OK, so those of us who caught Code Unknown at Flickerings all seem to be impressed with that film, but I'm wondering what other films by Haneke people have seen. I just saw The Piano Teacher last night and I thought that was incredible as well. I'd say it was one of the most disturbing films I have ever seen, much like Todd Solondz's work -- only, I think Haneke is a better director. The cinematography, for one thing, in both Code Unknown and The Piano Teacher is incredible.
So, has anyone seen The Piano Teacher or any of Haneke's other films? Comments, criticisms?
Full Version: Michael Haneke
Yup, I've seen The Piano Teacher, but I have only vague memories of it right now, apart from the fact that the Isabelle Huppert character is one seriously sadistic/masochistic person.
(Alas, when I saw the film, the theatre in question completely BOTCHED the projection of the film -- there was plenty of blank screen all around the projected image, and apparently the film was shot with a mixture of soft-matte and hard-matte cinematography, so we could actually see it switch back and forth from a widescreen image to a larger squarish image, and whenever it was in the larger squarish mode, we could see the boom mic and stuff like that. Absolutely, absolutely annoying. And this was a single-screen independent theatre -- not a multiplex -- and I saw the film on its fourth day of release, so there should have been PLENTY of time to fix this screw-up before the audience with whom I saw the film got there.)
I do recall playing the second movement of Schubert's 'Piano Trio in E Flat' quite a bit after seeing the film, though. In fact, now that I've reminisced, I'm playing an mp3 of it right now.
(Alas, when I saw the film, the theatre in question completely BOTCHED the projection of the film -- there was plenty of blank screen all around the projected image, and apparently the film was shot with a mixture of soft-matte and hard-matte cinematography, so we could actually see it switch back and forth from a widescreen image to a larger squarish image, and whenever it was in the larger squarish mode, we could see the boom mic and stuff like that. Absolutely, absolutely annoying. And this was a single-screen independent theatre -- not a multiplex -- and I saw the film on its fourth day of release, so there should have been PLENTY of time to fix this screw-up before the audience with whom I saw the film got there.)
I do recall playing the second movement of Schubert's 'Piano Trio in E Flat' quite a bit after seeing the film, though. In fact, now that I've reminisced, I'm playing an mp3 of it right now.
Peter:
Yup, indeed. I really didn't see it coming. It was obvious she was repressed and had some serious mental issues, but I didn't expect the story to go in that direction. But the thing was that it felt right -- I didn't see it coming, but at the same time it wasn't out-of-the-blue. Anyway, I thought she gave a wonderful and quite nuanced performance. I'd say it was the best female performance I've seen in quite awhile.
That stinks. I did notice that it was both soft-matte and hard-matte -- it was a little jarring at first and I wondered what he was thinking filming it that way. I wanted to watch the commentary to see if that was mentioned at all, among other things, but alas I've lost my DVD remote (and subsequently got that Fleming & John song about the lost remote stuck in my head
).
| QUOTE |
| Yup, I've seen The Piano Teacher, but I have only vague memories of it right now, apart from the fact that the Isabelle Huppert character is one seriously sadistic/masochistic person. |
Yup, indeed. I really didn't see it coming. It was obvious she was repressed and had some serious mental issues, but I didn't expect the story to go in that direction. But the thing was that it felt right -- I didn't see it coming, but at the same time it wasn't out-of-the-blue. Anyway, I thought she gave a wonderful and quite nuanced performance. I'd say it was the best female performance I've seen in quite awhile.
| QUOTE |
| Alas, when I saw the film, the theatre in question completely BOTCHED the projection of the film -- there was plenty of blank screen all around the projected image, and apparently the film was shot with a mixture of soft-matte and hard-matte cinematography, so we could actually see it switch back and forth from a widescreen image to a larger squarish image, and whenever it was in the larger squarish mode, we could see the boom mic and stuff like that. |
That stinks. I did notice that it was both soft-matte and hard-matte -- it was a little jarring at first and I wondered what he was thinking filming it that way. I wanted to watch the commentary to see if that was mentioned at all, among other things, but alas I've lost my DVD remote (and subsequently got that Fleming & John song about the lost remote stuck in my head
).
I didn't find the Piano Teacher as gratifying as Code Unknown. I think that Haneke's more "psychological" approach works better with Code Unknown's script because The Piano Teacher doesn't cover as much important territory. I really had trouble getting into her character, and the ending of the film lends nothing to this goal.
Darryl A. Armstrong wrote:
: I did notice that it was both soft-matte and hard-matte -- it was a little
: jarring at first and I wondered what he was thinking filming it that way.
Wait a minute, you could notice this on the DVD!? How? Boom mics and all?
: I did notice that it was both soft-matte and hard-matte -- it was a little
: jarring at first and I wondered what he was thinking filming it that way.
Wait a minute, you could notice this on the DVD!? How? Boom mics and all?
Peter:
Er... Nevermind. I have no idea what I'm talking about. :oops:
| QUOTE |
| Wait a minute, you could notice this on the DVD!? How? Boom mics and all? |
Er... Nevermind. I have no idea what I'm talking about. :oops:
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