NEW HORIZONS: WORLD CINEMA
NEW HORIZONS: WORLD CINEMA
by steven thorley
The world: it's big, beautiful, ugly and uncompromising, and some people will never rest until they've conquered it.
I personally like to keep the world at a distance, and just watch movies wherever possible and wherever time allows. So, my theme, as they are beginning to run out, is world cinema.
The world, like time itself, is in control and all powerful. A life can last for a few seconds to any number of years, but the world just keeps turning.
There is no right or wrong in the world, only that which you see as right or wrong. Everything is a choice. Don't romanticize anything you pursue in the world; the world is a dangerous place and won't watch your back for you or respect your choices. Everything is a choice and some choices work for you and others work against you.
This power the world yields is the ultimate power differential that we cannot harness, but the world does, at least for another 7.5 billion years or more. I often think of the world as a person who is thinking about us, our wars, our political conflicts, our sorrows and our pleasures, and thinking none of it really matters in the grand scheme of things.
Life itself is often unpredictable, chaotic, and ever changing, so it’s rather questionable as to whether we should feel one culture is superior to another or of more validity.
We are not defined by our culture. We are not defined by where we live. We are defined by what is on the inside, and we need not convey that or express that in anyway shape or form. We know in our minds and souls that which defines us.
Time is, or life in the form of time, is the biggest gamble of all, and has the highest stakes: life or death. I could go tonight or you could go tonight. That is the role of the dice that life puts to us, and as I've said before, time can work for you or it can work against you.
In the grand scheme of thing, everyone on earth is walking on ice, but they don't know it. A split second decision is always life and death, but
life is tougher than that. Your fate is governed by personal choices and how you read others: nature isn't the greatest threat to mankind - man is.
Avoiding obstacles and real-world physical dangers in the world is easy with a sensible mind, but being manipulated by others and falling into others traps is not so easy at all, and the best of us will always have to learn the hard way before we know most of the tricks in the book.
Take comfort in the fact that it isn't supposed to be easy. It will hurt the first time, but it will get smoother as the hurt goes on. Untill it doesn't bother you anymore.
It is nothing short of fatal to idealize humanity. Life can feel bleak, confined, limited, and depressing when you don't see it as good, but by viewing it as bad, you can let the bad reinforce the good. Then the pleasure you feel is legitimate. Never idealize anything.
You can break away from reality in the form of movies and books, but don't romanticize day to day living on earth. It is a cruel, desolate, unforgiving earth, and it will eat you alive.
Now, on a lighter note, let us take a very brief look around the world through cinema without leaving your sofa. It's often better that way, and it's safer, cost free and environmentally friendly. I've seen a fair bit of the world and it's over-rated. There is so much to explore within just a few miles of where you call home, and yet people can go a lifetime travelling the world and never experience all of our free national parks or other historical or cultural locations.
You can find what you’re looking for without travelling so far and empower yourself and your bank account in the process.Instead of moving to America or some other pipe dream fantasy.
WHEN THE RULES DON'T FIT, FIND THE COURAGE TO FOLLOW YOUR OWN.
WADJDA (2012)
Academy Award nominated gem Wadjda was released in 2012 to critical acclaim. The film tells the story of 10-year-old Saudi girl, Wadjda, who dreams of owning a green bicycle she’s seen in town. But the bike itself is out of her price bracket and personal circumstances.
Wadjda has a turbulent home life and a fairly unstable mother. She attends a strict school but is a good student; the Quran recital competition, which is being held at the school with a cash prize for the winner, may offer Wadjda the money she needs for the bike.
Wadjda is testy and independent minded, full of life, and her temperament is frowned upon by the school, despite them recognizing her as a bright student. Essentially, Wadjda is smart and balances her cultural disciplines with her own independent thinking, the hallmark of bright human being and something that makes the character of Wadjda a strong female character, despite her young age.
Wadjda is an intelligent and beautifully made film which works as a kind of modern-day fairy-tale wrapped around an at times troubling environment for a young Saudi girl. The films profound ending, and certain themes in the film, in spirit, reminded me of 2017's best film 'The Florida Project' as Wadjda reflects the same kind of symbolic childhood escape and liberation by a child's own making within its narrative.
In this instance, the liberation comes in the form of breaking free of the chains of the circumstance that often cage youth through no fault of there of their own. In fact, it borrows a similar structure involving a busy car and lorry filled highway and a child appearing to be close to the edge of disaster; subsequently, the film is testing our cynicism as an audience in the process. Basically, in the film’s final frames she appears quite clearly to be cycling into a busy road but stops just before the film concludes.
The symbol of liberation in the film is a bike and Disney Land in The Florida Project, both reflecting the ability to draw powerful meaning, or symbolic worth, and value out of something immaterial, so such things act as a symbolic form of liberation in these movies. Both films have very similar plot dynamics with an emotionally withdrawn child seeking symbolic refuge in the something be it a bike or a theme park.
The film takes pride of place in the very popular 1001 movies to see before you die series of books too, but I'd say, all these movies on my blog are worth seeing before you die.
Despite all Wadjda strengths as a film, its greatest asset is that it takes a fairly unique story, set in an unfamiliar setting for many of us, and turns it into something we can all relate too. All good cinema should strive to connect with everyone and or shape its film with a message that is neutral and wishes to connect with the world.
To close, on the critical side the film does appear to present a slightly rose-tinted view of a culture with repressive aspects (it has an almost glossy urban fairy-tale style), but all cinema does this, and it should. Cinema is often an escape or re-imagining for reality. It can very beautiful. It can be very ugly and horrible too. But there is nothing wrong with this.
Ultimately, the most important aspect to Wadjda is its positive spirit. It doesn't matter where we go in the world. The universal message is that small things can make a big difference, may act as a catalyst for personal liberation, help youth through personal struggles, and make us happy.
As when the curtain finally closes, being happy is all we need to be, and all that truly matters in this life. Not that comes easy....not at all. It is unfortunately, the hardest mountain to climb. It could be the easiest but human beings tend to make it difficult by default. I think we all strive to meet some kind of happiness or reach this sort of place we aspire to get to. And then when we finally bite it, we sort of go out relatively ok about it. There is a sort of acceptance that life has given you so many years on planet earth to get things right before you vanish for all eternity.
The greatest conflict anyone will face in their life is time itself. Time cannot stand still, it cannot be beaten, and it doesn't compromise It is the only thing I fear, and the only thing I care about.
Todays news will, in a 1000 years time, be stacked up in a warehouse gathering dust. New generations won't even bother to glance at it. People often feel what occurs in the present is meaningful or important. It isn't at all. It means nothing in the grand scheme of things. Everyone's individual life is precious, and we need to take care of that, but everything else will dissipate into the sands of time.
These days...people and governments are obsessed with other countries and opinions on other peoples lifes and the way they choose to live their lives. Just worry about yourself. No one cares.
Relax, you just are. You don't need to define yourself through wars and heroic actions. Just be. You don't need to define yourself through taking a stance or view on anything. Just live. Take a step down from the 'self-righteous' horse your riding and just get on with your lives. Don't seek to define yourself through your so-called views....they mean nothing.
In terms of the world and conflicts in the world, the greatest conflict your ever likely to face might just be waiting right on your very own doorstep. So live in the moment.
BATTLE ROYALE (2000)
2000’s Battle Royale involves a group of high-school students who are forced to fight a battle to the death by the countries government.
Directed by Kinji Fukasaku, this uncompromising, vivid, and often very stylish film contains a deep allegorical subtext involving the nature of war, exploitation of youth, desensitisation to violence, and most predominantly the exploitative nature of the media.
Film fans will draw comparisons to the popular Hunger Games series.
ZERO MOTIVATION.
Zero Motivation is a comedy from Israeli filmmaker Talya Lavie.
The film tells the story of a group of misfit Israeli soldiers, and is broken down into three segments, with a different segment covering the situations of each solider.
I wasn’t sure if I would get the humour with this film and was pleasantly surprised. It is quite a unique blend of drama and comedy. The cast are good, and actress Dana Ivgy excels in her role as sexually frustrated Zohar, and her segment is the strongest of the three.
It’s an unusual film but very well made, and has its own brand of humour, without pandering to any comedic or cinematic conventions, which I admired.
TRACKS
Tracks is an Australian film and tells the inspiration tale of Robyn Davis, an explorer, who walked 1,700-miles across the Australian desert, accompanied only by her loyal dog, Diggity, and a pair of camels.
Tracks is based on the true story of Robyn Davis, who is portrayed in the film by Mia Wasikowska;
Robyn Davis’s journey was documented by National Geographic magazine in 1977.
This is yet another beautifully made film which takes full advantage of its stunning locale and stunning Australian backdrops. The film is, however, harrowing in places, and Robyn’s journey is not without tragedy, pain, and frustration.
The film is based on the account by Robyn Davis, but cinema has covered films cut from this cloth before—the so-called well-meaning soul-searching explorer. Soul searching genre isn't a genre I'm overly fond of, as I feel the explorers are a little self-centred, but I thought this account was worth-while and I found Robyn's journey admirable.
Basically, Robyn has unresolved issues surrounding her father, and this exploration is a psychological band-aid of sorts. She almost loses the journey altogether and things don't bode well for the dog too. It's these moments of tragedy and real desperation that made Robyn's story feel more human and relatable, and this allowed me to except her plight, her reasons for her journey and find some respect for her.
The thing with personal or spiritual explorations/journeys is that it all sounds sound in your mind until you actually get out there in the wilderness and realise the earth itself doesn't share your feelings at all, nor do many of its inhabitants both human and non-human animals, resulting in life or death situations.I understand why these individuals embark on these journeys, but I'm dubious as to their merit. They are interesting, nevertheless.
Actress Mia Wasikowska is flawless in the role of Robyn Davis but again, she has no onscreen chemistry with her co-star, leaving a relatively important part of the story floating in the wind like a paper bag.
Nevertheless, Tracks is well directed and crafted, ultimately shaping itself into something that is really worthwhile viewing.
THE ASSASSIN (2015)
Prolific, and much respected Taiwanese director Hou Hsiao-hsien helmed 2015’s The Assassin and he didn’t disappoint. The film follows assassin Nie Yinniang (Shu Qi) as she ventures into the distant province of Weibo in Northern China to kill a military governor, who happens to be her cousin.
This is the best film on this list. The choreography, set design, and costumes, are just sublime.
The Assassin tells its story visually and is gently paced and delivered. There are those occasional still moments in the film where you can just take in the surroundings and immerse yourself in the films impeccable style, grace, and power.
Perhaps, The Assassin is not the most narratively driven film, but it's amongst the most flawless I've seen in terms of visual craft alone.
The film has shades of ‘Crouching Tiger, Hidden, Dragon’ in its style, but offer viewers something new with its own brand of visual storytelling and flawless style and delivery.
UNDER THE SHADOW (2016)
Under the Shadow is a tidy 2016 Iranian horror film from director Babak Anvari. The film tells the story of a single working mother, Shideh (Narges Rashidi), who along with her daughter are haunted by an evil spirit in 1980's Tehran.
Under the Shadow clearly has some obvious political subtext and has been inspired by classic horror. The film does bear striking similarities to The Babadook thematically. That being said, the film has its own style and delivery and will please fans of that latter film.
Under the Shadow is a moody, well-acted, crafted and stylized horror film that shows great promise for director Babak Anvari and lead actress Narges Rashidi.
THE VILLAINESS
The Villainess is a South Korean action film starring actress Kim Ok-bin as Sook-hee.
Sook-hee is an assassin who works for a clandestine South Korean government agency. Yearning for retirement, she leaves and takes on a position of her dream job, an actress. Unfortunately, two men enter her life and dark secrets from her past are revealed
The Villainess, like all these films on this list, is very stylish, almost like a videogame come to life in places. The films premise is a little overly complicated and the film has strong similarities to Luc Besson’s 1990 action drama La Femme Nikita. However, if you’re looking for an accessible, stylish, and non-demanding revenge/action film from South Korea, you cannot go wrong with The Villainess.
FINAL THOUGHTS
Well, I think I conquered that subject. Nothing else left is there? Maybe outer space or time? Either way, everything is finite and there is no escaping that and I'm no exception to it, but I often wish I was.
There are quite a few female protagonists amongst these films. In my opinion, films like 'The Assassin' and The Villainess would not work with a male. More often than not, male orientated revenge films tend to replicate the tired so-called Death Wish formula which wasn't good to begin with, but it was lucrative, hence there is so many of these 'carbon copy' male driven films and they suck don’t they?
These types of films don't cover revenge thematically; rather, they have a central male figure who is seeking revenge within the narrative and the payoff for us as viewers is seeing him succeed in delivering his revenge.
Anyway, these films tell me nothing of revenge or death as an idea or capture any beauty or substance. Taken is watchable, but it doesn't do its genre justice. You have to capture the beauty or milieu of revenge which is present in some of the films I've selected, as opposed to the bitter onslaught of male driven revenge films.
Another problem with the so called male orientated 'Death Wish' style films is that the revenge is really rooted in the fictional character seeking it as opposed to the film itself being about revenge thematically or stylistically. Consequently, as an audience we grow tired of watching an embittered and broken men painstakingly going through the motions dispatching all that comes their way in various unrealistic manners.
Anyway, you just have to except everything has an expiry date: people, places, situations, and all forms of life in general and of course, the world itself and perhaps the Universe.
There is nothing less romanticized than life on earth itself. Hence, why I love film so much. It's often purer and more enjoyable, in many respects. I like real-life in small doses only and only if it tastes sweet.
Once any given film is made it becomes frozen in time, yet remains open to interpretation, but life itself is open to interpretation, but never frozen in time. In other words, we always know where we stand with cinema, but life itself is wildly unpredictable and our choices either work for us positively or against us negatively.
Often leaving our best intentions fizzling out into nothing, life doesn't have a rule book and cannot be gauged like cinema.
Cinema is like a fictional snapshot of human-life, and it is often more pleasurable to watch it play out on a screen, than to engage with it in reality. It doesn't matter who you are, what you have, how much money you have in the bank, life is unpredictable, and it can bring you the greatest of pleasures or the most painful experiences imaginable.
You just don't know what is around the next corner, and I stress that the media paints a portrait of human life that is just that, a portrait.
Life's greatest mystery is not the meaning of life, or who made the stars or the universe, but what if anything can truly understand or make peace with the soul. What value is the meaning of life, or knowing all the answers, if you've not made peace with your soul and if you've got nothing to make peace with, then you have not really lived or questioned anything in life.
That is the meaning of life and that is its meaning for us as a race: we have a finite amount of time to make peace with the soul before we depart for all eternity.
Ultimately, there is no solution, no science, or passage time, that can capture, understand, or harness the unwieldy, often chaotic, nature of life and the human heart.
