I was beat
today. Didn’t sleep much last night. For all its visual pleasures, A Thousand
Months was the wrong film to see this morning. That wasn’t the film’s fault
– just mine for being too lethargic to deal with this slow, meditative picture.
A Thousand Months took place in 1981, in Morocco, and followed a young
boy over the month of Ramadan. I suppose it was a coming of age story, with
the boy slowly growing disillusioned at the lies that made up his life. However,
anybody expecting an American-type coming of age story will be
certainly disappointed.
His life lessons involve free women in an Islamic society, a father in prison
for being a militant, a teacher who prizes his chair above everything else, and
relatives who sell their favorite items just to make ends meet. We slowly watch
how these things affect him and how he slowly loses his temper toward other
people, which pains him as much as anyone.
The episodic narrative reminded me of Fellini’s Amarcord at times, as it
dealt with the idiosyncrasies of the town’s characters – albeit without the
comedic overtones. The cinematography, shot in scope, sought the natural imagery
that made Nestor Almendros’ work so effective and memorable.
I’m a little disappointed, because A Thousand Months was probably a
better film than I can say right now. I was just too tired this morning.
The afternoon screening was Lars Von Trier’s Dogville. After spending
over an hour waiting outside in the cold we were let in, only to learn there
would be no press conference. Lars doesn’t fly, of course, but Nicole Kidman was
a no-show too. I assume she didn’t want to be left trying to explain the film. I
don’t blame her.
Dogville played like a cross between Our Town and Barry Lyndon.
It was shot in DV on a stage without many props. Outlines took the place of
walls – and even the place of a dog. Meanwhile, we were treated to melancholy
baroque music and a narrator (John Hurt) whose voice and tone were a blatant
steal of Kubrick’s period film.
While I understand that Lars Von Trier was trying to make a comment on America’s
treatment of the poor and working class, I have no idea what that point was from
watching this film. There’s nothing in it that resembles anything I recognize,
nor does it even work as a successful analogy.
I’m not knocking his attempt to criticize America. I wish more people would. I
just think he doesn’t know anything about America.
It also didn’t help much that his ideas were wrapped around yet another woman
being taken advantage of by everybody around her. And in the most manipulative
ways. Doesn’t Lars Von Tier have any other plot contraptions? Is he capable of
telling any other type of story at this point? He’s obviously a maniacally
talented filmmaker. His work is just becoming tedious. And at 3 hours this was
almost interminable. I’ve never felt so good standing up after a film was over.
TOMORROW:
Mansion by the Lake
Mystic River
Copyright 2003 Jamie Stuart