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Capone takes in the Best Foreign Film Nominees: HERO and NOWHERE IN AFRICA!!!
Hey folks, Harry here... Like Capone, I've been dying to get my hands on these foriegn films that'll be vying for the coveted BEST FOREIGN FILM award at this year's Oscars. I just saw THE MAN WITHOUT A PAST a couple of days ago, and it really is brilliant. I like EL CRIMEN DEL PADRE AMARO, but it isn't even the best movie from MEXICO last year... sigh, can't believe they nominated the wrong film. I've tried to get a screening of HERO here in Austin, so I could comment about it's worthiness as a candidate or not, but it seems "That's Impossible." Something that alot of folks are hearing these days, critics all over. Unfortunately the only result this will have for these types are all region DVDs from Asia, which inevitably will be burned online, thus assuring that the second HERO wins (if it wins) millions upon millions of revenue will be lost to Miramax, all because they didn't bring a film, THAT IS READY FOR RELEASE, out when it should have been released... during its Oscar campaign. The only reason to wait would be if you were going to make CHANGES to the film or try to build a larger awareness via a complicated Ad Campaign to reach a larger audience... HOWEVER, selling this movie right now, and creating that awareness right now, would only serve to help its chances of winning BEST FOREIGN FILM... Sigh, alas... At least we'll see it on a big screen... someday...
Hey, Harry. Capone in Chicago, and I’ve got a bad case of Oscar fever. No, I don’t really care who wins, but it gets under my skin when I see hundreds of movie in a given year and then the nominations come out in February and I haven’t seen some of the nominees in a major category. For example, when I heard the list of nominees in the Best Foreign Language Film category, I almost crapped my pin-striped pants. I’d only seen ONE of them (Mexico’s EL CRIMEN DEL PADRE AMARO). What the fuck? I hadn’t even heard of two of them (The Netherlands’ ZUS & ZOTriple what the fuck?!). Having so many cards stacked against me, there was only one thing I could do: make it my mission using every trick in my arsenal to see as many of these bad boys as I could before March 23. What follows is probably the sum total of my efforts. At least I’ll be able to raise my head high during the broadcast and say, “I saw three of those films.”NOWHERE IN AFRICA
My guess is, with TALK TO HER not in the running, Germany’s NOWHERE IN AFRICA will win the Best Foreign Language Film Oscar. It really is that good. The film is about a Jewish family living in Germany in the late 1930s. Things are just starting to get a little hairy for German Jews, but not so much that the rising Nazi Party is stopping them from leaving the country. The lawyer father, Walter (Merab Ninidze) heads out first to establish a home and get a job. He goes to, of all places, Kenya, where he is hired by an English man running a cattle farm. Soon his wife, Jettel (Juliane Kohler), and young daughter follow after, having no idea what to expect. Jettel is appalled by the conditions they have to live in, and even says on occasion that she’d rather have stayed in Germany and risked death than live safely in Africa. Clearly the move puts a strain on a marriage that wasn’t that solid to begin with. The force that binds the couple is their daughter (played by a couple of different astonishing young actresses at various ages), who does grow to love the land and people of Kenya.
When war finally does breaks out, the family is put into separate camps since they are considered German citizens (by everyone by Germany, ironically). They lose their home and jobs while in the camps, and by the time they are released, they essentially must start from scratch. NOWHERE IN AFRICA is a detailed, sweeping story told beautifully by director Caroline Link (based on an autobiographical novel by Stefanie Zweig). The images and tales of Africa are magnificent, the acting is superb, and the outcome may not be what you expect. There’s a lot of humor in the film, even more tears. But more than anything, NOWHERE IN AFRICA is accessible and has the potential to break though to a wide audience because at its core, it’s a story about keeping the family together. Yes, it’s the story of a Jewish family fleeing the Nazis, but there isn’t a single Nazi in the entire movie. The film’s approach to exploring culture clash, the constant fear the family felt in being strangers in a strange land, the conflicts between the husband and wife, everything is done with such power and conviction to its subjects that you can’t help being taken hold of and swept away. If I’d included this movie in my Best of 2002 list, it probably would have made the Top 20. It opens March 21 (the weekend of the Oscars) in Chicago at the Landmark Century Centre Theatres.HERO
I’ll admit it. I bought a copy of this film from Indonesia. I’ll say that with no shame. It’s probably a bootleg, but it looked pretty good for a bootleg. The colors weren’t as pretty as they should have been, sure, but the English subtitles were clear and literate. So there! I’ve never reviewed a film I’ve only seen on DVD, so this is a first.
By now I’m guessing most of you who care at all about Asian cinema at all have heard of and are in pain not having seen Zhang Yimou’s HERO. Just on paper, this film gets my vote: the reigning king Chinese cinema makes his first martial arts film with some of Asia’s greatest actors; Jet Li and Donnie Yen do battle for the first time since ONCE UPON IN CHINA 2; Maggie Cheung and Zhang Ziyi cat fighting over the love of Tony Leung. Where’s the flaw here, people?
Actually, there are a few, but not enough to sink this elegant, luminous, and vividly realized masterwork. Without getting into too much plot detail, HERO is basically Chinese mythology come to life. I don’t know enough about China’s history to know if any of these characters are based on real people (I’m guessing that the King of Qin character, played by Daoming Chen, came from history), but the things they do in this film probably didn’t really happen quite this way. The King of Qin is under constant threat of assassination because of his aggressive attacks on the other kingdoms of China (there were seven, we are told). There are rewards out on the lives of various assassins, and these awards are both monetary and...physical (I can’t think of another way to put it). No one in the kingdom is allowed within 100 paces of the King, but part of your reward if you slay an assassin it to reduce the number of paces you can get from the King. I guess being near him was some sort of honor. Anyway, Jet Li is known only as Nameless, who presents himself as something of a bounty hunter. He has actually killed several would-be assassins and is about to become a very rich man; he has also earned the right to sit very close to the King. Any guesses why he really wants to get so close? But before Nameless is allowed to collect his reward, the King wants to hear about how he defeated the assassins. The film then launches into a series of flashbacks showing just that.
Donnie Yen (IRON MONKEY and currently in SHANGHAI KNIGHTS) is only in the movie for a few minutes as Sky, the first of Nameless’s conquests. This is a martial arts film to be sure, but don’t look for too much hand-to-hand stuff. The name of the game in HERO is swordplay and defying gravity. There’s more flying in the this film than all the SUPERMAN movies combined. My first criticism of the film is that far too much of the action is shown in slow motion. I realized that by showing the fight scenes in slo-mo, you get a real appreciation for the abilities of the actors, but it wrecks the pacing more often than not and seeing these guys and gals at full speed is so much more impressive. There’s a wonderful element to the Li-Yen sequence involving moving very quickly through water that I don’t think I could describe even if I wanted to. The sequence actually ends with what can only be described as a “mind battle” that reminded me of those moments in the X-Men comics when Professor X fights psy-battles with various brain-gifted villains. Very cool.
Make no mistake, special effects run rampant through HERO. I’m not just talking about the wire work (of which there is much); but CGI elements as well. For example, when Nameless is discussing his battles with the assassin couple Broken Sword (Leung) and Flying Snow (Cheung), there’s a marvelous scene involving what appears to be thousands of archers launching a hail storm of arrows upon a single building housing a group of calligrapher (the spiritual nature of calligraphy plays a big part in this story). This is a breath-taking image; it’s also clearly computer generated. This doesn’t really take away from the beauty of the film, but I’m guessing this is Zhang Yimou’s first use of the CGI and it shows. Also on hand at the calligraphy inn is Moon (Ziyi), who is in love with Broken Sword and may or may not have acting upon it. This is the other thing about HERO you need to know: not everything you see is the truth. Jet Li lies. There are many versions of every tale he tells and we see them all. Each versions has a unique and awe-inspiring color scheme, and every version has a different battle between the players, each one more exciting than the next. Sometimes all the jumping around gets a bit confusingbut it didn’t hinder my enjoyment.
What Zhang Yimou might lack in his ability to capture the action, he makes up for in sheer visual beauty. Jet Li and Maggie Cheung have a tree-top battle that should not in any way remind you of CROUCHING TIGER, HIDDEN DRAGON and another fight on the ground where simply swinging a sword near the ground kicks up these beautiful orange leaves and sends them flying in every direction; Jet and Leung have a balletic chase across a placid lake; and Leung and Cheung storm the King’s palace in one scene and manage to fight off hundreds of armed guards. The scale and sheer number of extras used for this film is extraordinary; the tireless attention to detail is commendable; and the symphonic nature of the story, and the fight scenes in particular, is unlike any film (Asian or otherwise) I’ve seen. Zhang Yimou is a master storyteller working with a boatload of the best actors China has to offer, and those elements are what pulls this film through these unchartered waters. This movie needs to come out now, not in November, so I can see this on a big, big screen with slightly better subtitles. Bring it to me, Miramax!
Capone
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I may have to go the Capone route here, and snag a little something from Indonesiaa- although whenever Miramax gets off of it's lazy ass and releases the film domestically, in a substantial number of theaters, I'll happily be watching it then. Good work as usual, Capone. // e.
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Can't wait to find these in Blighty - especially Hero.
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I urge everyone to watch this film, you will be affected by it and leave the cinema (or by whatever means you get to see it) astounded. I was lucky to see it in Asia over the New Year and had to buy a cheeky DVD to bring it back to London to show people. What do we need to do to get Miramax to release it?????
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....but I'm definitely with you on this one- if we can figure out a way to let Miramax know how much we'd like to see the film (and if we can do so WITHOUT having to resort to yet ANOTHER cyber- Petition), let me know. Between this and "Kill Bill", it's a good yar for me... // e.
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You can watch Japan, South Korea and HONG KONG film, but not mainland China film! Their government has no human right! They ban a lot of foreign films!
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check out monkeypeaches.com for all Hero coverage.
This film fucking rocks, and Miramax knows this. Miramax suck big time!
I suggest you import the Chinese Extended Cut DVD and enjoy the beauty of this film, and next time you see Miramax boss Weinstein on the street, just kick his ass and gag his mouth with that DVD.
Miramax edited that film!!! they didnt promote that film! they fucked with it! they should burn in hell for that. you dont treat Cinema Art like that! -
That's how I've seen HERO. I'll be first in line to see it in the theater, and I'll buy the real import DVD when I'm sure I'm not buying a boot. The film is completely gorgeous, but very measured in its pace. I'm just biding my time for the US theatrical release. Until then, the copy I snagged off of Kazaa will have to do...
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I am pretty sure no-one here believes that China has anything but a terrible human rights record, but with respect I think that boycotting Chinese film-makers is about the world's worst way to signal that. Zhang Yimou and his contemporaries have traditionally used film to challenge the government, albeit by necessarily roundabout and metaphorical means. Farewell My Concubine and Raise the Red Lantern are great films, period, but also serve to illustrate the damage done by the limitations on freedom imposed by the Chinese government. Art has, throughout history, been used as a means to challenge authority, and boycotting the artists can only bolster everything you are seeking to bring down. Well, that's my feeling on it anyway.
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Mar 07, 2003 9:41:13 AM CST
What else can you expect from Miramax. They've already fucked u
by bigpoppi
Somebody stop Miramax. Please. They continually fuck up good, no great movies from Hong Kong and China. Lousy dubs, annoying and pointless edits and delayed releases. They completely fucked up "Shaolin Soccer" with some of the worst Charlie Chan-esque dubbing I think I've ever heard. Shit George Lucas' Trade Federation were less stereotypical sounding. And the retarded edits. They put in deleted scenes from the Hong Kong release into the American cut. Why? They deleted them in Hong Kong are they better over here or something? I also guess it's a good thing I purchased the Hong Kong DVD of ZU Warriors. Admittedly not the best effort by director Tsui Hark, running into George Lucas syndrome by remaking what is the movie that put his name on the map in Hong Kong, but I digress. We saw trailers for that with "Le Pact des Lupes" and now it's been put on hiatus. Bob and Harvey Weinstein are co-executive producers of the film for God's Sake!!!! The only good American releases of Hong Kong/Chinese movies in recent history are "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon" and "Iron Monkey".
They didn't touch CTHD and Quentin Tarantino made very few edits to IM (a few less beheadings of renegade Shaolin Monks)and he released it with the original language track and subtitled. Recent history has shown that moviegoers are becoming more tolerant of foreign films being shown in their original language and unedited so why doesn't Miramax get the picture here? -
Well said about foreign releases. You Americans seem to have it pretty bad - in the UK there would be screams before bedtime if they dubbed anything in favour of subtitling. The problem is that subtitles have always been seen as rather intellectual / elite (with one result that censors tend to be less strict with subtitled films because the middle classes can be trusted not to be corrupted or something equally bizarre). Subtitled films don't do that well at the box office, hence dubbing, which as ideas go is up there with colourising black and white classics. The poor Spanish and French (apart from the Parisians) have to put up with across the board dubbing, but they do at least put some effort into it. I personally think it should be outlawed - apart from anything else, it might help combat illiteracy. I will admit that special arrangements would have to be made for dyslexics though - perhaps headphones?
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Sorry dude, Maggie fought Zhang Ziyi in that autumn forest scene. Not Jet.
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Seems to me that intolerance of any sort doesn't need a reason. People like to be shitty to one another. It's easy to do and it makes you feel better. I mean look at how little a reason we all need to snipe at one another during TB. Fucking "Bringing Down the House"? A mindless, popcorn comedy? However, it did get people to talk about weightier issues than Queen Latifah's breasts, which appear to be rather weighty, and that's a good thing. But I'm pretty sure the filmakers weren't going for that.
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I am so out of it. My last post was for "Bringing Down the House" I am so retarded. Please disregard.
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Couldn't agree more. Dubbing is truly a bane of cinema enjoyment. I've heard countless of my otherwise rational fellow film fans complain that subtitles and non-English dialogue "jars" them out of the film experience. My incredulous response is always "well, how jarring is watching lips moving out of sync with what you're hearing?"
It's not just a matter of directly translating what's being said in a foreign language. There are cultural differences, different inflections, and different body language used in concert with spoken words. Thus, if you just dub something from one language to another you end up with an aural mess rife with non-sequitors and very bizarre dramatic pauses (or lack thereof). With subtitles, you can convey the message of what's being said, yet leave the actors with the dignity of performing in their native tongues, and also sparing the discerning viewer countless cringe-inducing moments. I fully support the call to outlaw all dubbing -- with the sole exception being the retention of bad 70's kung fu movie dubs. -
Big Screen? Ha ha ha ha ha ha ! Theatres in the US are crackerboxes and the projection and sound are shit. The min. wage monkeys don't know how to thread a projector and it shows. Films are pretty much shown out of frame and out of focus. Sound tends to be just Dolby 2.0 because the monkey is too lazy to thread the print through the 5.1 or whatever sound system the Chain brags about having, in their tiny print ads. With the Mainland Chinese dvd, you will probably get a better presention on your home theatre. The Big screen film experience is DEAD IN AMERICA! Quit giving these shitty, worthless theatre chains your money.
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The Man Without Past. Priceless piece of film-making, nice to hear it's moticed by Harry.
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and Hero isn't half bad either
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I just don't understand if fans of HERO's martial art genre are so admittant about seeing this movie www.yesasia.com is selling the vcd for 9 freaking bucks! The 2 disc VCD version is the only legit version out right now, the dvd version, which also will have the directors cut... comes out a month later. The DVD Capone saw s on sale now that has this "dts" logo on it is a bootleg burned into a dvd readable format. The dvd version was already annouced to come out later on. I've watched both versions and the VCD version kicks the dvd's ass. The dvd version is blury and the sound craps out a lot.
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Have any of you dear talkbackers had a chance to see Gaspar Noe's "Irreversible"? It's being hailed by critics as "the most disturbing film ever made" and "homophobic". The critics just HATE this movie, but that just makes me want to see it more, because everyone of them seems to have been not only disturbed, but moved in ways they either weren't expecting or didn't like. Either way, the film is apparently emotionally potent, and that's exciting. Anyway, I'd like to here what some of you have to say about it.
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The official HERO DVD will be released in Hong Kong at the end of this month.
If you want to check out the movie the way it was meant to be watched (well closest to it without seeing it in the theatre) find out if you can pick up the collector's DVD.
I have mine on preorder, I can't wait to watch it again! :D -
Mar 08, 2003 7:28:03 PM CST
HERO- Zhang Yimou became the Leni Riefenstahl of Mainland China
by ch2praxis
No wonder this movie got highly endorsed by the Mainland Chinese government- despite the obvious gorgeous technical aspects of the production- deeply underneath HERO is so flawed by justifying the results of the totalitarian philosophy of Legalism from Emperon Qin (C'hin in the chinese phonetics)- somewhat of an ancestor of the Stalinism and Nazi Germany- that stating good words about this movie would be as same as praising TRIUMPH OF THE WILL and OLYMPIA...
Great looks but lousy message (somewhat dangerous- considering that we are in the 21st century- but barbarism is coming back in high tone thanks to Bush & Co.- plus other corrupt system)... HERO is a big turn off- despite the zen beauty of it...
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