Displaying items by tag: Franz Ragowski

BIRD

UK, 2024, 119 minutes, Colour.

Nykiya Adams, Franz Rogowski, Barry Keoghan, Jason Buda, Jasmine Jobson, Frankie Box, James Nelson-Joyce.

Directed by Andrea Arnold.

A British slice of life. This time in south-east England, Kent, the area where director, Andrea Arnold, grew up. In fact, Andrea Arnold’s first film is, in the 2000 is, work British slices of life. However, she also directed a version of Emily Brunty’s Weathering Heights and also went to the United States American and to direct episodes of television series, like Big Little Lies.

However, here she is at home again. This part of Kent is not an area for easy living, especially for the young teens, trying to make their way, and dealing with parents who are only 14 years older than they are. They have to be tough, have to manage, had to learn by their own mistakes but especially what they see in their parents.

This is the story of Bailey, 12 years old, West Indian ancestry, local English ancestry, a bravura and strong performance from Niliya Adams, we first see her with her phone, photographing birds, this would and grace of birds, and we are alerted that this will be a theme, both realistic and symbolic, as the film progresses. Then she is picked up by her father, and together, on the scooter, they speed and swoop through the town, landing at home where her father, Bug, Barry Keegan in another quite different performance, and announces that he will be getting married to his girlfriend at the weekend. Bailey is not impressed.

Also at home is her half brother, Hunter, Jason Buda, 14, involved with a local gang who terrorise locals with their camera, photographing stuff that they can blackmail their victims with. And Hunter wants to

 run away to Scotland with his 14-year-old girlfriend, Moon. One of the symbolic bird sequences has Bailey trying to deliver Hunter’s letter to Moon the bird swoops, snatches the letter in its beak and delivers it. Touches of “magic realism” throughout the film.

But we discover that the Burden of the title is actually Laura, played by François rib Gorski, encountering Bailey, strange clothes, but on a quest to find his birth mother.

Which turns the narrative into a search, a quest, Bailey taking on Bird, a joyful excursion to the seaside with the half brother and sisters who live with her birth mother, discovering Birds father and some explanation if not joy.

There is some happiness in this family’s life, Bogeyman Bailey bringing Hunter home from his forlorn search for Moon, the wedding celebration is an exuberant dancing, and a visit from Bird, the audience seeing him from Bailey’s viewpoint, covered in feathers, protecting bird, a flyaway bird.

Bailey is only 12. And all her life is before her. We might wonder how Andrea Arnold saw Bailey’s future.

1. The title? The character, Bird? Bailey and her photographing birds? The range of birds, real and symbolic throughout the film? The real/symbolic bird and carrying Hunters message?
2. The Kent setting, the town, houses, narrow streets, the coast, the surrounding countryside? The travel to the sea, the water, the sand, the day of the Sea? The musical score, the wide range of songs, their insertion into the action, the lyrics?
3. The slice of social realism? Families living in Kent, their backgrounds, early relationships, pregnancies and births, homes, work, scams? The Dir is interested in these characters, their backgrounds, sympathy?
4. The central focus on Bailey, her age, strength of character, her hair and later getting it cut, riding on the scooter, riding with Bug, Bug as her father, living with him, with Hunter? Her mother, the other relationship, her children? The influence of these situations on Bailey and her approach to life?
5. Bug, father at 14, his partner and her new partner and family, Bailey and Hunter living with him, his role as a father? His fiancee, the announcement, the planning for the wedding? The scooter ride, the total and the phosphorescence, planning to sell it to finance the wedding? At home, his dancing, gyrations? The buildup to the wedding? His care for Bailey, her presence, her absences?
6. The appearance of Bird, sudden, his manner, look, closing? The meetings with Bailey, her wariness, bonding with him, his stories, searching his mother, appearing and reappearing? Travelling with Bailey, the day at the beach? With the other children, meeting her mother, getting information, the travel to the house, the man unwilling to speak, coming down to them, the explanation of Birds background? Finding some answers, his disappointment? His appearance of the wedding, the touches of magic realism, Bailey seeing him as a bird with feathers, protective? The final meeting, the departure, realistic, and the feathers?
7. Hunter, his gang, the videos, trapping victims, hoodlums? His relationship with Moon, wanting to run away, getting Bailey to deliver the message, Bailey at the door, the vigilant bird, taking in delivering the message? Hunter leaving home, telling Bailey, going to the railway station, her telling Bug, the going to the station, bringing him home?
8. Bailey visiting her mother, taking the children to the beach, the joy of the family? Her mother’s boyfriend, his violence, outbursts, confrontation with Bailey?
9. The background of characters, their life and style, issues of relationships, commitments, values, survival?

LUBO 

Italy/Switzerland, 2023, 175 minutes, Colour.

Franz Ragowski, Valentina Belle, Joel Basman, Noemi Besedes, Cecilia Steiner, Philippe Graber, Filippo Giulini, Christophe Sermet

Directed by Giorgio Diritti.

This is an ambitious film, running to almost 3 hours. It is a film in three acts, so to speak, the first act in 1939, German-speaking Switzerland, the second act in Italian-speaking Switzerland and Ital wrecked at the mother at the mother y, 1951, and the final act taking place in the same areas in the early 1960s.

The film opens arrestingly with a comic performance by a travelling Gypsy (Yenisch) family in the town square and a happily entertained village audience. The main actor, along with his wife and three children, is Lubo Moser, played by popular German actor, Franz Ragowski. But, it is 1939, the Swiss wondering about Hitler’s ambitions, their neutrality, their safety, calling up all men as reserves, suddenly taking Lubo, and, according to Swiss legislation, taking his children into a state system, education, adoption, for many decades, a Gypsy Stolen Generation.

With the themes of 1939, the role of Switzerland, the Nazis, military, stolen generation, a great number of themes have been introduced to the narrative. And, there are many more themes, including murder, theft, trade exploitation, impersonation, seduction, and Lubo’s continued search for his children. And, there are even more themes in the final part of the film, especially in terms of family relationships, crime and justice, reconciliation.

Which means then there is a great deal to entertain as well as to challenge. With the sprawling nature of the story, it sometimes moves too quickly from one theme to another, at other times delaying, not always satisfying in execution even though the themes continue to be of great interest.

There is always the challenge of the character of Lubo himself, his entanglement with an Austrian Jew, his finding a new life Italian Switzerland, establishing himself, the different means to search for his children. And, it would seem that he finds some peace with a young woman who has a son, who works as a hotel maid. Given the complexities of Lubo’s life, his background as a Gypsy, his trying to re-create himself, and moral judgements about his behaviour, there is always the challenge of audience sympathy with him or not.

But difficulties are always round the corner and this idyllic experience with the young woman and her pregnancy cannot last.

The film ends with information about the exposure of the system for taking the Gypsy children, some with dreadful adoption situations, cruelty, deaths, immigration, and finally, legislation repealing the system.  From Wikipedia: Das Hilfswerk für die Kinder der Landstrasse (literally: "the aid organization for the children of the country road"), more commonly known as Kinder der Landstrasse, was a project implemented by the Swiss foundation Pro Juventute from 1926 to 1973. The project aimed to assimilate the itinerant Yenish people in Switzerland by forcibly removing their children from their parents and placing them in orphanages or foster homes. Approximately 590 children were affected by this program.

1. The title and tone? Lubo is a character, the stages of his life, tragedies, search for children, justice?
2. A film in three acts, 1939, Switzerland, fears of war? 1951, is impersonation, search for his children, relationship? 1961, emerging from prison?
3. A film with many themes, Gypsies (Yenisch), stolen generation of children, education and adoption, persecution of the Jews, murder, theft, impersonation, trading, seduction, manipulation, responsibility and justice?
4. Lubo in 1939, to play in the village square, the captured bear, Lubo and his wife, the children, the applause, money collection, on their way? Held up by the military, the demands on Lubo, the taking of his children, hearing of the death of his wife in the struggle? Life in the military, in the snow on watch, the camp, the authorities, the approach by the Austrian, Lubo and his motivation, the jewels of the money, carrying the bag’s, the Austrian weary, Lubo killing him, taking the smuggled goods, his escape? Setting himself up, a new identity? Audience response to the fact that he has brutally killed the Austrian?
5. 1951, Lubo and taking the name of the Austrian, wealthy, in society, the suspicious wife, her husband, the jewels, her infatuation, the affair? Lubo and his search for his children? The Pro Juventute organisation, their aims, purity of race, taking the Gypsy children, re-education, adoption, hardships and farms, stories of suicide, migration? The official, her charm, her attitudes, the infatuation with Lubo, the relationship? Lubo and his abandoning them? His falling in love with the maid, her work, her son, her being pregnant? His love for her being genuine? Life together? The police investigator, Lubo and his moving, hiding, his being arrested?
6. 10 years later, the release from jail, his writing letters to the young woman, her son burning them? Her giving birth, Hugo? Lubo on leave, going to visit, discovering the young woman had died, the story of her son, his being helped by the charity organisation, working in the shop, the later revelations of sexual abuse, Lubo confronting the owner of the shop? The young man grown up, hostile to Lubo? Lubo seeing his fiancee, her more sympathetic approach? Is wanting to see Hugo, the older brother and his protection? Lubo and his going to see the police officer, giving his documentation about the disappeared children, the abuses? The police officer, going to the authorities, the hesitant reaction?
7. The final information, the abuse of the stolen generation, the consequences? The repeal of the law?
8. The film many themes, moving from one to the other, sometimes horrid, sometimes delayed? But the overall impact?