The Raid Log

Highly anticipated upon release, The Raid
was seen as a return to the glory days for many.

The rise of the martial arts cinema in the late 70's/early 80's, championed by Jackie Chan and Bruce Lee, was widely regarded as equal amounts exciting and dangerous as the stars of the film performed outrageous stunts live on set to the fanfare of millions around the globe. Despite being the faces of these films and their respective burgeoning industry, it was required of every participating actor to train religiously in order to perfect these stunts seeing as this was their only safety net due to virtually non existent health and safety regulations; scenes were usually filmed on location, leaving no room for error, the shift of excitement from the stunt to the screen worked seamlessly. 

Despite beginning very gun orientated,
it didn't take long before flying fists and flailing feet
were introduced.

Certainly, the skill and ability seen in these actors was highly commendable and lent an undoubted sense of authenticity to the films, with little in other world cinema able to conjure up anything remotely similar to the immediate gratification of Asian martial art films, in aprticular China and Hong Kong's. However, a change in direction was taken when more focus began to be had on the aesthetic side of martial art - 'wire fighting' was introduced, where the use of hanging wire, CGI and other assorted bells and whistles became paramount to emphasise the spectacle and grandiose elements of the film without the need for as much reliance on the raw ability of one individual, making use of a wholly involved artistic team for the stunts instead. This was mostly seen in the work of choreographer Yuen Woo-Ping, who helped establish and popularise this mode of on screen martial arts.

A new technique of fighting making use of
armpit stench was surprisingly effective.

With the rise in popularity of old school techniques after 2003's highly successful 'Ong Bak' however, a number of films looked to return to the roots of martial art cinema an re-introduce this purely real and physical form. Among these was 2010's 'The Raid', which focused primarily on the action side of things, seeing a sharp concentration on strongly choreographed yet bitingly authentic fight scenes. Indeed, I feel that The Raid highly benefits from this authenticity as it compliments the film's overall gritty appearance, giving every viewer to its crunch of heads and falls to the ground an even wider grimace than they would have had otherwise.

Certainly, different films are aided by differing techniques, but in the case of The Raid's almost neo-realistic approach, the authentic depictions of violence throughout is most definitely benefited by its use of real actors performing their own, however dangerous, stunts - no doubles required.

Rabies Log

Title 'Rabies' being an obvious nod to the
infectious nature of violence throughout.

 Israel, for the most part, I can fairly confidently say is not particularly well known for its burgeoning cinematic community - some would argue that there are far more important matters at hand in Israel than developing this community, though I think it's fair to say that any and all works produced in this turbulent period in their history will be in one way or another a reflection on the state of the nation.

It is somewhat intriguing then, to find that 2011's Israeli helmed 'Rabies' is their first ever recognised horror, with nary a mention of the ongoing war but rather a strongly characterised Pathological look on the modern Israeli. Indeed, I believe that 'Rabies' shows a form of an Israeli cultural articulation of their collective neurosis, as fear, deception and anger all stem from the characters' collective desire to have sex and maintain a sexual relationship. Throughout the film, every characters motivation revolves around sex in its most simple form: two male best friends turn on each other after they discover they're both involved with the same woman, a couple embroiled in a seemingly unrequited incestuous love have an unexplained crazed madman in pursuit, sexual advances from a questionable police officer upon an innocent woman results in him being threatened and ultimately murdered at the hands of her jealous and protective homosexual partner - the list could extend to each and every other character too. 

It's been reported that a punch from an Israeli
man can do up to 6 times the
 damage that of the average UK male.

This all leads to an incredibly Freudian depiction that every character, perhaps ourselves too, bases their decisions solely on sexual grounds, thus revealing their most base level of humanity, their id if you will, as sex and aggression become one and the same - the sexual inclinations of the characters lead to their grim deaths, conducted by those envious of the sexual desires, fulfilled or otherwise. 

His uncontrollable itchy back
was getting somewhat out of hand.

Certainly, the films ideologies go hand in hand with this concept of innate sexuality. A common horror concept is that of the 'other', something with a difference and danger which makes us uncomfortable, and the subsequent elimination of it. Indeed, the 'other' is Rabies is without a doubt this sexual anxiety, ultimately leading to their destruction. 

An alternative view to this is that the deception and betrayal throughout is the personification of the Israeli peoples legitimate fears over their countries well being, and indeed their own too, during their time of war and unrest. Rabies certainly has more to it than simply being 'Israel's first horror film', undoubtedly digging deep into the human psyche and perhaps more specifically, an Israeli psyche. 

A Separation

Critical acclaim, for all the right reasons.

The primary theme of 2011's Iranian drama 'A Separation' is that of misery and strife at the hands of loved ones during difficult times, in particular divorce and its subsequent effects. Despite its unabashedly Iranian origin and production, it's appeal remains universal, with it perhaps being even more relevant to a western audience as I think it's fair to say that divorce is an inherent part of our culture compared to others.

Indeed, the separating couples young daughter is indirectly highlighted as the crux of the film, with every question asked and decision made with her in mind which prompts us to strongly relate and sympathise with the couple displaying a true sense of devotion to their child., which is an essentially universal human trait. In addition to our empathy with their daughter, the husband's unwell elderly Father provides an added frustration as his helplessness leads to many unfortunate situations, clearly putting the family in difficulty throughout the film. 

Family man.

Despite this, the family's refusal to give up on each other reflects a strong image of family life in Iran, that it is very hospitable and caring from beginning to end. However, this film could not have been distributed without the Iranian government's approval , which one can't help but feel as though this regulated the film's depiction of a disparagingly poor family life and thus regulated it somewhat. As opposed to this of course is the fact that the film's authenticity seems unmistakeable - it's entirely Iranian production, funding and setting is unavoidable, so it could be said that the display of devout kindness to family and their kin is an important role in Iranian life.

Another feature of Iranian life that runs concurrently with family in the film is that of class and religion. The recently employed female carer of the elderly man, later embroiled in a legal dispute with the family over an alleged attack, is forced to take the job for economical reasons as her noticeably lower class background, especially when compared to the main family,  demonstrates just how she needs the money. She is at great pains to do this work though, as she frequently seeks advice as to whether or not her work is a "sin" in relation to her strong Islamic faith. 

Opening of the film at a divorce court hearing.

This feels like a critical look at the Islamic faith and its theocracy over Iran, as she suffers over deciding what is the right thing to do, although later in the film when offered enough money to settle her and her husbands financial woes, she rejects it as she is unsure of whether or not she'd, again, be committing a sin due to the ambiguity of some facts on her behalf. 

These religious choices seem as though they don't always satisfy and adhere to your own personal needs, but ultimately drives you to execute the correct moral decision, thus painting the Islamic faith in an apparent positive light. This even sided look at the practicalities of religion provides us with a uniquely thought provoking state of mind, which I firmly see as the essential skill required in a top class director/writer.

Blue Velvet Log

I'd argue that David Lynch is the very
definition of an auteur.

i think it's fair to say that David Lynch's 1986 Blue Velvet is nothing short of a master class in surrealism. rife with symbolic imagery and suggestive shots. wrapped up in his typical 'Lynchian' perspective. 

The most prolific of these ideas is certainly that beneath a perceived idyllic society, such as "Lumberton", the one shown in Blue Velvet, sinful activities involving lust, crime and causing harm to others are ever present in every habitual ecosystem and perhaps are necessary for the surface dwelling, porcelain-like 'civilised' society function.

Blueeeeee Veleveeeet!

 This 'Wholesome America' is immediately sprung upon as the film begins, with an opening shot comprised of a serene deep blue sky, a flawlessly white picket fence and several high growing vibrant red roses. This intense 'red, white and blue' image beginning prepares us for an inevitable critique of America and American culture by Lynch, making the target and subject of his film very clear. 

As well as this, the man-made manufactured intended beauty of the picket fence backdrop against the wild and free natural beauty of the red roses shows an apparent dichotomy of our vision of American beauty: the perfectly symmetrical uniformity of the picket fence is almost stiflingly sickening when viewed beside the unpredictable and wonderful natural beauty in the roses, thus potentially demonstrating a view of Lynch's that man made creations can never match nor better natural creations, demonstrating man's inferiority to nature and natural forces, going back to the previous statement of the necessity of sinful activities - we are unable to resist.

The characters of Frank and Dorothy are something
I'll definitely return to analyse.

Another strong image shown very early on in the film is that of an incredibly close up shot of black, writhing insects underground. This is shown after several introduction shots of the slow, polite town and is seemingly used as a symbol for the unavoidable grimy, underworld of this, and every other, town. This also adds a sense of inevitable doom to the film, demonstrating to us that this "grimy underworld" will be encountered during the movie and could perhaps be extended into a metaphor for the fact that no matter where you live or were raised, you will encounter this world at one point or another.

Blue Velvet is a film I'll without a shadow of a doubt come back to explore, having barely scratched the surface in this log. 

Hara-Kiri: Death of a Samurai Log

Love. Honour. Revenge.

Anyone would expect that a Miike Takashi directed feature, auteur of such outlandishly violent works as Ichi the Killer, remaking a 1962 film of the same name famed for its brutal depiction of Harakiri (an act of suicide via slicing open the stomach in order to regain honour for yourself, family and clan) and a subsequent revenge plot would contain copious amounts of the blood and guts he is oh so fond of in his films.

Chibiwa's 'suicide bluff' led to his self impaling
with this bamboo stick.

However, it appears the film is used as a genuine retreat from his more common practice of film making as he deviates somewhat into the highly staged Jidaigeki (period drama), with historical features and melodrama in abundance. Little violence is actually used throughout the film, thus allowing it to retain its potential shock and intensity value for when it does occur; the self committing act of harakiri upon Eita's character, Chibiwa Motome, by use of a replica bamboo sword was largely successful on its bid to make us uncomfortable and horrified by the act. So much so in fact, that a person wa reduced to passing out at the screening I attended. Without a doubt, this shows an increased awareness on Takashi's behalf of the tact which much be used in handling in violence and just how to keep it effective in creating the desired atmosphere, making for an overall more mature film and director. 

Hanshiro exacting revenge.

In contrast however, this maturity comes at a cost, as Takashi insists on developing unneccesary long, verbose character backgrounds in what could be displayed in minutes whilst still holding on to the emotional investment. Although this does raise the idea that Takashi's prior films perhpas weren't constructed constructed with excess violence in mind, but just the excess itself. Indeed, excess violence was replaced with emotional excess - Chibiwa's wife rocking back and forth holding her freshly deceased baby, Chibiwa's severed head and accompanying body arriving by courier to the house and a subsequent rage of vengeance by his Father in Law over extreme displays of violence certainly provides evidence for this theory of "excess".

51st State Log

Despite any negative reviews you may read
on The 51st State, it holds a dire metascore of 23,
Samuel L Jackson in a kilt still remains an
excellent reason to watch it.

 51st State, or Formula 51 as it's known to our touchy transatlantic cousins, the 2001 Ronnie Yu action-comedy starring Samuel L Jackson and Robert Carlyle is an odd film in the way that it is the product of so many nationalities and cultural heritages - Canadian financed, mostly shot in Britain using British actors and Yu originating from Hong Kong combines to create a truly multi-national film, in perhaps the least artistic sense of the word.

 The title I feel is a direct reference to Britain's intimate relationship with the USA as their almost goofy, younger sibling which is demonstrated in the way the film is shot and edited during the opening LA sequence, with it's glossy tint and smooth cuts, in comparison with the rest of the film which frequently uses jaunty camera angles, quick camera movement and abrupt cuts, much akin to the likes of other current British crime films, such as Guy Ritchie's Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels. This is also reflected in the two main characters, with Samuel L Jackson acting as the mostly serious, archetypical American Gangster with high ambitions seen in countless Hollywood films and Robert Carlyle assuming the role of the painfully outspoken, daft but trustworthy wannabe British hard man.

Unfortunately, shades and goatee or not,
it still remains physically impossible
to look as cool as SLJ.

 The film is mostly comprised of throwaway gags and ineffectual plot thickeners, however, both the prologue and epilogue to the film throw in an otherwise unused element during the remainder of the film of race and the issue of racism. The film begins with Jackson's character being pulled over by a white police officer on the day of his graduation for reasons unstated (though he is seen smoking a joint) and although pleads are made for his criminal record to remain clean, the police officer retorts with "it's not the 60's any more" and thus Jackson is then shown to have been somewhat forced into a life of drug creation and therefore criminal activity.This almost legitimises his turn to crime and could perhaps symbolise the notion that although a black men can live successfully and be on their way to becoming something respectful, shown in the character's recent graduation, white men always manage to bring them back down to what perhaps many white people see as their primary occupation: crime.

He also comes in hats!

The film's ending, on the flip side of it's beginning, shows Jackson purchasing the castle of his  British ancestor's slave masters, thus his surname being McElroy despite his clear lack of British heritage. The final shot shows a fully naked Jackson walking towards his new castle, showing a brazen defiance to any racial boundaries and an overcoming of his race's subjugation to inferiority, overthrowing the previous hierarchical system, symbolised even further in the fact that his butler is white.

Cultural identity is a topic riddled throughout 51st State, perhaps due to it's multi-cultural production. However, that is the only practical theme I can ascertain from the film, though I appreciated it's British sensibilities and even more so it's British sense of humour.

A Dangerous Method Log

Knightley displaying a deceivingly
calm exterior. The first 30 seconds of the
film have her violently kicking
and screaming.

On the surface, A Dangerous Method would appear to be a stifling departure for David Cronenberg, seeing as there is nothing particularly surreal nor horrifying  on the surface of the film - a previous trademark of Cronenberg's, seen in his films Videodrome, Crash, Eastern Promises and most others.

Rather unusual then, that his 2011 produce is a period drama concerning the works and lives of Carl Jung, portrayed with a disconcerting lack of emotion by Michael Fassbender, his patient-turned-mistress  Sabina Spierlein, Kiera Knightley more than compensating for Fassbender's stiff performance as she contorts and gyrates every limb and facial feature on her road to recovery from the the then fledgling trend of hysteria in women, and Sigmund Freud, the upright, bourgeois scholar with near frightening psychoanalytical ideas on life's mysteries played by Viggo Mortensen.

Freud and Jung presumably swapping
facial hair grooming techniques.

Upon watching the film however, it increasingly became more and more evident that this was a Cronenberg feature, with his infamous 'body horror' concept appearing throughout: Knightley's character Spierlein frequently shows physical malfunctions, her jaw protruding and retracting in hesitation to prevent an outward flow of guilt, as she struggles to cope with her inner afflictions. Jung too, as he descends into a predominantly dominating sexual relationship with Spierlein, perhaps to avert his anguish at being held as second best behind Freud's leading, Father-like figure and retain some dominance in his life.

This concept of body horror, particularly in A Dangerous Metho, was reaffirmed by Cronenberg in a post-release interview with Sight and Sound, printed in their March 2012 issue, in which he states "The way a mental state manifests itself in a body has always been of interest to me. To me there is no separation between them." This therefore provides somewhat conclusive evidence,  however contrived and flexible, that A Dangerous Method is not so much as a significant change in direction for Cronenberg, but rather a change in set and scene.

Grotesque imagery needn't always be present for a Cronenberg film to to thrive on character development and physical manifestations of the mind. I'm looking at you, exploding scene (Scanners).