I learned about this epic documentary, once again, thanks to Filmoteca Canaria. Yesterday, they screened Introductions and the first two chapters, Openings and Tone. The film has 40 chapters altogether, and it is unclear if they will ever show the rest.
But I liked what I saw. Yes I watched Brief Encounters and Innocence and I knew of the work of Jane Campion, Larisa Shepitko and Agnès Varda, but the rest is totally new territory for me. Je Tu Il Elle by Chantal Akerman, Tank Girl by Rachel Talalay and animations by Alison de Vere are now on my to-watch list.
On the downside, I find most of the narration not only superfluous but annoying. Do we really need to hear the words “crane shot” or “close-up” every time we see a crane shot or close-up? I was often unable to follow the dialogue because the narrator just wouldn’t shut up. I hope the DVD comes with the option to switch the commentary off.
The film is subtitled A New Road Movie Through Cinema; the movie clips under discussion are interspersed by the gratuitous footage of the narrator driving somewhere — sorry I can’t see the point of this road-moving. It’s better to be explained at some point in the film.
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