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March 28, 2024, 10:36:47 AM

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Walerian Borowczyk

Started by Chedney Honks, February 27, 2021, 09:47:49 PM

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Chedney Honks

The Polish 'genius who also happened to be a pornographer'.

Having watched The Beast many years ago in China after scouring the Euro arthouse grot section of my local underground grey market DVD store, I completely forgot about this dude. Fast forward fifteen years and I've just watched the marvellous Dr Jekyll and Miss Osborne, and it prompted me to start a thread.

It's true that there is a bit of quite barbaric filth in these films, and I'm looking forward to seeing more, but there's an anti-authority, iconoclastic bent here which is even more appealing. I've only seen these two but you can feel the contempt and satire and allegory for polite society and for convention.

They're quite funny and crass and explicit - a bloke gets arse raped by a long spiky nob which pierces his belly, the exact same fate which also befalls a sleeping ingenue - but for once, this gratuitous sexual violence seems to have purpose beyond titillating psychopaths. It's all subversion and shock and denigrating civil etiquette.

There's a 'Boro' boxset on Arrow which is going for a few hundred quid now, I really fucked it not picking one up several months ago, but I am very tempted to keep an eye out on eBay. Very much looking forward to picking up something else by him and rewatching The Beast.

Anyone else ever seen or keen?

chveik

after some elitist wanks are ya

watched goto, island of love on mubi the other day. it was fine, nothing really fucked up happening. blanche looks interesting, i should check it up someday

Chedney Honks

Come for the arses, murder and mayhem, stay for the diffuse lighting, sets and satire. I'll check out Blanche next, I think.

Chedney Honks

Boro boxset seems back in stock everywhere (maybe it was never not in stock) and I got it on sale for thirty quid. Absolutely immense amount of movie and animation and shorts and essays and docos for the money. Fantastic stuff.



I watched the first segment of Immoral Tales and it was about some young French fella who bosses his cousin around and takes her for a bike ride to some beach, then walks over a load of rocks for ages until the tide will prevent them going back for a bit and then she gives him a blowjob for half an hour while he talks to her about tidal movements.

If this is a glimpse of what's to come, I'm laughing.

Paaaaul

That boxset is a re-release. The original limited one had a book of Boro's writings that Arrow didn't have the rights to publish beyond the initial run.
Goto.and Blanche will probably surprise you a lot if you've only seen his smuttier stuff so far, but they're both great.

Chedney Honks

Ah, cheers, Paaaaul. That explains the eBay thing. I think I've probably made the right decision because I never get round to reading the booklets.

I actually got it for Goto and Blanche, and I'm planning to pick up Story of Sin, which I hear is also beautiful. The sex was the least engaging part of Miss Osborne, although the scene with the daughter in front of her father was quite something. I loved the lighting and odd acting and theatrical dialogue. It gave me an itch for more like that.

I'm just being glib about the filth. I think he's a fascinating director.

Also, not seen you around in ages, would be really interested in your thoughts on movies (and Borowczyk, if you fancy).

RicoMNKN

His short films are worth a watch.  Mostly stop-motion and cut-out animation, and a big influence on Terry Gilliam. 

Chedney Honks

I'll definitely give them an whirl. One of the discs in the Boro boxset is dedicated to his animated shorts.

Noodle Lizard

I like Immoral Tales. The Elizabeth Bathory segment with Picasso's daughter is wonderful, the others are delightfully silly 70s arthouse grumble.

The Beast is a great one to watch with friends. Utterly ridiculous!

Midas

Quote from: Chedney Honks on March 14, 2021, 09:17:13 PM
One of the discs in the Boro boxset is dedicated to his animated shorts.

His animated works are beautiful. I've not seen his other films but they look fascinating (and provocative).

Chedney Honks

Quote from: Noodle Lizard on March 14, 2021, 10:12:51 PM
I like Immoral Tales. The Elizabeth Bathory segment with Picasso's daughter is wonderful

I watched this last night and totally agree that this was the highlight of the whole piece. Never in my life have I enjoyed one European period drama, but I am very fond of the costumes and music and sets in these films. Makes me think I've been rather close-minded, or maybe it's that the decadence of the aesthetics complements the erotic so well. One for my gravestone but I am really enjoying these sex films.

Chedney Honks

#11
I'm continuing to work my way through the Boro boxset and I just finished Blanche. In a radical departure from most of the Borowczyk I've seen so far, there's very little sex at all. It's a more about a kind of love triangle or pentangle with the titular Blanche's beauty driving men to a tragic end. It's actually fairly pacy, as well, in terms of the narrative. I tend to watch films in a few stints if I'm busy (as I am today) but I started it on a break and ended up watching the whole thing.

It's described as looking like a medieval fresco and it is remarkable. I can see that intention. It's so flat! It's also fascinating to see these archaic objects and devices and instruments and clothes and much more. It's not in any way overtly exciting or titillating but the atmosphere and transportative quality is unlike anything I can remember seeing. That's where the thrills come. I wouldn't say it's my favourite overall but I'm really happy to have watched it and I bet the extras will be brilliant.

Also, the soundtrack is played with period instruments and the players feature in the film:

https://youtu.be/XoyGkSerUGw

What a wonderful piece of music.