The Legend of 1900 [IMPORT]

Rating:
Summary: Helas pour moi!
Review: ~
One very important point that neither supporters nor detractors of this movie have mentioned is that it seems to be a metaphor for cinema.

Mind you, it is easily missed, in fact, I can't say for certain it was even intended! But just below the surface lies a resigned nostalgia that suggests the "greatness" of cinema is a thing of the past. Like a big old rusted ship about to be consumed by an indifferent ocean, the film implies that cinema is washed-up; the brilliance and splendour it once had has gone, and now it can only aspire to repetitious cycles of dead-in-the-water entertainment's - one lumbering "Titanic" after another.

When one considers that Tornatore is the creator of that other over-blown "paean" to movies, CINEMA PARADISO, it isn't beyond the realm of possibility to assert that "cinema" could be one of his thematic preoccupations. The structure of THE LEGEND OF 1900 (particularly the early scenes) parallels the emergence of film, and given the year of production it's not too much of a stretch to see it as another "tribute" to (or comment on) the first 100 years of the medium.

There is a pivotal scene near the end of the film where Max (Pruitt Taylor Vince) searches for the character known as "1900" (Tim Roth) within the rusted bowels of the abandoned ship (the wreckage of cinema). 1900 has never been on dry land, and as the ship creaks and groans beneath them, Max hopes to convince him to leave the ship before it is destroyed. He describes the world beyond the vessel as a place of infinite choice, but 1900 replies that he can't abandon the only reality he has ever known. In his heart Max knows that 1900 could never accept the "sea of anonymity" (mediocrity) that life on dry land (modern commercial crowd-pleasing movies) promises. Having no place in this world, 1900 (the embodiment of "true" art) goes down with the ship (the discarded notion of cinematic art). Perhaps Tornatore is signalling his own intention to go down with it. On the evidence of this film, it's a loss I could live with.

So, did Tornatore intend THE LEGEND OF 1900 as a denunciation of big-budget commercial Euro-puddings, cleverly made in the vacuous style of its worst excesses (criticising the likes of James Cameron's equally wretched TITANIC by emulating it!), or has he simply made a vacuous film? If Tornatore does believe that the glory of cinema has gone, it's highly plausible that he made this film as a sad celebration of its passing, a "wake" of sorts, trailing wistfully behind the phantom ship of the lost glory of movies. (Oh dear, I'm beginning to sound like him!)

But I fear I'm giving this slice of over-boiled ham more credit than it is due. It pains me to have to even give it one star. I whole-heartedly share Zachary Norwood's astonishment at how highly this film is regarded. That such a lame, manipulative commodity should elicit such impassioned approval crushes the spirit of those with more cinematic discernment (and hope for the medium). Where Zachary recommends films like LAST TANGO, I'd be more inclined to suggest anything by Alexander Sokurov, Bela Tarr, Michael Haneke, Theo Angelopoulos, Robert Bresson, Carl Dreyer, Sharunas Bartas, Zhang-ke Jai, Hou Hsiao-hsien, Tsai Ming-liang, Bruno Dumont, Gaspar Noe, Jacques Rivette, Jean-Marie Straub, Chantel Akerman, Claire Denis, Margarite Duras, or Jean-Luc Godard, a short list that barely skims the surface of the depth of cinematic choice available, and in relation to which something as gratuitous and banal as THE LEGEND OF 1900 pales into insignificance. (For lovers of Tim Roth, I suggest his remarkable directorial debut, THE WAR ZONE, or any of his English work as an actor, particularly MADE IN BRITAIN by the under-rated and extraordinary Alan Clarke.)

As a "fairy-tale for grownups", THE LEGEND OF 1900 flatters the laziest of viewers, which demeans grownups and fairy tales. As one character says, "You're never really done-for as long as you have a good story and someone to tell it to" - or did he mean to say, "someone to sell it to"?
~

Rating:
Summary: Matthew Arnold would be rolling in his grave
Review: Matthew Arnold once wrote that "Culture is properly described as the love of perfection," and yet these days, possibly due to mindless television programming and watered down education, the general populace can view such a shallow film as this--both in terms of theme and subject--and believe it's perfect. I'm positively aghast with how many people have given this film a rating of five stars. How shallow must someone be to perceive perfection where there is only artless nonsense? The dialogue in this film, for instance, can only be described as having sham-significance. It's like reading a sophomoric essay on the meaning of life. But why is this film so popular, and why are people so intent on giving it a high rating? Bluntly put, its obscurantism has the power to deceive. A less mindful audience, upon viewing this film, will resist feelings of confusion and trade them in for something more congenial: a sense of meaning. Such meaning as this is purely contrived, for it is forced from without, by weak minds, rather than made from within, with a truly profound script. Try watching more artful and genuinely profound films, such as The Last Tango in Paris or Hanna and Her Sisters. And if these films grate on the nerves, it simply means you need to get back to watching MTV and avoid trying to experience anything with depth.

Rating:
Summary: A Gem
Review: I stumbled upon this movie the weekend of the 4th of July.. since then I have watched it a dozen times and was fortunate to find the cd (music).. What a treat, the more I watch the movie-the more it eats into my heart..The characters play out their roles with poignancy and passion..This is my choice movie for 2003, last year it was Billy Elliott..

Rating:
Summary: Quirky and engaging
Review: Tim Roth is always engaging and here he takes center stage. Although the story is not believable (hence "Legend" in the title) it is well worth viewing, and Tim is completely believable.

Although this is not a famous movie, some of the scenes will be etched on my mind forever. Some movies (e.g Matrix2 which I saw the day before) spend millions on special effect that are not as memorable, however, the piano rolling around the dance floor will stay with me (and probably my young son) forever -- incredible! The inclusion of the real jazz legend Jelly Roll Morton as a character is a nice touch, and the piano competition is quite wonderful (better than the guitar duel in "Crossroads") and very clever. Another memorable moment the angelic little urchin-cum-prodigy turning around to his first stunned audience and responding to being chastised (I won't spoil it by quoting it here!).

This is probably a 4* movie but I give it 5* because you really should see it.

Rating:
Summary: Wonderful!
Review: I enjoyed this movie SO MUCH !! I am indeed a romantic, I am also a piano player, and the playing was so wonderful! I feel sorry for [name], a reviewer, he did not get much out of the movie, indeed, went the other way in his feelings. That's really sad, as there is so much to be enjoyed here. Like anything else, it depends on one's outlook on life, and one's attitude. The emotions and the actors' depictions of them in this movie are just marvelous. Anyone that says the scenes are more or less "sappy" must be very jaded, to say the least. This is a movie to be watched when relaxed and not be critical.

Rating:
Summary: Good idea, awful movie
Review: This movie has a great premise. In 1900, the year after which the main character is named, the world was changing from a place where one's entire world was confined within a few miles' horse-ride from his home into the world of mind-numbing complexity stretching out in all directions, as alluded to in the final scene. The sea was the romantic call to someone of the 19th century, and the ship visiting the city could have been a powerful metaphor for the cultural change.

Unfortunately, this movie feels like it was written and filmed by an immature teenager. This movie has all the characteristics of a boy of about 14. To name a few, there's silly scripted swearing that sounds like someone trying to look tough; a sappy, over-romanticized vision of beauty (she conveniently pauses at each porthole so we can see her as she walks along the deck); an absurd testosterone showdown, where the performances are intended to ... and over-the-top purple-heart sophistry on the meaning of life, and how some people are just not meant for this crazy world. Plus a big improbable EXPLOSION thrown in! (I guess the scrap metal market must have been pretty depressed in postwar England, so they just blew those old boats up....)

To add to the mess, the director destroys what little mood he can work up with jarring edits, ineptly ordered flashbacks and jaw-droppingly stupid dialogue. The worst example in the script is his rendering of the boat-as-world metaphor into garbled "god's piano" psychobabble in the final scene. To make it even worse, he then immediately tacks on some kind of (supposedly) comic relief about having one's left arm blown-off and replaced by a right arm --- apparently to ensure the removal of any tiny amount of emotional power there might have been in this scene. The rest of the movie is peppered with cutesy aphorisms like "Life is worth living as long as you have a story and someone to tell it to".

Movie magic can allow us to overlook - or even celebrate - the bizarre coincidences and strange occurrences. The cigarette-on-the-strings bit works, more or less. But the the director doesn't give us enough magical moments to allow us to want to believe in any of the 10 or 15 improbabilities in the script. "Can I play my trumpet ONE LAST TIME?" "Hey, I just GLUED that song BACK TOGETHER! And they're blowing up the ship TOMORROW!". I think I would have loved the scene of the piano on the rolling ship, if I wasn't so distracted wondering how they managed to keep the bench and piano together. And am I supposed to believe that only "one guy" notices the Statue of Liberty? It's right beside the freakin' ship!

The only mildly worthy bit of this otherwise unwatchable movie is the Jelly Roll Morton scene, which has some exciting piano playing. However, this is mitigated by the one-dimensional portrayal of Jelly Roll, and the confusingly equivocal quality Tim Roth gives to the confrontation. It seemed like this would have been a good time to (finally!) give us some insight into the character, like his apparent dislike of competition and love of the music. ....

This movie might have been great. Instead, it's a mess. Give it a pass. If you still are thinking about watching this movie, get Ennio Morricone's soundtrack instead. Assuming it has the piano duel on it.

Rating:
Summary: This was Good
Review: This is a good movie. I bought it for my brother for christmas because he was raving about it. He had seen it on cable once and said it was a french movie that was just astounding. I didn't believe him untill I watched it. I couldn't leave the screen. It was just too captivating. I gave it four stars because it didn't have the depth that I thought it should have, but that in no way took away from the movie. FANTASTIC!!!

Rating:
Summary: Moved To Tears!
Review: This movie is one of the best I've ever seen. It was warm and sorrowful at the same time. I never cry at movies and if I do it is only a small tear, but this movie made me cry so much that I continued to sob even after it was over. You need a large tissue box for the ending of this movie! I was left with a sense of wholeness and joy, even though the ending was sad. I recommend you see this film and cry with the best of us. No movie has ever made me feel so alive and I love the fact that it moved me to tears. If you don't cry by the end of the film, then you did not understand the complexity of the characters. Tom Roth makes you feel his pain and his difficulty to be ordinary. The passion and simple pleasure he brings to the screen is one I haven't seen since I saw the English Patient. If a movie makes me sob like this one did, then I regard it as a miracle. By far, the best movie I have ever seen! Watch it and keep a kleenex at the ready. All I have left to say is WOW!!!

Rating:
Summary: A film for the Artists at heart
Review: I shouldn't be surprised when I checked, without naming names, several reknown film critics had given it bad reviews. I mean, REALLY bad reviews,because the way those guys do their jobs--making notes while watching films. Poor fellows, they can't watch anything without dissecting them into body parts, and the so-called film reviews end up being film-making-techniques-reviews.

Upon saying so, the film was beautifully made, and impeccably acted, raw and refined at the same time. It is one of those films you would get more and more by each viewing because their story and characters are so complex in their simplicity, and so simple in their complexity. I think it's better explained in music than words--let's just put it this way. If you had seen the film, you'd know what I meant.

Rating:
Summary: unforgettable
Review: I'm sure there's probably 11-100 people who will end up seeing this movie, but every one of those people will be glad they were one of the lucky ones who actually get to experience this film.

The casting is probably one of the most noticeable elements in the film. Tim Roth, who you would think couldn't pull off anything but the somewhat creepy landscape character transforms himself not only into a leading man, but a top shelf leading man. The smaller characters, although few in lines, make up for it by leaving a lasting impression throughout the course of the film.

Beyond the acting-- the mise en scene is impeccable, the coloring and the production design are straight out of a Renoir painting, and that's just what you see. And what you see is nothing compared to what you hear-- for those who like jazz before it became jazz and classical before it became pretentious, in other words, music for music, you'll love this.

But for all of you who need just a little bit more-- the recording scene will be there for you. I can only describe this scene as being the best cinematic scene that came out of the 90's. It's beautiful. It really is.

Rent it, buy it, see it... do what you have to do, it's worth the effort.