Rob Roy

While most people like Mel Gibson's Brave Heart (1995), I prefer the other action-drama based on Scottish history to have come out that year -- Michael Caton-Jones' Rob Roy, starring Liam Neeson and Jessica Lange.

Yes, Gibson's film was a grand epic adventure full of action and heroism, but it just never convinced me. The big scene at the end where William Wallace shouts "FREEDOM!" will give any a man goosebumps, but it just seemed too . . . too Gibsonish. The film adaptation of Robert Roy MacGregor's story was much smaller in scale, and much more personal. Both the Wallace and MacGregor characters show tremendous bravery, but Rob Roy shows something more -- a type of honour, that to me, makes bravery seem a dime-a-dozen. A pride in one's word; placing value on truth. I assume that because such things are of importance to me, are part of my value system, that this story spoke so greatly to me.

In the film Rob Roy has a kingliness about him that emanates from him. It is a type of self-knowledge that does not require him to prove himself, and therefore does not require him to fight every battle blindly. He does not cower from a battle, but he knows which are true battles based on values, and which are not. He has a calmness and a wisdom that I admire. Similarly his wife, Mary MacGregor, has an admirable strength about her. There is a horrific scene of sexual violence from which Mary gets up, composes herself, and walks upright with a dignity becoming a queen. It's a scene that makes my heart stop every time I see it.

I just admired the inner-character of these characters. I loved the way this husband and wife respected and loved each other. As an adolescent, it showed me a type of being -- a type of man, a type of husband, a type of father -- I wish to be, and it showed me the type of wife and marriage I hoped for. (Back in the day when I still hoped for such things.)

Quills

A movie that influenced me a lot, but in a negative way, was Philip Kaufman’s Quills (2000). The film narrates the tale of the erotic writer the Marquis de Sade of 18th Century France. The Marquis (Geoffrey Rush) stays at an insane asylum where his books are smuggled out of the asylum by the laundress Madeline (Kate Winslet). The film, containing many scenes of sex and violence – including necrophilia, won three Oscars.

Never has a film affected me so negatively. My head felt literally polluted after I saw this film. I felt completely disgusted and dirty. For the first time in my life did I really understand how media can pollute our minds. After seeing Quills I did not watch another film for six months thereafter. I used to be a film critic back then – well, that was pretty much the end of that career for me.

The reason the film had such a strong impact on me is probably because it is so well done. It's an engaging story, with great acting, and superb cinematography. It swallows you in and by the end of the film your mind has been violated. I think what I learned from this film, more than any movie I have seen before, is the negative effect that cinema can have. Movies are not neutral, their messages are not unbiased, and that they affect us are undeniable and not always positive. After this film I have become much more selective in what I choose to watch.

Blade Runner

I don’t think I’ve watched Ridley Scott’s masterpiece, Blade Runner, as many times as I have watched the other old movies I’ve mentioned so far. Regardless, the lasting impression this film had on me is undeniably remarkable. The last time I saw it was in 2000 at university for “Film Theory and Critique”. I wanted to do a project on it, but after seeing it again since my childhood I just couldn’t get enough distance to write objectively about it. It is nine years later now. Watching it again just now had me captivated. As scene for scene rolled by, it felt to me intensely personal – as if these surreal images were my memories. Of course, they are memories, but not my memories. But then again, could my little mind recognise the difference? The movie dates 1982; I was still a toddler when it came out. I can’t remember when I saw it for the first time, but it couldn’t have been too long after its release date, and a number of times throughout my early years thereafter. And so the cinematic images became part of my childhood, part of me, like the fake memories implanted into the androids depicted in the movie. Reflecting on my childhood memories, the dystopian cityscape with its air pollution and gas burners, the flying cars and overcrowded streets in those bizarre Oriental-markets seems as real, or as distant, as some of my supposedly real memories from childhood. And here I am in the Orient now. There are no flying cars, but on a rainy evening in one of Seoul’s downtown markets with its dreamy juxtaposition of bright lights and side-street butcher-restaurants it is difficult to distinguish between sci-fi and reality.

As was the case in 2000, still I cannot write objectively about Blade Runner. Nevertheless, it is a classic movie; a trendsetter that impacted many a sci-fi film to come; a deeply emotional rendition of the android/cyborg-dilemma, without getting sentimental.
Blade Runner is based on Philip K. Dick’s novel Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? Directed by Ridley Scott and starring Harrison Ford, Rutger Hauer, Sean Young, and Daryl Hannah. Jordan Cronenweth was responsible for the excellent cinematography.

Watch the trailer below:



Below is the “I’ve seen things”-scene. If watched out of context it will probably not be as beautiful as it is within the flow of the movie where it captures a host of conflicting emotions as one exquisite moment. Don’t watch it if you haven’t seen the movie as it might be a spoiler.

Best of the Best

A movie that really impacted my life is Best of the Best (1989). This movie, about the Korean martial art Taekwon-Do, is one of a sequence of exposures that caused me to take up Taekwon-Do when I was about 15 or 16 years old. I saw the movie, was touched and awed by it, and soon afterwards saw an advertisement for Taekwon-Do with the tag: “As seen in Best of the Best”. I was sold. And so started my love affair with Taekwon-Do. I’ve always been interested in the martial arts, have trained in many, but have always return to Taekwon-Do as my base.

The movie Best of the Best is not your typical martial art film. It is more a drama than an action movie. The story, although somewhat simplistic, is layered with depth and the acting is surprisingly good (for a martial art movie). The performance by Eric Roberts is especially riveting. I’m yet to meet someone who has not choked up while watching Best of the Best. I personally cry every time I see it.

Apart from Philip Rhee’s great martial art skill, the Best of the Best-sequels are not that good.

Interview with the Vampire

Several Brad Pitt movies influenced me a lot when I was young. Foremost among them is probably Interview with the Vampire (1994), based on the first novel in Anne Rice’s series The Vampire Chronicles (1976). The first novel, and subsequent movie, influenced Goth culture a lot, and at that time I just happened to be a teenage Goth-New Ager.

Interview with the Vampire is the confessional narrative of a vampire, telling his epic tale of "love, betrayal, loneliness, and hunger." [Read the IMDB-synopsis.]

This was not the only vampire movie that really contributed to my present day interests and likes, but is probably the vampire movie that influenced me the most. For instance, this movie and Brahm Stoker’s Dracula (1992) both depict handsome vampires with long hair. This is probably one reason why I had long hair for approximately a decade of my adult life. If I didn’t have to cut my hair for my job I would probably still have had long hair.

Vampire movies also resonate with me because I’m somewhat of a nocturnal creature. I don’t like bright light and because of my sensitive skin tend to avoid the sun. I can also easily stay up all night and sleep most of the day. In fact, I’m much more productive in the evening. Come 10 p.m. and I have a new burst of energy, to the chagrin of my ex-girlfriend. I’m most creative early in the morning, around 3 a.m. or 4 a.m.

Interview with the Vampire probably increased my obsession with the dark and mysterious. At that time I only wore black. My parents allowed my peculiarities, but they drew the line when I wanted to get black curtains and paint my room black. I think it was a good decision on their part.

And then there is something about vampires that is just immensely seductive, isn’t there? Even though I’m out of my Goth-phase, I still find vampires extremely sexy. A sensual Goth, not one full of piercings and tattoos, but one with pale skin and intense eyes can still get my heart racing.

I've seen Interview with the Vampire a host of times, although it's been quite some time since I've watched it last. I think it is high time to watch it again.

Below is a YouTube-video of the movie trailer.

Ferris Bueller's Day Off

I don’t know how many times I saw Ferris Bueller’s Day Off (1986). Enough times, at least, for me to know the dialogue pretty well. I must have been around eight, nine or ten when I saw it the first time.

I never liked school, not even primary school. It was only at university that I felt for the first time the freedom to think. I never felt that school (in the form of primary and secondary education) allowed me to be a free agent with own opinions and unique ideas. Instead, I always felt fettered by the school system. And like Ferris, I also thought of many ways to skip school.

Although I was never as popular as Ferris, I could associate with him. In a strange way, Ferris Bueller’s Day Off made me feel normal. I think I resonated with Ferris' rebellious streak. It's not merely an unfounded teenage rebelliousness; rather, it is a creative rebellion against a creativity-stifling system.

Another probable reason for my enjoyment of the movie is it postmodern narration employed, with the character Ferris speaking directly to the viewer. I think my little Generation X brain, hardly a decade old, was just buzzing with resonance. Back then I didn't know anything about narrative layers or postmodern motiffs, but I did know that this is freaken' cool!

A further reason might be my association with the character Camron and his issues with his father.

In my opinion, Ferris Bueller's Day Off is one of the few teenage comedies worth watching. It doesn't rely wholly on vulgarity and sex. The mere fact that Matthew Broderick was nominated for a Golden Globe should tell us something.

Dancer in the Dark

Dancer in the Dark (2000), a musical by director Lans von Trier, is a fabulous but utterly depressing movie. It tells the story of a single-parent, Selma (played by Björk), trying to raise her son who suffers from a hereditary eye condition. Selma also suffers from the sickness and is nearly blind herself. While she was able to hid the seriousness of her condition, the extend of her blindness becomes known and her job and therefore her son’s future hangs in the balance. An unfortunate turn of events takes this already sad story and catapults it into a horrific tragedy.

As a Björk fan, I thoroughly appreciated this musical. Björk’s ability to play with sound transforms the movie into a surreal space – altering ordinary dreary scenes (a factory, a train, a prison) into musical wonderlands. Apart from her music, Björk’s acting as a blind, but determined mother, is superb.

Lans von Trier is a splendid writer and director. Dancer in the Dark is the type of movie that follows a person – haunts a person. It is undoubtedly one of the best films I’ve ever seen. Although I would like to see it again, I’ve never had the emotional strength to do so. This movie is more than catharsis – it forces one to see the world for what it is: unfair and yes, even hopeless.

I saw Dancer in the Dark shortly after having had to come to terms with the unfairness of life myself, having lost a number of people close to me. This is probably another reason why this movie affected me so.