Author Topic: From Psycho to Persona (1960 to 1966), The Age of Psychological Film  (Read 17765 times)

worm@work

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Re: From Psycho to Persona (1960 to 1966), The Age of Psychological Film
« Reply #30 on: August 21, 2011, 04:16:31 PM »
Definitely not Bollywood.  It's from the other side of the subcontinent (Calcutta opposed to Bombay), the Bengali side.  I don't know much about Bollywood, but Ray seems much more like the art films from the rest of the world from around this time (especially Japan, and Ozu in particular) that he does four hour musicals (Ray was an assistant to Jean Renoir on Renoir's Indian film The River and was heavily influenced by neo-realism and other European films).
Yep. Indian cinema is definitely not just restricted to Bollywood. It stems from the fact that despite the fact that Hindi is the national language, people in the South (and to some extent in the East) don't necessarily speak Hindi. There's also a lot more cultural/social diversity which translates to very different cinema.
Ray, to me, definitely seems much more influenced by the West. I am eager to read Our Films, Their Films though to learn more about his experience with Indian cinema.

Flicker

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Re: From Psycho to Persona (1960 to 1966), The Age of Psychological Film
« Reply #31 on: August 21, 2011, 04:53:47 PM »
I must say that with folks like worm@work and MartinTeller here one can learn so much about the giant that is Satyajit Ray.  My compliments to you both and to verbALs for a review that shows full engagement with a film.  I lurk but I do love this place.

oldkid

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Re: From Psycho to Persona (1960 to 1966), The Age of Psychological Film
« Reply #32 on: August 21, 2011, 05:04:11 PM »
I just read through your reviews, Verbals, and this marathon is just great.  Thanks.  I look forward to reading about more films that will take forever for me to get to .
"It's not art unless it has the potential to be a disaster." Bansky

sdedalus

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Re: From Psycho to Persona (1960 to 1966), The Age of Psychological Film
« Reply #33 on: August 30, 2011, 05:44:50 PM »
Capote's short novel is definitely much harder edged.  But I think the collision of his realism and Hollywood fantasy is pretty irresistible.
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sdedalus

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Re: From Psycho to Persona (1960 to 1966), The Age of Psychological Film
« Reply #34 on: September 01, 2011, 02:37:48 PM »
You've made Zarodinu very happy.
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MartinTeller

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Re: From Psycho to Persona (1960 to 1966), The Age of Psychological Film
« Reply #35 on: September 01, 2011, 02:43:26 PM »
You've made Zarodinu very happy.

And me!  (it's in my top 100)

MartinTeller

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Re: From Psycho to Persona (1960 to 1966), The Age of Psychological Film
« Reply #36 on: September 26, 2011, 10:20:48 AM »
If you think you know better, good for you. Now go away and stop boring me. Like I say, irritating.

This sums up my feelings for 95% of Godard's work.

sdedalus

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Re: From Psycho to Persona (1960 to 1966), The Age of Psychological Film
« Reply #37 on: September 26, 2011, 01:31:01 PM »
I really never have understood the hostility towards Godard.  So many people seem to experience his movies as assaults and respond to them so defensively ("You're challenging me?  You're telling a story in a way I haven't quite seen before?  You're making a literary reference?  CINECAST! you!") 

He gets this reaction more than any other filmmaker.  Lars von Trier and Michael Haneke hate I can understand, because their films are specifically designed to put the audience through some kind of torture.  But they don't elicit this kind of defensive "He thinks he's smarter than me, I better say something snarky" response.
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MartinTeller

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Re: From Psycho to Persona (1960 to 1966), The Age of Psychological Film
« Reply #38 on: September 26, 2011, 02:14:49 PM »
I really never have understood the hostility towards Godard.  So many people seem to experience his movies as assaults and respond to them so defensively ("You're challenging me?  You're telling a story in a way I haven't quite seen before?  You're making a literary reference?  CINECAST! you!") 

He gets this reaction more than any other filmmaker.  Lars von Trier and Michael Haneke hate I can understand, because their films are specifically designed to put the audience through some kind of torture.  But they don't elicit this kind of defensive "He thinks he's smarter than me, I better say something snarky" response.

I'd say it's because I get the distinct impression that Godard rarely has any idea wtf he's talking about.  Like he read something in a book, thought it sounded clever, and regurgitated it onscreen with little to no context. 

sdedalus

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Re: From Psycho to Persona (1960 to 1966), The Age of Psychological Film
« Reply #39 on: September 26, 2011, 02:21:27 PM »
But you have no reason to think that.  In fact, you have plenty of evidence that he does know what he's talking about, in that critics and filmmakers and viewers you know and respect have elevated him to the cinematic pantheon. 

Your argument is "the emperor wears no clothes", an attitude that in any other context you would (and have) railed against.
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