Actually,
my blog is on summer holidays, but there are a few things for the record.
First, after I had finally given up on Filmfest last year, this year they reanimated
the dying patient and showed at least a few interesting films – none of which I
have seen. And they gave one of their CineMerit awards to Ralph Fiennes who,
consequently, had to come to Munich to receive it. I didn’t see him either
because I had been booked for looking after the children a long time before I
discovered this, but I didn’t really mind as I hate this kind of thing anyway.
I remember how I liked to go out in the heat wave and dive into dark,
air-conditioned cinemas to see strange films, but I always felt uncomfortable (for
them!) when some director or actor turned up and had to answer stupid questions
before an audience of ten or twenty … It probably wouldn’t have been like this,
and I could have seen Ralph Fiennes “for real” (I saw him in the theatre in
January, which doesn’t count as “real”), but never mind … Anyway, it appears to
be the year of Ralph Fiennes in my calendar, and of course I was absurdly
pleased that he got the award. But the really important thing about it was that
I discovered “Coriolanus”, his first film as a director, which they showed and
which I couldn’t see in the cinema either but instantly bought on DVD. That was
the better choice anyway because it is damn difficult to understand without
having read the play. I watched the (dreadful) old BBC version as well, as a
“shortcut” to be able to judge about the relation between film and original
text. And I must say – even though this is probably my second least favourite
play by Shakespeare – that I was thrilled. Maybe this is even the second best
Shakespeare film – with original Shakespeare text in it! – ever made, after the
old Baz Luhrmann “Romeo and Juliet”, but for a completely different reason. I
always come to hate what they do with Shakespeare’s text in films, the way they
take all poetry and life out of it by cutting into verses like they did in the
“Hollow Crown” or the Michael Fassbender “Macbeth”. In this case it might even
be that the original Shakespeare text is in fact as hideous and pompous as it
appeared in the old version, and that they IMPROVED it by cutting into it.
However, there was much more of the SPIRIT of “Shakespeare” in that film than
in the conventional tv version, even though (or because?) it is basically a war
movie. And at one point I noticed that this is because of the ingenious and
successful way of dealing with the language – which is, in my experience, still
the pivotal point when it comes to adaptations of Shakespeare. As I still had
no time to read the play this is little more than an unfounded impression, but
I think I will have to look into it. Even though - where “Antony and Cleopatra”
is still entertaining and scandalous, and “Titus Andronicus” absurdly funny -
THIS definitely shows the darkest side of the Roman empire, and - on the “timeless”
side - our world as well. So “CineMERIT” definitely covers it, from my point of
view, even though, to my knowledge, Ralph Fiennes has never again directed a
film remotely as good as this one.
This was
the extent of what happened in Munich, as far as I am concerned, but recently I
heard a science program on Bayern 2 (radio) that gave me fascinating input which
I need to file here. It has to do with the relation between orgasm and reading,
about which I have written and which has always been a fixed part of my
experience but which I couldn’t really EXPLAIN. There was this bit about
treating erectile dysfunction with a mental indication by some kind of
“focusing training” which was explained by learning to INVESTIGATE situations
instead of just labelling them. This made me think … not just a bit. In fact, I
keep thinking … Of course I wouldn’t go as far as to recommend reading AS
THERAPY. I am sure it doesn’t work like this, but the analysis that lead the
scientist to think that this might work is based on the fundamental structure
that links a lot of situations where “we” learn to enjoy ourselves properly –
based on how we learn to have a good relationship with ourselves. Still too
complicated, but at least I know now what I was writing about … and WHY this is
in fact a fundamental structure that I want to “promote”. As I find, there is
more and more of just labelling and “ticking off” experiences as success or
failure – supported by the omnipresent “like button” – instead of looking at
how a certain situation relates to us and how it MAKES US FEEL. This is what we
are doing when we are living in the moment – of which achieving an orgasm is
the most evident expression - and it is
what we are doing when we are REALLY READING. (Although there is not just the
pleasure but the PAIN as well – which would be less easy to promote. Looking
back on the very beginning of “House of Cards” I have no doubts anymore that
somebody aspired to writing world literature … and probably succeeded. As I
wrote, there is very little to ENJOY about “Coriolanus” – not even the
language! - but I am getting involved nonetheless. And the main reason why I
“chose” Ralph Fiennes over other great actors is still that he is so
exceptionally good with the pain!)
Of course
there is also some need for living in the future, which I usually don’t enjoy
that much (at my age …) But next year is probably still okay, and the last good
thing – and the greatest! – is still just a rumour (or probably a twitter). Quite
reliable though, as it came from Claudia.
I haven’t even checked on it because I don’t dare to believe it. I might
be able to see Richard Armitage IN THE THEATRE in London next year in “Uncle
Vanya”. As soon as I heard it I checked
how difficult it would be for me to get a passport because of this brexit shit.
Good thing that I did! To apply for a passport in Munich it is necessary to
make an appointment, and the first open slot was in … October!!! (I don’t suppose
I could apply for a passport anywhere else than where I live …) So there is a
long journey ahead of me still, to get there, but at least Claudia is confident
that we will make it!