Radigue on the ‘pod mini, standard Monday work-jumble somewhat unfurled and flowing (so far, anyhow), every day being nothing if not a lesson in learning to work and live within the chaos, creative or otherwise... Halfway through THE MENU and adore it; bought the blu already... Postscript on Muschietti's THE FLASH incoming...
(Directed by Karel Kachyna from a script by Kachyńa and Jan Prochazka and starring Radoslav Brzobohaty and Jiřina Bohdalová. Released 01 January 1990; watched 2023w34 via Criterion Channel.)
Perhaps a herald of the return to my Czech New Wave obsession from last Spring: an amazing film. Leads Brozobohaty (the main farmer in ALL MY GOOD COUNTRYMEN) and Bohdalová – married in real life either during filming or shortly thereafter – are incendiary as Ludvik and Anna, a deputy minister and wife whose ten year anniversary (of a marriage seemingly doomed from day one) is smothered by a night of paranoia, dread, suspicion, drunken revelry, and an omnipresent sensation of uncertainty against the backdrop of authoritarian rule.
Far more reserved in its execution than previous contributors to my CNW obession, THE EAR is no less revelatory: filmed in 1970, banned until the fall of Communism, and released to accolades in 1990, it's THE CONVERSATION before THE CONVERSATION, THE LIVES OF OTHERS before THE LIVES OF OTHERS – and more brutal than either: a haunting, searing must-watch.
Putting the finishing touches on this week's newsletter. Light week so I've taken the opportunity to add some things (back in) and play with the format a little. Experimenting with doing a comment thread here for the newsletter, but I'm not sold on the notion, though I keep going back and forth. For my innumerable qualms with the platform, I do like Substack's approach to this. You can sign up here if so inclined. Unrelated but pertinent: I have a summer beanie now and I kinda love it.
