Falling Slowly “Once” Again

A beautiful film, a special song, and many soulful words of thanks...

Scratching my head…

I’m sorry but I need to vent.

I’m afraid I don’t quite understand the effusive critical reception for No Country for Old Men. Something’s not right with the Group Think surrounding this film. A guy finds a suitcase of money and a bad guy chases him… for two hours. Sounds like a drive-in movie to me…

I think this is one of those films that the Academy, too, will scratch their heads about as they reflect back on this award five or ten years down the road. Even films that some deemed unworthy for Best Motion Picture in the past (Chariots of Fire, Driving Miss Daisy, etc.) have transcendent elements about them. Great art lasts because of its ability to transcend. What’s transcendent about this film?

I fully respect the talents of Javier Bardem and the Coen brothers. But even ardent supporters must admit that their efforts in this film are less substantial than that of much of their previous work. I believe that this Best Motion Picture award for No Country… says more about the state of filmmaking in Hollywood today than anything else.

Was it just me or did Javier Bardem’s character remind you of the Michael Meyers character from the 1978 film Halloween?

Another actor, Sir Anthony Hopkins, won an Oscar for portraying a serial killer. Are the characters of Hannibal Lector and Anton Chigurh even in the same league? Revisit Silence of the Lambs to witness a multi-layered, highly nuanced acting performance. Where have our standards gone?

Does No Country for Old Men really deserve more Academy Awards than The Godfather?

Thank you for this opportunity to vent. I feel much better now…

Final thoughts

The film selections of this year’s Berlinale, considered sub par by many festival veterans, was a true treat to this American Catholic filmmaker, long tired of formulaic Hollywood blockbusters. Foreign cinema and independent film have been, and continue to be, my artistic oasis. I left the festival with lifted spirits, feeling much better about the general state of humanity than when I first arrived. And this is a powerful statement on the resonating and transformational power of art. It reinforced my awareness of the transcendent dimensions of life, including family, spirituality, hope, shared human values, and most especially -- love. Share your love today for you never know what tomorrow may bring.

Ah yes... it’s good to be alive.

Theme

One theme that I became aware of early on and continued throughout the festival was that this year’s program contained an abundance of stories about children. We experienced films that dealt with the moral struggle to save a terminally ill child (Zuo You – “In Love We Trust”), children used as a pawn for capitalism (There Will Be Blood), and children struggling with the painful loss of a parent (Lake Tahoe). We saw three films (Julia, Lady Jane, Gardens of the Night) that dealt with kidnapped children, one of which additionally addressed the horrors of sexual abuse (Gardens…). There was a story of children yearning for the love of a parent struggling to make ends meet (The Song of Sparrows). We saw in two separate films (Elegy, Restless) the venom that resonates and spews forth from a grownup who was abandoned by a father when only a child. There was a wonderful film (Kirschblüten – “Cherry Blossoms”) about a widower fulfilling the life dream of his recently deceased spouse highlighting how his adult children have all but abandoned him in today’s modern commuter society. He later found a platonic kindred spirit in a relationship with a homeless girl who was still grieving with the loss of her own mother. We experienced and I really mean “experienced” a violent police drama (Tropa de Elite – “Elite Squad”) centered around a man with a very dangerous job as he tries to pave the way for his retirement due to his wife’s pregnancy and his desire to remain alive to experience fatherhood to his soon to be born child. Another film (Bam Gua Nat – “Night and Day”) focuses on a man torn between two relationships who is lured back to his wife based upon a false pregnancy claim while he leaves behind his pregnant mistress in another country. We observed children (Kabei – “Our Mother”) reacting as their father is whisked away by the state to prison and witnessing their mother’s strength as she raises them in a time of war. Another film (Caos Calmo – “Quiet Chaos”) focused on a girl who serves as the central figure to help her father through the grief of the loss of her mother and his wife. We witnessed the triumphant message (Feuerherz – “Heart of Fire”) of what turning the other cheek really means for a child soldier in war torn Africa. And we contemplated a film (I’ve Loved You So Long…) showcasing the grief, struggle for forgiveness, and hope for rebirth of a woman recently released from prison. Her crime? She committed infanticide and we see how her conscious act has since infected the remainder of her family. And finally, a film (Ballast) that features a son who has recently lost his father set against the deep grief of his father’s twin.

These films are not only about children but also about redemption, hope, and rebirth, whether through forgiveness from loved ones or from society, or just the deep longing for an opportunity to start over.

The Berlinale has a long history of showcasing films with a distinct political message. And this may be a year of films with similar intimation. Jung’s collective unconscious is glaringly apparent as a good many of these stories share similar circumstances and themes. And as much as these films are about children, they are about death and resurrection as well. So, are these shared stories made by filmmakers from disparate parts of the world telling us that we are living in a culture that is essentially killing its children, effectively squashing our beautiful innocence? Are they asking if we are living in a time of transition between the death of certain cultural mainstays and waiting for the rebirth of others?

Only hindsight will tell us for sure…

By the numbers

From the time I first arrived at the Berlin airport to the closing night ceremony, this year’s Berlinale was a wonderfully hectic and truly rewarding film going experience. I was consistently impressed by the monumental organizational effort behind this festival and always reminded of it by the ever-present Berlinale bear festival logo. The official statistics stated that this year’s festival visitors came from 125 countries to see the 383 films that were shown at 1,256 screenings. An astonishing 430,000 people attended at least some aspect of this year’s festival.

Boris Despodov (3rd from left) with his producer (to his right) for "Corridor #8," winner of the Ecumenical Prize for Best Documentary.

Making our way home

We leave Berlin today and make our way to Frankfurt where we depart for home tomorrow.  I've posted some of the missing descriptions of the films, so if you have an opportunity, please scroll down and look at some of the older posts.

I will take the next day or two to consider this slate of films in more depth and will post more about this whole experience when I return home.

What a fantastic artistic experience for me (and my wife)!  I appreciate the incredible hospitality of everyone involved in the Berlinale and especially my fellow jury members from SIGNIS and INTERFILM.