tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13095695.post7164842373244305610..comments2023-10-22T17:40:51.323-04:00Comments on Tativille: What is Cinema? More than Cinema: The Ontological Discourse of Abbas Kiarostami's Through the Olive Trees (1994)Michael J. Andersonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12333893240336518881noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13095695.post-39324364013518007352011-08-22T06:05:22.380-04:002011-08-22T06:05:22.380-04:00Cinema is one thing that has always been a second ...Cinema is one thing that has always been a second identity of our nation. It has seeped in our lives so much so, that there’s nothing that can take away their presence and importance from our lives. It’s almost a given that no other media has been able to create immense waves as motion picture has been able to.Telugu Wallpapershttp://www.tollywoodandhra.com/category/desktop-wallpapers/noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13095695.post-3790602362987608562009-04-17T06:42:00.000-04:002009-04-17T06:42:00.000-04:00Though I've seen a few Kiarostami, and believe "Cl...Though I've seen a few Kiarostami, and believe "Close Up" in particular to be arguably the greatest achievement in film during the 90s, I have not yet seen "Through the Olive Trees," and this essay more than convinces me that I need to rectify that.<br /><br />Something else this piece had me thinking about is the somewhat similar relationship between Kiarostami and Jia Zhang-ke's work. Specifically, I relate the the 'Koker' Trilogy to Jia's 'Hometown Trilogy,' as both are set in a very specific location and those geographical binds inform the thematic inclinations of the cinema. Further more, both filmmakers possess a willingness to blur the line between non-fiction and narrative filmmaking. Admittedly, Jia has less work to his name at this point, but I have a feeling that in a couple of decades or so he may be regarded just as highly as Kiarostami, and for similar reasons. (Also, both seem to me heavily influenced by Italian neo-realism, especially when one considers "Unknown Pleasures," which I've always linked to "The Bicycle Thief.")<br /><br />Anyway, I'm rambling, but I found this essay very stimulating, especially towards the end when you correctly designate the importance of the emotions felt in Kiarostami's films, far more engaging than even the filmmaker's impressive formalism.In Review Onlinehttp://www.inreviewonline.comnoreply@blogger.com