THE CINEMA OF APICHATPONG WEERASETHAKUL TOLD THROUGH IMAGES & STILLS

Film is like a drug. It is a shelter when you cannot deal with reality - Apichatpong Weerasethakul

Along with directors like Steve Mcqueen, Nicolas Refn and Fatih Akin - Apichatpong Weerasethakul is truly one of the "Leaders Of The New School". Like Karim Ainouz ('I Travel Because I Have To...') or John Carluccio ('Battle Sounds'), he's another filmmaker who made the transition from studying architecture (my major in college) to film, yet there's no direct trace of that in his work (unless you count the shots of all the landscapes in his work, but even that's kinda reaching). So naturally as an architecture graduate with a love for cinema this one is a bit personal and close to my heart (in fact my love for film trumps my interest in architecture & design to the point where it isn't even funny). Weerasethakul's work, which pretty much all takes place in Thailand, is rooted in things like nature, spiritualism, sexuality, subtle doses of religion, love, romance and surrealism. He's also clearly all about challenging the idea of traditional storytelling. Of all the young-ish/breakout directors of the last 6 years or so, he's one of the few who cant really be compared to anyone else. Sure there's hints of Tarkovsky or a little Wong Kar Wai in his work (if you really wanna reach) but at the end of the day he's one of the few original filmmakers of his era.

NATURE:

Apichatpong Weerasethakul always makes it a point to show the audience the beauty of Thailand and just nature in general. Watching one of his films on the big screen is a MUST (especially his more recent work like Uncle Boonme & Syndromes). Each frame makes you feel like you're actually in the jungle or among wild animals. And if there was ever one color to be associated with his work it would have to be green (the tall grass, the leaves and other various plant life). The actors in his films blend in to the natural surroundings to the point where they look they're just another lifeform growing in the jungle...

'Tropical Malady'

'Tropical Malady'

'Blissfully Yours'

'Syndromes & A Century'

'Uncle Boonmee Who Can Recall His Past Lives'

'Uncle Boonmee'

Cemetery Of Splendour

Cemetery Of Splendour

Mysterious Object At Noon

TRANSFORMATION & PARALLEL UNIVERSES:

In just about any Weerasethakul film you'll see at least one of the main characters transforming in one way or another. Whether it be the transformation of a man in to a transgendered woman ('The Adventures Of Iron Pussy') to the constant transformation of humans into animals or animal-like figures in 'Tropical Malady' (one of the main characters transforms into a tiger at the end of the film) and 'Uncle Boonmee' (one of the characters in the film turns into a giant monkey). And in a similar vein Weerasethakul constantly plays with the theme of parallel universes. In 'Syndromes And  A Century' we see the exact same scenarios acted out twice with the same actors in the same settings, each with its own slight twist. At the end of 'Uncle Boonmee...' we see our main characters essentially step outside of themselves and go in to another universe. Or in the same film we watch as the princess look at her reflection in the water only to see a more "attractive" image of herself... 

'Uncle Boonmee...'

'Uncle Boonmee...'

'Uncle Boonmee...'

'Syndromes & A Century'

Iron Pussy

'Tropical Malady'

INFLUENCES & VISUAL SIMILARITIES

Archangel/Tropical Malady

Post Tenebras Lux/Uncle Boonmee

Jumanji/Tropical Malady

Uncle Boonmee/The Grey

Uncle Boonmee/Pan's Labrynth

Uncle Boonmee/Jauja

Princess Mononoke/Uncle Boonmee

Suspiria/Cemetery Of Splendour

Suspiria/Uncle Boonmee

Uncle Boonmee/The Nightmare

Safe/Uncle Boonmee

Uncle Boonmee/Jauja

A Brighter Summer Day/Uncle Boonmee

Uncle Boonmee/Attack The Block

THE HUMAN BODY:

The actors in Weerasethakul's films are often shirtless or almost completely naked. I'm sure some of this has to do with the fact that most of his films take place in Thailand where I hear its quite hot, but still...he takes advantage of this by focusing his camera on the crevices of the bodies that don't always get shown in most films (the sweat, the different shades of skin, etc)... 

'Blissfully Yours'

'Mobile Men'

'Mobile Men'

'Uncle Boonmee...'

'Tropical Malady'

SPIRITUALISM & RELIGION:

Another one of  Weerasethakul's talents is showing Buddhism and spirituality without coming off preachy or shoving it down the audiences throats. Its clear that he's a spiritual person and believes in a higher power but at the same time you don't feel like you're watching a religious film. He cleverly places monks as key figures (or even just in the background), ghosts and/or spirits as well as religious art all through out his work...

Tropical Malady

'Tropical Malady'

'Syndromes...'

'Syndromes...'

'Uncle Boonmee...'

'Uncle Boonmee...'

Cemetery Of Splendour

ROMANCE & SEXUALITY:

Whether its man & woman (Syndromes & A Century), man & man (Tropical Malady) or human & fish (Uncle Boonmee), Apichatpong Weerasethakul makes it a point to show all kinds of romantic relationships or attractions with the same care and objectivity. As an openly gay director, he doesn't show hetero relationships any differently than homosexual relationships (similar to other modern, openly directors like Gus Van Sant and Todd Haynes). He explores innocence and the fear of telling someone you love them (Syndromes) or the curiosity and slow attraction that starts to build between two people who don't really know each other...

'Syndromes...'

'Blissfully Yours'

'Tropical Malady'

SLUMBER...
The characters in Apichatpong's films often find themselves nodding off (sometimes involuntary like in the case of Cemetery Of Splendour) or dreaming in an effort to connect with some spiritual power (Tropical Malady) or a deceased relative (Uncle Boonmee). Plus, his films just have a sleepy/meditative quality...

Blissfully Yours

Tropical Malady

Cemetery Of Splendour

Mekong Hotel

Uncle Boonmee...

5 QUESTIONS: GUY MADDIN!

Guy Maddin is one of the few active directors that serves as a bridge between the past (his exploration in to silent film) and the future of cinema (the various chaotic editing & cinematography techniques). 

His work draws upon the spirit of everything from Sergei Eisenstein to David Lynch's 'Eraserhead' but at the same time he has an originality that cant be found in anyone else's work (along with a Canadian pride that you don't see anywhere else either). The timing on this interview is perfect. Not only does Guy Maddin have a new film ('Keyhole') opening at The IFC Center very soon, but all the recent acclaim, awards and attention that 'The Artist' has been getting for its "throwback" style and homage to silent films has many modern day film enthusiasts (like myself) looking in Guy Maddin's direction for his opinion.

I'm more than pleased that a director of Maddin's caliber would take the time out of his busy schedule to participate in this...



Enjoy!


1. What are the last 3 movies you saw? (feel free to elaborate on any of them)

Guy Maddin: I just caught 'The Eyes of Laura Mars' for the first time in Chelsea in NY. Luckily I caught the second screening of the night, the one NOT featuring running commentary from local benshi phenomenon Hedda Lettuce, a wonderful entertainer for sure, but I wanted to watch this film straight up. I enjoyed it, though I wonder how much screenwriter John Carpenter derived his ideas from the unrealized Hitchcock film The Blind Man.
I've been on a bit of a spree lately, having spent the last two months in Paris, where they have so many great rep houses. There I saw the masterful Sam Fuller 'Pick-up on South Street', a film that looks so much better -- truly GREAT! -- on the big screen! Wow, and what a perfectly controlled and cockeyed tone, and the most brutally choreographed fight scenes, such long takes. Just before that I finally caught up with 'The Fugitive Kind', something i should have watched decades ago. So strange, elliptical, dreamy. I can see why so many filmmakers pay it homage, but their homages are meaningless in the face of the original item. Megatonnage!

2. Who, in your opinion, is the best active filmmaker working right now?

GM: Without a doubt, Sokurov. Then Malick, for those of us, like all Canadians, interested in second place finishers.

3. This is kind of a repeat of something I already asked you, but what is your opinion on 'The Artist'? Obviously I ask YOU this question specifically because many people (including myself) feel that the film borrows heavily from your style of film making. Not saying anyone is copying or stealing from you or anything like that, but there is a valid comparison between 'The Artist' and your work. So I ask again; what is your opinion on 'The Artist'?

GM: Haven't seen it, want to hate it, scared I'll love it.

4. 'Keyhole', you're latest film, is opening in the U.S. very soon. Can you briefly tell the readers what its about and what to expect from it?

'Keyhole'

GM: It's a ghosts meets gangsters genre mash-up, much like Cowboys and Aliens, except that I used the genres to explore a melancholy obsession I have with how we all relate to homes we once lived in, and people we once loved and continue to love in spite of the fact they are dead. The movie starts out with conventional, almost textbook, screenplay structural story-telling, but by halfway through, many of the haunted plotlines are talking to each other instead of to the audience and everything sinks into a morass of dreamily sad memories we can't quite place. I love the atmospheres, and regret the film will be so hard on my distributors. Oh well, I made it the way I wanted.

5. The criterion video where you pick out your favorite films in the collection is easily one of the best ones they've done. Its clear from the video that you're a fan of the Criterion Collection. Realistically speaking; what films would you like to see added to the collection?

GM: Like everyone else who visits the Criterion offices in NY I beleaguer president Peter Becker with suggestions. I really want to see Bunuel's 'Los Olvidados' or 'El, This Strange Passion' get the Criterion treatment. 'Letter from an Unknown Woman' deserves one of their releases, and so does Arthur Ripley's 'The Chase' -- an incredible picture, though it might actually be best for everyone if it remained submerged in the murk of decasia to which it has long been consigned. I learned to love it in that condition, why mess with perfect love!

'Los Olvidados' (Bunuel)