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milesjamal
Reviews
Ran (1985)
Truly Epic Movie
Akira Kurosawa directed a truly epic movie in every sense. An amazing adaptation of Shakespeares play King Lear, it shows the fall of a great warlord Hidetora Ichimonji and the destruction of his family. Greed and power consume many of the characters including two of his children. The Great Warlord in his attempt to step down, attempted to give his power to his eldest son and live out the rest of his life with his children. His youngest son Sabaro didn't agree with this and didn't trust his brothers ability to be loyal. The Warlord picks the children who are more willing to show there affection and his downfall starts there.
Although slow and drawn out in many scenes Kurosawa does an amazing job showing the size of the battles. The choice to have no music during the Castle raid brought me closer to the battle. Hidetora losing his mind in the tower, and being subject to the barrage of arrows and bullets was one of the most captivating scenes i've ever watched. My favorite character Hidetora's nurse, constantly told the truth. Despite the circumstances he continued to express his feelings and not only added humor when needed, but also only spoke the truth about what was happening in the movie. The blend of epic battles and amazing character depth makes this a truly great movie.
Dom za vesanje (1988)
One of the best movies i've seen
Time of the Gypsies was my the first movie I had seen by Emir Kusturica. Overall it was a complex movie that made me think and touched me emotionally. Perhan was an engaging character. I felt really drawn into his story, and his growth throughout the movie. I'm no movie expert but from start to finish this was one of the best movies I've seen. In the early stages of the movie I was somewhat skeptical about the subject matter and it didn't appear to be anything I would enjoy. Ahmed was my favorite character. Lying and cheating people seemed to come so easily to him. I really believed after he had his stroke that he mean't everything he said to Parhem. In hindsight I definitely gave Ahmed to much credit to think he could be a caring, giving character, considering how obvious Kusturica made it that Ahmen was a criminal and exploited all those around him. The only part of the plot I found strange was the fact Parhem's grandmother Khaditza, who seemed to be so knowledgeable and wise was willing to trust Ahmen with her loved ones. She had already scene how Ahmen took advantage of her son, and she just seemed a bit naive for how intelligent she was. Overall that didn't bring the Movie down very much and the magical gypsies aspects, and the portrayal of the economic struggles of the people in the movie made it a enjoyable watch for me.
Kyvadlo, jáma a nadeje (1983)
Incredibly engaging movie
I had never read or scene The pit and the Pendulum so I actually did not know what to expect and the movie drew me in from the very beginning. The grainy picture and gloomy setting set the tone for the movie. Every scene builds up slowly and ends with a near death experience that captivates. I really felt drawn in like I was the character. It appears obvious that this movie and type of direction had an influence on the movie Blair Witch Project. When you finally believe the character will find hope and freedom he is brought back into reality quickly. I had become so drawn into the character's escape that him running into another Cultist/Clergy man towards the end effected me emotionally. I'd say anyone who's into scary movies, this is a must see.