European Directors and Their Films : Essays on Cinema

At a time when movie reviews have degenerated into mere publicity and film scholarship has become entangled in pedantic discourse, close readings of major directing careers and significant films are a needed alternative. In European Directors and Their Films: Essays on Cinema , Bert Cardullo analyzes of some of the most important film artists and individual films of the last several decades. Beyond simple biographical capsules and plot summaries, these readings demonstrate with elegance and clarity what cinema means as well as what it shows, explaining how international moviemakers use the resources of the medium to pursue complex, significant human goals. In this volume Cardullo offers fresh perspectives on some of the established greats of European cinema—including Vittorio De Sica ( Shoeshine, Bicycle Thieves, Umberto D. ), Federico Fellini ( I Vitelloni, La Strada, Nights of Cabiria ), Jean Renoir ( Grand Illusion, The Rules of the Game ), Robert Bresson ( L’Argent ), Jacques Tati ( Mr. Hulot’s Holiday ), Ingmar Bergman ( Winter Light, Autumn Sonata ), Eric Rohmer ( A Tale of Winter ), and Roman Polanski ( The Pianist )—as well as insights into vital work by such contemporary filmmakers as Michael Haneke ( The Piano Teacher ), Sergei Bodrov ( Prisoner of the Mountains ), Luc and Jean-Pierre Dardenne ( La Promesse, The Son, L’Enfant ), Andrei Kravchuk ( The Italian ), and Cristian Mungiu ( 4 Months, 3 Weeks, and 2 Days ). Including essays on filmmakers from continental Europe, Russia, and Scandinavia, this engaging companion to World Directors and Their Films will appeal to general readers as well as scholars of international cinema. At A Time When Movie Reviews Have Degenerated Into Mere Publicity And Film Scholarship Has Become Entangled In Pedantic Discourse, Close Readings Of Major Directing Careers And Significant Films Are A Needed Alternative. In European Directors And Their Films: Essays On Cinema, Bert Cardullo Analyzes Of Some Of The Most Important Film Artists And Individual Films Of The Last Several Decades. Beyond Simple Biographical Capsules And Plot Summaries, These Readings Demonstrate With Elegance And Clarity What Cinema Means As Well As What It Shows, Explaining How International Moviemakers Use The Resources Of The Medium To Pursue Complex, Significant Human Goals. In This Volume Cardullo Offers Fresh Perspectives On Some Of The Established Greats Of European Cinema-including Vittorio De Sica (shoeshine, Bicycle Thieves, Umberto D.), Federico Fellini (i Vitelloni, La Strada, Nights Of Cabiria), Jean Renoir (grand Illusion, The Rules Of The Game), Robert Bresson (l'argent), Jacques Tati (mr. Hulot's Holiday), Ingmar Bergman (winter Light, Autumn Sonata), Eric Rohmer (a Tale Of Winter), And Roman Polanski (the Pianist)-as Well As Insights Into Vital Work By Such Contemporary Filmmakers As Michael Haneke (the Piano Teacher), Sergei Bodrov (prisoner Of The Mountains), Luc And Jean-pierre Dardenne (la Promesse, The Son, L'enfant), Andrei Kravchuk (the Italian), And Cristian Mungiu (4 Months, 3 Weeks, And 2 Days). Including Essays On Filmmakers From Continental Europe, Russia, And Scandinavia, This Engaging Companion To World Directors And Their Films Will Appeal To General Readers As Well As Scholars Of International Cinema. Introduction -- Italian Maestros. The Neorealist Films Of Vittorio De Sica -- The Artistic Achievement Of Federico Fellini: I Vitelloni, La Strada, And The Nights Of Cabiria As Exempla -- Film As The Characterization Of Space, Or The World Viewed: The Art Of Michelangelo Antonioni -- Married To The Job: Ermanno Olmi's Il Posto And I Fidanzati Reconsidered -- Forbidden Games: Gianni Amelio's Stolen Children And Lamerica -- Francophone Masters. Everyone Has His Reasons: The Cinema Of Jean Renoir -- World Beyond And Grace: The Films Of Robert Bresson -- The Sound Of Silence, The Space Of Time: Monsieur Hulot And The Cinema Of Jacques Tati -- Seasons Change And Comedies Are Proverbial: The Tales Of Eric Rohmer -- Lower Depths, Higher Planes: On Luc And Jean-pierre Dardenne's La Promesse, Rosetta, The Son, And L'enfant -- Nordic Auteurs. Carl Dreyer's Day Of Wrath, The Spirit Of Tragedy, And The Judgment Of The Creator --^ Early Vs. Later And Last Work: Ingmar Bergman's Winter Light, Autumn Sonata, And Saraband -- Finnish Character: The Cinema Of Aki Kaurismäki -- Memories Are Made Of This: Rainer Werner Fassbinder And The Frg Trilogy -- Shoot The Piano Player: The Piano Teacher And The Cinema Of Michael Haneke -- Russian And Other East European Raconteurs. Lonely People, Living In The World: Viacheslav Krishtofovich's Lonely Woman Seeks Life Companion, Vasily Pichul's Little Vera, And Pavel Lounguine's Taxi Blues -- Suffer The Children: On Andrei Kravchuk's The Italian And Vitaly Kanévski's Freeze. Die. Come To Life -- Filial Longing: Julie Bertuccelli's Since Otar Left, Károly Makk's Love, And Sergei Bodrov's Prisoner Of The Mountains -- Global War, Polish Remembrance: Roman Polanski's The Pianist And Andrzej Wajda's Katyn --^ The New Romanian Cinema: Cristian Mungiu's 4 Months, 3 Weeks, And 2 Days; Corneliu Porumboiu's 12:08 East Of Bucharest And Police, Adjective; Florin Erban's If I Want To Whistle, I Whistle; And Andrei Ujica's The Autobiography Of Nicolae Ceauescu. Bert Cardullo. Includes Bibliographical References And Index. Includes Filmography. Contents 4 Introduction 8 PartI. ITALIAN MAESTROS 14 Ch01. The Neorealist Films of Vittorio De Sica 16 Ch02. The Artistic Achievement of Federico Fellini 38 Ch03. Film as the Characterization of Space, or the World Viewed 65 Ch04. Married to the Job 85 Ch05. Forbidden Games 97 PartII. FRANCOPHONE MASTERS 108 Ch06. “Everyone Has His Reasons” 110 Ch07. World beyond and Grace 140 Ch08. The Sound of Silence, the Space of Time 156 Ch09. Seasons Change and Comedies Are Proverbial 164 Ch10. Lower Depths, Higher Planes 178 PartIII. NORDIC AUTEURS 204 Ch11. Carl Theodor Dreyer’s Day of Wrath, the Spirit ofTragedy, and the Judgment of the Creator 206 Ch12. Early versus Later and Last Work 221 Ch13. Finnish Character 239 Ch14. Memories Are Made of This 256 Ch15. Shoot the Piano Player 275 PartIV. RUSSIAN AND OTHER EAST EUROPEAN RACONTEURS 286 Ch16. Lonely People, Living in the World 288 Ch17. Suffer the Children 300 Ch18. Filial Longing 313 Ch19. Global War, Polish Remembrance 330 Ch20. The New Romanian Cinema 340 Filmographies 352 Bibliographies 362 Index 372 About the Author 386