Comments on: Charlotte Rampling: Fearless

By: The Sheila Variations

The Sheila Variations — Thu, 31 Jan 2008 17:30:32 +0000

Hot, hot, hot

Two hot dudes. The smile lines are Bogarde are melting my kneecaps. (Speaking of Charlotte Rampling and Night Porter)…

By: Ken

Ken — Sat, 26 Jan 2008 04:18:10 +0000

Powerful. Did you watch the guy at about the 2:00 mark? I think he’s scarred for life. Very effective, not that I’m an expert in these matters.

Seen in isolation, the scene was evocative of Salome. I wonder if it still does in context? Have to see it one day.

By: red

red — Sat, 26 Jan 2008 00:12:32 +0000

Ha!! Yeah, the second one just doesn’t have the subversive frightening feeling of the first. Totally true.

Rampling is the definition of subversive. She doesn’t have to ACT it, she IS it. And it’s not about her sexy body and her belly button and her breasts … it’s more than the fact that she’s half naked. It’s what’s beneath that outfit … and that’s what many actresses of today, and the culture of today, cannot handle.

By: Bud

Bud — Fri, 25 Jan 2008 19:07:56 +0000

Sheila – I’ve been visualizing Charlotte all day. And I thought you might enjoy this photo coupling of Rampling and Knightley:

http://budk1.blogspot.com/search?q=Suspended

It almost feels like Knightley and/or the editors are committing blasphemy!

By: red

red — Fri, 25 Jan 2008 14:11:12 +0000

Rob – speaking of Bob Fosse, I had a similar experience that you had: I saw All That Jazz when I was probably 12 years old – and the majority of it went WAY over my head – although it made an enormous impression. It wasn’t until I saw it later, in my 20s, that I really “got” it.

By: Rob

Rob — Fri, 25 Jan 2008 11:48:23 +0000

I saw The Night Porter at the theater when it came out. I was 17 and entirely too young for it. When I saw it many years later, it was a dramatically different experience. Nuance, subtlety, and adult themes were lost on me at 17. Charlotte is amazing. I don’t think she’s done two roles that were even similar.

Another film I saw too young was Cabaret. After seeing it again for about the 4th time just recently, I can say with certainty that I didn’t get that movie at 15 when I saw it in the theater.

These are great movies, Sheila. Hadn’t thought about The Night Porter in a while. I’ll be setting the DVR to search for it. That they both have Nazis in them is mere coincidence but I find a connection in the two. Neither are about what they appear to be on the surface.

By: Jon

Jon — Fri, 25 Jan 2008 03:13:25 +0000

And if you haven’t seen Rampling in “Heading South,” a small(ish) but ridiculously intense film released a couple years ago, about three middle-aged, North American white women who travel to Haiti in the late 1970′s to have themselves serviced by young men, then you best put that film on your list, too. Rampling is extraordinary in that one (playing a deeply cynical academic driven jealous by her cohorts’ activities)–as are the other women, including a heartbreaking Karen Young (whom you might recognize from “The Sopranos,” where she played the hard-as-nails FBI agent who gets Adriana to inform on Tony and Christopher). Really a powerful movie. But then again, what isn’t when it’s got Rampling?

By: red

red — Fri, 25 Jan 2008 02:06:15 +0000

Oh Stevie – you are in for such a treat. (If an absolute mind-fuck is a treat!!) It is RIVETING.

By: Stevie

Stevie — Fri, 25 Jan 2008 02:00:04 +0000

Swimming Pool freaked me out – she’s exceedingly mesmerizing. Thanks for pointing out so many great performances, Sheila! Hate to admit I’ve never seen The Night Porter. I’m running to Netflix right now!
xxx Stevie

By: Brendan

Brendan — Thu, 24 Jan 2008 22:57:39 +0000

Swimming Pool! Wow!