This is not Bergman's worst performance, in fact, she's adding another nuance to her wideranging, diverse portfolio of phantasy charcters. The working language is opposing her though, in Bergman's self evalidation decent enough for a party conversation, here, her timing reveals to be quite off in the dialogues. Some amount of mystification, at least to the accidential viewer, might involve the timing of her Germany outing, this movie however doesn't present any regime friendly note recognizable to me, and while it's not a masterpiece of subtle dissent either, the overall 50/50 result of female career vs romantic interests, the involvement of leading man Hans Söhnker, co-star Ursula Herking, not least the idea of decorationg the household flagpost with (white) underwear, do have to present the Persilschein for this movie.
Reviews
9 Reviews
Serenity
(I) (2019)
Fuzzy
3 August 2020
The real problem of this movie, it is simply taking too much for granted, somehat ironically, approaching and accosting a mature, trained eye and mindset. I didn't find one take that was simply ludicrous to me, unlike some of the critics - unsurprising, in a time when reality (or is it??) was/is weirder than whatever any mind could make up! The inclined viewer will follow the main character on his grey area drift between reality, memory, perception, reason, onsetting lunacy and daze, all made up by a kid exposed to domestic violence for years. While this movie will not shake your belief system, its uncomfortability is certainly not rooted in the explicitness, yet, I do wonder if Millrnnials had been more open to this movie, had the main female cast not been their princess.
Feel the Motion
(1985)
Bunk
20 October 2019
If for some reason the movie would have made the international market, this would have been a genius title! It's demented, it's an 80s bunk fantasy, and one main character actually bunks off. While there are some seasoned talents, the main acting is brutally amateurish, which presumably as hoped-for is quite charming though. From what is available, Sissy Kelling seems to be a working musician first, so this part does come natural to her, while Ingolf Lück effortlessly showcases his cabaret skills. This movie - just like the other 80s FRG big screen relic, "Hanging Out/Gib Gas Ich Will Spaß" - is another extension of the classic racket and junk tradition of W-German cinema, which started in the early 50ies, displaying the same obvious golden thread up until the 90s ("Manta Manta", e.g.): Love, Othello psychosis, cars, in fact an independent freespirit young female character, music, and stars. Not shabby here, against all odds extensively engaging Falco and Die Toten Hosen, and Limahl, all displaying a pleasant self-irony, with Pia Zadora, and The Flirts on the other end. Still, a rainy, perefectly grey train station goodbye scene, featuring Purple Schulz's, "Nur Mit Dir", is what does save this movie from a one-star rating! This scene is great, but futile in only a healf-hearted attempt to provide the movie with a serious nuance, only touching the entire set of troubles that comes with general military conscription. There are a couple of other scenes inhering that too, and maybe if you happen to have experience, male or female side, it will make you reflect on how that generation never really addressed how abnormal and offbeat that situation was, since you compare it to the standards not of today's youth, but, as always, with the harsh substandard of your parents, and grandparents. Also, the 80s were a ticking time-bomb in more than one way, with just another massive numbered age-group always lurking to take over from the one before! What was pop in 1984, seemed outdated only 10 months later, I don't even know, but I assume this movie was fated not to be a box-office-hit for that reason alone. Yet, movie historians get treated to a run around the Bavararia studios, including set-visits of "Das Boot" (ridiculously small), and, "Rote Erde". If you are in the know, you will also appreciate authenticity of actual circumstances, like, the Bundeswehr being massively slapsticked was absolute Zeitgeist, or, the most expensive clothing being your underwear.
Hindsight and nostalgia in this pov included, bottom line, this is still a trashy movie, but - keep an eye on props, sets, and other details, there's some subtle fun, and, I suppose messaging going in there. Hence with a grain of salt, or two, this movie does provide a quite accurate insight to mid 80s W-German way of life, you might want to watch it for that reason, or the music.
Anna
(1988)
Historic, sort of
29 August 2019
Follow-up movie, hitting theatres exactly one year after the sensationally successful and FRG-pop culture national-TV-X-mas-six-parter! Do not watch if you haven't seen the series, nor, if you never liked it, but be aware, if you lived then, you are a minority. The movie doesn't even live up to the series in terms of story telling though, and at times is plain silly, the costuming/fashion too over the top, the music featured was hardly pop, the classic dancing does stand the test of time in my amateur opinion though, and the entire movie is as targeted for a base audience as it gets. The fact that the two major characters are finally allowed to become innocently intimate (their relationship spans about a decade at that point), is equally mandatory to make sense of the admission money, and bold, as disability was by far not as "normal" to a general audience as it is today - the awkward discussion Anna's parents are having about it, accurately reflects on that. Health, fitness, strength, discipline, mental toughness, ambition, stamina, diligence, bearing up, zeal, thinking big, competition, and not least, virtue, these are core late 80s W-German values! Tragically and sadly ironic, the actress who actually became "Anna", struggled with a multitude of personal problems, eventually succumbing to her demons.
Boys on the Side
(1995)
Awkward and uncomfortable
12 May 2019
Almost everything, starting with the editing, some dialogue, brute viciousness and pacifying negotiating sharing the same space, the law enabling the fundamental basis of life, represented by a comic book cop-character, the entire range of human emotions, mixed with comedic one liners, bias and prejudice, disease, and just existing somewhere between life and death for other reasons, even the dancing and singing. This movie perfectly internalizes the alienation of people with others, themselves, with society, their general environment, the disintegration of families, and, our most basic need of belonging. Depressing or uplifting, the writing leaves the audience with a tie. Women are the protagonists, while I fail to see a movie automatically fitting a certain category for that reason, this one didn't age badly, I'm afraid it just does encapsulate the mid 90s mindset rather well.
Fried Green Tomatoes
(1991)
Superb visual language
20 April 2019
An art lost on too many movie-audiences, this movie displays an exuberance of images and symbolism. The train, food, lake, whistle, honey, roses, bees, injuries, and more. The central theme of this movie in one word, love, while touching on almost every human dilemma and predicament imaginable. From the very obvious hatred, brutality, to the subtle lesbian love, cohesion of human life, death, trauma, alcoholism, and one more aspect of human distress I am simply amazed to find alluded on in movie of 1991, as I don't even dare to type it out here. This movie can be watched and enjoyed on any level and by everyone, but watch it more than once in your lifetime.
Hangin' Out
(1983)
Bravo
30 October 2017
Those were the days, no smartphones, no phones at all really, lighter and Marlboros on the nightstand instead, in the rain, on the train, latter with doors that could be opened all the time, yet for the most part young people did not end up on the wings of planes back then either. We marvel at the display of youthful defiance about the horror vision that gasoline could cost as much as 3.10 DM one day, envy Schucki because he gets a kiss, though he won't join the road trip, unlike Mick Jagger's photograph, remember fondly how much of a social event any autoscooter once was, acknowledge that there was chemistry between the two leads, get treated to the two most successful, stirring, enduring, dope, German pop songs of 1982, meet that Leuchtturm for what I remember the first time right here, and wonder what Karl Dall is doing in all this. The story line emerges and evolves in a love triangle of unmatched predictability, both lead's performances are above soap opera standards as set in this millennium, and I'm still waiting for that unhealthy, sugar infested ice confectionery getting offered just before the movie starts. In summary, I loved it.
Darlings of the Gods
(1989 TV Movie)
Passion has its stages
25 April 2017
It might just be impossible to write a script about the lives of the Oliviers, or either, that will fit into two hours. There are however certain episodes that offer a narrative concept, and the Australian Tour is one of those.
In the prime of her life, having already experienced a couple of serious personal blows, 1948 is a watershed year for Vivien, and for her marriage to Olivier. If you are a fan, you might wonder if the images in your mind match in any way with those of other people, for whatever reason, this movie gave me a resounding yes.
As for their relationship, one does need to keep in mind, contrary to some popular myth, the Olivier' was anything but platonic. The V&A museum acquired a large amount of papers, after Vivien's daughter had died in 2013, among them letters kept by Vivien that Olivier sent her while she shot GWTW, and you will blush too. It does take some imagination to find the latter in the actor portraying him here, but Mel Martin certainly meets the idea of the classic English rose, and in many scenes manages to match Vivien's voice, smile almost, and movements, while Jerome Ehlers transports the perception that Vivien did have a powerful and long lasting effect on some very attractive men. Beautiful scenery, sets, and costumes, with many of them distinctively recognizable to fans. Certainly not reflecting 1948 the way most of us would have known it, nevertheless an interesting study too. Mostly though, that of two very special actors, equally global celebrities as artists, struggling to find a balance between their respective passions, public and own fantasies, and reality, heightened by a mental illness, which had been there for two decades probably, but is now fully consciously looming. On the journey home, Olivier will spend two weeks in their cabin, while Vivien as much the social center of everything as ever, becomes also determined to play Blanche Du Bois, to me very much the essence of this time in their lives.
80ies TV is incredibly slow placed, and this will certainly grab nobody as a late night movie. It should be interesting for fans, if for no other reason, as it illustrates the reception of 30 years ago, which has been rewritten to some extent already, and rightly so.
In the prime of her life, having already experienced a couple of serious personal blows, 1948 is a watershed year for Vivien, and for her marriage to Olivier. If you are a fan, you might wonder if the images in your mind match in any way with those of other people, for whatever reason, this movie gave me a resounding yes.
As for their relationship, one does need to keep in mind, contrary to some popular myth, the Olivier' was anything but platonic. The V&A museum acquired a large amount of papers, after Vivien's daughter had died in 2013, among them letters kept by Vivien that Olivier sent her while she shot GWTW, and you will blush too. It does take some imagination to find the latter in the actor portraying him here, but Mel Martin certainly meets the idea of the classic English rose, and in many scenes manages to match Vivien's voice, smile almost, and movements, while Jerome Ehlers transports the perception that Vivien did have a powerful and long lasting effect on some very attractive men. Beautiful scenery, sets, and costumes, with many of them distinctively recognizable to fans. Certainly not reflecting 1948 the way most of us would have known it, nevertheless an interesting study too. Mostly though, that of two very special actors, equally global celebrities as artists, struggling to find a balance between their respective passions, public and own fantasies, and reality, heightened by a mental illness, which had been there for two decades probably, but is now fully consciously looming. On the journey home, Olivier will spend two weeks in their cabin, while Vivien as much the social center of everything as ever, becomes also determined to play Blanche Du Bois, to me very much the essence of this time in their lives.
80ies TV is incredibly slow placed, and this will certainly grab nobody as a late night movie. It should be interesting for fans, if for no other reason, as it illustrates the reception of 30 years ago, which has been rewritten to some extent already, and rightly so.
Waterloo Bridge
(1940)
Oh audience, you are naive
10 December 2016
So much has already been very eloquently said here. Yet this movie certainly could not have been decrypted in 1940, but I think there is no point in not doing it now. Vivien Leigh has not made one movie that did not have any aspect of herself in it, and I never felt as strongly for her as I do watching this movie. Wonderful in its comedic and light moments, but there is no other that offers us so many looks into her sadness, the doubts, the giddy girl, into the romantic young woman that is in her somewhere but not allowed to be, the despair, the girl that looks out of the window into the gray of the day, some glimpses of hope, the elegant young lady, the shame, accepting everything to stay afloat, hating herself, misrepresenting things, the defeatism, and again the fog that is her doom. As glossy as this movie is and of course had to be, I don't know what any professional critic who proclaims this a chick flick is thinking. "Do you think you'll remember me now?" Who wouldn't.
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