Monday, April 28, 2008

EIGHTEENTH POLL: URBAN LANDSCAPES

My eighteenth poll is inspired by a very interesting article – CINEMATIC LITERATURE, LITERARY CINEMA, AND THE ASSEMBLY OF CITIES: BANGKOK INSCRIBED, written by Noah Viernes. The article also talks about some films by Apichatpong Weerasethakul. You can read this article from the link below:
http://www.pannalawka.org/paper/thaistudies/full%20paper%202%20PDF/noahviernes.pdf

The article above inspires me to think about urban landscapes in many films. So I think I should make a list of my favorite films which present interesting houses, buildings, alleys or urban landscapes.



I LIKE THE PRESENTATION OF HOUSES, BUILDINGS, ALLEYS, OR URBAN LANDSCAPES IN THESE FILMS. WHICH FILM DO YOU LIKE?


1.ANAT(T)A (2006, Akritchalerm Kalayanamitr, Koichi Shimizu, Thailand)


2.BANGKOK AT 21.42 HRS (2001, Thanes Maneejak, Thailand)

I googled Thanes Maneejak’s Thai name and found that he directed some music videos. But I don’t know the names of his music videos. The information on the internet also says that he was meant to directed THE GIG (2006), but I don’t know why the person who ended up directed THE GIG (2006, A/A-) is Tharatorn Siriphunvaraporn.


3.BANGKOK: CITY OF ANGELS (2007, Wiwat Lertwiwatwongsa, Thailand)
You can watch the film here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WbpfFT6qA0Q


4.THE BEST OF TIMES (2002, Chang Tso-chi, Taiwan)


5.THE BET COLLECTOR (2006, Jeffrey Jeturian, Philippines)


6.ELEVATOR TO THE GALLOWS (1958, Louis Malle, France)
http://www.dvdbeaver.com/film/DVDReviews21/elevator_to_the_gallows_dvd_review.htm
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3269/2448600746_87ab0d0dd0_o.jpg
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2263/2448600738_ed323bfa2d_o.jpg


7.FRONTIER (2003, Jun Miyazaki, Japan)


8.GHOSTTRANSMISSIONS (2005, Building Transmission, Thailand)

You can read about this video installation here:
http://www.bangkokrecorder.com/magazine/bangkok-life/ghost-storeys-abandoned-buildings-483.html
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3040/2447858873_e359252514_o.jpg
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2055/2447858871_4654c31636_o.jpg
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2247/2447858869_ec3db93586_o.jpg

This video installation is mentioned in an article on Bangkok written by Patrick Barta:
http://forum.skyscraperpage.com/showthread.php?p=2990280


9.ISABELLA (2006, Pang Ho-cheung, Hong Kong)
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2157/2447842863_3bde157177_o.jpg



10.MANUFACTURED LANDSCAPES (2007, Jennifer Baichwal, Canada/China)
http://www.edwardburtynsky.com/
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2185/2447839457_2a8a416973_o.jpg
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3180/2447839453_32731d843c_o.jpg
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2364/2447839447_943422f25e_o.jpg
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2273/2447839445_5fdb2e89b7_o.jpg
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2312/2447839443_08006cabcb_o.jpg


11.LA NOTTE (1961, Michelangelo Antonioni, Italy)
http://www.dvdbeaver.com/film/DVDReviews8/lanotte.htm
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2125/2448600752_5f644b3e3c_o.jpg
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3119/2448600750_e4399568ed_o.jpg
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3184/2448600748_ff4492e2c7_o.jpg


12.OBRAS (2004, Hendrick Dusollier, France)
You can watch this animation here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zNbYEwfAxj4


13.LE PONT DU NORD (1981, Jacques Rivette, France)


14.RETRIBUTION (2006, Kiyoshi Kurosawa, Japan)
http://outnow.ch/Media/Img/2006/Sakebi/
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3039/2447851767_79056b2b0e_b.jpg
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2411/2447842865_c126e8d934_b.jpg


15.ROUGH NIGHT (2001, Samart Imkham, Thailand)


16.SHADOWS (1959, John Cassavetes, USA)
http://www.dvdbeaver.com/film/DVDCompare5/shadows.htm
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2330/2448602172_21e352986e_o.jpg
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3059/2448602168_3e785d2769_o.jpg
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2249/2448600754_e4687942ac_o.jpg


17.SKETCHES OF FRANK GEHRY (2005, Sydney Pollack, USA)
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3167/2447842861_fbdebdf4ae_o.jpg
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3202/2447842851_e92dbbb824_b.jpg
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2222/2447842847_a48b6e4075_o.jpg
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3194/2447842841_2d6870c17a_b.jpg
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2131/2447839459_b7d6d3b81c_b.jpg


18.SOMETHING MORE THAN NIGHT (2003, Daniel Eisenberg, USA)


19.VACANCY (1998, Matthias Mueller, Germany/Brazil)


20.WONDERLAND (1999, Michael Winterbottom, UK)
http://www.trailerfan.com/movie/wonderland-1999/pictures
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2419/2447851771_dd33c5f2f1_o.jpg
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3248/2447851769_c52e506966_o.jpg


You can cast multiple votes.

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


Some related topics on urban landscapes (PART 1):

1.Highly recommended blog about beautiful architecture:
http://archidose.blogspot.com/


2.Heinz Emigholz, who directed SCHINDLER’S HOUSES (2007), is interviewed by Maya in his blog:
http://theeveningclass.blogspot.com/2008/04/pfa-heinz-emigholzarchitecture-as.html
http://theeveningclass.blogspot.com/2008/04/complicated-spaces-evening-class.html
http://theeveningclass.blogspot.com/2008/04/complicated-spaces-evening-class_18.html

I knew about this interview from Girish Shambu’s blog:
http://www.girishshambu.com/blog/2008/04/film-of-month-club.html


3.Talking about Bangkok reminds me that I once wrote in Thai in 2006 about an imaginary film called BANGKOK I LOVE YOU. I wrote about it in the old Bioscope webboard after we saw PARIS I LOVE YOU (2006, A) in a film festival. I wrote about this idea before Robert Altman passed away. Some Thai cinephiles also shared their ideas about this imaginary film project in the discussion on the webboard. Unfortunately, the Bioscope webboard has deleted all the old information. So what I’m still keeping here in my blog is only my idea about this imaginary project. I should have kept other cinephiles’ ideas, too.

I think I should translate what I wrote about this project into English, just for fun.

My original post in Thai is here:
http://celinejulie.blogspot.com/2006/11/bangkok-i-love-you.html

The omnibus film BANGKOK I LOVE YOU should consist of these areas of Bangkok. The name of the director who should make a film about each area in Bangkok is given here:

1.WONG WIAN YAI—BELA TARR

2.PIN KLAO—KIM KI-DUK

3.PHRA ARTHIT ROAD—JUN ICHIKAWA

4.SANAM LUANG—ULRIKE OTTINGER

5.DEMOCRACY MONUMENT—PETER WATKINS

6.VIMANMEK PALACE—ALEXANDER SOKUROV

http://www.vimanmek.com/

7.SAO CHING CHA—DAVID LYNCH

8.SARANROM PALACE—BRUNO DUMONT

9.GOLDEN MOUNTAIN—ALEJANDRO JODOROWSKY

10.MEMORIAL BRIDGE—DARIO ARGENTO

11.BOBAE—ERIC KHOO

12.YAOWARAJ—GUY MADDIN

13.SEE PHRAYA—OTAR IOSSELIANI

14.KLONG TOEI—KHAVN DE LA CRUZ

15.LUMPINI PARK—ERIC ROHMER

16.SATHORN—FRANCOIS OZON

17.SILOM—CLAIRE DENIS

18.PATPONG—CATHERINE BREILLAT

19.SAM YAAN—GASPAR NOE

20.SIAM SQUARE—GREGG ARAKI

21.LUNG SUAN—JOAO PEDRO RODRIGUES

22.WATERGATE--PEDRO ALMODAVAR

23.DIN DAENG FLAT—SHARUNAS BARTAS

24.HUA MARK—ABEL FERRARA

25.RAM INDRA—DAREZHAN OMIRBAEV

26.PHLOEN CHIT—JACQUES RIVETTE

27.SUKHUMVIT—MICHAEL HANEKE

28.THONGLOR—CLAUDE CHABROL

29.VICTORY MONUMENT—ROBERT ALTMAN

30.SAPAN KWAI—TAKASHI MIIKE

31.JATUJAK—ILYA KHRZHANOVSKY

32.LAD PRAO—KIYOSHI KUROSAWA



















































7 comments:

Anonymous said...

พูดถึง urbanism แล้ว ผมนึกถึง L'Eclipse ของแอนโตนิโอนี่อ่ะครับ ช่วงท้ายๆ ของหนังที่ถ่ายภาพเมืองตัดไปมามันหลอนมาก กลายเป็นหนัง sci-fi ไปเลย (ชอบ L'Eclipse มากกว่า La Notte)

ส่วนหนังของ Kiyoshi Kurosawa ก็ชอบ Kairo (ซึ่งก็น่าจะพูดถึงเรื่อง urbanism นะ)มากกว่า Retribution อาจจะเพราะเรื่องแรกมันมีประเด้นอินเตอร์เน็ทด้วย เราก็เลยยิ่งอิน

เอ๊ะ สรุปไม่ได้พูดถึงหนังที่มีให้โหวตเลยนี่หว่า 555 ขอโทษด้วยนะครับ

ผมเขียนถึง Welcome to Nothing ในบล็อกแล้วนะครับ ส่วนเนื้อเรื่องส่วนที่พี่ Mds เข้าสาย ผมจะไปพิมพ์ในเอ็นทรี่ Welcome to Nothing ข้างล่างนะจ๊ะ โปรดติดตาม ^^

celinejulie said...

ชอบ THE ECLIPSE มากกว่า LA NOTTE เหมือนกัน แต่ที่ตัดสินใจเลือกเอา LA NOTTE เข้ามาในลิสท์เป็นเพราะว่าพี่ดูหนังสองเรื่องนี้นานหลายปีแล้ว ก็เลยจำรายละเอียดในหนังไม่ค่อยได้ ไม่ค่อยแน่ใจว่าควรเลือกหนังเรื่องใดเข้ามาใส่ในลิสท์ดี ก็เลยลองค้นหาข้อมูลผ่านทาง GOOGLE พบว่ามีบทความภาษาอังกฤษบางบทความพูดถึงประเด็นเรื่อง URBAN LANDSCAPE หรืออะไรทำนองนี้ ใน LA NOTTE ก็เลยตัดสินใจเลือกเอา LA NOTTE เข้ามาไว้ในลิสท์แทน

ส่วน KAIRO นี่พี่ชอบในระดับ A- ค่ะ แต่ก็เป็นหนังที่ดูมานานหลายปีแล้ว ถ้าได้ดูอีกอาจจะชอบมากขึ้น

ตอนนี้รู้สึกผูกพันกับฉากการก่อสร้างใน RETRIBUTION มากเป็นพิเศษ สาเหตุเป็นเพราะว่าช่วงนี้ข้างๆอพาร์ทเมนท์พี่กำลังจะมีการสร้างอพาร์ทเมนท์ใหม่สองหลัง ตอกเสาเข็มกันสนั่นหวั่นไหว รู้สึกทรมานกับเสียงหนวกหูมากๆ และก็รู้สึกเป็นห่วงกรุงเทพมากๆที่มีการสร้างอาคารใหม่ๆกันเกือบตลอดเวลา ช่วงนี้พอเห็นอาคารกำลังก่อสร้างทีไร ก็จะทำให้นึกถึง RETRIBUTION ขึ้นมาในทันที

Anonymous said...

โอว เหมือนกันเลยครับ ข้างบ้านผมก็เจาะสว่านๆๆๆๆๆๆ กันทั้งวันเลย แต่ตอนนี้รู้สึกจะชินๆ หน่อยแล้ว กลายเป็นว่าถ้าไม่มีเสียงสว่านจะรู้สึกว่ามันเงียบผิดปกติ (เป็นงั้นไป)

แถวลาดพร้าวตอนนี้ก็สร้างคอนโดกันสนั่นหวั่นไหวเลยครับ (เพราะว่ามี MRT แล้ว) นั่งรถผ่านทีไร รู้สึกว่าแถวบ้านตัวเองเปลี่ยนไปเยอะเลย มีแต่คาร์ฟู โลตัส คอนโด เฮ้อ -__-'

Anonymous said...

I guess Chiang Mai, I Love You would be a very short film. I did like some of the buildings around Chiang RaI though.

celinejulie said...

I have been to Chiang Rai only once in my life—in late 1994. I really love the weather there in winter. It was around 8 degrees celcius at night in Chiang Rai at that time. I felt like I was in heaven. I love cold weather. I’m fed up with the 38 degrees celcius here in Bangkok. In my next life, I wish I will be born in the tundra or taiga area.

I have been to Chiang Mai only three times. I enjoyed it a lot as a tourist.

Your comment inspired me to make a list of my favorite films about the northern part of Thailand. Here is the result:

FAVORITE FILMS ABOUT THE NORTHERN PART OF THAILAND

(I don’t know the official English titles of some films below, so I just tried to translate the Thai titles into English.)

In roughly preferential order

1.MUANG NAI MORK (A TOWN IN FOG) (1978, Permpol Choei-arun)

2.THE BOY FROM MARS (2003, Philippe Parreno, short film)

3.Many short films by Uruphong Raksasad

4.KEU CHAN (IT’S ME) (1990, Jazz Siam)
http://www.fivestarent.com/movies/movies.asp?MoviesID=156


5.DONG ROK FAH (THE FOREST WITH SKY-HIGH TREES) (2001, Chookiat Sakvirakul, 30 min)

6.VIOLET BASIL (2004, Supamok Silarak)

7.JUST A SECOND: THE KHONG LEGEND (2003, Santiphap Inkong-ngam)

8.TAM HA KWAM RAK (SEARCHING FOR LOVE) (1984, Apichart Popairote)

9.DUAY KLAO (1987, Bhandit Rittakol)

10.WITEE KON GLAR (PATH OF THE BRAVE) (1991, Euthana Mukdasanit)

11.NORTH COLD (2006, Veramon Liptawat, 24 min)
This film is a real guilty pleasure for me, because it’s a very romantic gay film.

12.WAI ONLAWON 4: TUM + OH RETURN (2005, Rutaiwan Wongsirasawad)

13.MAHASAJAN HANG RAK (MIRACLE OF LOVE) (1995, Ml. Bandevanop Devakul)

14.VIRTUAL BORDERS (2004, Manu Luksch)

15.MY GUITAR (2005, Piroon Romkaew, 30 min)

Anonymous said...

You are amazing, and your work here really helps so many of us who are attempting to bridge the gap between Cassavetes' Manhattan, Rohmer's Paris, and the uniqueness of Bangkok's urban hypermodernity (excuse the pretentious terms) projected in so many great films. I've edited that paper (which were initial thoughts compiled in a period of two days) over the past few months for publication and would like to send you an updated version. I've been inspired greatly by some of the urban short stories of Siriworn Kaewkan as well as film essays by Prabda Yoon, carried on more recently by recent reviews in Bioscope by Anusorn Tipayanorn . Anyways, thank you for the mention and I really enjoy your blog. Noah

celinejulie said...

Thank you very much for your offer to send me an updated version. It’s incredible that your great paper was compiled in a period of two days!!!!!. I also wondered if you can read Thai or not, but now I assume you can read Thai, can’t you?

Yeah, I also enjoy Anusorn’s reviews in Bioscope magazine very much. I have no knowledge in film theory, and can’t understand difficult articles about film theory, but Anusorn’s articles are very easy-to-read, though they are about some complicated things.

Talking about interesting articles about films, my recent favorite is a Thai review on THE SHORT FILM PROJECT IN COMMEMORATION OF THE CELEBRATION ON THE AUSPICIOUS OCCASION OF HIS MAJESTY THE KING’S 80TH BIRTHDAY ANNIVERSARY (2007), written by Adadol Ingawanij in the new quarterly magazine called “ARN” (READ), published by the controversial Same Sky Book Publishing. I just bought this magazine from Dokya bookstore in Siam Square.