 
|
Audio Asylum Thread Printer Get a view of an entire thread on one page |
For Sale Ads |
|
|
Audio Asylum Thread Printer Get a view of an entire thread on one page |
For Sale Ads |
24.242.112.141
Just finished watching "Ivan the Terrible, Part I," on TCM. Every time I see this film I am amazed by the cinematography, production design, acting, etc., and it is far from being my favorite Eisenstein film. But "Ivan the Terrible Part I" makes everything else on television right now look like it was put together by children.TCM has announced at the end of the broadcast that they will be showing "The Boyars' Plot" next week at this time.
Follow Ups:
Feels like a completely different film, and contains the incredible feast scene.
I saw both parts of "Ivan the Terrible" in New York back in 1980 or '82. Back then I was fascinated by the look of the works but the acting style Eisenstein draws from his cast was very off-putting to me. When I saw it later on videotape, I ran a segment of Part I without sound, and suddenly, the acting style made sense. It seems to me that Eisenstein directed the actors to move in such a way (I recall Pauline Kael called it "kabuki theatre") that words are almost unnecessary, and the action can be understood by virtually any audience even without subtitles. Knowing a little more about Russian history also helped! Since then, I have seen both parts of the work two or three times and enjoyed them immensely.So as you can see, I have seen "Part II", and I agree, it IS a completely different film. One of the great losses in film history is Eisenstein's planned "Ivan the Terrible, Part III". What would it have been like?
"Ivan the Terrible, Part II", or "The Boyars' Plot" is scheduled to air on TCM late Friday night. I told my wife I may not wait for it to air...it may be time to buy the Criterion DVD!
Eisenstein created a "Moving Frieze". It is high relief sculpture in motion. Interestingly enough one Boris Godunov was presented in that style at the Met (with Jerome Hines who had the size {6'8"} and dedication to carry it off). It was one of the most stunning things I have ever seen on an opera stage.I thought the style in the movie was perfect to the subject matter.
Re: Victor's point, Part II was delayed for some time by Stalin's fierce opposition. By this time Eisenstein realized that the revolution had not turned out as he had hoped and that was part of the point of his film. The people trusted Ivan and Ivan failed them. "Uncle Joe" got the point and for a bit considered a Gulag for the director (discovered in the early 1990s when we had some access to KGB fles). Stalin was upset because Eisenstein was obliquely saying that the people also trusted the revolution and the revolution failed them. Yeltsin and Putin have simply repeated the pattern.
Your comments remind of Pauline Kael's view of the directing style of "Ivan the Terrible"...something to the effect of "you keep thinking someone is going to sing, and towards the end of Part I, someone does, in a terrific sequence." (This is not a direct quote of Ms Kael, as my books are still in storage, but you get the gist of her comments).A "moving frieze"? An apt title for the style. And you are right, the style is perfect for the subject matter.
whether I agreed with her or not. Compared with many of her contemporaries (Judith Christ, Rex Reed, Archer Winston, et al) she was an absolute delight. John Simon was also a delight but was often flat, bloody over the top*. Alas, he seems confined to theatre these days.Come to think of it, compared to today's crop Ms. Kael was a delight as well.
* but as a grammarian someone certainly worth a read.
Was to be in 3D (only kidding).Mel Brooks' 2000 year old man said that revisionist thinking had it that Ivan did not do all those things so he should be called "Ivan the Not So Terrible".
I have these on the Crterion twofer DVD box with "Alaxander Nefsky (why I bought it) but have seen them only once. Thank you for inspiring me to look again.
You're welcome, rico! I enjoy reading your comments on whatever film takes your fancy at the moment. A good joke makes them even more enjoyable!
Yes, that's a good set, also contains the Alexandr Nevsky. A naive propaganda film with many great moments and an incredible and unforgettable Prokofiev score.
They didn't get the sound right on Nevsky until the final laserdisc which was on the market for about two minutes. The first DVD had shitty sound but Criterion got it right here (of course).
he thought this was his best work. Most critics disagree but after time and many viewings of Eisenstein's works I have come to agree.
I prefer the rawness and direct immediacy of Eisenstein's "Strike" and "Battleship Potemkin." That being said, I think all of Eisenstein's films are simply amazing. His work stands head and shoulders above almost everyone else's. There is not a shot in any of his films that does not have the stamp of genius on it. Watching "Ivan the Terrible, Part I" last night, I kept laughing at the audacity of his vision, and his ability to carry it out. I can't wait for "The Boyar's Plot" to air on TCM next weekend.
I was completely freaked out by this film when I was about 5.
Couldn't sleep & mum & dad let me watch it with them....
This post is made possible by the generous support of people like you and our sponsors:
Top of Page ]
[ Contact Us ]
[ Support/Wish List ]
[ Copyright © 2024, Audio Asylum, all rights reserved ]
