Author Topic: Free Fall - Freier Fall  (Read 1100986 times)

Offline fritzkep

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Re: Free Fall - Freier Fall
« Reply #140 on: April 25, 2014, 06:57:11 pm »
Pretty accurate, though the first sentence would read: I enjoy having pain. (!)

Quite attractive.

Werd ich zum Augenblicke sagen, "Verweile doch! Du bist so schön..."

Offline fritzkep

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Re: Free Fall - Freier Fall
« Reply #141 on: April 25, 2014, 06:59:29 pm »
The Frisian Islands are an archipelago in the North Sea about equally divided between Germany and the Netherlands.

Germans tell Ostfriesen (East Frisian) jokes like Americans tell Polish jokes and Canadians Newfie jokes.

Werd ich zum Augenblicke sagen, "Verweile doch! Du bist so schön..."

Offline morrobay

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Re: Free Fall - Freier Fall
« Reply #142 on: April 25, 2014, 07:34:46 pm »
Pretty accurate, though the first sentence would read: I enjoy having pain. (!)

Thanks for the translations - and that's kinda weird.  I'm hoping it has to do with working like crazy while making a movie, or something.
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Offline gattaca

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Re: Free Fall - Freier Fall
« Reply #143 on: April 25, 2014, 08:04:59 pm »
Hi, Thanks for unlocking the thread!  

I saw Free Fall (2013) a few weeks ago and have let it settle on me.   Loved the film and I need a 3rd viewing. Overall, there are parallels to Brokeback but that may be only b/c it's a common theme.  Undiscovered love which rips apart both the tormented soul entangled in the feelings and the families involved.

From my experience and vantage, perhaps Marc really never struggled with those internal demons before, but I doubt that.  This switch is not just something one "flips"...  Perhaps Marc never allowed his feeling for other men to surface before he met Kay - many of the same as Ennis and Jack during their time on the mountain.    The film does update the time period  by 40+years but the family still struggles with even the thought of homosexuality and full acceptance by not only his family but his co-workers is as unforgiving and hostile as we saw in Brokeback - only not murderous.

Marc's life and family is much more comfortable and there are opportunities for Marc but like Ennis, he's afraid to take them - aka "come with me..."  or "little cow-calf operation.."   It's so hard to make that choice, to turn your back on commitments made one's entire life.  To in general, "disappoint"  family, spouses, parents, friends who rarely are accepting.   The film covers that angle well, and I think better than Brokeback with the modern family angle - parent's next door, wife expecting, "friends" on the police force, skills outside of ranching, etc..

Also, THANKS for posting the screen caps.. quite good ones!

Let's talk.  Cheers, V.
« Last Edit: April 26, 2014, 03:46:37 pm by gattaca »
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Offline fritzkep

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Re: Free Fall - Freier Fall
« Reply #144 on: April 25, 2014, 08:20:48 pm »
Hey Vincent!

Did you get the movie through one of the online services?

Werd ich zum Augenblicke sagen, "Verweile doch! Du bist so schön..."

Offline morrobay

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Re: Free Fall - Freier Fall
« Reply #145 on: April 25, 2014, 11:59:40 pm »
Hi, Thanks for unlocking the thread!  

I saw Free Fall (2013) a few weeks ago and have let it settle on me.   Loved the film and I need a 3rd viewing. Overall, there are parallels to Brokeback but that may be only b/c it's a common theme.  Undiscovered love which rips apart both the tormented soul entangled in the feelings and the families involved.

From my experience and vantage, perhaps Marc really never struggled with those internal demons before, but I doubt that.  This switch is not just something one "flips"...  Perhaps Marc never allowed his feeling for other men to surface before he met Kay - many of the same as Ennis and Jack during their time on the mountain.    The film does update itself by what 40 years but the family struggles with homosexuality and full acceptance by not only his family but his co-workers is as hostile as ever.

I’m so glad to see your “let’s talk” because as you can probably tell, I’ve been dying to talk about this movie.  I have watched it at least 20 times, and I’m still seeing things I missed on earlier viewings.

Regarding Brokeback, I agree with the take by this critic: Free Fall is garnering attention as the ‘German Brokeback Mountain’, but such comparisons are reductive. While both movies may revolve around the notion of forbidden gay love, Ang Lee’s 2005 film points an accusatory finger at conservative society. On the other hand, Free Fall is set in liberal, modern-day Germany, where Marc’s prejudiced co-workers are lampooned for their regressive behaviour.


Ok, so, totally agree with your statement that Marc probably had thoughts/feelings/questions about his sexuality before meeting Kay, but for whatever reason – maybe strictly because of who he was – Kay was the catalyst that brought everything to the front.  Now, I can only say this from my standpoint as a straight woman; I don’t see myself suddenly becoming attracted to women, since I've never been sexually attracted to them before.

And the homophobia is still very apparent, both by Marc's family and in the police force.  The director made some interesting statements about what he found while doing research for the film.

Quote

Marc's life and family is much more comfortable and there are opportunities for Marc but like Ennis, he's afraid to take them - aka "come with me..."  or "little cow-calf operation.."   It's so hard to make that choice, to turn your back on commitments made one's entire life.  To in general, "disappoint"  family, spouses, parents, friends who rarely are accepting.   The film covers that angle well, and I think better than Brokeback with the modern family angle - parent's next door, wife expecting, "friends" on the police force, etc..

Well said.  How difficult it must be to go against everything that you’ve ever known, been taught, heard, saw around you, what you thought you knew to be right, but were really always fighting inside.  I saw a great quote and thought it must be from a 16th century poet, turns out it’s from Game of Thrones!  “Love is the bane of honor, the death of duty.”  Fits this movie perfectly.

And this line from a critic’s review that I posted a few pages back:
Because of this, Free Fall examines the phenomenon of self-repression for the sake of perceptions of ‘normality’.


Quote
Also, THANKS for posting the screen caps.. quite good ones!

My pleasure. Since the DVD was only released in March, it took a little while for screen caps to hit the net, but they're out there now.  I'm looking for a few specific ones that I can't find yet, but they'll show up.

Quote
Let's talk.  Cheers, V.

Yes, let's  :)
"Do you mind if I smoke?"
"I don't care if you shoot up."

Offline gattaca

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Re: Free Fall - Freier Fall
« Reply #146 on: April 26, 2014, 03:30:10 pm »
Hey Vincent!
Did you get the movie through one of the online services?

Hi Fritz, Hope you are well!  Yes, Amazon and iTunes (i think) both have it.  Seems like it was $4.00 to rent or $10 to buy... sadly not available on NetFlix yet..   Cheers, V.
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Offline morrobay

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Re: Free Fall - Freier Fall
« Reply #147 on: April 26, 2014, 07:25:54 pm »
V-I hope you have time to talk later/next time.
"Do you mind if I smoke?"
"I don't care if you shoot up."

Offline morrobay

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Re: Free Fall - Freier Fall
« Reply #148 on: April 26, 2014, 11:48:33 pm »
I found this interesting viewer review.  The bold is mine, in regard to the comment about awkward acting, I didn't notice, maybe because it was noted for the minor roles (the minor roles are indeed minor, compared to the stellar acting of the leads) - maybe, as this person said, it's because of the language?  


Freier Fall tackels about 20 different issues at once – from (undiscovered) homosexuality to bullying in the police force – and somehow it manages to juggle them all and still tell an engaging story that isn’t weighed down by its social agenda. Instead it treats that agenda as practically unimportant which just makes it stand out all the more.

I’m usually hyper-critical when it comes to German films, or more specifically: acting in German-language films (probably because it’s my native language and that just makes me more sensitive to bad acting). And this film is not free of extremely awkward acting in minor roles. But the awkwardness is confined to the minor roles and the big ones are all pretty well cast. Especially Hanno Koffler was fantastic. And Max Riemelt wasn’t bad at all, either. (And they make one seriously attractive pair, so there’s that, too.)

But it wasn’t only the acting that worked so very well in this film. Lacant’s direction is amazingly self-assured and you wouldn’t once assume that it’s his first feature film (but it is). There’s an incredible tension to it all, that had me at the edge of my seat, just waiting for things to explode. Or implode. Get fucked up and tragic in any case.

And his script is really fantastic. The story, as I said, has a clear political agenda, but it’s told on such an intimate, private level that you barely notice all the social criticism flying around. The situation Lacant builds is suffocating, and you’re gasping for air just as much as Marc. But even more importantly, it features wonderful, relatable characters. Both Marc and Kay were great, but also Bettina was excellently written. You wanted to see none of them hurt, even though it was clear that this wasn’t going to happen.

It is rare that a film this serious is also engaging and manages to create a connection on an emotional level, too. But Freier Fall did it.
"Do you mind if I smoke?"
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Offline gattaca

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Re: Free Fall - Freier Fall
« Reply #149 on: April 27, 2014, 07:03:30 pm »
Good summary! 

There are indeed social threads, not sure about 20, but almost every scene says something outside the context of what we are being shown.  Even the two deleted scenes as posted were saying something to me when I watched them.  I desperately need 3rd or 4th viewing before I can skillfully comment in depth on Free Fall. 

As you mentioned earlier, speaking the native language - German - allows viewers "better context" b/c often the English translation may not as subtle as the spoken native words.  Since I do not speak German,  I have the added distraction of reading the subtitles carefully as well as watch the film's movement, the eye contact, the gestures and it's more difficult, at least for me, to adsorb the film in this manner.  I've never tried to watch Brokeback and read subtitles - any comments?   For instance, on my first viewing, the bookends for the opening and closing scenes, the what seems obvious now really did not strike me initially - the difference in Marc's stamina.  I attributed the change to all the running  / training he'd been doing as a positive note from the relationship with Kay . BUT then later I realized, it was not just physically - it was much much more than that...   I only caught that on my 2nd viewing.    Hopefully, I can get to watch it again soon.  This weekend was spring chores.  Cheers, V.
How do you hide when you are running from yourself?