LOU REED'S BERLIN
Lou Reed's Berlin (2007), dir Julian Schnabel
A film that dares to talk about the birth, death and resurrection of a pop album, rather than a Messiah or a martyr, really shows us where our culture has arrived at. Lou Reed originally produced this album in 1973, but it was a commercial flop for a set of rather obvious reasons. First of all its an intensely depressing experience. A young mother, Caroline, a drug addict involved in a drug-fueled relationship, has her children taken away from her then commits suicide. Secondly, the sentiment is simply trowelled on, as in the voices and cries of little children at the end of the album. There is much to cringe about here, but also much to celebrate, for some of the songs on the album, are instantaneous classics. The route that Schnabel takes in depicting the first live concert of this album since its conception is quite predictable in form, unlike his recent film 'The Diving Bell and the Butterfly', and unlike other recent films about rock stars such as Todd Haynes 'I'm Not There' and Martin Scorcese's 'No Direction Home: Bob Dylan'. Footage of Reed and his band's performance is montaged with imaginary or dream sequences conceived by the film-makers daughter, Lola. The film is at least modest in scope, unpretentious (unlike the original album), depicting its subject with skill and economy. An interesting follow-up to 'Diving Bell' but Schnabel should look to projects where he can use the obvious range of narrative and cinematographic skills found in that film, rather than resurrecting old rockers like Reed and their more esoteric albums, which, on the face of it, weren't terribly successful first time around.
FDA Magazine Screening Invite
From the Director of THE DIVING BELL AND THE BUTTERFLY & BEFORE NIGHT FALLS
Lou Reed's BERLIN (CERT TBC)
A film by JULIAN SCHNABEL
Official Selection – Orizzonti Venice Film Festival 2007
Toronto International Film Festival 2007
Featuring
Lou Reed
USA / 2007 / 85 Mins / In English / Colour / 1:1.85
Production: A Grandview Pictures and LM Media GMbH Production
UK RELEASE DATE: 25 July 2008
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
“Lou Reed recorded the album Berlin in 1973.
It was a commercial failure.
Over the next 33 years, he never performed the album live.
For five nights in December 2006 at St. Ann's Warehouse Brooklyn, Lou Reed performed his masterwork about love's dark sisters: jealousy, rage and loss.” -Julian Schnabel
Staging Berlin has been discussed for over 30 years and in December of 2006 it became a reality. Berlin was said to be one of the most depressing albums ever made. But as it was brought to life it was far from dismal. Using the divided city of Berlin as its backdrop the story of Caroline and her lovers is told through the emotive and provocative words of Lou Reed. With performers like Fernando Saunders, Antony, Steve Hunter, Rob Wassermann, Rupert Christie and Sharon Jones, a seven piece orchestra and the Brooklyn Youth Chorus all working to create a captivating and enveloping world, Lou Reed is able to take the audience with him as he bares witness to Caroline’s self-destruction. Julian’s set design creates the backdrop of a hotel with greenish walls and Lola Schnabel (Julian’s daughter), has created short films projected on the stage which display the beauty and tragedy of the narrator’s leading lady (played by Emmanuelle Seigner).
Julian Schnabel was born in Brooklyn, New York in 1951. He graduated from the University of Houston and participated in the Whitney Museum Independent Study Program. He had his first solo painting exhibition at the Mary Boone Gallery in New York in 1979. Since then, his paintings have been included in many important public and private collections around the world. His films include Basquiat, Before Night Falls, which won the Grand Jury Prize at the Venice International Film Festival in 2000, THE DIVING BELL AND THE BUTTERFLY which won the Best Director Award at Cannes in 2007, and Lou Reed’s BERLIN.
A film that dares to talk about the birth, death and resurrection of a pop album, rather than a Messiah or a martyr, really shows us where our culture has arrived at. Lou Reed originally produced this album in 1973, but it was a commercial flop for a set of rather obvious reasons. First of all its an intensely depressing experience. A young mother, Caroline, a drug addict involved in a drug-fueled relationship, has her children taken away from her then commits suicide. Secondly, the sentiment is simply trowelled on, as in the voices and cries of little children at the end of the album. There is much to cringe about here, but also much to celebrate, for some of the songs on the album, are instantaneous classics. The route that Schnabel takes in depicting the first live concert of this album since its conception is quite predictable in form, unlike his recent film 'The Diving Bell and the Butterfly', and unlike other recent films about rock stars such as Todd Haynes 'I'm Not There' and Martin Scorcese's 'No Direction Home: Bob Dylan'. Footage of Reed and his band's performance is montaged with imaginary or dream sequences conceived by the film-makers daughter, Lola. The film is at least modest in scope, unpretentious (unlike the original album), depicting its subject with skill and economy. An interesting follow-up to 'Diving Bell' but Schnabel should look to projects where he can use the obvious range of narrative and cinematographic skills found in that film, rather than resurrecting old rockers like Reed and their more esoteric albums, which, on the face of it, weren't terribly successful first time around.
FDA Magazine Screening Invite
From the Director of THE DIVING BELL AND THE BUTTERFLY & BEFORE NIGHT FALLS
Lou Reed's BERLIN (CERT TBC)
A film by JULIAN SCHNABEL
Official Selection – Orizzonti Venice Film Festival 2007
Toronto International Film Festival 2007
Featuring
Lou Reed
USA / 2007 / 85 Mins / In English / Colour / 1:1.85
Production: A Grandview Pictures and LM Media GMbH Production
UK RELEASE DATE: 25 July 2008
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
“Lou Reed recorded the album Berlin in 1973.
It was a commercial failure.
Over the next 33 years, he never performed the album live.
For five nights in December 2006 at St. Ann's Warehouse Brooklyn, Lou Reed performed his masterwork about love's dark sisters: jealousy, rage and loss.” -Julian Schnabel
Staging Berlin has been discussed for over 30 years and in December of 2006 it became a reality. Berlin was said to be one of the most depressing albums ever made. But as it was brought to life it was far from dismal. Using the divided city of Berlin as its backdrop the story of Caroline and her lovers is told through the emotive and provocative words of Lou Reed. With performers like Fernando Saunders, Antony, Steve Hunter, Rob Wassermann, Rupert Christie and Sharon Jones, a seven piece orchestra and the Brooklyn Youth Chorus all working to create a captivating and enveloping world, Lou Reed is able to take the audience with him as he bares witness to Caroline’s self-destruction. Julian’s set design creates the backdrop of a hotel with greenish walls and Lola Schnabel (Julian’s daughter), has created short films projected on the stage which display the beauty and tragedy of the narrator’s leading lady (played by Emmanuelle Seigner).
Julian Schnabel was born in Brooklyn, New York in 1951. He graduated from the University of Houston and participated in the Whitney Museum Independent Study Program. He had his first solo painting exhibition at the Mary Boone Gallery in New York in 1979. Since then, his paintings have been included in many important public and private collections around the world. His films include Basquiat, Before Night Falls, which won the Grand Jury Prize at the Venice International Film Festival in 2000, THE DIVING BELL AND THE BUTTERFLY which won the Best Director Award at Cannes in 2007, and Lou Reed’s BERLIN.
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