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3sunflower
Reviews
De jurk (1996)
quest
I read somewhere that we can lie in the language of dress or try to tell the truth but unless we are naked and bald, it is impossible to be silent.
I simply don't know how to begin my story about the movie De Jurk (The Dress). I'm overwhelmed by many emotions. Blue dress with leaves
My God, this is the story I never expected!
De Jurk is a tale about the journey of one interesting dress, from the day it was envisioned and created, through the lives of many owners and until the end, when the dress has finally fulfilled its strange purpose.
There are actually several tales but they are developing from each other and some characters keep reappearing. The stories are weird and funny but also quite disturbing and obscene. There is a lot of violence, unexpected situations, comedy and drama. You just don't know if you should laugh and where all of that is going to end!
Is this the story about the people or about the dress? I guess both. We are attracted by certain objects. We all have our favorite pair of shoes for example. Some people believe that certain shirts or pair of socks can bring them luck and so on. Well why not? But it seems like this dress keeps bringing bad luck to its owners. I swear the dress in question is cursed! LOL
Some people said: Yes, the movie is interesting but what's the message? Indeed, it might look like there is none. However, for myself, behind all crazy happenings, there is a quest for love and there is the message. Absolutely all characters in this movie desperately search for love in one way or another. We all define love differently, just like the dream of one person can be a nightmare for another person. Same is with happiness. Sometimes we need so little, just one kiss or hug. Sometimes our search became obsession.
The entire cast of De Jurk was excellent and all characters are well developed and equally interesting. The story is simply great and director Alex van Warmerdam has done an excellent job. As usual, he played in his movie and this time he is a train conductor. Don't miss it!
Andrey Rublyov (1966)
art and history
We know so little about Rublyov and there are very few historical documents, all very brief. What is known is that he lived in 15th-century Russia and that he is considered to be the greatest Russian iconographer. I think I can start already from here by telling that the movie Andrey Rublyov is (among other things) the story about artist and his position in the world, pictured through the regime of the middle-age Russia in this particular case but the story has universal character.
You can be very famous (Rublyov surely is!) but yet history might not know anything about you. An artist is often (so to say) a product of his/her time because no one is isolated from the historical events in one way or another. This movie (to quote Tarkovsky) will tell you of the impossibility of creating art outside of the nation's aspirations, of the artist's attempts to express its soul and character, and of the way that an artist's character depends upon his historical situation. As an artist, I was deeply moved by this movie. There is also some hardness that lasts long after the movie ended
Although the movie is named by Andrey Rublyov, he appears to be just one of the characters, often passive as he is merely observing the situation but deeply affected by the events.
All main characters are different and interesting. All of them have their own tales, personal philosophy and approach to art and events. For example, Theophanes the Greek is already an established iconographer, old enough to live without illusions. For him, art is but a craft. I liked some of his lines very much, like when he said: Yes, I'm going to die. The other day, I saw an angel in my dream. "Come with me," he says. And I answer: "I'm going to die soon anyway, without your help." Or when he said (referring to people): Today they praise, tomorrow they'll abuse what they praised only yesterday, and after that they'll forget both you and me. They'll forget everything!
The script is written by Andrei Konchalovsky and Tarkovsky. The particular historical background is not bright but has history ever been?! Religion and the regime are in the center of the story but there is much more than that.
The entire movie is black and white except the very end, where we can see the actual Rublyov's iconography and that almost gives a sense of the miracle.
The movie won three awards. Not enough I would say! Tarkovsky's cinematography is simply beautiful! I think this is a must see movie.