Artistic movies?
 

hello everyone,

im searching for some 'artistic' movies...can anyone recommend any films?

some of my favorites are:

'the cell' 2000, with Jennifer Lopez, by Tarsem Singh
'hero' 2002, a 'wuxia' movie with Jet Li, by Zhang Yimou
'sin city' with Bruce Willis, Mickey Rourke, Jessica Alba, by Robert Rodriguez, Frank Miller, Quentin Tarantino

i know 'artistic' is a very extendable term, but i mean films, who stand out in any way due to extraordinary costums, environmental setups or color techniques.....

I felt that 300 fit in to that - especially the scene in the beginning with the horses going in slow motion and their cloaks all flapping about in the wind.
That was very cool looking.

Other than that, I can't think of any that stand out visually off the bat besides what you've mentioned. I'll have to think about it some more

oh yes, you r right, 300 was phenomenal!

What about "A Scanner Darkly"?

... Scanner Darkly ... was good ... if you liked sin city and 300 i would say .... Spirit ... but trailers sux ... how about Hellboy 2 ? ... think first was better ... even it's not Pan's Labyrinth or Orphanage ... still watchable ...

thx guys, i will take a look at the movies you mentioned :smoke:

I did see "Pan's Labyrinth" but not Orphanage. The first "Hell Boy" was great. Yet, Hell Boy 2 was has "legs" too. It will be another few years before the third installment, though. With Del Toro involved with "The Hobbit" now.

"Artistic" movies....yes, a "broad" term to be sure...all movie genres will have their representatives. Some directors have such personal visionary style, the general audience might not appreciate it. Or will....despite whatever the critics may have to say.



Some recent ones (in no particular order) I thought that might "fit":

"Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow" (2004)
"Lemony Snicket (2004)
"MirrorMask" (2005)
"The City of Lost Children" (La Cité des enfants perdus...1995)
"Dark City" (1998)
"What Dreams may Come" 1998)

"Prospero's Books" (1991) Director Peter Greenaway
An amazing artistic rendering of Shakespeare's "The Tempest" with the late Sir John Gielgud as "Prospero". "The Tempest" was his personal favorite and Sir John tried for many years to have it filmed. Finally contacted Peter Greenaway (the Pillow Book) and it is such a marvelous mixture of Shakespeare, visual poetry, music, art ... a feast for the imagination.

Some even older "Artistic" films that may fit your descriptions:

"La Belle et la bête" (1946 Dir. Jean Cocteau B&W)
I first watched this in a subtitled version in an "Art Movie house" in the 1960s. (shown paired with his 1950 "Orpheé) Was captured by Cocteau's artistic vision of this version of "Beauty and the Beast". It is pure poetry. Full of extraordinary enchantment and imagination. Of magic,symbolism,surrealism and..... psychoanalysis.

... in mine opinion Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow ... sux ... Lemony Snicket ... its funny ... well made ... good to watch ... if you seen The City of Lost Children you don't have to watch Dark City ... you will feel someone ripped some visual ideas ... hehe ... but in mine opinion The City of Lost Children was not that good as Delicatessen or even Amelia of these directors ... didn't see the MirrorMask ... but i remember The Dark Crystal so im gone watch it for sure ... :)
... about Greenaway ... it's higher shelf ... but i love this director ... maybe you should start from Drowning by Numbers or The Cook, the Thief, His Wife & Her Lover (rather then Pillow Book) ... or The Baby of Mâcon ... but i would also suggest his early films like The Falls ... not so visually loaded ... but have something else ...
... in other words Laurie suggestions are jack pot ... for the description you have given ...

Maybe "Sky Captain" did not always hit "right on" for some but did not think it "suxed". Maybe knowing the 1920s/1930s references in the movie. And why the director (Kerry Conran) made this as a homage to all that ("Art Deco", "German Expressionism" Grade A/B movies with "Space and/or Fantasy" themes like Metropolis, Things to Come, Buck Rogers/Flash Gorden serials, the 1933/1939 "Worlds Fair" and their "World of Tomorrow" Expos)....I accepted it on its own terms.

But then, I also grew up watching old 1930s/1940s films as the director did.....especially the "adventure/science fiction" serials that were later put together as full length movies for TV. Still remember finding comic books like "Blackhawk", "Capt. Midnight", "Terry and the Pirates" and others, occasionally from that time.

The movie premise is as an "alternative 1939 America" and in that particular Adventure/Science fiction "pulp style" but what the heck..old fashioned fun from a past where you could just let your imagination "go". By the way, "Sky Captain" was one of the first to be shot on a "digital backlot", blending live actors with computer generated surroundings. It was actually well received by both critics and audiences....so helping paved the way for "Sin City", "300" and others in that vein.

(The Hindenberg III docking at the Empire State Building was not "science fiction". The building did have this capability. The first "Hindenburg" was slated to dock there before it crashed in New Jersey in 1937. There were little tin toys made to commemorate this docking event when it happened.)

I will have to look for the other Peter Greenaway movies you mentioned.

"The Dark Crystal" would certainly be included in a list like this. So would "Labyrinth" (Loved watching "The Storyteller" when it was on TV)

Some of Ridley Scott's films too would probably be on this list. (The Duelists, Blade Runner) for their visual innovations, beauty and narrative story.

I found a list of some artistic movies:
http://www.amazon.com/Want-Artistic...lm/732X2N51G361

the question at amazons site is funny :)
'Want Artistic Movies Without the Weirdness?'

-->> noooooooo, i really do like the weirdness :D

oh my god, i watched almost every trailer of the movies you all mentioned....and there seem to be real masterpieces amongst them!

i think theres a lot to watch in the next time :)

when you talking bout 'the dark crystal' you mean this?
http://rocketfuel.files.wordpress.c...k-crystal-1.jpg

if yes...then omg...this movie burned into my mind....i saw it when i was a child...and i adored it...really never met people who saw it 2

thanks for all the fantastic recommandations!

Yes, That is the one. "The Dark Crystal" by Jim Henson and his Company.

I saw this when it came out in 1982 and was also enchanted by it. Always liked Jim Henson's work. Bought the movie when it came out on VHS, years later, for my children to enjoy. Then later bought the DVD with all the "extras". Favorite character? "Oggra".

Yes, I tend to like the "Wierdness" too of some artistic films. At least give the more "over the top" ones a viewing with a discriminating mind in the truest sense of what "being open minded" means. (not "so open to let my brains fall out")

Well if you want to go Fantasy all of a sudden since Dark Crystal was brought up, you could always see Labyrinth and Legend with Tom Cruise when he was very young and non-psycho.

Maybe these fit in as well;
Spawn
Fung Wan
Darkman
Brotherhood of the Wolf
Curse of the Golden Flower
Hellraiser
In the Mouth of Madness
Moulin Rouge

And on it goes but I better stop the listing, and put one of those or the ones you guys mentioned on -it's movietime :P

I dont think Gladiator and The Matrix series have been mentioned yet

I can't understand people enjoying crap like 300. I know it's just my opinion but I would consider most of the movies mentioned in the first couple of messages here really bad movies. Anyway, don't huff on me for that.

I'll agree with Laurie on the case of What Dreams May Come and City Of The Lost Children. Sorta special movies.

And here's also a couple seriously artistic movies in my opinion:


qatsi trilogy: Koyaanisqatsi, Powaqqatsi and Naqoyqatsi.
First one is a masterpiece, second feels a lot worse but still fine, third one starts superb with a great view of gothic grey building with very powerfull colors and contrast but then it goes further in some annoying visual effects that never end through whole movie. But it is still not worse than Powaqqatsi, I think. I would give those 3 movies 8, 6 and 6 points out of 10. Told about the whole trilogy because of the first movie, actually.


Baraka. Can't wait to watch it, heard a lot about it but can't suggest it or tell much about it since I haven't watched it myself yet. It must be a movie about nature with great camera work.


And my favorite one I can't forget is Pink Floyed: The Wall. Amazing movie and a must see for all who enjoy classic and psychedelic rock music. Very well done, great camera work, great music, some interesting acting by Bob Geldof, a very little of plot and very artistic atmosphere.


Stalker. A russian movie by Tarkovskiy. Very artistic in it's entirety. I feel like in some kind of trance when I watch it. Great performances by actors, great atmosphere. Some beautiful views and scenes. My favorite movie from my homeland. I can't help loving it, even though I hate nearly all russian movies.


And I'm looking forward for Alphaville: Songlines. Can't remeber any other movies right now. Hope my message helps anyone to find some new interesting stuff for him/her.

[edited]
P.S. And of course don't forget to check out some Terry Gilliam movies: Brazil, The Adventures Of Baron Munchausen, The Fisher King, Tidelands, Twelve Monkeys are all very interesting and specific movies. And a new movie is coming soon in a year or so.

... can’t say much about 300 ... beside that i took a nap ... and tons of good laugh ... how you can overuse the slow motion effect ...
... about Qatsi trilogy ... great experience ... brilliant Philip Glass music and magic Ron Fricke photography’s ... same goes for his Baraka ... but even it’s definitely 100% artistic cinematic ... not sure if that’s what LiquidC had in mind ...
... same goes for Stalker... even im not real fan of Andrei Tarkovsky work ... probably because i didn’t like his adaptation of Solaris ... you need to have peculiar mood for his movies ...
... about Terry Gilliam ... Brazil is mine personal favorite ... but to Liquid description think The Brothers Grimm would better fit ...

You forgot to mention "Water" (my favourite Gilliam movie) and of course "Fear And Loathing In Las Vegas". :smoke:




@ topic

Stanley Kubrick´s "A Clockwork Orange" is one damn cool movie with some strange locations and costumes.
Based on the kickass book by Antony Burgess.
http://efilmcritic.com/review.php?movie=1382

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UZaTEIyo8rk


"Delicatessen" by Marc Caro.
Very surreal but funny as hell.
Just think of that one guy living with thousands of frogs in a flooded cellar imitating their behaviour.
:lmao:
Unfortunately there´s only a subtitled version for you english speaking people.
http://efilmcritic.com/review.php?movie=1575

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iYo_SkERMNI


David Lynch´s "Naked Lunch" & "Lost Highway"
I never really understood what those are all about tho :confused:
http://efilmcritic.com/review.php?movie=3025

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mh-Q07iVQws

http://efilmcritic.com/review.php?movie=285

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DMWMCbQxEsE

... Naked Lunch was directed by David Cronenberg ... not David Lynch ... doctor Benway ... :D

Ooops, my bad :p

And Terry Gilliam doesn't have the movie "Water". Never heard of such movie at all. I wonder if you've meant this one: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0240200/

Damn, yes you´re right. I always thought it was a Gilliam movie cause it´s on a DVD with most of his films my brother burned for me once.
The kind of humor in it fits tho.
And no I didn´t mean the one from your link, I meant the one from 1985 with Michel Caine, Ringo Starr & Eric Clapton.

http://www.answers.com/topic/water-1985-film

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=slwIw1xNRlc

I don't see any mention of Spike Lee movies so....

Do the Right Thing (classic movie)
He Got Game (another good one)
Also a more recent one, 'Inside Man' which I really liked.

Some other 'artistic' movies I've enjoyed.

Darjeeling Limited
Skins
Requiem for a Dream
Beautiful Country
Kung Fu Hustle
Tae Guk GI
Fearless
Zatoichi (Takashi Katano version)
Ran (along with a lot of other great Akia Kurosawa movies such as Seven Samurai)

Thats all I can think of right now.

edit: just thought of another...Kundun directed by Martin Scorsese with sound score done by Philip Glass. Excellent movie.

Damn, how could I have forgotten on of my favorite movies!?
The Fountain by Darren Aranofski. Some may say it's too pretentious but I just loved it. One made written and directed such a beautiful and deep story. Amazing. And it's very artistic in CGI since all the special effects are chemical reactions in the dew of water. Looks very special.

Try Southpark The Movie

lol they sure should make another one to celebrate 10th anniversary of the first their full length movie. Imaginationland is cool but it doesn't count.