Seventh Row is a nonprofit Canadian film criticism publication and publishing house. We're dedicated to helping you expand your horizons by curating the best socially progressive films from around the world and helping you think deeply about them. This newsletter is run by Seventh Row (http://seventh-row.com) but features exclusive content not found on the website.
Alain Guiraudie's superlative Misericordia and what you can learn from a film's opening sequence
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Hello Reader, As we teased in episode 161, this is the time of year when the best international films of the year come out in cinemas. One of the year's best films, the queer French erotic thriller Misericordia by Alain Guiraudie, is out in cinemas this week. It's definitely not for everyone, but it's an extremely well-made film that takes unexpected turns and is often very funny. Episode 165: Alain Guiraudie's MisericordiaToday, on the podcast, I briefly discuss why I liked the film and give some background on Guiraudie and his collaborators. But since I didn't want to spoil the film's surprises, I did something new: I went deep into the film's opening scene, how it works, and what it presages without revealing too much about the plot. A film's opening scene teaches us how to watch it and what kind of film we're watching. It often sets up many of the film's themes and ideas. I teach and talk about opening sequences in Reel Ruminators because I think looking at just the first few minutes of a film can reveal so much about how the film works. Happy watching/listening! Alex
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Seventh Row
Seventh Row is a nonprofit Canadian film criticism publication and publishing house. We're dedicated to helping you expand your horizons by curating the best socially progressive films from around the world and helping you think deeply about them. This newsletter is run by Seventh Row (http://seventh-row.com) but features exclusive content not found on the website.
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