nov 10-14 2010 - Rehoboth Beach Film Society

sIdebaR: dIffICulT fIlms...ReWaRdIng vIeWIng
by Ramsey Furse
While two films do not usually make up a sidebar, there are 2 films that will fall under
the label of “difficult”, and therefore deserve the special attention of a sidebar.
A “difficult” film is hardly a new turn of events for film festivals
in general, or this Festival in particular. There have been plenty
of films given this label in the past, and there will be many
more given it in the future. When dealing with an art form that
is coming from a variety of different countries and cultures,
there is understandably going to be some discussions and
divisions that arise from these differences. However, rather
than look at the heat that these films generate and reject
them because of it, one should instead look at the source
of this heat, and discover that it comes from passion. While
some might reject this passion out of hand, I would insist that
its presence is what makes these films worth showing and
worth viewing. Something in them clearly affects an audience
in a much more profound way than the typical cinematic fare.
One example of a film that might be considered “difficult”
by ordinary audiences is How I Ended This Summer (PAGE 41).
Much of the film is taken up with long, static shots detailing
the mundane responsibilities and chores of a pair of workers
at a Russian weather station in the area of the Arctic Circle.
There is not much of what would be considered conventional
“action” in this film, as the long unending days of the Arctic
summer are translated in a way to the film itself. The film
would be labeled slow by any sort of conventional definition,
and in many ways the tempo that the plot progresses at
makes the film difficult to watch. However, while this difficulty
hoW i ended
this suMMer
Page: 41
might arise, it arises for a reason, as the purpose of this
plotting is to express, in a filmic way, the monotony of life at
this observation station, and how it can affect the mentality
of those who work there. Without the difficulty that the film
provides, it would not be as possible to accurately enter the
mindset of its main characters.
One aspect of films that oftentimes makes them difficult to
view is their portrayal of violence. One film in this category
that will be screened at the festival this year is Canada’s
Polytechnique (PAGE 49), which features violent elements that
are at times uncomfortable to watch, and which will initiate
a strong reaction from the viewer. The filmmaker sets out to
recreate, in documentary style, a Canadian school shooting,
and in order to accurately capture the horror of that day;
some graphic shots of violence are included. The director
chose black and white to not make the gore a central focus
rather the psychological ramification of the actions. Because
of this, these strong feelings and lack of comfort are exactly
the reaction that people should experience watching the film.
This film might not be easy to watch, but rather than simply
use this as a reason to criticize it, one can see this as a way,
even if it is not an easy one, for the audience to view the world
around themselves. We should not deny that this type of
violence exists, but instead face it full on as films like this do,
so we can better understand.
P o ly t e c h n i q u e
Page: 49
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sIdebaR: dIffICulT fIlms...ReWaRdIng vIeWIng