MILOS FORMAN

Started by godardian, May 28, 2003, 03:27:25 PM

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godardian

May 28, 2003, 03:27:25 PM
Just watched Loves of a Blonde yesterday, and it far surpassed anything else I've ever seen of Forman's, and I include Cuckoo's Nest in that statement. It was beautiful. It reminded of in some sections of Truffaut, especially Antoine and Colette. Really remarkable.

I plan to watch The Firemen's Ball later this week, too.

Anyone else a fan or Forman's early films, or interested in comparing/contrasting the merits/deficiencies of early work compared to later work?
""Money doesn't come into it. It never has. I do what I do because it's all that I am." - Morrissey

"Lacan stressed more and more in his work the power and organizing principle of the symbolic, understood as the networks, social, cultural, and linguistic, into which a child is born. These precede the birth of a child, which is why Lacan can say that language is there from before the actual moment of birth. It is there in the social structures which are at play in the family and, of course, in the ideals, goals, and histories of the parents. This world of language can hardly be grasped by the newborn and yet it will act on the whole of the child's existence."

Stay informed on protecting your freedom of speech and civil rights.

Gold Trumpet

#1
May 28, 2003, 03:50:53 PM
I've seen most of Loves of a Blonde (though I rather not officially comment on the merits of the film) and Fireman's Ball and am very shocked to how daring those films were in its approach to comedy. His American years and I do mean American in how he changed his approach, are with a lot of very good films and some great ones, but I'm still feeling a little less satisfied because of how typical they really all are. At best, they are great reworkings of a factory made product and seem only to show to the conformity Froman willingly made in being a more commercial filmmaker. And commercial he was, considering in the last 30 or so years, he is one of two filmmakers to have 2 films win best picture at the oscars.  That being said, I absolutely loved Fireman's Ball, its methodical pacing and hope for a filmmaker who even at so young back then, was very much experimenting. I wish Forman could have at least continued to experiment and grow as a filmmaker as he got famous instead of tackling subjects that seemed popular or neat for him to do at the time. Both early movies showed much promise and he detoured from it.

~rougerum

Redlum

#2
May 28, 2003, 04:31:01 PM
Take a look at Man on the Moon, too. I think its got quite a lot more of obvious directorial stylings in there compared to say Cuckoos nest. Its difficult to compare a persons work when it spreads a considerable amount of time, though. It could just be the changing technology in films, but Ill certainly have to take a look at this 'Loves of a Blonde'.

He also has a great role in Ed Norton's Keeping the Faith, where he gives a lengthy talk on women and religion, whilst somking a fat cuban.
\"I wanted to make a film for kids, something that would present them with a kind of elementary morality. Because nowadays nobody bothers to tell those kids, \'Hey, this is right and this is wrong\'.\"
  -  George Lucas

Mesh

#3
May 28, 2003, 04:38:12 PM
Quote from: The Gold TrumpetFroman

Abe?  Sausage King of Chicago?

:)

Mesh

#4
May 28, 2003, 04:43:24 PM
Ranking the Forman films I've seen:

1.  Amadeus
2.  One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest
3.  The People Vs. Larry Flynt
4.  Man on the Moon
5.  Valmont

godardian

#5
May 28, 2003, 04:45:07 PM
Quote from: MeshRanking the Forman films I've seen:

1.  Amadeus
2.  One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest
3.  The People Vs. Larry Flynt
4.  Man on the Moon
5.  Valmont

I've never seen Amadeus or Valmont.  :oops:

I've seen the others and remember than as good, but not much else... Cuckoo's Nest had some very nice moments, obviously.
""Money doesn't come into it. It never has. I do what I do because it's all that I am." - Morrissey

"Lacan stressed more and more in his work the power and organizing principle of the symbolic, understood as the networks, social, cultural, and linguistic, into which a child is born. These precede the birth of a child, which is why Lacan can say that language is there from before the actual moment of birth. It is there in the social structures which are at play in the family and, of course, in the ideals, goals, and histories of the parents. This world of language can hardly be grasped by the newborn and yet it will act on the whole of the child's existence."

Stay informed on protecting your freedom of speech and civil rights.

Mesh

#6
May 28, 2003, 04:52:47 PM
Quote from: godardian
I've never seen Amadeus

Wonderful on so many levels.  His masterpiece, if you ask me, mostly because the material suited his style better than it did in Cuckoo's Nest, IMO.

bonanzataz

#7
May 28, 2003, 08:37:41 PM
i met him at a screening of cuckoo's nest followed by a q/a. who wants to touch me?
The corpses all hang headless and limp bodies with no surprises and the blood drains down like devil's rain we'll bathe tonight I want your skulls I need your skulls I want your skulls I need your skulls Demon I am and face I peel to see your skin turned inside out, 'cause gotta have you on my wall gotta have you on my wall, 'cause I want your skulls I need your skulls I want your skulls I need your skulls collect the heads of little girls and put 'em on my wall hack the heads off little girls and put 'em on my wall I want your skulls I need your skulls I want your skulls I need your skulls

modage

#8
May 28, 2003, 10:25:15 PM
i really liked THE LOVES OF A BLONDE too.  it was a really small picture, but good.  some nice human moments.  it did remind me of some of truffauts movies for sure.  i liked the whole part with the boys family.  pretty funny.  seemed pretty truthful, sad.  i liked the shot of them laying naked together with their hands covering up the good bits.  that was nice.
Christopher Nolan's directive was clear to everyone in the cast and crew: Use CGI only as a last resort.

sexterossa

#9
May 30, 2003, 12:20:28 AM
too bad he is not very prolific. his last effort wasn't very good.
I dream of birds and sometimes they land and burst into flames. And I dream my teeth are rotting. And when I am awake, I dream of you.

Spike

#10
May 30, 2003, 07:38:23 AM
I enjoyed all films I saw by Milos Forman. That were "One Flew over the cukoo's nest", "The People vs. Larry Flynt" and "Man on the moon". I haven't seen "Amadeus" yet and I would really like to see his early work. "Black Peter" and "Loves of a Blonde" was in Germany a couple of months ago on TV but I missed it.  
Where did you see Formans early films?
"We're gonna celebrate St. Suck-My-Big-Fat-Fucking-Sausage'a!!!"

The Silver Bullet

#11
May 30, 2003, 09:24:03 AM
I love Amadeus, and if I had a job and money I would so very buy it in all its two disc special edition glory. The piece is wonderful. Long enough to completely engulf the viewer, enjoyable enough to keep them entertained, and emotional enough to draw a response.

Forman creates a film of wonderful individual moments and scenes that when placed together, create the whole, and what a wonderful whole it is too. The film has enough brilliant scenes, the sort of scenes that only pop up once or twice in most Oscar winners, to keep Hollywood in business for six years. The scene in which Mozart takes the piece Salieri wrote for him and makes it better; the scene in which Salieri burns the crucifix; the sequence in which Mozart dictates the perfectly formed Requiem to Salieri...this is truly the stuff of which pure cinematic brilliance is made, no?

Forman also directs some of the best performances you'll ever see, and F. Murray Abraham fucking shines in the role of Salieri. Personally, he transforms the character into one the most wonderful screen villains in history, and my personal favourite. Tom Hulce is superb as Mozart, which goes without saying if you've seen the film. What really works also is the casting of the supporting players, each of whom is perfect for his or her respective role.

I don't even need to mention the music [though I just did]. The music is brilliant, wonderful, and the set pieces on stage are masterpieces in themselves.

This is not a review, just a rant, and you know, who cares? I will defend this film to the grave. For me, it is an example of cinema at its best, and by God, this is one film that I believe deserves a whole heap of celebrating.
RABBIT n. pl. rab·bits or rabbit[list=1]
  • Any of various long-eared, short-tailed, burrowing mammals of the family Leporidae.
  • A hare.
    [/list:o][/size]

82

#12
May 30, 2003, 10:31:09 AM
Amadeus was my first DVD... and now a couple hundred later I bought the double disc director's cut...

It is quite the piece of cinema
"We're all one thing, Lieutenant. That's what I've come to realize. Like cells in a body. 'Cept we can't see the body. The way fish can't see the ocean. And so we envy each other. Hurt each other. Hate each other. How silly is that? A heart cell hating a lung cell"

dufresne

#13
May 30, 2003, 01:45:50 PM
Quote from: The Silver Bullet

thank you.
There are shadows in life, baby.

godardian

#14
May 30, 2003, 06:46:35 PM
Quote from: Spike
Where did you see Formans early films?

Loves of a Blonde and The Firemen's Ball are on Criterion DVD.
""Money doesn't come into it. It never has. I do what I do because it's all that I am." - Morrissey

"Lacan stressed more and more in his work the power and organizing principle of the symbolic, understood as the networks, social, cultural, and linguistic, into which a child is born. These precede the birth of a child, which is why Lacan can say that language is there from before the actual moment of birth. It is there in the social structures which are at play in the family and, of course, in the ideals, goals, and histories of the parents. This world of language can hardly be grasped by the newborn and yet it will act on the whole of the child's existence."

Stay informed on protecting your freedom of speech and civil rights.
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