The Cinema of Terrence Malick—Poetic Visions of America. (Second Edition) Edited
by Hannah Patterson. (Wallflower Press, 2007.)
The Cinema of Krzysztof Kieslowski—Variations on Destiny and Chance. Edited by
Marek
Haltof. (Wallflower Press, 2004.)
Wallflower Press publishes several lines of film books. Represented here are two examples of their “Directors’
Cutsâ€â€”a series devoted to the works of individual directors. Both are similar in structure and degree of
academic and scholarly study. These are
not picture-books or “Films Of†books.
They are intended for the serious student of film theory and
history.
Perhaps no other filmmaker other than Stanley Kubrick has
elicited more mystique than Terrence Malick.
He made two critically-acclaimed poetic dramas in the seventies (Badlands and Days of Heaven) and then
“disappeared†for twenty years before re-emerging on the Hollywood scene with The Thin Red Line in the late
nineties. One more film (The New World) appeared in 2005. His work eschews traditional narrative, is visually
beautiful, and emphasizes mood and emotions over character development. Editor Patterson has collected a number of
essays written by film academicians and critics that dissect Malick’s four
films. Dry stuff, but it’s a worthy
companion for anyone wanting more out of the director’s pictures.
Polish director Kieslowski had been working behind the Iron
Curtain for two decades and was relatively unknown in the West until the late
eighties. With such penetrating
examinations of “everyday life†as The
Double Life of Veronique, The
Decalogue, and the superb Three
Colors Trilogy (Blue; White; Red), Kieslowski presented us with dramatic
puzzles about fate and its effect on the human condition. Once again, editor Haltof has gathered a
collection of essays by prominent international critics, authors, and
academicians that attempt to make sense of films that are not instantly
accessible. Of particular interest are
the discussions of the director’s earlier, little-seen works such as The Scar and Blind Chance. Recommended.- Raymond Benson
Click here to order The Cinema of Terrence Malick
Click here to order The Cinema of Krzysztof Kieslowski
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