Hello there, and welcome to Friday Film Club. As you some of you may have noticed, the blog has been released early than usual over the last two months. That’s because we are going to be releasing it on the second Friday of the month instead of the last from now on, giving you more chance to enjoy what each month has to offer before we move on to the next! This particular month our focus is on World Cinema, featuring movies from cinematic industries around the world. Believe it or not, cinema is not just centred in Hollywood, other nations across the globe have their own cinematic industries which produce films of similar quality. Here we will look at four films made in four different countries.
We begin with the world-famous Bollywood (also known as Hindi cinema), based in Mumbai in India, its creation dating all the way back to the 1890s. The Bollywood feature we will focus upon is Pakeezah (1972), no not the Pakistani superstore on Leeds Road! But the musical romance directed by Kamal Amrohi. The title translates to ‘The Pure One’ in English, and its main cast comprises of: Meena Kumari (in her final role), Ashok Kumar (Taxi Driver) and Raaj Kumar. It was conceived as a dedication to Amrohi’s wife at the time (Kumari) but their separation in 1954 threw a kink into the works, as did Kumari’s addictions. This resulted in production lasting for a record 15 years, before the film was finally released.
The premise itself focuses on the story of two women, the first being Nargis (Kumari), a tawaif (entertainer of the nobility) based in Lucknow. She is in love with Shahbuddin (A. Kumar), whose father strictly opposes their relationship because of her occupation and doesn’t want her anywhere near his respected family. Dejected, Nargis flees to a nearby cemetery (qabristan) and lives there, giving birth to a daughter before dying. On her deathbed she writes a letter to her beloved informing him of their daughter’s existence. The second woman is Nargis’ daughter Sahibjaan (also played by Kumari), now grown and in the same profession as her late mother, having been found by her aunt Nawabjaan. Her father knows of her existence but her aunt forbids her from meeting him. While in transit on a train, a young man named Salim (R. Kumar) takes a liking to Sahibjaan and leaves her a note. Thus, begins a new love story with Sahibjaan desperately searching for the mystery man while simultaneously trying to reunite with her father.
Surprisingly, initial reaction to Pakeezah was less that positive, however it has increased in popularity over time. Various praises have gone towards the ‘luxurious’ sets and costumes, with the soundtrack becoming one of the biggest selling Bollywood soundtracks of the seventies. Kumari’s performance has widely been regarded as one of her best, and the film is included in lists of the best works of Indian Cinema. Derek Malcolm (The Guardian) in 1999, described the film as a mixture of poetry, fantasy and nostalgia. Watch a rather long clip to fully immerse yourself in the grandeur of this romantic drama by clicking the link below:
From Asia to Europe, our next feature is Danish Black comedy Festen (1998). Directed by Thomas Vinterberg (Far From the Madding Crowd 2015). It translates to The Celebration in English, which is apt considering the entire setting is a family celebration, and stars the likes of: Ulrich Thomsen (The World Is Not Enough, The Thing 2011), Thomas Bo Larsen, Paprika Sheen, Birthe Neumann and Henning Moritzen. The five play a highly dysfunctional family who have gathered to celebrate the father’s (Moritzen) 60th birthday, where much hidden knowledge has the potential to come to light. This film has the honour of being the first in the Dogme 95 movement, an artistic movement to create films using simple techniques based on the traditional values of story, acting and theme, hence relying on no special effects whatsoever. This movement was created by Vinterberg himself and another director.
Helge (The Father) is a well-respected businessman and the family patriarch [the family name is never revealed], who is celebrating his 60th birthday at the family-run hotel. His family: wife Else (Neumann), eldest son Christian (Thomsen), younger son Michael (Bo Larsen) and daughter Helene (Steen); are among his many guests. Helge’s other daughter [Linda] having recently taken her own life inside the hotel. On the night of the party Helene finds Linda’s suicide note but hides it in a medicine bottle instead of disclosing the contents to the rest of her family. Michael fights with his wife & and a waitress of the hotel about different problems. At dinner, things take an even darker turn when, Christian makes a toast to his father, publicly accusing him of abusing both him and Linda when they were children and blaming him for her eventual suicide. The other guests, while initially in shock, go on with the party in pure denial that it might be true. With Michael and Helene also at logger heads over personal matters and Else seemingly harbouring a dark secret, it’s clear this family can’t move on until the full truth is unearthed.
Festen received very positive reviews upon release, with praise for its accurate depiction of the consequences of sexual abuse by many a psychologist. Well renowned film reviewer Roger Ebert gave it 3 out of 4 stars, saying it, “mixes farce and tragedy so completely.” It also won the Jury Prize at the 1998 Cannes Film Festival, one among many other awards. View the trailer now by clicking the link below:
From the North to the South, our next entry is the Turkish production Uzak (2002), known as Distant in the US. Directed by Nuri Bilge Ceylan, it features Muzaffer Özdemir and Mehmet Emin Toprak. The plot tells the story of Yusuf (Toprak) and his relative Mahmut (Özdemir), who are unexpectedly thrust together and forced to get to know one another. Yusuf is a young factory worker who, after losing his job, travels to Istanbul to stay with Mahmut while he searches for new employment.
They are however, polar opposites – Mahmut is wealthy and intellectual (an artistic photographer), whereas Yusuf is uneducated and unsophisticated and bordering on illiterate. What they do have in common is a lack of direction; Mahmut finds his job dull having no energy excitement for it while, while Yusuf doesn’t have the drive to continue looking for a new job nor does he particularly enjoy his current profession. The two must learn to try and get along and help each other reinvigorate their lives.
A true journey of self-discovery and exposition on loneliness, Uzak was acclaimed by critics. Tom Dawson (BBC) stated that, “Few recent films have been so accomplished in capturing the way people drift through their lives,” while director Andrew Haigh named it as the best film of the 2st Century, as well as one of the best about loneliness ever made. It was so good that both lead actors shared the best actor award at the 2003 Cannes Film Festival! (Quite an achievement). You can catch a short glimpse of it now, with the teaser trailer by clicking the link below:
The final feature technically spans two continents, being a French production but one that is set in Africa, it is thriller White Material (2009). Directed by Claire Denis (High Life), the premise is told from the point of view of Maria Vial (Isabelle Huppert), a white French farmer. Alongside Huppert (I Heart Huckabee’s, Mrs. Harris Goes to Paris), the cast includes: Christopher Lambert (Highlander, Hail, Caesar!), Isaach de Bankole (Casino Royale, Black Panther) and Michael Subor (What’s New, Pussycat?, Topaz).
Maria runs a struggling coffee plantation with her ex-husband Andre (Lambert) and his ailing father Henri (Subor) in an unnamed African country. They have two sons between them also living at the farm, their lazy mentally unstable son Manuel and Andre’s younger half-African son Jose. Civil war has broken out across the country and rebel soldiers (who are mostly only children) are advancing on the area the farm resides in. The French military (in the process of retreating) make one final plea for Maria to evacuate the area, but she refuses, resolutely intent on defending her family’s home. Meanwhile, a rebel DJ broadcasts on the radio urging fellow rebels and their advocates to attack emblems of colonialism (of which the farm is a prime example).
Maria insists in running the farm and refusing to abandon the harvest that will be ready in approximately five days. She drives to a nearby village to hire men to help her finish the harvest, encountering bandits who threaten to kill her on the way (having to pay them off to get by). After managing to hire workers, she then collects Jose from elementary school, while at the same time Andre is meeting with the African mayor of the town, Cherif. Cherif tries to take advantage of the situation by offering to purchase the plantation in exchange for wiping Andre’s debts. When Maria returns and scolds the lazy Manuel, he later disappears. Maria must fight to save her land from the rebels, the government and her ex whilst also trying to find her son.
Like the others in this blog, this movie was incredibly well received by critics. Manohla Dargis (New York Times) describe it as a “powerful, agonized film.” Most praise was heaped on the ensemble cast and their performances, especially Huppert, with Ebert stating of her, “…small and slender, she embodies the strength of a fighter.” Experience a short trailer now by clicking the link below:
Now, before you return to College, why not travel the world in film? See how over nations make their entertainment? You could even learn some new languages at the same time. I imagine this particular blog could be of good use to those of you who are students of film studies, as World Cinema is a key facet of knowledge. And if you’re worried about having to come into College to collect them or understanding them…then don’t be! All four films are available to only on e-stream and can be watched wherever, whenever you like, plus all four have English subtitles if you don’t fancy following them in their native language. See you in September folks!
Not sure how to access e-stream? Then simply click on the link below…
Bradford College Planet Estream.
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