Vigour of Film Lines

Detailed and thoughtful film analysis, unique film lists, original perspective on cinema's greatest auteurs

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  • January 15, 2020

    Chastity and Carnality Shot in Monochrome: Pawlikowski’s “Ida”

    Chastity and Carnality Shot in Monochrome: Pawlikowski’s “Ida”

      Pawlikowski once said that “Ida doesn’t set out to explain history. That’s not what it’s about. The story is focused on very concrete and complex characters who are full of humanity with all its paradoxes. They’re not pawns used to illustrate some version of history or an ideology.” I find this to be immensely […]

  • January 13, 2020

    January – Black and White European Cinema Month

    January – Black and White European Cinema Month

    The first article I have published this year on this site was about a contemporary black-and-white Hungarian film Werckmeister Harmonies (2000), with the title “A Mortal God”. In this article, I explored the apocalyptic symbolism behind a decaying whale, and the pessimist philosophy of cosmic proportions presented in the film. Later, another article about a […]

  • January 11, 2020

    Everlasting Iniquities of the Fathers: Haneke’s “The White Ribbon”

    Everlasting Iniquities of the Fathers: Haneke’s “The White Ribbon”

    The White Ribbon is, as it is proclaimed at the beginning of the film: “A German’s Children Story”. It is narrated by the School Teacher who is now in his late years, and has presumably survived two World Wars. He says “I don’t know if the story I am about to tell you is entirely […]

  • January 4, 2020

    In Michael Haneke’s Words: Confrontation with the Unknown

    In Michael Haneke’s Words: Confrontation with the Unknown

    “I like the multiplicity of books, because each book is different in the mind of each reader. It’s the same with this film – if 300 people are in a cinema watching it, they will all see a different film, so in a way there are thousands of different versions of “Caché (Hidden)”. The point […]

  • January 1, 2020

    Decay of a Mortal God: Béla Tarr’s “Werckmeister Harmonies”

    Decay of a Mortal God: Béla Tarr’s “Werckmeister Harmonies”

    Valuska, a dreamy, and intellectually “slow” postman, with a poetic understanding of his surroundings, stages a little scene with a bunch of weary drunkards, in a bar, at the very beginning of the film. He arranges the drunkards to act the roles of the the Moon and the Earth, as they revolve around the Sun. […]

  • December 29, 2019

    In Béla Tarr’s Words: Evolution in the Understanding of Art, Life and Cinema

    In Béla Tarr’s Words: Evolution in the Understanding of Art, Life and Cinema

    “At the beginning of my career, I had a lot of social anger. I just wanted to tell you how fucked up the society is. This was the beginning. Afterwards, I began to understand that the problems were not only social; they are deeper. I thought they were only ontological and when I understood more […]

  • December 25, 2019

    Merry Christmas! (in Film Stills)

    Merry Christmas! (in Film Stills)

                I wish you a very merry Christmas and hope you are spending a joyous and peaceful day!

  • December 24, 2019

    Reunions on Christmas Eve in Satoshi Kon’s “Tokyo Godfathers”

    Reunions on Christmas Eve in Satoshi Kon’s “Tokyo Godfathers”

    Satoshi Kon’s wonderful anime depicts the Christmas Eve of three homeless bums (self-proclaimed) who listen to a public sermon and watch a play celebrating the birth of Christ, so they can eat afterwards. One of them, Gin, says: “Joy to the world, food has come”. Soon, they find a baby in the trash, and the […]

  • December 17, 2019

    Creation of the First Galactic Empire in “Star Wars”: Episode III

    Creation of the First Galactic Empire in “Star Wars”: Episode III

    Before reading this essay, you can read the previous one: Creation of the First Galactic Empire in Star Wars: Episodes I & II. Auctoritas, non veritas facit legem [Authority, not truth creates the law] Thomas Hobbes, Leviathan, Chapter 24 Obi-Wan Kenobi and Anakin Skywalker heroically rescue Chancellor Palpatine from Count Dooku’s pre-ordained “grip”; Dooku is […]

  • December 14, 2019

    Creation of the First Galactic Empire in “Star Wars”: Episodes I & II

    Creation of the First Galactic Empire in “Star Wars”: Episodes I & II

    I will start to chronicle the events which resulted in the overthrow of the Galactic Republic by writing about Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace. I will use Carl Schmitt’s writings on dictatorship, sovereignty and the state of exception, which are extremely fruitful for understanding such a multilayered fictional political persona as Chancellor […]

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