Shadows of Forgotten Ancestors
1964
Directed by Sergei Parajanov
Okay, can I start by giving a handy tip? If you are putting subtitles on a movie, don't make the font white when the background is predominantly white. Just don't do it!
When I started this film, I had the distinct feeling that I had seen it before. The style seemed familiar and the somewhat nonsensical plot brought with it well remembered feelings of frustration and confusion. Then I realized that The Book has made me watch the same type of movie over and over again and it can be...exhausting.
Anyway, this particular film is about Ivan, who falls in love with the daughter of the man who killed his father. I know, this sounds like a great premise to a detective show. Actually, it is way less interesting than that. Ivan goes kind of insane, there is religious symbolism, blah blah blah.
Wow, these reviews are getting kind of lazy. Soon there might just be an emoticon that symbolizes how I feel. 2014 is the year of efficiency.
As frequent readers probably know, I am not a religious person so stories that have anything to do with that subject rarely hold my attention. This film was trying to be artsy, clearly, but also tried to have a coherent plot. This is a lethal combination.
So overall: :(
RATING: **---
Interesting Facts:
Nothing terribly interesting about this one. Surprise!
Available on YouTube:
I love your humor in these reviews. Though I haven't watched many of the movies, I get a kick of reading your reviews! Thanks. :)
ReplyDeleteThank you so much! I love reading your comments and I am so glad you love the blog!
DeleteNot sure exactly what to think of this movie. The scenery and the filming is interesting, but the stor is so blah that it did nothing for me at all.
ReplyDeleteWhite subtitles on white background is unfortunately nothing new. Do they never get smarter?
There's ideas, enthusiasm and a love of visual beauty by the spade here. Not so much professional filmmaking experience though. Still, if forced to choose, I'd rather have the former than the latter.
ReplyDeleteThe storyline could have been better communicated at times, but any director whose film gets him banned by his dictatorship government must be doing something right in my book.