Afterthoughts About Gomorra - Claire McGrath

Hi everyone,

Well Gomorra certainly hit hard.

On Monday I couldn't stop thinking about it.

I really liked(?) / appreciated the "layering" reflected for example in the floors of the buildings - all ramps, stairs and doors.  Especially memorable were

the scene with the wedding below while the older man ran scared;

the pretty boy plucking his eyebrows, playing with the monkey - just being a 13 year old, then going off to the death business

the two would-be gangsters -t otally naive about how the whole system worked - yet have grown up in it

the "rules" like no women - when she is killed the police are everywhere - unlike all the other murders

the awful old man, who seduces the two boys to their death : "I will tell their families why they had to die"

and of course the final scene of the tractor/grader scooping up their bodies like pieces of flotsam/garbage on the beach, and its victory salute, raising the scoop into the air like a majestic animal victorious

It was about 15 minutes too long - but the unravelling of the texture of lives - both fully aware of the machinations of the "way it is" and yet at times a life seemingly innocent and devoid of evil.

It deserves its high ranking /rating

YOUR LETTERS

A letter from Bill O'Shea on the programming sub-committee: 

CINEMA POMONA is a community interest group established with the aim of enabling local film lovers to see the best of world cinema. In selecting films, the committee aims to bring members a variety of films of different national origins – from Europe, the Americas, Asia, Africa, and of course, Australia. We also try to present diversity in the kinds of films screened: dramas, light dramas, comedies, musicals, westerns and documentaries. Most of the films chosen are of recent origin, but we also introduce a few classics from the past, films that critics have rated among the best.

We avoid commercial successes which run for weeks in Multiplex cinemas and the like. Instead, we seek to screen films that will appeal to the discerning viewer. Over the next 12 months, we have chosen a variety of films, old and new, that we believe will satisfy most members. We believe that Cinema Pomona members will appreciate the offerings we have chosen.

It is disappointing that some members have chosen to discontinue their attendance on a regular basis, perhaps because they have not enjoyed one or other of the films chosen. We understand that not all the films we choose will be to everyone’s liking. Some have even disappointed the selection committee! But those who have persevered have seen some wonderful films in recent months like “Nowhere in Africa”, “The Edge of Heaven” and “As It Is in Heaven”.

There have been some concerns that we do not have enough comedies, or enough Australian films. The fact is that it has been difficult to find good comedies or Australian films in recent years. We do not consider the teenage-oriented romantic comedies that seem to be so popular, but we have found some comedies of a more sophisticated type. And we have in our programme a recent film described as one of the best-ever Australian films – “Samson and Delilah”.

We begin our 2009-2010 programme with a double-bill on September 6, both by the English Director, Jonathon Davies, “Distant Voices, Still Lives” in the afternoon, and his new acclaimed documentary on Liverpool, “Of Time and the City”, in the evening.

Besides the recent releases, we have included some great classic films – “Cabaret “ (1974), a masterpiece; “The Third Man” (1949), which would be on most film critics’ best-ever list; and Ingmar Bergman’s “Smiles of a Summer Night.”

Films we have chosen for 2009-10 come from Australia, the UK, USA, France, India, Sweden, China, Uganda, Italy, Israel, Thailand, Mongolia, and Belgium. Obviously, our aim is to provide members with an experience of world cinema.

Cinema Pomona is a community enterprise, and we appeal to all members to continue to support this project, even if one or other film we have chosen does not meet with your approval. Most of them, we believe, will do so. We hope for better attendances in 2009-2010. We look forward to you joining us for the exciting year ahead for Cinema Pomona members.