tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12674755.post4678568393919711156..comments2023-11-22T04:10:49.266-05:00Comments on Dispatches from Zembla: Two Italian ComediesAlokhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12947383354732747209noreply@blogger.comBlogger5125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12674755.post-61701790393593695982007-10-06T08:32:00.000-05:002007-10-06T08:32:00.000-05:00Mastroianni was absolutely fantastic. In fact the ...Mastroianni was absolutely fantastic. In fact the whole sequence with La Dolce Vita movie screening was brilliant. My opinion of him (and La Dolce Vita too actually) certainly changed after watching this film. <BR/><BR/>Remember that line about the christian democratic party..lol.. the communist party is made fun of too. In the opening sequence people are dancing at a communist party meeting and the narration says "meanwhile the progress of the working class continued unabated" or something like that. In another scene later in the film the representative of the Communist party asks for "a democratic opinion" from the people about the wife who eloped (after saying how much "our chinese brothers" have achieved in the field of women's emancipation).. everybody screams, "Whore!" I was reading that this film had a major influence in reforming a lot of gender related laws in Italy, all relics from the fascist period and about which feminist and progressive groups were agitating for long but in vain. <BR/><BR/>I agree it is a very interesting film in technical and visual sense too. I was particularly impressed by the way it uses point-of-view narration. There are imaginary monologues by the lawyer for example (what a riot he is!) in the voice-over as Ferdinando contemplates various situations, it is marvelous.<BR/><BR/>I have seen Kind Hearts.. and Ladykillers. I love them both, specially the former. Alec Guiness was another genius of acting. Peter Sellers too. I will check out the other films you have mentioned. Preston Sturges is a completely unexplored territory too. Thanks for all the names. Will definitely look out for them soon.Alokhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12947383354732747209noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12674755.post-46117669673772512462007-10-06T01:51:00.000-05:002007-10-06T01:51:00.000-05:00You know if you want more comedies of that sort yo...You know if you want more comedies of that sort you can check out Ealing Comedies...British Cinema's finest comedy movies...especially the four films starring Alec Guinness - ''The Ladykillers'',<BR/>''The Lavender Hill Mob'', ''The Man In The White Suit'' and the greatest of all black comedies(save for Chaplin's ''Monsieur Verdoux'') ''Kind Hearts and Coronets''.<BR/><BR/>In America, Preston Sturges was the king of that kind of satire - especially ''The Lady Eve'', ''The Palm Beach Story'', ''Sullivan's Travels'', ''Unfaithfully Yours!'' and the king of all anti-military farces - ''Hail The Conquering Hero!''. He also pulled of one of the greatest swindles in film history by making ''The Miracle of Morgan's Creek''.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12674755.post-20063060630805595682007-10-06T01:38:00.000-05:002007-10-06T01:38:00.000-05:00Ah excellent examples...I never got around to seei...Ah excellent examples...I never got around to seeing ''Big Deal...'' so avoid talking about it(I didn't rad your bit about it) to me, don't like spoilers.<BR/><BR/>''Divorzio All'Italiana'' is one of my favourite films. And you know I didn't know until now the film won an Oscar for Screenplay(I stopped caring for those things a long time ago) but it's dialogue is great especially that bit with the priest in the pulpit...''We believe in the freedom of the people...so we believe in democracy...Christianity also believes in it...so we favour Christian democracy.'' It cracks me up every time since it basically satirizes every party that calls itself Christian Democractic. <BR/><BR/>And Mastroianni's bit when he introduces that painter beau for his wife into his house...that guy rips straight into his bourgeois ancestry and he says, ''My family were avid art collectors, avid painters...just avid.''<BR/><BR/>Pietro Germi is one of the great truly underrated directors of Italy. He began as an ex-NeoRealist and then tried his hand with comedy and proved to be a genius with it. They call him the Italian Preston Sturges for the way he rips into Middle Class life and his political satire. And also the way he shows romantic relationships. <BR/><BR/>Mastroianni actually took the role because he was tired of his image as a Latin lover, ''La Dolce Vita'' made him into a worldwide celebrity and he became a jetsetter but didn't want to take roles as a shallow skirt-chaser so part of the reason he made the film was an attempt(successful) at self-parody. <BR/><BR/>And another thing is that although the film is extremely well-written, it's also brilliantly composed and visually expressed. Especially the scenes in his mini-office and the scene where he makes love to his cousin in the garden. With comedic films with the possible exception of those in colour, people don't focus that much on the visual qualities as they do for others.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12674755.post-20808358099847750232007-10-05T15:25:00.000-05:002007-10-05T15:25:00.000-05:00Torless is a rather miniaturized version of MwQ. S...Torless is a rather miniaturized version of MwQ. Similar ideas but much shorter and a little more conventional in style and narration. Good book for beginners but for those who have already been into his mega-novel, not really necessary.<BR/><BR/>I am busy reading the Polish novel Ferdydurke these days. Definitely will pick up Savage Detectives sometime soon. I am a little wary because of its thickness and weight. Though this ferdydurke book is quite difficult too. It comes highly recommended from Susan Sontag though.Alokhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12947383354732747209noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12674755.post-73783698331631537902007-10-05T15:17:00.000-05:002007-10-05T15:17:00.000-05:00I can see that you have been busy watching movies ...I can see that you have been busy watching movies lately. i dont have a decent library nearby, so my movie lust remains high.<BR/>I really w'd love to hear from you when you read the savage detectives.<BR/>how good is Musil's Torless book?<BR/>i HAVE only read his TMWQ, but sometime ago.Kubla Khanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11973223751363547679noreply@blogger.com