Kieslowski

Started by SubstanceD, February 18, 2003, 01:44:16 PM

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

SoNowThen

I saw Double Life Of Veronique last night.

I must say, I'm supremely disappointed. It wasn't a bad movie; the shots were interesting, the music was wonderful, the sound design was ballsy, the acting was top notch, and there was nothing cheesy about the story. BUT -- I totally completely missed the point (because with a great director like Kieslowski I'll give the benefit of the doubt and figure it was my problem and not his). The whole movie just added up to zilch for me. I was going "doubles, yeah got that. Connected lives, yep, uh huh. Puppets and masters, yeah yeah, I see what he's jiving at"... but still, nothing.

So I'm hoping those that have seen it wanna discuss it a little bit.

Oh, closing note, Irene Jacob = sexy sexy sexy. Don't know why she deserved best actress at Cannes for this, though.
Those who say that the totalitarian state of the Soviet Union was not "real" Marxism also cannot admit that one simple feature of Marxism makes totalitarianism necessary:  the rejection of civil society. Since civil society is the sphere of private activity, its abolition and replacement by political society means that nothing private remains. That is already the essence of totalitarianism; and the moralistic practice of the trendy Left, which regards everything as political and sometimes reveals its hostility to free speech, does nothing to contradict this implication.

When those who hated capital and consumption (and Jews) in the 20th century murdered some hundred million people, and the poster children for the struggle against international capitalism and America are now fanatical Islamic terrorists, this puts recent enthusiasts in an awkward position. Most of them are too dense and shameless to appreciate it, and far too many are taken in by the moralistic and paternalistic rhetoric of the Left.

Myxo

Quote from: SoNowThenI saw Double Life Of Veronique last night.

I must say, I'm supremely disappointed. It wasn't a bad movie; the shots were interesting, the music was wonderful, the sound design was ballsy, the acting was top notch, and there was nothing cheesy about the story. BUT -- I totally completely missed the point (because with a great director like Kieslowski I'll give the benefit of the doubt and figure it was my problem and not his). The whole movie just added up to zilch for me. I was going "doubles, yeah got that. Connected lives, yep, uh huh. Puppets and masters, yeah yeah, I see what he's jiving at"... but still, nothing.

So I'm hoping those that have seen it wanna discuss it a little bit.

Oh, closing note, Irene Jacob = sexy sexy sexy. Don't know why she deserved best actress at Cannes for this, though.

I had the same experience. Exactly.

Myxo

So, is the Decalogue worth sitting through?

I am a huge, huge fan of Three Colors and was wondering what it's like and if I might as well blind buy it instead of renting. I think Kieslowski is amazing.

Ghostboy

YES. But you don't have to (nor should you) sit through the whole thing at once. Watch one or two a night over several days. I think it's a much better work than Three Colors, actually...I'd go so far on good days as to call it one of the greatest cinematic works of all time.

w/o horse

Raven haired Linda and her school mate Linnea are studying after school, when their desires take over and they kiss and strip off their clothes. They take turns fingering and licking one another's trimmed pussies on the desks, then fuck each other to intense orgasms with colorful vibrators.

I Don't Believe in Beatles

http://losangeles.craigslist.org/eve/156322156.html

The first two parts have already shown but that's no excuse not to go!
"A film is - or should be - more like music than like fiction. It should be a progression of moods and feelings. The theme, what's behind the emotion, the meaning, all that comes later." --Stanley Kubrick

samsong

i saw The Double Life of Veronique at lacma.  the print was shitty.  i agree somewhat to the other assessments offered already, in that i don't think it's best film like so many will many i know will be quick to deem it as.  it's still really good, though.  Blue is my favorite film of kieslowski's.

Blind Chance made me want to slit my wrists.  not quite as focused as the films he made later in his career--i'm basing this one the Three Colors Trilogy--but as passionate and inventive as you can expect him to be.  the film's like a nice punch in the face from a good friend. check it out, it's a fantastic film.  A Short Film About Love is beautiful.

Chest Rockwell

So I'm looking to buy The Decalogue. Anyone have any thoughts on which DVD to buy (since none of them seem to be definitive) or on the chance of a new set coming out any time soon?

I checked DVDBeaver's analysis and it seems either the expensive Polish set or the Korean Infinity release(there's also a cheaper "barebones" Korean set from Doremi also...same transfer?) would be the way to go for the time being. Is the R1 set fine enough? Should I just wait and see if a better DVD comes along?

edison

A week or so ago I saw Double Life... for the first time. I though it was ok but it really didn't do anything for me. The criterion disc looks great though, love the colors throughout and the music to me was very haunting and Irene was fantastic. A couple days later I gave it another shot and it just clicked. I was able to piece the puzzle together and catch so many things I missed out the first time. I really love this film.

As for the criterion set, the extras on the two-discs really helped me appreciate the film more. Excellent commentary and the behind the scenes stuff was interesting. Can't wait to dive into my newly purchased Three Colors set to experience more Kieslowski.

Lottery



Kieslowski asks people from different ages and backgrounds 3 questions (when were you born, who are you and what do you want/what is important to you). Candid and honest.




Korova

Who the fuck was in charge of that decision? I'm going to watch the original in protest of this dumb project. (well, it won't be dumb, if it'll be wonderful but what are the odds?)

wilder


wilder

mk2's Decalogue restoration


wilder

New 4K Restoration of Krzysztof Kieślowski's Masterwork Dekalog Heading to U.S. Theaters
via blu-ray.com

Janus Films has announced that the new restoration of Dekalog, Krzysztof Kieślowski's masterwork and one of the twentieth century's greatest achievements in visual storytelling, is heading back to U.S. theaters.

The complete 10-part epic, newly-restored on the occasion of the 20th anniversary of Kieślowski's death, will begin its U.S. theatrical run at the IFC Center in New York on September 2nd, Los Angeles on September 17th at Cinefamily, and will be accompanied by a national roll out to 20+ cities, followed by the Blu-ray release on September 27th.

Originally made for Polish television, Dekalog focuses on the residents of a housing complex in late-Communist Poland, whose lives become subtly intertwined as they face emotional dilemmas that are at once deeply personal and universally human. The series' ten hour-long films draw from the Ten Commandments for thematic inspiration and an overarching structure, and grapple deftly with complex moral and existential questions concerning life, death, love, hate, truth, and the passage of time. Shot by nine different cinematographers, written alongside longtime collaborator Krzysztof Piesiewicz, with stirring music by Zbigniew Preisner and compelling performances from established and unknown actors alike, Dekalog arrestingly explores the unknowable forces that shape our lives.

This new digital transfer of Dekalog was sourced from the 35mm original camera negatives provided by Telewizja Polska and stored at Filmoteka Narodow. When possible, the restoration of each episode was supervised and approved by its respective cinematographer.