Samuel Beckett's Film
December 5, 2011 11:35 AM Subscribe
Samuel Beckett's Film. Here is an article by director on Alan Schneider on the movie, and an article by Sylvia Debevec Hanning.
Nice post. Reading through the first article, I'm surprised to find Keaton wasn't the first obvious choice. He seems so perfect for the part, in retrospect.
posted by SomaSoda at 12:48 PM on December 5, 2011
posted by SomaSoda at 12:48 PM on December 5, 2011
I think the movie is a bit wrought. It goes on too long, and the repetitive circular pans (which were apparently improvised by Schneider while Beckett approved) are jarring and unnecessary. So are the various non-gags with the animals and the fish.
Perhaps we are all ever so slightly more visually literate now that such theses do not need elaborate preambles. Or perhaps I am biased, as I read about Film before I saw it. The central premise, however, is succinct and a key tenet in beginning to understanding cinema and perception, and I suspect a bit more.
Beckett is no stranger to such conceits of course; he once wrote a play called Play that featured an instigating spotlight as a character bearing down on funereal urns. Quite droll, that one.
posted by beshtya at 2:21 PM on December 5, 2011
Perhaps we are all ever so slightly more visually literate now that such theses do not need elaborate preambles. Or perhaps I am biased, as I read about Film before I saw it. The central premise, however, is succinct and a key tenet in beginning to understanding cinema and perception, and I suspect a bit more.
Beckett is no stranger to such conceits of course; he once wrote a play called Play that featured an instigating spotlight as a character bearing down on funereal urns. Quite droll, that one.
posted by beshtya at 2:21 PM on December 5, 2011
The upload of the film you linked to is of spectacularly bad quality. This one is much better.
posted by anazgnos at 4:27 PM on December 5, 2011 [1 favorite]
posted by anazgnos at 4:27 PM on December 5, 2011 [1 favorite]
Nice post. Reading through the first article, I'm surprised to find Keaton wasn't the first obvious choice. He seems so perfect for the part, in retrospect.
As far I know, Keaton was very much Beckett's first choice - the article struck me as a either a logistics discussion or else simply a poor memory.
posted by Lesser Shrew at 6:14 PM on December 5, 2011
As far I know, Keaton was very much Beckett's first choice - the article struck me as a either a logistics discussion or else simply a poor memory.
posted by Lesser Shrew at 6:14 PM on December 5, 2011
The first European screening of Film took place at the 1965 Venice Film Festival. At 75 years old Keaton received a standing ovation and was visibly moved. Fighting back tears he told a correspondent, “This is the first time I’ve been invited to a film festival, but I hope it won’t be the last.” Sadly, it was. Plaudite, amici, comedia finita est.
posted by adamvasco at 1:12 AM on December 6, 2011
posted by adamvasco at 1:12 AM on December 6, 2011
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posted by idiopath at 11:47 AM on December 5, 2011