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No.2584
Can we have a thread dedicated to Carlos Reygadas?
Personally I've found that no other director can capture reality the way he does. His films Silent Light and Post Tenebras Lux are the hands down the two most beautiful films I've ever seen.
He also has the exact same philosophy on film and storytelling as I do. He's probably my favourite dorector of all time.
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No.2585
*"I really think most of what we call cinema is not cinema. It's really film theatre or, even worse, illustrated literature. The object of the film is the story and the characters are just technical people representing something. Most cinema is comic books. In my opinion that is not real cinema. Real cinema is much closer to music. Music doesn't represent anything, it is just something that will convey feeling. It doesn't mean anything. I hate the idea that film is actually telling a story! The great part of film is to make you feel, not by the narrative. For example the first shot of Silent Light (2007) is cinematic. The light itself is beautiful. In literature, that does not exist. You can just write, "The sun came up." The beauty in my film is the sun itself. You don't have to recreate it. In cinema, the story and the photography are the same thing. It's not like, "I don't like the story, but great photography." The photography is the film itself; it's not a vehicle for the story. I don't want a story and then you illustrate it, in a way that there will always be a division between form and meaning. I think in art, form and meaning are the same thing. In that sense, music is the most noble of arts, because it does not permit you to separate the music from the meaning. When cinema is true, it is a language in itself - that is why it is an art. I hate the idea that a good film is a good story, as Hollywood people say. That's not letting cinema be totally free."*
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No.2586
I've only seen Battle in Heaven but I'll have to check out his newer stuff.
I do like his perspective on filmmaking. Especially since it's common to hear more about the _limitations_ of film in comparison to literature (usually in the context of adapting a story).
This also reminds me of the conversation about tv vs. film. Even today, tv is essentially _all_ narrative and can't really match the poeticism/creepiness/atmosphere/etc in a well-crafted film.
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No.2587
>>2586Yeah his last two films are his best by far his first feature Japon is pretty excellent as well.
I'd agree for the most part with tv not being able to capture the atmosphere of a film, but I see that changing in the years to come. A lot of directors (David Fincher, Cary Fukanaga) are seeing the limitations of the formulaic Hollywood industry and are moving into high-budget TV. A lot of shows (True Detective for example) are easily capturing the same mood and darkness of an average crime drama. Mainstream actors are starting to turn to TV also. TV on the whole is shit, but new & better stuff is emerging that's actually attempting to be moderately artistic.
And lets not forget Bergman did a whole bunch of films made as TV series. Fassbinder too.
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No.2589
>>2587Yeah television is essentially filling the void of entertainment for grownups, which (at least in the US) has been mostly abandoned by the studios. So the quality and creativity associated with the medium has seen a great improvement.
Even so I still think there are certain limitations that come with being tied to a longform narrative structure. Perhaps that too will fall by the wayside as time passes.
Anyway, sorry for the threadjack…
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No.2590
:3
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No.2596
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Reygadas is even better than Malick at making the mundane beautiful. Take this scene for example: family and friends having a picnic on the beach. Beautiful, no?
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No.2597
Thanks for sharing.
I need to see more from Reygadas. This looks quite promising.
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No.2600
>>2597I'd say watch his films chronologically in reverse. That's the way I did it and I think that the way it would work best. His earlier stuff is a lot more personal, and you really need to 'get' him as a director before you start on films like Japon
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No.2605
>>2600Interesting, I might try that
I'm trying to think of other directors who are best suited to watching in reverse, but can't come up with one offhand. It may only work with a smaller filmography, as in this case.
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No.11316
Stellet Licht is remarkable for a lot of the reasons already mentioned ITT. It can also be quite enigmatic if you don't read all about it first. I watched with no preparation,so I spent most of the film wondering where it took place, who the people were, what language they were speaking. Maybe the culture was entirely invented for the film.
>>2585
Great quote. It sounds like he is responding to criticism of his work. He's probably right that Hollywood puts a lot of emphasis on storytelling. At the same time they use so many cliches I'm not sure they are so good at it.
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No.11317
Reygadas is the most accurate definition of presumptuous provocateur.
It's like a mix of Malick and Von Trier.
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No.11326
>>11317
Based on what he said here or elsewhere?
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No.11330
>>11326
Just putting his films in context with those of Malick and Von Trier, comparing their strengths and weaknesses and reaching a firm conclusion.
It's not "just hate", though.
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No.11331
>>11330
Oh I thought you were reacting to his theories instead of his output.
I haven't seen enough from Reygadas to compare to anyone but Malick. I'd watch more of his films just to see what he does with them, but I'm less of a devotee than OP.
To expand on an idea from above, I'd agree that his storytelling is weak. Not that he needs to tell a story, but because he tries to tell a story and it's lacking.
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No.11332
Sounds like an interesting guy, thanks for the post OP. I'll check out Silent Light and give my thoughts after.
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No.11436
>>2585
Exactly how I feel about lots of modern movies and TV. Reygadas just got bumped the fuck up on my watchlist. Thanks!
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No.11443
>>2585
I've known about Reygadas for a few years now and knew he'd be right up my alley but just never got to him. After reading this quote I think it's time I pick him up immediately.
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No.11444
>>2585
I was going to tear him but he does seem to have a logical point, and i sincerely lack a ton of formal film theory reading.
Reminds me of the falling video game industry, where the top brass and known critics regard the media these days as a tool for telling stories via interactive context and lastly some specific mechanics, instead of the classic aficionados who believe the mechanics and their executions in a designed space are the objects of appreciation themselves.
Haven't seen his stuff, the confidence in the written delivery might seem a little pretentious so i guess he does deliver his ideas, but portraying visuals as the narrative, the wheels of the vehicle to call it in a way seems overly difficult in full time format (over 60 minutes).
The ancient "ideal" combination of audio, visuals and narrative MIGHT have taken place in some music videos, but those take at most 6 minutes, and "video art", stuff usually focused on visual experimentation ala Rybzynski, take 10 or 15 if they are self-indulgent.
It seems he needs to be checked out, and it really, really doesn't help he's a capital mexican from a certain sector known to be some of the biggest bullshit artists and pretenders in Latin America.
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No.11467
>>11444
Do you have any favourite Mexican directors? Current or past.
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No.11468
>>11467
tl;dr maybe Roberto Gavaldon, even with his musical segments out of nowhere. Luis Buñuel and Luis Alcoriza in the past and Mel Gibson in the recent time if we can count foreigners who lived a long time in the area.
Now i really don't like our cinema, like many of us, because of the extreme ratio between quick movies made purely for money in one-week budget-priced cinema tenures and interesting movies hidden between the mountains of hot trash, hence the lack of achieves and enthusiasts. I went to explain it but I got carried a little, went over the line and wrote 800+ words so i will spare you the eyesore.
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