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CineSource Collective Narrative
Cinema Came on Strong this Weekend Cinema came on strong this weekend, from Coppola’s Tetro to the cultural influences of the new Iranian revolution. Obama’s new approach to the Islamic world, while being derided by petit-brained right wingers, is bearing fanstastic fruit in the Iranian election-stealing protest. These are people who want an accountable government, better relations to the outside and in-kind response to Obama’s balanced American offerings.
Perhaps more importantly, the ground for these protests was laid by Iran’s great film movement and immense artists like Abbas Kiarostami and Mohsen Makhmalbah, as noted by A. O. Scott in the June 20th NY Times. Like Dostoevski and Tolstoy behind the Russian revolution, Iranian culture creates the context for free thinking, helping your neighbor and liberalism. Sure, it hearkens back to Rumi and Hafez, as well as the oppressed and innovative Shi’a, but it is the great cinema of Iran, which started in the 1970’s and eventually led to the production of almost as many movies as the entire rest of the Muslim world combined, that has spurred creative thought among the people of in Iran.
Often highly allegorical and build on self-contained string of pearls scenes – also followed by the Japanese master Ozu and leading some to call it an Asian style – Persian cinema is deep, provocative and lush. Considering Tehran’s painters, rock and rollers, and writers like Azar Nafisi, whose Reading Lolita in Tehran is simply brilliant, the conflicts there and the wider Middle East, come down to a game of chicken between the intellectuals and the fascists. Not unlike in Germany in the early 30s and thrilling to watch, if the outcome were not so damn dangerous.
Speaking of allegory, Coppola’s Tetro has it in spades: the evil father, the lost older brother, the suitcases full of backwards writing, the younger brother’s clandestine attempt to decipher it all. It’s pretty stirring stuff, both archetypal and modern, with cell phones in use but taking place in romantic Argentina. The artistry is heightened to an almost unbearable level by the B/W photography of the Romanian cinematographer Mihai Malaimare Jr. I don’t think chiarascuro has been used to such effect since Caravaggio – the deep sea blacks and diamond sparkling whites of the Andes Mountains speaking volumes as the two brothers drive in triumph and a test of wills and unexamined pasts to the Patagonia Artist festival.
While some will quibble with a few lines, Tetro is one exciting emotional and artistic adventure. You never know where the narrative will turn and Coppola, in this self-written script, gets your heart racing without any real violence, although there are some car crashes and an available gun and ax, contravening Chekhov’s Law. Vincent Gallo is great as the barely sympatico older brother, Maribel Verdú lovely as his loving girl friend, while new comer Alden Ehrenreich does a descent job as the teenager becoming a man, artistically, sexually and mystically. When finding hidden knowledge that is almost impossible to absorb be ready to man up and his de-virginizing scene great and believable.
With Tetro, Coppola is back on track on what he calls his second career, which started with the lackluster World without Youth, a ponderous and pontificating piece about the Romanian philosopher Mircea Eliade. Back in the new world, but with the best the old has to offer, including the Romanians behind the camera not infront, Coppola is bridging his many worlds but with an emphasis on passion, exploration and going deeper. I can’t await outing three.
CineSource had a little blog melt down as well loss of its front page over the last week, we still can’t figure out why. Perhaps one of our competitors is hacking us, but that is absurd. But we will keep at it – hits now exceeding 20,000 a month – despite any hackers and the advertisers deserting us. Look for the Jul/Aug double issue, in color, with great articles and interviews from Pixar to Mexican Cinema to how to get indie film financing.