17-12-2008 : 0900 am to 1100 am  "Battleship Potemkin"(Russian, directed by Sergei Eisenstein)
A classic film that has influenced many modern directors, widely acknowledged as a must-see for all who love the cinematic medium, which is a masterpiece by Sergei Eisenstein. In essence, the plot is a dramatized account of a great Russian naval mutiny and a resulting street demonstration which brought on a police massacre, in 1905 .The film's use of ships, masses of extras, etc., has been extensively discussed, and it is universally reckoned to capture well-organized chaos. Surprisingly violent (implied, more than modern gore),it demonises actions and shows innocents falling at all sides. Two of the most memorable scenes in all film lore, viz, the steps and the firing squad scenes, make the film immortal.
Eisenstein also did part of the writing and editing, while the highly acclaimed cinematography was handled by Eduard Tisse. Aleksandr Antonov played the Bolshevik sailor-martyr of the mutiny, Grigory Vakulinchuk.
Venue : Sangeetha Theatre
18-12-2008 : 0900 am to 1100 am  "La Terra Trema"(Sicilian-Italian, directed by Louis Vischonti) A black-and-white dramatic film directed by Luchino Visconti, an adaptation of Giovanni Verga's novel, "Malavoglia". Set in Aci Trezza, a small fishing village on the east coast of Sicily, it tells about the exploitation of working-class fishermen. Ntoni Valastros, the eldest son of a very traditional village family, mortgages his house in order to buy a boat with which he would catch and sell fish, thus trying to free himself from the usurious wholesalers. All go well, till a storm ruins the family boat...The family falls into severe distress, and Ntoni and his brothers are obliged to return to fish for the wholesalers. Visconti's mastery of filmcraft is showcased in this movie, especially in the use of fades and dissolves( to depict the solemn effect of time passing), and the superb internal musical rhythm, epitomized in the haunting tunes of the wind and sea, and sounds of ships returning to harbour. Since no Italian is spoken, a voice-over commentary was added, and this became well-known for its poetic quality of voice and words.... "....It is just a matter of time, as the worm said to the stone,       I will bore a hole through you yet...       One by one, the tree's branches wither and fall...       If there is any relief, a moment's happiness, it is the thought of one's girl..       And for her one can do without sleep;      Because a man is made to be caught by a girl, just as the fishes are made      for those who catch them..." Venue : Sangeetha Theatre
19-12-2008 : 0900 am to 1100 am  "Knife in the Water"(Polish' directed by Roman Polansky) Roman Polanski's first feature film, made in 1962, is acknowledged as one of the best debut feature films in history, along with "Citizen Kane" by Orson Welles and "Breathless" by Jean-Luc Godard...Nominated as the Best Foreign Language film at the 1963 Academy Awards, it catapulted Polanski into limelight, and he made it to the cover of the "Time" magazine, though in Poland, the Communist chief Gomulka derided the movie as plying decadent Western values. There are only three characters in this movie which deals with rivalry and sexual tension...The drama takes place during a prolonged sail, by a couple and a young hitch-hiker picked up on the road quite accidentally.. The title refers to a major turning point in the film when the husband taunts the young man with the latter's treasured pocket-knife. Leon Niemczyk, Jolanta Umecka and Zygmunt Malanowicz play the trio of characters. Polanski lends a voice-over. Venue : Sangeetha Theatre
20-12-2008 : 0900 am to 1100 am  "Deep Calm"(English, directed by the Australian filmmaker,Phillip Noyce) This highly-rated thriller is directed by the Australian filmmaker, Phillip Noyce, who shot the film in the Great Barrier Reef. It boasts of terrific performance, high tension and some breathtaking cinematography . It stars Sam Neil, Nicole Kidman and Billy Zane. The Australian naval officer John Ingram(played by Sam Neil) takes a yachting vacation with his wife, to get over the grief of their son's death in an auto tragedy. They give refuge to a guy who claims to be the sole survivor of a sinking ship. His story was a big lie, and he turns out to be a psychopathic nutcase...And a great thriller ensues...The 1989 movie is best known for the standout performance by Billy Zane as the psychopath. Venue : Sangeetha Theatre
21-12-2008: 0900 am to 1100 am  "Amistad"(English, directed by Steven Spielberg) This 1997 film by Steven Spielberg is based on a true story of a slave mutiny that took place aboard a ship of the same name in 1839, and the legal battle that followed, in the USA. The pathos and dignified courage of the slaves, who were illegally captured in West Africa and smuggled into the USA by a Spanish ship, are vividly brought out. Mutiny does not liberate them, as the remnant Spanish crew lead the ship to the USA, after a bad storm, and they are imprisoned. Abolitionists take up their cause, and after a memorable intervention by former President John Quincy Adams(the portrayal of whom won a second Oscar nomination for Anthony Hopkins, for playing a President of the USA), the US Supreme Court orders their transportation back home at State cost... Only for the hapless Africans to find death and desolation stalking their homeland...Besides Hopkins, it had Morgan Freeman, Mathew McConnaughey and Djimon Hounsou playing major roles .David Franzoni wrote the script and John Williams scored the music. Venue : Sangeetha Theatre
22-12-2008 : 0900 am to 1100 am  "The Bow" (Korean, directed by Kim Ki-duk) This 21st-century classic is a South Korean film directed by the Korean maestro, Kim Ki-duk, made in 2005, primarily centred around a 60-year old man and a 16-year old girl living in near seclusion on a fishing boat. The movie has little dialogue, and can be said to be an exploration of human nature and transcendence, with an overtly symbolic setting that verges on the abstract. On the surface there is a tense study of love and trust, while there is a gentle and lyrical encouragement of the viewer to dig deeper. Taking place on a boat on an unnamed ocean, the old man has supposedly found the girl some ten years earlier. He has this prize possession of a bow, with which he protects the girl, and which he also uses as a musical instrument. The maritime setting is perfectly utilized: the constant, yet gentle lapping of waves provides an almost hypnotic atmosphere. Visually, the film is minimalist but stunning. It has been commended that the look of the film compliments its spiritual aspect; it leaves the viewer with an ethereal, elemental feel.   Venue : Sangeetha Theatre