Citizen Kane

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Orson Welles' Citizen Kane (1941) is probably the single most revered film in existence. It is often said it is the film that saved, defined and revived the medium and the industry. It has been raised on a ridiculously high pedestral and if anyone even dares to second guess the film for a moment he (or she) will be attacked at or at least completely ignored. It's the Holy Bible of film lovers.

What is this great film about, then? The rise and fall of Charlie Foster Kane. This sort of story has become increasingly popular after Citizen Kane, but none of them have really mastered the idea as well. The life of the complex main character is thoroughly explored, but the narrative is probably a bit too dense for its sake. The narrative exposition feels a bit forced at times and it managed to make me feel a bit alienated. The film's emotional impact was reduced.

Pretty much everything has been written about the film's impeccable from. Its camerawork is probably as refined as it can get. The editing is ambitious and works well throughout the film's running time. The musical score is a tad generic, but it was hardly a nuisance.

In the end, Citizen Kane is a film I can admire, but I will probably never love.

Score: 9 out of 10

And the film lovers gasped in unison once they saw the "low" score.

5 Centimeters per Second

Makoto Shinkai's 5 Centimeters per Second (2007) is the culmination of the director's career. His lyrical storytelling and mouth-watering visuals come together seamlessly in this sad and melancholic love story.

The fragile main characters reach for love, but they face difficulties as alienation, melancholy, distance and longing come in their way. The bittersweet ending montage summarizes the film's idea in a stunning way. The film consists of three short stories that focus around one main character during his youth. Each segment calmly gathers tension that is often subverted to make the melancholic tone more tangible.

Shinkai's breathtaking background art, fascinating compositions and lyrical editing give the film a poignancy that is hard to achieve in cinema - especially with the running time of only a single hour. The voice acting should also be praised because it carries the film so well. The childlike innocence of the first segment is especially tangible through the soft and charming performances.

5 Centimeters per Second is an incredibly touching and gorgeous film that I like to return to once in a while - even if only to watch a few clips from here and there.

Score: 10 out of 10

Nostalgia

Andrei Tarkovsky's Nostalgia (1983) was the first film he made outside of the Soviet Union, and the second last film he ever made. It deals with his conflicted feelings of leaving his motherland. The protagonist of the film is a Russian poet who faces nostalgia while staying in Italy with an interpreter. The film's exploration of nostalgia, longing and alienation in a foreign culture is striking and surprisingly tangible.

Tarkovsky's form doesn't fail either. His use of sepia in the dreamlike flashbacks, long take aesthetic and meticulous editing are so captivating and impeccable. His use of classical music is almost incomparable, as well.

Nostalgia is a sadly overlooked work in Tarkovsky's filmography even though it's clearly yet another great masterpiece from the auteur.

Score: 10 out of 10

Only Yesterday

Isao Takahata is the lesser known director of the two masters at Studio Ghibli - the other being Hayao Miyazaki. His anti-war film, Grave of the Fireflies (1988), is considered his masterpiece, but I beg to differ. Only Yesterday (1991) - a film depicting Japan in the 60's and the 80's - is the one I consider his true masterpiece. Although Grave of the Fireflies and Only Yesterday are approximately on the same level when it comes to quality, I prefer the latter's complexity because it is drawn from simple yet subtle moments which linger in my mind long after the ending.

Essentially the film is about a 27-year-old office worker who takes a vacation to work in the fields - while reflecting upon the time when she came of age. The dense narrative manages to create tangible portrayals of Japan during the 60's and the 80's. The film goes to tiny details in order to show how things have changed and how each period has an effect on the characters.  But most of all this film is about nostalgia - and it is a superb take on the phenomenon.

The form is even more superb. The art direction is wonderfully striking and distinctive - especially the way nostalgia is portrayed is magnificent. The compositions are beautiful and colors are used in a fascinating way. The use of music varies from subtle (background music) to intrusive (song sequences) - both of which work very well. The character design is quite flawless throughout the film.

Ultimately, Only Yesterday might be my favourite Studio Ghibli film because for me it's the most poignant one - and that should say quite a lot.

Score: 10 out of 10

The Boys from Fengkuei

I've been interested in Hou Hsiao-hsien, the Taiwanese auteur, for quite a while. I saw his City of Sadness (1989) a few months ago and fell in love with it - I'm going to rewatch it soon. In any case, I wanted to get more familiar with his filmography and started with The Boys from Fengkuei (1983). Initially, the film is about a group of reckless youngsters who spend their days by drinking and fighting in a small town called Fengkuei. After a while, three of these guys decide to go to a bigger city to look for work. Gradually the film becomes the story of Ah-ching (one of the three) who has to face the problems the cruel reality brings up.

The film is a nice take on nostalgia and coming to terms with life. While it's not vastly insightful in its content, it is satisfying enough on its own. The film's beginning and ending are amazing and should be appreciated - the development of the characters becomes extremely obvious when the two are compared.

The form isnt very "Houesque" yet, but there are a few of his trademarks visible already. For one, he likes to revisit older compositions on a few occasions although it doesnt have an impact as big as, say, the hospital composition in his City of Sadness. The takes arent nearly as long as in his other films, and the framing is a bit rough. The erratic camera movement is a bit distracting at times, but luckily it isnt too bad in general. The weirdest aspect in the form was the musical score: Hou uses well-known Western classical music which either works somehow or not at all. For example, his use of Vivaldi's Winter was rather random and that piece of music always reminds of Oldboy, which didnt help at all.

In overall, The Boys from Fengkuei is a decent, likable film which suffers from notable flaws. It is a must-see for Hou fans.

Score: 6 out of 10