"13 Tzameti " is a phenomenon ;it came as a shock in the French cinema,like an UFO;I search and I search my memory but I cannot find a single movie which looks like it in the French history of cinema(maybe Alain Jessua's "Traitement De Choc"(1972) but its form was more conventional) ;it is some kind of "they shoot horses ,don't they?" in the harsh realities of the naughties ;I would not even mention "French naughties" for the movie seems to come from nowhere and all the actors are unknown even over there and it is filmed in stark bleak black and white .
The scene takes a little time to take off ,but when it hits its stride,it relegates Tarentino and other "intellectual" directors to kindergarten.Even scenes which seem irrelevant make sense :"you're 22,13's told,it's so good to be 22";even when you are a humble roofer who can't even get paid .The first scenes depict humble life ,verging on poverty and it is in direct contrast with the hateful punters which place their bets not on men but on numbers (like in Horace McCoy's novel "horses" filmed by Pollack).They call their "cattle" players and the "games" scenes are unbearably intense;before they shoot,you can hear the men breathe ,you can feel them sweat and you can almost hear the beating of their heart.Their eyes are fixed upon this bulb (in black and white the effect is increased tenfold)which means life or death.
This is a modern fable:the mighty,the wealthy gets his pleasure from his fellow man's pain.Even if they do not make money ,what a thrill to see them suffer ,tremble and die !"13" has a boyish innocent face,lost in a wolves ' world he entered by mistake (but isn't it the same for the other players?) "13 Tzameti" is THE European film noir of the naughties ;it is essential viewing for French cinema students with strong hearts.
The scene takes a little time to take off ,but when it hits its stride,it relegates Tarentino and other "intellectual" directors to kindergarten.Even scenes which seem irrelevant make sense :"you're 22,13's told,it's so good to be 22";even when you are a humble roofer who can't even get paid .The first scenes depict humble life ,verging on poverty and it is in direct contrast with the hateful punters which place their bets not on men but on numbers (like in Horace McCoy's novel "horses" filmed by Pollack).They call their "cattle" players and the "games" scenes are unbearably intense;before they shoot,you can hear the men breathe ,you can feel them sweat and you can almost hear the beating of their heart.Their eyes are fixed upon this bulb (in black and white the effect is increased tenfold)which means life or death.
This is a modern fable:the mighty,the wealthy gets his pleasure from his fellow man's pain.Even if they do not make money ,what a thrill to see them suffer ,tremble and die !"13" has a boyish innocent face,lost in a wolves ' world he entered by mistake (but isn't it the same for the other players?) "13 Tzameti" is THE European film noir of the naughties ;it is essential viewing for French cinema students with strong hearts.