Language Hat recently quoted Kafka on books:
What we need are books that hit us like a most painful misfortune, like the death of someone we loved more than we love ourselves, that make use feel as though we had been banished to the woods, far from any human presence, like suicide.
If this seems like a reasonable statement to you, then you should see the films of Bruno Dumont. He is one of the few contemporary filmmakers who makes films that “bite and sting us.” Unfortunately, his latest film sounds like a dud. Still, L’Humanité and La Vie de Jésus are outstanding movies and make him one of the most important living directors. Unfortunately, they are not films that translate well to the small screen. Although there is nothing epic about them, they are genuinely cinematic, anything less than 35mm projection won’t do. But they aren’t for those who see movies because they want to be “happy”…
