I managed to last eight films without posting a Czechoslovak New Wave film, I am impressed with myself. The movement is chock-full of beautiful and visually-inventive films, with
Valerie and Her Week of Wonders certainly being among my favourites.
Surreal, dreamlike imagery is one of the visual elements I actively search for and
Valerie is brimming with it. Couple that with imaginative compositions, the innocent beauty of Jaroslava Schallerováand and wonderful soft lighting, and it's no small wonder that I love this film.
Top 3:
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| This shot is a perfect showcase of the film's strange imagery. An ominous hooded figure with a ghostly face carrying an oriental fan and a white dog... Why not? |
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| This shot gets across Valerie's innocence very effectively and has an inexplicable beauty to it. The dominance of white, soft lighting and peacefully sleeping heroine with her hair in a cloud round her head create a subtle and dreamy image. |
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| Love the contrast between the black and white of the characters and the colours of the foliage. Another very striking composition. |
The rest:
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| Maya Deren much? |
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| Nice framing in this shot |
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| Lovely symbolism and shallow field-of-view |
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| This image'll stick in your mind after watching |
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| A gorgeous image with the design on the piano and Valerie looking peaceful. |
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| Great use of perspective to show the dominance of the "monster" |
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| Incredible art design |
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| A great recurring shot. Valerie's room is made to look like a sanctuary with the dominance of white, but the high-angle shot makes her look small and defenceless. |
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| Black vs. white is all over this film. |
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| More creepy imagery |
