| Been watching many films this past week. What films do you find significant to our interests? Perhaps expand on why you think so. I'll just list some that come to mind immediately for now. Andre Tarkovsky's Stalker and Zerkalo mainly. Alejandro Jodorowsky's The Holy Mountain and El Topo are beautifully abstract, surreal and spiritual films. Each person could take something completely different away from them. Terry Gilliam's Brazil. Darren Aranofsky's Pi and Requiem for a Dream. |
DanishFeb 1, 2011 1:37 AM
| Just going to reply quickly or I will give a HUGE ranting piece about one of my favourite subjects. ^_^ My favourite philosophical or existential film directors are Krzysztof Kieślowski & Ingmar Bergman; but especially Kieślowski for The Double Vie de Véronique; his Trois Colours series and Le Décalogue. Most amazing work in the last 25 years - period. |
 |
ari_elle said: Great list! Thanks for the recommendations.Check out movies of Ingmar Bergman and Akira Kurosawa. Also movies of Takashi Miike and Shion Sono. Broken Saints is an American animated series, very philosophical, i liked it.... Shion Sono is my favourite movie director at the moment: Suicide Circle - very philosophical and surreal movie about human relationships, and a mysterious suicide spree in Japan Love Exposure - 4 hour Magnus Opus, containing elements of Drama, Romance, Kung Fu, Comedy, Thriller, you name it, but the mixture works beautifully, a once in a lifetime movie experience Cold Fish - nihilistic and very dark drama about a serial killer in Japan (based on true events), don't want to give anything away about it Strange Circus - extremely surrealistic and mysterious plot, watch it, one of my favourites Check out first film of George Lucas called "THX 1138". Lars von Trier also makes awesome movies, Melancholia, Dancer in the Dark and Dogville. Very dramatic dark movies, but also with a philosophical touch. A few more you might like: Fritz the Cat, Naked Lunch, Confessions, Enter the Void, Fight Club, Matrix, Magnolia, Tree of Life, and one of my favourites also: Waking Life (MUST-WATCH!) |
| Been meaning to watch Ingmar Bergman films for a while, which would you suggest I start with/any personal favorites? |
intrnt said: I'd start with Persona or The Seventh Seal, that's how I grew to be a fan of his from starting those.Been meaning to watch Ingmar Bergman films for a while, which would you suggest I start with/any personal favorites? |
 |
| Here are my top 10 favorite films. Not in any particular order. 1. Zerkalo directed by Andrei Tarkovsky I wrote this piece about it. "let's say you're lying on bed and your memory resurfaces and you dream of all your loved ones, your regrets, and etc. You also get many people and their roles confused (since retrieval of memory is not perfect). You start getting sad and feeling remorseful, beating yourself over many events that have happened in your life ("he said this! she said that!", "why couldn't you have..."), and etc. Your dreams start overtaking you, but at the end you simulataneously accept and nullify yourself when you let go of the bird in your hand, and it flies to the wide expansive field." 2. Melancholia directed by Lars von Triers Like Offret by Tarkovsky, this film captures the true meaning of Ch'an. It shows how even in moments of utter despair, there can be moments of beauty. "I think -- I hope -- that both concepts [of a utopia and dystopia] are dismissed as adolescent thinking. There are moments of pure, heart stopping beauty in the most tragic and broken environments. And the loveliest community on earth will not be able to eliminate the dog turd..." - Warren Ellis 3. Ikiru directed by Akira Kurosawa It resembles Tolstoy's Death of Ivan Ilyich which I love. It's about how even with the nearing of death, we can still find a way to connect and make peace with ourselves through selfless compassion or by letting go. It shows how extremes such as too much indulgence lead to more pain. 4. The Cure directed by Kiyoshi Kurosawa Truly one of the most frightening films of all time. No description can do it justice. The movie is so hypnotic to the point where you, too, may start feeling insane. Mamiya truly is like a force that expands and brings out the destructive thoughts within us. Whenever we desire to hurt others or arouse feelings of greed or hatred, the seed for destruction is there, no matter how small, which is how Mamiya hypnotizes people into gruesome murders, by giving the illusion that comfort awaits when we eliminate what induces pain. 5. Au Hasard Balthazar directed by Robert Bresson The ending was breathtaking. The donkey was more noble than the humans surrounding him. I like Bresson's style of utilizing non-actors and trying to minimize emotion. It's difficult to discuss here. 6. Color of Paradise directed by Majid Majidi The panentheistic message really got to me. I like how the main character is blind yet can see and feel more than many other characters. He can cognitively make sense of what the birds are singing about based off the pitch, cadence, and etc in the chirps. The film has one of my favorite quotes of all time inspired by Sufism: "Mohammad: [crying] Our teacher says that God loves the blind more because they can't see. But I told him if it was so, He would not make us blind so that we can't see Him. He answered "God is not visible. He is everywhere. You can feel Him. You see Him through your fingertips." / Now I reach out everywhere for God till the day my hands touch Him and tell Him everything, even all the secrets in my heart. " 7. Gabbeh directed by Mohsen Makhmalbaf The natural scenery in Persia/Iran (same thing) was breathtaking. I really liked how it depicted culture or the individual as having a kind of "collective memory". The way the film intertwines memory with the present in combination with the symbolic significance of the rug was amazing. The film touches on so much such as the struggles involved in daily living, traditional authority vs. freedom, duty vs. unrestrictions, and etc. 8. The Man Who Planted Trees drawn by Frederic Back. 30 minutes long and amazing. It is based off a true story similar to Jadav Payeng's, I believe. Inspirational and shows the power inherent in solitude and stillness. One man revitalizes the land by single-mindedly planting acres of forests, and his actions provided benefits for many by restabilizing the ecosystem. Art style was beautiful. 9. Virgin Springs directed by Ingmar Bergman Deals with the indifference of the universe to our struggles, and the moral ambiguity in events (i.e., the 'absurd'). Such a brutal yet necessary film to watch. Very similar to Camus' philosophy. Essential watching. My favorite of what I have seen of Ingmar Bergman's. To this day, I still question whether that boy had to die. 10. Fearless with Jet Li (DIRECTOR'S CUT, not regular cut) One film I recently loved and heartily recommend is Jet Li’s Fearless. Be sure to watch the Director’s Cut because the theatrical cut takes out all the good stuff. My favorite ritual at my Sangha is having moments of mindfulness randomly interspersed in Dharma talks or even while working. The film Fearless has that when the main character works on the small village’s permaculture farm. That is, there is more stuff in the Director’s Cut about the tribes people such as their spirituality. Every time the wind blows, while working the land, they stand mindfully to let it wash over them. The first time they do it, Huo (i.e., the main character) does not stand with them, and instead, he tries to out-compete others in placing the rice patties, but he messes up. As a consequence, the blind woman goes back to the rice pattie to fix his careless mistakes due to his rushingl he feels remorse and realizes he should not constantly compete and measure himself to others. He starts working sincerely, so he does the rice patty more mindfully and actually stands up silently facing the direction of the Summer breezes to let it wash over him – showing that one should not be concerned with measuring up to others but simply living in the moment, be compassionate to people, and feel connected to environment. I recently had a dream like this which resembled Harvest Moon video games. Notable mention. Memento directed by Christopher Nolan As a neuroscientist that works in a neurobiology of memory lab, this movie really resonated with me. I mean, I just liked it - whatever! |
ExistentialUFONov 25, 2014 10:25 PM
| I'll just quickly post here that the most poignant film I have ever seen is Akira Kurosawa's "Ikiru." http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0044741/?ref_=nv_sr_1 This film talks about the meaning of one's life, why it is important to accept change, to have compassion, create change, influence other with your efforts, and much more. It shows grief, agony, happiness, sadness, realization, regret, depression, and more all in realistic way within the character Kanji Watanabe; a bureaucrat who has done nothing but sit behind a desk for thirty years, who finds out he has a terminal illness. This film is not generic in the slightest. The many realizations and motivations that happen withing Watanabe are endearing, as well as believable. This film will make think weather you should do something to change the world yourself, even in a small way. Think about what your true intentions are in life, what other's true intentions are, and what you can do to make those good intentions. This films also shows, surprisingly, that doing good can actually create no influence! It's such an amazing film with so much to offer in its 2 hours and 20 minutes. People may think it's slow, and generic. I think it's a masterpiece. |
| My brother and I compose classical and modern music, please click the link below if you're interested. http://thesearethetwins.wordpress.com/ Please check out my profile to see what anime I recommend. Keep pursuing your dreams! ~ Wynn |
| ^ Akira Kurasawa was truly a legend director. I watch seven samurai and the other movie about the king and his sons fighting for power and his sons killing each other at the end. I can't remember exactly what that movie was it was pretty fascinating and I believe it was a reference to Shakespeare's or one of Shakespeare's works. Usually this director is known for more historical more ancient settings, that film seems special for it being set in a more modern settings. I find his works to be actually dark and not uplifting at all because he always delves into murder and violence in his films maybe that just shows he's a realist than a romanticists. I think he has a really good eye for creating really interesting characters that have sort of special mindset to them, a special persona. I wonder how he has influenced and me and Japanese storytelling in general. I'm using Voice to write this so there will be errors and confusing things in this message. |
BiddingGortonioMay 28, 2015 5:05 AM
BiddingGortonio said: ^ Akira Kurasawa was truly a legend director. I watch seven samurai and the other movie about the king and his sons fighting for power and his sons killing each other at the end. I can't remember exactly what that movie was it was pretty fascinating and I believe it was a reference to Shakespeare's or one of Shakespeare's works. Usually this director is known for more historical more ancient settings, that film seems special for it being set in a more modern settings. I find his works to be actually dark and not uplifting at all because he always delves into murder and violence in his films maybe that just shows he's a realist than a romanticists. I think he has a really good eye for creating really interesting characters that have sort of special mindset to them, a special persona. I wonder how he has influenced and me and Japanese storytelling in general. I'm using Voice to write this so there will be errors and confusing things in this message. To anyone who wants to read my post, I spoil a little bit of the ending of Ikiru (yes, there is something to spoil in a film about a man dying of cancer). I think the movie you're thinking of in the first sentence is called "Ran." Which is an excellent film. It has quite a devastating ending. My brother and I always say the blind flutist had it the worst out of all of them in the end. I do agree that Akira Kurosawa's films take a realistic approach when it comes to its storytelling. That style is usually what makes his films so meaningful and memorable. In the case of Ikiru, the fact that it shows the reality of what Watanabe did and how it did and did not influence others makes the film even more inspiring. If everyone was inspired and happy about Watanabe did in the film, it wouldn't carry as much weight as showing the reality of the fact that people would probably do nothing, even after saying they would do something. As a viewer, it's like showing us what we never want to see; the truth about ourselves. We would, and probably have, done the same thing to people in our lives. Like the parents who gave up their lives for us, and we don't do what they know is best for us. Or having someone save your life, and then never even thanking them in return (it can happen. You'd have to be pretty cruel though). This showing of reality inspires us to do the opposite; or at least for me it does. LOL By the way, I don't see any mistakes in your post. In fact, it's much better than most people on the internet! |
| My brother and I compose classical and modern music, please click the link below if you're interested. http://thesearethetwins.wordpress.com/ Please check out my profile to see what anime I recommend. Keep pursuing your dreams! ~ Wynn |
More topics from this board
» Philosophical Quote Debate #2: Max StirnerGonzoLewd - Dec 15, 2013 |
1 |
by Neostorm-X
»»
Jun 27, 2022 11:01 AM |
|
Sticky: » New Member Introduction Thread ( 1 2 )Lithic - Jan 26, 2014 |
70 |
by morimemen
»»
Jun 27, 2020 5:30 PM |
|
» Club Relations ( 1 2 )Danish - Apr 12, 2009 |
69 |
by missbellerophon
»»
Aug 2, 2016 3:02 PM |
|
» THE COVER PHOTOPsychoX - May 3, 2016 |
0 |
by PsychoX
»»
May 3, 2016 4:34 AM |
|
» To the Bookshelf: Post Your Latest TextsPleiadesRising - Sep 25, 2012 |
10 |
by removed-user
»»
Jul 6, 2015 4:16 PM |