loved it. I've got Black Dahlia to watch over the weekend. Blow Out and Sisters are coming to me, but I just found out I might be moving for a new job and I won't be back for six months, so I don't know if they'll show up beforehand.
I did watch Femme Fatale and loved it. I've got Black Dahlia to watch over the weekend. Blow Out and Sisters are coming to me, but I just found out I might be moving for a new job and I won't be back for six months, so I don't know if they'll show up beforehand.
Praise the movie Gods I think FF and Blow Out are his two finest visual achievements. In fact, I may have to write something on FF one of these days. Was the Cannes heist everything you hoped it would be? It's one of the best set pieces I ever expect to see.
Black Dahlia may prove to be a huge miss for you though. I enjoyed it quite a bit, but it has its flaws.
Quote:
Originally Posted by jw007
Speaking on visual levels, I need to see TDLOV again to verify there is any similarity. The first time I watched it, I never was trying to compare both films.
Whatever credence I have as a lifelong painter/sketch artist, there is really no commonality in the visual approach. The cinematographic component is the very first thing I notice in films too.
Praise the movie Gods I think FF and Blow Out are his two finest visual achievements. In fact, I may have to write something on FF one of these days. Was the Cannes heist everything you hoped it would be? It's one of the best set pieces I ever expect to see.
Black Dahlia may prove to be a huge miss for you though. I enjoyed it quite a bit, but it has its flaws.
The Cannes heist was magnificent. It was so thrilling. I had an interest in Black Dahlia before I was even aware of De Palma, but I was always deterred by the reviews. Hopefully my initial excitement can stay intact.
The Cannes heist was magnificent. It was so thrilling. I had an interest in Black Dahlia before I was even aware of De Palma, but I was always deterred by the reviews. Hopefully my initial excitement can stay intact.
And it's soooo meta too? I feel DePalma is a wickedly playful filmmaker, even more so than Hitchcock, i'd say. His best films have a certain tongue in cheek/ campy quality that never fail to twist me into a mood where I greet each exuberant camera twirl and ridiculous plot twist with open arms.
My best guess is that you will enjoy Dressed to Kill, Blow Out and possibly Carrie the most.
However, I expect Casualties of War to rank near the bottom for you.
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I think FF and Blow Out are his two finest visual achievements. In fact, I may have to write something on FF one of these days. Was the Cannes heist everything you hoped it would be? It's one of the best set pieces I ever expect to see. 
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