The earliest films that came to light by the end of the 19th century from the Edison and Lumière brothers labs were comprised of real-life footage of ordinary actions and places.
Shortly, a rich French professional magician named Georges Méliès accidentally discovered stop-motion photography that led to the first form of special effects. From that decisive moment onward, cinema ceased to be a sheer film-recorder and evolved into a brand new medium where reality and illusion meet, coalesce and become inseparable.
The infinite possibilities that results from that merge are the theme of the Contemporary Image Collective s second film marathon, arriving hot on the heels of the successful first marathon held last January.
Each of the exquisite movies screened – that feature the works of Godard, Mel Brooks, Soderberg, Woody Allen and Cronenberg among others – is a manifestation of the thin line that separates the real from the fantastical. Some of these films deliberately shatter the fourth wall that splits the viewers from the actual movie to either draw them inside the film or to make them aware that what they re watching is, after all, not reality but an imitation of it.
Like the last film marathon, each of the following movies is definitely worth watching. The following films though are the most challenging, provocative and groundbreaking of the bunch.
The Double Life of Veronique (1991)The late great polish filmmaker Krzysztof Kieslowski ( The Decalogue, Three Colors Trilogy ) was a master of coincidence. Many of his films explored mysterious realms of life lying outside the territory of reason or rationality.
His Vironique tells the story of Vironika and Véronique; the former is a Polish soprano and the latter is a French music teacher. (Both played by French actress Irene Jacob). They were both born the same day, share the same singing talent, look identical, share the same heart problems yet aren t aware of the existence of each other.
Vironika dies in her debut performance. Véronique is suddenly hit with burst of deep grief for reasons she can t put her fingers on and decides to abandon her singing ambitions. Later, she becomes entangled in another mystery when she s sent some puzzling, unidentified tapes that might lead to some major discoveries.
Kieslowski uses a sepia overlay that blends the ethereal and dreamlike aspect of the story as if life, in spite of everything, is one unreasonable scheme perfectly set by a hidden force that shapes our destinies in ways we can never comprehend.
Jacob is utterly sublime as the two characters that face the joys and pains ensued by life s riddles. What determine the path of one s life, according to Kieslowski are not our choices; it s the simple twist of fate that might end one s life and sustain another.
Sullivan s Travels (1941)Preston Sturges ( The Lady Eve ) released his seminal masterpiece midway through his career about a successful comedy filmmaker (Joel McCrea) who, disguised as a tramp and accompanied by an aspirant actress (Veronica Lake), embarks on a journey to grasp poverty in order to shoot a film about the browbeaten poor of America.
Sullivan, along with Cinema Paradiso, is one of the most powerful and beloved films about the deep impact of cinema on ordinary people. Headed by a top-notch cast with the beautiful Ms. Lake delivering the most playful and heart-stealing performance of her career; Sturges infuses his film with buoyancy produced from his always detailed characterization and hilarious, yet sophisticated, comedic sequences.
Sullivan s last act though totally deviates from the overall tone of the film when Sturges finally throws his protagonist into the world of the unfortunates where the whimsy of the first two acts is swapped for the cold brush of reality.
After witnessing some of the rare cruel and distressing footage Sturges valiantly shot; the compelling force of cinema is finally illustrated in one of the most magical moments in history when some down-on-their-luck prisoners are shown a Mickey Mouse cartoon. Sixty-six years later, Sullivan remains poignant, warm, sincere and highly enjoyable.
Stalker (1979)In a post apocalyptic Russia; a writer, representing art, and a scientist, personifying science, are accompanied discreetly to an abandoned city called the Zone by the Stalker, the guide of this place who embodies the pure concept of faith.
In the Zone lies a place called The Room, a place where one s deepest wishes come true. During the expedition, the washed-up writer and skeptical scientist question the truth of the Zone, their own existence and the Stalker’s undisclosed intentions.
Russian director Andrei Tarkovsky has always been known as cinema s most taxing and difficult director for his extremely slow paced films that demand a lot from their audiences. Stalker is science-fiction picture set in an ordinary environment where dangers are implied but never shown.
The Russian maverick doesn t attempt to suspend reality in the first part of the film. Astonishingly though, the minimal choice of the set strikes doubt in the viewers heart until they question the validity of The Zone just like the writer and the scientist so that the entire film becomes a big test of one s own faith.
Tarkovsky, over almost three hours, provides his viewers plenty of space and time to not only contemplate the characters qualms, but their own personal feelings as well.
Stalker is, in essence, one of the greatest films about faith. The writer and scientist (reason) don t and can t believe in the existence of a place (Heaven, God) where irrational things can occur. On the other hand, the Stalker wholeheartedly believes in the Zone even though he s never entered the room since he simply needs to believe. There are possibilities that the Zone is a mere creation inside the brains of those who believe in it; but the Stalker, and his followers, require it to justify their lives, their actions and the absurdity of everything else.
Dogville (2003)Lars Von Trier, the distinguished sadist Dane, shocked the world four years ago with this underrated and misunderstood first part of his American trilogy.
The film sees the peculiar, naive and kindhearted Grace (Nicole Kidman) taking shelter in the small American town Dogville during the depression. The town folks, lead by the misguided idealist Tom Edison (Paul Bettany), at first accept her and embrace her. When they learn that Grace is wanted by the authorities, their demands gradually increase until they reach a nightmarish, devastating climax.
Dogville is set against a large soundstage with no actual set pieces and a limited number of accessories. Houses and roads are marked on the floor by chalk and the actors pretend, for example, to open doors that don t exist. It s an odd and daring experiment that strips the town folks of their masks and false pretenses.
Von Trier, whose films often revolve around female martyrs sacrificing their bodies and souls for a bigger purpose, gives Grace the same treatment. The physical and psychological torment Grace is exposed to is so intense and cruel that it forced me to pause the movie a few times the first time I watched it as I became emotionally drained near the end. Von Trier, by punishing both his characters and audiences, is making a grand comment on the basic nature of American society that, through its endless prospects and projected dreams, welcomes millions of strangers but punishes them if they ever fail to comply.
The last act of the film is the real revelation where Von Trier breaks the pattern of his last few films for an ending that unearths hidden dimensions of its viewers, judging by the way they react to it. You might get caught in the thrill of those last few minutes, but you ll eventually end up numb, confused and possibly repulsed at the true significance of your response.
CIC s second film marathon starts today at 2 pm and ends tomorrow at 2 pm.
List of films:The Double Life of Veronique, Krzysztof Krieslowski, 1991, Poland, 96 minFirst Name: Carmen, Jean Luc G
odard, 1983, France, 85 minKiss of the Spider Woman, Hector Babenco, 1986, USA, 119 minThe Producers, Mel Brooks, 1968, USA, 90 minSex, Lies and Video Tape, Steven Soderberg, 1989, USA, 99 minSullivan s Travels, Preston Sturges, 1941, USA, 91 minThe War Game, Peter Watkins, 1965, Britain, 47 minWR: Mysteries of the Organism, Dusan Makavajev, 1971, Yugoslavia, 84 minZelig, Woody Allen, 1983, USA, 79 minRoGoPaG, Rosselini, Godard, Pasolini, Gregoretti, 1962, Italy, 118 minStalker, Andrei Tarkovsky, 1977, USSR, 155 minExistenz, David Kronenberg, 1999, USA, 97 minAnnie Hall, Woody Allen, 1977, USA, 93 minDogville, Lars Von Trier, 2002, Denmark, 178 min
Contemporary Image Collective: 20 Safeya Zaghloul Street off El Kasr El Aini Street, Mounira. Tel (02) 794 1686 or (02) 012 115 8600
