Dreams

Dreams (1990) was one of the last films Akira Kurosawa ever directed. It is a fragmented collection of dreams that aren't connected to each other in any way. They touch on many subjects and themes, but the final result is perplexing to say the least - because the film is hardly coherent at all. There's also a problem with the strong morals: they are handled in a ridiculously heavy-handed way. Although I have to admit that the dream involving Vincent Van Gogh was awesome.

While the content is challenging and confusing, the form is spot-on. Kurosawa never fails to create breathtaking imagery. The pacing is wonderfully dreamy and while that makes the film a bit harder to watch, it works well to enhance the unclear content. The musical score is delightful as well.

Dreams was certainly something new for Kurosawa, but this "experiment" doesn't work as well as it could have possibly worked.

Score: 5 out of 10

PS: I would be interested in reading a Jungian analysis of the dreams. Maybe that would make me understand the content better.

Requiem for a Dream

Darren Aronofsky's Requiem for a Dream (2000) is a cautionary tale of addiction. There are drug addictors (Jared Leto, Marlon Wayans), a drug addict who is/becomes a whore (Jennifer Connelly) and an old, television-addicted and overweight lady (Ellen Burstyn) who begins to take drugs, as well. It is so ridiculously preaching and heavy-handed that it makes me laugh instead of making me think. The weak characters are completely controlled by the will to be as cruel as possible towards addicts. The stiff dialogue is laughable. At least it is damn obsessed with its own message so that it doesnt really stray away from it at any point.

The form might be tight, but very distracting and unfitting. There is sped up and slowed down footage, strap-on cameras and "hip hop" editing. These are mostly used in a wrong way if you ask me. The formal choices deliver either the opposite effect, are there to look "cool" or "shocking" or at worst feel completely random. Especially the "hip hop" editing seems to glorify the act of getting high, and that is exactly the opposite of what the film wants to say. The compositions are quite nice sometimes, but the dramatic strings are somewhat silly sometimes. Unfortunatnely this movie made Lux Aeterna popular (and THAT Lord of the Rings trailer even moreso) that its effect has completely worn out - and in turn evokes more disgust than drama. The performances are mostly OK, with the exceptions of Jared Leto and Ellen Burstyn. The former is shitty and the latter is awesome.

Score: 4 out of 10