Friday, November 30, 2007

HERE IT COMES AGAIN -- BLACK

THIS IS MY REPLY TO ACQUARELLO IN MY WORDPRESS' BLOG:
http://celinejulie.wordpress.com/2007/11/30/favorite-songs-from-1980s/

--I love Cocteau Twins very much. My favorite ones include

1.FROU-FROU FOXES IN MIDSUMMER FIRES, in the album HEAVEN OR LAS VEGAS (1990)

2.THEFT, AND WANDERING AROUND LOST, in the album FOUR-CALENDAR CAFE (1993)

3.THE THINNER THE AIR, in the album VICTORIALAND (1986) and also in the compilation album STARS AND TOPSOIL (2000)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zx0vY7Xs5Qk

4.SERPENTSKIRT, in the album MILK AND KISSES (1996)

--I just found out that Youtube has a clip of THE ANGEL ON RUSKIN (1995) by THE BATHERS with Elizabeth Fraser
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cbPhJPY1iKc


--My favorite song of THE DREAM ACADEMY is WATERLOO, which is in the album A DIFFERENT KIND OF WEATHER (1990).


--THE BLUE NILE is very interesting. I first knew this band from the various-artist album THE TREE AND THE BIRD AND THE FISH AND THE BELL (1991), which includes REGRET by THE BLUE NILE. In this album, my favorite ones are "THE GLASGOW BARROWLANDS" by Eddi Reader and "JOCELYN SQUARE" by LOVE & MONEY.
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Tree-Bird-Fish-Bell/dp/B0000581S3/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=music&qid=1196405531&sr=1-1

http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/61T-DdNqU9L._SS500_.jpg


--I really love "BLACK". His songs--WONDERFUL LIFE and THE BIG ONE was very famous in Thailand in late 1980s. My favorites songs of BLACK include:

1.HERE IT COMES AGAIN
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SeVJ2PAzUOA

2.FLY UP TO THE MOON (duet with SAM BROWN)
The music video of this song is great. It is a very lovely animation, but I can't find this music video in the internet.


--The music video of CABARET VOLTAIRE's I WANT YOU is very funny. I love it. I just knew from wikipedia that Richard H. Kirk from CABARET VOLTAIRE later joined with Richard Barratt to form SWEET EXORCIST, a dance project which released a single called TESTONE (1990).
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eOzWrJ6nPIo

--Talking about CABARET VOLTAIRE reminds me that I should spend some time listening to the songs of the "C81" group, to which CABARET VOLTAIRE belongs. I am not familiar with most of the bands in the C81 and the C86 groups, but I have heard that they are very interesting.

C81 group includes Scritti Politti, Pere Ubu, Orange Juice, The Specials, Buzzcocks, Josef K, The Raincoats, D.A.F. and Aztec Camera.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/C81

C89 group includes Primal Scream, The Mighty Lemon Drops, The Soup Dragons, The Wedding Present, Fuzzbox, The Pastels, The Shop Assistants, Age of Chance, Stump, and Half Man Half Biscuit.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/C86_%28music%29

Here is the mv of "BUFFALO" (1986) by STUMP:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e-PmQ3dFQvs

PAINTBALL'S COMING HOME (1997) by HALF MAN HALF BISCUIT:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IxR0JY-FMh8


--Another interesting band in the 1980s is THE ASSOCIATES (with the great voice of Billy Mackenzie). This is a clip of PARTY FEARS TWO (1982):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cbPhJPY1iKc



--I have to confess that most of the songs here are not what I really listened to when I was in the 1980s. At that time I listened to those silly lovely songs produced by Stock/Aitken/Waterman. But in the 1990s I became addicted to the writing of Artit Promprasit, a music critic. He wrote about most of the songs in this post. But in the 1990s I still couldn't find the CDs of the songs he wrote about, or those CDs were imported and too expensive. I just had a chance to listen to the songs recommended by Artit because of Youtube, and I fell in love with them.

Other songs and albums recommended by Artit:

1.AIN'T THAT ALWAYS THE WAY (1985) by Paul Quinn, produced by Edwyn Collins+Paul Heard. This song is from the soundtrack of LETTER TO BREZHNEV.

You can listen to the song here:
http://hypem.com/track/366397


2.UP HOME! (EP) (1988) by A.R. KANE
http://www.myspace.com/arkane69


3.WHY DOES IT HAVE TO BE THIS WAY (1985) by ANNE PIGALLE
http://www.myspace.com/annepigalle


4.BUOY (1986) – MICK KARN FEATURING DAVID SYLVIAN
http://www.amazon.com/Everything-Nothing-David-Sylvian/dp/B00004YMVC


5.THE EVENING VISITS...AND STAY FOR YEARS (1985, album) by THE APARTMENTS
http://www.artistdirect.com/nad/store/artist/album/0,,241011,00.html


6.(I LOVE YOU) WHEN YOU SLEEP (1984) by TRACIE

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This is my comment in Girish's blog:
http://www.girishshambu.com/blog/2007/11/ill-be-seeing-you80s-pop.html

Thanks for the link, Girish.

I'm not sure about the exact title of the Booka Shade's song I mention. Sometimes it is mentioned as OH SUPAMAN.

I love New Order. But my most favorite song of them is 1963.

FAVORITE SONGS FROM 1980S

Inspired by a post in Girish Shambu’s blog, I would like to make a list of some pop songs in the 1980’s. I got to know most of these songs by reading Artit Promprasit’s column in a now-defunct Thai magazine called Generation Terrorist.

1.BEAT THE BEAT (1982) – MARI WILSON
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fnp_sQ71pVc

2.BEEN TEEN (1982) – DOLLY MIXTURE
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EyXcWDv5elk
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dolly_Mixture

3.CAROLYN’S FINGERS (1988) – COCTEAU TWINS
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qh83z5vIP0w

4.I COULD BE HAPPY (1981) – ALTERED IMAGES
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TWQE4NmOPwY

5.LOVE IS CONTAGIOUS (1988) – TAJA SEVELLE
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZJNO6KphQOg

6.ONE DAY (1985) – VINCE CLARK & PAUL QUINN
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CMjYzzZ5owY

7.ORPHEUS (1988) – DAVID SYLVIAN
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E2dgMNm64Mg

8.PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE LET ME GET WHAT I WANT (1985) – THE DREAM ACADEMY
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B-8ZJN1dSHI

9.SINCE YESTERDAY (1984) – STRAWBERRY SWITCHBLADE
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x7QPBzAJ_io

10.SONG TO THE SIREN (1984) – THIS MORTAL COIL
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mFAHVIyhtb0

11.SOUNDS LIKE A MELODY (1984) – ALPHAVILLE
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xxmBD904pVU


I also would like to add some songs from the 1990’s

1.AND BEFORE THE FIRST KISS (1991) – THE FIELD MICE
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jMqF0Ok04VQ

2.HIJACK – MARDEN HILL
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UEGPV9SYark

Thursday, November 29, 2007

SAGE (COMME UNE IMAGE) (1980) -- LIO

This is my comment in Girish Shambu’s blog:
http://www.girishshambu.com/blog/2007/11/ill-be-seeing-you80s-pop.html

--My favorite pop song of 1980s is O SUPERMAN (1981) by Laurie Anderson. (I’m not sure if it should be called a pop song or not, but at least it reached number two on the pop chart of UK.)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0hhm0NHhCBg

I also like its new version--OH SUPERMAN (2005) by M.A.N.D.Y. vs. Booka Shade featuring Laurie Anderson
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6fQ5vOikvwQ

--Talking about Chaka Khan, I love her scene the most in the documentary STANDING IN THE SHADOW OF MOTOWN (2002, Paul Justman).

--My most favorite Deborah Harry’s song is END OF THE RUN in the album DEF, DUMB AND BLONDE (1989). I also like her in the TV series WISEGUY (1987-1990), but she appeared late in the series.

--If I don’t remember it wrongly, there’s a scene featuring a music video of Les Rita Mitsouko in THE WITNESSESS (2007, Andre Techine), which successfully captures the atmosphere of the 1980s.

--My favorite 1980s French songs include SAGE (COMME UNE IMAGE) (1980) by LIO.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dtlq3lTHa3A

MY COMMENTS IN VARIOUS PLACES

--This is my comment in my wordpress blog:
http://celinejulie.wordpress.com/2007/11/26/international-video-art-at-bangkok-code/

Thank you for telling me about this, Jesse.

I still enjoy reading your blog, and I’m glad you like L’ARGENT. This film did not overwhelm me when I was watching it. But like other films by Bresson, it is sticking within my mind. It becomes unforgettable. And it seems as if the more I experience life and see the world, the more I love Bresson’s films.

----------------------------------------------

--This is my comment in Jesse’s blog:
http://memoriesofthefuture.wordpress.com/2007/11/19/in-that-sleep-of-death-what-dreams-may-come/

Thank you very much, Nina, for answering my question.

So in this film we see a white horse in TV, two black dogs of her sister, and then we see two black horses. Hmmm. That’s something worth thinking about.

---------------------------------------------

--This is my comment in my blogspot’s blog:
http://celinejulie.blogspot.com/2007/11/fred-kelemens-favorite-painters-2.html

Yes, Kelemen really has a painter’s eye. And it shows a lot in his film KALYI (1993), which is visually striking. The paintings of Nikolai Makarov remind me of the blurring quality of FATE (1994). The landscapes in Anselm Kiefer’s paintings remind me of the landscapes in FROST (1997).

Kelemen also has a great ear for music. The music in KALYI (1993) is marvelous. He also said in the book FILMVIRUS 2 that he likes

1.Fado music of Portugal
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fado

2.Gamelan music of Indonesia
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gamelan

3.Shakuhashi music of Japan

4.Bach

5.Bela Bartok
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Béla_Bartók

6.Morton Feldman
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Morton_Feldman

7.Dmitri Shostakovich
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dmitri_Shostakovich


-------------------------------------------

--This is my comment in Dechito’s blog:
http://dechito.blogspot.com/2007/11/4-months-3-weeks-and-2-days.html

Yes, I also hate Gabita very much.

Another female character which I hate as much as Gabita is May Welland (Winona Ryder) in THE AGE OF INNOCENCE. This character also looked very innocent, but she, too, deserved a good slap on the face. :-)


------------------------------------------------


--This is my comment in Matthew Hunt’s blog:
http://www.matthewhunt.com/blog/2007/11/strangers-on-train.html

I didn’t know the difference between the novel and the film before I read this post. It is interesting. It seems the Highsmith’s novel is darker than the Hitchcock’s film.

I like films adapted by Patricia Highsmith very much. I love RIPLEY’S GAME (2002, Liliana Cavani), THE TALENTED MR. RIPLEY (1999, Anthony Minghella), THE CRY OF THE OWL (1987, Claude Chabrol), but I can’t understand THE AMERICAN FRIEND (1977, Wim Wenders) in the first viewing, and I think THIS SWEET SICKNESS (1977, Claude Miller) is so-so.

----------------------------------------------

--This is my comment in Lighthouse’s blog:
http://lighthouse.exteen.com/20071116/symphony-of-life

ดิฉันเคยเรียนวิชาสังคมกับอาจารย์ตอนอยู่โรงเรียนมัธยมค่ะ อาจารย์ท่านนี้เป็นอาจารย์ที่ดีมากๆจริงๆ


------------------------------------------------

--This is my comment in Bioscope Webboard
http://www.bioscopemagazine.com/smf/index.php?topic=71.570

ตอบคุณ pc

จำได้ว่าคุณ pc เคยแนะนำให้ดิฉันดูมิวสิควิดีโอเพลง MOMENTS IN LOVE ของ ART OF NOISE เมื่อหลายสัปดาห์ก่อน พอดีดิฉันเจอบทความของคุณอาทิตย์ พรหมประสิทธิ์เกี่ยวกับเพลงนี้ ก็เลยคัดลอกมาให้อ่านค่ะ

บทความนี้อยู่ในนิตยสาร GENERATION TERRORIST VOL.4 ISSUE 33 FEBRUARY 1998 ในคอลัมน์ MODERN CLASSICS

“ดังเป็นความรู้สึกอันยากที่จะอธิบาย MOMENTS IN LOVE ของ ART OF NOISE ช่างงดงามและผลิบานอย่างเปล่งปลั่ง เหมือนเป็นเสียงกระซิบที่ดังที่สุดในพิภพแห่งความสงัด เสียงดนตรีไฟฟ้ากับเครื่องสายที่ก่อตัวกันอย่างสะเปะสะปะข้างหลัง พร้อมเสียงรัญจวนกึ่งสวดภาวนาของ CAMILLA PILKINGTON จับใจและความรู้สึกให้หยุดนิ่งและนั่งเหม่อลอยถึงช่วงเวลานั้นๆที่ตกอยู่ในความรัก เสียงกลองที่ปรากฏบนความภวังค์สะท้อนไปมาราวกับอยู่ในห้องกระจกฝ้าขนาดใหญ่

MOMENTS IN LOVE ให้ความรู้สึกถึงการอยู่ตัวคนเดียว แล้วปล่อยความคิดที่มีต่อความรักให้พรั่งพรูออกไปอย่างไม่รู้จบ ประกายจากภาพในความทรงจำที่ฉายแสงมายังเราเต็มไปด้วยความหวานชื่นที่มิอาจบรรยายได้ เรือนร่างที่อยู่ในความทรงจำนั้นค่อยๆขยับตัวและโน้มมาโอบกอดเราไว้ด้วยความรักใคร่ แล้วเราก็ซาบซึ้งในบัดดลว่าความรักคือช่วงเวลานั้นเอง

ART OF NOISE เป็นหนึ่งในการรวมตัวของศิลปินแบบเดียวกับ THIS MORTAL COIL หรือ GUS GUS แต่ละชิ้นงานที่พวกเขาทำล้วนล้ำหน้าไปจากดนตรีในยุคเดียวกันทั้งสิ้น เมื่อ ART OF NOISE หันมาสัมผัสความรัก พวกเขาเปลี่ยนความหมายของความรักให้กลายเป็นหนึ่งอึดใจที่แล้วแต่ผู้ฟังจะตีความ แต่ในระหว่างนั้นความวิเศษสุดของ MOMENTS IN LOVE ก็ดูดกลืนอารมณ์กับหัวใจของคนฟังไปอย่างไม่รู้ตัว”

--อ่านที่คุณอาทิตย์เขียนแล้วก็ทำให้เข้าใจแฮะว่าทำไมดิฉันถึงชอบเพลง MOMENTS IN LOVE ไม่มากเท่าบางเพลงของ ART OF NOISE นั่นคงจะเป็นเพราะว่าดิฉันไม่ค่อยมีอารมณ์ร่วมกับงานที่พูดถึงความรักนั่นเอง ดิฉันจะมีอารมณ์ร่วมกับงานที่พูดถึงความเกลียดชังมากกว่า


อันนี้เป็นปกอัลบัมชุด IT’LL END IN TEARS (1984) ของ THIS MORTAL COIL
http://www.amazon.com/Itll-Tears-This-Mortal-Coil/dp/B000007SPT/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=music&qid=1196345877&sr=1-1




Tuesday, November 27, 2007

A WOMAN UNDER CONSCIOUSNESS (2000, A+)

A WOMAN UNDER CONSCIOUSNESS (2000, Samart Imkham, 40 min, A+)

หนังเรื่อง A WOMAN UNDER CONSCIOUSNESS เคยเปิดฉายครั้งหนึ่งที่หอศิลป์ตาดู สมัยที่หอศิลป์ตาดูยังอยู่ที่ RCA แต่พอดีดิฉันได้รับความอนุเคราะห์ดีวีดีจากคุณสามารถ อิ่มขำ ผู้กำกับหนังเรื่องนี้ (เขาเคยกำกับ ROUGH NIGHT (2001, A+++++)) ก็เลยทำให้ได้มีโอกาสดูหนังเรื่องนี้ ข้อความข้างล่างนี้เป็นความรู้สึกคร่าวๆของดิฉันที่มีต่อหนังเรื่องนี้ โดยตัดทอนมาจากจดหมายฉบับหนึ่งของดิฉัน

หนังเรื่องนี้มีเนื้อหาเกี่ยวกับนักฆ่าหญิงที่หลงรักนักฆ่าชายในองค์กรเดียวกัน แต่เธอได้รับคำสั่งให้ฆ่านักฆ่าชายคนนั้น

(ดิฉันจะใช้สรรพนามว่า “ผม” ในข้อความข้างล่างนี้)

ผมได้ชม A WOMAN UNDER CONSCIOUSNESS แล้วครับ ชอบมากๆเลยครับ หนังมันประหลาดมากๆ ผมว่าผมเคยดูหนังประหลาดๆมามากแล้ว แต่ A WOMAN UNDER CONSCIOUSNESS ก็ทำให้ผมรู้สึกว่าผมไม่เคยดูหนังแบบนี้มาก่อนเลย ตอนนี้ผมยังชอบหนังเรื่องนี้น้อยกว่า ROUGH NIGHT แต่หนังสองเรื่องนี้ก็ทำให้ผมรู้สึกว่าคุณสามารถเป็นคนที่มีความสามารถในการทำหนังที่ไม่ซ้ำแบบใครจริงๆ เขามีความเป็นตัวของตัวเองสูงมาก และไม่ประนีประนอมดีด้วย

ฉากที่ผมชอบที่สุดใน A WOMAN UNDER CONSCIOUSNESS คงเป็นฉากฝันกลางเรื่องที่เป็นภาพเนกาทีฟ ที่เป็นจุดต่างๆวิ่งวนไปวนมา แล้วความเคลื่อนไหวของภาพนามธรรมนั้นก็ทวีความเร็วขึ้นเรื่อยๆจนก่อให้เกิดความรู้สึกที่รุนแรงมากๆ แต่ผมก็ไม่รู้หรอกนะครับว่าฉากดังกล่าวมีความหมายว่าอะไร ผมรู้แต่ว่ามันก่อให้เกิดความรู้สึกที่รุนแรงดี

ผมชอบที่ A WOMAN UNDER CONSCIOUSNESS มีความเป็นหนังเงียบด้วยครับ แต่เป็นหนังเงียบในสไตล์ของตัวเอง ไม่ใช่การเลียนแบบสไตล์หนังเงียบในยุคเก่า และความที่หนังเกือบทั้งเรื่องเต็มไปด้วยความเงียบ “เสียงปืน” ในช่วงท้ายเรื่องจึงยิ่งทรงพลังมากๆ

เป็นเรื่องที่ยากมากพอสมควรสำหรับผมที่จะเขียนถึง A WOMAN UNDER CONSCIOUSNESS เพราะมันเป็นหนังที่ไม่ได้ตกอยู่ภายใต้กฎเกณฑ์ของหนังทั่วๆไปที่ผมเคยดูมา พล็อตคร่าวๆของหนังเรื่องนี้อาจจะคล้ายกับหนัง FILM NOIR, หนัง GANGSTER หรืออาจจะทำให้นึกถึงแม้แต่ MR. & MRS. SMITH แต่ถึงแม้พล็อตของหนังเรื่องนี้อาจจะดูไม่ใหม่ แต่สไตล์การนำเสนอของหนังเรื่องนี้แปลกมากๆสำหรับผม

ผมคาดเดาเนื้อหาในหนังเรื่องนี้ไม่ออกด้วยครับ เดาไม่ถูกจริงๆว่านางเอกของเรื่องจะตัดสินใจยังไง

ฉากที่ชอบมากๆอีกฉากนึงคือฉากที่นางเอกจูบกับคนรักในช่วงท้ายเรื่อง ที่มีการ REPEAT ฉากดังกล่าวซ้ำไปซ้ำมาหลายๆครั้ง ดูแล้วให้อารมณ์ที่ดีมากๆ

ชอบการจัดการกับนักแสดงในเรื่องด้วยครับ ผมรู้สึกว่านักแสดงในหนังเรื่องนี้ไม่ได้เน้นการแสดงแบบสมจริง แต่ใช้สไตล์การแสดงแบบไม่สมจริงซึ่งทำให้ดูแปลกตาดี นักแสดงในเรื่องนี้แสดงออกเพียงน้อยมาก แต่ก็ทำให้มันดูน่าสนใจมาก

การตัดสลับระหว่างฉากขาวดำกับฉากซีเปียสีน้ำตาลก็แปลกดีครับ

ชอบประโยคบางประโยคในหนังเรื่องนี้ด้วย ที่มันดูหลุดออกมาจากเนื้อเรื่อง อย่างเช่นในตอนที่ผู้ร้ายบอกให้นางเอกตัดสินใจตอนนี้ ไม่งั้นจะฆ่านางเอก แล้วอยู่ดีๆก็มีประโยคทำนองที่ว่า “ยังมีเวลาอีกเยอะ” หรืออะไรทำนองนี้ปรากฏขึ้นมาบนหน้าจอ ไม่แน่ใจเหมือนกันว่ามันหมายความว่าอะไร แต่ผมชอบครับ

Monday, November 26, 2007

LUST OF SIAM, CAUTION

THIS IS MY COMMENT IN BIOSCOPE WEBBOARD:
http://www.bioscopemagazine.com/smf/index.php?topic=71.540

ตอบคุณ KONMONGNANG

--ขอบคุณมากค่ะสำหรับลิงค์ไปยังบทความของอ.ธงชัย

--สำหรับความรู้สึกส่วนตัวของดิฉันนั้น LOVE OF SIAM เป็นหนังที่มีทั้งจุดที่ชอบอย่างสุดขีด และมีทั้งจุดที่ “สวนทางกับความปรารถนา” ของดิฉันอย่างรุนแรงมากๆในหนังเรื่องเดียวกัน ก็เลยทำให้หนังเรื่องนี้เป็นหนังที่ก่อให้เกิดความรู้สึกประหลาดมากๆ เพราะมันมีทั้งจุดที่ชอบมากและจุดที่ไม่ชอบมากในหนังเรื่องเดียวกัน โดยจุดที่ชอบมากๆก็คือเรื่องราวของเพศในหนังเรื่องนี้ ชอบความกล้าของหนังในเรื่องนี้มากๆ และขอกราบเท้าคุณมะเดี่ยว 3 ทีที่นำเสนอจุดนี้ออกมาได้อย่างถูกใจดิฉันสุดๆ

อย่างไรก็ดี ดิฉันก็รู้สึกไม่ถูกโฉลกกับครอบครัวของโต้งในหนังเรื่องนี้อย่างรุนแรงค่ะ


--ถ้าหากพูดถึงหนังที่มีเนื้อหาบางส่วนเกี่ยวกับความสัมพันธ์ต้องห้ามแล้ว หนังที่เข้าทางดิฉันมากกว่า LOVE OF SIAM ก็มีเช่น

1. AE FOND KISS (2004, Ken Loach, A+)

2. A JUDGEMENT IN STONE (LA CEREMONIE) (1995, Claude Chabrol, A+++++++++++++++)

A JUDGEMENT IN STONE (LA CEREMONIE) มีเนื้อหาเกี่ยวกับสาวใช้คนหนึ่งที่เพิ่งเข้ามาทำงานในบ้านของชนชั้นกลาง เธอได้ผูกมิตรกับไปรษณีย์สาวคนหนึ่ง แต่ความสัมพันธ์ระหว่างสาวใช้กับไปรษณีย์สาวสร้างความไม่พอใจอย่างรุนแรงให้กับครอบครัวชนชั้นกลาง
http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/41CF5BDWZ5L._SS500_.jpg


--------------------------------------


--อันนี้เป็นสิ่งที่ดิฉันเขียนตอบคุณ FRANK ใน BLOG ค่ะ เกี่ยวกับหนังเรื่อง GENGHIS KHAN

http://celinejulie.blogspot.com/2007/11/lust-caution-army-of-shadows.html

ปัจจัยสำคัญที่ทำให้ GENGHIS KHAN ได้ C จากดิฉันก็คือความรู้สึกตะขิดตะขวงใจของดิฉันที่มีต่อทัศนคติในหนังเรื่องนี้ค่ะ หนังเรื่องนี้นำเสนอเจงกิสข่านในแง่ค่อนข้างบวก (ปกติแล้วดิฉันมักจะมองว่าเขาเป็นคนที่ชั่วร้ายมากๆ) และนำเสนอแนวคิดของเขาในการฆ่าฟันประชาชนโดยอ้างว่าเป็นการทำเพื่อสันติภาพ ซึ่งดิฉันก็ไม่แน่ใจว่าผู้สร้างหนังเรื่องนี้เห็นด้วยกับแนวคิดดังกล่าวหรือเปล่า แต่ดิฉันไม่เห็นด้วยกับแนวคิดดังกล่าวอย่างรุนแรง และก็คิดว่าผู้สร้างภาพยนตร์ไม่ได้แสดงท่าทีต่อต้านแนวคิดของเจงกิสข่านอย่างชัดเจน เพราะเราแทบไม่ได้เห็นภาพเหยื่ออันน่าเวทนาของเจงกิสข่านเลย เห็นแต่ภาพของเจงกิสข่านในฐานะผู้นำอันเข้มแข็งเป็นส่วนใหญ่

ดูหนังเรื่องนี้แล้วก็อดทำให้นึกถึงสงครามโลกครั้งที่สองไม่ได้ ไม่รู้ว่าผู้สร้างหนังเรื่องนี้จงใจหรือไม่ แต่ดิฉันดู GENGHIS KHAN แล้วนึกถึงพฤติกรรมของญี่ปุ่นในช่วงสงครามโลกครั้งที่สองมากๆที่อ้างเหตุผลและความชอบธรรมต่างๆนานาในการรุกรานเอเชียและกระทำย่ำยีจีนกับเกาหลี

ถ้าหากไม่นับทัศนคติในเรื่องนี้แล้ว ดิฉันก็คงจะให้เกรด GENGHIS KHAN ในระดับ B เพราะคิดว่าหนังเรื่องนี้พอดูได้เพลินๆ วิวสวยดี ผู้ชายก็ดูดี เพราะเป็นหนุ่มญี่ปุ่นที่ถูกทำให้ผิวคล้ำ ก็เลยถูกใจดิฉันมากๆ แต่อย่างไรเสีย ทัศนคติของหนังเรื่องนี้ก็ทำให้ดิฉันรู้สึกเลวร้ายมากๆจนให้หนังเรื่องนี้ได้แค่ C เท่านั้น

ปัจจัยนึงที่อาจทำให้ดิฉันดูหนังเรื่องนี้แล้วหวนคิดไปถึงพฤติกรรมของญี่ปุ่นในช่วงสงครามโลกครั้งที่สอง เป็นเพราะว่าดิฉันเพิ่งดูละครเวทีเรื่อง WHERE SHOULD I LAY MY SOUL? (2007, นิกร แซ่ตั้ง, A+) ที่มีเนื้อหาเกี่ยวกับวิญญาณทหารญี่ปุ่นที่ยังไม่ไปผุดไปเกิดจนถึงปัจจุบันนี้ ดูแล้วก็ทำให้ฝังใจกับประเด็นนี้ และพอมาดู GENGHIS KHAN ก็เลยอดนึกถึงประเด็นนี้ขึ้นมาไม่ได้

โดยส่วนตัวแล้ว ดิฉันไม่ค่อยชอบหนังญี่ปุ่นแนวชาตินิยมอยู่แล้วด้วย อย่างเช่นเรื่อง YAMATO (2005, Junya Sato, B) และ LORELEI: THE WITCH OF THE PACIFIC OCEAN (2005, Shinji Higuchi, B) แต่หนังพวกนี้ยังนำเสนอตัวละครที่เป็นทหารธรรมดา ก็เลยทำให้พอรู้สึกสงสารพวกเขาได้บ้าง ในขณะที่ GENGHIS KHAN ไม่ได้นำเสนอชีวิตของคนธรรมดา ก็เลยทำให้รู้สึกขยะแขยงตัวละครเอกของเรื่องมากๆ

คุณ yuttipung เคยเขียนถึงหนังเรื่องนี้ไว้ในเว็บบอร์ด BIOSCOPE ด้วย
http://www.bioscopemagazine.com/smf/index.php?topic=678.0

GENGHIS KHAN เป็นผลงานการกำกับของ Shinichiro Sawai ซึ่งดิฉันเคยดูหนังของเขาอีก 3 เรื่อง ได้แก่

1.BLOOM IN THE MOONLIGHT (1993, B+)

2.DIARY OF EARLY WINTER SHOWER (1998, B)

3.A BRIEF MESSAGE FROM THE HEART (1995, B-/C+)

ดิฉันคิดว่าเขาเป็นผู้กำกับที่มีฝีมือในระดับปานกลาง แต่ GENGHIS KHAN เป็นหนังที่มีทัศนคติแย่มาก ดิฉันก็เลยเกลียดหนังเรื่องนี้





INTERNATIONAL VIDEO ART AT BANGKOK CODE

There will be a festival of international video art and short film at Bangkok Code from 6-8 December.

Thanks to Sonthaya Subyen for telling me about this.

Please click on the photo to view the details of the festival.



Sunday, November 25, 2007

LUST, CAUTION, ARMY OF SHADOWS

FILMS SEEN BETWEEN 22-25 NOVEMBER 2007

1.LUST, CAUTION (2007, ANG LEE, A+)
I love the ending of this film very much. I love this film as much as I love THE ARMY OF SHADOWS (1969, Jean-Pierre Melville, A+)


2.TWO ACRES OF LAND (1953, Bimal Roy, A+)
I love the ending of this film very much.
http://g-ecx.images-amazon.com/images/G/01/ciu/55/98/175f808a8da0eb5b44165110.L.jpg


3.LOVE OF SIAM (2007, Chookiat Sakvirakul, A+/A)
I love many things in this film, unfortunately, I can’t identify with any characters in this film and don’t feel involved in it. This is a good film, but I just feel very detached from it. It’s not the fault of this film, but this film just chooses to portray something which is so far from my real personal life and my feelings.


4.BANGKOK TIME (2007, Santi Taepanich, A)
I love the mood of this film very much, and I love the expressions on the heroine’s face.

5.BEOWULF (2007, Robert Zemeckis, A-/B+)

6.RISE (2007, Sebastian Gutierrez, B-)

7.GENGHIS KHAN: TO THE END OF THE EARTH AND SEA (2007, Shinichiro Sawai, C)



Saturday, November 24, 2007

FRED KELEMEN'S FAVORITE PAINTERS (2)

This is continued from the post below.

4.NIKOLAI MAKAROV
http://www.mimiferzt.com/nikolai_makarov_2002/index.html

It's also no wonder that Fred Kelemen likes the paintings of Nikolai Makarov, because both of their works somehow create the same kind of feelings. (I don't know how to call these feelings.)

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2123/2057021443_1c21f7a192_o.jpg
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2406/2057021439_55e8a4a4a0_o.jpg
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2385/2057021435_a348dba4f1_o.jpg


5.MARK ROTHKO (1903-1970)
He committed suicide.

I think Mark Rothko and Fred Kelemen at least share something in common. Their works look very simple, but maybe very subtle.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mark_Rothko

BLACK, BROWN ON MAROON (1957)
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2250/2057855136_f3f235426e_o.jpg

RED ON MAROON (1959)
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2324/2057855128_acabdd62a8_o.jpg

BLACK ON GRAY (1969/1970)
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2137/2057855130_7fb87b1816_o.jpg



6.EGON SCHIELE (1890-1918)
http://www.ibiblio.org/wm/paint/auth/schiele/
http://www.zeno.org/Kunstwerke/A/Schiele,+Egon

TOTE MUTTER (1910)
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2221/2057855146_edc4f0a9a9_o.jpg

AGONY (1912)
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2246/2057855150_7025d66723_o.jpg

DEATH AND GIRL (1915)
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2200/2057855142_b18b02ad16_o.jpg



--As for my own choice in this poll, I choose Nikolai Makarov. His paintings give a haunting feeling.







































SECOND POLL: FRED KELEMEN'S FAVORITE PAINTERS (1)

--So my first poll in blogspot.com has ended. The question is “IF YOU HAVE TO LIVE YOUR LIFE IN A FILM, IN WHOSE FILM WOULD YOU CHOOSE TO LIVE YOUR LIFE?”

The result from 14 votes is:

1.ROBERT BRESSON + PIER PAOLO PASOLINI
Each got 4 votes, or 28 %

3.ARTUR ARISTAKISIAN + SHARUNAS BARTAS + BRUNO DUMONT + FRED KELEMEN + BELA TARR
Each got 3 votes, or 21 %

Thank you very much for everyone who participated in my poll.

-----------------------------

--I’m glad that Alain Robbe-Grillet got the most votes from the first poll in MOON IN THE GUTTER’s blog:
http://mooninthegutter.blogspot.com/2007/11/results-are-inand-moon-in-gutter-gets.html

As for the second poll in MOON IN THE GUTTER's blog, I voted for Eli Roth's THANKSGIVING as my favorite Thanksgiving-related film.

-------------------------------------


--As for my second poll, it is still about Fred Kelemen. In the Thai book FILMVIRUS 2, Fred Kelemen gave a list of his favorite painters, including the six painters below. So I just would like to know who is your favorite painter among these six painters.

1.EL GRECO

2.ANSELM KIEFER

3.ERNST LUDWIG KIRCHNER

4.NIKOLAI MAKAROV

5.MARK ROTHKO

6.EGON SCHIELE


--I will try to post some paintings of them below.

1.EL GRECO (1541-1614)
http://www.ibiblio.org/wm/paint/auth/greco/

1.1 CHRIST ON THE CROSS ADORED BY DONORS (1585-1590)
This painting somehow reminds me of a scene in FROST (1997, Fred Kelemen, A+), in which the boy saw a figure of Christ on a cross, but he misunderstood that it was a real corpse.
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2331/2057760596_59dab56b1b_o.jpg


1.2 LAOCOON (1610)
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2318/2057760602_c7db764019_o.jpg


1.3 THE OPENING OF THE FIFTH SEAL OF THE APOCALYPSE (1608-1614)
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2105/2057760606_5ba2ff0414_o.jpg



2.ANSELM KIEFER
http://www.leninimports.com/anselm_kiefer_gallery.html#anselm_kiefer_gallery_5

It's not surprising that Fred Kelemen likes the paintings of Anselm Kiefer, because Kelemen's films are full of barren landscapes and bleakness which you also find in Anselm Kiefer's painting. Each of them also has a work called ABENDLAND.

INTERIOR SPACE (1981)
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2370/2057760632_0f52dc0a31_o.jpg

DEM UNBEKANNTEN MALER (1983)
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2400/2057760620_8794aa1306_o.jpg

TWILIGHT OF THE WEST (ABENDLAND) (1989)
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2273/2057760616_7fab6d2325_o.jpg


3.ERNST LUDWIG KIRCHNER (1880-1938)
He committed suicide.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ernst_Ludwig_Kirchner

3.1 ARTILLERYMEN (1915)
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2081/2057021423_c2e47c45c1_o.jpg

3.2 STAFEALP IM SCHNEE (1919)
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2308/2057021431_ce61f59070_b.jpg

3.3 KAFFEETISCH (1923)
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2138/2057021429_12b11011bc_b.jpg








































PATRIOTISM IS MY ENEMY

Recently I have tried not to pay too much attention to Thai political news or else I would feel too depressed. However, you can't escape feeling very depressed living in Thailand. One thing that makes me feel very depressed today is the news about some influential Thai people who try to pass an evil law in the name of patriotism.

I copy the news below from the following link:
http://www.thailandqa.com/forum/showthread.php?t=17109


Patriotism bill 'goes too far'


Lawmakers yesterday flagged some parts of the National Flag Amendment Bill as impractical, including a requirement for motorists to stop driving for the national anthem, but its sponsor insisted on the need to revive patriotism. Published on November 23, 2007

"I'm 70 years old now. I've heard the national anthem playing when the flag is raised every morning and when the flag is lowered in the evening and when we stand at attention for that, it makes us feel uplifted and love our country. So I want to bring that back for campaigning once more," said General Preecha Rojsen.

The bill, tabled by Preecha as chairman of NLA committee on education, religion and culture, amends the National Flag Act of 1986, which requires the flag ceremony to be performed at 8am and 6pm every day and people to pay respect to the ceremony and the national anthem.
The National Legislative Assembly assigned a 15-member committee to vet the bill within 10 days.

Article 45/5 of the bill stipulates that members of the public must stand at attention or be still and, in case they are driving or riding, stop their vehicles and face the direction from which they hear the anthem or see people raising or lowering the national flag.

They can proceed on their way or with their activities after the playing of the anthem and the hoisting or lowering of the flag ends. Exceptions are made only for vehicles on expressways, railways, airways, waterways or other channels where they cannot stop.

Preecha told The Nation that he proposed the amendment because honouring the flag helped instil patriotism and emphasised people's awareness of national importance. If people were patriotic, society in general would be orderly and Thai culture would be promoted. Foreign visitors admire seeing Thais paying respect to their flag and anthem.

The bill was not meant to punish people but to fix the PM Office's regulation issued during the Thaksin Shinawatra administration that relieved government offices from having to hoist and lower the flag every morning and evening, he said.

As for motorists, he said the current law did not cover them. It only applied to pedestrians or people at rest or engaged in activities. People in cars should also revere the national flag and anthem, as they would only have to pause for one minute and eight seconds.

"I've talked to police. [Doing that] during the above-mentioned times would not create traffic jams. You just stop the car, no need to get out. If it were 20 years ago, you would have to stop the car and get out to stand at attention," he said.

The Bangkok Metropolitan Administration and police already had speakers installed along the roads. They should play the anthem so people can hear it and demonstrate their patriotism, he said.

Members of his committee from the Education Ministry agreed with this idea and would launch a campaign at schools for kids to observe, he said, adding that he expected the bill to pass within the NLA's term.

Prapasri Osathanon

The Nation


You can read more about it here:
http://www.reuters.com/articlePrint?articleId=USBKK16212120071123

Wednesday, November 21, 2007

HELLO HELVETICA

“HELLO HELVETICA” is a small exhibition held in Bangkok in October 2007. It is a part of the BANGKOK DESIGN FESTIVAL, and was held to accompany the showing of the film HELVETICA (2007, Gary Hustwit, A). HELLO HELVETICA is created by asking some artists to create some works inspired by Helvetica font.

Below are the images of some of these works.

1.THE BEAUTY OF IMPERFECTION by Thammanoon Maipim (Duck Unit)
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2078/2052694214_55b6a770b7_o.jpg

2.BDF HELVETICA by 649
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2336/2051897487_e41f8fe8e0_o.jpg

3.THE COLLECTION by Likay Bindery
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2225/2051897477_ddfe9fb93d_o.jpg

4.DEAR MY UNCLE by Pongsatorn Limanon
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2376/2051897481_55da47d4b4_o.jpg

5.DON’T BE SELFISH by Kelvin Wong (SC Matchbox)
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2046/2051897471_4364394086_o.jpg

6.HELVETICA IS ALL AROUND by Pharueporn Mukdashanit + Porachan Sathanon (B.O.R.E.D.)
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2420/2052694204_7ecfd681de_o.jpg

7.MY NEW UNCLE by Songsin Tiewsomboon
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2188/2051897489_c1b4378252_o.jpg

8.NO POLITRICKS by Jirat Subpisankul (Head Quarter “Sunshine”)
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2066/2052694206_d004997de2_o.jpg

9.THINGS NOT HELVETICA by Virayut Khunvithayapaisal
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2338/2051897475_e6c9b635c9_o.jpg


--As for my opinion, I don’t like Helvetica font. My most favorite font is OLD ENGLISH TEXT MT.

http://www.myfonts.com/fonts/agfa/old-english-text/mt/win-t1/290831/charmap.html?cpselect=CP2&page=1

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2150/2052752578_b4100cdd78_b.jpg

















































FILMSICK'S REVIEW IN NINA'S WEBSITE

Filmsick and I feel it is such a great honor that Nina Menkes has put Filmsick’s review in her website.

Nina Menkes has also corrected some English words in the review.

You can see the review at the bottom of this web page:
http://ninamenkes.com/cMs/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=25&Itemid=41

Tuesday, November 20, 2007

WHEN I SLEPT OVER THE NIGHT OF THE REVOLUTION (A+++++)

THINGS EXPERIENCED DURING 15-18 NOVEMBER 2007

A.FILMS

1.FREAKS (1932, Tod Browning, A+)
Thanks to Galapapruek for giving me this video.
http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/5185KP7ZWZL._SS500_.jpg


2.MICHAEL CLAYTON (2007, Tony Gilroy, A+/A)

I like Tilda Swinton in this film very much. She is a cold-blooded woman who is very "normal". Villains and villainesses in other films are usually presented as confident and very different from us viewers. But I think in this film we can recognize that in some aspects the villainess is like us. And that frightens me. It makes me feel afraid that many normal-looking people around me can be as cold-blooded as she is when the situation arises.

My most favorite scene in this film is the ending scene.


3.DESECRATION (1999, Dante Tomaselli, A-)

Thanks to Filmsick for giving me this DVD. I think this film is more funny than scary, but I like the ending very much. And I think the director has some potential.
http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/41H00NDNRKL._SS500_.jpg



B.STAGE PERFORMANCES

1.WHEN I SLEPT OVER THE NIGHT OF THE REVOLUTION (A++++++++++)
Driected by Ninart Boonpothong; performed by Naked Masks Network


2.THE TRAGEDY OF BELLIES (NANG BAB AB YAK) (A+)
Directed by Chavatvit Muangkeo; performed by Dramatic Club


3.WHERE SHOULD I LAY MY SOUL? (RAI PAMNUK) (A+)
Directed by Nikorn Saetang; performed by 8x8 Theatre


4.THE MESSAGE (LIKHIT NAGA) (A+)
Directed by Pradit Prasartthong; performed by Makhampom Theatre Group


5.BITTER LOVE (SLANG) (A)
Directed by Sineenadh Keitprapai; performed by Crescent Moon Theatre


6.LITTLE RED RIDING HOOD (A)
Directed and performed by Babymime


7.OF GOD & COUNTRY (A)
Directed by Ashish Sen; performed by Pathy Aiyar


8.CRAZY AGOGO BOY'S ADVENTURE (A-/B+)
Directed by Surachai Saengsuwan; performed by Crazy Agogo Boy


9.SICK STORIES (A-/B+)
Directed by Wahrit Walton; performed by "Performing Arts, Communication Arts, Chulalongkorn University"


--I also saw "3 IN 1" by Wannasak Sirilar + Yano + Mizusu, which is actually a restaging of some parts of "5 the story R", which I had seen a few months ago.

-------------------------------

MY FEELINGS

I don't understand the political subtext of WHEN I SLEPT OVER THE NIGHT OF THE REVOLUTION. The story of this play happened during the night of the military coup in Thailand last year, but I'm not quite sure how the story of HAMLET is connected to the story of the Thai coup d'etat.

Though I don't think I really understand this play, I still tremendously enjoy it. I think this is one of the strangest Shakespeare's adaptations I have ever seen. The story of this play is about a boy who fell asleep after playing some Beatles's songs on his keyboard and watching HAMLET on his notebook. Then he dreamed, and the Beatles's songs, the story of HAMLET, and the story of the boy's life are mixed together very crazily in his dream. We saw some parts of HAMLET, but the story of HAMLET is interrupted many times when the characters in HAMLET suddenly sing and dance to the songs of the Beatles. What we see is also ruled by the logic (or the illogic) of dream. Sometimes we think we are already awake, but in fact we are still dreaming. Our worry, our frustration, and maybe our most secret wishes are revealed in our dreams. The "identity" of the person we see in our dreams are always changing. Sometimes we are the spectators to the actions in our dreams. Sometimes we become the participants in the actions. One of my most favorite scenes include the scene in which the character of HAMLET is played by two persons at the same time, and the scene in which the gender role is reversed without any reasons.

Talking about one character played simultaneously by two persons reminds me of one of the films I would like to see very much. It is THE BRAZILWOOD MAN (1982, Joaquim Pedro de Andrade, Brazil). Olaf Moller wrote about this film in FILM COMMENT, sep-oct 2007. THE BRAZILWOOD MAN is about the life of Oswald de Andrade, who is a Brazilian author. Olaf Moller wrote, "THE BRAZILWOOD MAN gives us a double Oswald: a man and a cross-dressed woman appear together on screen, simultaneously playing the writer. In the end, the female Oswald, inspired by the manifesto's call for a revolutionary cannibalistic matriarchy, eats her male counterpart"

--If the phrase "strangest Shakespeare's adaptations" reminds you of the film KING LEAR (1987, Jean-Luc Godard), which is one of the most difficult films I have ever seen, and may make you feel afraid to watch the play WHEN I SLEPT OVER THE NIGHT OF THE REVOLUTION, please don't be afraid. I can guarantee you that this play is very entertaining.

--I have to confess that I have never been a fan of the Beatles. I have never liked the song HEY JUDE. But I love the Beatles' songs when they were used in this play very much. These songs suddenly become very interesting, very beautiful. Somehow seeing and listening to Hamlet (Chaturachai Sreejanwanphen) singing HEY JUDE in this play made me feel very sad and want to cry.



"CINEMA IS SORCERY"

This is my comment in Jesse’s blog:
http://memoriesofthefuture.wordpress.com/2007/11/19/in-that-sleep-of-death-what-dreams-may-come/

Thank you very much, Jesse, for your comment on PHANTOM LOVE.

I saw this film twice during the World Film Festival of Bangkok, and I can’t describe its tremendous power. Luckily, the producer of this film was present in the festival. If I don’t remember it wrongly, he said that Menkes’ films are about a woman descending into herself. In the case of PHANTOM LOVE, I think the woman struggles to find a balance in her life, her past/present, her relationship, etc. She may be successful in the end.

After my friends and I had seen this film, we discussed about it. One question we can’t find the answer is that what kind of animals appeared in the scene when the woman was floating down the river. We see some animals standing far from the river in that scene. Some say that the animals are horses, other say that the animals are her sister’s black dogs. This is not an important question. I’m just curious.

I also like the use of sound in this film very much, particularly in one early scene in which we see the woman sitting alone in her room, but we hear the high shrieking voice of her mother saying, “Mirror mirror on the wall”. This voice is very haunting, and it appears out of nowhere. It’s like a curse floating in the air.

Nina Menkes wrote in her website that cinema is sorcery. I like this sentence very much. PHANTOM LOVE is real magic.

Sunday, November 18, 2007

FILMSICK'S REVIEW OF "PHANTOM LOVE"

FILMSICK wrote in Thai about PHANTOM LOVE (2007, Nina Menkes) in his blog:
http://filmsick.exteen.com/20071109/phantom-love-1

This is my translation of what Filmsick wrote:

A big snake slithered in the middle of a narrow corridor which Lulu had to pass through. Its gigantic body reflected the neon light, making its skin glitter. She paused for a while, staring at the big snake slithering slowly. She moved towards the snake. Suddenly, when she was going to walk past it, the image is paused for a while, maybe for 3-5 seconds. We saw the back of a woman in black dress, her feet pausing in the air, and the snake!

The black-and-white images which appear repeatedly and in a rhythm, the haunting sound effects, the editing which is hostile to the story (if there is a story)—all of these are in the latest film of Nina Menkes, an American female director. Most of her films are not widely distributed. Most of them are shown in film festivals and arthouse theatres. Most of them were made with low budget, star her own sister, and were shot in distant locations, such as in Israel or India. Her films don’t focus on chronological order or on telling stories.

PHANTOM LOVE is more like a record of nightmares than a lucid story. The story in this film is like a small wire used to connect fragments of dreams. The story is about Lulu, a woman who worked in a dark casino full of Chinese customers. She lived in a dark house, which looked very much like a hotel room. Her lover did nothing except having sex with her and staying on top of her. She had a cat, and spent her free time watching news about Iraqi war. She had a mad sister who had wounds on her face and lived with two black dogs. Their mother did nothing except calling Lulu to complain to her about Lulu’s sister and keeping on attacking Lulu in Lulu’s dream.

Big and small fragments in this film seems to be shot with no connection to one another, before these fragments are put together to create repeated rhythm in the film. In the earlier part of the film, we see same events occurring in repeated rhythm—having sex, filing nails, watching TV, going to work. We see her “self” and her repeated chores, but we can’t put these scenes into a chronological order, can’t predict anything, or can’t understand their details. All of these scenes are punctuated by images of animals. Some of them are parts of the story; some of them appear out of nowhere. A big snake, an octopus, a cat, bees—all of them seem to signify something and create a strange and inexplicable rhythm.

The story moved forward. Lulu went to visit her sister who had some strange wounds. Her sister lived in a dirty house. Her wounds might be the result of her allergy to some drugs or maybe she was physically abused. Maybe her wounds appeared out of nowhere. Her sister just kept crying and saying that their mother tried to make her commit suicide.

Their mother appeared in a dark room. Her high shrieking voice asked the magic mirror who was the fairest of them all. Then she appeared in Lulu’s dream as an attacker--once she tried to rape Lulu, then she tried to kill Lulu.

The film creates alienation towards both the characters and the audience in a very interesting way. Generally, alienation towards the audience may be accomplished by making the audience being aware that they are watching a film. Bertolt Brecht, a German author and dramatist, did this thing. (The example of this kind of awareness is when a character turned to talk to the audience and rewound a scene in Michael Haneke’s FUNNY GAMES). Some films create alienation towards the characters by using the frame to oppress the characters as if they are just objects amidst landscape. But all of these things usually appear very smoothly in a film with well-told story.

But in PHANTOM LOVE, the film creates alienation among many dimensions—the characters, the audience, the characters’ minds, and the film itself. The film makes the characters alienated to their surroundings, and then makes many places in the film seem to be unconnected to each other. In one scene, a character sat in a place which looked like a house, but when the camera cut away to another corner of the room, that corner looked very much like a corner of a luxurious hotel room. In one scene we saw a character sleep in a room, but wake up in another room. We see a Caucasian character work in a Chinese dress in a casino full of Asians. We see Lulu walk only in passageways which look like tubes or caves. Her sister’s house seems to be in the USA, but the location outside looks like India. When Lulu crossed the bridge (which also looks like a tube or a cave), Indian people appeared suddenly, making Lulu look like an alien in India. One of the most important scenes in this film also happens in a tube-like passageway. It’s when her sister held a lamp and walked out of a dark corridor before she merged her body with Lulu.

All of these things appear in no chronological order. There’s no scene indicating that the characters travel to other places or giving enough background to the place of the characters. (The characters are given nearly no background and no motivation in the film. All of this information is unnecessary.)

Of course, all of these things are connected to the strange appearances of many kinds of animals. I have heard that Nina Menkes believes that human spirits are connected to animals, and each kind of animal is a symbol of power inside a human being. Lulu had an agile cat. Her sister had big loyal dogs. Whenever Lulu had sex, images of an octopus appeared. The octopus looked frightening and charming at the same time. Her mother usually appeared with bees (such as in the scene which the mother stood in front of a mirror with bees flying around). In the only one flashback scene in the film, we see Lulu’s father threw a fish bowl to the floor. This fish may symbolize Lulu’s family life. After the fish bowl broke, her mother became the bees, her sister became the dogs, Lulu became the cat.

If we connect the animals to the characters (as if the characters can transform themselves into animals), we may discover that the wounds on her sister’s face might be caused by the stinging of the bees. These bees kept on annoying, like their mother who kept on calling Lulu repeatedly. (In some scenes Lulu had hung up the telephone, but we could still hear it ringing continuously.) And while the bees could attack Lulu’s sister, the mother was so afraid of Coco (Lulu’s cat) that she screamed out loud when she saw Coco enter her room.

We rarely see male characters in this film. They exist without appearance. Lulu’s father appears only in the scene of the breaking of the fish bowl. Lulu’s lover appears in the form of his back, which kept on moving up and down while Lulu’s face indicated extreme boredom. Then her lover hit her. Male characters in this film seem to have only two functions—having sex and assaulting women. Maybe we can say that the love between men and women is a form of “Phantom Love” or “Wicked Love”. When we look at the roles of men in this film, this film seems to look like a feminist film which talks about oppressed women who have to stand boring chores, boring activities (filing nails), boring service (Lulu’s casino job) and being a sex object. Women seem to be in a completely disadvantage position.

But wicked love in this film is not about that, but it’s about the love between women themselves. This film talks about the relationships between three women—mother and her two daughters. But their relationships are wicked. They hate one another.

The hatred between sisters is not obvious. We can see only the cold compassion Lulu had towards her sister. But in one scene we see that her sister merged with Lulu and became one woman. They seem to be two divided minds of a woman. One is weak; the other is cold-hearted. They are abused, not by men, but by a woman—their own mother.

Maternal love is a kind of love which only women can possess. Maternal love gives an honor to women. Many people say that maternal love is caused by instinct, but filial love is a duty. But in this film maternal love (particularly towards a daughter) usually comes with envy--envy of daughters as competitors, envy of their younger ages, especially when the daughter becomes a woman and the mother gets old (which leads to the question who is the fairest of them all). We never see the direct reaction between mother and daughters in this film, but we can guess about it from Lulu’s dream and from her sister’s talk and can understand how negatively their mother influenced them. In the scene which the mother tried to kill Lulu in her dream, Lulu fought back by using the reflection of a mirror to make her mother see the motherhood and the ugliness inside herself before the mother fled away.

Therefore, we can say that animals in this film may signify only femininity. They signify not only the characters, but also the situations facing the characters, including the big snake on the floor and the butterfly on a lamp which appeared after Lulu’s last dream about being cleansed in the Ganges river.

Apart from the animals, this film is also full of haunting noises and TV news about Iraqi war. Every TV in this film seems to show only this news. In one scene, Lulu was watching the TV news, and when she pushed her remote control, we heard an explosion in the news, as if Lulu’s life was destroyed in the explosion. Other noises include the telephone noise and the haunting soundtrack. In one of the most important scenes, we see someone running and trying to evade bombs between a narrow passage between buildings. The shape of this passage looks very much like the corridor with the snake and the bridge with Indians. The state of someone walking in a narrow passage full of dangers (snake, bombs, strangers, or even the river) may signify the oppression of the main character which is the female sex.

However, there are two interesting scenes in this film. One is when Lulu found a crystal ball on the floor. The other is when she dreamt that she was floating along the Ganges river. The first scene leads to the scene in which she dreamt that she exploded into pieces. The other scene leads to the scene in which her naked body evaporated into white light. These scenes seem to indicate cleansing and getting away from the state of oppression. This can only be achieved by getting rid of femininity.

This film may remind someone of David Lynch’s ERASERHEAD, films by Maya Deren, or films of Michelangelo Antonioni which analyze emptiness inside human beings. But that doesn’t make Nina Menkes’ film inferior to or being the reproduction of other films. Menkes has absorbed and created her own unique world, the haunting world which is the realm of women, the world in which films don’t have only narrative function, but can also go much farther than that to be something which can capture indescribable mirage. Menkes’ films can create this kind of images, bind them together by using the seam between each film frame, and present something which is beyond the power of literature.

Saturday, November 17, 2007

ANDREW GARFIELD

THIS IS MY COMMENT IN SCREENOUT WEBBOARD
http://www.xq28.org/wow/viewtopic.php?f=7&t=192&start=275

ตอบน้อง ZM

ไม่รู้ว่าน้อง ZM ได้ไปดู LIONS FOR LAMBS (A+) แล้วยัง แต่พี่ขอเตือนน้องก่อนว่า พี่ได้จับจอง ANDREW GARFIELD หนึ่งในนักแสดงนำของเรื่องนี้ไปแล้วนะคะ

ANDREW GARFIELD



IN WHOSE FILM WOULD YOU CHOOSE TO LIVE YOUR LIFE?

I just knew from MOON IN THE GUTTER’s blog about the voting feature
of blogspot.com.

http://mooninthegutter.blogspot.com/2007/11/moon-in-gutters-first-poll-and-one.html

So I create my first poll as you can see on the top right of the page.

Please feel free to vote, and you can leave any comment here. I know it’s a tough choice. Hahaha.

As for now, I vote for Sharunas Bartas, because I have seen only one film of his—THE CORRIDOR (1994, A+), and the life in that film is not as tortured as the life in the other films of other directors. Maybe I will change my mind after I see other films of Sharunas Bartas.

Friday, November 16, 2007

FRED KELEMEN INTERVIEWED BY KONG RITHDEE

Bangkok Post has published an interview with Fred Kelemen by Kong Rithdee on Friday

You can read the article from the link below:

http://www.bangkokpost.com/Realtime/16Nov2007_real001.php

Thursday, November 15, 2007

BRIGHTEST STAR -- DRIZABONE

This is my reply to Alvaro in my blog:
http://celinejulie.blogspot.com/2007/11/blackbird-sasithorn-panichnok.html

I’m sorry I can’t read Spanish in your website, but I like your taste in music very much. I’m glad to know that someone loves OPUS III like me. And I notice that you and I both like Chicane, EBTG, Deep Forest, Mono, Orbital, Shep Pettibone, Moloko, and Paul Oakenfold.

Talking about OPUS III reminds me of dance music I like in 1990’s. My favorite dance songs in 1990’s include:

1.FIND ME – JAM & SPOON FEATURING PLAVKA
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VzSKqpZfYMs

2.FIRED UP! – FUNKY GREEN DOGS
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gKvyCnMz3Wo

3.RHYTHM IS A MYSTERY – K-KLASS
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MGsvK4YkfJw

4.THE WHISTLE SONG – FRANKIE KNUCKLES
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xTDIATMRMZQ

5.BRIGHTEST STAR – DRIZABONE
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DvQTFgr3ffc

Wednesday, November 14, 2007

BLACKBIRD (SASITHORN PANICHNOK, A+++++)

THIS IS MY COMMENT IN BIOSCOPE WEBBOARD:
http://www.bioscopemagazine.com/smf/index.php?topic=71.510

ตอบน้อง NANOGUY

ชอบเรื่อง “ลี้” ของมะเดี่ยวมากๆเหมือนกันค่ะ ชอบบทของเรื่องนี้มากๆ ชอบมากกว่า “คน ผี ปีศาจ” และ “13 เกมสยอง” อีก


THINGS EXPERIENCED BETWEEN 7-11 NOVEMBER 2007

A.FILMS

1.FROST (1997, Fred Kelemen, A+)


2.LIONS FOR LAMBS (2007, Robert Redford, A+)


3.FIGHTING BEAT (2007, Piti Jaturaphat, A)
This is one of my guilty pleasures of 2007.
http://www.nangdee.com/title/?movie_id=1440
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2226/2017035115_489eb0592d_o.jpg
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2010/2017035075_fa08a1eace_o.jpg
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2142/2017035059_d0c990878e_o.jpg
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2122/2017035105_3dccad2fcc_o.jpg
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2225/2017035091_f3f6bbed4a_o.jpg
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2323/2017035079_e4c024ea05_o.jpg


4.MAD HOT BALLROOM (2005, Marilyn Agrelo, A)


5.THE SPIRITUAL WORLD (WINYAN LOKE KONTAI) (2007, Tharatap Thewsomboon, A)
I love the world portrayed in this film very much.


6.LULLABYE BEFORE I WAKE (2007, Nate Pantumsinchai, A-)


7.SECRET (2007, Jay Chou, A-/B+)


B.STAGE PERFORMANCES

1.BLACKBIRD (TID GUB) (A+)
Directed by Sasithorn Panichnok; performed by “DRAMA 69”; from a play by David Harrower

I love the leading actor (Supasawasdi Buranawed) and leading actress (Pawinee Samankabutr) of this play very much. I have seen them in a few plays and they are terrific. I also like the character of the heroine very much. She is a woman who wants to take revenge on a guy who had sex with her when she was just 12 years old.

What is interesting in this play is that the man is not purely evil and the woman is not purely innocent. After they argue for a while, the woman seems to show that she still loves or desires this guy. One of the most impressive moments in this play is when the light went out, the man went out of the room, and the woman called out for the man with the tone of voice which did not indicate hatred, but may indicate love.

Pawinee really shines in the role of “Mai”. She is defiant, stubborn, sarcastic, hateful, angry, heartbroken, and really formidable in this play.

The play also ends at the right moment. Nothing is solved. New serious doubt arises. Many things we have just heard during the play may be just a lie. The truth may be uglier than what we have just believed during the play.


2.WHO MOVED MY DREAM? (KRAI AU KWAM FUN KONG CHAN PAI) (A+)
Directed by Wannasak Sirilar; performed by “Flower of Love Entertainment”


3.WHAT? (NAI) (A+)
Directed by Maysa Utairat + Skowrin Keadpiaum; performed by MSU ACT 1 SCENE 1
This play is about a male college student who was raped.


4.I LOVE YOU GUY (TEE RUK KONG…GUN) (A+)
Directed by Saifah Tanthana; performed by ON BOX THEATRE GROUP


5.LOVE CONFESSION (BOK RUK) (A+/A)
Directed by Pornphen Fhaaumnuay + Chaturachai Sreejanwanphen + Nakorn Nopkhum; performed by “Naked Masks Network: Youth Section” and “Wat Sungvej School”


6.NO TRANSLATION (A)
Directed by Terry Hatfield; performed by Butoh Co-Op Thailand


--Frankenstein wrote about 8 plays he saw in the Bangkok Theatre Festival 2007 in the link below:
http://lighthouse.exteen.com/20071112/entry


MY PLAN
http://www.lakorn.org/btf2007/program.htm

THURSDAY 15 NOV

20.00 QUICKSILVER
By Ko Murobushi, at Patravadi Theatre
http://www.patravaditheatre.com/index.php?option=com_events&task=view_detail&agid=35&year=2007&month=11&day=15&Itemid=0


FRIDAY 16 NOV

19.30 WHERE SHOULD I LAY MY SOUL?
By 8x8, at 8x8 Theatre, Samyan


SATURDAY 17 NOV

14.00 WHEN I SLEPT OVER THE NIGHT OF THE REVOLUTION
By Naked Masks Network, at Hemlock

16.00 PUSH UP (ตาดูดาว เท้าเหยียบเธอ)
By Damkerng Thitapiyasak, at Wat Sungvej School

18.00 WE AND THE OTHERS
By Suan Sunandha Rajabhat University, at Lulla Bar

19.45 CRAZY AGOGO BOY’S ADVENTURE
By Crazy Agogo Boy, at Suan Santi Chai Prakarn Park

20.15 THE TRAGEDY OF BELLIES
By Dramatic Club, Suan Santi Chai Prakarn Park


SUNDAY 18 NOV

14.00 BITTER LOVE
By Crescent Moon Theatre, at Pridi Banomyong Institute

17.00 OF GOD & COUNTRY
By Pathy Aiyar, at Hemlock

19.00 3 IN 1
By 3 IN 1 + Flower of Love Entertainment, at Bar Bali

20.30 LITTLE RED RIDING HOOD
By Babymime, at Suan Santi Chai Prakarn Park


MONDAY 19 NOV

19.30 THE MESSAGE
By Makhampom Theatre Group, at Makhampom Studio



















HELKE SANDER'S DVDS WITH ENGLISH SUBTITLES

I just knew that 16 films directed by Helke Sander are now released as DVDs with English subtitles. How great it is! I hope the DVDs of Helke Sander will be available in Bangkok very soon.

http://www.neuevisionen.de/shopping/product_info.php?products_id=169/

Helke Sander’s films which are now released as DVDs with English subtitles include:

1.THE ALL-ROUND REDUCED PERSONALITY – REDUPERS (1977, 98 min, A+)

2.THE SUBJECTIVE FACTOR (1980, 138 min)

3.LOVE IS THE BEGINNING OF ALL TERROR (1983, 117 min)

4.LIBERATORS TAKE LIBERTIES (1992, 192 min)
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0184255/
This is a documentary about the raping of German women by Russian soldiers after World War II.

5.IN THE MIDST OF THE MALESTREAM (2005, 93 min)


For more information about Helke Sander, please read:
http://www.helke-sander.de/


Tuesday, November 13, 2007

SUGGESTIONS FOR TRENDY MERVEILLESXX

This is my funny comment in Bioscope webboard. It’s just a joke. Don’t be serious about it.
http://www.bioscopemagazine.com/smf/index.php?topic=705.0

ตอบน้อง ennisdelmar

ดีใจมากจ้ะที่น้องชอบ SOMBRE ตอนนี้พี่ก็รออยู่ว่าเมื่อไหร่จะมีใครผลิตดีวีดี LA VIE NOUVELLE ในแบบที่มีซับไตเติลภาษาอังกฤษออกมาขายเสียที



Reply to Merveillesxx

Oooh! You are so “out”. I pity you so much. Anyway, if you want to be “in trend” and understand what teenagers today are crazy for, you need to see the following DVDs right now. These DVDs are selling like hot cakes at every branch of 7-Eleven. You might have noticed that since the beginning of November, whenever you go to buy something at 7-Eleven, the cashier will ask you, “Would you like to buy a DVD of Alexander Kluge?” That’s one of the reasons why a lot of teenagers have seen Kluge’s films and are totally crazy for Kluge’s films now. So, Merveillesxx, if you want to be trendy and understand what all your friends have seen, you must see all these popular DVDs right now:


1.CLASS RELATIONS (1984, Jean-Marie Straub + Daniele Huillet, 122 mins)

This DVD with English subtitles was released in October 2007.
http://www.edition-filmmuseum.com/product_info.php/info/p30_Klassen-verh-auml-ltnisse.html/XTCsid/25180782d0dbd67f5a74ab57830df9fd

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2313/2001634693_59adcb4c5b_o.jpg



2.50 FILMS BY ALEXANDER KLUGE

This DVD collection contains 16 DVDs with English subtitles.
http://www.edition-filmmuseum.com/product_info.php/info/p10_Alexander-Kluge---The-films-for-cinema.html

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2137/2001634669_4e7d2c427b_o.jpg
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2018/2001634641_03c4ba7848_o.jpg
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2061/2001634589_c54f0ea0b7_o.jpg



3.LOOKING FOR LANGSTON (1989, Isaac Julien)

This DVD was released at 31 July 2007.

Synopsis from http://www.amazon.com/

“Award-winning British filmmaker Isaac Julien`s LOOKING FOR LANGSTON is both critically acclaimed and controversial. The film is a lyrical and poetic consideration of the life of revered Harlem Renaissance poet Langston Hughes. Isaac Julien invokes Hughes as a black gay cultural icon, against an impressionistic, atmospheric setting that parallels a Harlem speakeasy of the 1920s with a 1980s London underground nightclub. Extracts from Hughes poetry are interwoven with the work of cultural figures from the 1920s and beyond, including Essex Humphill, Bruce Nugent, and Robert Mapplethorpe, constructing a lyrical and multilayered narrative. Julien explores the ambiguous sexual subtexts of the period of rich artistic expression, and the enduring cultural significance of the pioneer s work. Shot in sumptuous monochrome, the film combines archival footage with the newly staged set pieces, fantasy sequences, and an imagined love story. The result is a beautiful and ultimately celebratory piece about artistic expression and the nature of desire.”

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4.MARGARET TAIT, SELECTED FILMS 1952-1976

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Synopsis from http://www.amazon.co.uk/

“LUX is pleased to announce the release of a new DVD collection of key films by Orcadian poet and filmmaker Margaret Tait, produced from newly restored prints and available for the first time on DVD. Margaret Tait was one of Britain's most unique and individual artist filmmakers. Over the course of 46 years she produced over 30 films including one feature, Blue Black Permanent (1992) and published five books of poetry and short stories, while living between the Island of Orkney and Edinburgh. Margaret described her life's work as consisting of making film-poems. She often quoted Lorca's phrase of 'stalking the image' to define her philosophy and method, the idea that if you look at an object closely enough it will speak its nature. This clarity of vision and purpose with an attention to simple commonplace subjects combined with a rare sense of inner rhythm and pattern give her films a transcendental quality, while still remaining firmly rooted within the everyday. Margaret once said of her films, with characteristic modesty, that they are born of 'of sheer wonder and astonishment at how much can be seen in any place that you choose...if you really look'. DVD contains the following films: Portrait of Ga (1952), Aerial (1974), Hugh MacDiarmid: A Portrait (1964), Colour Poems (1974), Where I am is Here (1964), Place of Work (1976), Tailpiece (1976), John Macfadyen (1970).”



5.WORKING GIRLS (1986, Lizzie Borden)

The DVD is released on August 21, 2007.

Synopsis from http://www.amazon.com/

“Molly is a lesbian with an Ivy League degree. Gina plans on opening her own beauty salon. Dawn is a law student. Mary answered an ad to be a hostess and decided to try it. Welcome to a typical day in the life of a group of New York City prostitutes. Plying their trade in an expensive, immaculately maintained Manhattan bordello, they deal with everything from the mundane to the profane while servicing men of all shapes, sizes and fetishes. For these working girls, every job may have its price, but every day has its cost. Award winning femininst director Lizzie Borden (Born In Flames) spent six months interviewing real prostitutes for this acclaimed drama, delivering an unflinching look at The World's Oldest Profession filled with rare humor, insight and honesty.”

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So, Merveillesxx, if you want to be “in trend”, go to the nearest 7-Eleven and buy all these DVDs right now!