THE RETURN *****
DIRECTED BY Andrei Zvyagintsev
STARRING Vladimir Garin, Ivan Dobronravov, Konstantin Lavronenko
Russia 2003 110 mins.
In Russian, with Greek subtitles.
MAN ON FIRE ***
DIRECTED BY Tony Scott
STARRING Denzel Washington, Dakota Fanning, Christopher Walken
US 2004 146 mins.
By Preston Wilder
I WOULD now like to talk about the intermission. Not in a vague slap-happy ‘isn’t it a shame about the intermission’ kind of way, but to ask: What kinds of films are damaged most by this nasty habit of stopping the show dead for 15 minutes so the audience can have a ciggie and stock up on popcorn? And, more importantly: How did we get to the point where films for which it doesn’t make much difference – i.e. those habitually shown at the multiplex – don’t get interrupted, whereas those for which it makes a world of difference invariably do?
That last part is easy enough. The upside of multiplex fealty to studios and distributors is that they’re obliged to show everything intact and without interruptions, for which local cinephiles are forever grateful. On the other hand, The Return is being presented by the Friends of the Cinema Society at the Cine Studio, where the (relatively) old equipment means an intermission is necessary to change the reels. As to the first question, i.e. what kind of film is most damaged by an enforced rupture, I can honestly say from experience: this one.
I’ve seen this superb Russian drama twice now, both times on the big screen – once at the Toronto Festival, without an intermission, then again in Cyprus last December at the annual World Horizons Festival (which unfortunately won’t be held this year), with the 15-minute break. The difference was staggering. Why? Because this is a mood piece, and the kind of five-star film that earns its status by being virtually flawless. A simple tale of a long-lost father and his two sons, each moment in the film builds on the one before, slowly immersing you in its world. Its revelatory drama may be compared to being in a dark room and gradually seeing more clearly as your eyes adjust to the light – and the intermission is a bit like the lights coming on halfway through, so you have to re-adjust all over again. It kills the atmosphere.
The opening scene sets the mood, as a group of boys jump into a lake from a tall tower, looking unearthly in the grey Russian light. They include our heroes, Andrey and his younger brother Ivan – who stubbornly refuses to jump, clinging on to the tower just as he’ll later cling to his identity in the face of a domineering father. The scene also connects with the climax, which I won’t reveal except to say that a single shot (of the father looking worried) re-aligns the film’s emotional landscape, turning it from a film about tyrant and victims to a film about a tragic misunderstanding – a chasm between generations, or perhaps the dangers of trying to graft Stalinist authority on a recalcitrant New Russia.
That opening scene is eerily effective, but director Zvyagintsev (whose first film this is) may regret having shot it. Just a few days after filming ended, the young actors decided to try diving from the tower for real – and 15-year-old Vladimir Garin, who plays Andrey, was killed. Cynics suggested that real-life tragedy may have been a factor when the film won the Golden Lion at last year’s Venice, and indeed not everyone was happy with the award. The Economist disapprovingly quoted Zvyagintsev’s comment that “It sounds like a valid question, what is this film about? But I think this question should not be asked”. “Really?” sniffed the magazine. “Baffled spectators were still asking it when the festival ended”.
The film isn’t baffling – but it is opaque, taking a while to show its hand; its heroes remain only half-aware of their own tragedy, making it all the more poignant. One gets a sense of slippery emotions anchored by stern physicality – tarring a boat, running in a rainstorm, cutting branches for the wheels of a stuck car – bringing up something atavistic, a father’s primal hold over his sons. Maybe the younger boy pouts a bit too much; maybe the images have a touch of the TV commercials where Zvyagintsev cut his teeth. Yet The Return is hypnotic, all mist and silence and terrific emotional tension, deathly-pale light and a throbbing score. You have to see it. Even cut in half, it’s the best show in town.
More ambiguous fathers in Man On Fire: Denzel Washington is Creasey, a bodyguard who becomes a father figure to his new charge, a precocious little girl. She thaws his cold cold heart, and gives him a reason to live. He sees in her a way to redeem himself – for he used to be a CIA assassin. “You think God will forgive us for what we’ve done?” he asks old friend Christopher Walken, harking back to their days of murder and mayhem. “No,” replies Walken softly, without even having to think about it.
Creasey reads his Bible and fields theological questions from the head nun at the little girl’s school. “Do you ever see the Hand of God in what you do?” asks the nun, and he shakes his head – at least till the girl is kidnapped, and he brings down the Wrath of God on those responsible. This is the message of Man on Fire – that the wicked must be punished, and revenge is virtuous however sadistic. Is it okay to cut off a person’s fingers one by one? Sure, if he deserves it. What about a remote-controlled bomb up a villain’s backside? Absolutely! Press the button, blow him to kingdom come.
Had the movie tried to disguise its message, it might’ve been offensive; but it’s too blatant to be more (or less) than a viscerally satisfying comic-book. Most of its power comes from the contrast between two extreme factors: the overheated style of director Tony Scott (brother of Ridley), and the unflinching gravitas of his leading man.
Scott has been making flashy films since Top Gun 20 years ago, and he’s now refined his style with shock montages and grainy inserts (cribbed from the Brazilian movie City of God) as well as lyrical sounds – notably ‘Clair de Lune’ – ostentatiously thrown in with the harsh and percussive. He also fills the screen with random subtitles, repeating what’s just been said and sometimes (a real comic-book effect!) getting bigger and bigger. “I’m going,” says our hero, and the letters are normal-size – “to cut your fingers off”, and the letters expand alarmingly – “ONE BY ONE” and the letters fill the screen.
Yet, in all this merry chaos, Denzel keeps a face so straight you’d think he was playing Shakespeare. Creasey is a real tragic hero, plagued by demons, deep in a private hell. He no longer cares about his ego, or his dignity: “I drink,” he explains flatly when the girl’s father wonders why his services come so cheap. No-one’s better than Washington at suggesting reserves of nobility behind quiet suffering. His handsome face quivers with suppressed emotion; when he silently accepts a present from the girl – a tiny gewgaw, offered as a token of her love – you may burst into tears, right there in the theatre.
Indeed, the first hour or so of Man on Fire is great stuff. Gradually, however, as our hero finds his feet and the plot starts to wallow in sadism, it becomes merely flashy, then actively silly. Maybe intermissions are a good idea sometimes, with a film as exhausting (and lengthy) as this one. If you’re watching Man on Fire and find yourself thinking ‘Wow, this movie’s really good’, just take a little break. Have a ciggie, stock up on popcorn – and scale down your expectations.
NEW DVD RELEASES
Following on from last week, here are a few more titles released on DVD in the US and UK over the past few weeks (most are also out on VHS). Some of these may be available to rent from local video clubs, or you can always order over the Internet: dozens of suppliers, but http://www.amazon.com (for US) and http://www.sendit.com (for UK) are among the most reliable, if not necessarily the cheapest. Note that US discs are ‘Region 1’, and require a multi-region player.
NEW FILMS
THE RETURN: Can’t handle Greek subtitles? This week’s five-star Russian drama is also available on DVD. [UK]
TROY: The year’s best blockbuster, in deluxe 2-disc edition with making-of featurettes. [UK]
A THOUSAND MONTHS: Obscure Foreign Gem, Part 1: Moroccan tragi-comedy has been winning plaudits all over the shop. [UK]
BLUE GATE CROSSING: Obscure Foreign Gem, Part 2: Taiwanese teen drama is apparently among the year’s loveliest films. [UK]
OLD FILMS
JERRY LEWIS x 10: Adored, reviled – but is he funny? Ten Lewis comedies now available with commentary, deleted scenes and copious extras, including his two best films: The Ladies Man (1961) and The Nutty Professor (1963). [US]
MORE TREASURES FROM AMERICAN FILM ARCHIVES, 1894-1931: Did you know the earliest surviving sound film is the 20-second Two Men Dancing, made in 1895? You do now. 10 hours of archived treasures, spread over 3 discs. [US]
DAWN OF THE DEAD (1978): Insanely comprehensive, four-disc “Ultimate Edition” of recently-remade horror classic, including three different versions of the film plus a disc’s worth of documentaries. Phew! [US]
THE BATTLE OF ALGIERS (1966): Another behemoth, a three-disc edition of seminal (and still dazzling) political drama from the Criterion Collection. [US]
GOING STRAIGHT (1978): Hands up if you remember this sequel to Porridge, also starring Ronnie Barker! No, I didn’t think so. [UK]
REN & STIMPY: SEASONS 1 AND 2 (1991-93): Including the banned episode ‘Man’s Best Friend’. It’s a cartoon, for crying out loud…
