Favorite Directors; #6

I got lazy and stopped posting here so I haven't been updating this blog. The reason I'm all of a sudden jumping to number 6 is due to demand of a couple of people on IMDB.

6. Wong Kar-Wai - The most exciting director since Godard launched the French New Wave? His films have resemblance to many directors, the primary one being Godard. They both encompass minimal plot use, fantastic style, and a general exciting edge. Chungking Express is the Hong Kong version of Godard's Breathless. It's the film people believed to have influenced the Hong Kong new wave and a general interest in a new style of entertainment more aimed toward modern audiences.

The very first movie I saw from him was In the Mood For Love. Some people have tried to label this as a modern version of Brief Encounter. I am here to say that they could not be more wrong. In Brief Encounter, Lean's primary focus was on Celia Johnson's character; the narrations give her character layers; it makes us familar of the surrounding situations, and the before and aftermaths of her affair. So it can be said that Lean's intentions was as much on developing her character as it was on the romance. The male character is just her lover, entirely explained through her eyes where the perspective of him is regarded more from her point of view than hers. We don't know anything about him, the movie makes him purposely enigmatic; he is completely described by her. So in short, you can say that Brief Encounter was more of a single character movie with the love affair as a backdrop rather than a sappy romance.

Mood can be characterized as a simple love affair movie, because in essence that's what it is. Leung's character is the focus, since Wong decided to continue with 2046 with emphasis on Leung, but unlike Brief Encounter, Mood is not told through the eyes of any character. It's a love story and the impact of it on two characters. The difference of Mood to American movies; the Hanks/Ryan movies in general is that it does melodramatize their situation. Rather than putting everything on the plot and at the same time contriving all logical situations, Wong gives his characters the edge... he makes his aware that they are sensitive, moral, and at times empty people. He puts the focus on Leung and makes him the product of emptiness; it's for the continuation purpose of 2046... his character must be defeated, his emotional turmoil is caused by his past relationship, thus it's Cheung who will not admit to her love for him. If Cheung actually did give up everything for Leung, then 2046 serves no purpose and the result of Mood is a happy ending rather than sad.

My Favorite Directors

Introducing: My favorite directors. A series of the ten people of cinema that has had the most impact on me and adding a little summary of why I like them. It will be done separately, with about one director a day until I finish it, so stalkers of me, be sure to check my daily updates everyday and leave your dumb comments.

1. Alfred Hitchcock - I saw the first Hitchcock movie during Christmas about four years ago. Rear Window was the first movie of his I picked up. This was right after being utterly blown away by Casablanca the night before. I did not have much exposure to classics; the only one I remembered liking before Casablanca was Sunset Blvd. I partly owe my interest in classic films because of these three movies, which are all still in my top 20. Rear Window is one of those that I liked ever since I learned how to watch movies, so in a way I am highly biased in that I have never removed it from my top 10 yet. But, that isn't the reason why. It honestly was one of the 10 most entertaining movies I ever saw. In a way, it made me feel proud that I finally found my way into classic filmmaking, finally understanding why IMDB thought so highly of them. Four days later, I had a huge desire to watch Vertigo and absolutely could not wait to see it after liking Rear Window so much. It was so different from Rear Window after expecting a cop thriller, but it was also satisfying in a different way. I had not had exposure to movies of this style, which are not told narratively, so later on my appreciation for it grew because the film has a curious impact on you. In a way, Vertigo utterly blew my virgin mind.

Hitchcock easily became my favorite director as I wanted to get every one of his movies now that Vertigo and Rear Window so easily became my favorites, the Birds was the next one and I loved that one as well. Afterwards came Psycho, not as impressed, then North By Northwest, lots of good things about it, but was lost in some of the plot, but I saw it again about two years later and loved it. I will always like Psycho, but just won't be one I'm as fascinated in as the other three. Then, I saw all of his others movies, Notorious, Rebecca, and Strangers on a Train were all good and the rest were obviously not masterpieces, but are good for a directors' lesser films. It look rewatches for me to really like Notorious, North by Northwest, and many others and after almost losing his #1 spot to Wilder on my directors' list, he reclaimed it after most of my rewatches were "better" than the "first viewing." Right now, I've seen 34 from him, and although I know I'll never see another masterpiece from him, every one of his movies I will find some curiousity in, either comparing it to his other movies or just enjoying it for what it is. My favorite director by far. No one has ever taken his spot.

Complete List
. Vertigo
2. Rear Window
3. North By Northwest
4. Notorious
5. Rebecca
6. The Birds
7. Psycho
8. Strangers on a Train
9. The 39 Steps
10. Rope
11. The Lady Vanishes
12. Dial M for Murder
13. Suspicion
14. Marnie
15. Shadow of a Doubt
16. Lifeboat
17. Spellbound
18. The Wrong Man
19. The Man Who Knew Too Much (1956)
20. Saboteur
21. The Paradine Case
22. Family Plot
23. To Catch a Thief
24. The Trouble With Harry
25. Mr. and Mrs. Smith
26. Torn Curtain
27. The Man Who Knew Too Much (1934)
28. Secret Agent
29. Aventure Malgache
30. Bon Voyage
31. Sabotage
32. The Lodger
33. Topaz
34. Jamaica Inn

I'm bored

ciao