- Highlight
- #1
If you have an interest in European, Asian, and other cinema not in the English language, I'd welcome recommendations or reviews, and it would be nice to gather them in one place to make it easier to follow/promote. I've recently seen -
Under the Sun of Satan (1987)
One of an extraordinary run of four films of the 80s by Maurice Pialat. This is maybe the most difficult, as it is an adaptation of an already difficult novel, and along with some confusion over why the action happens/what exactly did occur, it might also be seen as slow and of an extremely uninteresting subject (the nature of Satan/doubt in a Catholic life which ignores such thought). It recovers interest to a general viewer by allowing the rich dialogue of the novel to ring clear through some fantastic actors, and there is enough subjectivity in depictions to reward additional viewing (the appearance of Satan to the priest in a first viewing might not even be recognised as such). It has a pretty diabolically bad day-for-night sequence, but it can be seen as lending a certain atmosphere, even if unintentional. I could see this being made into a far more literal and uninteresting depiction, but as a companion to the novel it is very strong.
If you're interested in the director I would suggest Police (1985) before this, an interesting drama that doesn't lean particularly heavily on the subject of the title as might be assumed, often taking place in off-duty, nocturnal sequences, with an oddly convivial atmosphere.
Subway (1985)
A good film to know if you like Luc Besson's later work. This has a rather loose plot and little interest in character beyond their archetypes, but in cinema du look fashion made up for this in presentation. Its style is very ahead of its time, and you'll recognise motifs reused in a lot of 90s film, and whether you consider it flawed or engaging will mostly depend on whether you buy into the cool factor of the characters. It's nice to see Christopher Lambert acting loosely which I am not so familiar with from his more recognised roles, and Isabelle Adjani finds herself in some emblematic situations that are no doubt now floating around as Tumblr gifs, but don't let that spoil it for you.
Senso (1954)
One of Visconti's more widely-agreeable, it comes across as a European response to Hollywood period filmmaking, with a heavy string of melodrama allied with political and social elements that would become more elaborated in The Leopard (1963). It tells a simple story well, and as usual with the director, it's mostly down to whether you can put up with the runtime. Just don't believe the trailer, it makes it look like an action film.
Under the Sun of Satan (1987)
One of an extraordinary run of four films of the 80s by Maurice Pialat. This is maybe the most difficult, as it is an adaptation of an already difficult novel, and along with some confusion over why the action happens/what exactly did occur, it might also be seen as slow and of an extremely uninteresting subject (the nature of Satan/doubt in a Catholic life which ignores such thought). It recovers interest to a general viewer by allowing the rich dialogue of the novel to ring clear through some fantastic actors, and there is enough subjectivity in depictions to reward additional viewing (the appearance of Satan to the priest in a first viewing might not even be recognised as such). It has a pretty diabolically bad day-for-night sequence, but it can be seen as lending a certain atmosphere, even if unintentional. I could see this being made into a far more literal and uninteresting depiction, but as a companion to the novel it is very strong.
If you're interested in the director I would suggest Police (1985) before this, an interesting drama that doesn't lean particularly heavily on the subject of the title as might be assumed, often taking place in off-duty, nocturnal sequences, with an oddly convivial atmosphere.
Subway (1985)
A good film to know if you like Luc Besson's later work. This has a rather loose plot and little interest in character beyond their archetypes, but in cinema du look fashion made up for this in presentation. Its style is very ahead of its time, and you'll recognise motifs reused in a lot of 90s film, and whether you consider it flawed or engaging will mostly depend on whether you buy into the cool factor of the characters. It's nice to see Christopher Lambert acting loosely which I am not so familiar with from his more recognised roles, and Isabelle Adjani finds herself in some emblematic situations that are no doubt now floating around as Tumblr gifs, but don't let that spoil it for you.
Senso (1954)
One of Visconti's more widely-agreeable, it comes across as a European response to Hollywood period filmmaking, with a heavy string of melodrama allied with political and social elements that would become more elaborated in The Leopard (1963). It tells a simple story well, and as usual with the director, it's mostly down to whether you can put up with the runtime. Just don't believe the trailer, it makes it look like an action film.
