Baz Luhrmann

My favourite director. A lot of my favourite films are done by him, and I love his fantastical, slightly weird style. He always brings a sort of modern-twist to his films, always with such bright colours and sparkle and editing and camera work...... I know some people 'don't get' his style but I am so used to it! He is an auteur. 

Strictly Ballroom - 1992

- It's difficult to pick a favourite from his films, but Strictly Ballroom is very very close. It was his first film, and only had a budget of $3 million, but I love low budget films. It's feel-good, funny, lively, and his style is evident in the bright colours, camera angles, and slightly documentary parts (mainly at the beginning) with subtitles. We see this again in Romeo + Juliet. 

                       



Romeo + Juliet - 1996

- As I said, it's difficult to pick a favourite...I love all Baz's films for different reasons, but I love this film sooo much. It's perfect - visually, audibly, the acting... The film portrays an elegant balance between happy and sad - and most other emotions actually - with all the typical Baz colours and glitter and party added to it. The fish tank scene is incredible. Our first proper scene of Romeo (with Radiohead playing) is also one of my favourites, as well as the pool scene. If you know me, you know Leonardo DiCaprio is my favourite actor...and oh he is so beautiful in this one.

Wear Sunscreen - 1999

 - a music video version of an essay "Advice, like youth, probably just wasted on the young" by Mary Schmich. I love this.. it's so feel-good, and TRUE. I want Baz to narrate my life. His narration is remixed with the song 'Everybody's Free', from in the wedding scene from R+J.

Moulin Rouge! - 2001

- Definitely my most watched out of his films. It's probably his 'most weird' too, however he recognisably made it his own. I love it so much, I think it takes 1st place as favourite. Really beautiful story, amazing aesthetics aaand is a musical (also in love with the sountrack). When I went to Montmartre in 2010 I was so excited because of this film. 

             

                      

                      

Australia - 2008

- My least watched film of Baz's, but never the less a lovely, enjoyable story. His shots of Australia are amazing and portrays it as such a desirable place to us as the audience. You can tell that it is a Baz Lurhmann film, although there are fewer of his 'signature' features than in his other works...the genre too is slightly different - more action than R+J but less romance than Moulin Rouge...

   

                   

The Great Gatsby! - 2012

Not much I can say about this one yet, apart from that I'm so excited. I love the 1974 version, but a Baz version is going to be amazing. Trailer looks great, Leo's perfect to play Gatsby, love the other main cast...Christmas Day 2012!

Heroin Chic

Heroin Chic was a look that became dominant in the fashion industry in the 90s, pioneered by Davide Sorrenti. The use of heroin was at a peak of popularity and quickly became a topic in most media industries. In fashion, it began with Calvin Klein's 'Obsession' campaign, and the debut of two models - Kate Moss and Jaime King.

The campaign was shot by Mario Sorrenti, who today is well-known successful fashion photographer for Vogue and Harper's Bazaar. At the time, he was in a relationship with Kate Moss.

It was controversial. Twiggy's 'waif' look was taken to another level - very thin and bony, with big eyes - but  now with bags, smudged makeup, shabby appearance and 'stoned' facial expressions, implying that they were high. The use of heroin was glamorized, and cult stars had a huge influence (such as the death of Kurt Cobain).

Davide Sorrenti (b 1976) became involved in the skater lifestyle as a teenager in New York City. He was the creator of the skater graffiti group 'SKE Crew' and was influenced by the work of Larry Clark (see previous blog) and began to document his life. Soon after they met, he became involved with Jaime King, and she was included his work - his most famous photograph being of her cutting up her tights with a poster of Kurt Cobain in the background. The label of 'Heroin Chic' was born.

The look was criticized hugely; it encouraged drug use and eating disorders, the image of ideal beauty had become distorted, women were objectified, and 'healthy' models were no longer on the catwalk. Bill Clinton said "You do not need to glamorize addiction to sell clothes".

Davide died of an overdose in 1997 at the age of 20, leaving his work to be branded and critically acclaimed further.

Despite it's controversy, Heroin Chic is one of my favourite fashion movements. Being a huge fan of Kate Moss, Larry Clark and Mario Sorrenti's photography work, and of the hiphop/skater culture of the 90s, I quickly became interested in Davide Sorrenti's work. I love his naturalistic documentary style, and it's raw, grungey look. Here are some other thingssss...

Kate & Marky Mark!

Gummo

I thought it would be a good idea to post about the story behind my username... It's a quote from 'Gummo', a 1997 film by Harmony Korine which fascinates me. I discovered the film after watching Larry Clark's best known movie 'KIDS' [1995] of which Korine wrote the script. Larry Clark is a photographer i have studied, & i also visited his exhibition 'Kiss The Past Hello' at the MoMA in Paris in 2010. Being interested in Clark and his work, i was immediately drawn to Korine's. Gummo is a low budget, realist film set in Xenia, Ohio. It has been criticised for being pointless, boring and disturbing, and although I found it engaging, it was difficult to watch at some points. It depicts gritty reality of poverty in a town that never recovered from a tornado; people living in squalor, mindless violence and day-to-day activities of people who would today be stereotyped as 'white trash'.


Chloë Sevigny who plays Dot appealed to me due to her main role in KIDS, but Jacob Reynolds takes prime character playing Solomon. We see Solomon and his friend Tummler ride bikes, sniff glue and kill cats with BB guns, and it is Solomon who describes Tummler as having a 'marvelous persona'... 


"Tummler sees everything. Some say he's downright evil. He's got what it takes to be a legend. He's got a marvelous persona".


It interested me because it is, in my view, a huge compliment payed to Tummler whom he admires...who in reality is beyond senseless. 


The film lacks a consistent plot, and includes typical realist qualities such as its depressing tone and 'documentary' style filming. but I am a fan of realist films, and although pitied the people portrayed, I was also captivated. 


Other characters I feel worth mentioning are 'Bunny Boy', who never speaks yet is somehow the narrator of the film, and the Kid cowboys we see 'kill' Bunny Boy. I think they represent a separate theme of damaged youth and innocence...but to be honest, the whole film itself is open to interpretation.