Category Archives: Cinema, video & DVDs

This is how the world ends

Posted on September 16, 2011 by barczablog

I saw The Turin Horse directed by Béla Tarr at the Toronto International Film Festival. Tarr says it’s his last film.  This is no warm farewell like Fanny & Alexander(Ingmar Bergman’s last film) or The Tempest (Shakespeare’s last play).  It’s … Continue reading →

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Always the Bridesmaid

Posted on May 23, 2011 by barczablog

I saw Bridesmaids tonight. If you watch Saturday Night Live you know Kristen Wiig. In passing, I’ll acknowledge that you might be one of those people who used to watch SNL.   Fine, you don’t want to admit that you watch … Continue reading →

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Chopin at the Opera

Posted on March 30, 2011 by barczablog

There’s nothing quite like cinema to change your viewpoint.  Film has changed my perspective on Frederic Chopin more than once. I’d grown up with his music around me, aware of him almost from the beginning.  Anyone learning how to play … Continue reading →

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Body of work: Aronofsky wrestles with an idea

Posted on January 24, 2011 by barczablog

Sometimes a superficial resemblance between two films by the same director is nothing more than coincidence; sometimes similarities are indications of important preoccupations. Darren Aronofsky has recently been fascinated with bodily matters.  His last two films can be read as … Continue reading →

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Mendelssohn, the Nazis and Me (and them)

Posted on January 19, 2011 by barczablog

I was fortunate to stumble upon the documentary Mendelssohn, the Nazis and Me recently on TV Ontario (a public television network) in its first North American broadcast. Originally seen on BBC, the doc is a curious mixture of music, history, … Continue reading →

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The King’s Speech

Posted on January 3, 2011 by barczablog

We’re always hearing about the impact of media upon our world. As anyone who has seen Singin’ in the Rain can tell you, new media –such as talking pictures in the late 1920s—can cause a complete upheaval not just within … Continue reading →

Posted in Cinema, video & DVDs, Essays, Reviews | 1 Comment

Mad Swan

Posted on December 19, 2010 by barczablog

After a post earlier this week concerning ballet, I had to go see Black Swan, a film that appears to go right to the heart of the artform or at least the concerns I spoke of the other day. I … Continue reading →

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