'The Photographer Of Mauthausen' is on Netflix.

[Keith]

I just heard this Spanish movie being reviewed on an arts program on the radio and also that it is currently available on Netflix. Sounds absolutely intriguing and I'll be sure to watch it in the next day or so.

The Photographer Of Mauthausen

 

[Huss]

thanks for the heads up Keith

 

[peterm1]

Thanks Keith. I looked at the trailer and it looks good.

It also reminded me that I often find that there is something about European movies that makes them so much more believable and powerful than many Hollywood made films. Which too often seem to be just a vehicle for some big name "star" or other (most of whom seem pretty interchangeable to me). Perhaps those Hollywood films seem deficient in that no matter what role the "star" is playing, you can never quite get out of your mind that this person is that "star" doing his acting thing.

 

[Keith]

Thanks Keith. I looked at the trailer and it looks good.

It also reminded me that I often find that there is something about European movies that makes them so much more believable and powerful than many Hollywood made films. Which too often seem to be just a vehicle for some big name "star" or other (most of whom seem pretty interchangeable to me). Perhaps those Hollywood films seem deficient in that no matter what role the "star" is playing, you can never quite get out of your mind that this person is that "star" doing his acting thing.

So many Hollywood movies are based around the actors that are in them or some recurring theme .. Star Wars, Bond, Mission Impossible etc etc.

This looks grim but real to me .. which is actually the way I prefer my movies these days Peter ... as you said, powerful.

 

[charjohncarter]

Yes, thanks I have Netflix and can never find anything to watch; especially bad are their 'Netflix Original(s).'

 

[peterm1]

So many Hollywood movies are based around the actors that are in them or some recurring theme .. Star Wars, Bond, Mission Impossible etc etc.

This looks grim but real to me .. which is actually the way I prefer my movies these days Peter ... as you said, powerful.

Yes I agree. And so much of it reliant on comic book characters and stories. Sort of emblematic of the idiocy of our time. I much prefer "grim" movies like this one which make you think rather than ones which Hollywood typically churns out, which are just chewing gum for the mind. Which is kind of ironic since they are largely written to sell popcorn.

Compared with something like the Photographer of Mathausen the constant round of Hollywood movies disappear from the public consciousness like flatulence in the wind (I am being polite).

On the other hand I recently watched a series of made for TV episodes made by a British production company (perhaps with Hollywood money I am not sure but not in the Hollywood style) and based on the old French detective stories about Inspector Maigret. Starring of all things Rowan Atkinson (AKA Mr Bean). Brilliant, atmospheric, engaging and filmed in Budapest which still somewhat looks like Paris 1950 to add extra atmosphere and a feeling of gritty realism. And hardly a car chase, fist fight or gun battle to be seen. In fact none - the stories were engaging because the situations had some semblance of reality, the characters were interesting and they engaged the mind as well as emotions. The hero was not a "star" he was a quiet, introspective, almost introverted pipe smoking policeman played by an ex comic actor with googly eyes and a rubber face. But boy did he ace it. Not true stories of course, like the Photographer of Mathausen but a good example of the kind of material I wish were more common in the entertainment industry.

I will be going to see Photographer of Mathausen by the way.

 

[ASA 32]

Thanks Keith. I looked at the trailer and it looks good.

It also reminded me that I often find that there is something about European movies that makes them so much more believable and powerful than many Hollywood made films. Which too often seem to be just a vehicle for some big name "star" or other (most of whom seem pretty interchangeable to me). Perhaps those Hollywood films seem deficient in that no matter what role the "star" is playing, you can never quite get out of your mind that this person is that "star" doing his acting thing.

Two wonderful films, both by the Polish director Pawel Pawlikowski, are Ida (2013) and Cold War (2018). Both in B&W.

 

[Out to Lunch]

Thanks. I just found it on my SE Asia Netflix stream.

 

[Keith]

Did anyone watch this? I finally did last night and it was absolutely riveting with the emphasis on photography being much much more prevalent than I'd imagined it would be.

Some excellent darkroom scenes and the photography itself was very well portrayed with a convincing procedure and some interesting cameras and equipment. The obsession the Nazis had with record keeping including photographing so much of what they did was fascinating to see. Grim and brutal of course but not beyond reason.

 

[JohnBeeching]

Saw it the other night and enjoyed it. It is a pity that the background negatives to the credits are all of films that did not exist until sometime after the second world war: Kodak TX400, Ilford HP5 and Agfapan 400! They should be more careful with their research.

 

[Keith]

Saw it the other night and enjoyed it. It is a pity that the background negatives to the credits are all of films that did not exist until sometime after the second world war: Kodak TX400, Ilford HP5 and Agfapan 400! They should be more careful with their research.

Lol ... that bugged me too. Quite an oversight I thought ... but one that only a photographer who uses film would notice though! 😛