Trilogies exploring themes.

Eirebear

Over the last couple of weekends i have sat down to marathon viewings of the Vengeance Trilogy ( Sympathy for Mr Vengeance, Oldboy and Lady Vengeance), and also the Three Colours Trilogy (Blue, White and Red).

What other trilogies are out there that explore themes rather than simply being a continuation of a storyline? Any reccomendations?

MikeC101

Eirebear wrote: »

Over the last couple of weekends i have sat down to marathon viewings of the Vengeance Trilogy ( Sympathy for Mr Vengeance, Oldboy and Lady Vengeance), and also the Three Colours Trilogy (Blue, White and Red).

What other trilogies are out there that explore themes rather than simply being a continuation of a storyline? Any reccomendations?

Good topic! I'll be interested to see what recommendations come up...

I'll put forward:

Serio Leone's "Dollars" trilogy - though the Man with No Name is the protagonist of all of them (and it's sometimes debated as to whether he's definitely the same character), they don't continue a storyline.

If you like horror - John Carpenters The Thing, Prince of Darkness and In the Mouth of Madness make up his "Apocalypse Trilogy", but don't feature any of the same characters - the theme of, well apocalypse, runs through them all.

If you're willing to wait until 2010, the third film in the "Cornetto Trilogy" - Shaun of the Dead and Hot Fuzz so far, will be out

Kess73

It could be said that Romero's ...of the dead series falls under this banner. Although there are five of them now with a sixth being planned, but the original trilogy were perfect despite two of them dating poorly with time.



John Ford's cavalry trilogy would be another (Fort Apache, She Wore A Yellow Ribbon, and Rio Grande)

Eirebear

MikeC101 wrote: »

Good topic! I'll be interested to see what recommendations come up...

I'll put forward:

Serio Leone's "Dollars" trilogy - though the Man with No Name is the protagonist of all of them (and it's sometimes debated as to whether he's definitely the same character), they don't continue a storyline.

If you like horror - John Carpenters The Thing, Prince of Darkness and In the Mouth of Madness make up his "Apocalypse Trilogy", but don't feature any of the same characters - the theme of, well apocalypse, runs through them all.

If you're willing to wait until 2010, the third film in the "Cornetto Trilogy" - Shaun of the Dead and Hot Fuzz so far, will be out

I never thought of the Dollars films to be honest, good call.

Ive seen all three of the Carpenter films you mention too, but never actually related them to eachother...they'll be due a rewatch then!

I didnt know Pegg & Co. where working on a third film, to be honest i never took to Hot Fuzz too much so my excitement for that isnt as high as it could be.

Eirebear

Kess73 wrote: »

It could be said that Romero's ...of the dead series falls under this banner. Although there are five of them now with a sixth being planned, but the original trilogy were perfect despite two of them dating poorly with time.

Which ones do you think have dated poorly?

I watched them all fairly recently, and while of course the effects are beggining to look a wee bit shabby in places, Theyre still damn good films.

Kess73

Eirebear wrote: »

Which ones do you think have dated poorly?

I watched them all fairly recently, and while of course the effects are beggining to look a wee bit shabby in places, Theyre still damn good films.

Dawn and Day were the two that I was referring to. I should have been a bit more clear in what I meant by dating though. I meant visually and effectwise.

As films telling a story they stand up very well, and being a bit of a zombie fanatic I give them a lot of replays each year, especially Night.

Eirebear

Anyway, im not sure the "Of the Dead" films actually do fall under this banner.

You could argue that the zombies themselves are the pivotal character, and that their story and character is developed throughout.

Although, i suppose it could be argued that the zombies are merely a catalyst for the more human themes explored in the films...hmmmm

MikeC101

Kess73 wrote: »

John Ford's cavalry trilogy would be another (Fort Apache, She Wore A Yellow Ribbon, and Rio Grande)

Second that - some great movies.

Lars Von Trier seems to have a thing for trilogies - The Idiots, Dancer in the Dark, and Breaking the Waves makes up the "Golden Heart Trilogy" (possibly not in that order though); The Europa Trilogy - The Element of Crime, Epidemic, and Europa. Have only seen The Element of Crime, so not sure if the others are worth a watch.
And apparently there's a third film coming to make up a trilogy along with Dogville and Manderlay.

Kess73

Eirebear wrote: »

Anyway, im not sure the "Of the Dead" films actually do fall under this banner.

You could argue that the zombies themselves are the pivotal character, and that their story and character is developed throughout.

Although, i suppose it could be argued that the zombies are merely a catalyst for the more human themes explored in the films...hmmmm

For the sake of the thread theme I am going to say that the films are a study on human nature whilst under duress.

MikeC101

Eirebear wrote: »

Anyway, im not sure the "Of the Dead" films actually do fall under this banner.

You could argue that the zombies themselves are the pivotal character, and that their story and character is developed throughout.

Although, i suppose it could be argued that the zombies are merely a catalyst for the more human themes explored in the films...hmmmm

There's a good argument to be made I think.

Night is a critique of racism; Dawn of the Dead tackles consumerism; Day of the Dead...erm...the military maybe?; Land of the Dead is about American foreign policy...or so Wikipedia tells me, and capitalism of course. But it doesn't fit the definition of a trilogy really, what with the more than three films.

Edit: Also remembered - how about Rodriguez "Mexico Trilogy" - El Mariachi, Desparado, Once Upon a Time in Mexico. Same protagonist, and some elements continue throughout, admittedly.

Kess73

MikeC101 wrote: »

There's a good argument to be made I think.

Night is a critique of racism; Dawn of the Dead tackles consumerism; Day of the Dead...erm...the military maybe?; Land of the Dead is about American foreign policy...or so Wikipedia tells me, and capitalism of course. But it doesn't fit the definition of a trilogy really, what with the more than three films.

Day always struck me as a take on the Cold War and the raging paranoia it inspired.

Diary being the one that had a focus on the media and the whole concept of reality tv.


Then there are other days I just watch them to see zombies going num num num as they munch on people.:D

MikeC101

Kess73 wrote: »

Day always struck me as a take on the Cold War and the raging paranoia it inspired.

Diary being the one that had a focus on the media and the whole concept of reality tv.


Then there are other days I just watch them to see zombies going num num num as they munch on people.:D

Amen to that

Eirebear

Has anyone seen a French trilogy called One, Two & Three?

I remember seeing One in the cinema and then completely missing the other two, if i remember correctly they stories where to cross over into other characters that were maybe only small parts in the other films?

Sleazus

The Coen brothers have their Trilogy of Idiots - Oh Brother, Where Art Thou?, Intolerable Cruelty and Burn After Reading - though they all feature the same actor (Clooney), they aren't otherwise related (apart from themes).

Rumour has it they are re-teaming with Clooney on a movie called Hail Caesar and planning to drop Intolerable Cruelty to form a "better" trilogy - Wikipedia (I know) calls it "The Numskull Trilogy".

I've always seen No Country for Old Men and Burn After Reading as something of spiritual siblings (differing in tone, similar in theme), but I don't think they were intended as such (and there are only two of them).

Eirebear

Sleazus wrote: »

I've always seen No Country for Old Men and Burn After Reading as something of spiritual siblings (differing in tone, similar in theme), but I don't think they were intended as such (and there are only two of them).

Thats quite interesting, i found Fargo and Burn After Reading to be very similar in terms of theme.
(Life, death, money etc)
Although they were obviously different in tone

Red Sleeping Beauty

Baz Luhrmann's red curtain trilogy - Strictly Ballroom,William Shakespeare's Romeo + Juliet and Moulin Rouge.

johnny_ultimate

Bergman's the Silence of God trilogy (Through a Glass Darkly, Winter Light and the Silence) is a wonderful thematic trio. Also shows the development of the director and his confused spiritual state of mind over the period the films were made. Difficult films on occasion (in particular the grimness and ambiguity of the Silence) but three separate films that come together beautifully.

Joycey

johnny_ultimate wrote: »

Bergman's the Silence of God trilogy (Through a Glass Darkly, Winter Light and the Silence) is a wonderful thematic trio. Also shows the development of the director and his confused spiritual state of mind over the period the films were made. Difficult films on occasion (in particular the grimness and ambiguity of the Silence) but three separate films that come together beautifully.

Brilliant, was looking for some ideas of bergmans to watch. These look like the place to start, havent seen any of them.

I remember someone telling me a while ago that there was a trilogy or maybe 4 films by Bergman, one of which was the Shame, that had something to do with islands or something along those lines... Maybe the Shame goes with the three youve mentioned?

johnny_ultimate

Joycey wrote: »

Brilliant, was looking for some ideas of bergmans to watch. These look like the place to start, havent seen any of them.

I remember someone telling me a while ago that there was a trilogy or maybe 4 films by Bergman, one of which was the Shame, that had something to do with islands or something along those lines... Maybe the Shame goes with the three youve mentioned?

Shame doesn't really fit with the three mentioned above (although you could probably stretch it from a trio and slot Persona in, as that film feels like a stylistic and thematic 'sequel' or advancement from its three predecessors). Shame possibly would fit into a trilogy filmed on the Faro islands? I'm not sure which three they'd be, but there are a couple of films around the Shame era - such as the Passion of Anna and (slightly less so) Hour of the Wolf - which are quite similar thematically, and all take place in rural, confined locations. Actually Passion of Anna and Shame are very closely linked - the former has a dream sequence which echoes the conclusion of the latter (or the other way around - been a while since I watched them!).

If you're interested, Winter Light (part of the trilogy) is on Film 4 late tomorrow night (and the excellent Wild Strawberries tonight) - good place to start!