Reviews

This movie isn’t about the typical hero story—it’s about the lives of a few ordinary Dutch youths during World War II. In the story, some are brave, some are cowards, some sacrifice themselves, and some survive. The ending is thought-provoking: the triumphant hero comes face-to-face with the traitor's wife. Even though her hair was cut off by the townspeople, she hasn’t lost her will to live. After all, the war is over, and life goes on for everyone.

Rutger Hauer was incredibly handsome during that time, and he looked amazing in a military uniform. The tango scene was absolutely stunning! One thing is clear from this movie: back then, directors still had that spirit of young European artists.

After seeing the poster and the synopsis, I just knew this would be one of my favorite movies and couldn’t wait to watch it. It’s a lighthearted and humorous story about the growth of a young man. The protagonist might seem a bit of a mess, but he has many lovable qualities. While watching, I even found myself envying his experiences in the film.

Instead of analyzing the movie, I’d say it feels more like the director was helping Pete Davidson deconstruct and rebuild himself in the film.

This is a movie where the director takes playing with structure to the extreme—it’s truly groundbreaking! It clearly builds on themes from their earlier films. Later works, especially On the Beach at Night Alone, can trace their roots back to this one. The way the film mirrors and repeats everyday life scenes, creating subtle shifts in meaning, is just brilliant!

It's unbelievable how the director managed to make so many movies out of a story about drinking and then heading to a motel!

After watching the movie, I felt like, in the end, none of us can escape the way power manipulates our fate.

The director is considered a pioneer in puppet animation. This film is filled with strong metaphors. The ever-present hand symbolizes the force that controls the puppet’s life. It represents power, authority, and control, aiming to turn people into slaves, trapping them in a cage with no escape. It gives you countless reasons to obey, yet it also offers enough glory and honor to make you a part of the system of power.

Compared to Fire of Love, this movie is definitely more cinematic. Werner Herzog’s only misstep was letting National Geographic tell this story first.

This movie is a big blow to the National Geographic version. If there’s any modern filmmaker who could be considered a kindred spirit to the Kraffts, it’s Werner Herzog. That’s why the director handles the existing footage so effortlessly. This ability doesn’t just come from the director’s skill but also from a deep connection with the people in the documentary—knowing when to stay silent and when to express love.

After watching the movie, I can’t stop thinking about the heroine’s expression. She seemed both submissive and strong at the same time. Her submission showed in how she quietly accepted her fate without complaint. Her strength was in how she kept her dignity even in moments of pain and humiliation.

Director Ann Hui is truly a master at capturing the everyday lives of ordinary people. Even the most unremarkable characters and subtle moments are brought to life with incredible visual detail and emotion. This is not a simple film.

James Gray always seems to have a way to transform something ordinary into something amazing. Even a simple script becomes epic in his hands, thanks to his captivating techniques and stunning visuals. But honestly, the three big-name actors in this film just fall short.

Although this film clearly takes cues from The Godfather and even casts James Caan—who kind of gives off that old-school godfather vibe—it completely flips The Godfather’s values. It challenges the idea that this figure always sticks to his principles. In this movie, no relationship is safe when it comes to personal interests. There's a scene before the trial that really shows how these money-driven alliances break apart and get reformed.

The movie is made up of six- or seven-minute-long takes of dialogue. It features nine characters having conversations like “Do you understand each other?”, “Don’t you feel guilty?”, and “Won’t you join us?”. However, it doesn’t have the layered structure of his earlier films, and Kim Min-hee’s character feels underdeveloped. Aside from the beginning and ending, the whole thing just feels like a rushed short film.

After watching the movie, I'm still not sure what the director was trying to say. Even though it's only 66 minutes long, it actually felt quite long to me. I guess the main point is that everyone in the film praises Kim Min-hee for her beauty, almost like a personal love letter from Hong Sang-soo.

After watching this movie, I realized that just showing the main character unscrewing a couple of bottle caps is enough to showcase some masculine charm.

After watching the movie, I feel like humanity can only push biological limits by actively pursuing self-mechanization. But if we try to equip life with perfect machinery, that’s where the nightmare begins.

Kiyoshi Kurosawa makes a big shift in this film. Using the framework of a family drama, he blends existentialist themes with conventional film techniques seamlessly. The director is well on his way to becoming a master, mark my words.

After watching the movie, you will know that housewives are unbeatable.