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Reviews
Carnages (2002)
Superb Modern Myth
Formally and in terms of subject matter this movie is a really fine piece of cinema. The music is perfect and its direction and editing have moments of true brilliance. This film explores the events that surround the death of a bull. This film is inspired by the forms and the spiritual intent of ancient myth. The film begins with a bullfighter getting gored in the arena as he kills his first bull. The bull is then processed and divided into its respective products. As the these parts move out into the world they "affect" the lives of the film's characters. The struggles of each individual character seem resonant with the struggle between the bull and his bullfighter. Each story takes on the feel of a fatal dance.
This film is not an attempt to describe the world as it is but rather it is the telling of a story that appeals to our mystical notions of the world. It is a retelling of an ancient myth of replenishment as it relates to modern symbols of grace. Our relationship with the animal master is intact and a covenant still exists between man and beast. It is an understanding that the bull will die and be consumed and that we will kill and reclaim him. It is a pact to participate in the business of life and recognize the inexhaustible source from which all life comes, to which all life goes. This is a great film but modern film goers may need some help with its reference.
Iron & Silk (1990)
A True Kung-Fu Story
This is a film about a young man who finds himself visiting China just after China was opened to the west. Mark Salzman plays himself in this autobiographical film about his cross-cultural adventure overseas. 'Teacher Mark' teaches English and wants to study kung-fu under Master Pan, a kung-fu legend even in America, who was immortalized in movies. Master Pan's reluctance to teach him kung-fu drives him even more and the friendship that develops between them provides substance for this movie. A love interest surfaces and together all of these elements don't really add up to a blockbuster but you will find is a story with a lot of heart. The acting is substandard but any kung-fu fan or film enthusiast will appreciate what the movie offers. Don't expect a slick production or big time special effects and you should have fun with this movie about the fulfillment of a dream and one young man's uncommon achievement.
Midnight Cowboy (1969)
Dark yet lifting
Midnight Cowboy is one of the rarest gems of American film history. This is storytelling at its best, the characters of Voight and Hoffman contrast one another from the beginning. The story revolves around the adventures of Joe Buck (Voight) as he travels from rural Texas to New York City in pursuit of a less than respectable career as a hustler (male prostitute). As the story unfolds we watch his dreams collapse and a strange sort of kindness emerge from a con artist named 'Ratso' Rizzo (Hoffman). The story is one of desperate humanity. Joe is plagued by memories of a better life and by dark fantasies being forced into him by his new harsh environment. The scale of this movie is small and this is its strength, Joe Buck is a tragic hero in the classical sense, he tries so hard to be more than what he is. These attempts provide much needed humor for the film. The film's symbolism is successful; there are moments when all hope is small enough to be funneled through a five dollar radio. Sadness seems to dominate much of the film but the end of the film is defined by a moment of redemption that ultimately leaves the viewer with a soup of emotions that is rarely the product of watching American film. Schlesinger directs a masterpiece artfully performed by both Voight and Hoffman.