deliogul Reviews

The Element of Crime (1984)

Good but not perfect.

[7/10 · 23 April 2008]

I have to say that when we consider the setting, it is one of the best films I've ever seen. The black side of the Europe with all those shades of red and orange is very impressive. On the other hand, thanks to the classic Von Trier understanding, it is longer than it could be and it is boring than normal films. He would do the same thing while filming the "Dogville", which contains a great idea and innovative scenes but still being a long and boring movie.

Also, I must recommend you to see other two movies of the trilogy. They are all successful in filming. Of course, if you have enough patience to handle the boring minutes in them. I can say that Von Trier was "this" close to create a masterpiece in his early period but in a sense wasted it in order to create a personal cinematic style.

The Perfect Human (1968)

The most attractive mess ever created

[10/10 · 23 March 2008]

It is really easy. Just leave a small portion of your day to see this short film. The acting, the setting and the rather blurry theme are all great, works of a master. I learned about this one thanks to von Trier who sent Leth to a mission in order to remake this film. You can have a look at "Five Obstructions" for more details about that project and I highly recommend you the part which takes place in Cuba.

Whatever, I found the original "Perfect Human" on internet and watched it. Then I watched it once again. In a timeless and "in-the-limits-of-simplicity" setting, the viewer sees a master class art. You will question what ordinary people accept as "perfect" for mankind and how this average view lacks detail and more than detail, the dark sides of the model. If you go after such a model, you will see "how the perfect human falls".

Swimming Pool (2003)

A good starter for independent movies

[10/10 · 20 March 2008]

I was just an ordinary guy who had no special interest in cinema. This film first shook me with its great music, which I later realized as being a classic move by Ozon, then with its setting and ending. These were things that you can't find in standard Hollywood products.

I have a special place in my heart for this film, and I know that it is not possibly a 10/10 quality film, which is the "Seventh Seal" of Bergman for me, but "Swimming Pool" is a really good place to start your journey into the real world of cinema. You will understand what a "lost teenager/generation" means and how this term is dramatically different from the standard youth in American films.

It also doesn't contain the weird storytelling that many French films have. This means that you will watch an actual story where things really proceed. If you want to see what I mean, you can try another Ozon film, "Under the Sand", after this one. Charlotte Rampling is also present in that one but I can honestly say that actually nothing "happens" in the film.