"Change your outlook ..." . This prescription is given to Badii by the Azeri taxidermist. Of the three passengers Badii picks up to solicit help in his plan for suicide, the taxidermist is the most vocal in his disagreement of Badii's intentions. In sharp contrast to the young soldier, whose nervousness from Badii's appeals made … Continue reading #45, Taste of Cherry. Dir., Abbas Kiarostami
Andrei Rublev is a beautiful study of an artist's relationship with his/her social circumstances. With patient camera movement and long takes, Tarkovsky presents Rublev, the 15th-century Russian icon painter, as someone who is internally split between a desire to paint in ignorance of social turmoil and a curiosity to get as close as he can … Continue reading #34, Andrei Rublev. Dir., Andrei Tarkovsky
Seven Samurai was not the first criterion in my collection, but it probably should have been. When I first watched this film--a loan from my library--I started to see my ignorance of cinema history clearly, without bias or defensiveness. If it had taken me this long to see Seven Samurai, there must be so many … Continue reading #1, Seven Samurai. Dir., Akira Kurosawa
notes on cinema 