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Les Modèles de 'Pickpocket'

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Pickpocket (1959)

The Models of Pickpocket (2003)

This documentary is available on the Criterion Collection DVD for Pickpocket. It was released in 2005 and is basically about tracking down and speaking with the three main actors in the movie Pickpocket.

It's called the "models" of Pickpocket because that is a term that Bresson used for his actors. Since he thought of actors in unconventional ways, he had to invent his own new terms for them. They were always people who had never acted before, and he would never use them a second time for fear that they should see what they looked like on film subsequently and try to make corrections in their future performances.

To whatever extent you are interested in where these actors are at now, what they have been up to, and their recollections of the Pickpocket production are, that is the same extent to which you would enjoy this film. I personally thought it was somewhat interesting, but maybe slightly long.

Rating: 6/10

Posted Friday, March 27, 2009 4:51 PM by Risselada | with 0 comments

movie year countdown - round #2 - #25 - 1958-9 - Pickpocket

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The Diary of a Country Priest (1950)

Pickpocket (1959)

This blog entry is part of my "movie year countdown round #2". Read more about that here.

Pickpocket

Robert Bresson is one of those directors that few film lovers can deny is near the top of the list of originality and importance. Whether or not they find transcendence or boredom in watching his films is not as guaranteed. And for those who do like Bresson (or don't) few can deny that Pickpocket is one of if not the most important of his works. Again, whether people will find this their favorite of his films or least favorite is another matter.

If you know anything about Bresson you must already know about his style. Some people like to say it has no style, avoiding film clichés. Chosing non-actors for the acting roles, forcing them to do countless takes until they are sapped of any forced meaning or delivery. Using music and cuts in ways that aren't immediately identifiable as odd, but those who scrutinize such things will see how much they stand to distance you from the characters. Bresson wants to present you with the plot and the events, not presenting any emotion. This keeps you involved in the action, but forces you in a way to step back and question the real motivations and emotions behind characters. You are both deeply involved and incredibly distant and alienated in a brilliant way.

If you have read Crime and Punishment, it's impossible not to watch this movie without seeing the movie as almost a complete adaptation except with the crime of murder replaced by theft. But upon comparing both this movie and the novel afterwards you can see how almost any type of crime produces the same alienating and maddening obsessive thoughts on a person.

The movie amazing in that in a way it deprives you from the kind of fulfillment you normally expect from a movie until the very last second of the film. If you watch this film for the first time and you don't know quite what to make of it as it's progressing, stick with it and just enjoy what you see. It's actually quite simple. Once it's over then you will have a moment to let it seep in. Don't turn it off before the end, especially if this is your first Bresson film!

And then if you do like it, check out Diary of a Country Priest, currently my favorite Bresson film of the three I have seen. It has a similar but even greater kind of transcendent release at the end.

Rating: 9/10

Posted Thursday, March 26, 2009 1:47 PM by Risselada | with 0 comments

Planet Earth

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Film Name Production Year

The Shawshank Redemption (1994)

Planet Earth [TV Documentary Series] (2006)

Vishnu (2003)

Planet Earth

I'm sure most people are already familiar with this series. And I haven't met anyone who hasn't enjoyed it, much less thought it was one of the greatest things they've seen on a screen. On IMDB, Planet Earth is the highest rated item in the whole database with over 3200 votes, and it's the highest rated item that isn't a video game with more than 150 votes. In fact the item with the most votes that isn't a video game and is rated higher than Planet Earth on IMDB is a film called Vishnu which has an outrageous score of 10.0 out of 10.0 with 114 votes. However when you consider the fact that it's a relatively new Indian movie that may have a cult fan base and hasn't been seen much out of India it's not anywhere near as outrageous as Planet Earth's score of 9.8 out of 10.0 out of 9,095 votes!!! Documentaries and TV series are exempt from IMDB's Top 250 list, but compare a rating of 9.8 with the current top movie on that list Shawshank Redemption with a score of 9.2.

Certainly it has done a fine job with it's goal of trying to set the bar to a new high for quality in a nature documentary program. The best nature photographers were given some of the best resources and greatest amount of time to capture some spectacular scenes of nature.

I watched this on DVD. I'm sure it would be even more amazing in HD or Blu-ray or whatever all those other higher quality image formats are. If you do see it though, make sure you see the original British version. I hear that for American broadcast the narration is done by Sigourney Weaver, which might not be bad (I haven't heard it), but after you see the original it would be hard to separate the series from David Attenborough's narration. The narration is filled with so much hyperbole that it sometimes gets a little bit silly. Almost everything they show you in the program is apparently the "most" something. The biggest, the smallest, the wettest, the driest, the oldest, the fastest, always the most something. I guess if you get specific enough, anything you could chose to look at is the "most" something. But nonetheless, everything fits together well and it's worth watching.

Every episode even ends with a bit of info about how the cameramen got the shots which you always kind of wonder about. The last episodes are rather depressing since they focus on the impact of humans on the rest of the planet and the extensive loss of life and entire species. The impact is greatest because you have just watched so many different forms of life up close in so many different contexts.

Rating: 9/10

Posted Tuesday, March 17, 2009 1:20 PM by Risselada | with 0 comments

Gates of Heaven

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Gates of Heaven (1978)

Werner Herzog Eats His Shoe (1980)

Gates of Heaven

Errol Morris' first film. The movie that caused Werner Herzog to eat his shoe. Roger Ebert put the film on his list of the Ten Greatest Films of All Time. Many people have considered it the movie responsible for a revitalization of the documentary film. I find it a very good film, but prefer many of Morris' subsequent films even more.

If you are a fan of Morris and you have not seen it, you should see it, and you probably would see it no matter what I were to say. It's actually a lot more understated and simple than any of his later films. The cameras sit still on characters without any strange angles or staged or stock footage that he likes to add in some of his later films. I don't think we ever hear Morris' voice asking questions. I don't even remember there being much music, although there might be some. I think I read another review that mentioned something about how it's a subject that is ripe for making fun of, but Morris brings it to us in a very simple and straightforward way. I think that's how you could describe a lot of the best documentaries as well.

The reason I just can't give this the highest rating is that there are some moments that are a lot more interesting than others. Some characters beg for you to hear more from them. And some seem to go on a little too long. The highlight is this unusual old woman sitting on the steps of her front door talking about her son and some other things. I don't even know what she had to do with the rest of the film but she is one of the most interesting things in it. She didn't fit and yet she was the best thing in it. What does that say? I'm not too sure.

Rating: 8/10

Posted Monday, March 16, 2009 3:51 PM by Risselada | with 0 comments

Devil's Playground

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Devil's Playground (2002)

Devil's Playground

I'd heard about the concept of Rumspringa before and that this was a pretty interesting documentary on the subject. But it was my girlfriend who actually got the movie. I don't think either of us were too impressed.

The filmmakers had a potentially very interesting subject to work on. And although they claim most Amish people don't like to be filmed it still seemed like they found a way to get footage, plus audiences never like hearing excuses from filmmakers within the film. This happened a lot in the film actually. I wouldn't expect a documentary filmmaker to be able to catch absolutely everything they would want to. They can't literally be everywhere at once. But if they can't, they need to make the film around what they can. There were too many instances in this film of intertitles telling the audience about important events or talking heads telling you about something more interesting that happened when the camera was off.

Yeah a lot of the stuff that these Amish kids do when given free reign is a bit shocking, but only because you are comparing it with the Amish community they grew up in. It's certainly nothing shocking within the larger context though. I'm sure growing up we've all seen our share of stupid high school parties and know people who turned into drunks or junkies, but most of them started out in those environments so it was no surprise.

The subject is still quite interesting, so it may still be worth a watch if you have any interest in Rumspringa, but there's a lot more potential in the subject that this film failed to achieve.

Rating: 5/10

Posted Friday, March 13, 2009 3:16 PM by Risselada | with 0 comments

Los Cronocrímenes (Timecrimes)

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Film Name Production Year

12 Monkeys (1995)

Timecrimes (2008)

Los Cronocrímenes (Timecrimes)

If you are a fan of time travel movies, or any kind of time travel fiction, or are interested in the practical or philosophical ins and outs of time travel paradoxes at all, YOU SHOULD REALLY SEE Timecrimes! ...however DO NOT WATCH THE TRAILER. It gives too much away. Don't even read a synopsis.

It's a Spanish movie that was playing around some of the theatres that tend to show more foreign or independent fare. I caught it at The Music Box Theatre in Chicago and am glad I did!

This is probably now my new favorite time-travel film, even more so than Twelve Monkeys. I still think Twelve Monkeys is a better and more enjoyable movie overall, but as far as looking strictly at the time travel aspect, Timecrimes is the best movie in this category.

Ok so the acting wasn't necessarily the greatest, although it wasn't bad. And some of the dialogue was a little bit cheesy or unnatural. The the script and execution of most of the plot was great. It looks like Hollywood is actually remaking this thing, and I think with the right actors and the right frame of mind they could make it even better! Of course Hollywood has a tendency of adding tons of unnecessary crap that they think will help sell the picture and totally miss the point, so for now I'm glad that I'll always have the original if I need to watch it again.

I won't go into any of the specifics of the plot at all. I won't even talk about why I won't talk about it. Because you don't need to know. You shouldn't know. You should just go and watch as soon as you are able to. And again DON'T WATCH THE TRAILER. DON'T READ ANYMORE ABOUT THE MOVIE. Just watch it. You trust me right? Hopefully it will be on DVD for everyone to see soon.

And for the people who have seen it, feel free to message me to talk about it.

Rating: 9/10

Posted Thursday, March 12, 2009 3:17 PM by Risselada | with 0 comments

Risselada Blog

Les Modèles de 'Pickpocket'

movie year countdown - round #2 - #25 - 1958-9 - Pickpocket

Planet Earth

Gates of Heaven

Devil's Playground

Los Cronocrímenes (Timecrimes)

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