SCFZ poll: Theo Angelopoulos

[flip]

Polling the films of director Theo Angelopoulos

The rules:

- your list can include no more than half of the Angelopoulos films you've seen, up to a maximum of 5. So if you've seen seven of his films, for example, you can list only a top 3. It's only if you've seen ten or more of his films than you can list the maximum of five.

- i'll assume ballots are ranked unless you tell me otherwise. unranked ballots are fine.

- deadline for ballots: next Friday, in seven days, whatever day that is

- if anyone is watching films for these polls, then i'll extend the deadline up to three days, if someone requests an extension

- next poll: whoever posts the first ballot in this thread is free to nominate the director we poll next, unless you've nominated in this round already (everyone should get a chance). Already nominated this round: wba, greg x, ofrene, greennui, evelyn, bure, mesnalty, umbugbene, roscoe, st gloede, brian d, kanafani, silga, oscarwerner, dt., nrh, arkheia, grabmymask, thoxans, john ryan, liquidnature, caracortada, rischka, zulawski

umbugbene created an index on letterboxd of all of our previous polls here: letterboxd.com/umbugbene/list/index-of-all-scfz-director-polls/

one rule for nominees: at least 3 scfzers need to have seen 10+ of a nominee's films, or at least 4 scfzers need to have seen at least 8 of the nom's films, so if it isn't clear if that will be the case, we'll confirm that's true before moving forward

if 24 hours pass after a poll opens, and no one eligible to nominate has posted a ballot, then i'll nominate someone, and then we'll start over, and everyone will be able to nominate again

[flip]

seen two (also seen eternity and a day) and disliked both, but i really need to see some of his earlier films:

ulysses gaze

[greennui]

Landscape in the Mist

[---]

Only seen 1 (eternity) but I liked it

[sally]

Travelling players
Alexander the great
The hunters
Reconstruction

[kanafani]

I've seen 4, but it was such a long time ago I barely remember a thing. I do recall a heavy-handed, self-important scene where a giant bust of Lenin (I think?) is transported by a helicopter (or was it a boat)? Was that the one with Harvey Keitel? I don't have any fond memories from this guy. I'm gonna skip this one.

[Umbugbene]

Seen 8 - most too long ago to rate them, but one stands out:

1. The Suspended Stride of the Stork

NOTE: All other English translations of the above title are patently inferior. This is how it was presented in 1992 at the film festival where I saw it, and ever since then I've always seen it written as "Suspended Step". Blah... no poetry there.

[wba]

love this guy

My favorite 5 Masterpieces:

01. Athens, Return to the Acropolis (1983)
02. The Suspended Step of the Stork (1991)
03. The Weeping Meadow (2004)
04. Ulysse's Gaze (1995)
05. Reconstruction (1970)

Angelopoulos seen: 10

[brian d]

reconstruction
days of 36
alexander the great
voyage to cythera
the traveling players

[liquidnature]

Seen 0 but I'd wager that he will one day become one of my favorite directors. I just know it. Which gives me an idea for a thread.

[...]

The Travelling Players
Landscape in the Mist
Voyage to Cythera

Only six seen

[mesnalty]

Seen 6, and I love the guy (though I certainly can't deny the charge of heavy-handedness):

1. Eternity and a Day
2. The Hunters
3. The Travelling Players

[Zulawski]

Seen 11.

1. The Hunters
2. Eternity and a Day
3. O Megaloxandros
4. Days of '36
5. The Suspended Step of the Stork

[St. Gloede]

Only seen 4 movies by Theo Angelopoulos. I give him a new try every 5-10 years. However, it is quite apparent he just isn't for me. His films are usually perfectly adequate, but he feels far too distant (in large part due to the literally distant camera). I don't get the sense of life or the opposite. The mood of his films fails to drag me in and engage me. I actually saw both Days of 36 and Reconstruction this year so will probably be a while until I give him another chance. In many ways, I have exactly the same issue with Hou. I love contemplative cinema, but the long-distance shots just don't work for me in either case. Prefer Angelopoulos style though, as it at least can have a degree of coldness to it.

[flip]

tdm - you can pick the director we poll next if you like!

[karl]

travelling players
landscape in the mist
voyage to cythera
suspended step of the stork
ulysses' gaze

seen 10

[rischka]

i only have 4 thx to a long ago mubi cup so

alexander the great
days of '36

[Joks Trois]

Seen 14.

WBA:Why is a quick cheap film he made for TV his best work to you? The Weeping Meadow before his most formally inventive works of the 70s like Traveling and Hunters? TWM is a gorgeous film, arguably one of the most beautiful of the century, but it's also very simplistic for him. Having said that, it's much better than The Dust of TIme, which for me is by far his worst film unfortunately.

I also get the charge of mannerism, of heavy handedness, but he was one of the masters of long takes and created many fantastic set pieces. The ending of The Suspended Step is mindblowing, or at least it was to me when I first saw it. Great film, and it was ignored for too long. I also get the charge of distance, but to me Hou is inferior to Angelopoulos. More cold and mechanical, and he has far less to say, especially about history.

As for the Lenin sequence in Ulysses Gaze, it works on a number of different levels to me. My main problem with that film is that it's in English.

1.The Travelling Players
2.The Hunters
3.The Suspended Step of The Stork
4.Voyage to Cythera
5.Landscape In The Mist

Reconstruction is almost like an Iranian New Wave film. I like it a lot.

[oscarwerner]

Seen only 5:
1.Landscape in the Mist
2.Eternity and a Day

[sally]

tdm - you can pick the director we poll next if you like!

i think there was a list some time ago of directors we haven't done yet that - anyone point me to it?

[wba]

WBA:Why is a quick cheap film he made for TV his best work to you? The Weeping Meadow before his most formally inventive works of the 70s like Traveling and Hunters? TWM is a gorgeous film, arguably one of the most beautiful of the century, but it's also very simplistic for him. Having said that, it's much better than The Dust of TIme, which for me is by far his worst film unfortunately.

I also get the charge of mannerism, of heavy handedness, but he was one of the masters of long takes and created many fantastic set pieces. The ending of The Suspended Step is mindblowing, or at least it was to me when I first saw it. Great film, and it was ignored for too long. I also get the charge of distance, but to me Hou is inferior to Angelopoulos. More cold and mechanical, and he has far less to say, especially about history.

As for the Lenin sequence in Ulysses Gaze, it works on a number of different levels to me. My main problem with that film is that it's in English.

Reconstruction is almost like an Iranian New Wave film. I like it a lot.

I think his film about Athens is his most accomplished film, as well as his most personal work. Almost like a late manifesto or a blueprint for all his other work.
As for some of his earlier work: I haven't seen The Travelling Players, nor the Hunters, nor Megalexandros. Also only the first 15 minutes of The Dust of Time, which I thought were beautiful (though I've heard from many fans that the film is a catastrophe and by far his worst, as you say). The Weeping Meadow is very simple, but I think that's its benefit, as Angelopoulos has never done anything this simple but still this accomplished. Simplicity and grace are also difficult to achieve, and with this film he nails it.

I also understand theproblems with mannerism and heavy-handedness, but that's his style, his cinema. The charge of distance is one I don't get. I think his films are very emotional, even melodramatic, something he shares with someone like Hou or Tarkovsky. Nothing distant, cold or mechanical for me.

The Lenin sequence in Ulysses Gaze is mindblowing in my opinion, and works as you say on many different and equally exciting levels. The English language is a problem, but I get the "trick" of trying to find a foreign "universal" language all can use in some ways while travelling through the balcans, whch is also an expression of speechlessness, of having lost your own language your native language, your speech, the desire to talk, etc. , etc.

[flip]

i think there was a list some time ago of directors we haven't done yet that - anyone point me to it?

there was this thread:

https://scfzforum.org/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?f=5&t=61

but we've since polled some of the directors there.

[john ryan]

Seen 10

1. The Hunters
2. Alexander the Great
3. Eternity and a Day
4. The Bee Keeper
5. Landscape in the Mist

[sally]

i think there was a list some time ago of directors we haven't done yet that - anyone point me to it?

there was this thread:

https://scfzforum.org/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?f=5&t=61

but we've since polled some of the directors there.

in that case...borowczyk? i have 8.

[flip]

interesting choice, i have 13 borowczyk, and i've seen a lot less film than many people here, so i'm sure he'll work - walerian borowczyk poll will start on tuesday!

[wba]

6 Boros here.

[flip]

i think i forgot to tally this poll, sorry! i'll probably do it tomorrow, so if anyone still wanted to participate, poll is still open.

[flip]

results

1. The Travelling Players (1975) -- 19 pts
2. The Hunters (1977) -- 18 pts
3. Alexander the Great (1980) -- 15 pts
4. Landscape in the Mist (1988) -- 11 pts
5. The Suspended Step of the Stork (1991) -- 11 pts
5. Eternity and a Day (1998) -- 11 pts
7. Voyage to Cythera (1984) -- 8 pts
8. Days of '36 (1972) -- 7 pts
8. Reconstruction (1970) -- 7 pts
10. Athens: Return to the Acropolis (1983) -- 5 pts
11. Ulysses' Gaze (1995) -- 4 pts
12. The Weeping Meadow (2004) -- 3 pts
13. The Beekeeper (1986) -- 2 pts

[sally]

in memory of dim!

[flip]

up at le box:

https://letterboxd.com/fliptrotsky/list ... -poll-167/