Thursday, January 12, 2012

The Great Scenes # 20: Eternity and a Day (1998)

Directed by Theo Angelopolous

This is probably the most obscure film featured in this series. It's a marvelous, hypnotic piece of work so it shouldn't be. This film is from renowned Greek director Theo Angelopolous and it's about a poet who finds out he is dying (played by Bruno Ganz) and he befriends a little boy who's an illegal immigrant from Albania trying to escape the atrocities of his country and avoid being deported. He ironically gets invigorated with life in this special bond he forms with the boy. This is an absolutely wonderful film since it manages to be moving and life-affirming without being the least bit sappy. It's slow for some but rewarding. This is the climactic scene in the film. In this scene, the poet and the little boy decide, out of a whim, to take a little round trip in a bus before the boy stows away in a ship and they encounter various eccentrics and peoples of different colors. It's so Felliniesque in a way (which is appropriate since one of the writers co-wrote 8 1/2, haha). This is a truly excellent film. So check it out.

14 comments:

Mark said...

They both got one more great experience in before their respective ends.

Film Geek Bastard said...

Well, the boy doesn't die. He's just going away in a ship. The poet's days are numbered so it's unlikely that he'll ever see him again. That's why this scene is so bittersweet.

Outcast said...

I honestly don't think I've actually heard of this film before but I love this scene and it sounds amazing. I really want to watch this now, I really do.

CErixsson said...

Cool video i liked it! I also like your blog so you got a new follower :D +1

Film Geek Bastard said...

Woo-hoo! You're my 100th follower! :)

T. Banacek said...

That seems like a really complex plot. All a film really needs is boobies and stuff blowing up. Am I right? No?

Bersercules said...

at the 0;44 second mark the guy scratches his face and flips us the bird at the same time!

Looks like a good movie! (you certainly make it sound good!)

Congradulations on 100 followers!

Bart said...

hahah the subliminal middle finger! sweet.

Sub Radar (Mike) said...

Sounds like an amazing film... hopefully by obscure you don't mean impossible to find.

Anonymous said...

I'm going to get this film.

Anonymous said...

What a nice scene.

dopdavid said...

very meaningful i like this clip

hipster.brah said...

Great scene :)

Anonymous said...

Sounds rather interesting, though I don't have nearly enough time to watch or play anything right now :(.