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Reviews
La chanson de Roland (1978)
Imagined Medieval World
Don't be fooled by the name of the film. This is not a screen version of the medieval epic of Charlemagne, the Frankish warrior-hero Roland and traitor Ganelon. It's a movie inspired by the song of Roland. The Middle Ages are shown here as imagined fantasy world, as in Ingmar Bergman's "Seventh Seal", Robert Bresson's "Lancelot du Lac" or Grigory Kozintsev's "King Lear".
A group of pilgrims and vagrant artists who have joined them are travelling through Spain to the places of Roland's military glory, to the monastery of Santiago de Compostella. Performers are entertaining the pilgrims with the scenes from the epic. The characters of the film are easily moving from their real world into the epic world of Charlemagne and Roland. Beggars, vagabonds, artists are turning into warriors-heroes of the epic, fighting an unequal battle with the Saracens. The scenes from the epic tale are shown here as medieval people could imagine the The Song of Roland and its heros. The reality surrounding the pilgrims is grim. Serfs rebelled, and the knights (no longer epic heroes) are brutally suppressing the rebellion.
So it's medium-budget arthouse fantasy film about the world of the Middle Ages and social problems of society. The paintings by Bosch and Peter Bruegel were among main influences on the director. It is obvious that the director, the film operator and the actors wanted to convey the atmosphere of the epoch much more than to make standard or scientifically correct historical movie.
Cons of the film: it's not historically correct recreation of the epoch of Charlemagne, the theatrical attitude to depiction of the Middle Ages in general, the failures in the drama.
Pros: it's atmospheric film with picturesque images, always impressive Klaus Kinsky in the roles of Roland and wandering artist Klaus, the music of the ancient instruments (harp, flute, drums) and fragments of authentic medieval melodies, woven by composer Antoine Duhamel into his soundtrack.
Sha chen bao (2014)
Beautiful Short Dystopian Film
Formally it's near future SF film. Sand storm interrupts the water supply to Chinese megapolis. Water turns into valuable treasure for the people in this city and they are buying it from The Smuggler. Legendary Chinese artist and architect Ai Weiwei is playing this role. He is very charismatic person and this short film is built around this person. The Smuggler is alter ego of Ai Weiwei, and the water here is symbol of free flowing information in our modern world.
Yes, clear water turns into main treasure in our century, but the message of the this film is not only ecological. Or rather it's about ecology of our minds.
Yes, it's beautifully looking film, but it's hard not to see the story there. You just have to watch it as a metaphorical work. Problem is that The Sand Storm was made as pilot project for the feature length SF film, so it's interrupted when you are waiting for continuation of the story. But the story and its final is quite clear for the thoughtful viewer.
Problem is majority of the viewers are used to childish simplicity of the language of the commercial cinema.
Just good arthouse short SF film. Sad that there were no continuation.
Alexander (2004)
Great Spoiled Film
Truly there are two different Alexanders and Colin Farrel played both of them in one film. First one - heroic warrior in epic battle scenes and in colorful ethnic scenes. Oliver Stone made this part of film fantastically. It really works for the viewer. Second one - neurotic bisexual person from the 20th century with all complexes borrowed from Freud's theories. And it's hard to understand how both of them could live and interact in the same time. Mr. Stone was too impressed by Mary Renault's novels about Alexander (Fire from Heaven, The Persian Boy). Mary Renault thought more of her own time than of Antiquity. Yes, bisexuality was normal for the Greeks but Plutarchus insisted that Alexander was shocked when somebody supposed that about him. Why we should believe Mary Renault and not Plutarchus? The sources about Alexander are interesting and intriguing so it's very sad that epic film after the battle sequences turns into Freudistic soap opera style family drama. That's why the film is great but it spoiled. One more mistake - long and looking completely unrealistically foreword and afterword by sir Anthony Hopkins as Ptolemy in the beginning and in the end of the film. Anyway - impressive battle sequences, impressive settings of Babylon and Balkh fortress, impressive work of artists and designers, really great music by Vangelis. Oliver Stone tried to show us the light and the dark side of Alexander and of Ancient Greek culture in general and idea was good. Simply it didn't work as a film.
Mircea (1989)
World Through the Eyes of Dracula as a Kid
Sergiu Nicolaescu is one of best film directors in Romania. "Mircea" is devoted to the history of Medieval Romania (Wallachia). Old Mircea, prince of Wallachia, is trying to stop Turkish invasion into Europe, there are political intrigues inside his own family, he should fight against his brother... The film is long and epic, sometimes it could seem naive and too long, and truly "Mircea" is not the best film by Sergiu Nicolaescu. It's not as dynamic and impressive as his other films. But Nicolaescu made here very original step which could be interesting for the foreign viewers.
All events here are shown from the point of view of a kid - Vlad Tepes (Tsepesh) i.o. Dracula himself, who was the grandson of Mircea. Mircea, Vlad, Romania (Wallachia) are shown here as a parts and participants of Euro-Asian policy and culture. Sultan Bayazid, Timur the Great are appearing in this film. And it's very original if you see the Dracula not as fantasy monster of Hollywood movies but as future freedom fighter. That's why this film is worth viewing for the lovers of historical cinema.
I could suppose that Coppola saw this film and it influenced his vision of Dracula. As example battle sequence in the very start of "Mircea", view of Turkish camp in the night behind the river could remind you of the first minutes from "Bram Stocker's Dracula" by F.F. Coppola. Film was banned by Romanian dictator Nicolae Caushescu in the last year of his reign.
Coroana de foc (1990)
Sword and Sorcery Film for Kids and for the Lovers of Genre
Sergiu Nicolaesu is among the best directors in the history of Romanian cinema. "Coroana de foc" ("Crown of Fire") is fairy tale, sword and sorcery fantasy film placed in an imagined epoch of the Middle Ages somewhere in Romania. Crusaders, swords, castle, tournaments, battles, intrigues, brothers who are hating each other, stunning Carpathian landscapes... Nicolaescu took elements for his story from the legends of King Arthur, from myths of Oedipus, from Romanian history. This is obviously fairy tale film for kids and teenagers. You would enjoy it if you are fan of Sergiu Nicolaescu or if you are lover of Sword & Sorcery genre. There is little use of visual effects here - so it would remind you of the films from the 1960s-70s. Not the best film by Sergiu Nicolaescu, but not the worst.