SCFZ

Polling the films of Volker Schlöndorff.

The rules:

- your list can include no more than half of the Schlöndorff 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

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

we'll use the extended rules -- if you've seen an odd # of films, you can round up when deciding the length of your ballot (e.g. if you've seen 7, you can vote for 4 instead of 3) and if you've seen more than 10, you can vote for more than five

Diplomacy
The Tin Drum

seen four

i'm thinking from now on, we'll just make director nominations a free-for-all. we've run so many of these polls (nearly 300!) that there may not be many directors left that scfzers are genuinely interested in polling. so i'll stop keeping track of who has nominated recently, and if anyone is interested in polling a director, you can:

• suggest the director in this thread (one director at a time only!)
• if the director might not have enough views, please ask scfz for feedback (and list how many views you have). a director needs one person with 10+ views, and two others with 7+ to be eligible for polling
• please then monitor the replies, and if the director meets the thresholds, post that the director is confirmed for a poll, and i'll add the director's name to the queue, and start up a poll soon afterwards

I've seen 3 and I'll cheat and vote for:

1. Mediterranee

Curious if we have enough views for Ken Jacobs (I've seen 13)

Baal
Coup de Grâce
The Lost Honor of Katharina Blum
Young Törless

Seen 1:

Palmetto

Seen 16:
1. The Tin Drum (1979)
2. The Lost Honor of Katharina Blum(1975)
3. Young Törless (1966)
4. Swann in Love(1984)

i've seen three by ken jacobs (two of those today!) and if i get up to a useful number i'll report back

Volker Schlöndorff is a director who at his best could be as biting and creative as anyone in the German New Wave. His particular form of ugliness and misanthropy has to be seen to be believed, and has certainly influenced films until this day - take Faith Akin's The Golden Glove for instance. Balancing between more minimalist efforts, often in black and white - and more over-the-top efforts assaulting your senses he proved an excellent range.

Baal is the real standout of his work - almost feeling like Dogme 95 before Dogme 95. Entirely stripped back, the light often overtaking the lense, and barely emotive, yet harrowing impressions from the actors - including Fassbinder in the lead role. However, watching The Tin Drum in my teen years also left a lasting effect. So nasty, perverse and epic in all its bizarre internal logic.

The main issue Schlöndorff struggled with was, frankly, consistency. Even his early years had lesser films sprinkled throughout - which true, could also be said of Fassbinder, but he did 3-4 a year - and Wenders for that matter - but his highs were higher (IMO). However, his jump to the US really didn't work, and The Handmaid's Tale feels like the work of a sloppy director with limited knowledge. However, with The Orge, The Ninth Day and Legend of Rita, he did prove that he was still the director he always was - even if he never quite reached the same heights or went that daring again.

So far, I have seen 14 of his films:

Baal
The Tin Drum
Coup de grâce
Legend of Rita
The Ninth Day
Young Torless
The Ogre

In terms of directors we have yet to poll, Terrence Malick and Alain Robbe-Grillet are my favourites, but they only made 10 films each (so far, in the former case), so everything would be on the final list.

I have been pushing Karel Kachyna quite a few times, and he has almost gone through, so if anyone have caught a few more recently he would be a very good option.

A few others favourite directors that could be of interest, but have not had the numbers previously:

István Szabó
Zoltán Fábri
André Téchiné
Bertrand Blier

-Outside of my top 100-

Péter Watkins
Anatole Litvak
Alain Tanner
Roland Neame
Will Forst
Otakar Vávra

I also think Martin Fric could be a great option. Seen 27 films from him, and more than enough great flicks, especially comedies.

Edit: Can't help on Ken Jacobs ilm afraid, not seen a single film by him.

i've seen 9 by neame, 8 by litvak and 7 by robbe-grillet, though if we were to poll robbe-grillet someone would need to have seen everything he did

I have seen all 10, so can help with the "tie-break" if some of his films do not get points.

THE CANDIDATE (1980)
THE SUDDEN WEALTH OF THE POOR PEOPLE OF KOMBACH
THE LEGEND OF RITA
THE LOST HONOR OF KATHARINA BLUM

GERMANY IN AUTUMN
THE TIN DRUM
SWANN IN LOVE
A FREE WOMAN
THE HANDMAID'S TALE

-----------------
watchlist:
YOUNG TORLESS
THE MORALS OF RUTH HALBFASS

Seen 6 by Litvak

Seen 5

YOUNG TORLESS!!!!!!!!!! OMGGGGG
the lost honor of Katharina Blum
The tin drum

Some famous directors I notice we haven't polled: negulescu, John sturges, Jarmusch

i've seen 13 john sturges and 7 jarmusch

John Sturges - 6
Anatole Litvak - 4
Jim Jarmusch - 4
Ronald Neame - 1

I've got 12 Jarmusch

Curtis, baby wrote: ↑Wed Aug 11, 2021 12:17 am Some famous directors I notice we haven't polled: negulescu, John sturges, Jarmusch

i have 10+ for all these blokes, i should mention

Jarmusch: 10
Sturges: 9
Negulescu: 6

Malick 6
Jarmusch 9

wonder we can do Kim Ki-young someday (seen 10)

István Szabó-14
Zoltán Fábri-7
André Téchiné-12
Bertrand Blier-9
Péter Watkins-5
Alain Tanner-4
Ronald Neame-11
Willi Forst-3
Otakar Vávra -5
John Sturges-32
Jim Jarmusch - 12
Anatole Litvak-11
Terence Malick-7

Seen 7 Schlorndorff

1. The Lost Honor of Katrina Blum
2. Young Torless
3. The Tin Drum

The Tin Drum
Young Torless
Coup de Grace
Lost Honor of Katarina Blum


István Szabó-3
Zoltán Fábri-3
André Téchiné-5
Bertrand Blier-5
Péter Watkins-5
Alain Tanner-2
Ronald Neame-12
Willi Forst-2
John Sturges-20
Jim Jarmusch - 13
Anatole Litvak-12
Terence Malick-6

seen 6

michael kohlhass
young törless
the tin drum

seen 9 by blier, 8 by malick, fewer than 6 by the rest

i love the text of SWANN IN LOVE.
Swann's route from infatuation to indifference i consider one of the most delightfully nihilistic narratives i ever read.
thus to see all this stagged in the garb reminiscent of the infamous Konchalovsky'a "A Nest of Gentry" was hugely disappointing.
moreover, i can't grasp how anyone sane can get the idea to cast the ex-boyfriend of Lolita as Swann.
Humbert Humbert with fake mustache doesn't make Swann.
Mastroianni = no comment.
Madame de Cambremer is the only delightful character in this film adaptation!

Btw it's Schlöndorff aka I guess Schloendorff

1. The Lost Honor of Katharina Blum
2. The Tin Drum
3. Circle of Deceit
4. Death of a Salesman

I've seen 7 by Schlöndorff, hope to get to Coup de Grâce soon.