Nice to see you, to see you, nice, welcome to the Golden Talkies. We are back on your delicious ears and into your calls on this the last week of February. Our film this week is The Music Lovers, released in 1971, directed by Ken Russell. I am your main host, Jamie, and this is my partner, Duncan, my subordinate. Well, I'm not sure about that. But, you know, I'll take you if I say it enough times that will be true to I didn't get in early out of the hello.

And then we miss the last couple of weeks. In the two weeks or this one.

I had to add something, but I just want to say one thing to me. The boys the boys have had my back and I'll never forget that I was made deep into to entertain the podcast.

And I assume you mean the hit Amazon Prime TV show? Yeah, obviously, I don't mean like my parents. I mean, they're not, of course, exactly friends. Oh, I don't mean my family here. I don't mean my colleagues. I mean my I mean the TV show. Anyway, I just want to say that. But what film are we watching this week, Jamie? The Music Lovers 1971 by Ken Russell. What is this podcast?

This podcast is where we watch films that came up 50 years ago this week. Whenever this week happens to be, depending on the release date, obviously, if you watch a two month old episode, then it'll be one that came out 50 years and two months ago because of framework's.

Are you giving up alcohol for the next few days, Jamie, for the year between that variety of in progress in February?

Well, get it. It's because they don't exist.

Yeah, yeah. It's a it's a boomer joke that I've seen on Facebook quite a lot last few days.

Uh, I get like because I could never give it up. Yeah. They were like, you know, it's like I'm doing the three day now called Challenge Not going to Drink on February 29 for Infantry First. How wacky or wacky. Anyway, the reason I said that is because it sets the date that this film came out on the 25th of February 1971 in the UK, in the US at the earlier. But you know what the release date oil ordinarily states, believe it or not, February is not a massive time for film releases.

I had to search quite hard for this.

I believe that, um, historical context. The twenty fifth of February 1971. Can you guess which country had it had its first commercial nuclear power station. Come on.

Like the UK? No, but France. No. UK was warmer. Uh, us. Oh very warm. Canada. That's right. They bring the Pickering Nuclear Generating Station came online and that is all historical context I've got. I'm assuming you have to, uh, write some stuff that happened this week. I wrote down on the 21st of February 1971, there was a convention on psychotropic substances, which, you know, I thought was relevant, given obviously a lot of these films very enamored of the old devil's letters.

Such was the time. Yes. On the twenty third of February, George Harrison had his license suspended for one year and was fined, uh, which reminds me of certain someone on the 24th fourth.

That's that's good. That's a good joke. Our audience is all the audience will enjoy on the twenty four, Algeria nationalized fifty one percent of its French oil concessions. I don't know any of the background history for that, but it sounded interesting. Nice. On the 25th, that was the first meeting between Northern Irish prime minister and the Catholic Cardinal of Ireland since nineteen twenty one interested in it. More progress on the troubles on the twenty seventh doctors in the first Dutch abortion clinic that an abortion for the first time to spend time adjusting to.

And then also on the twenty seven as little tidbit, English illusionist Derren Brown was born.

So it's coulis birthday with Darren Brain, Darren Brown with me. He was the psychology tricks. You'll you'll definitely want to. Yes, I know him. He's fifty years old. Features obviously because that's what this happy belated 15th birthday. Darren from the Golden told his podcast. Yeah. Official friend of the podcast. They're doing so this film. It's about Tchaikovsky, the composer. Yes, Tchaikovsky does. Anyway, I said you said Tchaikovsky. What was it?

Tchaikovsky. Tchaikovsky. Got it. Yeah, Tchaikovsky. It's based on a collection of his letters, allegedly, and which is interesting. And it's directed by Ken Russell, who actually made a lot of films about composers of this era. Something interesting that I read and I hadn't really thought that is, of course, this film he made 50 years ago. OK, and, uh, what's his name? Tchaikovsky died. Tchaikovsky died in 1893. So this film actually only came out 77 years, I think, after his death.

And so I think nowadays we have a tendency to think of the period that this film was set as very long ago. But actually, there were alive when this film came out that that even had memories of the time when he died. And I think the same thing in terms of like generations, they hundreds weren't actually that long ago. Exactly right. Your great great grandfather, I guess. Yeah, but I guess my point is, in the 1970s, people's grandparents and stuff would have potentially been around at that time.

And, you know, what they call the 80s, 90s. But then I've given you an interview on the podcast before. But I find interesting, they're called the gay 90s. Is that right? Yep. Which I found very interesting. I read that in a Peanuts comic from 1950. And I was like, oh, yeah, there was a time when people would have had a nickname for the 80s, 90s because it was. Exactly.

And speaking of gay 90s, this this guy is gay. Yes, that's the question. So this guy I mean, Czajkowski. Yes, I was in real life as well, obviously, but just. Yeah, I don't know that for watching this film. It was interesting. Neither. Neither. So, yeah, I guess the basic plot of this film is really about him struggling with that fact. And then everyone goes a bit insane by the end.

And that's the movie. That's that's a pretty good. More, more in that synopsis. Now that he's on the first level, we can go a lot deeper.

This is just give me the whole podcast. We're going to like gradually, gradually build up until the end. We, like, talked for an hour about every single plot detail. Yes, exactly. That's what I think. I think we start with one sentence and then by the end we just recite the film word for word. Yeah. That's how we do every second of this. But so we open sort of in the early days of Tchaikovsky's career.

So it's not quite established a name for himself that he's seen as a promising composer who's got a little job at the university or there was at the conservatory conservatoire concerts was right. No, not conservatory.

That's a glass box that most people build in the back of their house set, really in a second. But, you know, so he's got some promise, but he's not it yet. And there's rumors about his scandalous private life where we see that he is in a relationship or in a casual relationship with accounts, who is obviously a man. And that is the whole point. But, Anton, thank you.

Thank you. I will not remember anyone's name on track is throughout this entire film. And even then I can't pronounce it consistently. So that's great that he came up to correct for me. But yeah. So he wrote. So he does a new he premieres a new tune. He's written and he thinks it's fantastic. All the audience are mesmerized by it. We see lots of weird little Fancy's they're all having, you know, I say, well enjoy them.

And particularly he the women and the women love him and they have these little dream sequences about him, about the music, which I'm sure will come until later. And yeah. Yeah. But when he's done these sort of head guy of the conservatoire says that shit me, which I think is looking up for Czajkowski, there's the whole thing.

But it wasn't following the Russian classical tradition and his music was leaning more towards Western style.

And so I think he was I think he was one of the the first Russian composers to be sort of internationally liked and recognized. And so so. Yeah, that makes diluting his. So I'm shocked because he was honest to himself. Yeah, you know, there's some hostility about him betraying national values of our time. And so, yeah, so he's a bit upset about this and says he won't change a single note. And he screams horrible, horrible screams, which we'll hear a lot more if we go through the film.

One audience member at this recital was a random woman whose name I'd forgotten. But Donkin, you sound like you've written characters names down Antonina.

I think she's referred to as Nina for yes, she's referred to as in front of them.

And we see her having a fantasy about Schakowsky, which, you know, just out of a sexual thing, and she starts writing and letters. She seems to be in a horrible, abusive relationship with the man from the military and officer type and wants to get out of there and into the high society, although it does seem that she just genuinely, you know, she is genuinely infatuated with Schakowsky. It's not a change. It's calculated, but it's based on a real feeling that's probably so cherkovski now.

Everyone's remarkably cool with what they know about them, but they're still being very mean. And the head of the conservatoire says that, you know, you didn't have that sort of control over your private life.

It's no wonder your shit, me and Cherkovski sort of writing you up for about sort of people who fall in love with letters and not these love letters are arriving. And obviously he's looking for a way to deny his true nature.

And he sort of becomes not so emotionally or spiritually attracted to Neagh, which is, I think the word the film uses a spiritual and it's quite careful to keep that line in place. So they start writing to each other and have a lovely old time and they eventually get married, but very hurriedly only after they get engaged with their first in-person meeting. And it's very, very not a considered decision as you do. Nathan Andrews. Well, yeah. I mean, that's the sort of thing like it seems very hard to me, but I was always like my mind was that normal?

And remember the I don't know who it was normal, but I definitely think it was a lot more common.

Yeah, that's true. Also, other important person who was at the recital is his eventual patron, who's a wealthy widow, and she wants to give him money so that he can create his wonderful music. No one understands him but her his genius, but she's very insistent that they should never meet her. That's her thing. She wants to keep distance from him, but they write to each other and they become friends through this exchange of letters.

So we get to the honeymoon with Mina. And already there are really big problems of this that we see their first night together and understandably so. You can't get it up. And he's very embarrassed about this and sort of understanding what you can already tell. This is an issue. And she says maybe they should live as brother and sister for a while until he's ready, which they're not very happy with because, of course, they've been looking forward to getting phone down.

And then they go see Swan Lake, which is obviously a costly thing, a very good one. You know, not not so hot takes around Swan Lake.

All right. Solid seven out of 10.

I'd give that on the stream. Um, and Anton turns up and expands on what Tom-Tom on. Very understandably, it was very against the marriage. And so the Tarkowski was in denial. Yeah. But yeah. So we find that Nina doesn't really understand the Swan Lake and Anton's happy to slightly, patronisingly explain it to her. Yeah. And very much in play. That is is and he tells the plot in such a way that makes her query her marriage I guess.

Yes. He's using it as an opportunity to sow seeds of doubt. The exact. Exactly. So they keep arguing about the marriage. They sort of realized, sorry about the honeymoon. They realise neither of them have anything in common. And then they get a train back to Moscow. And then there's a really horrifying sort of. Not creepy, stressful scenes where they try to have sex again, and it's sort of showing how deeply, deeply upsetting Mrs.

Schakowsky in a very sort of claustrophobic way, claustrophobic is the best public mood. Yeah, that scene was pretty incredible. Yeah, that was the best scene in the thing that I think. Yes, there's this film has peaks and valleys, so it does. Yeah, but let's finish the plot. Yes. I'm going to be honest. I lose track of what was happening after a while. So there are going to be big blank spots here.

But right. They got back to Moscow. Pressures in their marriage continue. Nina's mother comes to stay and she sort of inadvertently exacerbates them because Neil doesn't like her mother at all.

She believed when she comes to stay with them and they don't have a second bedroom. So Tchaikovsky says that his wife and her mom can sleep in the same bed and he'll sleep on the sofa, which is obviously a ploy on his part. Yeah, I think so. The mother let them see. They never go along. The mother never believed that she could snag. A high class man is getting very stressed about the fact that she's losing control over Tarkovsky and affection.

And so she starts trying to seem to make him jealous. Cherkovski, on the other hand, is really worried because he's lost his inspiration and divine spark and he's unable to write anything. And this also worries his wealthy patron, who starts subtly trying to sabotage the marriage by sending people to, you know, get in the way. Yeah.

So this tension sort of exists for a little bit and then everyone goes bonkers. Cherkovski tries to strangle Nina and a moment of rage, not over jealousy, but just, you know, her smothering him and ruining his life. So in the wake of that, his patron asks her to go, ask him to come stay with her, not in the same house, but obviously she wants to keep quiet from him, but just not the danger of the spiritual connection from before.

And but she can go there and he can write. I mean, he'll stay in Moscow and he'll send her an allowance. So she has something to live on. Yeah. And this is maybe where you can begin to fill in the blanks. Sorry, Duncan. Nina goes insane because she's unable to win Cherkovski back at all. Yeah. And yet, you know, bad stuff happens. She gets released. Yes, she gets institutionalized. And then by the end of the film, she's on the streets of Moscow letting random beggar people feel her up to feel.

No, no, that's that's still in the asylum. I don't know, because her mother runs into her. No, I'm talking about the very last scene from the great. Oh. And they say, OK, well, regardless, it's not it's not going well for her by. I know. And she screams a lot. There's a lot of shouting about how people do love her and she is lovable. Yeah. Cherkovski for his part there's a party and Anton comes along, the party is in on honor and then something happens at the party and I didn't catch it.

So could you tell me what it was that made the patron leave? Is this the one where he sees women in the bed?

That's ages. That's the beginning. This is mother. Yeah, right. His mother died of cholera. Yeah, I think we missed that right at the start. He said party was his mother died of cholera and the last treatment that they tried to give her was putting her in a boiling bath. And and he sees her as a child in this bath and he sees her day. And so then he's at a party and he doesn't want to be the party.

He wants to be working. But Anton convinced him to come out and then he hears a woman singing in the bath. He goes in, he's a flashback. He thinks it's his mother. He tries to rescue her. Everyone else thinks he's going to rape her. And then that's all sorted out. But that sets the scene for later on in the film. Yeah, I'm talking about the the final party and the patrons garden with the fireworks and then there's a big fire.

And because of that, the patron withdraws her support. And I don't I didn't catch why.

And when he meets her, it doesn't hurt that he goes into the house so that they can feel as though they've been in the same room. I remember that. Right. Is this the reason that he meets her? Then she withdraws support like it's ruined? I have no right neither.

But yeah, we skipped over this because there's another fantasy sequence as well. Before his wife gets put in an asylum, there's a.

If the 1812 Overture, where he yes, people are kinds of bullets after the patron drops of support. Yes. And then days before he is to find his wife goes to the U.S. and so the 1812 Overture as a fantasy sequence where he imagines blowing up every main character's head with the cannons. Yeah, mostly in that piece. And then Schakowsky, whose life is ruined, drinks cold drinks, water with cholera in it so that he will die of suicide.

And then they say, Doctor, this is too embarrassing. You should make it should write down that he died of cholera. And that's what makes the film historically accurate, because obviously that's exactly what happened, that he didn't just die of cholera. That would be it.

Well, the film implies that he he actually died by being boiled in the bath, it seems his mom, which is not allowed. Yeah, right. The first scene, the most concerned with historical accuracy. And there's a lot of metaphors and stuff that I mean, I think is historically accurate in terms of the base, the base story of his life and and the letters and stuff.

But then I just think, well, I think he's got a lot of focus on metaphors and fantasy and stuff as well. He also had a successful marriage, which I think is important. Yeah.

Yeah. So, yeah, we can we have clearly missed a bit, both of us.

Well have we. The thing is right, this film I think is important now because the essence of the song is about the condition that we reach back in the plot because the essence of this film is being melodramatic as fuck. Yeah. And that means that not a lot actually happens, but there's an awful lot of people screaming about it and running around and yelling and crying and shouting. And, you know, I am I'm a big melodrama fan. I am I have said so on the spot in the past.

And I am going to lay down my opinion here and say that I thought it was a bit much like, you know, the melodrama Dayal sort of cranked to 11 throughout the entirety of the second half. And it just gets a bit boring after a while.

I kind of agree, but I also and I think there's a big focus on, like fantasy sequences and flashbacks and dream sequences and stuff. And I think he kinda gets away with the melodrama a bit because you never really know quite what's real or not.

And towards the end, I didn't. I didn't. I mean, the thing is, they do cut to fantasy sequences without establishing them. I was all I was always fairly sure when they were in reality, it was always just well, there was a lot of like points where I was completely in a fantasy sequence now. Oh, yeah. I guess we must be. I mean, so. Right. I mean, maybe it's part of an intentional effect or maybe even if it was an intentional act in the film's favor, I would say that it really just sort of muddles that.

I wouldn't necessarily say it would be better to have clear delineations between fantasy and reality because that's not my bag, but maybe work harder to combine them or whatever. No, I mean, yeah, I do indeed.

And but yeah, I the other thing, I suppose for the melodrama and maybe I would relate to it differently if I were a career person, but maybe I wouldn't, is that I don't really relate to any of the characters emotions and therefore it's quite hard to invest in the struggle. I mean, I like melodrama when it's like a heightened version of what you as the audience feel like. But I suppose because all of the characters problems are things that would only exist historically and are often of their own making, it's a little hard to invest in them.

I mean, yes, obviously Charles is suffering as a as a gay person in a homophobic society. But also he did create this situation entirely by himself and completely has the power to end it and quite easily once the marriage. And so, yeah, the marriage. I mean, that's the problem. He seems quite happy before and even if he was, you know. Yeah, but I mean, don't you think the point is that there's societal pressure on him to marry?

Because maybe that's the point. But I don't think it's really illustrated very well.

I think and I think if he or maybe it's not to say he thinks he can fix himself. Yes, I think he thinks that he's broken and he can fix himself. I don't think that's his problem, I think that's that's supposed to be the society's problem. Yes, that's true. But I suppose the absolute fury of his emotion is based off, I would say, guilt mostly over what he's done to Nina. Yes. And it's just I don't think the film quite justifies that because I'm quite well aware of the deal in a way.

Nina knows. Yeah. As well. You know, she's in an asylum. Jamie Yeah. But that's towards the end, the melodrama before that. Yeah, but I'm not saying by the end she's in a better place. I'm saying once the melodrama starts halfway through the film where he and Nina are an unhappy marriage, but a fairly successful one to the outside observer.

Yeah, but she I mean, everything she wants is love and sex like she wants to be. I you can't give her either of those. So I realise, but I feel these are sort of quieter emotions, if, you know, I mean, quite the emotions she throws herself on the floor of the train.

Well, the lights flash and the train shaking, and she wants nothing more than sex.

Jamie, I get Nina's thing. It's just it's still very over the top, but I would well. Chuckles I just don't look at this film. Fucking is a runaway train of emotion. I just don't think the pieces are really in place to light that particular explosion, to mix my metaphors. Do you know what I'm just saying? That I don't think I've ever seen a film ever in my entire life which had this much emotion consistently all the time.

And I don't think the pieces are really laid in place for it to sell that. And it just comes off looking a bit silly, like even towards the end. But, Nina, I would say that's probably the GOPs. Well, I mean, all the characters suffered with Nina by the end result. She suffered massively. But there's that scene in the insane asylum where she screams and I just sort of weirdly awkwardly runs from one wall to the other, like the fucking go testimony.

And like, it just seems silly. She's insane, Jamie. I know she's insane, but maybe she shouldn't be. Maybe she should be insane.

A little more serious. Jimmy, we're getting cancelled.

The three people didn't go insane in real life because they get upset stomach. And that's what this film is not an accurate representation of mental health. I will happily put down I will happily risk it, even though I lack qualifications. I do not believe that one can get sectioned because this sort of existential despair. Uh, sorry, guys. This is the last episode of the good podcast. By next week, you will forever apology video and and will move on with her legs.

It's been a good run, but I'm afraid I appreciate that both Nina and Czajkowski would be Jeonju would be deeply emotionally distraught at the situation that they both find themselves in.

But even that, there's not I don't think there is any situation in the entire world that could justify the level of melodrama that goes on in the second half of this.

But if the film just waits for more like to be a bit melodramatic, Jamie, it's not a bit melodramatic.

I'm not lied by saying I it why does it want to be some, like, realist thing?

What's your problem then?

Come out of insisting that everything else be realistic or melodramatic?

I like melodrama, but it's just silly in this. It it's too it's too it's too early to take seriously and it's too serious to have fun with. So it just feels like a bit of an awkward time as you watch really unhappy people scream constantly in a just. It's just I'm not involved, so I don't find that emotionally interesting. I mean, you don't find that the melodrama emotionally interesting, then you're just sort of sitting there awkwardly in the room whilst people have a breakdown.

And that's not fun or interesting.

You know, what's the most watched program on British TV ever? Jimmy EastEnders. EastEnders, right. I will love EastEnders melodramas better than this.

People love melodrama and people shouting and small situations game. But this is good melodrama and there's bad melodrama.

And this is a melodrama. You think EastEnders you're seeing right now, EastEnders is better than the music lovers. Yes, instant.

I didn't even have to hesitate to think about it.

Yes, OK. Sanders, that's it, he Sanders understands how melodrama works, it's been on the air for 50 bloody years or I like it knows because you need to you need to carefully lay the path before you can do melodrama properly.

You know, why is it we see Sanders on every single fucking day except when I think every weekday. Holy fuck. Yes. Well, how are they? Not like an hour each as well. There's a half hour. I think it's half an hour.

But I thought it was like once a week or maybe twice a week. No, no. You have to tune in every fucking every day. Are the other ones you seem like.

Yeah, most soaps like that. Coronation Street definitely had been mentioned working in one of those, but someone's died from Coronation Street. Tony State could never again. I'm sorry for trying to make the point I'm making is that melodrama works on soaps because they spend so much time building up to these things because they have to because they're on every bloody day, like, you know, I don't know any Ian Beale has a breakdown on EastEnders and that will have been built up for like two weeks, you know?

I mean, yeah, like well, where it's funny you say that because I think I find this film very boring in the first half.

And I only got interested when the crazy shit started.

I found the entire film incredibly rewarding. I think it was one of the hardest films to watch that we've done. Had I been watching it alone, I would have turned off in the first 10 minutes.

But, you know, do you know I do agree with that. It has very much has highs and lows. I do think as some extraordinary scenes and I think it is bad in a moderately interesting way, but only in very small parts.

So my favorite scene, the scene in the train was incredible. And the great the the 1812 Overture scene was incredible and the institutional scene was pretty.

All right.

OK, five, in my opinion, for the last month or so. Other than that, it's pretty boring. Yes, that's my.

Yeah. Plus the other thing, it's really boring as well. Yeah. Look, I'm not I'm putting my thoughts together more than it gets to be. A build up to a melodrama needs to be tension that can be released for melodrama I think still leads to a rising fall in the action. And there just isn't that there.

I think there is just I don't think it's a release as the release is too long for.

OK, yeah, I can see that. I can see that definitely. Um.

Yeah, it's I don't really know how to say that it and I clearly don't hate it as much as you, but I do want to make it clear that I don't like it. But I do think it has some very good scenes. Do you know what the 1812 Overture scene reminds me? A lot of the scene from acclaims to remember that one. Which one? The like the finale of the film where like everything's just going mental and I like it.

I liked it, but I think. I not so much go from the melodrama, but I do think some of the the fantasy scenes and crazy scenes and could have done with the rest of the film not being so dull. And I don't it's a hard balance because I think those I think you do need to balance out unless you are just making a film that's batshit insane. You do have to balance out the dream sequences in the fantasy scenes with realism.

But I think there's a right way to do it. And I'm not sure if this film does it. And and I think it's very hard to do because even even great films I did a whole course last year on Dream Dream Films and films have a dream sequence in them, and I'm not sure if I really liked any of them because the dream sequences are often so much better and more interesting the rest of the film. And I think it's really hard to try and balance them out because, yeah, you if you are presenting them as dreams and fantasies, then the rest of the film really does just have to be completely real.

And that's pretty boring, I think. And and then you end up with a film like this that has incredible highs, but also just really dull sequences like I'm thinking about Fellini, eight and a half particularly. I remember the only scenes. I remember that the dream sequences, which are really cool, but the rest of it is really boring you just talking to people and driving around. And so so I think that's a tough one to pull off properly.

Now, as for I don't like so the thing is, I like the 1812 scene in isolation. Yeah, that's well that's a bit well, but due to the problems I've covered extensively at this point, I feel like it does feel just a bit out of place. Yes, I feel I would have been much better in a film that had built up to it. Better don't know. I'm thinking the example I have in my head right now of all even counts in the melodrama about the sort of thing I would be looking for is the favorite, because that film melodramatic but spends so much time investing in tension.

And I really think that's what you need, because melodrama, melodrama to me is so much like I know a gunfight or something like it's entirely about releasing tension that you've built up and you haven't built up properly and there's not there's nothing there. And it feels strange and awkward.

Because, yeah, the audience has to sympathize with that tension of emotion if the character is feeling much more intensely about it than you like. There's a massive disparity that it doesn't work. Yeah, whereas in EastEnders, when you're deeply invested in these characters because you've watched them every day of your life for 30 years, then it works. And I couldn't really hear you there, I'm saying in EastEnders it works because you've watched these characters every day of your life for 30 years.

So you're really invested. Yeah, that's true. And OK, you're back now. I can hear you again. Yeah. Thank God. I thought we were going to have another body. She said it's my friend. And alongside the these scenes, I thought the cinematography overall was pretty good and which prompted me to look at the cinematographer. And because normally we only talk about the director and and the cast, but we do OK here or fairy on this podcast, not because we believe in it, but because we're lazy and don't want to look out because we're lazy.

But I looked up the cinematographer and I didn't get his name though. Let me while it was something Douglas Slocombe. OK, yeah. So he interestingly, he was in Poland when the Germans invaded. He's not Polish, he's he's British. But he was in Poland when the when the Germans invaded. So he captured, he captured that on camera and then he managed to get home before it was like before he probably got he escaped on a train.

And he also he was commissioned by someone to film a Goebbels rally and the burning of a synagogue. And and then he finally got home. So then after he captured those, when he got home, he went to Ealing Studios for a while, OK? And then he filmed the Italian job. Cool. Right. Then he filmed this this film. Yeah. And then you want to know how big his work is. What was the biggest work, but what was the first free Indiana Jones film.

The first Indiana Jones films. The good ones. Interesting. So, yeah. So this guy clearly is a pretty good cinematographer and yeah, it's surprising he's not won any Oscars, but you got nominated for a few and he's won a couple of BAFTA. And so yeah, the cinematography was pretty good and that's because it had a very good cinematographer doing it. Congrats to him. Yeah. He died aged 103.

So Kreiss.

Yeah. And that's that's cool, right. Yeah. I thought that was an interesting fact. Well done. Thank you. I'll give you a treat later. Um, have you got anything else to say about the film, about the film. Not really. Um, I thought the actors did the best. That's what they were given. I think it was their fault. Yeah. Do you know any of the actors? And if the other the main guy looks really familiar, Richard Chamberlain, he was in shambles.

Apparently there was a nineteen eighty eight. Oh wait. Am I being dumb before I say this. I mean check and people. No, I'm not dumb. OK, there is a nineteen eighty eight Bourne Identity which he was in before the 2002 and which had the same plot and he was in that so that's cool. And he was, he was in a bunch of other films that like I recognized as being films. I know but I haven't seen Richard Chamberlain is his name and yeah it was in The Towering Inferno.

I've heard of the Three Musketeers and I I've seen Julius Caesar. So he was in I now pronounce you Chuck and Larry, which I've also seen the the greatest, actually.

Let's use Chuck and Larry as a leaping off point for the last point I want to make. Right. Which is that I felt that this film was probably the most sensitive depiction of sexuality sexuality seen so far. Yeah, I think you could have basically shown it today and people would have been fine with it. The count Anton's a bit of a stereotype.

He's a bit foppish, but is he the guy that played him as a ballet dancer? And yeah, which I don't I don't want to be stereotypical, but they are kind of known for, uh, it is very over the top count. Yes. So I wonder if I assume the guys like that in real life and that's probably why they hired him. And I felt, you know, I've talked about before, but performance and stuff, I think like trials in a lot of films we've seen even ones that support at tendency to us like a choice or just power free love in general.

Yeah, well, I thought this film formulaically. Yeah, but this film was you know, it's cherkovski is even if he wants to change it, it's not something he can this, you know, it's a part of him and it's society's fault for not accepting that. Yeah. I would I you know. And get on get on Ken Russell and this film, I suppose, for that will get it getting straight. Did it have I don't think you've only had gay characters in it.

Just mentioned it's had a little casual. Yeah, well, and the vampire lovers was about. Oh yeah. That was perhaps one of the biggest progressive representations. There was some smokin hot lesbian action rather than a sincere portrayal. I think that's true, isn't it. I know there's something else I for a film that I felt was very similar to it, sort of dual identities like the statue. And, you know, obviously, Charlie, the main guy, is obsessed with Charlie's cock.

So, yeah, it's going to really bother me.

I'd look it up. But I've gotten complaints by a certain member of the Golden Talkies to you about the sound of my father. I look things up and lot, so I can't do it is very loud work. Oh, well I OK, so I was just looking at everything, right. And a month ago we did Vanishing Point and I'd completely forgotten what vanishing point was about or who was in it or what it was. I'm not seeing anything else also.

But they didn't have I'm sure Karen Loving had some homophobia in it, probably.

Oh probably. Or at least casual sexism yet not missing anything else. I remember performance. Well, I'll I'll I'll take a look at the film and write it down so much the next week if something goes beyond the Valley of the Dolls that it have. Oh yeah it did. Or at least an intersex character and I'm easy. Oh yes that's right.

Yeah. Yeah I suppose. I mean they weren't evil. So again, not a great example, but I think I was also portraying it as a free love thing. I mean, yes, a lot of people want to say, yeah, I know. Points for the music lovers. There is the only thing that get for me. I understand also. But trade secrets and in isolation.

But yes, I like to try and sequence the the fantasy 1812 sequence and a couple of the other dream sequences and. Yeah. Really well OK. And, but unfortunately the film's a whole lot that don't. So shall we read it.

Yep. I'll go first because I usually do that for the next thing. My writing will be a surprise. I'm going to say don't watch this one.

I am going to say watch if it's on right. And I didn't hate it, had some good sequences, but there are definitely better films containing dreams such as eight and a half or and I don't watch sitcoms. Fair enough. Yeah, right then I've got to go fairly quickly so we won't talk about media ethics, which I know is everyone's favorite portion of the podcast anyway.

Well done. An episode for ages and we're skipping over the last bit. I mean, I've no I've not really been there.

I started watching Deep Space nine. I don't have an opinion on it yet. I started playing dodgeball and pursuing a five scramble. Enjoy opinions on those. At some point I watched a Korean film called Menary because. Oh, yeah, that's right. And it was it was OK. It was.

It was very like slice of life kind of film, which is not my favorite, and I like my films, have something about them that was quite good. And because I watched and it was my parents, I'd watch that. And I then ended up watching Parasite again with my parents watching for the first time last night. So I watch that with them. Can I please please ask your parents for a parasite?

They like it and I'm not sure if my dad quite got the message and if I'm being honest. But you know what? He's old, so fine.

And no, I don't know how much the message monkeys before it was unnecessary that can I say a parasite.

I mean, there's not much else to say about you. So if you haven't seen parasites, then don't let us spoil it for you and just. Yeah. And also, congratulations on being the first person to ever watch 40 plus minutes of truth.

And yeah, he thought it was unnecessary. And you killed Mr. Park and he understood why. He thought it was a bit far. And I like that.

And they had they had the similar opinion to you. They didn't feel like the film had built up enough to the climax that it has, which I actually sort of agree with.

Just I want to be absolutely clear that that is not my opinion on Parasite. No, no, no. I mean, this is your opinion on this film. I have to I have to slightly agree. And I don't know I don't know what it is, but it just I think the ending is really good. But the stuff that leads up to the ending is just like the the best of cinema. And then the ending just feels like a good ending.

I guess what I do mean, the stabbing is not built up to properly, because I think that the timing I don't know. There's just something it just feels a bit of a little bit I don't know. I like it, but I also I just I don't think it's perfect, but I have no idea what the perfect ending could be, I guess is what I'm saying. Like any any other film, I wouldn't be complaining about it because it's an awesome ending and it's definitely built up to and it definitely fits in the film.

But I just think, like the rest of the film is absolutely perfect. And then there's just something about the ending that feels a little bit flat for me that's I think or doesn't quite fit in. That's my opinion. So I love it. I love the whole film. I love the ending. But I just think the reception is such a masterpiece. And for me, the ending is just very good rather than perfect. That's that's my official parasite opinion enough.

My official parasite opinion is pretty darn good. Old boyfriend. I also watched Ryan last night. If we're going to talk about things we watched, which is Kurosawa's King Lear adaptation, it's very, very good. It's really I feel it's a great shame that Kosala especially remembered for working in black and white because this is a color film and is easily one of the best of those I've ever seen in terms of using color very, very often just looking at pictures from it.

And it looks like something amazing. It's like this good old Technicolor. So the colors look better than real life. But you can tell it like this is like a point where color is sort of the novelty. So like there's a real effort to make good use of it as possible. So it looks fantastic. It's obviously based on a very good story. And Kosala has an interesting take on it. Its usual critiques of our culture.

I definitely need to watch more Caruso because I'm not I'm not the biggest fan of Seven Samurai. I just find it quite low long.

Yeah, I like Seven Samurai six for being long is entirely valid. Yeah, exactly. And all sorts of Bug's Life exists, so there's already a perfect rational basis.

Yeah. So and I do want to watch them. I want to watch Rashomon. I'm sorry but I'm looking now and it's only an hour and a half whereas. Right. The sports team. Yeah. That's normal. It's not something summarize. Yeah. It's still in our brains and right. And yeah.

So yeah I do enjoy watching a cruise as a good boy he could beat. Right. So he's saying, I'm feeling good. I think so. And they say next week stuff in Venice, if we do a protest next week.

Yeah, I mean, we probably will maybe. And it's possible. I'm moving back next week, so we'll see if I can do our culture.

OK, bye, everyone. My boy.