Most Helpful Customer Reviews
|
|
35 of 38 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Melancholy and Love's Slow Death, 10 Dec 2002
I am totally captivated by the films of this contemporary French film-maker, Francois Ozon. Having seen three of his films, "See the Sea" (1997) and "Under the Sand" (2000), and Water Drops on Burning Rocks (1999), I feel that these films all delve into a space where not many people want to go. His films seem to leave a seemingly subtle yet pervasive and deep wound. I would find myself unconsciously thinking about certain images or scenes from these films months after I have seen them. Ozon has a gentle way of dealing with the not-so-gentle notions of love, loss, longing, and the longing of a love lost. It's the 1970s, 50 year old Leopold and 19 year old Franz are lovers who are slowing being eaten away by time. These characters are drawn so very carefully and beautifully -- their performances and Ozon's camerawork are mesmerising. There are some very stylised shots that deliver powerful dozes of yearning and desire. Based on a play by Fassbinder, Ozon pays a notable homage to this great German film director in one beautifully shot scene, where the camera spins around the couple. I also love the art and music direction -- the shag-piled carpet and those love songs... Perhaps not a conventionally narrative-driven piece, (the film is very episodic) but I would place it alongside Visconti's "Death in Venice", (though the camera work is not as luxuriatingly slow) and Barbet Schroeder's recent (based on Genet's book "Our Lady of the Flowers" -- I guess) "Our Lady of the Assassins", in the film's dealings with love and love's ingratitudes.
|
|
|
15 of 17 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
Ode to Fassbinder, 18 Feb 2002
By A Customer
As in his soap parody "Sitcom", French director François Ozon again examines human love affairs. His "Water Drops On Burning Rocks" is a sort of ode to Fassbinder.
Fassbinder's movies themselves can be quite pessimistic and dark with some caustic humor (if any) but in Ozon's adaptation of his play, the story is never too dark or too gloomy to sit through because of Ozon's (sometimes embarrassing) funny portrayal of his characters.As in all of Ozon's movies, the main characters invariably are (sexually) troubled and frustrated people and there's no exeption in WDOBR.
Set in Berlin (suggested by postcards showed at the film's start) I was still a bit surprised to be confronted with French dialog. The story is about a fifty year old French businessman called Leopold who lures a curious young adult named Franz into his apartment where they live as lovers. The entire movie takes place in this apartment. Underneath the kitsch seventies style and the black humour, this film has a serious topic: The very nature of desire. These are characters who will do anything in order to fulfil their desires, regardless of the destruction they cause to themselves, or in the case of Leopold, others.
In the hands of a lesser director, this movie, which in essence is a mix of sex, fetishism and cruelty, could easily amount into something insignificant and trite, but is amply helped by its compelling and lively dialogue.
If you're tired of the standard action-packed-happy-end Hollywood fare, you'll find in this thought provoking, intelligent movie a welcome alternative.
|
|
|
6 of 8 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
a french farce, 21 Dec 2004
By A Customer
i really became engrossed in this film. a low budget joe orton-ish type farce on the intoxication of love it had me in stiches at points. a little over the top. loved it. malik zidi is stunningly beautiful too.
|
|
|
Most Recent Customer Reviews
|
![Water Drops on Burning Rocks [DVD] [2000] [Region 1] [US Import] [NTSC]](http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51X7KY8859L._SL75_SS50_.jpg)
![Death In A French Garden [DVD] [1986]](http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51VPDH5WHXL._SL75_SS50_.jpg)
![L'Ennui [DVD] [2000]](http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/41KMYJB89XL._SL75_SS50_.jpg)
![Les Choses Secrets [DVD]](http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/41HPB3JQEFL._SL75_SS50_.jpg)
![Criminal Lovers [2003] [DVD]](http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/5125JY8A95L._SL500_SS90_.jpg)
![L'Ennui [DVD] [2000]](http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/41KMYJB89XL._SL500_SS90_.jpg)
![Swimming Pool [2003] [DVD]](http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51Lw9HcDdjL._SL500_SS90_.jpg)
![Time To Leave [DVD] [2006]](http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51hdiUBTWsL._SL500_SS90_.jpg)
![Death In A French Garden [DVD] [1986]](http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51VPDH5WHXL._SL500_SS90_.jpg)
