take 47: 11.9.2013

MASTERS OF CINEMA NR. I

Doors open 20h.

20h15, UDSSR 1968, 79 min, english subs 

 

One of the greatest masterpieces of the 20th century, Sergei Parajanov's "Color of the Pomegranate," a biography of the Armenian troubadour Sayat Nova (King of Song) reveals the poet's life more through his poetry than a conventional narration of important events in Sayat Nova's life. We see the poet grow up, fall in love, enter a monastery and die, but these incidents are depicted in the context of what are images from Sergei Parajanov's imagination and Sayat Nova's poems, poems that are seen and rarely heard. Sofiko Chiaureli plays 6 roles, both male and female, and Sergei Parajanov writes, directs, edits, choreographs, works on costumes, design and decor and virtually every aspect of this revolutionary work void of any dialog or camera movement. 

21h45, Italy 1972, 105 min. english subs

This film somehow mixes the red tape nightmares depicted by Kafka with the Catholic church's man made organization and hierarchy in today's corporate world, making vis a vis contact with authorities impossible. Apart from the intrigue, this film has Ferreri directing his most dramatic film since "El Cochecito" (Spain, 1960), where his ability to create emotional conflict intermingles with his more satiric and absurdity touch, A facet that's is very interesting to explore, given that his output post-Grade Bouffe is his body of work that most Ferrei enthusiasts are familiar with. I would argue that this film, along with "Chiedo Asilo" (Italy, 1979) are films that explore Utopian gestures borne of the everyday Utopian man, as it faces the brick wall of bureaucracy and normality and convention. Walking the fine line cinema as "theater of the absurd" of the path explored by Buñuel, Raul Ruiz, Arrabal, Jodorowsky and many others, Ferreri champions (the dadaist-inspired) path less traveled in cinema. 

 Amedeo, a young man from the provinces, came to Rome to be part of an audience with the Pope. As the group is assembled, an aide goes over how to behave in front of such distinguished individual. Amedeo has another thing in mind, he wants to take the opportunity to ask the Holy Father a few questions he needs to have answered. To his horror, he is taken aside and whisked to a sort of holding area where someone connected with the Vatican security will interview him about his real intentions.