Euro 2012: Czech Republic Films

Entry #15 of the Euro 2012 Book & Film Spotlight looks at the two Czech films.

Surviving Life (2010, Jan Svankmajer)



Evžen (Václav Helšus) has met the perfect woman. However, there is one tiny problem, she is only present in his dreams and disappears once he wakes up. Since Evžen’s real life isn’t very exciting, he longs to go to sleep as much as possible in order to meet his dream woman. Surviving Life is packed with the stop-animation technique associated with Jan Svankmajer’s films, such as Lunacy. The animation seamlessly blends reality and fantasy thereby creating a medium where worthy ideas about dreams are presented in a lighthearted manner.



Protektor (2009, Marek Najbrt)



Director Marek Najbrt and co-writers Benjamin Tucek and Robert Geisler smartly depict how a couple’s relationship is altered by the Nazi occupation of Czechoslovakia. Before the Nazi invasion, Hana (Jana Plodková) is an upcoming actress who is the talk of the town while her husband Emil (Marek Daniel) quietly watches from the sidelines. A colleague warns Hana that the Nazi invasion would change things because of her Jewish identity and that she should leave the country. Hana dismisses the warnings but his words prove true as Jews are banned from the arts and Hana is forced to stay home. In the meantime, Emil’s radio show becomes popular and his voice makes him a vital mouthpiece for the Nazis. The Nazis even turn a blind eye towards Hana because of their need for Emil. However, Hana is not happy to be locked in her home and starts to rebel in her own ways. Emil is also not happy with his situation and is forced to make a choice to either aid the Nazis or assert his Czech identity.

Protektor includes a pulsating score that propels the momentum especially in the multiples scenes of the two actors riding their bikes. Overall, a slick production that also pays a loving tribute towards classic cinema.

Euro 2012: Ukrainian film, My Joy

Entry #14 of the Euro 2012 Book & Film Spotlight looks at the single Ukrainian film entry. There was no secondary film selected for Ukraine so the primary film will be used for both the first and third group games.

My Joy (2010, Sergei Loznitsa)

A routine truck delivery job for Georgy (Viktor Nemets) ends up being a nightmarish journey across a dangerous landscape filled with corrupt cops, prostitutes, thieves and ghosts. After encountering a blocked road, Georgy decides to take an alternate route to continue his journey and also to drop a young prostitute safely back to her village. However, the young girl is not thrilled with Georgy’s gesture or the free money he gives her because she feels capable to earn a living on her own. Her anger throws Georgy off and he wanders in the town market for a bit. The packed market features an assorted set of intriguing characters and the camera even follows a few people closely but returns to Georgy. As night falls, Georgy loses his way and encounters a few thieves who hope to strike it rich with Georgy’s cargo. They knock Georgy out cold but are disappointed to learn that the truck has no riches on offer. The story picks up months or even years later when a much transformed emotionless Georgy has nothing in common with his pleasant past self. The new Georgy does not say much and has no time for nonsense. So when he encounters corrupt cops at a checkpoint, he does not hesitate to extract cold revenge. And then like a mythical figure, he disappears into the dark to take his place in the cut-throat countryside.

My Joy starts off by showing concrete poured over a dead body but then settles into a road journey with some subtle humor. However, the film gets darker as the story progresses until all hope and light are squeezed out of the frame. A truly remarkable fade to black.

Euro 2012: Swedish Films

Entry #13 of the Euro 2012 Book & Film Spotlight looks at the two Swedish films.

Play (2011, Ruben Östlund)



Play uses a verite style to depict a real life bullying tactic used in Sweden to steal cell phones from kids. This technique didn’t use any physical force but instead utilized a good cop-bad cop method which accused the victims of carrying a stolen cellphone. Ruben Östlund mostly uses long shots to show the crimes taking place thereby giving an appearance that the audience is witness to the events unfolding in front of their eyes. Initially, the film focuses on the crime itself without trying to imply anything about race or economic conditions. This is true even when the bullies are given a rough time from rival gang members. However, race comes into the equation in the final 15-20 minutes when a few family members of the victims use force to retrieve their child’s cellphone back. The family members are adults and watching them fight with a young teenager over a phone raises alarm bells in passersby who accuse the family members of being bullies. This turn into racial territory gives the entire film a different feel and moves the issue away from bullying, something which is not related to race. As a result, the film misses an opportunity to look deeper at social and economic issues and instead is content to scratch the surface of the crime.

Everlasting Moments (2008, Jan Troell)



Maria (Maria Heiskanen) wins a camera in a lottery but never uses it. So she decides to sell it in order to get some money. However, the shopkeeper Sebastian (Jesper Christensen) demonstrates the camera’s potential to Maria. Sebastian tells Maria that he will buy the device from Maria but only after she has used the camera and understands what she is selling. The camera opens up Maria’s world and arouses a new passion in her. Her photography allows her to offset problems in her life and manages to raise her spirits.

Everlasting Moments wonderfully shows that no matter how tough a person’s life is, they will have the ability to get through it as long as they can find that one passion which gives them reason and strength to carry on.

Euro 2012: Italian Films

Entry #12 of the Euro 2012 Book & Film Spotlight looks at the two Italian films.

The Salt of Life (2011, Gianni Di Gregorio)

Gianni is back!

In The Salt of Life, writer/director Gianni Di Gregorio reprises his Gianni character from the charming 2008 film Mid-August Lunch. When we first met Gianni, we saw him cooking delicious meals for his demanding mother and her friends. Almost 3 years on, Gianni is still doing those things but we also get to peek inside his head and discover his fantasies and desires. And his inner thoughts confirm that age is a state of mind. Even though his physical body is racking up the years, Gianni is a romantic at heart and still fantasies about the simple things in life, a glass of wine, a pleasant conversation with a charming woman, a good meal and getting a kiss from a blond or two.

Since he spends all his time cooking for women, it is not a surprize to discover that one of his dreams is to be served a home cooked meal by a woman.

The Salt of Life is an enjoyable film that makes one long to sit in an Italian cafe with a glass of wine and just admire the beauty that nature has to offer.

Terraferma (2011, Emanuele Crialese)

Emanuele Crialese uses the Sicilian island of Linosa to depict a relevant economic issue and also a coming of age story. As per the film, the island’s once thriving fishing practice is almost on the verge of extinction and that threatens to erase the livelihood of the island’s few remaining fishermen. That is not to say that the island is forgotten. Tourists still flock to the beaches thereby providing a major source of revenue while immigrants also swim to the shores from far off places in order to grab a foothold into Europe. The appearance of the illegal immigrants is a bother to the law officials and some businessmen who feel their presence will generate negative publicity and drive away the tourists. Caught in the crossroads is young Filippo (Filippo Pucillo) who is torn in between supporting his grandfather Ernesto (Mimmo Cuticchio) and his mother/uncle. Ernesto, a veteran fisherman, believes in following the “law of the sea” which requires that no one should be left to drown in the ocean and instead brought on board a boat. However, the police want the immigrants left in the water and not brought on the fishermen’s boats. Ernesto’s ways land him in trouble with the authorities while complicating matters for Filippo and his mother. Filippo’s mother and uncle want to earn revenue from tourism and they feel Ernesto’s stubborn holding onto the past will threaten future prospects.

Euro 2012: German Film, Storm

Entry #11 of the Euro 2012 Book & Film Spotlight looks at the single German entry. Ulrich Köhler’s Sleeping Sickness will not be available until later in the summer. Therefore, Hans-Christian Schmid’s Storm will be used for both the first and third group games.

Storm (2009, Hans-Christian Schmid)



Hans-Christian Schmid’s Storm perfectly illustrates why it is so difficult to convict war criminals in international courts. The film outlines how sometimes it can take years to capture some war criminals with the end result being that some of the evidence used in the trials is atleast a decade old. In the meantime, some key witnesses are pressured by opposing forces and therefore afraid to testify while other witnesses’ memories have forgotten certain crucial details. In other cases, witnesses use a relative's word of mouth descriptions as objective facts even though the witness may not have seen the event with their own eyes. The end result is that enough doubt creeps in the prosecutor's witness accounts thereby making it easier for a defense to win the case. The film also shows the background political deal making that goes hand in hand with international trials and how politicians and lawyers often perform favours in one trial in exchange for benefits in upcoming trials.

As an aside, it is more difficult for a soccer team to create a goal scoring chance while it is easier for an opponent to sit back, defend and thwart goal scoring opportunities. In a similar manner, Storm shows how a defense can easily derail years of evidence and creative effort of the prosecution.

Euro 2012: Portuguese Films

Entry #10 of the Euro 2012 Book & Film Spotlight looks at the two Portuguese films.

Mysteries of Lisbon (2010, Raoul Ruiz)



Mysteries of Lisbon is the last film directed by the fiercely creative and prolific auteur Raoul Ruiz. That seems appropriate given that the story contains multiple narratives, ghosts, memories, secrets and labyrinths; elements normally associated with Ruiz’s films. The film version seen for this Euro spotlight was the 4.5 hour version and not the 6 hour version. Alas, 4.5 hours was not enough to fully enjoy the material. Time dissolves in the face of such delicious material that is packed with numerous tantalizing shots. Different camera angles continuously enhance the visual appeal while the behavior of certain characters pose more questions even when some answers are uncovered.

The Strange Case of Angelica (2010, Manoel de Oliveira)



Isaac (Ricardo Trêpa) is called in to take pictures of the recently deceased Angelica (Pilar López de Ayala). While taking her pictures, Isaac is startled when Angelica opens her eyes. But when he moves his eyes away from the camera, she is still dead. No one else in the room seems to notice her awakening. So Isaac dismisses what he saw but when he looks through his camera lens again, her eyes open. He is thoroughly confused but finishes taking her pictures and leaves. However, he cannot get Angelica’s image out of his mind and starts developing the pictures he took. In the developed pictures, he sees her open eyes peering at him. By now, he is obsessed with her and when Angelica’s spirit visits him, he falls head over heels in love. No one else can understand Isaac’s behavior but that does not stop him because the universe gives him plenty of signs to track her spirit down.



The Strange Case of Angelica is a gentle light film crafted out of deep themes such as the universe, death, ghosts, particles and images. Of course, given his vast experience, it makes sense that only Manoel de Oliveira can handle such challenging themes in a beautiful manner.

Euro 2012: Greek film, Alps

Entry #9 of the Euro 2012 Book & Film Spotlight looks at the single Greek film entry Alps. Syllas Tzoumerkas’ Homeland, the primary film entry for Greece, was not available. Therefore, Alps will be used for both the first and third group games.

Alps (2011, Giorgos Lanthimos)



The story in Alps revolves around a few characters who take on the persona of a deceased person in order to console grieving family members. For example, this unorthodox healing process could mean playing the role of a relative’s deceased daughter. This tactic produces some humor to begin with but once a viewer is comfortable with the material, then one can look beyond the humor and observe the human behavior on display. In this regard, the film shows that all humans share a certain bond when it comes to loss and eventually healing.

Alps features far more deadpan humor and less of the strangeness that might have put some people off Lanthimos’ Dogtooth. That is not to say that Alps is without its quirky dark humor but the material is presented in a much more accessible manner than Dogtooth. The material appears light on surface but once the film is over, the darker and heavier themes slowly sink in.

Euro 2012: English Films

Entry #8 of the Euro 2012 Book & Film Spotlight looks at the two films from England.

Shame (2011, Steve McQueen)

Brandon (Michael Fassbender) has a well playing job in New York City but his job bores him. As a result, he freely channels his energy into sex, an activity that occupies both his disposal income and time. Brandon is not afraid to satisfy himself when needed and on other occasions he pays to have a rip roaring good time. All the sex he has is cold and meaningless and only meant to quench his thirst. It is the real relationships that he struggles with, such as the one with his sister (Carey Mulligan) or Marianne (Nicole Beharie).



Brandon cannot perform with Marianne but as soon as she leaves, he is able to freely release himself into a prostitute. Brandon cannot get it up when love is involved but sex is easier with paid prostitutes as that eliminates any barrier of shame.

Brandon’s addiction to sex is slowly ruining his life but he does not realize that until his sister arrives and he has to look after her. As expected, he eventually hits rock bottom, is mentally defeated and loses his icy cool confidence.



Two sequences which bookend the film perfectly illustrate the change in Brandon’s personality and confidence.

At the start of the film, he is sitting in a train when he eyes a woman.



She sees him and shows interest. A seduction takes place, the woman is aroused and shifts her legs slightly.



Brandon is cool, confident and completely in control.



The woman breaks out of her seductive trance and realizes what she is doing. She is ashamed of her actions, even though the action only took place mentally.



She hastens her departure and the camera shows us the reason for her guilt: she is married.



But that does not stop Brandon. He stands close to her. She can sense his presence and once again she undergoes a sexual roller coaster of emotions.



She runs away when the train stops. Brandon follows her but loses her in the crowd.

After Brandon hits rock bottom, he eyes the woman again.



She looks ravishing and inviting.



This time around she tempts him. She looks to her left indicating her stop is about to arrive and stands close to him. Brandon looks at her ring and then at her. He looks disgusted. He is trying to clean his life up and here she is tempting him towards the garden of Eden. Her red lipstick represents that juicy red apple meant to draw him down the path of sin.

What Brandon chooses is left up to the viewer’s imagination but no matter what choice he makes, he won’t be happy.

Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy (2011, Tomas Alfredson)



The life of a spy is packed with information and misinformation. Some misinformation is required to muddy the waters in order to get a reaction from the opposing side, which will result in the next chess move. However, it often happens that misinformation can lead to a "blowback" and that leads to a larger mess. Untangling such a mess means each side has to thoroughly go through their hierarchy to weed out the traitors. Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy is about such a cleansing operation where the British have to find out who the mole is on their side and in doing so they enlist the help of George Smiley (Gary Oldman). The film moves back and forth in time, further casting a shadow on proceedings. Two viewings of the film are essential to grab a handle on events as a first viewing will help determine the identity of the mole while a second viewing will help piece the full picture of events. Or one could read David Bordwell’s excellent review which is an essential reading guide for the film.

The kind of spies and the work they do in Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy are aptly described by The Spy Who Came in from the Cold, another film adaptation of John le Carré’s novel of the same name.

What the hell do you think spies are? Moral philosophers measuring everything they do against the word of God or Karl Marx? They're not! They're just a bunch of seedy, squalid bastards like me: little men, drunkards, queers, hen-pecked husbands, civil servants playing cowboys and Indians to brighten their rotten little lives. Do you think they sit like monks in a cell, balancing right against wrong?
............

Our work, as I understand it.. is based on a single assumption that the West is never going to be the aggressor. Thus..we do disagreeable things..but we’re defensive. Our policies are peaceful..but our methods can’t afford to be less ruthless than those of the opposition.

You know, I’d say, uh..since the war, our methods - our techniques, that is - and those of the Communists, have become very much the same. Yes. I mean, occasionally...we have to do wicked things. Very wicked things indeed. But, uh, you can’t be less wicked..than your enemies simply because your government’s policy is benevolent.

England-Sweden, again

Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy is directed by the Swede Tomas Alfredson. As a result, the film is an appropriate choice for the Euro spotlight as England and Sweden are once again drawn in the same group in a major international soccer tournament. If history is any guide, the game between the two teams will end in a 1-1 draw.

Euro 2012: Irish Films

Entry #7 of the Euro 2012 Book & Film Spotlight looks at the two Irish films.

The Guard (2011, John Michael McDonagh)

John Michael McDonagh offers a welcome variation on the overdone buddy cop comedy by setting the action in Ireland and having Brendan Gleeson’s politically incorrect character of Gerry Boyle inject some razor sharp humor. Boyle is not afraid to speak his mind and that lands him in some tricky situations. However, Boyle is also honest and willing to fight for certain values which makes him a lone hero in a corrupt world. Don Cheadle’s by-the-book FBI agent character is a worthy foil to Boyle’s unorthodox characteristics.

Kisses (2008, Lance Daly)

A coming of age tale that also doubles as a journey film involving two young kids, Dylan (Shane Curry) and Kylie (Kelly O'Neill), who run away from home to escape domestic violence and abuse. Dylan and Kylie end up spending an eventful night in Dublin where their initial hours offer them a magical world full of possibilities and new delights. However, when night falls they are forced to face the underbelly of Dublin’s street life and have to survive on their own wits. Despite the harsh subject matter on display, Lance Daly has created a tender film lifted by incredible performances from the two young actors.

Euro 2012: French Films

Entry #6 of the Euro 2012 Book & Film Spotlight looks at the two French films.

L’Apollonide (House of Tolerance/House of Pleasures) (2011, Bertrand Bonello)

Films set in a brothel often depict similar stories by incorporating a range of familiar characters from a young to an older prostitute and from a miserable to a romantic person. The clients that visit the brothels also appear to be cut from a similar template such as a young male after his first sexual experience, a rich man who falls in love with a prostitute and wants to rescue her and an older male simply looking for a friend. Therefore, a lot of credit must be given to Bertrand Bonello who manages to craft a unique film despite working in the confined framework of a brothel. Many of the characters shown in Bonello’s film are familiar from previous films set in a brothel but Bonello also adds elements of horror and fantasy while layering everything with a stylistic touch. For example, the recurring images of a panther and the tragic disfiguring of a prostitute’s face (“the woman who laughs”) are not only haunting but linger long in the memory. The films also contains delightful moments, such as the sequence of money being counted which perfectly illustrates the financial side of sexual transactions. Music also plays a key part in L’Apollonide while the visuals evoke sentiments of an underground world of drugs and sex. Even though the film does not depict rich colors, it exudes a bit of the sensuality found in rich supply in Hou Hsiao-hsien’s Flowers of Shanghai. As it turns out, Bonello mentions Hou Hsiao-hsien’s film in an interview with Cinema Scope:

One of my uncertainties was the atmosphere of the brothel in my film. I didn’t want that French, 1900s [makes a fanfare noise]… Moulin Rouge, etc. etc. So I went directly to that opium den mood in Hou Hsiao-hsien’s film, because it keeps the sensuality but is not hysterical. There’s an explicit homage in my film to Flowers of Shanghai: the Chinese violin.

Also, the final scene is a perfect way to end the film as it creates a bridge between brothels of the past and modern day prostitution. That crucial scene also illustrates how a film like L’Apollonide will never age and will always be relevant in our society.

Rapt (2009, Lucas Belvaux)

A rich man gets kidnapped. The kidnappers demand a ransom from the victim’s family. The family want to do whatever is possible to get their beloved back.

At this point, Lucas Belvaux’s Rapt tears up the familiar script found in cinematic kidnapped stories and goes off in a completely different direction with surprisingly powerful results.

The first deviation from conventional kidnapped stories is the realization the kidnapped man Stanislas Graff (Yvan Attal) is not as rich as everyone initially thought. He has a lot of debt and did his utmost to maintain an illusion of an extravagant lifestyle. Investigation into his life reveals his multiple affairs which alienates his wife and daughter. Stanislas’ company and board of directors are not too happy with his lifestyle and are reluctant to part with any funds for his release. As a result, Stanislas is cut adrift from the outside world and the only people who end up caring for him are his kidnappers who still believe they can get some money from his capture. With the exception of a few torture scenes, Rapt does not feature any of the action or heroic scenes often found in kidnapping tales. Words are the weapons of choice in Rapt and character assassinations are the only kinds of attacks that take place.

Same Same but different

Both L’Apollonide and Rapt show that in the hands of a talented director, a familiar setup can yield a completely different end product. Therefore even though one day stories may dry up, cinema will always continue to surprize as long as creative personalities stand behind a camera.

Euro 2012: Danish Films

Entry #5 of the Euro 2012 Book & Film Spotlight looks at the two Danish films.

Applause (2009, Martin Zandvliet)

Thea (Paprika Steen) is a woman clinging on the last threads of normality while her life is on the verge of collapsing. She is a supreme theatrical artist, confident and fiery, but is the complete opposite outside the stage, venerable and tame. Thea desperately wants to stay in touch with her two sons, who are in sole custody of their father, and tries to prove that she is a worthy mother. However, one step forward for her results in two backwards steps as her emotional pitfalls are never far away. The film splices scenes in between her plays and her non-professional life thereby gradually erasing the line between her theatrical persona and real personality. This style makes for an engaging character study with Paprika Steen putting in a career defining performance. The intense focus on her character and theatrical setting reminds a bit of John Cassavetes’s Opening Night.

Terribly Happy (2008, Henrik Ruben Genz)

The story and setting of the Danish film Terribly Happy, including the town and the bar, could comfortably exist in any of the Coen brothers’ films. Full credit to Henrik Ruben Genz for crafting a fine noir film, packed with a steamy affair and a murder, that maintains a tight tension until the end. Also, the film features a remarkable drinking stand-off sequence meant to literally determine the last man standing.

Euro 2012: Spanish Films

Entry #4 of the Euro 2012 Book & Film Spotlight looks at the two Spanish films.

The Last Circus (2010, Álex de la Iglesia)

An alternate film title for The Last Circus could easily be “The Beauty & The Two Beasts” as Natalia (Carolina Bang) finds herself in a tug of war between Javier (Carlos Areces) and Sergio (Antonio de la Torre), two men who transform into monsters as the film progresses. Javier, the ‘sad clown’, and Sergio exhibit shades of jealousy and violence to begin with but those emotions are partially masked. However, their facial disfiguration allows them to unleash their inner demons thereby liberating them from shackles of shame and humanity. As a result, Natalia finds herself having to choose between the lesser of two evil monsters. The love triangle story is an allegory for the Spanish political state and how love for one’s nation causes a person to resort to extreme measures. In that regard, Natalia represents a beautiful Spain forced to choose between different political ideologies, with each ideal being equally oppressive and evil.

Manuel Yáñez-Murillo’s Film Comment review excellently sums the film up.

Map of the Sounds of Tokyo (2009, Isabel Coixet)

The story of a female Japanese assassin falling for the Spanish man she is hired to kill sounds promising but unfortunately Isabel Coixet’s film fails to deliver beyond a few tantalizing moments. The chemistry between Ryu (Rinko Kikuchi) and David (Sergi López) lights up the screen but unfortunately those seductive pleasures are limited. The real star of the film has to be Tokyo, a city that almost steals every moment when the camera is not focused on the actors.

Euro 2012: Polish Films

Entry #3 of the Euro 2012 Book & Film Spotlight looks at the two Polish films.

The Mill and the Cross (2011, Lech Majewski)

The Mill and the Cross is literally a living breathing work of art. Lech Majewski’s camera dives into Pieter Bruegel’s 1564 painting The Procession to Calvary and expands on some of the painting’s tiny details. The film also depicts Bruegel (Rutger Hauer) and some of his inspirations in crafting such a complex work. It is easy to miss some of the details by quickly scanning the painting but Majewski’s technique of mixing live action and special effects ensures that the viewer is able to properly appreciate the beauty and sometimes brutality depicted in "The Procession to Calvary". The film’s initial moments shows a blown up version of the painting which brings the figures to life while the finale shows a static painting hung on a museum wall. As the camera moves away, the painting diminishes in size in a similar manner to how the planet diminishes at the end of Andrey Tarkovskiy’s Solaris.

Even though the painting starts to disappear from view, Majewski’s film ensures that the painting and ordeal of its subjects will remain long in memory.

In Darkness (2011, Agnieszka Holland)

In Agnieszka Holland’s In Darkness the camera dives underground to depict the true life story of how a few Polish Jews avoided being captured by the Nazis. Some of the Jews manage to hide in the sewers where they encounter Leopold Socha (Robert Wieckiewicz), a man who knows the sewer system better than anyone else. Initially, Socha agrees to help the Jews in exchange for money but eventually helps them out of humanity. Holland's film, aided by Jolanta Dylewska’s remarkable cinematography, highlights some of the challenges the survivors faced living in tight and dark quarters.

Euro 2012: Dutch Films

Entry #2 of the Euro 2012 Book & Film Spotlight looks at two Dutch films.

C'est déjà l'été (2010, Martijn Maria Smits)

The Dardennes style of filmmaking is often used to describe films that evoke the Belgian brothers' cinematic techniques. That technique usually involves an intense focus on a character struggling to make ends meet while stuck in a bleak urban landscape. However, in the case of C'est déjà l'été, the Dardennes style is a bit close to home because Martijn Maria Smits’ film is completely shot in Seraing, the industrial city that is home to the Dardennes and their films. Yet Martijn Maria Smits manages to stamp a unique imprint on his film because unlike the films of the Dardennes, C'est déjà l'été does not focus on a single character but instead features three generations in need of help and guidance. Jean (Patrick Descamps) is an unemployed father who isolates himself from his family and prefers to leave his two kids, a teenage son and elder daughter, on their own. The daughter also has a baby who she leaves with her younger brother when she goes on her screwing/drinking escapes. The multiple focus adds depth to the story and allows one to see the cyclical nature of the character's lives as each generation will inevitably fall into the same trap as the previous one leading to empty, unhappy and wasteful lives.

There is misery written all over the film but thankfully the worst imagined things don't occur, such as a death when a gun enters the story. Also, the bleakness does not become too overbearing mostly because the film is shot with a HD camera which renders the dirty surroundings of the industrial city with a poetic beauty.

Winter in Wartime (2008, Martin Koolhoven)

The setting of a coming of age story in World War II manages to throw up plenty of ethical and moral hurdles for its young protagonist Michiel (Martijn Lakemeier). When Michiel finds a wounded British soldier, he providers shelter and food for the soldier. Helping the soldier feels like a right decision for Michiel but since he is surrounded by Germans, his kind gesture puts his life in danger, especially since he is unsure about who to trust. As per the title, there are plenty of sequences in the snow and some of these snowy shots offer the best moments of the film. A bridge crossing near the end is one such sequence where equal amounts of tension take place in both the foreground and background of the frame.

Summer to Winter

The title C'est déjà l'été, which translates to "It’s Always Summer", is clearly ironic given the lack of joy in the character’s lives. Of course, if summer means misery for the characters, then one dreads what winter would bring. As it turns out, the answers are provided when the dreaded snow arrives in Winter in Wartime.

Euro 2012: Croatian Films

Entry #1 of the Euro 2012 Book & Film Spotlight looks at the two Croatian films.

Buick Riviera (2008, Goran Rusinovic)

Buick Riviera starts off in the snowy American mid-west when Hasan’s (Slavko Stimac) car breaks down in the middle of a deserted road. He is fortunate to get a lift from Vuko (Leon Lucev). The two exchange jokes and things are quite pleasant especially after they discover they are both from the former Yugoslavia. However, Vuko’s constants remarks about Muslim behavior anger Hasan and he counters with observations regarding Vuko’s Serb identity. Immediately, hatred and distrust flare up. Hasan heads home and things appear to have ended. But Vuko shows up at Hasan’s door, determined to buy Hasan’s beloved car, the Buick Riviera. The car then becomes a battleground as the two men try to assert control over the other. Hasan needs to preserve his car while Vuko wants it at all costs. Watching the duo’s confrontation with confusion is Hasan’s American wife, Angela (Aimee Klein), who does not understand the historical context of the men’s argument. Still, her character is essential because she serves as a moderator who oversees a critical scene in Hasan’s and Vuko’s verbal battle at the dinner table. In this scene, Angela is seated at the head of the table, equidistant from Hasan and Vuko who are across from each other. However, the camera’s perspective is nicely altered in certain moments to make it look like Angela is sitting closer to Vuko thereby portraying Hasan’s inner feelings where he feels he is on the verge of losing both his car and his wife. But just as he feels things slipping from his hands, memories of bloodshed in his former land come to Hasan’s mind and he is determined to fight back harder.

Goran Rusinovic’s brilliant film illustrates how hatred can persist through generations and lay dormant until one day it is unleashed in a full fledged war. On the surface, the film appears to be about two strangers whose chance encounter leads to volatile consequences but it is clear that the film is about more than just two people. The two characters’ situation gives us one example of how hatred can suddenly flare up out of a seemingly harmless situation and result in bloody revenge. In this regard, the film provides an answer to the question of why fighting broke out in the former Yugoslavia or why most cultures/tribes are in a race to destroy each other. A simple answer can be that people just don’t like each other. However, when this answer is probed further, then one uncovers that sometimes causal gestures results in people’s dislike towards. For example, an unreturned smile can immediately label someone as an enemy. And sometimes, a nice smile can cause distrust. Add all these little things up and you build a catalogue of distrust and hatred, which if left to brew and ferment over centuries can eventually lead to horrific consequences.

Buick Riviera is essential viewing and one of the most relevant films to have emerged in the last few years. Unfortunately, it is also a film that is hardly known outside of a tiny film festival circuit.

The Blacks (2009, Goran Devic, Zvonimir Juric)

The Blacks opens with a shot of a cat quietly feeding its young one while ominous music hints at the plunge into darkness that awaits. The significance of the opening shot is hinted at later on in the film when the cat is seen wandering the hall alone but not before some blood has been shed. After the opening shot, we observe men sitting in the back of a truck silently holding their guns. The men are headed for a secret mission but they need to stop for some food and supplies. When their leader encounters closed shops, he smashes a shop window and grabs some bananas. The leader is not a thief and duly leaves some money just inside the smashed window. The men eventually reach a forest where their mission begins. However, Ivo (Ivo Gregurevic) leads his men in circles and after 2 hours, they end up back at the same spot where they started from. The men are frustrated at the lack of instructions or information about the mission. Tensions flare up and twenty minutes into the film, 3 men are dead, with 2 shot and one committing suicide. The rest of the film examines how and why the men were assembled and what their mission was.

The directors, Goran Devic and Zvonimir Juric, have made an excellent decision to squeeze out as much color as possible from each frame. The end result is a grey/darkish palette which befits the men’s mission that is not authorized and falls in a grey area between right and wrong. Information about the mission is provided to audience in snippets of overheard conversation or phone calls but it is clear that the men’s mission is not authorized at the highest level. The men’s mission appears to take place in a tense moment right after war when technically a ceasefire should have put a stop to all covert operations. However, in reality, as the film shows for some people the war machine cannot come to an abrupt halt. As a result, some operations continue to be carried out in the shadows and then subsequent operations are needed to perform cleanup and retrieve evidence of those initial unauthorized operations.

The Blacks manages to use silence effectively to depict the internal struggle the men are facing and only uses violence when the men reach a breaking point and cannot carry their burden anymore. The film covers a lot of ground in its brisk 75 minute length that still leaves some room for audience to fill in their own interpretation of events.