It’s easy to trace the roots of today’s language of film back to seventies Hollywood and its generation of “Whiz Kids.” From Steven Spielberg’s touch and three actions within a take styles, to George Lucas’ innovative special effects, to the ultra-realism and character darkness brought out by Martin Scorsese and Paul Schrader, the influences between those films and today’s films can easily be identified (and most hardcore enthusiasts, myself included, would say that today’s cinema has actually taken a step backwards from that magical time.)But while those directors most certainly developed their voices on their own, obviously they were influenced by filmmakers before them, and two of the largest influences upon them and many others from the last century, passed away this week, strangely enough, on the same day. Ingmar Bergman, Swedish auteur extraordinaire with over 50 films and 100 theatrical productions to his credit died in his sleep last Monday at his home on an island off the coast of Sweden. He was 89.That same day, Michelangelo Antonioni, a visualist and pillar of Italian Cinema, died at his home in Rome. He was 94.While neither had the worldwide box office success shared by their peers or predecessors, you would be hard pressed to find two more well respected filmmakers, who were sighted as being two men who helped push not only European cinema, but cinema of the world to new heights.
Ingmar Bergman with cinematographer Sven Nykvist
Born July 14th, 1918, Ingmar Bergman began his film career revising scripts in 1942 at Svensk Filmindustri, Sweden’s largest production company at that time. It wasn’t long before his own original scripts were being produced. Soon after, he moved from writer/theater director to film director. He made a succession of films but garnered his first international attention with his film “Smiles of a Summer Night” which was very well received at the 1955 Cannes Film festival. He used the success of that project, to make his next film, which was his passion project “The Seventh Seal.” This is probably his most famous work and gives us one of the lasting images in cinematic history, that of “death” personified (and played brilliantly by Swedish actor Bengt Ekerot.)From that point on the rest is history, as Bergman made critical hit after critical hit (Check out “Wild Strawberries” and “Fanny and Alexander” for some more of his best work.) Three of his films won Academy Awards as “Best Foreign Language Film” and he was personally nominated nine times. He was given the Honorary Irving G. Thalberg award for his lifetime achievements by the Academy in 1971. Bergman style is one of indelible imagery (shot by his longtime collaborator and Cinematographer Sven Nykvist, a legend in his own right) mixed with themes that draw questions about the mysteries of mankind and human existence. Bergman’s name became synonymous with serious filmmaking, and he seemed to explore deeper and darker issues, as he got older. The influence of Bergman's works are noticed in the tone and style of films by Woody Allen, Ridley Scott, David Fincher and Sam Mendes.
Director Michelangelo Antonioni
While Bergman explored larger themes and the existence of man, Antonioni explored the simpler yet darker sides of humanity and realism. Like Bergman, Antonioni liked long takes and close ups, unlike Bergman, he didn’t like to explore such broad and universal themes, instead concentrating on the dark nature of man himself, and the loneliness and isolations created by modern society. Born Sept 29th, 1912 in Ferrera Italy, Antonioni got his start in film as an editor during the early days of World War II. Even after being drafted into the army he established himself as a fine documentary writer and after the war was finished got into features. Antonioni made several less prolific features before striking cinematic gold in 1960 with “L’Avventura” the story of a couple who goes looking for a missing woman, only to completely forget about her as they fall for each other. This movie won the grand jury prize at Cannes although is was famously hissed at by the audience as some members shouted “Cut!” at the screen, in reference to the LONG takes Antonioni used. Think about that for a second. It is astonishing that a movie that appears on multiple best movies ever lists was HISSED at during its world premier showing by the Cannes audience.
An iconic image from Antonioni's "Blow Up"
Four years later he would make his first English language -- and most successful film -- “Blow Up.” Set against London’s swinging sixties, it’s the story of an English photographer who may or may not have accidentally captured a murder on film. This film not only garnered him Oscar nominations for directing and writing, but also gave him a whole new generation of fans. This film more than any of the others by him or Bergman was a MAJOR influence on the next generations of filmmakers and has basically been re-made twice, by two of the “Whiz Kids” finest, Francis Ford Coppola ("The Conversation") and Brian De Palma ("Blow Out.") He never again captured the magic of “Blow Up” but was awarded an Honorary Lifetime achievement award by the Academy in 1995, and made a segment for the film “Eros” along with Steven Soderbergh and Wong Kar-wai.His works influenced not only the ‘Whiz Kids’ themselves, but can be seen in the works of P.T. Anderson, Anthony Minghella, and quite possibly, Bret Easton Ellis (The last one I can’t prove but I do find striking similarities in their work.).Admittedly, while I have seen a lot of their works, I am not as knowledgeable about these two as I would like to be.
Bergman worshiped the work of fellow Swede, Stringberg - who is probably the most famous artist to come from the Nordic Country (save for ABBA, of course!!). He strived in his writings to present the bleak, 'Swedish Perspective'. Blanketed in darkness for much of the year the Swedes are known as masters of morose and dark storytelling, all the time lined with tiny bits of hopes and joy. Bergman was a quintessential Swede. He brought the dark side if humanity into the light and allowed the whole world to share in his internal horrors.Just one viewing of "Fanny & Alexander" and then "Persona" shows today’s gore-porn directors how to frighten without blood, just looks, just color, just dialogue.Then Bergman turns the corner with a film like "Smiles on a Summer Night," or "Wild Strawberries." Light hearted and sublime, these films show the classic 'summerlife' of the Swedes. When the winter disappears (for all of 6 weeks) the entire country goes loopy and Bergman captured it perfectly.
Death plays chess in Bergman's "The Seventh Seal"
All this and we've not talked about "Seventh Seal." Death plays chess (sickle and all!!) with our hero, Max Von Sydow. This is probably the most spoofed scene in all of cinema, pre-"Star Wars" of course. Bergman's images traveled around the world and established him as the master of twentieth century cinema.Bergman was more prolific (in my humble opinion) than Fellini, simply because he never stopped making films. His influence on cinema was more powerful than Kurosawa because he dealt always in the human condition on a level and sincerity that no one else could touch. In a lot of ways he did what Kubrick did before his time, he never made a bad film. They were not all perfect, but they all were unique and dripped of a singular artists vision. Something which is becoming rarer and rarer in today's Hollywood-influenced system.
Antonioni and Fellini were the right and left hands of Italian cinema. Where Fellini explored masterfully the wonderfully ridiculous side of life, Antonioni captured its stagnant darkness. His characters were always in search of something they rarely found and when they did, it wasn't what they thought it was. And did we mention everyone looked AMAZING in his film? They were practically filmed fashion shoots. Monica Vitti and Gabriele Ferzetti were the original Italian fashion models. Antonioni invented modern Italian style with his films. The forlorn lovers looks, the perfectly manicured hair and beautiful clothes, its a marvel of the movie crafts. Much like Bergman's films being quintessentially Swedish, Antonioni's films were quintessentially Italian. Whatever pictures come to mind when you think of Italian style and grace were first formulated for the world to see by Antonioni. He captured his peoples grace like no other and influenced the world with his lens.
I hope that by now you realize that i highly recommend checking out as much of their works as possible. You may find it slow, and it is definitely a whole lot different than most of the fast food, MTV generation films, but they are indeed very profound works that carry a deeper meaning and craft that you just don’t see a lot in cinema these days. I think both of these men were best summed up by Cannes Film Festival Director, Gilles Jacob, who after learning of Bergman’s death said that Bergman was the “last of the greats because he proved that cinema can be as profound as literature.”
This is my first post in this blog, and it was apt that i wrote on a subject very close to my heart;cinema. Subsequent posts would deal with subjects like music, art, literature and sports.
Thank you for reading this and have a great sunday...
1 comment:
Rao....!!!!This ones close to my heart as well...:-)...awesome!!!
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