Inspired by seeing this really nice making of video of “Les Demoiselles de Rochefort” and reading Prog’s statement “there goes my life for the next two weeks”, I couldn’t help but thinking “What the heck? But films are life!”
The last two days made me realize this even more. In short, there was a meeting with the people I have lived with in Paris, and since I am too uncreative to find nicknames or use A, B, C now, I will refer to them by their room numbers (I suppose you wouldn’t want your name on the internet, right, 314? *g*) So 307 and 314 have been visiting me in Berlin and we went to a drink yesterday evening. In fact, the whole meeting was dramatic in many ways, especially since a bunch of other people came and we ended up being 6 people! That same evening, I was talking to 314 about his paper on “Le Mépris” and told him that I found it really enjoyable to read. That was an understatement – it was actually outstandingly enjoyable to read and made me wonder if I would enjoy studying and working on films on a scientific level. I was surprised at myself and the paper made me think “I want more of this”: I want to see more of those small details in films that reflect on it and give it further meanings, I want to get to know more of their background and history, I want to read about other people’s interpretations and learn about other perspectives on how to understand them. Basically, I want to do with films what we have done before way back in literature classes at high school, and more.
The next day, we went to eat breakfast together while 312 talked about how he started reading a book on Billy Wilder. I immediately started talking about Billy Wilder a lot – about his films and how some old movies are absolutely great in their german dub (“Kubelikmäßig” – “Springen Sie!” – “Man nennt mich also Konzentrationslager-Ehrhardt!”) I got really worked up about my fascination for Billy Wilder movies; yet again I realized why I love his films so much.
Let me open a parenthesis: My passion for films started with “Some like it hot”. The certain person who initated it watched the film with me while explaining to me what he loved about the film so much – the references and parodies of classical gangster comedies, the great get together of the protagonists, Billy Wilder’s brilliant use of Marilyn Monroe’s inherent character traits (blonde, sexy and rather dumb) and finally the comedy that is great on so many levels – there is slapstick, there are brilliant dialogues and beautifully portrayed characters. Sometimes my parents watch the films I watch – and usually I don’t like that because I fear they wouldn’t like them – but they laughed a lot even though it was difficult for them to understand the whole dialogue. Mr. “Some like it hot” has obviously loved the film and places it above all other Wilder films – and I do too. I even think this is his favourite film of all times (although he has repeatedly named “A Fish called Wanda” as his favourite).
Back to the topic: During the whole trip, I have found it difficult to wholeheartily recommend something to people. 314 wanted to see the Gemäldegalerie for awhile and after he went there, he described his incredible fascination for the museum – yes, it’s a great museum, but I had reservations about whether I find it recommendable. However, there are things in the world that just automatically go into ‘fascination mode’ and I suppose films are one of those things that make me feel like that. I just cannot see how 312 would not love “Some like it hot” and I am really curious about what he thinks of its end. I have been talking so much about this that 306 asked me how I am able to remember so much about the films I watched, saying that she tends to forget about them. But to me, this is all what it is about: I want to see memorable things, talk about them and learn more about them.
All in all – I have not seen any movies for quite awhile, but I realized that this is something I want to do again – as much as I can. Films are life indeed.
Isn’t that video fabulous?
Movies are great, particularly when you don’t feel like doing anything else and can just be like – ugh, whatever? -, sit down and hopefully be enchanted by what you see. So YAY for worthwhile films.
I briefly considered going into film studies later, but then I decided against it and will continue to take delight in them as a form of pleasant intoxication, hahaha.
My parents have totally acquired the habit of just walking to my DVDs and grabbing whatever they haven’t seen yet, haha, and now we share a common enthusiasm for David Lynch and Stanley Kubrick (My mom actually declared “Barry Lyndon” to be one of the greatest films she has seen – I was like OMG I LOVZ U!!!”). Like, my friend and I saw a midnight screening of INLAND EMPIRE together with my parents? LMAO XD
But yeah, discovering great new stuff does give you hell of a lift. And then you’ll probably want MORE.
This is so true! I think I have watched the video another 10 times or so today? Hahaha. (I’m also wondering what the song from the video is.)
Worthwhile films, that’s it, and I blame my spartanic vocabulary of the english language for not being able to come up with the term “enchanted” to describe the feeling of watching such movies. Indeed, I am on the continuous pursuit of that feeling.
I think there are films that you should just take them as they are, and then there are others that are so multilayered such as “Le Mépris” that dissecting them brings forth so many interesting aspects that I want to study. So of course I want more now, heh.
Sometimes my parents agree with me on the movies we like, but the films I like are also often works that refer to aspects of western culture of insiders that they just don’t know about. So there might be some sort of generation/cultural difference between us? We always agree on chinese films after all. (Hero! Suzhou River! Huo Zhe! <3)