Eros

I am currently watching a short film collection called Eros. It is a collection of three short films by Wan Kar Wei (The Hand), Steven Soderbergh (Equilibrium), and Michelangelo Antonioni (Dangerous Thread of Things). Like the Greek god that it is named after, the short films are about eroticism, beauty, and love.

I have only watched the first out of three short films, Wan Kar Wei's The Hand. It is difficult to watch -slow, sad, bewitching, dark. Equally erotic and unbearable, it is about a young tailor who becomes enthralled by a prostitute. As the prostitute ages, loses her clients, beauty, vitality, and health, the tailor continues to be entranced.

Perhaps I haven't watched enough of Wan Kar Wei's work (I've seen Chunking Express, In the Mood for Love, and 2046), but I believe he is more and more drawn to the darker side of love, obsession, and self repression. Since Chunking Express, his movies have become darker and slower. The music has become erotic -more Chinese, French, Italian, and Spanish songs -deeper more meaningful. More strings as opposed to the upbeat pop tunes of the Cranberries and The Mamas and the Papas in Chunking Express. Whereas the two stories in Chunking Express ended relatively optimistic, The Hand, In the Mood for Love, and 2046 have ended far more tragic.

I have become a huge fan of Wan Kar Wei as of late and I have my friend Rachel to thank. His work moves me to create and to work harder.

I also watched An Education this week. I really liked it, but for some reason I can't describe what or why I like it. It was really good though and the soundtrack is great as well.