Should we remain in Algeria? If you answer "yes," then you must accept all the necessary consequences.
October 13, 2006 6:07 AM Subscribe
Gillo Pontecorvo, director, has died at 86. Most famous for his controversial classic, The Battle of Algiers (a movie whose relevence is still being felt ), he also directed numerous other films over a long career.
Pontecorvo threads previously on mefi 1, 2
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a profound effect , is what i would say about battle of algiers. the man?
what does it matter what you say about people?
he was a man, i shall not see another like him in my time.
posted by nola at 6:38 AM on October 13, 2006
a profound effect , is what i would say about battle of algiers. the man?
what does it matter what you say about people?
he was a man, i shall not see another like him in my time.
posted by nola at 6:38 AM on October 13, 2006
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posted by chunking express at 7:42 AM on October 13, 2006
posted by chunking express at 7:42 AM on October 13, 2006
a shy, old-school gentleman type, he used to remember with a chuckle the producers who refused to give him the (very little) money he needed to shoot Battle of Algiers -- they all explained to Pontecorvo that "no one will see it". because of course it had no lead, no stars, no sympathetic characters, and it was about a "difficult" topic, and you don't shoot cinéma-verité style when you can use that nice clean sparkling color film and lights and gear
some of the producers even mocked him to his face, Gillo and his silly idea of shooting a film "about black people"
instead he went on to shoot a political film with no lead and no professional actors (but one), on a shoestring. it proved to be, of course, not just a masterpiece and critical success but a huge box-office hit (the Golden Lion and the controversy of the French ban helped, but still).
Pontecorvo, who learnt Rossellini's lesson well, leaves behind an incredible legacy. his films, and their success that endures to this day -- demonstrate that there is indeed an audience for difficult films, and that respecting the audience's intelligence pays. even at the box office.
two little-known facts: he said that the storyteller who influenced him the most, maybe even more than his maestro Rossellini, was Isaac B Singer. Pontecorvo's cinema, often misunderstood as dry and ideological, has in fact a deeply humanistic soul. and, the famous, often-imitated "Algiers" look was far from an accident -- before shooting began, Pontecorvo spent an entire month with his cinematographer, Marcello Gatti, that forgotten great, testing different films and exposures and printing methods, to get it just right. it had to look improvised, like a newsreel -- it was anything but, he was too much an artist and an artisan to be sloppily "cool" like that (a sweet lesson to some young colleagues, bards of the punishing -- for the viewer -- cinema, by the way)
he had the same piece of advice for young film-makers -- even if you pay a very high price for staying faithful to your vision, and it can be ugly and humiliating, you reap an enormous moral reward if you stick to your guns and make the film you envision. it's all worth it in the end, he said.
I consider it good advice even for non film-makers
a personal anecdote: a few years ago I happened to see the Old Master himself walking down the street, and since I had just seen a film shot by his cinematographer son, I politely introduced myself, and congratulated him for his son's work, so subtle and impressive. he smiled very happily, and explained to me how proud he was of his son's work, and then we chatted for a little while -- a great, world-famous maestro and some kid he met on the street, talking about movies. I remember his modesty, and his pride in his son's accomplishment. I bet he'd just love to be remembered not as one of cinema's greatest directors, but as Marco's dad.
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posted by matteo at 7:52 AM on October 13, 2006 [1 favorite]
some of the producers even mocked him to his face, Gillo and his silly idea of shooting a film "about black people"
instead he went on to shoot a political film with no lead and no professional actors (but one), on a shoestring. it proved to be, of course, not just a masterpiece and critical success but a huge box-office hit (the Golden Lion and the controversy of the French ban helped, but still).
Pontecorvo, who learnt Rossellini's lesson well, leaves behind an incredible legacy. his films, and their success that endures to this day -- demonstrate that there is indeed an audience for difficult films, and that respecting the audience's intelligence pays. even at the box office.
two little-known facts: he said that the storyteller who influenced him the most, maybe even more than his maestro Rossellini, was Isaac B Singer. Pontecorvo's cinema, often misunderstood as dry and ideological, has in fact a deeply humanistic soul. and, the famous, often-imitated "Algiers" look was far from an accident -- before shooting began, Pontecorvo spent an entire month with his cinematographer, Marcello Gatti, that forgotten great, testing different films and exposures and printing methods, to get it just right. it had to look improvised, like a newsreel -- it was anything but, he was too much an artist and an artisan to be sloppily "cool" like that (a sweet lesson to some young colleagues, bards of the punishing -- for the viewer -- cinema, by the way)
he had the same piece of advice for young film-makers -- even if you pay a very high price for staying faithful to your vision, and it can be ugly and humiliating, you reap an enormous moral reward if you stick to your guns and make the film you envision. it's all worth it in the end, he said.
I consider it good advice even for non film-makers
a personal anecdote: a few years ago I happened to see the Old Master himself walking down the street, and since I had just seen a film shot by his cinematographer son, I politely introduced myself, and congratulated him for his son's work, so subtle and impressive. he smiled very happily, and explained to me how proud he was of his son's work, and then we chatted for a little while -- a great, world-famous maestro and some kid he met on the street, talking about movies. I remember his modesty, and his pride in his son's accomplishment. I bet he'd just love to be remembered not as one of cinema's greatest directors, but as Marco's dad.
.
posted by matteo at 7:52 AM on October 13, 2006 [1 favorite]
Queimada is one of my favourite movies. Great story and a great Marlon Brando.
posted by darkripper at 8:20 AM on October 13, 2006
posted by darkripper at 8:20 AM on October 13, 2006
'Our first model was 'The Battle of Algiers'. That was the film that I presented to Clive Owen. He watched it and said he didn't fully understand our script, which wasn't finished, but he was up for it. The amazing thing about 'The Battle of Algiers' is the social reconstruction. It's meticulous, and the sense of reality is so unique. I remember, the first time I saw it, I swore they were lying when they said that everything was fictional.'
Alfonso Cuarón talks about his film "Children of Men" in a Time Out interview.
posted by urbanwhaleshark at 8:45 AM on October 13, 2006
Alfonso Cuarón talks about his film "Children of Men" in a Time Out interview.
posted by urbanwhaleshark at 8:45 AM on October 13, 2006
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posted by kalimotxero at 9:43 AM on October 13, 2006
posted by kalimotxero at 9:43 AM on October 13, 2006
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Battle of Algiers is on my Netflix cue. I may have to move it up a bit.
posted by brundlefly at 10:49 AM on October 13, 2006
Battle of Algiers is on my Netflix cue. I may have to move it up a bit.
posted by brundlefly at 10:49 AM on October 13, 2006
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I was shocked first when I saw he had died, and then when I realized matteo hadn't posted this.
posted by languagehat at 1:40 PM on October 13, 2006
I was shocked first when I saw he had died, and then when I realized matteo hadn't posted this.
posted by languagehat at 1:40 PM on October 13, 2006
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