Reply With QuoteNice pick! I really enjoyed Funny Games and I have Hanekes film "Hidden" in my watch pile. I'm definitely interested in checking out more of his shit.
Zoobesucherin
Der Siebente Kontinent (1989)
This is Michael Haneke's first film. He's the director of Funny Games.
It's really a visually amazing film about a depressed family. Much of it consists of showing in endless detail the banality of everyday life. He's a director that kind of sets out to fuck with the audience with every film that he makes.
It's in German, but I really suggest finding a couple of hours when you feel like focusing on a movie and checking it out. I'm going to put it up later with the subs.
I'd also highly recommend Caché and Funny Games.
THE VOID
Nice pick! I really enjoyed Funny Games and I have Hanekes film "Hidden" in my watch pile. I'm definitely interested in checking out more of his shit.
13th Monkey
Cool, haven't seen this yet!
FYI, the Michael Haneke collection is part of the deepdiscountdvd Kino 50% off sale. Usually 99 bucks, on sale for 49. It has 7 movies: The Piano Teacher/Funny Games/Code Unknown/The Castle/Benny’s Video/The Seventh Continent/71 Fragments of a Chronology of Chance
Zoobesucherin
Hidden is Caché, if you didn't know. That one is really good.Originally Posted by arjue
Finally, the only reason I never bought that was the crazy price and it's missing a few I'd like to see. Also The Seventh Continent is the movie this thread is about.
13th Monkey
well, my box set finally shipped this past monday, only took them 3 weeks :0. hopefully get a chance to watch this soon
13th Monkey
Watched this over the weekend, and it's taken me a few days to digest. This may be a little TLDR, but...
When films are based on true events, it really makes me think more than I would if it were just a random fabricated story. Even given that it's just one persons depiction of said events, this flick still leaves you questioning of the original motivation and intent of the family. This seems to come from deep down somewhere in basic human nature. Something fictional would be easy to chalk up to artistic choice or folly, but actuality and reality becomes a little something more.
The presentation of mundane tasks (shopping, eating, driving, etc.) was initially very effective. The focus and scope of the shots really helped turn the acts of monotony and routine into a "physical manifestation" (meaning to me, an actual character in the film).
The shot progression even shows how these "actions" are more important than even the characters/people in the movie. I mean you dont even get to see an actual actor's face for the first 10 minutes or so.
These acts did however grow old after awhile, at one point it felt like more of a "life simulator" than anything. These tasks do grow old in everyday living as well, so seeing them in a movie wears you down fairly quickly. After awhile they felt like they were just being shoved down your throat.
Which I think is the exact reaction that Haneke intended. To give you ,as the viewer, a little more to process. To give you more behind the motivation of what is to come without giving you answers. To give you such a stark contrast that the climax will be that much more jarring.
jump cut
When the girl acts out a school, you still think she is just being a child. The entire a-ha moment of the film was made when the slap occurred. The tone shifted and we start to see the slow detachment and severing of ties from all of society
I must say that the culmination of this in the systematic destruction of the home and personal belongings was probably one of the best things i've ever watched on film. and mostly only so due to the previous buildup of banality.
The destruction being shown in the same framing and scope that the "mundane actions" were is what I think really made it the most effective. The inclusion of the child's drawings in this rampage put it over the top.
This is probably another same-type reaction that many have while watching the film: at the point when the daughter and mother have already passed, I was no longer hoping for a happy outcome, I really wanted the father to kill himself. When he was throwing up the poison, all I could think was that I would be more sickened if he lived than died.
When the fishtank broke and the daughter reacted, you could see that she had not reached the level of detachment that the parents had, and was not making the choice for herself. She still had hope and love and meaning. The self centered nature of the parents, knowingly removing the free will of their child was the worst part for me (being a parent)
Also (run-on sentence), at one point still not knowing what was to come, thinking that they were actually going to emigrate, and hearing the letter read that was written to the grandparents about what would happen, made me reflect on that selfishness in disgust when the climax of the film rolled around.
I read that audiences at Cannes were more concerned about the actual death of a real fish and the money being flushed down the toilet, than the death of the child and family. Just shows how fucked up society really is. Yes all of those scenes were meant to invoke reaction, but give me a break
Anyways, it does what good films do best. Leaves you questioning. How could this happen? What would make someone give up to the point of not just suicide, but non-existance? Is life really as bad this depiction? The things we take for granted and don't notice, are they slowly destroying us? etc.
Even though the movie is a slow starter, it was definitely amazing.
Knowing it was based on actual events, even moreso.
Knowing that it was a director's first film, superb.
Masterfully presented, with the perfect angle, I must say.
Not for everyone, and it requires a lot from the audience, which is exactly why I liked it.
Im glad I bought this box set now, the other 2 films in this "trilogy" are included in it as well, can't wait to watch them.
thanks for the pick cigs!
Last edited by D_N_G; 27 Apr 2010 at 03:45 PM.
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