Chekhov's Mistress
The Netflix Queue. Modern Metaphor For Marriage
I convinced my wife that I had to see the newly released 1981 documentary about Shostakovich, “Sonata for Viola”. We watch a lot of documentaries and foreign movies, but it’s not easy to get a truly geeky film to the top of the Netflix queue, over Pride and Prejudice, Bewitched and all that. And what did Netflix go and do? Skipped right over Shostakovich and sent me “Bukowski: Born into This” (and I deny slipping that one to the top of the list!). Now I’m in the unfortunate position of having to justify two geeky movies in the queue. I’m going to have to watch a lot of Hollywood dreck to make up for this!
We did have Fassbinder’s Marriage of Maria Braun laying around for a while, until I said, “let’s just put it on and if you don’t like it, I’ll turn it off.” Well, as it turns out, we both were engrossed. Hanna Schygulla as Maria is oddly addictive and despite it being somewhat meditative on love and stoicism, the story moves along nicely. I might even say that it’s nearly a perfect movie (no time now to get into all that though). I stayed up late to watch an extended interview with Schygulla, which I recommend.
We watched Capote too. It’s just as good as everyone says. I’ve come to the conclusion that Philip Seymour Hoffman’s greatest skill as an actor is crying. I think he cries better than anyone I’ve ever seen. He’s going to be the Al Pacino of crying. I’ve never read “In Cold Blood.” After seeing the movie I still have no desire to read it.
For some more Shostakovich, see Scott’s post on his concert experience last weekend.
comments
You should see our queue: “Pitch Black” follows “Leningrad Cowboys Go America” follows “The Muppets Take Manhattan”. I’m the one who likes stupid movies, by the way - but I do get in trouble if we wind up with 3 Vin Diesel movies at once.
Anyway, my point is: I think you can tell a lot about a marriage from the joint Netflix queue.
– Ella (04/05 at 11:07 AM)
Bud,
I came across that video not too long ago. They’re showing it at some Shostakovich festival (I found it on their website). Anyway, I’d be interested in knowing if it’s any good, since it did strike my fancy (although maybe not enough to track down a copy unless I got a legit recommendation).
– Scott (04/05 at 07:17 PM)
holy canoli. seymour philip hoffman is the greatest crier in the history of cinema. i hadn’t thought of it that way.
– bookfraud (04/06 at 04:49 PM)
No Netflix queue in this house - hell, we even still get out to a movie every so often. In a CINEMA. But recently I have been guilty of catching films alone in between dropping off and picking up teens. We still have some favourite joint films, however I did gross my husband out once making him sit through Lars von Trier’s ‘Breaking the Waves’.
Hope you will get the time to tell us more about why Marriage of Maria Braun is nearly a perfect movie, Bud.
– genevieve (04/07 at 03:53 AM)
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