Die Legende der Festung Suram

Full review on my blog max4movies: Ambavi Suramis tsikhitsa (international title: The Legend of Suram Fortress) is the fictionalized retelling of an ancient Georgian tale about a fortress that could only be built with a human sacrifice. Visually, the movie looks wonderful with vibrant colors, perfectly arranged set pieces, and a striking choreography. And while the plot remains mostly simple and central aspects and characters even seem obscure, the heavy use of symbols give the movie a dreamlike quality. Certain scenes - although aesthetically pleasing - seem to lack a clear connection to the plot, which is why the overall allegory about political oppression will remain vague for some viewers.

a Paradjanov. surprising for its force. and as part of a terrible fight against political system. a fairy tale. preserving the light, the pain, the fascination, mystery and force of the source. and the desire to present a testimony about sufferance. that fact transforms The Legend of Suram Fortress in more than beautiful film or embroidery of symbols. because, using motifs who are parts of a folk chain from Balkans to Caucasus, it gives to the sacrifice new connotations. it is not exactly a revenge or expression of sketch of artistic freedom but precise definition of relation who remains basis of power.each theme of Paradjanov's cinema is present in this bitter, delicate gem. like colors of a portrait who redefines the spaces from a drawing.

Paradjanov made four films for which he is best known: Shadows Of Forgotten Ancestors and Color Of Pomegranates in the sixties; Legend Of Surami Fortress and Ashik Kerib in the eighties. In case you don't already know, between the sixties and the eighties he spent over a decade in a Soviet prison. I find this to be the strongest and most hypnotic one of the bunch, made soon after his release. One should take advantage of any opportunity to see these on the big screen.

In his first film since his release from the Gulag system, Paradjanov demonstrated that he was wounded, but not killed, that his soul didn't atrophy, and that he was still seeing in color. Needless to say, this is a visual masterpiece, as is everything that bears his name. Although his best works were either behind him or in his head, it is more of a testimony to the magnitude of his talent. Photographed in niello silver, "The Legend..." reflected Paradjanov's state of being-an aging and ailing artist, who have suffered, but, to some extent, lived to tell about it.

SURAM FORTRESS has a bit more narrative than some of Parajanov's films but, as with the others, I still don't always understand what's going on or why. Still, his very eccentricity, breaking every rule of narrative and filmmaking, inspires me in my own work as a playwright and composer.

His use of striking, associative images -- powerful, even when they don't make literal sense -- recalls the great Tarkovsky, who does something similar in his films, in his own very personal style.

Parajanov, like Bresson -- another director who can fascinate and baffle me at the same time -- does everything differently from the way it's usually done, infuriating viewers expecting believable characters and comprehensible stories. With both directors, the results can be uneven, but at their best, they really inspire, stimulate, and get your creative juices flowing.

Bresson, Tarkovsky, and Parajanov prove you can truly try ANYTHING while following your own artistic vision. But, unlike some overpraised fraudulent directors, they are never pretentiously avant- garde for its own sake, phony, insincere, or "different" just to come across as cool, perverse, or faux-profound.

Parajanov and Bresson's boldly individual styles embolden me to be fresher, more original, and think outside of the box in my own work.