Being a shallow sort of guy, I don't even know what "Salvation through faith" means -- or for that matter, "salvation" - and consequently I found The Seventh Seal hard to take seriously. I think in those days I would have used the word, camp, to describe it. Even the photography, which is so highly regarded, is theatrical and vulgar in my eyes.
But I do respect his upholding the essential importance of human relationships because I believe that all other values, particularly socialist ones, flow from it.
Not all of his movies are dark and sombre and although in his The Magic Flute, some would say that the joy and optimism came from Mozart and not him, he at least, like Duchamp and his urinal, chose it. And there is Smiles of a Summer's Night and my favourite, The Devil's Eye. The imp's heartfelt longing for the smell of apples is for me a wonderful salute to carnality and by implication, a rejection of the otherworldly.
I hope I have answered, even in a round about way, your question. I guess I am saying that I recommend that you view his movies when you get a chance.
I see that the great Italian master, Antonioni, has just died. His work is even more to my taste, I am afraid.
Wednesday, August 01, 2007
Comments on Red Cap
Yes I saw Red Cap and thought it very good for a number of reasons. In fact afterwards I decided to write a review but other pressing tasks intrude so it won't happen. In any case being deaf gets in the way of my authority as a critic.
I liked the momentum it maintained and the choreographed movement. The songs were good and I don't think like one critic that "show tunes" are inappropriate. I loved what I think could be called the recitative.
One critic made a snooty remark about "genuflection towards Brecht" but I think they could have gone further in this regard. The idea of different actors playing different roles has merit both as a way to consolidate ensemble playing but as an alienation effect, but it can lead to confusion, even annoyance, in the audience, and so needs to be used in such a way to minimise the chances of the audience being lost.
I doubt if Brecht would want that, rather he would want the audience to quickly accept that this is only a play and these are only actors and then get to the important bit which is taking in the meaning of the words instead of spending an important second or two wondering, "What the fuck is going on?"
So the donning of the red cap was not enough, I think, and the director should have gone the whole hog and used masks. And having the actor with a red cap hanging from his belt while in the part of a boss was distracting.
Of course the idea of using the red cap as a symbol for that which we should all aspire to wear is an excellent one but, if this is the director's intention, the impact is obscured by using it as the only identifier for Pat Mackie.
But enough pontificating. In any case these comments are in the nature of queries raised in a discussion rather than criticisms.
I liked the momentum it maintained and the choreographed movement. The songs were good and I don't think like one critic that "show tunes" are inappropriate. I loved what I think could be called the recitative.
One critic made a snooty remark about "genuflection towards Brecht" but I think they could have gone further in this regard. The idea of different actors playing different roles has merit both as a way to consolidate ensemble playing but as an alienation effect, but it can lead to confusion, even annoyance, in the audience, and so needs to be used in such a way to minimise the chances of the audience being lost.
I doubt if Brecht would want that, rather he would want the audience to quickly accept that this is only a play and these are only actors and then get to the important bit which is taking in the meaning of the words instead of spending an important second or two wondering, "What the fuck is going on?"
So the donning of the red cap was not enough, I think, and the director should have gone the whole hog and used masks. And having the actor with a red cap hanging from his belt while in the part of a boss was distracting.
Of course the idea of using the red cap as a symbol for that which we should all aspire to wear is an excellent one but, if this is the director's intention, the impact is obscured by using it as the only identifier for Pat Mackie.
But enough pontificating. In any case these comments are in the nature of queries raised in a discussion rather than criticisms.
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