What's in a Scene

Paul Schrader's disturbing exploration of radicalisation and self-destruction First Reformed never gives precise answers to the many questions it raises. Instead, it follows small-town priest Ernst Toller (Ethan Hawke) as he finds himself drawn into a battle between religious doctrine and science, which both exposes his lack of faith and highlights the tragedy in his past. 'However, Toller is primarily self-destructive. Throughout the film, we have seen him continue to drink excessively and put off visits to the doctor, despite having some rather severe signs of stomach cancer. He has quite viciously rejected the head of the choir, unable to reconcile the guilt he feels over his dead son and failed marriage.' Hit the link below to read this, and sign up for weekly film essays. #FirstReformed #PaulSchrader #EthanHawke

This week, we dig into the Powerhouse Films UK boxset from underseen British filmmaker Michael J Murphy. Murphy produced a huge array of microbudget shorts and features across five decades, often using the same cast of friends. In Quälen (released as The Hereafter in America), Murphy remakes an earlier film, Secrets, and plays with both the slasher and haunted house genres. 'We see a lot of Murphy’s character work in the latter part of the film, as he realistically plots Neville’s transformation into his father. Turning from a put-upon, angry young man, into someone far more embittered and unable to influence the events around him.' Hit the link below to read this, and sign up for weekly film essays. #Quälen #MichaelJMurphy #PowerhouseFilms #MicrobudgetFilms

As we continue to look back over two years of essays, here's one from James V., who explores three films that defined the French New Wave. 'After World War 2, French cinema hit a bit of a roadblock. The country was broke after years of Nazi occupation, and cinema wasn’t spared...What French cinema needed was some energy. But if you’re broke, how do you make a film?' Hit the link below to read this, and sign up for weekly film essays. #FrenchNewWave #FrancoisTruffaut #JeanLucGodard #AgnesVarda

The loss of David Lynch will be keenly felt, so it feels only right to look back at one of his personal films; his undefinable, parental fever dream, Eraserhead. 'Henry rapidly runs through the various fears that all potential parents face. There is the initial shock that Mary is pregnant. As it’s made clear that he and Mary do not have a particularly fulfilling relationship, it would be fair to say that this would be a fear of anyone who has perhaps had a one-night-stand – that they would discover they are about to become a parent with someone where there are no feelings involved. 'It’s followed by the reveal that the baby has been born premature. Given the various health issues that come from premature births, this would always play on the minds of potential parents.' Hit the link below to read this, and sign up for weekly film essays. #DavidLynch #Eraserhead #Fatherhood #FilmEssay #Substack

Our latest essay looks at how rewatching Yorgos Lanthimos' Poor Things, away from the grandeur of the cinema, reveals how flimsy the film's gender politics are. 'Without the atmosphere of the cinema, the gorgeous visuals and over-the-top performances can’t quite cover how paper-thin the film’s feminist ideals are. It pays lip service to bodily autonomy, but an idealised kind where bodily autonomy means a woman who never says no to sex.' Hit the link below to read this, and sign up for more film essays. #PoorThings #YorgosLanthimos #Cinema #Substack

Shane Meadows' deeply uncomfortable revenge film Dead Man's Shoes goes under the microscope in this essay. Whereas many thrillers revel in the bloody violence enacted by the protagonist, here the sudden bursts of aggression simply continue a toxic cycle that destroys the main character - a career-best Paddy Considine. 'Vengeance in Shane Meadows’ East Midlands world does not end with the bad guys in body bags and the hero living out the rest of their life. Violence begets violence and the cycle leads all involved to a mutual destruction.' Hit the link below to read this, and sign up for more weekly film essays. #DeadMansShoes #ShaneMeadows Blue Finch Film Releasing #substack

James V. explores the power of cinema in his essay on Giuseppe Tornatore's Cinema Paradiso - what he calls the 'archetypal film about film'. The final scene sees an adult Toto (Marco Leonardi) return to his Sicilian hometown and the cinema where he forged a relationship with projectionist Alfredo (Philippe Noiret). 'As any film buff knows, the power of movies is strong, and Cinema Paradiso captures the essence of storytelling and the impact it has on our lives.' Hit the link below to read more, and sign up for weekly film essays. #CinemaParadiso #FilmEssay #Substack

Our latest essay looks at Joachim Trier's Oslo, August 31st; a powerful character study that examines the the difficulties in starting over. It follows Anders (Anders Danielsen Lie), a recovering drug addict who is given leave from rehab to attend a job interview. Throughout the day, he reconnects with friends and attempts to meet with his family. However, as we move towards the conclusion, it's clear that he has no intention of returning to rehab, with one key scene pushing him towards a final, tragic decision. Hit the link below to read this, and sign up for more weekly film essays. #osloaugust31 #joachimtrier #filmessay #substack

The uncomfortable co-dependence that comes with gentrification goes under the microscope in Mark Jenkin's experimental feature, Bait. 'The irony of the film is that both parties need the other. While gentrification is harmful and strips local communities of their uniqueness or adopts it for the benefit of the most affluent, there are bigger reasons hinted at for the village’s downturn in Jenkin’s film. While Martin may not want to admit it, the income that these city-dwellers bring to the village is vital – to the point where the local pub closes when they are not there and his brother Steven has converted their father’s boat to offer pleasure cruises around the bay.' Hit the link below to read this, and sign up for more weekly film essays. #bait #markjenkin #bfi #gentrification

Kōji Shiraishi's found footage, supernatural horror film Noroi: The Curse grounds its outlandish finale in the real world, by taking its time to get there. 'We buy into the finale because everything else in the film has indicated that this could really happen, providing logical explanations for many of the events of the film. Even our lead is investigating paranormal activity as much to debunk it as he is to discuss it openly.' Hit the link below to read this, and sign up for more weekly film essays. #noroithecurse #foundfootage #horror