heroic view of the Bielski brothers story (Film: Defiance – Edward Zwick, 2008)

Defiance tells about one of the lesser known episodes of World War II in which a group of Polish Jews saved themselves from the ghettos and the executions by the German occupiers and their local collaborators and formed a partisans unit in the forests of Belarus. They were led by the Bielski brothers and succeeded to hide more than one thousand of people in the forests, to fight against the German occupiers, and also to form a community that survived the harsh weather and natural conditions in the woods, the fights with the enemies, and also the sometimes tense relations with other non-Jewish partisan groups and with the local population. The story was told in the last decade in several books and historic studies, some revealing not only the heroic story but also some more controversial aspects.

 

source www.imdb.com/title/tt1034303/

source www.imdb.com/title/tt1034303/

 

The film directed by Edward Zwick focuses on the first year in the three that the group spent in the forests, the year that the group was formed, and the first winter that they had to survive in the woods. It’s a story of heroism and survival, of revenge and resilience. Two of the three brothers (originally they were four) are in the center of the story – Tuvia, the leader (Daniel Craig) and Zus the fighter (Liev Schreiber) who at some point joins the Soviet partisans. Both give very credible performances, their dilemma  between personal revenge and saving lives, and their conflicts in the ways the group is to be led are well described. Heroism, faith, will to survive and to keep the human dimensions of life are the main motivations of the characters and they come strong on screen. Besides good acting, authenticity and attention to the details in film making are other visible qualities of this movie, together with fluent story telling. The only questionable aspect is the one related to the language – the Jewish characters speak English, they turn sometimes to Russian when speaking with the Soviet partisans and to the local population (was not this supposed to be rather Polish?) in a mix and with switches that are not clear at all and lack authenticity. I am not sure what the better solution would have been, this may be the best an American production can do without losing the American audiences for whom big screen movies must be mostly or fully spoken in English, I guess.

 

(video source WatchMovieTrailersHD)

 

Defiance belongs to a genre which does not have too many films in its records, the one that deals with the Jewish Resistance during World War II, representing Jews not only as victims but also fighting back, defending themselves and sometimes taking revenge on their murderers and oppressors. The other illustrious example is Tarantino’s Inglorious Basterds which was produced and released around the same time, which was a declared work of fiction. Defiance openly advertises being inspired by true events, and it succeeds to present a credible and in some moments moving picture of the few and the brave who had the courage to resist. There is no hint in the film itself or warning in the text introduction or epilogue about the controversies related to the darker aspects of the story, and this is maybe the principal minus of this production.

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Carte: Arkadi & Boris Strugatki – Un miliard de ani pana la sfarsitul lumii

Colectia “Fictiune fara frontiere” a editurii Paralela 45 a reusit in ultimii ani sa readuca in atentia publicului romanesc amator de literatura stiintifico-fantastica dar nu numai lui, operele scriitorilor sovietici Arkady si Boris Strugatsky – un cuplu de autori al caror nume se inscrie printre cele ale celor mai buni scriitori ai genului in literatura mondiala. Imaginatia imbinata cu rigoarea caracteristica science-fiction-ului sovietic, poezia multora dintre texte si dimensiunile lor filozofice i-au pozitionat pe cei doi frati in topul preferintelor cunoscatorilor dar si a iubitorilor de literatura buna in general. Boris a murit cu mai putin de un an in urma la Sankt Petersburg supravietuindu-i fratelui sau mai mare cu peste doua decenii si petrecandu-si o parte din acesti ultimi ani revizuind unele dintre texte si curatandu-le de elementele de propaganda fara de care nu ar fi vazut lumina tiparului in perioada sovietica. ‘Un miliard de ani pana la sfarsitul lumii’ aparuta acum intr-o a doua editie in traducerea lui Valerian Stoicescu este una din acele carti al caror subtext are o asemenea incarcatura politica si filozofica incat ma intreb cum de a vazut lumina tiparului in 1974 in Uniunea Sovietica a lui Brejnev.

Eroul principal al cartii este un savant matematician care traieste intr-un mediu stiintific in care covietuiesc tot felul de somitati in diferite domenii. Imediat poate fi identificata una dintre acele ‘colonii de creiere’ in care sistemul sovietic aduna specialisti si le dadea o oarecare libertate de creatie stiintifica si ceva privilegii materiale relativ la restul populatiei cu conditia de a controla cu rigoare si de a prelua la finalizare toate rezultatele cercetarilor acestora. La scurta vreme dupa ce pare sa realizeze un progres decisiv in opera sa stiintifica apropiindu-se de rezolvarea unei ecuatii care ar fi lamurit multe dintre secretele universului eroului nostru pe nume Maleanov incep sa i se intample tot felul de evenimente stranii – incercari de mituire de tot felul, apeluri telefonice ciudate, vizite inopinate, cercetari si chiar si banuiala (poate inscenarea?) unei acuzatii de crima.

 

sursa www.emag.ro

sursa www.emag.ro

 

Fiind vorba despre o comunitate de oameni de stiinta nu trece multa vreme pana cand Maleanov isi da seama ca nu este singurul in aceasta situatie. Prieteni de ai sai, specialisti in domenii diferite si fara legatura aparenta cu ce face el, sunt supusi unor presiuni similare cu scopul vizibil de a-si abandona cercetarile si de a-si distruge lucrarile stiintifice. Fratii Strugatzky nu petrec prea mult timp in a detalia elementele stiintifice ale povestii, pentru asta folosesc un limbaj pseudo-stiintific fara prea multa noima, ceea ce ii intereseaza de fapt este dimensiunea filozofica dar si umana a povestii pe care o relateaza.

“Voi, taticilor, n-aveti cum sa intelegeti: experientele sunt legate de transcriptaza reversibila: adica RNA-dependent si DNA-polimeraza, intr-un cuvant revertaza, o enzima componenta a onco-virusilor. Drept sa va spun miroase a premiu Nobel.” (pag. 63)

Cine cunoaste rigoarea stiintifica a descrierilor din alte carti ale autorilor (Boris era de altfel fizician de formatie si expert in calculatoare profesionist) isi da seama imediat ca folosirea acestui argou fara noima este intentionata. Nu detalile tehnice ii intereseaza pe autori ci confruntarea eroilor cu presiune psihologica la care sunt supusi.

“Am realizat dintr-o data ca ieri inca mai eram un om, membru al societatii, aveam grijile si neplacerile mele, iar daca respectam legile societatii – si asta nu era atat de greu -, deci daca respectam aceste legi, ma ocroteau cu fermitate impotriva tuturor pericolelor posibile militia, armata, sindicatele, opinia publica, prietenii, in fine, familia. Si iata ca ceva s-a deplasat in lumea inconjuratoare si m-am transformat intr-un pestisor minuscul si singuratic care s-a ascuns intr-o crapatura, iar in jur misuna si plutesc unduindu-se umbre infricosatoare, nedeslusite, care nici macar nu trebuie sa aiba boturile pline de dinti, e suficienta o usoara miscare de aripioara ca sa ma zdrobeasca, sa ma macine, sa ma prefaca in nimic … Si mi-au dat de inteles ca daca voi continua sa stau in aceasta crapatura, ma vor lasa in pace.’ (pag. 95-96)

 

source stalinsmoustache.wordpress.com

sursa stalinsmoustache.wordpress.com

 

Este semnificativa cred si trecerea naratiunii de la persoana a treia la persoana intaia undeva pe la mijlocul cartii. Ceea ce i se intampla lui Maleanov si colegilor sai oameni de stiinta li intampla de fapt tuturor cetatenilor sistemului sovietic, primii cititori ai acestei carti la vremea ei. Orice abatere de la norma reprezenta un pericol pentru echilibru – si acest echilibru se putea chema ‘linistea sociala’ sau putea fi o mai complexa constanta de stabilitate a unui Univers Homeostatic, fie guvernat de o supercivilizatie destul de tematoare pentru a incerca sa remedieze in fasa orice tendinte de abatere de la norme, sau poate guventat de legi universale si eterne care ca orice legi fundamentale sunt imposibil de invins si trebuie acceptate ca atare.

Cele mai bune pagini ale cartii descriu framintarile eroilor intr-un univers de teama si suspiciune care intalneste literatura care descrie represiunea stalinista cu science-fiction-ul. Unele dialoguri amintesc de Ilf si Petrov, altele de literatura absurdului, dar nu au prezis oare Ilf si Petrov in cele mai bune momente literare ale lor absurdul care in literatura lumii avea sa apara doar la vreo doua sau trei decenii dupa ei? Exista si o puternica dilema morala – pana cand individul singur poate rezista sistemului – politic sau al legilor fizice ale universului? Care este ultima linie de impotrivire – confortul personal? cariera? libertatea personala? familia? Cel putin unul dintre eroi alege in final calea confruntarii – este acest act complet lipsita de speranta? Merita citita cartea – de altfel una dintre cele mai agreabile si placute la lectura carti ale fratilor Strugatsky – daca nu pentru a afla raspunsul macar pentru a sti cum este formulata intrebarea.

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non-passionate (Film: Passion – Brian De Palma, 2012)

I went to this film against all my instincts. I had read already (some of) the bad reviews but I was hoping they were wrong. I so much admire some of the previous works of Brian De Palma (films like ‘Scarface’, ‘The Untouchables’, even the first ‘Mission: Impossible’) and I was hoping that all these critics got it wrong, that they missed the hidden quality of the cinema making of the master. Unfortunately they were all almost right.

 

source www.imdb.com/title/tt1829012/

source www.imdb.com/title/tt1829012/

 

I cannot really tell where ‘Passion’ starts to fail. Some of the problems are certainly with the script which tells a story of corporate corruption where guilty passions between the execs at the top slide almost inevitably towards murder. It starts like a corporate intrigue movie, it becomes later a crime story with touches of thriller, and it plays all the time with the soft erotic genre. All is however so superficial! I never succeed to get in touch with the characters which seem to oscillate between attractive and very attractive, evil and very evil. Eventually the whole story seems to long, and the 1h40 min of screening rather seemed to me like 2h40 min.

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sNmwdyyJW8Q

(video source CineFix)

 

It’s not that all good things we know about Brian De Palma’s film-making are missing.  The camera moves are always right and they compensate with the focus and clarity the rather conventional setting. For a few moments in the final there is suspense in the air, but the ending is unnecessarily complicated and with too many twists (looks like two or three alternate endings without adding thrill, maybe these were alternate endings and the director could not decide which one is to be cut out). If the mix of large windows with panoramic landscapes of Berlin and London and the so conventional background music would have been a little more exaggerated I could have even suspected that they hint to parody, like in the Tarantino movies, but I am afraid this is not the case. Is the film supposed to be ‘sexy’? I am afraid it’s just cool like in cold. Rachel McAdams and Noomi Rapace are very good actresses who have already proved that they can carry very complex and interesting roles, here they do OK sketchy performances, much less than I expected.

If you do not admire Brian De Palma you do not have any special reason to watch this film. If you admire him – as I do – you have the dilemma of whether to watch one of his worst films.  Brian De Palma made a few very good films we all remember and a few less good we would rather forget. ‘Passion’ belongs to the later category.  Maybe what is missing is exactly the Passion. The passion but also the patience for making good cinema.

 

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elephants eating pastries (Film: Hunting Elephants – Israel, 2013)

The popular comedies mixed with Mediterranean melodramas got a name of their own in the Israeli cinema of the 70s: ‘bourekas movies’. ‘Bourekas’ are the local flavor of the Turkish pastries. The genre was dominant while the Israeli cinema was in its teens age, decreased in popularity with the maturity but never really died. We may find traces of it in some of the more recent successes, and with ‘Hunting Elephants’ which combines the genre with the bank robbery and the more recent ‘retired actors playing retired gangsters’ international genre, it generates a film which is at many moments very fun to watch.

 

source www.imdb.com/title/tt2295196/

source www.imdb.com/title/tt2295196/

 

Much of the story actually takes place in a retirement house where two veteran fighters from the time of the underground independence movement (played by Moni Mosonov and Sasson Gabai) are joined by one of their Brit arch-enemies (and yet family to one of them, and yet a lord, and yes – Patrick Stewart) and by a teen kid in a plot to rob a bank. If the premises seem a little fantasist, I need to say that the script has the unexpected quality of making them almost credible. The old men have the passion of proving once again that their lives fit to the values they fought for in a world that changed. The Brit has his own moral and material reasons. The intellectually super-gifted kid is bullied at school and  must do something to revenge the death of his father and save the honor of his mother. There is an evil system (the banks) to fight and an evil person (the bank manager – Moshe Ivgy) to punish. All fits.

 

(video source unitedkingfilms)

 

The three lead actors are big stars of the Israeli film and stage. It’s fun to see them acting especially that some of the lines are really funny.  In many moments the film compares well with such famous international productions like ‘Space Cowboys’ in the ‘old boys’ genre. Director Reshef Levi‘s lack of experience with sustaining the pace and avoiding some repetitions and building up for the actions scenes is however felt. In a bank robbery movie the robbery scene is the key and peak of the interest. Here it is repeated – maybe by design, maybe by coincidence – without adding consistent comic or action value, more in order to justify an ending which is good to the heroes and within the limits of some morality. This does not work well, and this is the main reason the film is in my opinion not a big success but only a nice try.

 

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love in times of war (Film: Venuto al mondo – Penelope Cruz, 2012)

This time the translation in Hebrew got it right, following the original Italian title which says ‘Come to the world’ rather than the English title ‘Twice Born’. The film is indeed about bringing children to the a world in conflict, and it’s a powerful love story taking place during one of the most tragic and absurd war in Europe in the 20th century (but what war is not absurd?), a war that placed one against the other neighbors and friends who were the same blood and spoke the same language, the differences being buried back in history, mostly of religious origins. ‘The best stories are sometimes the weird ones’ tells one of the characters, and this is indeed a strange and a complicated, but also a very emotional love story taking place in tragic circumstances.

 

source www.comingsoon.it

source www.comingsoon.it

 

The story alternates between the time today, the period back 30 years ago when Communist Yugoslavia still existed and Sarajevo was known to the world as the location of the 1984 Winter Olympics, and the city 10 years later when it became the battle place in one of the most bloody episodes of the ethnic wars in the Balkans. It tells about the obsessive falling in love of two young and idealistic ‘western’ professionals Gemma and Diego (Penelope Cruz and Emile Hirsch) who happen to meet in Bosnia, then part of Yugoslavia, attracted there mostly by the original culture of the Balkans and by its people. They soon meet a group of mostly young and idealistic artists of the same kind who seem to live happily, aiming to create and make their world better. For much of the first half the story focuses on the love story of the couple, and the hurdles they meet on the road (they cannot have a child of their own). And then war breaks in this area which was not only the crossroad of the empires, but also their battlefield. The empires are gone, but the conflicts continues perpetuated by religion and by politicians. The world of the heroes blows apart.

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EXWjoqxXUyQ

(video source Play4movie)

 

The story is structured on alternate scenes from the trip taken in present in Bosnia by Gemma and her son and flashbacks from the two time periods (of the first encounter and the war). I liked the way director Sergio Castellitto kept perfect balance between the love story, the descriptions of the falling of Bosnia into war and the war itself, and the coming to age of the son (the directors own son Pietro Castellitto acting) – all three threads are clear, articulate, and conclude in a way that makes sense. To the excellent acting of Cruz and Hirsch I need to add the name of the Bosnian actor Adnan Haskovic who is playing the colorful and passionate Gojco, their friend of blood.

The conflict in Bosnia, and the wars in the former Yugoslavia already generated many films, some of them good, including the ones produced by artists from the area themselves. ‘Venuto al mondo’ is a co-production, mostly made in Italy, with local participation. It will probably stay as one of the solid and sensible films made about those mad years. This is a film which will also stay with all these who will have the chance to see it.

 

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the dawn of the French empire (Film: Indochine – Catherine Deneuve, 1992)

‘Indochine’ was released to the big screens in France by the time of my first visit in Paris in 1992, the city was then full of posters about it, I remember them even on the Champs Elysees. Going to the movies was not my priority at my first time in that splendid city, and thus more than 20 years passed until I got to see this film, probably one of the most ambitious projects in the history of the French cinema, a tentative in the historic epic and romantic saga genre set in the final decades of the French colonial rule in Indochina. As other similar projects like ‘Gone with the Wind’, ‘Australia’, ‘Cold Mountain’, or ‘A Passage to India’,  it mixes a long and tortuous romantic story with a rendition of the history from the perspective of the ‘white man’. It works to a large extent. Falling empires and republics in turmoil have many similar things and a charm of their own on screen.

 

source http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0104507/

source http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0104507/

 

Romance and history meet in an intrigue which is a little bit too long, and too much decorated with coincidences, but then credibility to the detail is not necessarily the principal quality we look for when reading sagas or watching saga films. The main character played by Catherine Deneuve is a rich, beautiful and independent plantation owner who raises a Vietnamese adopted daughter and tries to keep the luxurious way of colonialist life while the world around her is cracking and falling apart. Her passion for an officer younger in age turns into a family drama when this one falls in love with the adoptive daughter and in political intrigue when the two take ways apart and join the anti-French forces. Cultures and ideologies mix and conflict in the film – colonialism fights nationalism and communism, cosmopolitan French style of life clashes with the traditions and religions of this area of Asia. There are many details in the film, but I also had a feeling of lack of focus, like in a very large picture full of characters and objects, but also a little blurred. Or maybe these were only background elements for director Regis Wargnier, I cannot know. The director BTW all but disappeared after a few ambitious but not very successful movies in the 90s.

 

(video source Elizabeth Weber)

 

There are two fabulous qualities in this film which balance all the minuses. One is Catherine Deneuve. I am in love with her until she will be 150. There are only two other actresses at the same level, radiating light, intelligence, beauty in any role they play – Ingrid Bergman and Cate Blanchet. Deneuve crosses in this film many years in the story but she stays beautiful and dignified, socially strong but emotionally vulnerable. A great role. The second exceptional quality is the cinematography, and I must mention the name of the artist in charge – Francois Catonne. The landscapes filmed in location are exquisite, so are the scenes that bring back to life the cities of Indochina of the 30s. I am not sure if after watching ‘Indochine’ I have really a more accurate image about how that part of the world was in the 30s of the previous century, but I surely do have a beautiful one.

 

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Carte: Radu-Ilarion Munteanu – Prequel

‘… constientizarea a doua stari ce mi-au devenit proprii, fie si consecutiv, scrisul si calatoria trebuiau cumva conexate. Iar conexiunea o face tocmai aceasta carte. … la urma urmei ce este: e prequel al calatoriilor sau prequel al cartilor de calatorie? Sau si una si alta?’ (pag. 70-71)

Aceasta carte foarte personala – aparuta la Editura Vremea, 2012 cu o prefata a lui Liviu Antonesei – descrie o stare de spirit comuna multora dintre cei care apartin generatiilor care si-au trait copilaria si tineretea (sau o parte din ea) in perioada comunista. Astazi, cand granitele Europei sunt deschise si cand in multe tari ale continentului romanii pot intra sau trece sau ramane pentru o buna bucata de vreme doar pe baza card-ului de identitate, unii nu stiu si altii au uitat ca pana acum 24 de ani dreptul fundamental la libera circulatie era refuzat majoritatii romanilor, ca locuri ca Paris sau New York le erau la fel de accesibile ca si planeta Marte, si ca simpla placere a unei vacante sau calatorii turistice sau simplul act al unei calatorii profesionale in strainatate erau vise pe care doar unii il implineau (cu noroc, cu pile, cu mita, cu compromisuri) odata sau de doua ori in viata. In absenta acestei libertati fundamentale multi romani isi construisera spatii libere interioare pe care le populau cu cunostiinte uneori fabulos-enciclopedice despre lunea din afara granitelor, cunostinte bazate pe lecturi sau pe relatari ale celor norocosi sa fi ajuns in spatiile mitice ale strainataturilor. Am trait si eu asemenea experiente. Cand destinul mi-a suras si in 1989 am ajuns pentru prima data la Londra, si apoi in 1991 la Paris cunosteam orasele mai bine decat multi localnici din lecturi, din vise si mai ales din povestirile celor doua exceptionale profesoare de limba engleza (doamna sau domnisoara Ghinopol) si de limba franceza (doamna Cernescu, mama regizorului) care alaturi de conjugarile metodelor Eckersley si Mauger isi petrecusera timpul lectiilor particulare platite de parintii mei povestindu-i copilandrului ochelarist care eram eu despre strazile, monumentele, raurile, istoria, muzeele si oamenii Londrei si Parisului. Fusesem la Westminster Abbey si la Louvre in vis cu mult inainte de a ajunge fizic acolo. Am avut deci si eu prequel-uri la calatoriile mele.

 

sursa www.edituravremea.ro/prequel‎

sursa www.edituravremea.ro/prequel‎

 

Prequel constituie o lectura complementara a cartilor de calatorie ale lui rim. Apropos, voi fi scuzat daca voi folosi numele sau internetic in aceasta pseudo-recenzie, imi permit sa o fac nu numai deoarece este mult mai scurt decat numele sau complet, dar si pentru ca ii sunt prieten si partener de dezbateri internetice cordiale, dezbateri in care de altfel se intampla sa fim de multe ori in dezacord in legatura cu cate un subiect sau altul. Vedeti in asta si un fel de disclaimer – orice pretentie de obiectivitate trebuie privita in acest caz cu suspiciune. rim a scris pana acum doua carti de calatorie sau despre calatorii reale – despre una dintre ele am scris si eu. Sunt carti interesante si diferite de multe alte jurnale de calatorie, caci rim este un calator diferit de multi alti calatori si un scriitor diferit de autorii multora dintre cartile genului. Acest volum care pare mult mai dens decat cele 100 si ceva de pagini ale sale cuprinde materialul care ne ajuta intr-o oarecare masura sa intelegem cum s-a format calatorul si scriitorul rim, care i-au fost experientele cognitive si educationale si durerile de crestere prin care a trecut inainte de a se imbarca in primul autocar pentru prima sa calatorie.

Coperta cartii a carei autoare este Silvia Colfescu si care mi-a placut mult reprezinta un montaj a doua fotografii care par a fi fost facute in contre-jour, dar citind cartea realizezi ca este vorba despre un contre-jour temporal. Una dintre fotografii il reprezinta pe copilul care priveste spre noi sau poate spre viitor cu bunatate dar si cu o doza de scepticism ascunsa in spatele unui inceput de zambet. Copilaria este taramul in care au loc primele prequel-uri ale lui rim, taramul in care o schimbare de domiciliu sau o vacanta la munte se transforma in experiente cu dimensiuni de epopee, antrenamente pentru confruntarile viitorului calator cu noul, diferitul si mai ales ascunsul care il vor astepta in peregrinarile viitoare. In al doilea plan al copertei doua doamne sau domnisoare cu frumuseti de clasa si aparate de fotografiat stereotipice la gat ne introduc in dimensiunea cunoasterii feminitatii, in raportarea copilului si adolescentului la fetele mai mult sau mai putin accesibile care ii apar in drum, in invatarea metodelor de apropiere si atragere a atentiei si descoperirea tacticii de a transforma slabiciunilor in atuuri in asemenea situatii.

 

DSC01129

 

Cateva cuvinte despre stil. Cititorul care a citit cel putin una dintre celelalte vreo zece carti in diferite genuri publicate de rim, sau barem a participat in discutii internetice sau facebookiste (sunt sigur ca nu eu am inventat acest barbarism) cu el nu va fi surprins de stilul sau oral si in plus va cunoaste o parte dintre personajele reale sau imaginare prezente in viata sa (cu diferitele sale dimensiuni) si reprezentate in scris uneori de nume de cod. Daca insa aceasta este prima carte a lui rim pe care o cititi, va lua un timp pana cand veti sesiza si va veti antrena in stilul semi-oral al autorului, care uneori da impresia unei transcrieri dupa dictafon:

‘Acest al doilea drum real avu doua puncte comune cu primul. Doua am spus? Eroare! Trei. Unul dintre firele rosii ale povestii trece si prin acest al treilea punct. E aici o capcana, domnilor presedinti. Primele doua tin de itinerar.’ … etc. (pag. 33)

Marturisesc ca m-am obisnuit cu stilul si imi place. Mai niciodata in proza lui rim cuvantul care urmeaza nu este cel pe care il astepti (uneori chiar este un regionalim care te trimite la dictionare, sau chiar un adaos personal la tezaur) si nici fraza care urmeaza nu are exact structura pe care o cer retetele de literatura ‘clasica’. Cea mai mare parte a cartii incearca o detasare aparenta prin folosirea persoanei a treia (sunt si exceptii, putine si bine punctate). Referintele culturale – lecturi si filme – abunda si complementeaza informatii si carti (altele decat cele de calatorie) din bibliografia lui rim, si deschid cred apetitul pentru cautarea si citirea acestora;  misiune care de altfel nu este deloc usoara, caci rim si-a risipit roadele eforturilor sale publicistice intre multe si obscure mici edituri (lucru semnalat si de Liviu Antonesei in prefata). Adaosul cel mai important este insa cel al marturisilor personale, care completeaza imaginea intelectualului si a omului.

‘Acest text nu e, in niciun caz, o autobiografie cu uz psihanalitic, ci o selectie pe criteriul preidentificarii unor surse punctuale ale conditiei, devenita perena, de calator. (pag. 44)

Caci odata deveniti calatori, ramanem pentru totdeuna calatori. Vremea prequel-urilor a trecut.

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an Israeli exercise in ‘horror’ movies (Film: Big Bad Wolves – Israel, 2013)

I must launch one of my rants about film titles translations. Usually my complains are about translating English titles to Hebrew or my mother-tongue Romanian – now it’s about the reverse translation. This film is titled in Hebrew ‘Who’s afraid of the Big Wolf’ which is obviously a reference to Edward Albee’s play. Why on Earth (or in the Negev Desert) would this reference to the title of a well known play written in English be dropped when translating the title of the film from Hebrew to English? Luckily this is one of the few mistakes made by the creators of this interesting film, a good exercise in the genre of horror which slowly gathers mass and quality in the Israeli cinema.

 

source http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2309224/?ref_=sr_3

source http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2309224/

 

The story of the film directed by   and   could have been a thriller as it is built upon a police case, but it’s a case we learn almost nothing about. There is a police file in the film which ends by being used for very different purposes than intended, but we really do not know on what the suspicions on evil crimes of pedophilia and murder are based, on what grounds the main suspect, a high-school teacher is arrested, freed, kidnapped and eventually punished. More than a thriller this film is closer to the horror genre and asks in an implicit manner some tough questions about truth and guilt, about punishment and who has the right to apply it, about morality in the cases when justice cannot be made. Fans of horror should by no means be discouraged as all these (important) message are implicit and they are served in ‘Big Bad Wolves’ with a copious portion of their preferred stuff which seems to have been the first priority of the directors (who also wrote the script).

 

(video source Film Festivals and Indie Films)

 

The team of actors includes a few faces who are well-known to Israeli audiences and I was almost envying the foreign audiences for whom splendid actors like , , , or Doval’e Glickman are new. They all do good jobs. The musical score is well fit, in sync with the action in many moments, or providing the connection with the universe of childhood and fairy tales which is the emotional counterpoint of the whole story in other. Cinematography tries and succeeds a few good things, but falls into routine in the basement and night scenes which occupy much of the story, and editing could have been a little more alert for my taste. Overall I liked this film, and I believe it has chances for a good run among the fans of the genre and not only among them.

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Despre ‘dilemele identitare’ la ICR Tel Aviv

ICR Tel Aviv a organizat in aceasta dimineata un eveniment care i-a avut ca invitati pe scriitorii Carmen Firan si Adrian Sangeorzan care traiesc la New York, ocazie pentru publicul israelian de a-i cunoaste pe cei doi scriitori si de a asista la o dezbatere (la ‘masa rotunda’ – desi masa nu era chiar rotunda) a carei tema a fost definita ca ‘Eterna Calatorie si dilemele identitare. Despre nelinistea si provocarile drumului’. Celor doi invitati de peste ocean li s-a alaturat Vlad Solomon ca reprezentant ‘local’, iar dezbaterea a fost moderata de Marlena Braester.

Titlul evenimentului era incitant si la fel tema care a fost si va fi subiect a numeroase dezbateri intre cei care ne-am schimbat la un moment dat in viata (unii de mai multe ori) locul de trai si am reinceput vietile pe alte meleaguri, printre alti oameni si in spatii culturale si politice noi, ceea ce ne-a determinat pe multi dintre noi sa reflectam la ceea ce am fost si am devenit, la modul in care schimbarea de tara ne schimba si ne redefineste personalitatile si identitatile. Sunt intrebari pe care si le pun desigur in mod acut artistii si mai ales scriitorii pentru care limba este materia primordiala de exprimare, dar si le pun in general cred eu toti sau majoritatea intelectualilor si a tuturor celor care au trait asemenea schimbari.

 

IMG_1054

 

Dupa introducerile de rigoare cei doi invitati au citit din cartile lor scrise in limba romana. Marturisesc ca citisem foarte putine din poeziile lui Carmen Firan si am ramas impresionat. Este o voce poetica clara, distincta, sensibila, expresiva – iar textele alese de dansa si de moderatoare au fost foarte potrivite temelor. Si proza citita de Adrian Sangeorzan a fost bine selectata si mi s-a parut a reflecta o parte din temele carora le era dedicat evenimentul, dar din opera unui prozator trebuie citit ceva mai mult decat incape in cateva minute pentru a-ti forma o parere articulata. Ocazia de a-i cunoaste pe cei doi scriitori si scrisele lor a fost pentru mine binevenita, banuiesc ca si pentru altii.

Si acum despre ‘masa rotunda’. Nu a fost exact o dezbatere, si cred ca sunt mai multe motive. Unul si poate cel esential este ca intre dilemele identitare ale intelectualului roman care se stabileste in Statele Unite sau in alt loc in Occident si cele ale intelectualului evreu nascut in Romania care se stabileste in Israel sunt foarte mari diferente pe care ori le pui pe masa si le discuti deschis si fara teama de a evita controversele, ori nu le discuti. Poti trece o prapastie daca arunci peste ea o punte, dar nu ignorand-o. Participantii la evenimentul de astazi se cunosc bine si in atmosfera cordiala si politicoasa a salii de la ICR Tel Aviv nu au dorit sa deschida o discutie care risca cu usurinta sa fie abrupta si dureroasa. Singurul moment in care diferentele au fost clar expuse a fost cel in care Vlad Solomon a citit un fragment din ciclul sau de articole ‘Cum am devenit jidan’ care a pozitionat clar problema identitatii israelianului nascut in Romania cu totul in alta parte decat in spatiul problemelor oaspetilor americani. Discutia despre aceste diferente insa, nu a urmat.

 

IMG_1058

 

Am apreciat in cele spuse de toti vorbitorii excluderea cliseelor. Nu s-au pronuntat decat poate accidental cuvintele ‘dezradacinare’, ‘exil’, ‘patrie’, ‘acasa’, si termenul de ‘diaspora’ a fost marginalizat explicit din start. Scriitorii americani au prezentat cu sinceritate si argumente pozitia si simtamintele lor fata de problema identitara, asocierea si atasamentul fata de cultura, literatura, si spatiul lingvistic romanesc ca si obstacolele si contradictiile intalnite in drumurile lor, inclusiv confruntari cu mentalitati si abordari culturale foarte diferite de cele in care majoritatea dintre noi ne-am nascut si format. Aici am gasit multe similaritati in sentimente si problematica ceea ce nu inseamna ca am fost neaparat de acord cu toate afirmatiile facute. Mi s-a parut de exemplu exagerata afirmatia facuta de Carmen Firan despre posibilitatea sau necesitatea salvarii limbii romane de la vulgarizare de catre scriitorii care traiesc in afara granitelor Romaniei. Parerea mea este ca au existat intotdeauna diferente intre limba romana literara si cea vorbita pe strada (in sensul larg al cuvantului ‘strada’) iar limba romana literara nu are nevoie astazi de nicio ‘salvgardare’ din afara – ea evolueaza frumos si solid si o dovedesc sutele de carti de literatura buna publicate anual in Romania, si publicistica din revistele culturale si literare din tara.

A fost lasat timp pentru intrebari din public si eventuale discutii suplimentare, dar acesta nu a fost folosit decat de catre regizorul si directorul de teatru Nico Nitai pentru a multumi participantilor pentru continut si pentru frumoasa limba in care s-a desfasurat evenimentul. Sunt aprecieri si multumiri la care nu pot sa nu ma alatur. La fel nu pot decat sa sper ca filiala din Tel Aviv a ICR va continua cu astfel de initiative, si ca ele vor atrage si un public mai numeros si vor genera si mai multa dezbatere si participare de partea celor din cealalta parte a mesei (rotunde sau nu). Daca tot am vorbit despre identitate si s-a mentionat in discutie (tot de catre oaspetii americani) transmiterea componentei culturale si lingvistice romanesti a identitatii catre generatia urmatoare, cred ca asemenea evenimente nu vor putea fi considerate ca succese pana cand nu va fi prezent si activ in sala public care nu apartine numai primei generatii de emigranti (a noastra) – adica pana cand nu vor fi prezenti si activi aici si cei din generatia copiilor nostri si prietenii lor ‘ne-romani’.

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horror is not lost in translation (Film: Stoker – Chan-wook Park, 2013)

I read that director Chan-wook Park decided to go into movies after seeing Hitchcock’s Vertigo. He grew up into becoming one of the most successful directors of horror movies in the Korean school of cinema and he now pays back his dept with Stoker – his first American film – which would not have made his master blush at all in my opinion.

 

source http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0661791/

source http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0661791/

 

The story in Stoker has all basic ingredients of the classical horror movies.  We are in a small town and most of the action takes place in an isolated mansion. The father dies and the 18-year daughter has to deal with her personal trauma and with her mother who seems to be eager to forget as soon as possible and to start the next phase of her life. At the funeral the younger uncle shows up, an uncle the girl has never heard about before, who will stay in the house and take back a place left void by the father who disappeared. It sounds like a family drama, and up to a certain point it is, but the signs of incertitude are there from the beginning, as the descent into horror is not at all unexpected. Mother-to-daughter relations and the mix of grief and coming to age have seldom looked so frightening.

 

(video source Fresh Movie Trailers)

 

Acting plays a central role in the way Park builds his story, characters, and the relations between them. Each of the three lead characters can be considered a slight mis-casting, but this is intentional as none of the heroes really feels well into her or his own skin. Nicole Kidman plays another variant of her ‘beautiful mature lady in trouble’ type she specialized in for the last decade, with an extra touch of evil and despair. Matthew Goode is as disquieting as he is handsome. Mia Wasikowska is the one who steals the whole show, and as spectator I spent most of the film wondering who she really is – angel or daemon, victim or predator.

Chan-wook Park brings to this film the techniques and the atmosphere of the Korean thriller, but he transplants these well into an American story. He plays with the symbols of the American horror films tradition, even allowing himself a shower scene which quotes directly from Hitchcock (but Polanski’s influence is also present). I do not know what he exactly plans for the future and there are reasons of concern in my opinion because his genre of films is being under-appreciated by American serious movie goers and his style has an implicit and subtle violence which does not necessarily translate into enough blood on screen for success with the larger audiences. At some point in time he will need to invent something new to keep the interest alive, let us just hope that it will be at least as good as Stoker.

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