Let’s watch: “Nokas” (2010) by Erik Skjoldbjærg, or just how unlikely it is to commit a crime in Norway.

Norwegian director Erik Skjoldbjærg, with his debut film “Insomnia” (1997), starring Swedish actor Stellan Skarsgård, delivered a work of extreme aesthetic ambiguity, literally. Just as the character of Skarsgård is himself somewhat suspicious and ambiguous, just as the nature of the crime he’s investigating is unclear, just as the region in the north pole that he’s visiting is also confusing, the visuals of the movie are the same. Through overexposure instead of dissolution to mark time ruptures, Skjoldbjærg was able to deliver an extremely nuanced neo-noir. And if you have seen and appreciated “Insomnia” for the masterpiece that it really is, the masterpiece of depicting the darkest of tales in the brightest possible conditions (the midnight sun), you are likely to walk out with a lot of ideas after watching  his “Nokas” (2010).

I think the English title “Hold-Up” is not a very appropriate one, because the film does not represent the actual crime in its totality. At the beginning, emphasis is somewhat placed on cleaning rituals of the criminals. At this moment, I feared that it would get too moralizing for my taste. After all, good cops who die (or not) just to reinforce the power of the social order has been the Hollywood discourse during the 30s with films repeating over and over again the whole “public” enemy notion, very James Cagney. And, nowadays, with postmodernism, the gratuitous aspect of violence is also sufficiently emphasized, so “Nokas” could have swayed either way, and failed. But it didn’t.

The interesting thing about “Nokas” is that it overtakes (but does not subvert) these cinematic models primarily thanks to its depiction of the robbery by means of testimony.
“Nokas” is entirely constituted based on what eye-witnesses remember of the incident and most importantly, HOW they remember it. The use of slow-motion when depicting the very first attempt the robbers did to break the bank window, remembered by the desk clerk, the going back and forth in time through the “5 minutes earlier” inserts highlights this .

Sure, in a scene when police dogs are needed for a mission but are unavailable because they’re on vacation, it makes you wonder how serious their work is, and yes, when the cops get sent out across town just to survey an overloaded truck, you are inclined to suppose that there has got to me more serious crimes out there. But in fact, the answer is no and this is the actual overtaking that I am talking about. The very first reaction the cops, as well as the crowds had when the hold-up at the Cathedral Square (where the actual crime took place) started is “Is this a training exercise?” & “is this a drill?”, furthermore enhancing just how unimaginable it is (apparently) in Norway to actually go for a passage-a’-l’act and fully commit a crime. The film depicts this with extreme subtlety and success.

Keep in mind that in Norway, the maximum penalty is a mere 21 years and criminals are not even handcuffed or in uniform in court laws. I suppose crime is pretty law but can offer no real statistics to back this up but it all the more enhances the unlikelihood of a robbery taking place. People passing by the besieged square, ask the criminals politely if they can cross the road and if the hooded men are not too busy to let them do it.  At one point, a confused bus driver gets a call telling him that the square is under attack and him, not knowing what to do, asks the caller which direction to take. The caller ultimately tells him to get to the square and ask the police instead of the usual “run for your life!”.

There is no excess aggression on both sides, the film is surprisingly violence-free. Naturally, cops can seem somewhat comical as they struggle to put bullets in their outdated pistol which looks right out of a John Wayne film, but there is no gore, no blood and almost no real cold-blooded murder. The situation is just absurd. The film focuses on these little absurdities and the exchanges between cops, criminals and people passing by instead of telling us that the crime has actually been committed. We barely see the robbers take the money and it’s only at the end that the director writes it to us.

So bottom line is, if you’re interested in Scandinavian cinema, check out Insomnia first and then make the natural shift to this one, Nokas. NB- If you’re interested in Norway, check out this documentary about Norwegian black metal, nationalism and violence: https://kinoimages.wordpress.com/2012/06/13/black-metals-until-the-light-takes-us-2008/

Written by Hanine H aka Kinofrau

Let’s watch: “Bo” (2010) or Let Her Be Adored

A very interesting work that sprang out of Belgium two years ago is a little film called “Bo” (2010) directed by Hans Herbots. My introduction to this work was through a Danish rock band named “The Raveonettes” and their remake of The Stone Roses’ hit “I wanna be adored” which features parts of the film.
Telling the tale of a 15 year-old girl (beautifully played by Ella-June Henrard in her cinematic debut), very economically deprived, who finds her way into the world of escorts which quickly becomes prostitution. Through a school acquaintance, she tries to get rid of her financial problems and lives to suffer the consequences.

Sure the film follows a somewhat classical approach to the subject of the ‘ poor girl who prostitutes herself’, think Brook Shields in “Pretty Baby” (1978, dir. Louis Malle), but it delivers a very nuanced aesthetic work. Through blue-lit close-ups on Henrard’s gorgeously seductive face, Herbots attempts a certain intimacy (but not identification) with the main character, named Deborah/Bo but at the same time distanciation.

Her relationship to her “pimp”, Vincent (played by Thomas Ryckewaert, who looks a little like a young version of Klaus Kinski) goes from sentimental to detrimental, same as her rapport to her family which ultimately gets sacrificed.
Time is represented through shots of Antwerp’s left bank scenery along with the name of the month which offer a very interesting panorama of the Flemish town.

I tend to not be fond, to say the least, of moralizing films or ones that end up reinforcing the social order by means of crime and punishment but “Bo”, in a way, overtakes this notion by adopting a much more poetic tone. It focuses on the character’s loss of innocence and yet, her ever-present beauty throughout the story.

It would be erroneous to compare “Bo” with “Christiane F” (1981, dir Uli Edel), since the latter puts forth a whole mechanism of testimony in an almost documentary fashion which Hans Herbots does not play out, nor do these films share same aesthetics or political references.

“Bo” is an interesting film to watch, especially for a closer look at Henrard’s beautifully rendered face. She does indeed shine in her debut role and has more than enough potential to deliver serious work. As well as this, it would be unfair to limit Belgian cinema to big names like Chantale Akerman, as impressive as she may be, because after all, opting for a panorama of a country’s production is, to me, substantially more interesting than going through masterpieces alone…

NB- For another interesting Flemish film, check out my little post about “Loft” https://kinoimages.wordpress.com/2012/05/30/loft-2008-belgium/

Written by Hanine H aka Kinofrau

Nastassja Kinski, Richard Avedon, Vogue and python.

Just like Helmut Newton, Richard Avedon does indeed seem to be everywhere.
He took these lovely portraits of Nastassja Kinski (Klaus Kinski’s daughter) in 1980 for the May issue of US Vogue and the famous shot of her with a serpent (not published in Vogue).
She is known for her role as “Tess” in Roman Polanski’s adaptation of the Thomas Hardy novel  (1979), with whom she was romantically involved prior to her liaison with Quincy Jones.
Kinski also starred as The Lady in David Lynch’s Inland Empire (2006) but indeed has been away from the spotlight for a while now….
Check her out here in Vogue and scroll down below for the famous portrait of her with the serpent.

I am not the author of these images. All rights go to Richard Avedon.

And the famous portrait of Kinski with the python…

Check out other images by Richard Avedon:

– Of Judy Garland: https://kinoimages.wordpress.com/2012/08/13/judy-garland-seen-by-richard-avedon/

– Of Charlie Chaplin: https://kinoimages.wordpress.com/2012/07/29/charlie-chaplin-leaving-america-by-richard-avedon/

– Of Steve McQueen: https://kinoimages.wordpress.com/2012/07/21/the-king-of-cool-in-harpers-bazaar/

– Of Truman Capote: https://kinoimages.wordpress.com/2012/06/27/tribute-to-authors-screenwriters-three-portraits-of-truman-capote/

A creature named “Alien”

Surely one of the most famous “faces” in cinema, the alien from the “Alien” franchise (1979) by Ridley Scott was created by Swiss artist, sculptor, painter and set designer Hans Ruedi Giger (1940 – ).

Using recurrent themes in his work such as body mutilation, nightmares and surrealism, Giger (along with creature-maker Carlo Rambaldi)  was the genius behind the famous film monster, inspired by his Necronomicon illustrations.
He also did the the Ghost train in the dream sequence in “Species” (1995). His work extends to music, to all KoRn fans, he is behind the famous microphone stand of the vocalist Jonathan Davis and the brilliant Celtic Frost cover “To Mega Therion” (1985) depicting the Jesus slingshot.

Here are photos of Giger with his beloved monster, all rights go to H.R Giger. (www.hrgiger.com). I am not the author of these images.

 

 

 

Looking back at Rutger Hauer

Rutger Oelsen Hauer (1944-) is a Dutch stage, television and film actor.
To his credit are several interesting films such-as the 1985 fantasy movie:  “Ladyhawke” with Michelle Pffeifer (the type of movie you remember from your childhood days) and most importantly, “Blade Runner” (1982), by Ridley Scott, the role that made him famous. Also, I am very curious about his work on “The Legend of the Holy Drinker” (1988) by Ermanno Olmi but haven’t seen it yet.

Most recently, Hauer starred as famous painter Pieter Bruegel in “The Mill & The Cross” (2011), directed by Lech Majewski, a film completely created out of several recreations of Bruegel’s most famous works. It’s spectacular to watch on the big screen, as an aesthetic experience in its own right, one that is also narration-free. The use of animation is impressive as a way to bring life into an inanimate painting, one with endless details and stories to tell. The film that indeed blurrs the line between the moving image and the still one. Hauer does it beautifully, close-ups to his face reveal his age but in a way seem to flatter him…

I have to admit that I’m surprised that there are almost no photoshoots paying tribute to his face. I did, however, uncover this little recent gem, shot by John Midgley in 2011 and published around the time of the film’s release.

I am not the author of this image. All rights go to the artist.

 

 

Mia Farrow’s friendship with Salvador Dali

I wasn’t aware of this up until recently but Mia Farrow was a very good friend of Salvador Dali. Their friendship began shortly after Mia’s father died of a heart attack in 1963 and lasted until the painter’s death and the actress said numerous times that he helped her get a new perspective on life, including her acting.

It is said that Dalí labeled it ”mythical suicide” when Mia Farrow allowed Vidal Sassoon to chop off her hair in 1966 and this is what she had to say about him in Time Magazine: ‘We lunched on butterfly wings and toured New York City with garbage collectors. He judged sex to be too violent–and showers too.’ But this seems to be a misconception since “Mia Farrow cut off her long hair herself while she was on “Peyton Place”. She received a written scolding from producer Paul Monash. That was when Dali weighed in. She had not yet married Frank Sinatra. It was later, as a publicity stunt for “Rosemary’s Baby”, that Vidal Sassoon gave it a token trim for the benefit of the press.”

I would like to thank Jill Teresa Farmer for her input and correction!

Here are some shots I found, the first one dates back to 1967, the other two are undated.

All rights go to the photographer of these images. I am not the author.

 

NB – Check out this portrait of Luis Bunuel by Salvador Dali: https://kinoimages.wordpress.com/2012/07/05/in-1924-salvador-dali-did-a-portrait-of/

The only male nude by Helmut Newton

Luchino Visconti’s collaborator and lover, famous Austrian actor Helmut Berger (1944- ) starred in , Conversation Piece (1974), The Damned (1969), Ludwig (1972) etc. On Ludwig, he said that after the filming, he committed himself to a sanatorium in order to rid himself of Ludwig’s character who had taken over his real-life persona.
An alleged-bisexual, Berger is also the only man ever shot nude by Helmut Newton who confined most of his works to fashion photography. “I was never interested in naked men”, the photographer said. And yet here is the iconic picture.

All rights go to Helmut Newton. I am not the author of this image (But Geez, don’t I wish I was)!

Helmut Berger, as photographed by Helmut Newton in Beverly Hills, 1984.

Tribute to my beloved Alexandre de Paris

Alexandre de Paris, born Louis Alexandre Raimon (1922-2008) is an undermined figure of cinema style and fashion yet a very famous French hairdresser, born and died in St-Tropez; France.
Described by Jean Cocteau as “le Sphinx de la Coiffure”, he worked with Givenchy, Lagerfeld, Chanel etc. and is the artist behind Elisabeth Taylor‘s coiffure in Cleopatra (1963) and he styled Tippie Hedren in Marnie (1964), Ava Gardner, Grace Kelly, Romy Schneider, Greta Garbo etc.

As the creator of the “chignon” hairstyle, his contribution is not negligible and yet very few comprehensive tribute pages for him exist online, not a lot of photos too. Here’s what I was able to gather, as a gesture of appreciation of this genius, showing that there’s nothing minor about his work, only real chef-d’oeuvres of inspiration and creativity. His salons and apprentices are widespread in Paris.

Here’s a portrait of him and then 2 photos with Elisabeth Taylor and finally the logo that his friend, Jean Cocteau, made for him.

 

Judy (Garland) seen by Richard Avedon

Richard Avedon (1923-2004) is one American photographer whose work I find inspiring. I am particularly fond of the way he shot Judy Garland (1922-1969) throughout the 50s and the 60s. The Wizard of Oz (1939), Meet me in St-Louis (1944) and A Star is Born (1954)  actress and singer surely was not “over the rainbow” throughout her life: She met her untimely death due to an overdose of barbiturates, the drug that made her suffer throughout her life. I suppose these images capture her sense of youth, glamor and eventually desperation beautifully, very far from the typical “Dorothy” we all know and love.

Here are the photos I dug up of her, shot by Avedon. All rights go to the photographer. I am not the author of these images.

Judy Garland, 1951.

 

Judy Garland, 1951

Judy Garland & Richard Avedon, 1956

Judy Garland, New York, 1961

Judy Garland, 1963

NB: Check out Richard Avedon’s portrait of Carl Th. Dreyer here: https://kinoimages.wordpress.com/2012/04/28/dreyer-copenhagen/

& Truman Capote: https://kinoimages.wordpress.com/2012/06/27/tribute-to-authors-screenwriters-three-portraits-of-truman-capote/

Youssef Chahine & The Sparrow يوسف شاهين والعصفور

Egyptian film-maker Youssef Chahine ( يوسف شاهين (1926-2008 is surely one of the impressive directors from the Middle-East.
I remember my father telling me a lot about his most famous pictures such as “Al-Massir” (Destiny, 1997), Wadaaan Bonapart (Adieu Bonapart, 1985) and of course, the most elusive of them all “Al-Usfur العصفور (The Sparrow, 1972).
I had the wonderful opportunity to watch the latter on the big screen at a film festival in the region and I loved it.

The backdrop is the famous Six-Day War between Egypt and Israel back in 1967, for the story of young policeman (Salah Kabil) trying to unearth a huge goverment corruption while dealing with problems at home. Chahine manages to literally film Egyptian society suffocating with an awesome panorama at the ghettos seen from afar, strongly resembling cemeteries. Narration-wise, he opts for something more intriguing than the Point A to Point B passage through several stream-of-consciousness cuts, seemingly out of nowhere, but he does it beautifully. The work is compelling on all levels.

Here’s a portrait of Youssef Chahine by Laurence Surde (47×47 cm) and the poster of “The Sparrow”. I am not the author of these images. All rights go to the artist Laurence Surde for the portrait and whoever executed the film poster.