Most corny old Irish films feature Irish Catholic farming villages, and I guess it seems only fair to have an Irish film with lower-class Protestant cattle herders, featuring a feisty pastor(instead of the usual Catholic priest) and a fiery, bad-tempered, but good-hearted middle-aged woman in tow, succeeding against the odds to get fair earnings (against some wealthy Catholics, for fair measure and complete reversal of the usual stereotype). A side story includes a Irish Army deserter who is determined to join the British army instead, in time to fight Hitler (yeah, right!) Not to say the film is better or worse than the usual sickeningly sweet Irish movie plot, but there is an attempt here to portray Irish Protestants as champions of the rural countryside and underdogs in class conflicts. I'm not sure many Americans will even recognize the ways this film tweaks past depictions of Irish country life, while presenting a very familiar package.
Reviews
5 Reviews
Night of the Living Dead
(1990)
Why did Romero remake the 68 classic?
12 August 2007
"Night of the Living Dead" immediately lapsed into the public domain because the original theatrical distributor, the Walter Reade Organization, didn't place a copyright notice on the prints. In 1968, United States copyright law required notice for a work to maintain a copyright. Image Ten had a proper notice on the title frames beneath the original title, "Night of the Flesh Eaters." The distributor inadvertently removed the copyright statement when it changed the title, an act of negligence which ensured widespread distribution, but without royalties to the film makers.
Romero wanted to get at least some restitution for himself and others who worked on the original.
Romero wanted to get at least some restitution for himself and others who worked on the original.
Derrida
(2002)
Read about him before watching the film.
23 September 2005
This film is a demonstration of deconstructionist thought first; and its subject happens to be the "father of deconstructionism." Once you get over this situation, it's a somewhat charming film, a sort of video fugue. The film presents an important theme early on, when Derrida quotes Heidegger (quite fittingly because much of Derrida's writings are based upon Heidegger's philosophy) about Aristotle's life: he was born, he thought, and he died. And the rest is pure anecdote. This is pretty much all this film says about Derrida. Listening to the commentary on the deleted opening scene in the extras on the DVD is quite helpful, and can give you an idea if you want to continue to watch. I liked how much this film touches on the issues of celebrity, privacy, and media saturated culture, without focusing on a mega-pop celebrity. I'd have liked to have been more succinct, but this forum requires ten lines. Too bad.
Merton
(1984)
Mysterious death
5 September 2005
Warning: Spoilers
The rumors of an assassination order extends to many groups. Merton had criticized Marxism "it can only really work in an environment like a monastery" while traveling in Asian Communist countries. This statement of his was filmed and shown in this documentary. After his talk, Merton said he would take questions later, "so I will disappear," he said ominously. He had a bath and was found dead on the floor with a tall electric fan lying across his body. The official theory was that he had stumbled getting out of the bath and grabbed the fan for support. A faulty electric cord was found inside the fan. The current was strong enough to produce a heart attack. Said Ed Rice, "Having lived on and off in Asia for some sixteen years, I am always a little skeptical of anything I hear. And I do know, there are lots of defective electrical appliances lying around." Merton was buried in the Trappist cemetery at Gethsemani in a very simple grave. (in full disclosure, I've taken a course from the writer/director, and he was a wonderful teacher. I'm also annoyed about having my review labelled as a spoiler, Merton's death is a biographical fact)
Guantanamera
(1995)
Reporting on Cuba: Subtle metaphors, and "slices of life"
21 November 2004
As pure entertainment, the film does seem scattered and unfocused. However, it packs in many social, political and cultural messages on different levels. For instance, as the characters enter Bayamo, we hear a tour guide telling of Bayamo as historical center for smuggling and how this motivated rebellious action against colonial Spain. I took this as a commentary about present-day Cuba. The film is filled with metaphors, starting, of course, with the plot: a former economics teacher falls in love with a trucker and leaves her crass, heartless, bureaucrat husband. To really enjoy this movie, you have to understand that it is a report on the state of the country, and the characters and plot serve to veil documentary as movie fiction. Knowledge about recent Cuban history certainly helps understanding the movie, though, and you may want to see other films or read about present-day Cuba first.
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