10 great minimalist films that are worth your time « taste of cinema - 2
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3/5/2015 10GreatMinimalistFilmsThatAreWorthYourTimeTasteofCinema
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10GreatMinimalistFilmsThatAreWorthYourTime30April2015|Features,FilmLists|byHassanHusseini
5.Alice(JanSvankmajer,1988)
EventheliterarylaymanisfamiliarwithLewisCarrollsAlicesAdventuresinWonderland.Eventhosewhohavenotreaditarefamiliarofthenovelsubiquitousuniverse,ofitspsychedelic,transformativeandabsurdworldofwhiterabbitswithpocketwatchesandhookahsmokingcaterpillars.
JanSvankmajerwallowsintheabsurd.Hisfilmsarepeculiarlittlethingsthatheconjuresupthroughtheotherwordlyjerkymovementofstopmotion.Svankmajerprobablyrecognizedthestrangeelusivenessofthenovelasitscruxsohenarrowedhisfilmdowntoasurrealcollectionoftextures,weirdmovementandhypersounds.TheuniverseofthenovelistranslatedintoanoneiricstreamofconsciousnesstalethattakesAlicesmostinterestingelement,thatofspatialandtemporaldisorientation,andamplifiesit.
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3/5/2015 10GreatMinimalistFilmsThatAreWorthYourTimeTasteofCinema
http://www.tasteofcinema.com/2015/10greatminimalistfilms/2/ 2/12
Thefilmsubstitutesmostofthedialogueinthenovelwithasurrealmagnificationofsounds,offootsteps,tickingclocks,creakingandcracklingofwoodandrustymetalandimagesofgrotesquetransformation.WeseeAliceinherroom,clutteredwithobjectslikerottenapples,butterfliesinglasscasing,fossilsandgeishafaceddolls.Wehearanantiqueclockticking.
ThenweseeAlicethrowingstonesintoacupoftea.Whenshestaresatawhitebulbaboveherhead,wehearelectricalnoise.Herattentionisdrawnnexttoamodelrabbitescapingitsglassyconfinement.Itdressesinoldfashionedclothesandbreakstheglasswithapairoflongscissors.Thescenesareenhancedbysoundsthatseemanexaggerationoftheactualsounds,thatofcreakingwoodandclickingoftherabbitsfeetasitwalksoutofitsglassycell.
Thefilmiscleveratrevealingtimeandspaceasillusoryandeverchanging.Onesecond,Aliceisinherroom,thenextsheistransportedtoasandywasteland.AdrawerappearsintowhichAliceisswallowed.Again,shefindsherselfinadifferentplace,thatofamoldycavernalludingtothatofCarrollsrabbithole.Theinterchangesarecleverlyinterwoven,robbingspaceofanysolidity.
Theminimaltreatmentofthenovelbyfocusingonaspecificmood,enhancedbyaworldofrustynails,sawdustlunches,andtearsthatcandrownaroomprioritizesemotionoverthecerebral.Aliceattimeslookslikeshehasbeenswallowedbyacarpentryworkshopthathasgonehaywire.Svankmajerdepartsevenfurtherfromthenovelbynotgivingtheaudienceanykeytodecipherthischildnightmare.Hismainconcernseemstosimplydragusoffintothismenacinglabyrinthofmagnifiedtextureandsound.
4.ThePassionofJoanofArc(CarlTheodorDreyer,1928)
CarlTheodorDreyersvisualtranslationoftheaccountofJoanofArcstrialandexecutionisanutterlyminimalone.Dreyerhereminimizesthehistoricalinhisretellingandstressesoncapturingthegutchurningsufferingofhisunfortunatemaidpossessingheavenlyvisions.
Thestorygoes:AcountrymaidleadstheFrenchtroopsagainsttheBritishoccupationandiseventuallycaptured.Sheisbroughtbeforejudgesofachurchcourtandaccusedofheresyforrevealingthatherbeliefshadbeenthecauseofcelestialvisions.Shewouldbetorturedandlatercrucifiedatthestake.
Dreyersfilmdispenseswithspatialcontinuityorcostumedramaextravaganzainfavourofasuccessionofcloseups.ThestrikingelementisMariaFalconetti(thoughheronlyfilm)asJeanneDarc,whoembodiesthefearandsufferingweighingdownonthesacrificialmaidassheisaccusedandhumiliatedbeforeaseaofangryfaces.
Dreyeraimshiscameraconstantlyatfaces,juxtaposingJoanofArcssad,teardrenchedwitheringfacewiththat
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3/5/2015 10GreatMinimalistFilmsThatAreWorthYourTimeTasteofCinema
http://www.tasteofcinema.com/2015/10greatminimalistfilms/2/ 3/12
ofthestubbornandunsympatheticfacesofheraccusers.ThoughDreyer,inoppositiontoBressonsrigorousdiscipline,makesuseofFalconettistheatricalbackgroundandemotionaldisplays.Butherestrictsthefilmtocloseupsandmediumshotsofthefaces,andsobringsusintocontactwiththefundamentalelementofthishistoricalaccount:despair.
3.Suspiria(DarioArgento,1977)
ThemuchimitatedbutneverrivaledDarioArgentotakesinfluencefromthemacabretalesofEdgarAllenPoeandconstructscolourfulandrichnightmares.GenerichorrormayhaveabadrepovertheyearsforitsoverinvolvementinsensationandindulgingthebodyinquickjerkyreactionsandthoughArgentodabblesincheapscareseverynowandthen,hisfilmsrelateverymuchtoagenuinefeelingofdread.
Suspiriausesaversionofasimpleandoutdatednarrative.AnAmericangirlarrivesataballetacademyinMunichthatturnsouttobeafrontforawitchcovenwhosadisticallymurderstheyoungaspiringballetstudents.Notmuchelsehappensintermsofplot.AswithGlazerinUnderTheSkin,Argentosinterestliesinblazingavisualtrailofterrorandfearinsteadofrelyingonplotparticulars.Nothingdoesorissupposedtomakesenseinthefilm.
Argentotakestimetocomposehisshotsanddecoratehisballetschool.TheschoolisenameledinredvelvetandhauntedbyrichGothicinteriors.Hisgeometriccompositionsindulgeintheschoolscomplexarchitectureandhelightssceneswithoverwhelmingreds,greensandblues.Thekillingsaredisturbinglygruesomenotbecauseoftheirviolentnaturebutbecausetheyareinstantlyattractivetotheeye.
Thefirstkillinginthefilmisalabyrinthoftheunnatural.Itendswithagirlbeingstabbedandhungbytheneckinaspaciousroom,breakingtheceilingglass,suspendedlikeaniconsurroundedbycomplimentingarchitecturalshapes.Spilledbloodtakesonavelvetyrougecolour.Thecameraslowlytrailsdownfromthegirlssuspendedbloodiedfeettoherfriendlyingonthefloor,shardsofglassinherbodyandface.Thepoolsofblood,colouredglassshardsandcheckerboardfloorallformonebiggorymural.
Argentoisapainterpaintingwithfatbloodystrokes,nonchalantaboutthepaintingscontent,rathertheatmosphereofitandhowitinstantlycreepsintotheunconscious.HeisreminiscentofBoschandhiscolourfullandscapesofthegrotesque.ThisiswhatgivesArgentotheedgeovermanyotherhorrorfilmmakerslookingtoinspirephysiologicalreactions.
2.12AngryMen(SidneyLumet,1957)
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3/5/2015 10GreatMinimalistFilmsThatAreWorthYourTimeTasteofCinema
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Maybethemostdramaticandprolixfilmonthislist,12AngryMenisstilldaringinitsspatialcondensation.Thefilm,exceptfortheopeningandepilogue,takesplaceinajuryroomandoccasionallyinthenextdoorbathroom.12menwithutterlydifferentqualitiesargueovertheinnocenceofaboywhoisconvictedofstabbinghisfather.
Thecluespointtowardstheboysguilt,somostofthemenpronouncehimguilty.One,playedbythelankybuttenaciousHenryFonda,hasadifferentpointofview.Hedoesntsaytheboyisinnocentbutthathecouldbe.Theyarguefortheremainderofthefilm,somemoreaggressivelythanothers.Theykeepmullinganddiggingthroughcluesuntileventually,allmembersdecideontheboysinnocence.Butthetruthofthecrimeisneverrevealed.
Ourexperienceiscenteredontheconfrontationbetweenthemen.ThecrimeiswhatHitchcockcalledaMcGuffin,adevicethatactsasatriggerfortheplotbutinitselfisunimportantandinterchangeable.Thoughhere,theMcGuffinservesnoplot.Moreimportantly,thecrimerevealsmoreandmoreaboutthe12personalities,theirbehaviorisobservedandtheirweaknessesgraduallypronouncedwhenreactingtodifferentaspectsofthecase.
Thefilmsubstitutesspatialvarietywithamyriadofpersonalities.Acalmlycalculatingstockbrocker.Awisecrackingsalesman.Astubbornseniorcitizen.Avacantadvertisingmanwho,maybethinkingheisinabusinessmeeting,swayingbackandforthinhisdecisiondependingonwhatthemajorityagreewith.Andotherswiththeirownquirksandshortcomingsthatimbuethefilmwithvivacity.
Theroomgraduallyintensifiesastheargumentsbecomemoreheatedandthehostilityunfurls.Lumetheightensthebadbloodamongthemenbygraduallychangingthefocallengthofhiscameralensessothattheroomwouldlooksmallerandsmaller,asifclosinginonthecharacters.Limitingafilmandrestrictingitsspatialbarriershasalwaysbeenagreatvisualtoolforexploringamindindoubt,disorientationorinescapability.
RomanPolanskididthesameinRepulsion,manaclingCaroltoherflattodrawherdelusionsofrapeaswellasTheTenanttoshowafracturedmind.SodidAlfredHitchcockwithhisfilmRope,wherehischaractersarecaughtatamoralimpasseaftermurderingtheircolleague.Itallunfoldsinasinglesetting.ThroughLumetscamera,wemoderatelycometoknowhis12characters,theirbehavior,andpeculiarhabits.
1.Duel(StevenSpielberg,1971)
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3/5/2015 10GreatMinimalistFilmsThatAreWorthYourTimeTasteofCinema
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Spielbergsfirstfeaturefilmsdealsintimatelywithparanoiathroughanelementaryanduncompromisedstoryline.Atravelingsalesmanisbeingchaseddownthehighwaybyasadisticfueltankerwhowantstoplaymindgames.Thefilminhabitstheunfortunatemansmindsetonhispsychologicaljourneytofindreasonforthetruckdriverserraticassaults.
ForafilmbythemanwhodirectedSavingPrivateRyanandAI,Spielbergseemsathismostpotentinthissimplequicknarrativeofthoroughfaremolestation.Maybehavingmoremoneyandmoremeanscanmakeafilmmakerforgetabouttheintricaciesofthemodest.Onlyverylittleinformationisgivenoftheprotagonistandneartononeisgivenofhisassailant.Thefilmthenplacesusinapositionofinstabilitylikethatoftheparanoidtruckdriversvictim.
Onceagain,theprotagonististaughtnomoralizinglessonsabouthisorthelifeofothers.Ourinitialthoughtsofwhatonemightcallaplotleadustobelievethatonceweknowwhothissadistonthestreetis,thenwegetaclearerpictureoftheunfortunateprotagonisthimself.Thatnotioniscrushedundertwotonsofsteel,aswegetnoanswerstothewhyoreventhewho.Duelisnotaboutthewhosorwhys.Itisaboutrawexperience.
Thesalesmanlaterstopsnexttoastrandedandoverheatedbusfullofchildren.Heactsunhingedwhenthetruckisspottedagain.Herushesawayinhiscarandturnsaroundtospotthefueltankerstopbehindthebus.Thetruckdriverhelpspushthebusbackontrack.Thesalesmangrowsmoreconfusedwiththeerraticallymoralperformanceofhisassailant.Thefilmtellsusitisstrictlyaboutparanoiaandhowwetendtoexaggerateourownfearsasmuchastheimaginationallows.
AuthorBio:HassanHusseiniisafilmfanaticfromLebanonandcurrentlyresidesinNewcastleuponTyne,England.HehasaBAinGraphicDesignandhasjustfinishedaBAinFilmStudiesfromNorthumbriaUniversity.HisresearchincludesEuropeanCinema,SexandTransgressioninthefilmsofPierPaoloPasolini,SerialKillersinfilm,andtherepresentationofdeathincinemaandtelevision.
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CharlesBarnes 2daysagoWait,Suspiriaisaminimalistfilm?ThesameSuspiriawiththeboomingGoblinsoundtrack,bucketsofblood,andexaggeratedcolours,revellingintherampant,excessivemurderscenesofyoungwomen(andablindman)?
Ohdear.
Yourpieceonitonlyservestofurthertheideathatitisratherfarfromaminimalistfilms.Onthecontrary,Argento'sschtickwasbeingasselfindulgent,stylishandsadisticallybombasticashepossiblycould(anditwasglorious!).
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GaryPorter 2daysago
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GaryPorter 2daysagoThePerfectHuman.Afriendputonthisb&wDanishfilm,andmyimmediatereactionwas,ffs,getthatb*llocksoff.Within5minutesIwasutterlyenthralledandattheendaskedifhecouldrepeatit.Wonderousandunexpectedevent.
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YigruZeltil 2daysagoSuchavaguedefinitionof"minimalism"...
Where'sOssos?OrSyndromesandaCentury?Or4Months,3Weeksand2Days?OrUskiRoti?
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DermotClarke 2daysagoSo...thisisalistoffilmsyoujustsortoflikeingeneral?Oralistoffilmsyou'veactuallysetagainstsomecriteria?
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CaelusChampion 2daysagoLMAOatcomparingSexyBeasttoUTS.SexyBeastistenmilliontimesthepictureUTSis.Boring,pretentious,shallowBSmasqueradingasart.NOTFOOLEDJAY,NOTFOOLEDATALL
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