Screening on 3rd June 2007 - Andrzej Wajda's MAN OF MARBLE

Man of Marble is Andrzej Wajda's controversial attack on the brutality of the Stalinism that held Poland in its thrall during the 1950s

This film is about the attempts of a film maker, a woman with the busily self-important manner of the young fanatic, to make a documentary about a certain Mateusz Birkut, a bricklayer who, in the early days of the Communist revolution, was hailed as a national hero for his productivity feats and became as famous as any film star, only to disappear from the record books in 1952.

Agnieszka, played by Krystyna Janda in her first role, is a young filmmaker who is making her diploma film on Birkut, whose whereabouts seems to have been lost two decades later.The title refers to the propagandistic marble statues made in Birkut's image. She gets hold of outtakes and censored footage and interviews the man's friends, ex-wife, and the filmmaker who made him a hero.
MAN OF MARBLE - Colour - Polish with English Subtitles - Run Time - 168 Minutes

Wajda managed to publish the script in the Warsaw weekly 'Kultura ' on 4 August, 1963, and believed that at least one obstacle was overcome - 'censorship of the press'. Unfortunately, many "comrades", who wanted to demonstrate their Party alertness, had read the text and, as a result, the script had been banned for many years. After fourteen years, the script was passed for filming. In spite of protests from various rungs on the decision-making ladder, Man of Marble was released. The audience did the rest. The inexorable power of Wajda's indictment of the rigidity of Stalinism--and the vigor of his celebration of naturalness and authenticity--makes this arguably his best film since his classic World War II trilogy (A GENERATION, KANAL, ASHES AND DIAMONDS).

Andrzej Wajda

Andrzej Wajda (born March 6, 1926 in Suwałki) is a Polish film director. Laureate of an honorary Oscar, he is one of the most prominent members of the Polish Film School.

A major figure of world and Eastern European cinema after World War II, Wajda has made his reputation as a sensitive and uncompromising chronicler of his country's political and social evolution. The son of a Polish cavalry officer who was killed by the Soviets in 1940, Wajda fought in the Home Army against the Germans when he was still a teenager. After the war, he studied to be a painter at Kraków's Academy of Fine Arts before entering the Łódź Film School.

On the heels of his apprenticeship to director Aleksander Ford, Wajda was given the opportunity to direct his own film. With A Generation (1955), the first-time director poured out his disillusionment over jingoism, using as his alter ego a young, James Dean-style antihero played by Zbigniew Cybulski.Wajda went on to make two more increasingly accomplished films, which further developed the antiwar theme of A Generation: Kanal (1956) and Ashes and Diamonds (1958), also starring Cybulski.

Wajda was more interested in works of allegory and symbolism, and certain symbols (such as setting fire to a glass of liquor, representing the flame of youthful idealism that was extinguished by the war) recur often in his films Wajda's later devotion to Poland's burgeoning Solidarity movement was manifested in Man of Marble (1976) and Man of Iron (1981), with Solidarity leader Lech Wałęsa appearing as himself in the latter film. The director's involvement in this movement would prompt the Polish government to force Wajda's production company out of business. In 1983 he directed Danton , a film set in 1794 (Year Two) dealing with the Post-Revolutionary Terror. The film carries sharp parallels with the Post-Revolutionary period in Russia as well as with fascist Germany.

At the 2000 Academy Awards, Wajda was presented with an honorary Oscar for his numerous contributions to cinema; he subsequently donated the award to Kraków's Jagiellonian University. In February 2006, Wajda received an honorary Golden Bear for lifetime achievement at the Berlin International Film Festival. Wajda , well past his 80th year, is still making films .

Dinamalar write up on 'Character'

Dinamalar has come out recently with a write up on our earlier screening of 'CHARACTER' .
Click on the writeup image posted here to have a larger version for reading .

Screening of Ingmar Bergman's ' Wild Strawberries ' on 20th May 2007.

Wild Strawberries - Professor Borg's dream sequence.

Directed by Ingmar Bergman, Sweden , 1957,
Nominated for Oscar. Another 11 wins & 2 nominations
91 mins with English subtitles

Retired professor Isak Borg travels through the countryside on his way to receive an honorary award, accompanied by his daughter-in-law Marianne. Borg is a cold and distant man who has always had difficulties in his relationships with others. Along the way Borg passes places he remembers from his youth. This, along with a series of encounters a hitchhiker who is the exact double of a youthful love, a near-collision with a group of argumentative youths gives the Professor cause to recall incidents from his life and reflect upon his successes and failures. There are other Expressionist and certainly Freudian dream sequences in the picture, almost always with the old Professor appearing in them as his present self.

Wild Strawberries is quite simply a must-see for the serious filmgoer, offering a perfect introduction to the work of one of the world's greatest directors. For while it showcases Bergman's characteristic mastery of cinematic symbolism and his willingness to tackle subjects that most other filmmakers would balk at, Wild Strawberries also exhibits greater levels of compassion and humour than many of his other masterpieces. (Note here that wild strawberries are a symbol of rebirth in Sweden, and so function within the film as an indication that Borg ultimately reaffirms the value of his life.)

Wild Strawberries is also of note for its brilliant performances, not just from Bergman's invariably excellent stock company but also from the 78-year-old Victor Sjostrom, a noted actor-director of the silent era. Indeed we might see the Sjostrom -Bergman collaboration as something of a torch-passing from one generation to the next: It was he who made the final scene one of the most serene of all Bergman's endings. "Sjostrom's face shone", said the director. "It emanated light - a reflection of a different reality, hitherto absent. His whole appearance was soft and gentle, his glance joyful and tender. It was like a miracle".

Screening at ASHWIN HOSPITAL AUDITORIUM 4^th Floor (Lift Provided) , off Sathy Road, Ganapathy, Coimbatore -12. Call: 94430 39630

Thiruvanathapuram -Month-long film appreciation course from 10th May 2007.

The Kerala State Film Development Corporation (KSFDC) is organising a month-long course in film appreciation, which will cover among other things the growth and history of world cinema and the technical aspects of film-making.

Discussions on the history and techniques of films which became milestones in the history of cinema and on films which rewrote history will figure in the course. P.K. Nair, former Director of the Pune Film Archives and former film appreciation course director of the Pune Film Institute, is the course adviser. Eminent personalities from the film field will take classes on various aspects of cinema. The course fee is Rs.4,000.

The KSFDC will meet the cost of boarding and arrange accommodation at low cost. The course will begin on May 10. Details can be had from Lenin Rajendran, Film Officer (Telephone 944774566, 2325325) or downloaded from the website www.ksfdc.org. Application forms are available from the Kalabhavan and cinemas of the KSFDC in Thrissur, Kozhikode, Cherthala, North Paravur and Chittur on payment of Rs.100.

http://www.thehindu.com/2007/04/12/stories/2007041203540300.htm

Where is realism?

( K. Jeshi writes about the meeting organised by Konangal with Yamuna Rajendran in The Hindu - Metroplus)
Film criticism should be based on principles to bring about a societal change, says film critic Yamuna Rajendran.

Is Maniratnam's Guru a milestone in Indian cinema? Why is the sword sequence in Pudupettai compared to Akira Kurosawa's filmmaking? Why is Paruthiveeran considered a realistic movie?

Yamuna Rajendran, Tamil film critic from London, raised these questions and gave the answers too at an interaction with film lovers organised by Konangal Film Society.

"The protagonist in Paruthiveeran is chased by 60 people. He reaches a safe place; the others reach 25 minutes later. Where is realism here and why is such a movie compared to Latin-American filmmaking? And, is the free trade concept propagated in Guru the only route to success?" he asks.

This is where film criticism comes in, he states. "Globalisation encourages `aesthetic' criticism. What we require is `principles-based' criticism to tell people about world cinema, about reality and try to bring about a change," says Yamuna Rajendran, whose book, Arasiyal cinema - 16 film makers, talks about the creative world and the unique film making of Ritwik Ghatak, Oliver Stone, Akira and other master film makers.

Chaos in audience

He says restrained critiques create chaos in the minds of the audience. "But, when criticism is based on principles, it exposes the fakeness in commercial cinema and redefines societal values."

Filmmakers in the 60s started off as film critics. "Directors like Jean-Luc-Godard from Greece, American film maker Robert Redford and Italian film makers presented films based on the political developments. And, film festivals such as Cannes or the one in London served as a get-together for bringing about such change," he adds. Now, they have turned battlegrounds.

If Chinese films gained importance in the `80s with realistic portrayals of the situation in China, Iranian cinema narrated the struggles, the political situation and the poverty of the people through the eyes of children.

Knowledge of history

"The elements of historical consciousness, time of the event and the place are missing in new-age filmmaking. They exaggerate, deviate or distract the audience from serious issues. A film like Kannathil Muthamittal fails to deal with any central phenomenon, a historical issue or an ethnic issue," he adds.

This film critic rates Julie Ganapathy as a black mark in director Balu Mahendra's career. "It is a shot-by-shot copy of Steven Kings' Misery. However, his Sandhya Raagam is a masterpiece," he adds. Asked about Cheran's Autograph and Thavamai Thavamirundhu, he says: "When compared to the existing Tamil films, new concepts look better."

Activist cinema

Rajendran, who has watched over 6,000 films, says alternative cinema (documentaries and short-films) have taken on the role of activists to handle social issues.

Kanchana Srinivasan agrees. A documentary filmmaker, he has been running a film society in Tirunelveli for 16 years, and has come out with a film on the Thamirabararani issue. "Look for issues around you and convert them into films," he says.

K. JESHI

Courtesy :The Hindu Metroplus dated 23 04 2007.

Murder most foul

Like good books, murder mysteries never go out of fashion, writes PANKAJA SRINIVASAN as Alfred Hitchcock works his scary charm on Coimbatore's movie buffs.

"A good film is when the price of the dinner, the theatre admission and the babysitter were worth it". So said Alfred Hitchcock.

And, film buffs in Coimbatore had no argument with that as they sat through the master's retrospective and watched Rear Window, Vertigo and Psycho.

There is something to be said for watching films with a roomful of movie-mad people. There is a festive buzz, with posters and brochures put up on Hitchcock and the other directors whose works have already been screened by the Konangal Film Society.

Window treatment

Rear Window is great fun. For starters it has a good-looking cast. James Stewart is, well, James Stewart, and Grace Kelly, who plays his girlfriend, looks spectacular (Did you know that she was very first actress to appear on a postage stamp, in 1993).

It is about an injured photographer, confined to a wheelchair. (Hitchcock is said to have based the story on the real life romance said to be happening between Ingrid Bergman and photographer Robert Capa at that time). He is bored, so he passes time looking out of his window into his neighbours' homes.

Each window he peeps into has a story being played out. Voyeurism pays. He discovers that one of his neighbours has murdered his wife. An interesting fact is that the entire film has been shot on set (at the time, it was the largest set ever constructed).

A lively interaction follows the screening. Someone asks whether it was `ethical' for Hitchcock to make the protagonist a voyeur. Camera angles and background music are talked of; parallels are drawn between what is happening in the protagonist's life and the lives of his neighbours — the comments take interesting twists and turns.

Pure entertainment

Till, another viewer says: "It is an entertaining movie, let's just leave it at that."
Nevertheless, over an ilai saapadu (provided by the organisers at Rs. 50 per head with two tea-and-biscuit breaks as well) Hitchcock's style and substance is discussed some more.

And, then another masterpiece, Vertigo (James Stewart and Kim Novak). Martin Scorsese has said of the film, "Vertigo strikes a deep chord in me every time I see it."As, indeed, it does, with its sense of mystery, a touch of the supernatural that is eerie, beautiful and gripping all at the same time.

Satisfyingly psycho!

By now there is only one thought in everyone's head — Psycho (Anthony Perkins, Janet Leigh).
You'll never look at a shower curtain again without misgivings. The bathroom scene was all that it was promised to be, and more. And, Perkins playing Norman Bates is satisfyingly psychotic! And the background music is amazing.

(Hitchcock was so pleased with the score written by Bernard Herrmann that he doubled the composer's salary to $34,501 and said, "33 per cent of the effect of Psycho was due to the music").

It is a rare treat to watch films made by the masters. And, discussions, debates and interaction about the films and the filmmakers are a bonus. Konangal made special efforts to bring that extra something into the screening. In this case, an interview with Alfred Hitchcock where he declares poker-faced, that there is not much difference between him wanting to make Psycho to scare people and a young mother saying `boo' to her three-month-old baby!

* * *

Konangal's aim is to reach good cinema to as many people as possible. It is particularly keen to get school and college students to view good films, and is more than happy to organise shows for them. It is also planning a children's film festival during the summer vacation.

For details about subscription and events, contact Pon Chandran at 94430-39630 or email to konangal@gmail.com.

Visit their blog http://konangalfilmsociety.blogspot.com/

Courtesy The Hibdu , Metroplus 23 04 2007

Hitchcock Film Festival

We thank all cinema lovers who attended today's Hitchcock Film Festival held at PPG Nursing College Auditorium, Saravanampatti.

We thank Dr.Thangavelu for providing the auditorium for screening and also Dr.Rajendran.

We are grateful to the Press for all thier support and coverage.

We thank you all from the bottom of our hearts.

We welcome your feedbak on Hitchcock Film Festival. Please write to konangal@gmail.com

HITCHCOCK FILM FESTIVAL ON 15 th April 2007.

ALFRED HITCHCOCK
Born: August 13, 1899, Leytonstone, England Died: April 28, 1980

The acknowledged master of the thriller genre he virtually invented, Alfred Hitchcock was also a brilliant technician who deftly blended sex, suspense and humor. He began his filmmaking career in 1919 illustrating title cards for silent films at Paramount's Famous Players-Lasky studio in London. There he learned scripting, editing and art direction, and rose to assistant director in 1922. That year he directed an unfinished film, No. 13 or Mrs. Peabody . His first completed film as director was The Pleasure Garden (1925), an Anglo-German production filmed in Munich. This experience, plus a stint at Germany's UFA studios as an assistant director, help account for the Expressionistic character of his films, both in their visual schemes and thematic concerns. Hitchcock directed 66 films till 1976. He produced many evergreen classics that are being repeatedly viewed by his die-hard fans till today.

Alfred Hitchcock and his family led a quiet and unostentatious life, preferring the comforts of home to the Hollywood milieu around them. In the last year of his life, Hitchcock received the American Film Institute's lifetime achievement award and was knighted in England. He died in 1980 in Los Angeles.

Hitchcock's legacy is vast: books, tributes, film festivals, and imitators abound. Alfred Hitchcock Mystery Magazine, the monthly publication that bears his name, and other "Alfred Hitchcock Presents" anthologies, are still going strong.

THREE FILMS
OF HITCHCOCK

We will be screening PSYCHO, VERTIGO , REAR WINDOW and selected interviews with Hitchcock on 15th April .

Vertigo (1958)

Vertigo is one of Alfred Hitchcock's most powerful, deep, and stunningly beautiful films - it is a film noir that functions on multiple levels. The work is a mesmerizing romantic suspense/thriller about a macabre, doomed romance - a desperate love for an illusion. Hitchcock's intensely personal, self-revealing picture, Vertigo, is the story of a man who is possessed by the image of a lost love and becomes increasingly compulsive in his desire to re-create that image. John "Scottie" Ferguson is a retired San Francisco police detective who suffers from acrophobia and Madeleine is the lady who leads him to high places. A wealthy shipbuilder who is an acquaintance from college days approaches Scottie and asks him to follow his beautiful wife, Madeleine. He fears she is going insane, maybe even contemplating suicide, because she believes she is possessed by a dead ancestor. Scottie is skeptical, but agrees after he sees the beautiful Madeleine.

Click here for trailer of Vertigo.

Vertigo is now generally recognised as one of Hitchcock's greatest films, considered by many to be his masterpiece. It is also a masterpiece of filmmaking technique, including one of cinema's most important innovations-the dolly-out, zoom-in shot that visually represents Scottie's sensation of vertigo. Runtime : 128 minutes

Psycho ( 1960)

" Psycho has a very interesting construction and that game with the audience was fascinating. I was directing the viewers. You might say I was playing them, like an organ." - Alfred Hitchcock

Alfred Hitchcock's powerful, complex psychological thriller, Psycho (1960) is the "mother" of all modern horror suspense films - it single-handedly ushered in an era of inferior screen 'slashers' with blood-letting and graphic, shocking killings

Phoenix officeworker Marion Crane is fed up with the way life has treated her. She has to meet her lover Sam in lunch breaks and they cannot get married because Sam has to give most of his money away in alimony. One Friday Marion is trusted to bank $40,000 by her employer. Seeing the opportunity to take the money and start a new life, Marion leaves town and heads towards Sam's California store. Tired after the long drive and caught in a storm, she gets off the main highway and pulls into The Bates Motel. The motel is managed by a quiet young man called Norman who seems to be dominated by his mother. And here , in this motel , most unexpected things happen.

PSYCHO : CLICK HERE FOR THE GUIDED TOUR BY THE MASTER HIMSELF !

The nightmarish, disturbing film's themes of corruptibility, confused identities, voyeurism, human vulnerabilities and victimization, the deadly effects of money, Oedipal murder, and dark past histories are realistically revealed. Its themes were revealed through repeated uses of motifs, such as birds, eyes, hands, and mirrors. Hitchcock's murder set-pieces are so potent, they can galvanize (and frighten) even a viewer who's seen them before! Bernard Herrmann's legendary (and endlessly imitated) score adds much to the excitement. Runtime 128 minutes.

Rear Window (1954)

Rear Window is an intriguing, brilliant, macabre Hitchcockian visual study of obsessive human curiosity and voyeurism. The film is universally regarded as a classic, and a strong cadre of critics, scholars, and fans considers this to be the director's best feature. Not only does the movie generate an intensely suspenseful and fascinating situation, but it develops a compelling and memorable character: L.B. Jefferies (James Stewart), a top-flight photographer who, as the result of an accident that left him in a leg cast, is confined to his upper-story Manhattan apartment.He spends his time looking out of the rear window observing the neighbours. He begins to suspect that the man opposite may have murdered his wife. Jeff enlists the help of his society model girlfriend Lisa Freemont and his nurse Stella to investigate. This level of danger and suspense is so far elevated above the cheap thrills of the modern slasher films that "Rear Window," intended as entertainment in 1954, is now revealed as art.

Cl ick here for trailer of Rear Window.

This film masterpiece was made entirely on one confined set. built at Paramount Studios - a realistic courtyard composed of 32 apartments . Remarkably, the camera angles are largely from the protagonist's own apartment, so the film viewer (in a dark theatre) sees the inhabitants of the other apartments almost entirely from his point of view - to share in his voyeuristic surveillance. Runtime 112 minutes

Viewing age limit 18 and above.

VENUE : PPG NURSING COLLEGE AUDITORIUM , SARAVANAMPATTI.
Eight kilometers from Gandhipuram bus stand.
1.Bus routes 63 or 13 from Gandhipuram to Keeranatham - alight at Kandaswamy Nagar bus stop.
2. Route 45 from Gandhipuram,to Annur - Koilplayam, alight at Visuvasapuram stop.
Contribution towards lunch and tea -Rs.50
Please confirm your participation to enable us to make food arrangements. Call :9894871105

For more details call : 94430 39630

Next screening on 18th March 2007 Battle Of Algiers

Battle of Algiers trailer

Battle Of Algiers.

Although nearly forty years have passed since its creation, Battle of Algiers is more timely than ever – especially for Americans, given the American involvement in a contemporary colonial war in the Middle East.
The film depicts an episode in the war of independence in the then French Algeria, in the capital city of Algiers. It reconstructs the events of November 1954 to December 1960 in Algiers during the Algerian War of Independence, beginning with the organization of revolutionary cells in the Casbah. From there, it depicts the conflict between native Algerians and European settlers (pied-noirs) in which the two sides exchange acts of increasing violence, leading to the introduction of French paratroopers, under the direction of General Massu and then Colonel Bigeard, to root out the National Liberation Front (FLN). The paratroops are depicted as "winning" the battle by neutralizing the whole FLN leadership through assassination or capture. However, the film ends with a coda, depicting demonstrations and rioting by native Algerians for independence, in which it is suggested that though the French have won the Battle of Algiers, they have lost the war.

The narrative is composed mostly of illustrations of the tactics of both the FLN insurgency and the French counter insurgency, as well as the uglier incidents in the national liberation struggle. It unflinchingly shows atrocities being committed by both sides against civilians. The FLN is shown taking over the Casbah through summary execution of native Algierian criminals and others considered traitors, as well as using terrorism to harass civilian French colonials. The French colonialists are shown using lynch mobs and indiscriminate violence against natives. Paratroops are shown employing torture, intimidation and murder to combat the FLN and MNA insurgents.

Refraining from the conventions of the historical epic, Pontecorvo and Solinas chose not to have a protagonist but several characters based on figures in the conflict. The film begins and ends from the point of view of Ali la Pointe, played by Brahim Hagiag, who corresponds to the historical figure of the same name. He is a criminal radicalized while in prison and is recruited to the FLN by military commander El-hadi Jafar, a fictional version of Saadi Yacef played by himself.

Other characters include the young boy Petit Omar, a street urchin who serves as a messenger for the FLN; Larbi Ben M'hidi, one of the top leaders of the FLN, who is used in the film mainly to give the political rationale for the insurgency; Djamila, Zohra and Hassiba, a trio of female FLN militants called to carry out a revenge attack. In addition, The Battle of Algiers used thousands of Algerian extras in bit parts and crowd shots; the effect Pontecorvo intended was to create the impression of the Casbah's residents as a "chorus", communicating to the viewer through chanting, wailing and physical affect.

The Algerian revolution has been called by many the bloodiest revolution in history. Although the revolutionary forces in Algiers were defeated by the French Army, the long war throughout the country led to the French withdrawal from Algeria. As leftists, the theme of showing the inevitable demise of colonialism as an instrument of Western imperialism was central to Pontecorvo and Solinas's treatment of The Battle of Algiers.
Runtime 121 min. Language : French / English / Arabic . Subtitles : Tamil
Venue : Ashwin Hospital Auditorium ( 4th floor - lift provided), Across Sathy Road, Ganapathy, Coimbatore 12 .
(Part of this write up is from http://en.wikipedia.org )

Gillo Pontecorvo and Battle Of Algiers

The director of the Battle of Algiers, Gillo Pontecorvo was born into an Italian-Jewish family of Pisa in 1919. Like the families of not a few Italian communists, Pontecorvo’s was well-to-do: his father, a cloth manufacturer, owned three factories and employed 1500 workers.The director was introduced to communism in the late ’30s by an older brother, Bruno, who worked as an atomic physicist in Paris, and by Bruno’s circle of anti-fascist friends. During WWII, Pontecorvo worked as a courier and journalist for the Italian Communist Party. But he became disillusioned with the party in 1956 as a result of its support of the Soviet invasion of Hungary: Like many other Italian communists who left the party in disgust at the Soviet invasion of Hungary, however, Pontecorvo did not abandon his communist convictions. Which brings us to Battle of Algiers. Algerian independence was declared and recognized in 1962. In 1965, the government of Algeria gave the director "not only all the necessary permits to shoot the film in Algiers, but put at his disposal – though not completely without charge – the Algerian army for the crowd scenes."

Pontecorvo wanted to shoot his film without using professional actors. Brahim Haggiag, who played Ali La Pointe, had a splendidly dramatic face, but he was a poor illiterate farmer whom Pontecorvo had found in a city market and who hadn’t the faintest idea what cinema was. If one has not seen this film, one cannot begin to imagine Pontecorvo’s extraordinary achievement. The acting is so natural and convincing that many viewers and even some critics assumed that the movie was a documentary. Only a master director could have taken this raw acting material and gotten such performances out of it. And despite his leftist viewpoint, Pontecorvo neither ridicules or demonizes the French.

(from http://www.lewrockwell.com/ )

Scenes from Jacques Tati's ' Mr. Hulot's Holiday '

Outreach programme at Kalaimagal Kalvi Nilayam , Erode.

It was a wonderful experience for Konangal being with one of the finest schools of Tamil Nadu.The outreach programme on 22.02.2007 at Erode Kalaimagal Kalvi Nilayam , an household name at Erode, has further enthused us to take up the screening of films, as a process of sensitisation, particularly among children. It is sad that we could screen the film "Children of Heaven" only to over 690 students in a school which has a total strength of over 6000 and 250 members of staff.

However, the teachers and the management of the school have acknowledged that this was an enthralling exposure to them and the students. Their resolve to see only good cinema and to nurture such values which will groom the children as humane and socially responsible, has humbled us.
The School Correspondent and Managing Trustee Mrs S. Mangalavathy, in her letter addressed to Konangal has stated that " This film is a real boon to the school children, to imbibe in them all divine qualities like love, helping elders and parents, tolerance and taking efforts to achieve their goal" She has further added that "We really appreciate the intention of those who are involved in this kind of service to Education".

Konangal submits our sincere thanks to the school, particularly Ms. Mangalavathi, the Correspondent of the school for giving us an opportunity to be in the midst of their historical school.

Bergman Retrospective - Dinamalar write up . . .

Dinamalar's write up on the recently conducted Ingmar Bergman retrospective is available here. To read the article, just click on the image of the page given here and you will get the enlarged version of this page.

Magic Moments

Ingmar Bergman's films question faith, mortality and loneliness, writes K.JESHI

"The magic of movements is fascinating... those moving shadows on my screen... whenever I make a film, I have the same difficulty, same unhappiness that I'm not able to express it the way I want it," says legendary Swedish filmmaker Ingmar Bergman in an interview.

Film buffs in Coimbatore got a taste of his magical filmmaking at the Bergman Film Festival held recently at Kasthuri Sreenivasan Trust Auditorium.

This is the first in the retrospective series of world masters organised by Konangal Film Society. A 30-minute film about the filmmaker, who retired at the age of 83 and now lives in Sweden, was an added bonanza.

Mystical transition

If The Hour of the Wolf (horror) traces the agony of an artist, the emotionally packed Cries and Whispers converts reality into fiction with one happy moment in the coda (penultimate) scene.

The award winning The Seventh Seal, set in 14th century Sweden, speaks about a man in search of the meaning of life. Death is personified as a character here.

"The transition from fantasy to reality is muted in his films," says D. Anandan of Konangal. In The Hour... the director narrates the story through the eyes of the artist's wife (Liv Ullmann). Through her husband's diary, she takes you into flashback mode to their life in a lonely castle on an island to her insomniac husband haunted by darkness, demons and other creatures of his imagination and to the full-blooded horror that eventually destroys him.

"Every film is a journey from the unconscious to the conscious. His theory is that endurance is possible through art," adds Anandan.

When someone in the audience wanted to deconstruct the movie to understand its depths, Paul Simon, a final year engineering student, said its beauty lay in its ambiguous ending.

"Bergman is not forcing his ideas on us; instead he creates an opportunity to think and interpret," he adds. In Cries and Whispers, four women get together in a manor house. The unmarried sister, Agnes (Harriet Andersson) is dying of cancer and her two sisters come to ease her pain.

For Karin (Ingrid Thulin), the wife of diplomat and a mother of five, life is nothing but a tissue of lies.

She mutilates herself to show her hostility towards her husband and life. The flirtatious Maria (Ullmann) is taken up with her own beauty; morals don't matter. The fourth woman, maid Anna (Kari Sylwan), shares a relationship with Agnes.

Endurance of women

While female critics say the film projects the fears and desires of men, Anandan says it brings out the endurance of women. "Though Agnes takes us through the painful experience of death, that happy moment when all the characters have a nice time in a garden gives it a fictional twist. There is a dream sequence where the body talks, leaving us wondering if Agnes is dead or alive. And, Anna becomes a mother in her relationship with Agnes," he adds.

Some felt the film analysed sexual instincts in a person who was unwell (an issue that current day filmmakers are just learning to deal with) and spoke about how physical pleasures become important to escape pain. "In love, you need to feel and the beautiful relationship between Anna and Agnes is about this feeling," Paul adds.

The blood red backgrounds and the picturesque landscapes captured by Sven Nykvist were other highlights.

Probing death

To understand the religious criticism in The Seventh Seal, the audience was requested to watch it with an `intellectual blanket'. In this, Bergman, an atheist, probes death and makes a subtle commentary on religion. A knight (Max Von Sydow), hoping to gain knowledge about life, challenges Death (Beng Ekerot) to a game of chess.

"Man is perishable but society lives. Bergman shows humanity is the future by saving three people from death in this film," comments Pon. Chandran of Konangal.

The fear factor

"Fear is the core theme in the three films — of death, of relationships and of the unknown. Bergman describes cinema as an `exciting mistress' and theatre as a `faithful wife'. He uses drama-based narration with a lot of satire. Even his stylised narration was a subject of criticism," he adds.

But, as a film buff put it: "Just let the movies sink in. Don't get into the details."

Courtesy : The Hindu - Metro Plus 17 02 2007