¡QUE VIVA MEXICO!
The movie has some aura farming moments ngl. The music in the beginning was fucking peak, it felt like as it was done today, same in the end. That famous humming. Not sure if it came from here or not but it’s just a masterpiece, was really interesting seeing old Mexico, and how the ruins looked then vs how they looked when i visited them. Sadly the movie isn’t finished but still its amazing, you might find it boring somewhere in the middle, the Fiesta part was not that interesting, but for the people who doesn’t know the culture it should be alright/interesting. It’s a pity I started to know Eisenstein with this one. I hope others will be even better. Also the poster is fucking tuff as fuck, probably my favourite ore one of my favourites.
Honestly I don’t know what to rate it. 4.5 is too bad for it but 5 stars is too good. So the real rating for this movie will be 4.83 but because it’s closer to 5 star I’ll put it as one.
It's maybe a miracle that this is as good as it is - though firstly at least it's a great example of how fundamental composition is to Eisenstein's form, as much as montage is fundamental to it. But what's missing is the key - the interplay between composition and the cut, and Eisenstein without montage feels like there is something missing. Indeed, upon returning Russia many assumed Eisenstein was institutionalized as a form of penalization for having spent such a long time in North America, but it's been revealed since it was because of the deep depression he has spiraled into upon realizing that he would never be able to finish this film properly.
this film exists as really plans for a film, rather than the work itself. But Eisenstein's plans are of course head and shoulders above the ability of most filmmakers anyways - what manages to be conveyed is still the central structural conceits via the films intended episodic structure - the principal question (not revealed till the ending) is why does Mexico celebrate a day of the dead? Eisenstein's answer is that the history of Mexico is that of tragedy and oppression. The entire film becomes a build up to an idealized vision of the Mexican revolution - the sequence itself being the one that was never shot - the Soldadera. The celebration of the day of the dead - set in the present of 1931 - becomes a celebration of triumph, a supposed defeat of the oppressors, a look back at the past to understand why it was necessary to create a new future. A scorning and mockery of death and defeat - children play with toy skeletons as though it were pure fantasy.
¡QUE VIVA MEXICO!
The movie has some aura farming moments ngl. The music in the beginning was fucking peak, it felt like as it was done today, same in the end. That famous humming. Not sure if it came from here or not but it’s just a masterpiece, was really interesting seeing old Mexico, and how the ruins looked then vs how they looked when i visited them. Sadly the movie isn’t finished but still its amazing, you might find it boring somewhere in the middle, the Fiesta part was not that interesting, but for the people who doesn’t know the culture it should be alright/interesting. It’s a pity I started to know Eisenstein with this one. I hope others will be even better. Also the poster is fucking tuff as fuck, probably my favourite ore one of my favourites.
Honestly I don’t know what to rate it. 4.5 is too bad for it but 5 stars is too good. So the real rating for this movie will be 4.83 but because it’s closer to 5 star I’ll put it as one.
It's maybe a miracle that this is as good as it is - though firstly at least it's a great example of how fundamental composition is to Eisenstein's form, as much as montage is fundamental to it. But what's missing is the key - the interplay between composition and the cut, and Eisenstein without montage feels like there is something missing. Indeed, upon returning Russia many assumed Eisenstein was institutionalized as a form of penalization for having spent such a long time in North America, but it's been revealed since it was because of the deep depression he has spiraled into upon realizing that he would never be able to finish this film properly.
this film exists as really plans for a film, rather than the work itself. But Eisenstein's plans are of course head and shoulders above the ability of most filmmakers anyways - what manages to be conveyed is still the central structural conceits via the films intended episodic structure - the principal question (not revealed till the ending) is why does Mexico celebrate a day of the dead? Eisenstein's answer is that the history of Mexico is that of tragedy and oppression. The entire film becomes a build up to an idealized vision of the Mexican revolution - the sequence itself being the one that was never shot - the Soldadera. The celebration of the day of the dead - set in the present of 1931 - becomes a celebration of triumph, a supposed defeat of the oppressors, a look back at the past to understand why it was necessary to create a new future. A scorning and mockery of death and defeat - children play with toy skeletons as though it were pure fantasy.
