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The Seventh Continent (1989)

posted 13 years ago by rettercritical
3 replies | jump to latest

I was recently watching the debut feature by Austrian filmmaker Michael Haneke called The Seventh Continent (1989). In it are two strikingly similar scenes to Crash. The first is the opening shot of the film, a lengthy POV shot from the back seat of a vehicle slowly going through a car-wash. The second is the observance of a police-cordoned-off car accident scene that the characters in the film drive past slowly. It has a similar feeling to a scene in Crash.

I don’t know if this is coincidence of if Cronenberg saw the film and was influenced by it it.

The Seventh Continent (1989)is an excellent film. An uncompromising vision and expose of middleclass Austrian society. It left me thinking about the film for days. It is available and worth searching for on DVD.

[–] PoppyTransfusion 12 years ago

Just watched The Seventh Continent. Those scenes are different in feeling in each film. In Haneke's film the routine is depressing and nihilistic. In Cronenberg's there is a mix of desire and nihilism.

Anyway interesting comparison to draw.

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[–] rettercritical 12 years ago

Sure, I never said they were the same. The context is different but visually, they have striking simularity. Both seam to comment on the mechanised suroundings.

Greatest thing you can learn is that you are wrong, you can then begin to learn the truth

[–] fejsbukmejl1 9 years ago

both are one of my favorite movies, i can't recall similarities cause i haven't watched those movies for a long time, now i surely will again :) tnx