Your opening reminds me of taking Intro to Film History. It was so powerful to watch films from their invention onward. I had seen parts of Birth of a Nation before that. But seeing it after watching dozens of silent films leading up to it was very different. It provides so much insight. Did people love that film because they were racists or because it was revolutionary? Well, both!
You might not expect it, but I love neorealism. De Sica is probably my favorite. Umberto D is such a great film. I identify with the main character so much. And, of course, The Bicycle Thieves (also with non-pro actors) is almost a propaganda film. "You think stealing is wrong? Here! Let me put you in a position where you steal!" Both films are heartbreaking. And they are so different from modern America. The first things Trump did was to "fix" a bunch of "problems" that didn't actually exist. It's really amazing to think. a bunch of fat and comfortable people have been convinced that they are the real victims by people who have most of the power in society. They are mostly the same Christians who are convinced that despite being 80% of the country, they are being oppressed.
What I find fascinating about this story is how it interacts with the way that American Christian nationalists think of Islam. They absolutely hate this kind of thing. But they are exactly the same! If they get the kind of power that the conservative Muslims have in Iran, they will do the same thing. I listen to these people all the time. There really is no bottom. Ultimately, they will support any terrible behavior because "it ain't wrong if God says so!"
I don't mean to trivialize, the films like this work because they show that people are just people. Religion isn't the only thing that causes people to stop others from enjoying the simple joys in life. But it's one of the biggest.
Well put! I'm surprised this isn't already the law in Texas.
The more I thought about the movie, the more I appreciated it. Getting performances this good from a non-professional cast is really not easy. Panahi makes it look easy. When someone makes a difficult thing look easy, they are showing true mastery of their art form -- whether that be filmmaking or anything else. And he did it with the censors breathing down his neck!
I need to catch up on all the neorealist classics; I've missed some of the greats. But I just like the idea of it. Why not use existing locations? It looks better than a lot of Hollywood movies of the period using rear projection to pretend they weren't on a set!
There is something about De Sica that I connect with. I admire Roberto Rossellini's work at this time. But I don't have a desire to return to it. It was a great period though!
On the commentary for El Mariachi, Robert Rodriguez explains how he manages to get good performances from amateurs. He makes it sound so easy, but as you noted, masters always make their work look and sound easy.
Your opening reminds me of taking Intro to Film History. It was so powerful to watch films from their invention onward. I had seen parts of Birth of a Nation before that. But seeing it after watching dozens of silent films leading up to it was very different. It provides so much insight. Did people love that film because they were racists or because it was revolutionary? Well, both!
You might not expect it, but I love neorealism. De Sica is probably my favorite. Umberto D is such a great film. I identify with the main character so much. And, of course, The Bicycle Thieves (also with non-pro actors) is almost a propaganda film. "You think stealing is wrong? Here! Let me put you in a position where you steal!" Both films are heartbreaking. And they are so different from modern America. The first things Trump did was to "fix" a bunch of "problems" that didn't actually exist. It's really amazing to think. a bunch of fat and comfortable people have been convinced that they are the real victims by people who have most of the power in society. They are mostly the same Christians who are convinced that despite being 80% of the country, they are being oppressed.
What I find fascinating about this story is how it interacts with the way that American Christian nationalists think of Islam. They absolutely hate this kind of thing. But they are exactly the same! If they get the kind of power that the conservative Muslims have in Iran, they will do the same thing. I listen to these people all the time. There really is no bottom. Ultimately, they will support any terrible behavior because "it ain't wrong if God says so!"
I don't mean to trivialize, the films like this work because they show that people are just people. Religion isn't the only thing that causes people to stop others from enjoying the simple joys in life. But it's one of the biggest.
Well put! I'm surprised this isn't already the law in Texas.
The more I thought about the movie, the more I appreciated it. Getting performances this good from a non-professional cast is really not easy. Panahi makes it look easy. When someone makes a difficult thing look easy, they are showing true mastery of their art form -- whether that be filmmaking or anything else. And he did it with the censors breathing down his neck!
I need to catch up on all the neorealist classics; I've missed some of the greats. But I just like the idea of it. Why not use existing locations? It looks better than a lot of Hollywood movies of the period using rear projection to pretend they weren't on a set!
There is something about De Sica that I connect with. I admire Roberto Rossellini's work at this time. But I don't have a desire to return to it. It was a great period though!
On the commentary for El Mariachi, Robert Rodriguez explains how he manages to get good performances from amateurs. He makes it sound so easy, but as you noted, masters always make their work look and sound easy.