Ask The Gold Trumpet

Started by Gold Trumpet, April 30, 2003, 07:35:07 PM

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Gold Trumpet

#270
April 16, 2004, 12:04:51 PM
Quote from: SHAFTRYou have mentioned that Antonioni is your favorite director of all time, or atleast who you think of as the best director. My question is...why?  What films have you seen of his?  Which is your favorite?  What makes him better than anyone else, in your opinion?

To begin with, I guess I'd say that him, as a film artist, has paved the way to one of the most unique and breathtaking visions I've ever seen in any film. His films feel so spare, but yet there is so much going on. He's the ultimate visual artist, a man who connects the identity of an image, from all the details within it, to speak volumes of abstract on the story going on. I'm beginning to appreciate the art of Jean Luc Godard, but I feel his art has influenced and been copied in ways. Antonioni's art is still primarily Antonioni's alone. I've seen his early 60s trilogy, including L'Avventura, La Notte and L'Eclise (finally!). Also, his lesser masterpiece, Blow Up and his most recent film, Beyond the Clouds, a film I feel is merely good compared to what he best achieves. I really want to see The Passenger a lot, but from what I've read, it stands as his most accessabile film. Red Desert is really the last major film of his 60s work I've yet to see. I still haven't seen any of his 50s work, but my reading suggests his high point in the 60s. His work after The Passenger and before his stroke in the 80s just is mainly unavailable here. My favorite film of his is still L'Avventura but Red Desert may topple that.

SoNowThen

#271
April 16, 2004, 12:07:01 PM
L'eclisse was a head-fuck and a half, eh, GT?
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.

Gold Trumpet

#272
April 16, 2004, 12:10:52 PM
Quote from: SoNowThenL'eclisse was a head-fuck and a half, eh, GT?

Jeez, its a great film. I really wish I didn't see the My Voyage to Italy by Scorsese before it because he really captures the spirit of not only the film (hardly new by comparison to the rest of the trilogy) but the greatness of the ending...the ending really is about nothing happening but also everything and yet so imaginative at the same time in its spareness. Seriously, all i feel i should say about that. I hope everyone can experience that film at one point or another.

SoNowThen

#273
April 16, 2004, 12:13:09 PM
Yeah, I'm waiting for it on Criterion for a round two.

Interestingly enough, after now seeing the trilogy plus Red Desert, I can see why a lot of critics group all four of them together. I can't think of them as just a trilogy anymore, simply because L'Eclisse opens up so many new ideas that it's essential for Antonioni to work them through to a finale in Red Desert. So, I guess what I'm saying is that you gotta see that, asap.
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.

godardian

#274
April 16, 2004, 02:51:31 PM
Quote from: SoNowThenYeah, I'm waiting for it on Criterion for a round two.

Interestingly enough, after now seeing the trilogy plus Red Desert, I can see why a lot of critics group all four of them together. I can't think of them as just a trilogy anymore, simply because L'Eclisse opens up so many new ideas that it's essential for Antonioni to work them through to a finale in Red Desert. So, I guess what I'm saying is that you gotta see that, asap.

"If you like Red Desert, you'll loooove Safe!" - godardian
""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.

cron

#275
April 16, 2004, 03:04:11 PM
Quote from: godardian
Quote from: SoNowThenYeah, I'm waiting for it on Criterion for a round two.

Interestingly enough, after now seeing the trilogy plus Red Desert, I can see why a lot of critics group all four of them together. I can't think of them as just a trilogy anymore, simply because L'Eclisse opens up so many new ideas that it's essential for Antonioni to work them through to a finale in Red Desert. So, I guess what I'm saying is that you gotta see that, asap.

"If you like Red Desert, you'll loooove Safe!" - godardian


haha that reads  like a Joel Seigel quote in a DVD .  :wink:
context, context, context.

Jeremy Blackman

#276
April 16, 2004, 03:50:00 PM
New question (sorry if it's been asked): Fate or Free Will?

godardian

#277
April 16, 2004, 05:29:10 PM
Quote from: cronopio
Quote from: godardian
Quote from: SoNowThenYeah, I'm waiting for it on Criterion for a round two.

Interestingly enough, after now seeing the trilogy plus Red Desert, I can see why a lot of critics group all four of them together. I can't think of them as just a trilogy anymore, simply because L'Eclisse opens up so many new ideas that it's essential for Antonioni to work them through to a finale in Red Desert. So, I guess what I'm saying is that you gotta see that, asap.

"If you like Red Desert, you'll loooove Safe!" - godardian

haha that reads  like a Joel Seigel quote in a DVD .  :wink:

Yes, completely inappropriate for either film. But so true. I don't know why they didn't put that instead of "Voted Best Film of the Decade by the Village Voice" on the Safe cover.  

To keep this sort of kind of relevant: Have you ever seen Safe, GT? It's one of my Most Important Films, so I'm wondering what you make of it.
""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

#278
April 17, 2004, 07:22:37 PM
Quote from: Jeremy BlackmanNew question (sorry if it's been asked): Fate or Free Will?

Free will..I see the idea of fate mainly in religious belief that feels whatever happens to you, deserving or not, comfort comes because it is under the control of some God who has a path of importance for you even if you can't see it at the time. Basically, I believe it is a comfort mecanism people use to believe that all the terrible things aren't really that terrible. I believe that unfair shit does happen all the time and sometimes, it clips us. You could say that is a belief of fate, but I see us as the ultimate decider on who we want to be and all. Its just sometimes life will take things away. To believe in fate seems to me to believe that everything that happens would have already happened. Personal will is the decider for most of it. Coincidence and luck the rest.

And Godardian, apologies, I still haven't seen Safe! Its at the top of my list for movies to catch on TV but everytime I see it, its already playing and I'm too late. I'll see it sooner or later and I do expect big things from it.

NEON MERCURY

#279
April 17, 2004, 07:32:28 PM
GT.


-what is your fav dvd from your collection and why?
-what actress/actor do you forsee will be huge (talent and box office appeal)?
-what film can you watch over and over and never get bored of it?
-your opinions of sean penn
-what is your fav. trilogy in a film series.?

Jeremy Blackman

#280
April 17, 2004, 08:01:42 PM
Quote from: The Gold TrumpetI see the idea of fate mainly in religious belief that feels whatever happens to you, deserving or not, comfort comes because it is under the control of some God who has a path of importance for you even if you can't see it at the time.
What if this God has something terrifying and tragic planned for you? If it's safety and/or predicatability that's comforting, how could an unseen fate comfort you? Aren't some people more terrified by the idea that they ultimately can't control their life?

Pubrick

#281
April 17, 2004, 09:18:21 PM
Quote from: Jeremy BlackmanAren't some people more terrified by the idea that they ultimately can't control their life?
what are u saying, isn't a predetermined fate a greater loss of control?
under the paving stones.

Jeremy Blackman

#282
April 17, 2004, 10:37:36 PM
Quote from: Pubrick
Quote from: Jeremy BlackmanAren't some people more terrified by the idea that they ultimately can't control their life?
what are u saying, isn't a predetermined fate a greater loss of control?
Yes... and I think loss of control is more terrifying to most people than the weight of microscopic responsibility.

Fate in its purest form also scares people because it must be applied universally (you can't say good things are fated and bad things are accidents) and thus they can't assign a rightness or wrongness to it.

Gold Trumpet

#283
April 18, 2004, 11:58:21 AM
Quote from: Jeremy Blackman
Quote from: The Gold TrumpetI see the idea of fate mainly in religious belief that feels whatever happens to you, deserving or not, comfort comes because it is under the control of some God who has a path of importance for you even if you can't see it at the time.
What if this God has something terrifying and tragic planned for you? If it's safety and/or predicatability that's comforting, how could an unseen fate comfort you? Aren't some people more terrified by the idea that they ultimately can't control their life?

What I mean is that when something bad happens, it is given the excuse that it was "God's higher plan" and the services of that person dead is for heaven or something. I think that's the biggest comfort of fate that religious uses.

Jeremy Blackman

#284
April 18, 2004, 12:50:07 PM
Quote from: The Gold TrumpetWhat I mean is that when something bad happens, it is given the excuse that it was "God's higher plan" and the services of that person dead is for heaven or something. I think that's the biggest comfort of fate that religious uses.
That's a bastardization, though, because you can't assign rightness or wrongness to it. Fate is not defeat, it's inevitability.
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