Manifesto [Blu-ray]

Art is beauty and beauty is in the eye of the beholder; but what does the voyeur behold? What does she hope to see? One of the mantras of art is that we live for the present. Yet nothing can be more deceptive than that. When we live in and for the present we do not see the deception practised on us. It is living through the lens of the past that we understand, and with that understanding, look to the future with purpose. Past, present, future, they are shaded in a Venn diagram; no escaping each other. That is art.I give this film a 5-star rating with the caution that some may give it one. The 13 manifestos that are shown in the film reflect the fact that there is no one single manifesto for art, no one single way of viewing and appreciating art. Cate Blanchett's performance in this film is impeccable (except for the part as a news anchor woman - something seems lacking - but perhaps that is what we should think about: the emptiness of news reading).

I think I'm more knowledgeable about modern art than the average moviegoer, but I can't see how this screenplay would have any interest to someone who isn't something of an expert on the subject or is willing to study it in considerable depth. Once the movie got past a few paragraphs by Marx and Engels, I couldn't get involved with the words or grasp the ideas.Many reviewers gush about Cate Blanchett's amazing acting versatility. Surely she is a master of the acting craft, but thousands of trained actors can pull off this sort of thing, playing one dimension of several characters convincingly. Playing a character for eight minutes isn't hard for a professional. The major challenge of great acting is showing several sides of a character, showing how the character reacts to different situations in the story and how well the actor engages the audience over more than five minutes. The amazing tour de force in this movie is pulled off by the makeup and hair people who made Blanchett's appearance vary so much and so convincingly.There are two reasons I give two stars instead of one. First, the scriptwriter(s) has some clever and humorous ideas, such as delivering one diatribe to a class of children who are drawing and working some statements in as the teacher's instructions to the kids. Also, many of the locations are fascinating visually (not the classroom) and some of the camera work is brilliant. But it's not enough to hold my interest for an hour and a half, and barely enough to raise my rating from one star to two.

I had feared that Manifesto would never be available in DVD/Blu-Ray form. Thank you, Amazon. I must agree that this film will not appeal to a large audience; nevertheless, I added it with satisfaction to my Cate Blanchett collection. Being among the "bourgeois", I found the recitation of these self-absorbed manifestos, however historic or significant, to be a drudge. Nevertheless, it was deliciously delivered. The settings were fascinating and the design concepts first rate. Cate Blanchett's acting is brilliant and makes the film, particularly if one was looking for any delights. I doubt that any other actor could have carried off these divergent characters with such power and finesse. She deserves multiple accolades for her incredible skill manifested in Manifesto, not to mention that she gave life to these thirteen individuals in a filming period of only about two weeks. As an art installation, Manifesto should be judged on that level, if you will. When it was modified for commercial film, judgment must adjust accordingly. Keep your eyes on Ms. Blanchett, and, although, you won't come away with a head full of emotion, you will or should know that you have seen something impressive indeed.

If you want entertainment, pure distraction entertainment maybe don't watch it, however, the visuals of this great film are stupendous, the Voice over ( manifiestos ) and monologues are exquisite but might be boring to those who do not get what art per se is or can be....haaaaa! it plays around with the mind of viewer and listener , so well written, so well composed, so clearly surreal and yet clearly real.....or not? Dreamie! DREAMIE ......DREAMIE just like my walking dreams....so much concrete and so much geometry!!!! it's KRAZY Great~

what a great random film to stumble upon searching through instant video! this would make excellent viewing and discussion in an art history class. if that does not at all sound appealing to you, you might want to skip this one. like other reviewers have noted, this is edited together from the individual films showing all together in it's original presentation. knowing that makes the editing of the film even more appreciated--very well done. i was especially delighted to get a taste of the chorus one might have experienced IRL in the great closing scene. anyhow, cate blanchett is amazing and each of these vignettes in so many ways characterizes the spirit of the art movements/manifestos as well as the artist's (rosefeldt) own critical eye of each. the production is wonderful--beautiful visuals, droning industrial score. the dada scene had me laughing out loud. smoke a bowl and watch this one!

An video art installation transformed into a movie. This is not a narrative feature and not for everyone. It is outstanding film and acting work.Julian Rosefeldt selected 20th century art manifestos that are recited/enacted by Cate Blanchett, who is exceptional and gives a master actor workshop though 13 separate performances in 12 vignettes. The vignettes do not necessarily represent the content and meaning of each manifesto and can be somewhat tongue-in-cheek.The manifestos are available on Rosefeldt's website for those that would like to learn more. While some are more than 100 years old, the passion and idealism of the artists, most in early career, resonate with Western culture today.If you are a fan of 20th century art, ideas, good filmmaking, or superb acting, you will likely enjoy the film. If you need a linear narrative with well defined plot, you may want to skip.

Cate Blanchett is a very fine actress and she has astonishing versatility. However despite this, Manifesto turned out to be an extremely tedious watch. Yes, the performance of Blanchett is impressive. Yes, there are countless strong and striking visual elements. And yes, there are moments of cinematic brilliance. Nevertheless, the film segments that make up Manifesto were never originally conceived as a cinema experience. It's made up of Video Art installation segments which I'm sure hold up well in their intended venues - art galleries/museums. The wordy manifestos in question may have significant relevance as part of our cultural and artistic development, however by interpreting them visually in "everyday scenarios" doesn't actually make them more arresting or indeed interesting. The constituents and conventions that make a film stimulating and watchable are very well known, but sadly many of them weren't evident in Manifesto. I watched Manifesto in a cinema that shows a considerable number of arthouse movies - by three quarters way through much of the audience had left and I personally was very grateful when it was over.

... including reviewing this crappy non-film. My piece of friendly advice: save time and money: watch something else instead. No: watch anything else. Amazon insisted I had to select a star rating whereas I wanted to select none so now you know.

Great product and efficiently delivered.

Good

... und faszinierend in jeder Hinsicht. Cate Blanchett ist eine Offenbahrung in jeder der 13 Rollen die sie spielt. Unbedingt anschauen, der Film ist ein Ereignis, das man nie mehr vergessen wird.