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A Tale of Two Sisters (Kim Jee-woon, 2003) vs. I grandi magazzini (Mario Camerini, 1939)

Vote for either x2003 or x1939 (italicization unnecessary).

The deadline for voting is 12 a.m. EST on Sunday, May 12.

If you need access to the films, please let us know.

x1939

And I like Camerini/De Sica's earlier comedies (Gli uomini che mascalzoni, Darò un milione and Il signor Max) even more!

I grandi magazzini is translated as Department Store.

x1939

Saw A Tale of Two Sisters my first year living in Korea and knew nothing about the national cinema whatsoever - discovering in the process Hong Sang-soo, Lee Chang-dong, etc - and was impressed that the Koreans could make something so slick and "Hollywood." Saw it again a few years ago and was less impressed.

I love the Camerini/De Sica comedies, though I agree with Angel that Department Store ain't the best of the bunch. Still: a delight.

x1939

I didn't much like A Tale of Two Sisters, though there's a chance my opinion would go up on a rewatch. I'm rarely convinced by the big twists/reveals of the sort that happen here (won't say more so as not to spoil, of course), nor does the style, which seems to have anticipated a lot of later Hollywood horror, do much for me. (Though I will say that the use of color is delicious, a tiny bit The Cook, the Thief, His Wife & Her Lover-esque.)

x1939

x1939

I wish I had seen A Tale of Two Sisters when it was initially released. I can see how it would have felt fresh at the time.

x1939

x1939



Enjoyed both films, but Department Store won me over in its ability to navigate the romantic storyline while bridging it to ideas around work life and commodities under fascist Italy. I found this 1998 article that approaches the film from a Frankfurt School critical theory perspective, if that's up anyone's alley.

Consuming Ideologies: Fascism, Commodification, and Female Subjectivity in Mario Camerini's "Grandi magazzini"
https://we.tl/t-2SKVxRy5Q6

x1939. I wasn't enthralled with either one, but did find the rapport among the sales girls in Grandi Magazzini rather dear and appealing. The men were all foolish in just about every quality which was featured. OK by me, though it did leave the last scene with all the lovers looking at the window display kinda sad, tying up the gift box of hetero marriage and children with a black bow of orthodox, debased constraint. Not to mention the immanent wages of war defense on their door step.

I'm not one who appreciates much modern Asian horror (or any modern horror). The Tale of Two Sisters was no exception. Felt like some kind of off-kilter child porn parallelism in tacit mood and tone--too manipulative for me. But thanks to the managers for both offerings.

Voting closed! I grandi magazzini (1939) wins!