L'AGE DOR FILMS. 4 EDITIoN Evans, Peter W, The Films of Luis Buniuel; Subjectivity Desir But he needed funds for filmmaking activities. It was thus crucial New York. 1995 when he met a wealthy patron, the Vicomte de noailles, who Hammond, Paul, L'Age D'Or, London, 1998 taken to commission a film every year for his wife's birthday (In Baxter, John, Buniuel, New York, 1999 1930 it would be Jean Cocteau's Blood of a Poet. )In short order unuel had a million francs to make any film he wanted. Dali Articles. and Bunuel tried to work together, but failed. (Dalf's credit as co-screenwriter for what would become L'Age d,or amounted to but Chavance, Louis,""Les Influences de L'Age d'or, 'in Revue du a few suggestions. )LAge d'or truly stands as Bunuel's first film Cinema(Paris), I January 1931 The plot of L'Age d'or is remarkably simple; two lovers( Gaston Miller, Henry, in New Review(Paris), 1931; reprinted in Spanish in Modot and Lya lys)declare war on a bourgeois French society intent Contracampo(Madrid), October-November 1980 on thwarting the fulfillment of their desires. and the film did not lack Aranda, Francesco,""Surrealist and Spanish Giant, in Films and for name talent. For example, the lead, Gaston Modot, was a longtime Filming(London), October 1961 French film star. who started with Gaumont in 1909 and worked for Bunuel Issue"of La Methode(Paris), January 1962. all the great directors of the French cinema: Louis Delluc in Fievre Durgnat, Raymond, in Films and Filming(London), April 1962. (1921), Rene Clair in Sous les toits de paris(1930), Marcel Carme in ""Manifeste des surrealists a propos de L'age d'or, in L'Avant- Les Enfants du paradis(1945), and Jean Renoir in La Regle du jeu Scene du Cinema(Paris), 15 July 1963 (1939)and La grande Illusion(1937) Lyon, E. H, The Process of Dissociation in Three Films, in L'Age dor features moment after moment of surrealist Cinema Journal(Evanston, Illinois), Fall 1973 juxtapositions. a poor beggar is savagely beaten, a proud dowager is Tena, Jean,"L'Age d'or a l'ombre du Teide, 'in Cahiers de la slapped, a father shoots his son. The themes of the film follow the concerns of Un Chien andalou: frustrated love, societys repression Logette, L,"Surrealisme et cinema. ' in Jeune Cinema(Paris), of sexuality, the constancy of physical violence, attacks on the clergy But L'Age dor, a longer work, is far more complex. Although the Magny, Joel, "L'Age d'or: Un Manifeste de la subversion devenu actions of the frustrated lovers are central, the film goes off in all sorts of directions. Indeed it opens with documentary footage of scorpions. Bonnet, Jean-Claude, in Cinematographe(Paris), July 1981 This leads into incidents on a rocky seashore where a gang of bandits Bonitzer, P,""Un documentaire anamorphique, " in Cahiers du (led by surrealist painter Max Ernst) are invaded by first a group of Cinema(Paris), September 1981 chanting bishops and then dignitaries who "have come to found the Kral, P, "L'Age dor aujourd hui, in Positif ( Paris), October 1981 Loman Empire. The film ends with a sequence of a cross in the Logette, L, "Un Film irrecuperable: L'Age dor, in Jeune Cinema now, covered tresses blowing in the wind to the tune of a paso doble ( Paris), October 1981 Ironically for Bunuel, when L'Age d'or was first shown it attracted Logette, L, ""Sur un film de Bunuel peu connu, "in Jeune Cinema the interest of a European agent for the Hollywood studio MGM. He (Paris), January-February 1991 signed Bunuel to a six-month contract at $250 a week for what was Fieschi, J.-A,"L'oeil tranche, in Revue Belge du Cinema( Brus- then Hollywoods most powerful studio. Bunuel left for the United sels),no.33-34-35,1993 States in December 1930, just as the furore around L'Age d'or was Perry, J. W,"LAge d'or and Un Chien andalou, in Filmfax about to begi (Evanston, Illinois), August-September 199 Late in 1930 L Age d'or opened to the public at Studio 28 in Paris. Rabourdin, D, ""Souvenirs de L'Age d'or, in Positif(Paris), Octo- (Studio 28 had been founded two years earlier and was exclusively ber 1993 devoted to the screening of avant garde films. )At the premiere two Douin, Jean-Luc, "" Mecenes du desordre, in Telerama(Paris), 20 right-wing vigilante groups, the Patriots'League and the Anti-Jewish October 1993 League, stormed Studio 28, hurling ink and rotten eggs at the screen, Logette, Lucien, and Luis Bunuel, Un cachet de philosophie setting off tear gas and stink bombs, and clubbing members of the ouriante,in Jeune Cinema(Paris), January 1994 audience with cries of "'Death to the jews.' Cinematheque, Autumn 1994 Later the police instructed the theatre's director to cut two scenes and the conservative press initiated a campaign to have this "porn graphic' film banned completely. Le Figaro decried L'Age dor as an exercise in Bolshevism. By mid-December the film had been L'Age dor represents a key moment in surrealist filmmaking indeed in the history of the experimental cinema. It is also important For the next 50 years the film was a tantalizing memory for only because it formally initiated the long and distinguished career of its a few. Celebrations such as that by the noted film historian georges director, Luis Bunuel. Both these strands are inexorably intertwined Sadoul, present at the premier, declared that L'Age d'or was a"mas- in any history of European filmmaking terpiece in its violence, its purity, its lyric frenzy, its Bunuel met the artist Salvador Dalf at the University of Madrid in sincerity. " Only in 1980(in New York, a year later in Paris) the early 1920s, and after working with Fritz Lang and Jean Epstein, film again re-released. By then its shock value had worn off, made his first film(with Dali), the noted surrealist short Un Chie andalou(1928).After this, Bunuel threw himself completely into the attacking the core values of western civilization surrealist movement and its guerrilla campaign against the conven- sSIve -Douglas Gomery
L’AGE D’OR FILMS, 4th EDITION 16 Evans, Peter W., The Films of Luis Buñuel; Subjectivity & Desire, New York, 1995. Hammond, Paul, L’Age D’Or, London, 1998. Baxter, John, Buñuel, New York, 1999. Articles: Chavance, Louis, ‘‘Les Influences de L’Age d’or,’’ in Revue du Cinéma (Paris), 1 January 1931. Miller, Henry, in New Review (Paris), 1931; reprinted in Spanish in Contracampo (Madrid), October-November 1980. Aranda, Francesco, ‘‘Surrealist and Spanish Giant,’’ in Films and Filming (London), October 1961. ‘‘Buñuel Issue’’ of La Méthode (Paris), January 1962. Durgnat, Raymond, in Films and Filming (London), April 1962. ‘‘Manifeste des surréalistes à propos de L’Age d’or,’’ in L’AvantScène du Cinéma (Paris), 15 July 1963. Lyon, E. H., ‘‘The Process of Dissociation in Three Films,’’ in Cinema Journal (Evanston, Illinois), Fall 1973. Tena, Jean, ‘‘L’Age d’or à l’ombre du Teide,’’ in Cahiers de la Cinémathèque (Perpignan), Summer-Autumn 1980. Logette, L., ‘‘Surréalisme et cinéma,’’ in Jeune Cinéma (Paris), April-May 1981. Magny, Joel, ‘‘L’Age d’or: Un Manifeste de la subversion devenu pièce de musée,’’ in Cinéma (Paris), July-August 1981. Bonnet, Jean-Claude, in Cinématographe (Paris), July 1981. Bonitzer, P., ‘‘Un documentaire anamorphique,’’ in Cahiers du Cinéma (Paris), September 1981. Kral, P., ‘‘L’Age d’or aujourd’hui,’’ in Positif (Paris), October 1981. Logette, L., ‘‘Un Film irrécupérable: L’Age d’or,’’ in Jeune Cinéma (Paris), October 1981. Logette, L., ‘‘Sur un film de Buñuel peu connu,’’ in Jeune Cinéma (Paris), January-February 1991. Fieschi, J.-A., ‘‘L’oeil tranche,’’ in Revue Belge du Cinéma (Brussels), no. 33–34-35, 1993. Perry, J. W., ‘‘L’Age d’or and Un Chien andalou,’’ in Filmfax (Evanston, Illinois), August-September 1993. Rabourdin, D., ‘‘Souvenirs de L’Age d’or,’’ in Positif (Paris), October 1993. Douin, Jean-Luc, ‘‘Mécènes du désordre,’’ in Télérama (Paris), 20 October 1993. Logette, Lucien, and Luis Buñuel, ‘‘Un cachet de philosophie souriante,’’ in Jeune Cinéma (Paris), January 1994. Cinémathèque, Autumn 1994. *** L’Age d’or represents a key moment in surrealist filmmaking, indeed in the history of the experimental cinema. It is also important because it formally initiated the long and distinguished career of its director, Luis Buñuel. Both these strands are inexorably intertwined in any history of European filmmaking. Buñuel met the artist Salvador Dalí at the University of Madrid in the early 1920s, and after working with Fritz Lang and Jean Epstein, made his first film (with Dalí), the noted surrealist short Un Chien andalou (1928). After this, Buñuel threw himself completely into the surrealist movement and its guerrilla campaign against the conventional and repressive. But he needed funds for filmmaking activities. It was thus crucial when he met a wealthy patron, the Vicomte de Noailles, who had taken to commission a film every year for his wife’s birthday. (In 1930 it would be Jean Cocteau’s Blood of a Poet.) In short order Buñuel had a million francs to make any film he wanted. Dalí and Buñuel tried to work together, but failed. (Dalí’s credit as co-screenwriter for what would become L’Age d’or amounted to but a few suggestions.) L’Age d’or truly stands as Buñuel’s first film. The plot of L’Age d’or is remarkably simple; two lovers (Gaston Modot and Lya Lys) declare war on a bourgeois French society intent on thwarting the fulfillment of their desires. And the film did not lack for name talent. For example, the lead, Gaston Modot, was a longtime French film star, who started with Gaumont in 1909 and worked for all the great directors of the French cinema: Louis Delluc in Fièvre (1921), René Clair in Sous les toits de Paris (1930), Marcel Carné in Les Enfants du paradis (1945), and Jean Renoir in La Règle du jeu (1939) and La Grande Illusion (1937). L’Age d’or features moment after moment of surrealist juxtapositions. A poor beggar is savagely beaten, a proud dowager is slapped, a father shoots his son. The themes of the film follow the concerns of Un Chien andalou: frustrated love, society’s repression of sexuality, the constancy of physical violence, attacks on the clergy. But L’Age d’or, a longer work, is far more complex. Although the actions of the frustrated lovers are central, the film goes off in all sorts of directions. Indeed it opens with documentary footage of scorpions. This leads into incidents on a rocky seashore where a gang of bandits (led by surrealist painter Max Ernst) are invaded by first a group of chanting bishops and then dignitaries who ‘‘have come to found the Roman Empire.’’ The film ends with a sequence of a cross in the snow, covered tresses blowing in the wind to the tune of a paso doble. Ironically for Buñuel, when L’Age d’or was first shown it attracted the interest of a European agent for the Hollywood studio MGM. He signed Buñuel to a six-month contract at $250 a week for what was then Hollywood’s most powerful studio. Buñuel left for the United States in December 1930, just as the furore around L’Age d’or was about to begin. Late in 1930 L’Age d’or opened to the public at Studio 28 in Paris. (Studio 28 had been founded two years earlier and was exclusively devoted to the screening of avant garde films.) At the premiere two right-wing vigilante groups, the Patriots’ League and the Anti-Jewish League, stormed Studio 28, hurling ink and rotten eggs at the screen, setting off tear gas and stink bombs, and clubbing members of the audience with cries of ‘‘Death to the Jews.’’ Later the police instructed the theatre’s director to cut two scenes and the conservative press initiated a campaign to have this ‘‘pornographic’’ film banned completely. Le Figaro decried L’Age d’or as ‘‘an exercise in Bolshevism.’’ By mid-December the film had been banned and all copies confiscated. For the next 50 years the film was a tantalizing memory for only a few. Celebrations such as that by the noted film historian Georges Sadoul, present at the premier, declared that L’Age d’or was a ‘‘masterpiece in its violence, its purity, its lyric frenzy, its absolute sincerity.’’ Only in 1980 (in New York, a year later in Paris) was the film again re-released. By then its shock value had worn off, and the film was seen more as a precedent for Buñuel’s later work than a work attacking the core values of western civilization. —Douglas Gomery
FILMS. 4th EDItION AGUIRRE DER ZORN GOTTES AGUIRRE DER ZORN GOTTES Elley, Derek, in Films and Filming(London), February 1975 Zimmer, J., in image et Son(Paris), March 1975 Gauthier. G. and Derek elley, in Films and Filming l (Aguirre, The Wrath of God) Simsolo, Noel, in Ecran(Paris), April 1975. West germany. 1973 Rayns, Tony, in Sight and Sound (London), winter 1974-75 Oudart, J. P, in Cahiers du Cinema(Paris), July-August 1975 Director: Werner herzog Schlepelern, P, in Kosmorama( Copenhagen), no. 132, 1976. Garel, A, in Image et Son(Paris), September, 1976. Production: Werner Herzog Filmproduktion; Eastmancolor, 35mm Clarembeaux, M in Revue Belge du Cinema(Brussels), June 1977. running time: 93 minutes. Released 1973. Filmed in the jungles of McCreadie, M, in Films in Review(New York), June-July 1977. Peru. along the amazon Dorr, J H, The Enigma of Werner Herzog, in Millimeter(New York), October 1977. Producer Herzog: screenplay: Werner Aguirre Issueof Avant-Scene du Cinema(Paris), 15 June 1978 Coursen, D,"Two Films by Werner Herzog, in Cinemonkey editor: Bea inka-Jellinghaus; sound: Herber ( Portland, Oregon), no 1, 1979. opol Vuh; special effects: Juvenal Herrera and Miguel Vasquez Fritze, R, "Werner Herzogs Adaptation of History in Aguirre, The Wrath of God, 'in Film and History(Newark, New Jersey). December 1985 Cast: Klaus Kinski(Don Lope de Aguirre ); Helena Rojo(Inez de Stiles, V. M,""Fact and Fiction: Nature's Endgame in Werner Atienza): Ruy Guerra(Pedro de Ursua): Del Negro( Caspar de e, The Wrath of ge Carvajal): Don Fernando de guzman(Peter Berling): Cecilia Rivera terly(Salisbury, Maryland), no. 3, 1989 Flores de aguirre): Dany Ades(Perucho): Armando Polanah Genin, Bernard, "" L'enfer vert, in Telerama(Paris), 5 April 1995 (Armando ): Edward Roland(Okello): Daniel Farafan, Alejandro Chavez, Antonio Marquez, Julio Martinez, and Alejandro Repulles (The Indians); and 270 Indians from the Cooperative of Lauramarca Aguirre der Zorn Gottes is Werner Herzogs hypnotic epic of megalomania and delusional myths. The story concerns the search of Publications Spanish conquistadors for El Dorado in the jungles of South America The journey is made with the assistance of native slaves over Script mountains and down an uncharted river. Initiated under the aegis of the Spanish crown, the expedition experiences progressive disinte- Herzog, Werner,"Aguirre, The Wrath of God, "in 3 Screenplays, gration. Aguirre, originally named second-in-command, usurps con- New York. 1980 trol in pursuit of a golden territory to rule on his own. At the same time, the very instruments and characters sustaining the journey are Books gradually eliminated. Food, rafts, supplies, and crew members are lost; the landscape changes until there is no land properly speaking to Schutte, Wolfram, and others, Herzog/Kluge/Straub, Vienna, 1976 river and swamps. In the face of desolation. Agui reenberg, Alan, Heart of Glass, Munich, 1976 maintains obsessive faith in the reality of his dreams, weaving tales of Sandford, John, The New German Cinema, Totowa, New Jersey, 1980. his future glory Franklin, James, New German Cinema: From Oberhausen to Ham- This journey, with its imaginary goal, is presented in the guise of burg Boston, 1983 an historical account. An opening title explains that the events come Phillips, Klaus, editor, New German Filmmakers: From Oberhausen from a journal kept by a monk during the course of the expedition Through the 1970s. New York, 1984 The diary provides the text of a voice-over narration which intermit- Corrigan, Timothy, The Films of Werner Herzog: Between Mirage tently comments on events. But El Dorado--the goal of the journey, and History. New York, 1986 purpose of the expedition, and subject of the diary-is a known Gabrea, Radu, Werner Herzog et la mystique rhenane, Lausanne, 1986. fiction, an external dream destined to failure. Moreover, the journal is described as the remaining record of an expedition which disappeared n the depths of the Amazonian jungle; it cannot, in fact, exist. Thus from the outset the film defines its subject as a doomed journey and story Baxter, Brian, "Werner Herzog, in Film( London), Spring 1969 terms of myth. Ghali, Noureddine, Werner Herzog: ' Comme un reve puissant As the film posits this mythical history and a goal-less in Jeune Cinema(Paris), September-October 1974. Aguirre transforms its world into a realm of hallucinate Ghali, Noureddine, ""Werner Herzog: Le reel saisi par le reve, in members are attacked by arrows and darts from invisible Jeune Cinema(Paris), November 1974. When the monk is struck by an arrow near the end of the film he Combs, Richard, in Monthly Film Bulletin(London), January 1975 denies its very being, This is no arrow. The monk and okello, one
FILMS, 4 AGUIRRE, DER ZORN GOTTES th EDITION 17 AGUIRRE, DER ZORN GOTTES (Aguirre, The Wrath of God) West Germany, 1973 Director: Werner Herzog Production: Werner Herzog Filmproduktion; Eastmancolor, 35mm; running time: 93 minutes. Released 1973. Filmed in the jungles of Peru, along the Amazon. Producer: Werner Herzog; screenplay: Werner Herzog, from the journal of Gaspar De Carvajal; photography: Thomas Mauch; editor: Beate Mainka-Jellinghaus; sound: Herbert Prasch; music: Popol Vuh; special effects: Juvenal Herrera and Miguel Vasquez. Cast: Klaus Kinski (Don Lope de Aguirre); Helena Rojo (Inez de Atienza); Ruy Guerra (Pedro de Ursua); Del Negro (Caspar de Carvajal); Don Fernando de Guzman (Peter Berling); Cecilia Rivera (Flores de Aguirre); Dany Ades (Perucho); Armando Polanah (Armando); Edward Roland (Okello); Daniel Farafan, Alejandro Chavez, Antonio Marquez, Julio Martinez, and Alejandro Repulles (The Indians); and 270 Indians from the Cooperative of Lauramarca. Publications Script: Herzog, Werner, ‘‘Aguirre, The Wrath of God,’’ in 3 Screenplays, New York, 1980. Books: Schutte, Wolfram, and others, Herzog/Kluge/Straub, Vienna, 1976. Greenberg, Alan, Heart of Glass, Munich, 1976. Sandford, John, The New German Cinema, Totowa, New Jersey, 1980. Franklin, James, New German Cinema: From Oberhausen to Hamburg, Boston, 1983. Phillips, Klaus, editor, New German Filmmakers: From Oberhausen Through the 1970s, New York, 1984. Corrigan, Timothy, The Films of Werner Herzog; Between Mirage and History, New York, 1986. Gabrea, Radu, Werner Herzog et la mystique rhénane, Lausanne, 1986. Articles: Baxter, Brian, ‘‘Werner Herzog,’’ in Film (London), Spring 1969. Ghali, Noureddine, ‘‘Werner Herzog: ‘Comme un rêve puissant. . . ,’’’ in Jeune Cinéma (Paris), September-October 1974. Ghali, Noureddine, ‘‘Werner Herzog: Le Réel saisi par le rêve,’’ in Jeune Cinéma (Paris), November 1974. Combs, Richard, in Monthly Film Bulletin (London), January 1975. Elley, Derek, in Films and Filming (London), February 1975. Zimmer, J., in Image et Son (Paris), March 1975. Gauthier, G., and Derek Elley, in Films and Filming (London), April 1975. Simsolo, Noël, in Ecran (Paris), April 1975. Rayns, Tony, in Sight and Sound (London), Winter 1974–75. Oudart, J. P., in Cahiers du Cinéma (Paris), July-August 1975. Schlepelern, P., in Kosmorama (Copenhagen), no. 132, 1976. Garel, A., in Image et Son (Paris), September, 1976. Clarembeaux, M., in Revue Belge du Cinéma (Brussels), June 1977. McCreadie, M., in Films in Review (New York), June-July 1977. Dorr, J. H., ‘‘The Enigma of Werner Herzog,’’ in Millimeter (New York), October 1977. ‘‘Aguirre Issue’’ of Avant-Scène du Cinéma (Paris), 15 June 1978. Coursen, D., ‘‘Two Films by Werner Herzog,’’ in Cinemonkey (Portland, Oregon), no. 1, 1979. Fritze, R., ‘‘Werner Herzog’s Adaptation of History in Aguirre, The Wrath of God,’’ in Film and History (Newark, New Jersey), December 1985. Stiles, V. M., ‘‘Fact and Fiction: Nature’s Endgame in Werner Herzog’s Aguirre, The Wrath of God,’’ in Literature/Film Quarterly (Salisbury, Maryland), no. 3, 1989. Génin, Bernard, ‘‘L’enfer vert,’’ in Télérama (Paris), 5 April 1995. *** Aguirre der Zorn Gottes is Werner Herzog’s hypnotic epic of megalomania and delusional myths. The story concerns the search of Spanish conquistadors for El Dorado in the jungles of South America. The journey is made with the assistance of native slaves over mountains and down an uncharted river. Initiated under the aegis of the Spanish crown, the expedition experiences progressive disintegration. Aguirre, originally named second-in-command, usurps control in pursuit of a golden territory to rule on his own. At the same time, the very instruments and characters sustaining the journey are gradually eliminated. Food, rafts, supplies, and crew members are lost; the landscape changes until there is no land properly speaking to conquer, only river and swamps. In the face of desolation. Aguirre maintains obsessive faith in the reality of his dreams, weaving tales of his future glory. This journey, with its imaginary goal, is presented in the guise of an historical account. An opening title explains that the events come from a journal kept by a monk during the course of the expedition. The diary provides the text of a voice-over narration which intermittently comments on events. But El Dorado—the goal of the journey, purpose of the expedition, and subject of the diary—is a known fiction, an external dream destined to failure. Moreover, the journal is described as the remaining record of an expedition which disappeared in the depths of the Amazonian jungle; it cannot, in fact, exist. Thus from the outset the film defines its subject as a doomed journey and spurious history. Indeed, history is immediately construed in terms of myth. As the film posits this mythical history and a goal-less journey, Aguirre transforms its world into a realm of hallucination. Crew members are attacked by arrows and darts from invisible sources. When the monk is struck by an arrow near the end of the film he denies its very being, ‘‘This is no arrow.’’ The monk and Okello, one
AHFEI ZHENG ZHUAN FILMS. 4 EDITIoN Aguirre, der zorn Gottes of the native slaves, also deny the existence of a boat hull ("There is AHFEI ZHENG ZHUAN no boat")which is shown suspended in a tree. In the face of an uncontrollable phenomenal world what counts above all else is the faith one sustains in fictions of ones own making. And it is this Days of Being wild quality that defines Aguirre as a hero. The greatest and only believer the myths of his own creation, he stands as the quintessential heroic Hong Kong, 1991 With its striking images the film successfully constructs an Director: Wong Kai-w entered an unworldly territory. The openi particularly effective, as the expedition is seen in extreme long shots Production: In-Gear Film; Colour, 35mm; running time: 94 minutes. weaving its way down the mountains through the fog to the banks he river. The audience is positioned with the expedition throughout Producer: Rover Tang; executive producer: Alan Tang; screen- the journey. What lies beyond the river on its overgrown banks-a play: Wong Kai-Wai: photography: Christopher Doyle: editor: Kai ource of beauty, monotony, and danger-remains a mystery throughout Kit-wai; assistant directors: Rosanna ng, Johnny Kong, Tung Wan- the film. The final shot of the film reinforces the tenacity of the Wai, Tsui Pui-Wing, Poon Kin-Kwan; production design: Willian journeys confining vision, as the camera circles rapidly around the Chang Suk-ping: sound: Steve Chan Wai-hung; music: Chan Do-ming raft. Littered with dead bodies, overrun with monkeys. the raft is locked into an aimless drift as the hero and self-proclaimed great Cast: Leslie Cheung (Yuddy): Maggie Cheung(Su Li-zhen); Tony traitor"asserts his power for the last time: "I am the wrath of Go Leung Chiu-wei (Smirk); Karina Lau(Leong Fung- yung): Andy Lau (Tide): Jacky Cheung (Sab): Rebecca Pan Dihua(Rebecca): Carina Lau(Mimi)
AHFEI ZHENG ZHUAN FILMS, 4th EDITION 18 Aguirre, der Zorn Gottes of the native slaves, also deny the existence of a boat hull (‘‘There is no boat’’) which is shown suspended in a tree. In the face of an uncontrollable phenomenal world what counts above all else is the faith one sustains in fictions of one’s own making. And it is this quality that defines Aguirre as a hero. The greatest and only believer in the myths of his own creation, he stands as the quintessential heroic figure of history. With its striking images the film successfully constructs an impression of having entered an unworldly territory. The opening is particularly effective, as the expedition is seen in extreme long shots weaving its way down the mountains through the fog to the banks of the river. The audience is positioned with the expedition throughout the journey. What lies beyond the river on its overgrown banks—a source of beauty, monotony, and danger—remains a mystery throughout the film. The final shot of the film reinforces the tenacity of the journey’s confining vision, as the camera circles rapidly around the raft. Littered with dead bodies, overrun with monkeys, the raft is locked into an aimless drift as the hero and self-proclaimed ‘‘great traitor’’ asserts his power for the last time: ‘‘I am the wrath of God.’’ —M. B. White AHFEI ZHENG ZHUAN (Days of Being Wild) Hong Kong, 1991 Director: Wong Kai-Wai Production: In-Gear Film; Colour, 35mm; running time: 94 minutes. Producer: Rover Tang; executive producer: Alan Tang; screenplay: Wong Kai-Wai; photography: Christopher Doyle; editor: Kai Kit-wai; assistant directors: Rosanna Ng, Johnny Kong, Tung WanWai, Tsui Pui-Wing, Poon Kin-Kwan; production design: William Chang Suk-ping; sound: Steve Chan Wai-hung; music: Chan Do-ming. Cast: Leslie Cheung (Yuddy); Maggie Cheung (Su Li-zhen); Tony Leung Chiu-wei (Smirk); Karina Lau (Leong Fung-yung); Andy Lau (Tide); Jacky Cheung (Sab); Rebecca Pan Dihua (Rebecca); Carina Lau (Mimi)
FILMS. 4th EDItION AHFEI ZHENG ZHUAN Awards: Hong Kong Film Awards for Best Film, Best Director, Best Jousse, T,"Boy Meets Girl, in Cahiers du Cinema(Paris) Actor (Leslie Cheung), Best Cinematographer, and Best Art Director March 1996 Niogret, H, ""Nos annees sauvages, in Positif( Paris), March 1996 Morsiani, A, " I capolavori di Hong Kong, in Se Publications July/August 1996 Articles. James, Caryn, ""Days of Being Wild, The New York Times, 23 A young man strolls down a corridor, stops at a refreshment stand, and takes a bottle of Coke from an ice chest. he leans over the counter Variety(New York), 1 April 1991 and catches the attention of the sales clerk, telling her, quite casually, Sam," The Withering Away of the Family, The 15th Hong "From this moment on, we can become one-minute friends Kong International Film Festival(catalogue), May 1991 They turn their faces to the wall clock and watch the second hand Shu, Kei, ""Notes on Hong Kong Cinema 1990, The 15th Hong scroll over the markers. One, two, three, four, five seconds . sixty Kong International Film Festival (catalogue), May 1991 Rayns, T, Sight and Sound (London), December 1994 Soon they become lovers. They meet for an hour each day in his Lehtinen, L,"Katoamatonta aikaa tekemassa, ' in Filmihullu apartment, sharing aimless conversation, and cigarettes (Helsinki). no. 5, 1996. Wong Kar-wai's desultory tale of 1960s Hong Kong has a nostal- Stephens, C.Wong Kar-Wai and the Persistence of Memory, in gic and bittersweet lyricism. Its antihero is a callow young man, Film Comment(New York), January/February 1996 Yuddy (Leslie Cheung), around whom hapless friends and lovers
FILMS, 4 AHFEI ZHENG ZHUAN th EDITION 19 Awards: Hong Kong Film Awards for Best Film, Best Director, Best Actor (Leslie Cheung), Best Cinematographer, and Best Art Director. Publications Articles: James, Caryn, ‘‘Days of Being Wild,’’ The New York Times, 23 March 1991. Variety (New York), 1 April 1991. Ho, Sam, ‘‘The Withering Away of the Family,’’ The 15th Hong Kong International Film Festival (catalogue), May 1991. Shu, Kei, ‘‘Notes on Hong Kong Cinema 1990,’’ The 15th Hong Kong International Film Festival (catalogue), May 1991. Rayns, T., Sight and Sound (London), December 1994. Lehtinen, L., ‘‘Katoamatonta aikaa tekemassa,’’ in Filmihullu (Helsinki), no. 5, 1996. Stephens, C. ‘‘Wong Kar-Wai and the Persistence of Memory,’’ in Film Comment (New York), January/February 1996. Ahfei zheng zhuan Jousse, T., ‘‘Boy Meets Girl,’’ in Cahiers du Cinéma (Paris), March 1996. Niogret, H., ‘‘Nos annees sauvages,’’ in Positif (Paris), March 1996. Morsiani, A., ‘‘I capolavori di Hong Kong,’’ in Segnocinema (Vicenza), July/August 1996. *** A young man strolls down a corridor, stops at a refreshment stand, and takes a bottle of Coke from an ice chest. He leans over the counter and catches the attention of the sales clerk, telling her, quite casually, ‘‘From this moment on, we can become one-minute friends.’’ They turn their faces to the wall clock and watch the second hand scroll over the markers. One, two, three, four, five seconds . . . sixty seconds pass. Soon they become lovers. They meet for an hour each day in his apartment, sharing aimless conversation, and cigarettes. Wong Kar-wai’s desultory tale of 1960s Hong Kong has a nostalgic and bittersweet lyricism. Its antihero is a callow young man, Yuddy (Leslie Cheung), around whom hapless friends and lovers
AINO CORRIDA FILMS. 4 EDITIoN spin. The Chinese title is "The Story of an Ah Fei'-ah fei" being He turns off the lights and exits. We have never seen this character a before. This is the gambler-who was supposed to feature in part two Cocky and narcissistic, Yuddy is the pretty boy that all the young of Days of Being Wild, but since part one went overtime and women fall for, but he never falls for them. As he says, "In this life overbudget, part two was never made. I will like many, many women, but to the end I won't know whom Though Days of Being Wild is a pleasure to watch and carries one along its melancholic, fragmented rhythm, one feels a certain empti Failing to get any commitment from him, Su Li-zhen(Maggie ness after it's over. The film is more style than substance, favouring Cheung), the sales clerk, threatens to leave. When she walks out, he mood and mannerisms over plot and characterization. continues slicking back his hair, gazing placidly into the medicine The work announced Wong as one of the outstanding film stylist chest mirror. However, Li-zhen keeps coming back, lurking in to emerge from Hong Kong in this decade. Commercially, it proved corridors and outside the apartment, even a flop, but it won five awards at the Hong Kong Film Awards, with a pretty dancehall girl, Mimi( Carina Lau). The young policeman including Best Film, Best Director, Best Actor for Leslie Cheung. who walks the beat(Andy Lau)has noticed the odd goings-on in the Best Cinematographer for Christopher Doyle, and Best Art Direction second-room flat. Late one night he takes pity on Li-zhen, chatting for William Cheung. On the international film festival circuits, it has with her and loaning her cab fare to get home. Before they part he become a cult favourite points to a nearby phone booth and remarks, Every night I'm here at He waits there night after night. but he never hears from her. One -Scarlet Cheng day she leaves town, and eventually, so does he Some vague reason for Yuddy's misogyny is provided: Long ago, his real mother gave him over to a friend (played by old time AI NO CORRIDA chanteuse Pan Dihua)to raise. And the stepmother, an aging dowager with a penchant for young gigolos, has steadfastly refused to reveal his real mothers identity to Yuddy (n the realm of the sense They torment each other with this game constantly. He wants to know; she refuses to tell him. He hates her. And she replies, tartly, I France-Japan, 1976 just want you to hate me, then at least you won' t forget me. But one day she tires of the game. She's planning to emigrate, and she finally Director: Nagisa Oshima reveals what he has long wanted to know With the information, Yuddy takes off to find his real mother in Production: Argos Films( Paris), Oshima Productions (Tokyo),and the Philippines. He goes to her mansion but is refused entrance. He walks quickly away, not giving her the satistaction (somehow he one of the production companies involved): Eastmancolor, 35mm knows she is watching him from behind) of looking back In town. he Vistavision; running time: 110 minutes, some versions 115 minutes gets drunk and is about to be robbed in the street but a stranger. a man from Hong Kong, comes to his rescue. Unbeknown to Yuddy, this Released 1976. Filmed in Japan. fellow is the policeman who used to walk his street, who has now filled his lifelong dream to become a aiting to jo1 Producer: Anatole Dauman: screenplay: Nagisa Oshima; photog his ship. raphy: Hideo Itoh; editor: Keiichi Uraoka; art director: Shigemasa The outstanding cinematography is by Christopher Doyle, a fre- Toda: music: Minoru Miki: lighting: Ken'ichi Okamoto quent collaborator with the Wong Kar-wai, and one the most famous scenes in contemporary Chinese cinema is the long tracking shot Cast: Tatsuya Fuji(Kichizo): Eiko Matsuda(Sada Abe ) Aoi Nakajima towards the end of the film. We travel down a street, go through the Taiji Tonoyama(Tramp); Kanae Kobayashi; Akiko Koyama; Naomi doorway of a colonial-style building, and up a stairway into the Shiraishi; Machiko Aoki; Kyoko Okada; Yasuko Matsui; Katsue waiting room of a train station. There we find an inebriated Yuddy Tomiyama sed over a jukebox. He turns away and does a jig. He finds his newfound friend slumped at a table Awards: Best Director Cannes Film Festival. 1978 Cutting away to the backroom, Yuddy is pulling a scam on a local When caught, guns are pulled out and people are shot. Y uddy and the sailor make a run for it, over the roofs, jumping into a train headed Publications they know not where At this point the sailor says in disgust, ""Not everyone's like you- nothing better to do in life!'s Books. The dreamy, tall jungles of Philippines pass by, pass by. ""Ive heard of bird, a bird without legs, that flies and fiies and never lands, Bock, Audie, Japanese Film Directors, New York, 1978; revised says the wounded Yuddy. "It only lands once in his life-and thats edition, Tokyo, 1985 when he dies Oshima, Nagisa, Ecrits(1956-1978): Dissolution et jaillissement The movie ends with a non sequitur in a small, low-ceiled flat, dapper fellow (Tony Leung Chiu-wei) finishes filing his nails, gets Tessier, Max, editor, Le cinema Japonais au present 1959-1979, dressed, and tucks cigarettes and a huge wad of bills into his pocket Paris. 1980
AI NO CORRIDA FILMS, 4th EDITION 20 spin. The Chinese title is ‘‘The Story of an Ah Fei’’—‘‘ah fei’’ being a Chinese version of a teddy boy. Cocky and narcissistic, Yuddy is the pretty boy that all the young women fall for, but he never falls for them. As he says, ‘‘In this life I will like many, many women, but to the end I won’t know whom I love most.’’ Failing to get any commitment from him, Su Li-zhen (Maggie Cheung), the sales clerk, threatens to leave. When she walks out, he continues slicking back his hair, gazing placidly into the medicine chest mirror. However, Li-zhen keeps coming back, lurking in corridors and outside the apartment, even after he begins an affair with a pretty dancehall girl, Mimi (Carina Lau). The young policeman who walks the beat (Andy Lau) has noticed the odd goings-on in the second-room flat. Late one night he takes pity on Li-zhen, chatting with her and loaning her cab fare to get home. Before they part he points to a nearby phone booth and remarks, ‘‘Every night I’m here at this time.’’ He waits there night after night, but he never hears from her. One day she leaves town, and eventually, so does he. Some vague reason for Yuddy’s misogyny is provided: Long ago, his real mother gave him over to a friend (played by old time chanteuse Pan Dihua) to raise. And the stepmother, an aging dowager with a penchant for young gigolos, has steadfastly refused to reveal his real mother’s identity to Yuddy. They torment each other with this game constantly. He wants to know; she refuses to tell him. He hates her. And she replies, tartly, ‘‘I just want you to hate me, then at least you won’t forget me.’’ But one day she tires of the game. She’s planning to emigrate, and she finally reveals what he has long wanted to know. With the information, Yuddy takes off to find his real mother in the Philippines. He goes to her mansion but is refused entrance. He walks quickly away, not giving her the satisfaction (somehow he knows she is watching him from behind) of looking back. In town, he gets drunk and is about to be robbed in the street but a stranger, a man from Hong Kong, comes to his rescue. Unbeknown to Yuddy, this fellow is the policeman who used to walk his street, who has now fulfilled his lifelong dream to become a sailor, and is waiting to join his ship. The outstanding cinematography is by Christopher Doyle, a frequent collaborator with the Wong Kar-wai, and one the most famous scenes in contemporary Chinese cinema is the long tracking shot towards the end of the film. We travel down a street, go through the doorway of a colonial-style building, and up a stairway into the waiting room of a train station. There we find an inebriated Yuddy posed over a jukebox. He turns away and does a jig. He finds his newfound friend slumped at a table. Cutting away to the backroom, Yuddy is pulling a scam on a local. When caught, guns are pulled out and people are shot. Yuddy and the sailor make a run for it, over the roofs, jumping into a train headed they know not where. At this point the sailor says in disgust, ‘‘Not everyone’s like you— nothing better to do in life!’’ The dreamy, tall jungles of Philippines pass by, pass by. ‘‘I’ve heard of bird, a bird without legs, that flies and flies and never lands,’’ says the wounded Yuddy. ‘‘It only lands once in his life—and that’s when he dies.’’ The movie ends with a non sequitur in a small, low-ceiled flat, a dapper fellow (Tony Leung Chiu-wei) finishes filing his nails, gets dressed, and tucks cigarettes and a huge wad of bills into his pockets. He turns off the lights and exits. We have never seen this character before. This is the gambler—who was supposed to feature in part two of Days of Being Wild, but since part one went overtime and overbudget, part two was never made. Though Days of Being Wild is a pleasure to watch and carries one along its melancholic, fragmented rhythm, one feels a certain emptiness after it’s over. The film is more style than substance, favouring mood and mannerisms over plot and characterization. The work announced Wong as one of the outstanding film stylist to emerge from Hong Kong in this decade. Commercially, it proved a flop, but it won five awards at the Hong Kong Film Awards, including Best Film, Best Director, Best Actor for Leslie Cheung, Best Cinematographer for Christopher Doyle, and Best Art Direction for William Cheung. On the international film festival circuits, it has become a cult favourite. —Scarlet Cheng AI NO CORRIDA (In the Realm of the Senses) France-Japan, 1976 Director: Nagisa Oshima Production: Argos Films (Paris), Oshima Productions (Tokyo), and Océanique Productions (some sources list Shibatu Organization as one of the production companies involved); Eastmancolor, 35mm, Vistavision; running time: 110 minutes, some versions 115 minutes. Released 1976. Filmed in Japan. Producer: Anatole Dauman; screenplay: Nagisa Oshima; photography: Hideo Itoh; editor: Keiichi Uraoka; art director: Shigemasa Toda; music: Minoru Miki; lighting: Ken’ichi Okamoto. Cast: Tatsuya Fuji (Kichizo); Eiko Matsuda (Sada Abe); Aoi Nakajima; Taiji Tonoyama (Tramp); Kanae Kobayashi; Akiko Koyama; Naomi Shiraishi; Machiko Aoki; Kyoko Okada; Yasuko Matsui; Katsue Tomiyama. Awards: Best Director, Cannes Film Festival, 1978. Publications Books: Bock, Audie, Japanese Film Directors, New York, 1978; revised edition, Tokyo, 1985. Oshima, Nagisa, Ecrits (1956–1978): Dissolution et jaillissement, Paris, 1980. Tessier, Max, editor, Le cinéma Japonais au présent 1959–1979, Paris, 1980