MovieChat Forums > Mia aioniotita kai mia mera (1999) Discussion > those 'trance' films

those 'trance' films

posted 19 years ago by pattythebro
11 replies | jump to latest

Personally, I'm getting really getting really sick of films like Eternity and a day winning big things like the Palme D'Or and then when you watch them are absolutely boring. The excuse used to defend such films are that it's a meditation, or a film that's suppose to put you in a trance. That's fair enough, but when a film like this wins things like the Palme D'Or over Life is Beautiful, which got the Grand Jury Prize, it makes me angry, Eternity and a Day isn't a bad film, but Life is Beautiful is so much better and so much more was put into it, such films don't rely on time consuming shots. I thought that if this beat Life is Beautiful, surely this must be a great film, but its simply not. Same can be said for Taste of Cherry, which won the Palme D'Or for the year before, thats was incredibly boring also! I haven't checked out which films it won over but I'd say it would fall into the category of 'trance' films like Eternity and Day, even The Return was too trance-like, and that won venice. I hope Ulysses' Gaze isn't as boring.

God bless you

[–] Sanjuro-15 18 years ago

I think you'll find that just because you happen to find them boring doesn't actually mean that the rest of the world agrees with you. Is it really beyond your comprehension that a lot of people, including the folks voting at Cannes, actually liked this movie more than Life is Beautiful?

I've never heard the excuse that "it's a meditation". Sounds like some crap a wannabe hack journalist came up with 'cos he was forced to write a review of Eternity and a Day.

It makes you angry because the world is made up of individuals with their own ideas and not a bunch of sheep who all agree with each other? Wow!

As it happens most of Theo Angelopolous's movies have a simlar pacing, so you probably won't like Ulysses Gaze unless you're a fanatical Harvey Keitel fan.

[–] 18 years ago

[deleted]

[–] tauiota2 16 years ago

the film was absolutely spectacular in every sense

[–] kaufmeisterin 16 years ago

Mindblowing! I watched it today and was really blown away!

I like Life is beautiful also, but in my opinion you cannot compare them. Their tragic is not the same. They fold out in different dimensions.

I don't know where you saw this film. I rented it from Blockbuster, and on that DVD was a 22 min segment, where a professor from Oklahoma explained to people like the OP why this movie is so great. I was a bit shocked that the film company would do that. I mean, of course I appreciated his explanations, as I am not too familiar with greek films. But I was stunned to realize they found it necessary to explain to Hollywood-used audiences why this kind of film is different and why it is nevertheless great.

Actually, I don't like Hollywood stuff, only rarely there is a comedy I find enjoyable. Usually we are only watching european movies (I am a german immigrant in the USA, that is why).

This movie was absolutely never boring at all. We actually have rewinded several scenes to watch them again!!!!!

[–] CounterPaul 15 years ago

I'm a relatively new initiate to the cult of Theo, and had the good fortune of procuring a copy of 'Eternity and a Day.' Indeed, I'd become so entranced in the action (to use the term loosely) that I'd neglect to keep a mental note for technicalities such as the duration of the scenes, and when the cuts were made (a Hollywood cop-out if ever there was one!) - it's extraordinary how the players and support crew must 'hit their mark' as the scene plays out, even the animals! Additionally, anything with Tonino Guerra's involvement is a-okay with me.

"POWER TO THE PEOPLE WHO PUNISH BAD CINEMA!!!"

[–] tenekesuvari 15 years ago

I agree with the original poster. The movie is simply crappy. One of those "artistic" movies that rest of world doesn't understand (except 0,1% who tries to look smart and pretend to appreciate "art"). Does art have to be boring? Looking at Kubrick or John Ford i can easily say NO. Is this movie boring? YES.

To me that means, they simply don't know how to make a great movie, so they make rambling romantic/emotional movies. Beside cinematography errors the movie had logic errors too (and i saw it in 30-40 mins i wasted) like the scene where the guy picks up the blond boy, what happened there? A kid breaks the window and puff suddenly everyone disappeared from the scene, or when they go to the Albanian border, what are those paper man looking "dead" people stuck on trenches? Does Albanians shot everyone who tries to pass Greece, (even they do) do they leave hundreds of people on trenches? :D

However there's one good thing, i watched this movie before bed time, i was planning to sleep after the movie. Guess what? I got really sleepy around 30 mins later. So if you need to get sleepy this is a really good movie...

[–] Endy7 15 years ago

Now make a list of your favorite bands so I can point out which ones are boring and liked only by pretentious people.

[–] TheWanderingFish 15 years ago

The statement that Angelopoulos doesn't know how to make a great movie is one of the dumbest, funniest things I've ever read on the internet. Congratulations.

And, also, you're just a hipster contrarian who simply likes to pretend to hate a lot of the movies that receive acclaim. You secretly adore this movie and watch it once a week just to make sure the memory of it never fades - it's quite possibly your favorite movie. You know this isn't a boring movie - it's one of the most compelling ones you can think of - you're just trying to look smart by bashing a beloved film and those who like that film. But in reality you're just too pretentious to admit your true tastes.

You can get anything you want at Alice's Restaurant

[–] apolo_sisk 13 years ago

@pattythebro

Aggelopoulo's films are filled with poetry. This is POETRY. Its the absolut art. A great touching story of a man , showing how ALONE he is and the touching story of a boy who some "mafia" guys take advantage of him. The scenes are perfect, music is perfect and the poetry quotes used are perfect as well.

A great movie that deserved to win lots of awards. Maybe you didnt get the poetry part because maybe the translation was not good (the subs you used)

[–] franzkabuki 12 years ago

Wonder where, exactly, are all those people who fail to grasp the simple concept of "boring" not being a legitimate critique due to its 100% subjective nature, coming from.

"facts are stupid things" - Ronald Reagan

[–] PsychoDingo 12 years ago

it's funny how you talk about reliance on time consuming shots, as if the stuff Theo is doing with the camera is some kind of short cut or cop out. it's like people who blow off jazz music as nonsense, when they have no clue what goes into making it

I'm proud to say my poetry is only understood by that minority which is aware.