pergynt Reviews

The Boom (1963)

sweet-sour comedy on Italy's 1950's rage to get rich as fast as possible !!

[9/10 · 2 August 2000]

Sweet-sour comedy on Italy's 1950's rage to get rich as fast as possible !!The lead actor (Alberto Sordi) plays the part of a psuedo businessman who to satisfy his wife's craving for luxury and a "respectable life" becomes heavily indebted. In desperation he agrees to sell a precious part of his body for a large sum of money.But just before the crucial operation he panics !

The whole film is a grotesque comedy on Italy's obsession of those times to be "respectable" i.e. be rich,show it,and give the impression of being part of the respectable upper-middle class even though "secretly" you are just another of those "noveau riches". The film is very realistic and at times hilarious !Worth to see!

Kadosh (1999)

Simple,beautiful and interesting

[9/10 · 21 May 2000]

A simple film condemning religious fanaticism, and how the loving bond of a married couple is indestructible, despite the society's condemnation.As an admirer of Israel, this part of Israeli society was interesting to observe in its cultural and anthropological perspective.Too much slow paced at times with unnecessary love scenes is the only criticism I can add, otherwise a worthwhile film to see for global villagers.

Trollsyn (1994)

Excellent film.....but only for Norwegians !!!!

[25 September 1999]

I saw the film at The Norwegian film festival in Rome,Italy in the spring of 1997, and it was the film I enjoyed the most. I loved the dialect(Western Norway),the landscape scenes were beautiful. Ola Solum(film director) managed to make an interesting film staged in the deepest of medieval times and centered in a single valley of the countryside. The tragedy of the film is the arrival of the plague that kills everyone in the countryside hamlet except for a 6 yr.old girl who has to fend for herself for almost a year. When some hunters passed by(legend has it) she lived and behaved like a wild animal!!....and was treated with suspicion and dread by the neighbouring villagers ...as she had become according to them a witch !! For Norwegians this film as a special resonance,since the plague was considered one of the two major tragedies to befall Norway in it's history(the other was the Nazi occupation during the second world war!)..the plague killed so many Norwegians that the country seriously weakened came to lose it's independence and be subjucated to Danish rule for 700 years. It's a film only Norwegians can appreciate truly, for the above mentioned reasons,and especially for me as I am an ex-patriot Norwegian.

Bicycle Thieves (1948)

Story of a desperate struggle to survive in post-war Rome

[9/10 · 24 August 1999]

The hero of the film gets a break from poverty and unemployment by finding a job plastering posters on walls in Rome.Only condition for the job is possession and use of a bicycle. After leaving his last belongings(bed sheets!)at the local pawn shop he buys himself a bicycle. Tragedy strikes at the first day of work, when his bicycle gets stolen ! Crestfallen and desperate he looks for the bicycle all over Rome, and even unsuccessfully tries to steal one....because without his bicycle he will lose his job ! Absolutely one of the strengths of the film was Vittorio de Sicas use of non-professional actors which added absolute realism to the film.Professional actors/actresses in Italy tend to "overact"(especially in theater) something which is pointingly avoided during the whole film. Reminds of Orson Welles comment "In Italy everyone is good at acting except for the ones that work in Cinema and Theater !" abit cruel perhaps,but at times true! The expression of hero's sun-burnt face during the film is of dull void like desperation.......the real face of poverty in

Italy!Arguably one of the best films I have ever seen in my life.....my vote is absolutely 10.

Heimat: A Chronicle of Germany (1984)

A summary of anxiety's,hopes and joy of life of German youth in the 1960's

[9/10 · 15 August 1999]

Absolutely, I agree with my previous commentator in describing this as a riveting,fascinating and certainly beautiful film. It's not necessary to see all the episodes,since the first ones are the best,while the last ones are a-bit tiresome,but for any person who likes German's and their good-natured ways,all episodes are worth seeing.In typical german fashion, values are constantly questioned,even it's murderous Nazi past is confronted in the last episodes, the rich dialogues are particularly interesting. These episodes are recommended for anyone who is about to live or travel in Germany,preferably in original language!!

Partir, revenir (1985)

A French jewish family's recollection of it's painful WWII lose of its beloved ones

[10/10 · 8 August 1999]

Briefly, I have to say it's one of the best French films I have ever seen.Starting with an ordinary interview nowadays the sole surviver of a large extended jewish family, an elderly woman remembers her brothers constant playing S.Rachmaninov music,and her other family members all tragically perished in a Nazi Concentration camp.With a clever use of flashbacks,excellent editing and no overbearing rhetoric's American style,the Director tells a family's holocaust experience in a balanced composed style while at the same time exposing all the elderly woman's pain.And throughout the WHOLE film excellent Rachmaninov piano music played,by a present day piano-player....... but for the elderly lady it's her dear,dear, little brother who is really playing!! A must see for fans of French cinema !!

Everybody Go Home! (1960)

realistic tragicomedy of Italy's occupation under Nazi troops

[9/10 · 11 July 1999]

A historical premises.... After the armistice of the 8 th September 1943, Italys defeated army literally collapsed.Italy effectively had switched sides in the world war alliances,allied with USA against Nazi Germany,leaving many Italian army units in the lurch....and the Nazi German army invasion a few weeks later! Some units joined the the Anglo-Americans and valiantly fought with them,a few more joined the Fachist militias of the Salò regime in Northern Italy sustained by Nazi troops which together perpetuated massacres of civilians. However a large number of Italian army units,just melted like snow in a sunny spring day,disappearing or rather deserting in mass,prefering like the title of the film "..to return home". The films spirit is basically about a strong desire of war weary soldiers to return back home to their families. Something which apparently would seem an easy task....but not in this film!!

This film retaining a deep tragic undertone has also some hilarious scenes of the more tragi-comical style,which was typical of the post neo-realistic film scripts of Italian cinema in the 1950's and 1960's,(The best period of Italian cinema).An absolute "must see film" for Italo-philes and fans of Italian cinema.Strangely enough,this film has never been much appreciated in Italy,and it is hard to find as video-cassette both for renting or buying.My vote 9.