Rhapsodies

     The movie is mostly about this vaguely christ like figure, and his limbless dwarf companion who wander from misadventure to misadventure finally meeting an alchemist who wishes to take his followers to “the holy mountain” but once you get past the catholic, tarot card and buddhist inspired imagery, the insects, nudity, canabalism, scatology, band of prostitutes (which includes a ten year old and chimpanzee) this is just a little unclear.

 It’s funny. Even with everyone I know warned me about this movie whenever I told them this was on my review list, and seeing the trailer this film was still a surprise. It certainly is “interesting” to watch though I would suggest that the best way to get through it is to treat it like an extended dream sequence and enjoy the pretty and strange, pictures.

     In comparison to Holy Mountain, Aki Kaurismäki‘s Leningrad Cowboys Go America, was quite the palette cleaner.  Leningrad Cowboys feels very much like a cross between This is Spinal Tap and Blues Brother. Featuring the title band (who like Spinal Tap were created for the movie and became popular as a real act later) who leave their native Siberia to go perform in America (because they will take anybody) Leningrad Cowboys is a a charming picaresque as they play in one seedy club after another with the frozen body of their lead guitarist strapped to the roof of they car (Yes, it’s that kind of movie) while being brutally used by Vladimir their manager (when I say that I mean stuff like him not feeding them!).  The band (who I find myself regarding as a single character as they have the collective intellect of one of the beers Vladimir is always drinking) are hilariously innocent, oblivious to their own lack of talent and finding trouble wherever they go like a band of modern-day Candides. I enjoyed it immensely.