Hello everyone, and sorry for the long delay in my postings. It has been a crazy busy couple of months, and I appreciate those who read this blog's patience in waiting for the next post. For your long wait, the next three weeks will be PACKED with content- a new list every week! The 2015 Cannes Film Festival is coming up soon, and for those who don't know, I am going to it this year! So, a project I've undertaken these past few months is watching some of the winners of the Palme d'Or- the festival's highest award. To give you a crash course in Cannes Film Festival politics, there are several juries that hand out a multitude of awards. The Palme d'Or (The Golden Palm) has been around since 1955, though a high prize has always been given, albeit under a different name (it was previously called the Grand Prix). The winner is chosen from a list of films "in competition", usually between 20-25 films from across the globe.
I have been intending for a long time to make a Top 10 list for the winners of this award, but find myself in a bit of a conundrum. First of all, it's quite difficult to reasonably compare the winners of the Palme d'Or, as each year the Festival is headed by a different jury with their own tastes and preferences. So, it's not like comparing Oscar winners that have a stable Academy throughout the years; it's a completely overhauled set of international contenders year after year. But normally, I'd consider doing a "Best Of" list a cop out for not actually creating a discussion-furthering Top 10 ranking. I needed to strike a balance, and be decisive in my choices without actually ranking incomparable winners. My solution is doing a "Hidden Gems" list, as I think it is actually very appropriate in this case. There's a lot of great films that have come from the Festival that I'm sure most people haven't seen, so instead of going on and on about Apocalypse Now and Pulp Fiction (which I can very easily do), I'm going to go over some movies that I think you should really see. So, here you go: my picks for some of the best under-seen Palme d'Or winners (in chronological order, so some are Grand Prix winners):
Brief Encounter (David Lean, United Kingdom, 1946)
"I meant to do it, Fred, I really meant to do it. I stood there trembling right on the edge, but I couldn't. I wasn't brave enough. I should like to be able to say that it was the thought of you and the children that prevented me but it wasn't. I had no thoughts at all, only an overwhelming desire not to feel anything ever again. Not to be unhappy anymore." With these words, Brief Encounter takes a turn for the worst for our central love story. Nonexistent is the Hollywood rom-com formula, where our leading lady (Celia Johnson), a depressed housewife, and leading male (Trevor Howard), an unhappily married man, do not end up together. It's a film that directly challenges the positive effects of even the most affectionate of relationships; Laura's husband (Cyril Raymond) honestly doesn't know his wife is not happy, but loves her to pieces. It's a weepy-eyed look into an extramarital affair that the audience wants to see happen, punishing viewers for daring to defy the rules of marriage. It also has the most annoying entrance of a useless character of all time; we know she's coming, but it still doesn't save us from screaming at the screen to not ruin the end of the love story.
The Lost Weekend (Billy Wilder, United States, 1946)
Several films were awarded in 1946, but all shared the same theme: unflinching looks into the dark side of reality. Italian Neorealism classic Rome, Open City also took home a prize that year, but an arguably better (though less popular) film came from the USA. Wilder's sharply written and brutally executed The Lost Weekend offers audiences the chance to experience alcoholism firsthand. With Ray Milland as the lead role, it shows us the hopelessness of escaping the disease from the point of view of a man lost in the bottle. All he wants is to be an author, but since getting rejected time and time again, he feels like his only source of happiness comes from drinking. His family is sick of helping him, and only the love of his life (Jane Wyman) wants anything to do with him anymore. Minus the tacked-on happy ending, it's a realistic, hard to watch experience that truly captures what it feels like to feel alone in the world.
Kagemusha (Akira Kurosawa, Japan, 1980)
Akira Kurosawa has crafted some of the most memorable movies in Japanese history, including none less than Yojimbo, Seven Samurai, and Rashomon. However, one of his most overlooked films remains the 1980 masterpiece Kagemusha- a startling achievement in color and epic scope. George Lucas and Francis Ford Coppola, fans of Kurosawa since film school, secured the financing for the film that would restart Kurosawa's career in the '80's (cumulating of course in Ran), eventually taking it all the way to the Cannes Film Festival. There, it tied with Bob Fosse's autobiographical All That Jazz, so it remains overshadowed by that American landmark. But Kagemusha offers something to audiences that those since the '50's haven't experienced; namely, a chance to see the Japanese filmmaker translated to the big screen. It's epic in a way most films can only begin to imagine, and though the plot is hard to follow (something about a body double for a king?), Kagemusha succeeds at having harrowingly long takes (the opening shot is unusually still, but is about a 10-minute long shot that showcases amazing acting) mixed with big edits during battle sequences. The dream sequence is a trippy film in and of itself, and stands out as one of the most dizzyingly beautiful uses of color ever. Kurosawa may remain one of the best Japanese filmmakers, and this film, arguably his masterpiece, won him his only Palme d'Or.
Farewell My Concubine (Chen Kaige, China, 1993)
China did not win a Palme d'Or until 1993, but it has become overshadowed by the first female filmmaker ever to win the prize- Jane Campion for The Piano. Despite the tie, The Piano takes all the love for the 1993 Cannes Film Festival. However, I strongly believe that Farewell My Concubine remains a far better film, and one of the only recent examples of a motion picture that truly deserves the word "epic". Tracing the modern history of China from the perspective of two child actors, Kaige's movie has shockingly effective production design that feels like he made the movie Boyhood style across 53 years. Part of China's "Fifth Generation" of filmmakers that brought the country international cinematic attention, Kaige miraculously captures the contained story of two boys (Leslie Cheung and Zhang Fenghi) who perform the same play over their careers, despite the turmoil brought on by war and the rise of the Cultural Revolution. The costumes are gorgeous, the writing is tragic (reflecting the titular play), and the scenes are graphically intense. Despite its three hour runtime, the film remains gripping throughout- a testament to the power of the story and the filmmaking prowess of Kaige. I cannot speak highly enough of this motion picture, and hope that all of you see this movie at least once; it presents the best depiction of modern Chinese history ever captured on camera, and it should be seen by everyone who loves movies.
Elephant (Gus Van Sant, United States, 2003)
Before jumping into the mainstream with films like Good Will Hunting, Gus Van Sant was a popular art house director- a genre he returned to in the 2000's with his controversial "Death Trilogy". His middle film (between Gerry and Last Days), Elephant, took home the Palme d'Or in 2003. It became the first in a long series of fictional movies that tackled the issues of the Columbine Massacre, and set the precedent for emotionless violence in the face of an unstable world. It has a steady beat throughout, and despite its violent subject matter, never glorifies the carnage depicted on the screen. Following a group of unrelated students throughout one day in high school, Van Sant shoots each segment differently depending on the student. For example, he does long takes when he follows an amateur photographer, but jumps frequently when he follows a student confused about his place in the world. The acting is top notch, and all from unknowns- making the film feel disturbingly naturalistic. By the time the shooting comes, Van Sant has soaked all the "fun" that comes from violence in a bloody mess that never loses the beat set from the onset of the narrative. It should be seen by all high school students, as it depicts the problematic representations of bullying, popularity, and relationships. A powerful work, and much different than Good Will Hunting, Van Sant's Palme d'Or win feels deserved and important.
4 Months, 3 Weeks, and 2 Days (Cristian Mungiu, Romania, 2007)
One of the subtly quiet yet immensely intense Palme d'Or winners ever. Mungiu shoots the story of a woman (Anamaria Marinca) trying to help her friend (Laura Vasiliu) get an illegal abortion from a black market predatory doctor (Vlad Ivanov) with thrilling instinct and gripping sentiment. The film, part of Romania's New Wave, gravitates the story on the woman just trying to help her friend, unrelated to the actual incident yet always a prescience. It leaves the viewer powerless to do anything in this dark (literally, poorly lit) and foreboding world of black market abortions. There's very minimal going on in the narrative, yet you can't ever say you're bored- the powerhouse trio acting in the center and the daring long takes leave you cringing throughout the whole film. The best scene? Despite the strong chemistry between the three leads, there's a very long scene at the friend's boyfriend's (Alexandru Potocean) house- all while the abortion is in its final moments. It's randomly brilliant, that works mainly because of Marinca's distracted acting- where a nearly 10-minute long take has her sitting at a table looking at the grandmother blank. Heartbreaking
Amour (Michael Haneke, Austria, 2012)
Michael Haneke is one of the few directors to win not one, but two Palme d'Ors. His first, The White Ribbon, was popular for the filmmaker, but he received international stardom after an Oscar nomination for Best Picture and Best Director for 2012's Amour. Amour, which follows an elderly couple plagued by a stroke and old age. Jean-Louis Trintignant and Emanuelle Riva, popular stars from the 1960's, unite to give two of the most heartbreaking performances in Cannes history. They love each other deeply, which makes their decisions so much harder in the wake of tragedy. Haneke films their performances with clarity and grace, and reminds viewers the importance of sticking together even in the worst of times. I held back a tear many times throughout the movie, especially when Trintignant has to choose between putting his wife in a home (thereby breaking a promise he made to her to never do that), or taking drastic measures. As evidenced in the title, Amour remains a film about one thing: love, and viewers feel just that throughout the film.
Akira Kurosawa has crafted some of the most memorable movies in Japanese history, including none less than Yojimbo, Seven Samurai, and Rashomon. However, one of his most overlooked films remains the 1980 masterpiece Kagemusha- a startling achievement in color and epic scope. George Lucas and Francis Ford Coppola, fans of Kurosawa since film school, secured the financing for the film that would restart Kurosawa's career in the '80's (cumulating of course in Ran), eventually taking it all the way to the Cannes Film Festival. There, it tied with Bob Fosse's autobiographical All That Jazz, so it remains overshadowed by that American landmark. But Kagemusha offers something to audiences that those since the '50's haven't experienced; namely, a chance to see the Japanese filmmaker translated to the big screen. It's epic in a way most films can only begin to imagine, and though the plot is hard to follow (something about a body double for a king?), Kagemusha succeeds at having harrowingly long takes (the opening shot is unusually still, but is about a 10-minute long shot that showcases amazing acting) mixed with big edits during battle sequences. The dream sequence is a trippy film in and of itself, and stands out as one of the most dizzyingly beautiful uses of color ever. Kurosawa may remain one of the best Japanese filmmakers, and this film, arguably his masterpiece, won him his only Palme d'Or.
Farewell My Concubine (Chen Kaige, China, 1993)
China did not win a Palme d'Or until 1993, but it has become overshadowed by the first female filmmaker ever to win the prize- Jane Campion for The Piano. Despite the tie, The Piano takes all the love for the 1993 Cannes Film Festival. However, I strongly believe that Farewell My Concubine remains a far better film, and one of the only recent examples of a motion picture that truly deserves the word "epic". Tracing the modern history of China from the perspective of two child actors, Kaige's movie has shockingly effective production design that feels like he made the movie Boyhood style across 53 years. Part of China's "Fifth Generation" of filmmakers that brought the country international cinematic attention, Kaige miraculously captures the contained story of two boys (Leslie Cheung and Zhang Fenghi) who perform the same play over their careers, despite the turmoil brought on by war and the rise of the Cultural Revolution. The costumes are gorgeous, the writing is tragic (reflecting the titular play), and the scenes are graphically intense. Despite its three hour runtime, the film remains gripping throughout- a testament to the power of the story and the filmmaking prowess of Kaige. I cannot speak highly enough of this motion picture, and hope that all of you see this movie at least once; it presents the best depiction of modern Chinese history ever captured on camera, and it should be seen by everyone who loves movies.
Elephant (Gus Van Sant, United States, 2003)
Before jumping into the mainstream with films like Good Will Hunting, Gus Van Sant was a popular art house director- a genre he returned to in the 2000's with his controversial "Death Trilogy". His middle film (between Gerry and Last Days), Elephant, took home the Palme d'Or in 2003. It became the first in a long series of fictional movies that tackled the issues of the Columbine Massacre, and set the precedent for emotionless violence in the face of an unstable world. It has a steady beat throughout, and despite its violent subject matter, never glorifies the carnage depicted on the screen. Following a group of unrelated students throughout one day in high school, Van Sant shoots each segment differently depending on the student. For example, he does long takes when he follows an amateur photographer, but jumps frequently when he follows a student confused about his place in the world. The acting is top notch, and all from unknowns- making the film feel disturbingly naturalistic. By the time the shooting comes, Van Sant has soaked all the "fun" that comes from violence in a bloody mess that never loses the beat set from the onset of the narrative. It should be seen by all high school students, as it depicts the problematic representations of bullying, popularity, and relationships. A powerful work, and much different than Good Will Hunting, Van Sant's Palme d'Or win feels deserved and important.
4 Months, 3 Weeks, and 2 Days (Cristian Mungiu, Romania, 2007)
One of the subtly quiet yet immensely intense Palme d'Or winners ever. Mungiu shoots the story of a woman (Anamaria Marinca) trying to help her friend (Laura Vasiliu) get an illegal abortion from a black market predatory doctor (Vlad Ivanov) with thrilling instinct and gripping sentiment. The film, part of Romania's New Wave, gravitates the story on the woman just trying to help her friend, unrelated to the actual incident yet always a prescience. It leaves the viewer powerless to do anything in this dark (literally, poorly lit) and foreboding world of black market abortions. There's very minimal going on in the narrative, yet you can't ever say you're bored- the powerhouse trio acting in the center and the daring long takes leave you cringing throughout the whole film. The best scene? Despite the strong chemistry between the three leads, there's a very long scene at the friend's boyfriend's (Alexandru Potocean) house- all while the abortion is in its final moments. It's randomly brilliant, that works mainly because of Marinca's distracted acting- where a nearly 10-minute long take has her sitting at a table looking at the grandmother blank. Heartbreaking
Amour (Michael Haneke, Austria, 2012)
Michael Haneke is one of the few directors to win not one, but two Palme d'Ors. His first, The White Ribbon, was popular for the filmmaker, but he received international stardom after an Oscar nomination for Best Picture and Best Director for 2012's Amour. Amour, which follows an elderly couple plagued by a stroke and old age. Jean-Louis Trintignant and Emanuelle Riva, popular stars from the 1960's, unite to give two of the most heartbreaking performances in Cannes history. They love each other deeply, which makes their decisions so much harder in the wake of tragedy. Haneke films their performances with clarity and grace, and reminds viewers the importance of sticking together even in the worst of times. I held back a tear many times throughout the movie, especially when Trintignant has to choose between putting his wife in a home (thereby breaking a promise he made to her to never do that), or taking drastic measures. As evidenced in the title, Amour remains a film about one thing: love, and viewers feel just that throughout the film.
Honorable Mentions: As previously stated, I've spent the past few months watching some of the Palme d'Or winners, and while I wanted to highlight the hidden gems, I also want to call your attention to some of the other big winners. Here are all the other, more mainstream Palme d'Or winners I have ever seen (please comment if you want to talk about them!): Rome Open City, Marty, The Third Man, La Dolce Vita, MASH, The Conversation, Taxi Driver, Apocalypse Now, All That Jazz, Sex Lies and Videotape, Barton Fink, The Piano, Pulp Fiction, The Pianist, and The Tree of Life.
On Friday, we're turning our attention to the blockbuster sensations that have captivated the world's imagination: the Marvel Cinematic Universe movies, ranked from worst to best!
On Friday, we're turning our attention to the blockbuster sensations that have captivated the world's imagination: the Marvel Cinematic Universe movies, ranked from worst to best!
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