The Politics of Satantango
To trim one’s thoughts on Bela Tarr’s 1994 seven-hour magnum opus Satantango down to a single blog post would almost certainly leave out many important aspects of the film by risking a simplification… Continue reading
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Intertextuality and Transgression in Apocalypse Now
In discussions of Francis Ford Coppola’s 1979 masterpiece Apocalypse Now, talk inevitably turns to Joseph Conrad’s 1899 novella Heart of Darkness, which was used as a basis for the film. Joseph Conrad’s book… Continue reading
The Use of Music in Chungking Express
Popular music figures heavily into the viewing experience of Wong Kar-wai’s 1994 romance Chungking Express, particularly in the second half of the film, which concerns the relationship between the cop and Faye. An… Continue reading
Intellectualism in The Cook, the Thief, his Wife, and her Lover
In a review of Peter Greenaway’s controversial The Cook, the Thief, his Wife, and her Lover, film critic Roger Ebert said that the character of Michael, the titular “Lover,” represents “ineffectual opposition by… Continue reading
Shaun of the Dead and Modern Life
The key to understanding Shaun of the Dead lies in its title. The name of this film is an homage to the 1978 George A. Romero film Dawn of the Dead, in which… Continue reading
The Implications of Materialism in Blowup
Michelangelo Antonioni’s Blowup is a slow and often confusing meditation on modern life. Given how much of the film’s events go unexplained, it can be difficult to understand what statement Antonioni is attempting… Continue reading
The Ending of The Graduate
The most discussed aspect of The Graduate is its ending, which is notable for being ambiguous and slightly ominous. When Ben and Elaine get on the bus heading away from the church, their… Continue reading
The Influence of Kurosawa on Star Wars
Akira Kurosawa’s films appear frequently on the list of George Lucas’ favorite movies. In addition to Rashomon, Ikiru, Yojimbo, The Hidden Fortress, and Kagemusha, Lucas cites The Seven Samurai as an influence. More… Continue reading
The Portrayal of the Media Industry in La Dolce Vita
Federico Fellini’s portrayal of the Italian media and film industry in the 1960 movie La Dolce Vita is far from innocuous. La Dolce Vita has comic moments throughout, but there is an underlying… Continue reading
The Seventh Seal and the Poetry of George Herbert
George Herbert’s seventeenth century works consist of extremely devoted Christian poetry. The exception to these themes is his poem, “The Collar,” in which a priest questions God and expresses frustration with his line… Continue reading