There was a time (not so long ago, how it might seem) in which we had closer access to cinema prior to the time in which we had lived. In those years (let's say until the beginning of the 21st century) Television served as a cultural link between generations, offering, good in prime time screenings, well through all types of cycles and programs (Who club, How great is cinema), an offer of films and directors that today, like then, we would try classics, but what, above all, They were History of Cinema itself. A story that, besides, we could make it our own thanks to the familiarity with which we lived with that baggage, spontaneously adhering it to our own cultural development that, of course, I didn't lose sight of the movements, styles, aesthetics and forms of consumption, so, contemporaries.
Hoy, however, The general chains have banished a good part of that cinema from the grids, breaking that intergenerational bond. By then, one might not know who he was, to give an example, John Ford, but at least he had seen it several times in his life Desert centaurs, a quiet man o The man who killed Liberty Valance. It could be discussed, as has already been done from different spaces, if this cinephilia inherited from previous generations was not mediated by certain political and cultural conditions that limited and, somehow, they directed, that offer, but it is no less true that, at least, the tie was tied. And not, The appearance of new digital platforms does not seem to have compensated for this lack, good because, in general, they lack film funds, well because the prevailing promotion mechanisms leave no room other than to address the “distressing” current situation.. By being out of sight of the consumer, he neither claims nor disposes of that cinema.
The Filmin platform deserves a separate case., with its limitations (since it seems impossible to have everything produced today) yes it has done, since its beginnings, an effort to make the work of some of these directors available to its subscribers, through, among others, of agreements such as those it has recently signed with distributors such as Universal or Metro Goldwin Mayer. If this coronavirus has left you time to catch up on things you always left pending or you want to explore unknown terrain for yourself, here are a few suggestions. Many of you will already know them, I know many others don't. Or maybe, simply, you want to see that movie again that you haven't seen in many years. How long has it been since you saw Psychosis? That's where we start.
Alfred Hitchcock: Son 28 titles, from his British days to the end of his career. Not all his movies are there, Of course, but there's more than enough to binge. Chronologically, we find titles like Slope, 39 steps, the two versions of The man who knew too much, Sabotage, Cardigan, Remember, The Paradine process y, of course, The rope, rear window, Vertigo, Psychosis, The birds, Marnie la ladrona, Torn curtain, Topaz, Frenzy y The plot. As bonus extra, you can find Kent Jones' documentary, Hitchcock/Truffaut which addresses the writing process of the famous book Cinema according to Hitchcock, work by the brilliant French director in which he compiled the conversations he had with the so-called master of mystery. They intervene in the tape, no more no less, that directors like Martin Scorsese, Wes Anderson, David Fincher, Richard Linklater o Olivier Assayas (and if before watching this documentary, you read the mentioned book, well much better).
Willy Wilder: And from teacher to teacher and I shoot because it's my turn. From the genius of mystery, to the comedy (Although Wilder signed some dramas and genre pieces noir memorable). Get on your knees, things are coming., directly, from the highest. In this case, we talk about 15 titles: Perdition, Days without a trace, West Berlin, Ariane, Witness for charge, With skirts and crazy, The apartment, And, of the, three, Irma the sweet, kiss me fool, On a silver platter, The private life of Sherlock Holmes, What happened between your father and my mother?, Front page y Fedora.
Ingmar Bergman: Why say more? another genuflection. It's not all there either, but there is a lot. In this case, we find up 23 titles, since his debut with Crisis, passing through A summer with Monica, circus night, The seventh seal, wild strawberries, The face, The Maiden's Spring, The silence, Persona, Screams and whispers, Secrets of a marriage, autumn sonata, Fanny y Alexander (the series and subsequent feature film) o Saraband, His last work. For dessert, if you still feel like it, The platform offers you the following documentaries about the figure of Bergman: Understanding Ingmar Bergman, addressed, among others, by Margarethe von Trotta, with interviews with filmmakers and their closest collaborators; the series of three documentaries A century of Bergman, which contains a long conversation between the Swedish director and the director Marie Nyreröd; and a very curious, but very entertaining: The Bergman Video Library. In this latest documentary series of six one-hour chapters, directors Jane Magnusson and Hynek Pallas invite big names in contemporary cinema to visit Farö Island, in sweden, Bergman's last residence. Over there, the author of The seventh seal He kept a very extensive collection of video cassettes!!, sample of his many interests, in genres and styles, around cinema. The revelations are surprising. Among the guests at this party we find, among others, to Robert De Niro, Woody Allen, Isabella Rossellini, Mieko Harada, Laura Dern, Holly Hunter, Martin Scorsese, Alexander Payne, Agnes Jaoui, the brothers Luc and Jean-Pierre Dardenne, Daniel Espinosa, The Lee, Francis Ford Coppola, Gus van Sant, Zhang Yimou, John Landis, Wes Craven, Alejandro González Iñárritu, Michael Haneke, Wes Anderson, Lars von Trier and Claire Denis. Next to nothing. A very good way to start this journey.
Truffaut y Godard: And we continue to bingo. Why do we put them together? Because we want to start with the documentary Truffaut y Godard: Two in the Wave by Emmanuel Laurent, work that delves into the relationship of the two main names of the call New wave french. We find up to twenty titles by Truffaut, of The brats o Los 400 blows, passing through Jules and Jim, The soft skin, Farenheit 451, stolen kisses, Marital domicile, The American night, Love on the run and many more. By Godard, the platform offers us 22 pieces that range from his fiction work with titles such as At the end of the getaway, Live your life, Separate band, Lemmy vs Alphaville, Week-end, The Chinese o I greet you, María, to his latest works in the field of experimental documentary with Stories of cinema, Socialism Film, Goodbye to language and The book of images. Besides, we can find the feature film by Michel Hazanavicius, Temper, production of the year 2017 that addresses, in the form of biopic, Godard's most political period, especially its relationship with the May movements of the 68.
Eric Rohmer: Continuing with the French New Wave, one of those filmmakers who now seem half forgotten, but without which a good part of today's auteur cinema would not be understood.. Filmin has in its warehouse 16 titles including The sign of Leo, on first work, his so-called Moral Tales (The collector, My night with Maud, Claire's knee, love after noon), The Marchioness of O, his cycle of Comedies and Proverbs (that encompasses The aviator's wife, The good wedding, Pauline on the beach, The nights of the full moon, THE green ray y my friend's friend) and Tales of the Four Seasons (spring story, winter's tale, summer tale y autumn tale). pure cinema.
Federico Fellini: In solidarity with our European brothers who these days suffer with us the inconveniences and the folly of our politicians due to this pandemic, One of the great directors of all time could not be missing from our list.. The Filmoteca of Valencia recently did a cycle on Fellini on the occasion of the centenary of his birth. Son 13 titles: Los inútiles, On the street, Las noches de Cabiria, The sweet life, eight and a half, Giulietta of the spirits, extraordinary stories, Satiricon, Boccacio 70, Roma, orchestra rehearsal, The city of women o Ginger y Fred.
Akira Kurosawa: We find fewer works by the great master Kurosawa, but none negligible. Frames and frames of the best cinema of all time. From Kurosawa's work they have passed into collective memory, above all, his great historical productions, but, for the one who subscribes these lines, His small “modern” dramas are just as notable.. In that line, we find Scandal, The idiot, Live, the hell of hate o August Rhapsody. To all these titles, that dream, of course, Rashomon, The seven samurai, Throne of blood, The hidden fortress, Yojimbo y Ran. Besides, we can enjoy the documentary AND (Akira Korosawa) directed by documentary filmmaker Chris Marker, who was lucky enough to attend the filming of Ran and was able to witness the master's working methods. Quite a cinema lesson. If you are not able to pass the quarantine with this, make him look. 😉
Yasujiru Ozu: Well yes, now that the cinematography that comes to us from the east seems to be in fashion (and how fashionable they are), you had to travel to the origins. From his extensive filmography, which covers up to 53 movies, we found nine titles, all essential. There they go: I have been born, but…, late spring, early summer, Tales from Tokyo, Twilight in Tokyo, equinox flowers, Good morning, late autumny The taste of the sake.
and up to here, at the moment. In future installments… more. GERARDO LEON
