Black & White Cinema

The Artist (2011)

Director: M. Hazanavicius

Throughout the years film has played a great part in my creative process. 

It not only influences my aesthetic, but also my mood and direction for what I have, and will create.

I love many films, but recently older, Black and White or even Silent movies have been a huge obsession!

I've been so excited to go and see the new film The Artist (2011), and finally watched it last week. 

After seeing this (and lovin' it) I though it would be nice to share with you just a few other Black and White films that have influenced me over the past weeks, months and years. 

Enjoy the list!

xoxoLOVEhelen 

The Thief of Bagdad (1942)

Director: R. Walsh

Gilda (1946)

Director: C. Vidor

42nd Street (1933)

Director: L. Bacon

Bande à Part "Band of Outsiders" (1964)

Director: J-L. Godard

Blood and Sand (1922)

Director: F. Niblo

Collage and Fashion

"Ah, they were good days. When we spent all our time fighting bulls and each other.

We were great rivals, even then."

- Blood & Sand (1941)

Russian Tales - Sadko

Last night I was watching this really great movie. Well to be precise, a Russian Fairy Tale! and it was soooo magical! i loved it!

.......such a perfect way to escape my reality of the mountainous uni work which awaits my weekend!

This movie was made in 1952, and is based on the famous Russian tale of Sadko, the minstrel from Novgorod.

Sadko embarks on a quest to find the bird of happiness, which takes him to all the ends of the earth, including the bottom of the sea!

I loved the sweetness of the story, especially the message; that happiness is to be found among the people you love and your home.

Also the costumes were wonderful and the incredible "underwater" set was soooo delightful!!

LOVEhelen

Some Slinky inSsspiration.

Last night (while attempting to do some readings for uni), I was watching some amazing Indian dance clips from the 60s, and came across this beautiful gem stone! It's a little snippet from one of Fritz Lang's (the genius behind Metropolis, 1927) films called; The Indian Tomb (being one half of Lang's Indian Epics).
This scene stars the wonderful Debra Paget, as the sensuously slinky snake charmer, and her incredible jewelry seduced my mind! This snake rings slipped into my thoughts and quickly slid into a desire.

......I just had to have one! So, for today's procrastination, I made one!!

And here she is!!!

On holidays in the Tropical Ocean
AND
In the Amazon, her home town.






LOVEhelen

Destino

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UzzZa5o1q5k#watch-main-area

Just after posting about the surrealist inspired film Waltz with Bashir, I remembered my ULTIMATE favorite surrealist animation!
Destino.

Destino is the collaboration between Salvador Dali and Walt Disney.
I first saw this film during the NGV's Winter Masters Collection in 2009 of Salvador Dali's retrospective works. I loved this animation so much, it completly embraced me with all the emotions I think Dali would feel when he invisions his works. I love this movies so much that I sat in the film room and watched it five more times!!!! I really think this is one of the most beautifully emotive works which I have ever seen!

LOVEhelen

Come Waltz With Me

Recently I watched Waltz with Bashir and was completely entranced by it! I had been wanting to see it in the cinemas... But alas; never got round to it! so when I saw it in the DVD section it was not sitting on that shelf for very long!!!!!!!

What I liked about this movie was the link between one's perceived reality and their physical reality. Waltz with Bashir is a movie which 'documents' one man's aim to pinpoint himself during the First Lebanon War, a time which he has so memory of. Through his search to remember himself at this time, he revisits old acquaintances to hear their memories of him, in hopes to regain his own. I felt that this notion of memories and dreams draws from many Surrealist ideals, which is so beautifully recreated in the animation of the film. And I think that the combination of the surreal with the horrors and terrible facts of reality complement each other in the stories and the animation.

I also found that the web page is fantastic! full of information, pictures, clips and interviews!
http://waltzwithbashir.com/home.html

LOVEhelen