Movies, Documentary
Stefan Zweig is one of my favorite German writers. I already reviewed on these pages the film Secret Burning based on his novel and his Chess novel. Both are fantastic. This film is about the life of Zweig. I knew how Zweig’s life ended but I had no idea of his years in Exile. Zweig was a Jew and he—unlike so many others who ended up in concentration camps—had the good sense to leave Austria and Germany shortly after the Nazis took power. The film covers his exile years. Its method is to pick out 5 episodes in a ten year period. Vor der Morgenröteis as poetic as Zweig’s work and it is a major accomplishment.
The performance of Josef Hader as Zweig is stunning.Vor der Morgenröte (Before the Red Sun rises again)
Movies, Documentary, Drama
Prince’s premature death prompted me to see Purple Rain for the first time. The film feels a bit like Flashdance. Incidentally, Jennifer Beals, the star of Flashdance was asked to play lead female role but declined. The plot is apparently based on Prince’s life but the main story is Prince’s talent. No plot can compete with his musical genius. The movie’s ending, where Prince shows off his musical talent, is worth seeing.Purple Rain
Movies, Documentary
Since every person now has a smartphone, documentaries of people living today will much easier to do because so much film material will be available on each person. Compared to the documentary on Bob Marley that I covered earlier, a lot of film material was available on Amy Winehouse. Relatively cheap digital video cameras were around when she turned 14 and she and her friend started to interview each other like teenagers do.
Documentaries on popular musicians are generally wonderful because we love to hear the music again that accompanied our own lives. Amy is a rewarding film to watch.Amy
Movies, Drama
The discrimination and legal persecution that gay men had to go through until laws were gradually changed starting in the 1960s has been covered in many films, most recently in the film about the British mathematician Touring. But I had never seen a film about a woman facing legal persecution for having sexual relationships with another woman. Carol takes place in New York of the early 1960s. The strongest part of the film was how well it portrayed the style of the period.Carol
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