Telets (Taurus), 2001
Sokurov was interested in the three personages he considered having the biggest negative impact in the history of XX-th century: Lenin, Hitler, Hirohito. Thus, three movies: Молох (Molokh) - 1999, on Hitler;Телец (Taurus) - 2001 on Lenin, Солнце (The Sun) - 2005, on Hirohito. It seems that Sokurov has in mind a tetralogy, and I wonder who would be the fourth personage.
Солнце is presented right now in New York, at Film Forum, on Houston Street: a delay of four years. I found on youTube Телец, thus this is the only one I've watched so far. Молох is also on youTube. As for Солнце, I've read the chronicle of Manohla Dargis in NY Times.
Sokurov tried in each case a psychological study: to see the man as he was in his most human situation, i.e. in the moment of defeat or of decay. The intention was to show what Hannah Arendt names The Banality of Evil.
I believe that The Banality of Evil is not relevant: each of us, angels, devils, or simply humans, have our share of banality. I would say all that's normal is banal: joy, and fear, stupid hopes and degradation due to sickness and old age. Thus the banality of evil is not relevant: relevance is given by the moments of evil (or of greatness) and these are not banal.
In his last years Lenin was degraded by his sickness and became a caricature of the man who had been. For those who feel that Lenin was an extraordinary personality (good or evil), it is shocking to see the grotesque paralytic from the movie. Of course, any extraordinary personality eventually decays due to old age and infirmity. Then what's the point?
But, even if I disagree with the notion of Banality of Evil, I think Телец is a very good movie. It's not only the grotesque of Lenin infirm (irrelevant, as I said), it's the grotesque of all that world around him, very well caught. And Leonid Mozgovoy, the interpret of Lenin (and of Hitler in Молох) is damned good.
(Sokurov)
Солнце is presented right now in New York, at Film Forum, on Houston Street: a delay of four years. I found on youTube Телец, thus this is the only one I've watched so far. Молох is also on youTube. As for Солнце, I've read the chronicle of Manohla Dargis in NY Times.
Sokurov tried in each case a psychological study: to see the man as he was in his most human situation, i.e. in the moment of defeat or of decay. The intention was to show what Hannah Arendt names The Banality of Evil.
I believe that The Banality of Evil is not relevant: each of us, angels, devils, or simply humans, have our share of banality. I would say all that's normal is banal: joy, and fear, stupid hopes and degradation due to sickness and old age. Thus the banality of evil is not relevant: relevance is given by the moments of evil (or of greatness) and these are not banal.
In his last years Lenin was degraded by his sickness and became a caricature of the man who had been. For those who feel that Lenin was an extraordinary personality (good or evil), it is shocking to see the grotesque paralytic from the movie. Of course, any extraordinary personality eventually decays due to old age and infirmity. Then what's the point?
But, even if I disagree with the notion of Banality of Evil, I think Телец is a very good movie. It's not only the grotesque of Lenin infirm (irrelevant, as I said), it's the grotesque of all that world around him, very well caught. And Leonid Mozgovoy, the interpret of Lenin (and of Hitler in Молох) is damned good.
(Sokurov)
Labels: Sokurov
posted by Pierre Radulescu at
11:30 AM
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