INDEX
Exemplary Masterpiece in Sound Cinema
As the scene changes, amidst the audience, who sway their heads from side to side, watching the rally unfold as the match begins, Tashi stands alone, facing the camera head-on. Reminiscent of a scene from Hitchcock’s masterpiece “Strangers on a Train,” where the culprit Bruno overlooks the tennis match, paying no attention to the game and instead gazes in this direction, this scene comes to an end. The camera then accelerates its movement once again. The film suddenly transitions into a magnificent spectacle of cutbacks and montages (observe the peculiar gimmickry, utilizing split screens, capturing the gladiator-like figures of Art and Patrick beyond Tashi’s gaze!), as the electronic beat rises once more, engaging in a dynamic interplay with the sharp sounds of the ball hitting the racket…
The musical / cinematic dynamism and catharsis of this film is clearly exceptional among recent works. ‘Challengers’ is an overwhelmingly “rhythmic film” that would win the top prize in a tournament of sound film masterpieces.
Challengers
Roadshow in Japan from June 7, 2024 (Friday)
Director: Luca Guadagnino
Cast: Zendaya, Josh O’Connor, Mike Feist
Distributor: Warner Bros. Pictures
© 2024 Warner Bros. Ent. All Rights Reserved.
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https://wwws.warnerbros.co.jp/challengers/
