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The Last Command Panel at Ebertfest

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It’s a beautiful spring day. Tons of people have come from all over to take part in Ebertfest, even if it means standing in a ridiculously long line. Thanks to my handy press pass, I’m instantly ushered into the packed Virginia Theatre. It sounds hokey, but the magic is seriously in the air. Everybody here loves movies, and that energy is infectious enough to make me giddy for the rest of the day. Or, to sum it up with one of buzz Movie Editor Keith Hollenkamp’s most repeated quotes of the evening, “Ebertfest is awesome.” Truer words were never spoken.

I started my day at the crack of 9 o’clock to check out the “Movies & Everyday Life” panel. This second Ebertfest panel discussed the struggle to make and find an audience for realistic films. All of the people at the panel, critics and filmmakers alike, agreed that it is important to make films with characters who are ordinary people. Chop Shop director Ramin Bahrani added that it’s important not to romanticize characters even though it can be difficult to find people who are willing to see a more realistic film.

After the panel, I ran down to IUB for Roger Ebert’s book signing and met the man himself. For a nerdy kid who was watching movies in the cradle, this was a dream come true. He is a gracious man and a legend. His wife, Chaz, is by his side every step of the way. She comes out and introduces every movie, she interacts with fans, and she stays upbeat the entire time. What a class act.

Chaz’s classiness was evident as she introduced The Last Command, this year’s silent film. She showed genuine concern and disappointment that the man who plays the piano every year couldn’t be there because of health problems. After that, she turned the floor over to Kristin Thompson who introduced the film. Apparently Emil Jannings, the star, and Josef von Sternberg, the director, didn’t get along. They must’ve done something right, though, because Jannings won the first Best Actor Oscar for this film.

Watching the movie was quite an experience. The Alloy Orchestra used their unusual collection of instruments, from wind chimes to bedpans to gongs, to score the otherwise silent film. All of the frenzy, melodrama and sadness onscreen were perfectly matched by their music. Even scenes on a train had their own distinctive sound like a train chugging along. The movie itself features all of the melodrama one would expect from a silent film. The greatest moment is when Jannings’ character tells the woman he’s pursuing, “Now you are my prisoner of war. And my prisoner of love.” Classic.

After the movie, the Alloy Orchestra, Kristin Thompson, My Winnipeg director Guy Madden and film critic Michael Phillips came out for a discussion of old movies and what makes this one so special. Phillips noted Jannings’ “meaty acting,” which he said was perfect for the Oscars. Madden also appreciated the acting, saying that people “shouldn’t dismiss the melodramatic moves as ridiculous.”

The Alloy Orchestra discussed their process, emphasizing how important it is to “find the pulse, emotion, feel of the film,” as Terry Donahue put it. They pulled back on percussion to avoid overplaying the drama onscreen. Their goal was to compliment the film’s intensity without competing with it, something which they certainly accomplished.

Frozen River followed The Last Command, and I got to stick around to watch it. It’s not my job to cover the movie, so all I have to say is this: see it.

An after party capped off the night, complete with free booze, free food and artsy people mingling. I felt pretty dazed as I realized that I met Roger Ebert, Michael Phillips, Courtney Hunt, Misty Upham and the guys behind Let the Right One In all in one day. Yeah, Ebertfest is awesome.