This week at the Cinematheque Ontario

As the Cinematheque summer series draws to a close in preparation for the Toronto International Film Festival, movie buffs can still catch the last of the Japanese, Luchino Visconti and Alain Resnais retrospectives. 

The brilliant and disturbing “The Damned” will be screened on the 13th Wednesday, the Japanese “Vengeance is Mine” on Monday 11th and Resnais’ startling documentary “Night and Fog” Thursday 14th.  All three demands to be seen.  Capsule reviews are provided below.

For the full schedule of films, venue and times, check the Cinematheque Ontario website at:-
http://www.cinemathequeontario.ca

THE DAMNED (GOTTERDAMERUNG) (Germany 1969) *****
Directed by Luchino Visconti
THE DAMNED is a disturbing, difficult but powerful film about the decline of a wealthy industrialist family set during the Nazi years.  The protagonist is Martin Von Essenbeck (Helmut Berger) whose rise to power is rooted in hate and disgust for his family, particularly his controlling mother (Ingrid Thulin) who he ends up raping at the very end.  The film has everything one does not want to watch on screen – pedophilia, incest, rape, slaughter, drug addiction and a disgusting orgy (the famed “Night of the Long Knives” when Hitler massacred his old army).  Visconti proves his prowess as a filmmaker, particularly from the lavish sets, props and especially the lighting.  The two stunning scenes where a green light falls on Martin showing his as true evil deserves and the other where the mother traverses many corridors lit each time she enters a new one deserve mention.  Visconti begins his film innocently enough with a spectacular birthday celebration while mounting up the tension and perversion as his film thunders towards its climax. This film gets a 5-start rating for its sheer elegance in Visconti’s display of decadence and decay.  I first viewed the film pre-high school, again about 20 years back and still find it fascinating the third time around.
(Screening:- Wednesday 13th 7 pm)

NUIT ET BROUILLARD (NIGHT AND FOG) (Fr/Italy 1955)
Directed by Alain Resnais
This 30 minute documentary on Nazi concentration camps is offered a style that emphasizes the enormity and bewilderment of the crimes committed against humanity.  Again as in all his movies, the theme on memory and forgetfulness surfaces. 
(Screening:- Thursday 14th, right after the screening of the 120 minute STAVISKY at 7 pm)

VENGEANCE IS MINE (Japan 1979) ****
Directed by Shohei Imamura
Totally engrossing account of real life serial killer, Iwao Enokizu based on a non-fiction novel.  The film opens with him (Ken Ogata) captured by the police with his character display full of disrespect for human life and authority.  Director Imamura then takes the viewer on a (sometimes confusing) non-linear time account of his 78-day crime and killing spree while dishing out the reasoning and psychological rationality of his behaviour.  Imumura is unafraid of displaying excessive violence (as in the bloodied killings) and erotic sex to propel his story.  Though Enokizu is portrayed as a merciless killer, the secondary characters are no angels either.  His wife cheats with his father and his grandmother can be bribed with horse racing bets.  The film gets better and better as it progresses towards its inspired ending.
(Screening:- Monday 11th 7pm)