944 Tango in the movies
Date: Mon, 13 Jan 2003 11:05:03 -0800
From: luda_r1 <luda_r1@YAHOO.COM>
Subject: Tango in the movies
Hello List,
Thank you, one and all, for the replies I received on
this topic. Boy, is the Tango-L educational, or what?
I learned so much. And here I thought nobody gave a
flying kite about this topic. I will be
sending messages to each and every one of you
privately.
Luda
Date: Mon, 13 Jan 2003 23:43:18 -0800
From: luda_r1 <luda_r1@YAHOO.COM>
Subject: Tango in the movies
Hi everybody,
I received a couple of requests to compile a list of
the tango movies sent to me and publish it on the
List. I will make it as brief as possible (being one
who complains about this the most), gathering from the
info I received. And perhaps adding a few comments of
my own. ;-) If anyone objects vehemently, please let
me know.
But it may take a while. I have to work for a living,
darn it! I can compile a quick and dirty version,
titles only, basically, or have editorial comments
available, as I receive them. :) You can write me
privately about that.
Luda
Date: Tue, 23 Mar 2004 18:25:21 -0000
From: John Ward <johnofbristol@TISCALI.CO.UK>
Subject: Tango in the movies
Some time ago, someone was asking about tango-related movies. Here are two more Finnish ones, both directed by Aki Kaurismäki:
Tulitikkutehtaan tyttö (Match Factory Girl), 1990, stars Kati Outinen as a young girl who has a rotten job in a match factory, supporting her =
useless parents. She goes to a dance where Reijo Taipale sings the classic Finnish tango Satumaa. The words are on the lines of "there's a =
beautiful fantasy land far away, and I can't get to it." Nobody asks her to dance. Later she meets a chap, who gets her pregnant, then =
doesn't want to know. Everything goes downhill from there. At the end, when her world, such as it is, is completely destroyed, Olavi Virta, =
generally regarded as Finland's Carlos Gardel, sings Kuinka saatoitkaan? (How could you?). "You've destoyed the flower of love with your hard =
eyes and chilly smile." A depressing film. Industrial archaeology buffs will enjoy the shots of old matchmaking machinery. You can see I'm =
struggling to be positive here.
Mies vailla menneisyyttä (Man without a Past), 2002, is much more uplifting. Markku Peltola stars as a man who loses his memory after a =
vicious mugging. He is befriended by a poor family who live in what appears to be an abandoned container. But with no name, and worse still =
no social security number, he cannot find a job. Fortunately the Salvation Army helps him, and he even finds love, with Kati Outinen. =
Their awkward, almost silent courtship (they are Finns after all) is a delight. The tango comes in when he decides the Salvation Army band =
needs to update its repertoire with something more modern - such as tango. They play Pieni sydän (Little Heart). Veteran tango star =
Annikki Tähti sings that the human heart is a small object, but it can hold huge quantities of love, passion, etc.
Tangos appear as background music in some of Kaurismäki's other films, such as Varjoja paratiisissa (Colours of Paradise), a romance between a =
dustman and a checkout girl (Matti Pellonpää and Kati Outinen).
John Ward
Bristol, UK
Date: Thu, 13 May 2004 13:06:55 +0100
From: John Ward <johnofbristol@TISCALI.CO.UK>
Subject: Tango in the movies
When this thread was in full flow some time ago, I said that I had seen a non-subtitled version of "Tango Kabaree" and that I found it utterly =
incomprehensible. It is now available on DVD with English subtitles.
Directed by Pekka Lehto in 2001, the film tells of an impresario, played by Martti Suosalo, who wishes to produce a show "Tango Kabaree" on the =
life of dancer and model Aira Samulin, still at the top at the age of 73. Aira is successful and well-loved. but there have been much sadness =
in her life as well. Her father was killed during the war, her little sister died in infancy, the family home was overrun by Russians, her =
daughter (played by the real-life Pirjo Samulin) has a mental illness - but the impresario wants to cut all this out and concentrate on the =
happy stuff. Naturally Aira is not pleased at the sanitisation of her life.
There is plenty I don't understand. Why is there an antique steam train in modern Helsinki? Who's the scruffy guy in the stovepipe hat? What's =
the significance of the giant fibreglass seahorses? Not an awful lot of tango music - there is probably just as much 1970's disco. Recommended =
for those who like things a bit weird.
John Ward
Bristol, UK
Date: Fri, 14 May 2004 13:02:07 +0000
From: Rick Jones <rwjones2001@HOTMAIL.COM>
Subject: Re: Tango in the movies
I guess I was not part of this ListServ when the original thread about tango
in the movies was in full flow. But I'd like to add now that one of the
things that induced me to get into tango was a movie I saw years and years
ago in the mid-80s called "Tangos, The Exile of Gardel." (
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0090125/ )
This movie is simply one of the most beautiful, poignant, joyous films ever
made. Not a whole lot of actual tango dancing per se, but wonderful tango
music and great tango sensibilities.
It played a few times, then disappeared, after which I was never able to
find it in the movie/video books. After hearing me describe it for years,
my wife finally tracked down the one and only film distributor that has a
copy in the United States, and had a one-of-a-kind video made for me for my
birthday a few years ago. It's a real source of joy whenever I pull it out
and watch it.
I don't recommend that everyone go out and have a video made, but I would
recommend that you put the title in the back of your mind, and if you ever
get the opportunity to see it, jump on it.
Truly an amazing movie.
Best wishes,
Rick Jones
Washington DC
When this thread was in full flow some time ago, I said that I had seen a
non-subtitled version of "Tango Kabaree" and that I found it utterly
incomprehensible. It is now available on DVD with English subtitles.
Directed by Pekka Lehto in 2001, the film tells of an impresario, played by
Martti Suosalo, who wishes to produce a show "Tango Kabaree" on the life of
dancer and model Aira Samulin, still at the top at the age of 73. Aira is
successful and well-loved. but there have been much sadness in her life as
well. Her father was killed during the war, her little sister died in
infancy, the family home was overrun by Russians, her daughter (played by
the real-life Pirjo Samulin) has a mental illness - but the impresario wants
to cut all this out and concentrate on the happy stuff. Naturally Aira is
not pleased at the sanitisation of her life.
There is plenty I don't understand. Why is there an antique steam train in
modern Helsinki? Who's the scruffy guy in the stovepipe hat? What's the
significance of the giant fibreglass seahorses? Not an awful lot of tango
music - there is probably just as much 1970's disco. Recommended for those
who like things a bit weird.
John Ward
Bristol, UK
Date: Tue, 25 May 2004 18:12:46 -0700
From: luda_r1 <luda_r1@YAHOO.COM>
Subject: Tango in the movies
I recently saw the 1996 film "Mrs. Winterbourne" with
Shirley MacLaine, and others whose names escape me, in
which there's a really charming tango scene. Something
along the lines of the tango scene in "Scent of a
Woman", in which an experienced tanguero dances with a
woman for whom it is the first time. No, it isn't
Shirley dancing, although I'm sure she could have
brought a delicious campiness to such a scene. This
scene was straight. :)
Luda
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Date: Tue, 16 Nov 2004 01:59:47 +0200
From: John Kafritsas <jkafri@MAIL.ARIADNE-T.GR>
Subject: TANGO IN THE MOVIES
Seeing the movie "Raising Helen", starring Kate Hudson, Helen Mirren and
others, a couple of days ago, a movie of no tango interest, I was
pleasantly surprised by the Disney short that is distributed with it, an
excellent cartoon reminiscent of Fantasia (as in Disney, not as in
tango), featuring a cat struggling with its tail which has been animated
by a spell, the two of them dancing the tango in the process, with the
tail leading and the cat suffering, to the tune of "Bordoneo y 900" by
Osvaldo Ruggiero. There are several sites mentioning "Lorenzo," for
example https://mag.awn.com/index.php?ltype=pageone&article_no 42 and
https://www.animationartconservation.com/lorenzo.html.
