Tokyo Story - Yasujirō Ozu - 1953

In his films, Ozu seemed interested in the sense of duty felt between family members in Japan and to what extent this might be due to social pressure and to what extent it might be due to human emotion. He also seemed interested in looking at how social change affects change within the family in Japan. In addition to this, he examines the compassion of strangers vis a vis family relationships and duties.

In this film, a young woman who has no real connection to an elderly Japanese couple shows the most concern for this couple, even beyond the concern shown by the couples' own family.

This is regularly voted as one of the best films ever made.

Sisters of the Gion - 1936 - Kenji Mizoguchi

Two sisters are geishas but they have different views concerning their work. The youngest sister believes that women are being exploited in this profession while the other seems grateful for the opportunity to earn a living through the profession.

Faster, Pussycat! Kill Kill! 1965 Russ Meyer

When I used to go to the Parkway, they always had Russ Meyer films.

I guess that Meyer's films are enormously sexist and objectifying towards women, but what saves the films is the kitschiness factor. They are so over the top that you can't take any underlying sexism seriously. There's a line in this film where a guy says to a very busty woman: "You're a beautiful animal, and I'm weak and I want you." She replies: "What's weak about wanting?" That's, basically, Meyer's attitude toward women in all his films.

But, I still wonder, did Meyer hate women as much as I think he hated women or did he hate men for objectifying women? Did, he, basically, hate himself for loving women as sexual objects as much as he did? Well, maybe he should have.

There was a bit of a revival of interest in Meyer in the 90s, now he's dropped back to 'cult status'.

Access the film here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lGXT_icWZok&index=3&list=PLR3HftCSUcar-sKm0VPY8LJ1jxN4d40-q

Old Boy by Park Chanwook 2003

This was the first Korean film I ever saw, I guess. I saw it at the Angelika Theater in Manhattan when it first arrived in America and when the film ended, I recall that nobody from the audience even got up from his/her seat.  We were too shocked.

So I won't give away any details - I think it would be worthwhile watching this film. This film is a little violent, but not as violent as many Korean films.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AxPaKS-sD08

The Hypothesis of the Stolen Painting by Raoul Ruiz 1979

Ruiz made complex, lyrical, philosophical films...La vida es sueno is my favorite, in which a Chilean political prisoner going to prison deliberately remembers the names of individuals in his political organization by equating names to specific lines and images from Calderon de la Barca's famous play. He continually revisits the play in prison to recall the names of his comrades and upon release tries to re-organize his underground organization through the use of the Calderon de la Barca play.

I once saw Raoul Ruiz at the Film Center of the Art Institute of Chicago, where he yelled at me for asking a stupid question (I can't remember the question, I just remember his scorn!). But one guy at whom he didn't yell asked a very good question: "Your films are so complex..but there are never any bad guys.  Don't you want to just sit down and do a cops and robbers chase film some day?"  Ruiz then said, "No, because I don't want to represent any 'obstacles' in my films. I don't think obstacles or resistance exists as it is commonly portrayed. There are never any antagonists in my films."

One other thing he said that I remembered was that he felt the theater was Catholic and the Cinema was Protestant.  In Catholic churches there is always a red candle that signifies the 'real presence of God.' Protestant churches do not purport to have the real presence of God. So he claimed that theater is more Catholic in that  you have a real presence there which is lacking in film. Even if it is not used, the possibility for real engagement will exist in theater, but will never exist in film.

Here's a sample of his amazing work:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cYSQa76sxsw&index=1&list=PLD0C980EFBD266E1D

This Sporting Life by Lindsay Anderson 1963

Access the film here:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OhZQB5queH8

"I like to see a man playing as if he really meant it..."

Lindsay Anderson was an English director who seemed interested in issues of social class and aggression.  "If..." is also on this blog and is a must-see film about upper class English boys who violently revolt against their inhumane 'educational' system (which is more of a disciplinary system meant to churn out members of the upper crust). It was based on Zero for Conduct by Jean Vigo - also on this blog.

This Sporting Life is about a guy from the working class who uses his aggression and pent up rage to distinguish himself himself as an athlete. Unfortunately, nothing else seems to go well for him.

Richard Harris is amazing in this film.