The Brown Bunny
d. Vincent Gallo, 2003
Vincent Gallo's tone poem The Brown Bunny is easily one of the most underrated American films of the past couple of years. By this point--only two years after its commercial release--it has become synonymous with bad movies and notorious only for its final, sexually explicit scene between Gallo and Chloe Sevigny. Though these judgements keep a lot of people from looking at the film seriously, it's hard to not be blown away by its sidelong beauty once you actually give it a chance. Filled with tender exchanges and sad glances, not to mention glorious shots of the road (with songs like Jackson C. Frank's "Milk and Honey" playing), The Brown Bunny is as honest and human a film as I've seen in a long time.
Band of Outsiders
d. Jean-Luc Godard, 1964
Still my favorite Godard movie, a third viewing of Band of Outsiders really highlights some of the sadness in the film. Though not as wholly misogynist as some of Godard's other films of the time--particularly 1966's Masculine Feminine--there does seem to be a kind of underlying lack of respect for Anna Karina's character here. As far as the love triangle in the film goes, her character isn't similar to Jeanne Moreau's Catherine in Jules and Jim (a film Godard seems to be borrowing from). Other than that, this is an amazing movie all around. Raoul Coutard's cinematography here is vastly different than the more polished look of Godard's previous film, Contempt. Michel Legrand's uplifting and unspeakably cool musical score stands amongst his best and it even recalls some of his work with Jaques Demy. Godard's direction, free-form screenplay, and narration are the icing on the cake in this magnificent slice of 60's cinema.
