Oneiric, mystical, enigmatic, hypnotic films..

[nandywell]

In my relatively short life I can honestly say that I've only come across a handful of films that have made me sit back and marvel at the artistic beauty in each carefully crafted scene. I've been called cynical, I've been called narrow minded and I've even been called a purist, but I stand true to the belief that the 7th art is dying and dying fast. In my opinion, there are far too many 'quick-fix' films that are being made these days that just about serve their core purpose which is to entertain you for a couple of hours in the cinema at the weekend. Anyway, I'll get off my soapbox and continue with the main thrust of this thread. The handful of films that have inspired me, are these:

- Valerie a týden divu (Valerie and Her Week of Wonders)
- Picnic At Hanging Rock
- Is-Slottet (The Ice Palace)
- Viskningar Och Rop (Cries & Whispers)
..and until very recently, Lucile Hadzihalilovic's 2004 film, Innocence

Being that I'm only in my early twenties, I don't have the luxury of having seen quite as many films as I would have liked. I've created this thread in the hope that some of the more senior members of this forum might recommend some titles that are in a similar vein to the aforementioned films in regards to them being: non-mainstream, foreign, beautifully shot and mysterious.

If you can recommend any similar films that you think I might like, then please do.

Nandywell.

[GRAEME]

Very definitely in the catagory you describe - almost everything by Powell & Pressburger. But in my opinion, especially:

A Matter of Life and Death
Black Narcissus
The Red Shoes
A Canterbury Tale
I know Where I'm Going

[nandywell]

Thanks for those GRAEME, I'll look into those. Cheers.

[Steve Crook]

Originally Posted by GRAEME Very definitely in the catagory you describe - almost everything by Powell & Pressburger. But in my opinion, especially: A Matter of Life and Death Black Narcissus The Red Shoes A Canterbury Tale I know Where I'm Going

Yes, and of those, especially
A Matter of Life and Death
A Canterbury Tale
I know Where I'm Going
for the oneiric, mystical, enigmatic & hypnotic elements.
The other two for the artistic beauty in each carefully crafted scene.

There are others, by other people that Powell & Pressburger but they were the masters of the mystical, enigmatic and artistic film that masqueraded as a mainstream film.

But I agree with your main assumption nandywell, you'll have to look a bit further than most of the regular blockbuster films to find these things. A few good people do manage to sneak such films through the system nowadays, but they're very rare. They weren't all that common in the old days either but as you look back over the years there are a lot more to choose from

Steve

[Everett Sloane]

As soon as I read your post, one film immediately came to mind:

Chamane (1996)

I saw this film just once, at a Spanish film festival more than a decade ago, but the bleak, beautiful imagery, and the dreamlike logic of the narrative have burned themselves onto my memory. I can't understand why it isn't better known - it's so obscure I don't think it can even count as a cult classic.

Still, given the other titles in your list I think you would make a real connection with this one!

There are copes out there on DVD, but you might have to search for it.

[John Hodson]

Top of my head, I'd put two of Carol Reed's films in there; Odd Man Out and a A Kid for Two Farthings, Charles Laughton's wonderful Night of The Hunter, Frank Borzage's Strange Cargo, plus another P&P, Gone To Earth.

[batman]

Val Lewton's The Seventh Victim .... one of the most 'dream like' films ever made.

[Owlett]

A Canterbury Tale.

Shamane? Forgive me I'm a neophyte, but I thought this was the Brit-movie forum.

[nandywell]

Sounds interesting Chamane, I'll have to look around for it. Thanks.

Keep your suggestions coming in, they're great.

[Everett Sloane]

Originally Posted by Owlett A Canterbury Tale. Shamane? Forgive me I'm a neophyte, but I thought this was the Brit-movie forum.

The original poster specified "non-mainstream, foreign, beautifully shot and mysterious".

Cocteau's Orphee is another one that I think fits these criteria.

[kezzy]

Try Kwaidan by Masaki Kobayashi. Kaidan (1964)
It's a collection of meditative, haunting Japanese supernatural myths, and utterly breathtaking in a frozen-in-the-forest sort of way.

[smiffy]

My immediate input would be , Cinema paradiso , Life is beautiful and Seven samurai , Films that are infinitely better due to having to listen to the native tongue and read the sub titles

[nandywell]

I forgot to add Barry Lyndon to the list, such a well photographed film. It still remains one of the most lush films in terms of it's vivid colour, even after over 30 years on.

You're correct, Cinema paradiso is a very good film.

[Freddie Freeloader]

hi nandywell......

Tarkovsky

Dreyer

Kurasawa

Ozu

Bergman

Renoir

Kubrick

Powell and Pressburger

........a healthy relationship with any of the above ( as well as a shelf-load of Criterion) should keep your brain matter all a-glow for many a year.
I'll send you a PM of specific recommendations ( apart from the P and P recommendations already listed above, they don't really achieve BritMovie Status!).

Friedrich

[Mark O]

Originally Posted by Everett Sloane "non-mainstream, foreign, beautifully shot and mysterious".

'Les yeux sans visage' fits all the above catagories Nandywell, it is not a 'Horror' Film in the traditional sense, but very well crafted and beautifully made

Here's a link to the IMDB page.......



Yeux sans visage, Les (1960)