International Cinema Thursday: Mountain Patrol and How I Spent the End of the World

Two films you need to see this week are Cum mi-am petrecut sfârşitul lumii (How I Spent the End of the World) and 可可西里 (Mountain Patrol). Seriously.

Mountain Patrol is about Tibetan rangers patrolling mountain passes, attempting to protect the endangered Tibetan antelopes from fearless and ruthless poachers. The film is often commented upon for its cowboy Western feel. The atmosphere is rugged, authentic, and beautifully filmed. If anyone saw Himalaya and fell in love with the austere beauty of the Himalayan mountains, they will certainly enjoy the Romanticism of the Chinese outlaw in the hinterlands of Mountain Patrol.

How I Spent the End of the World is different beast. However, the ideas of mankind at its edge and the brutality of humanity are ever present in both works. The lines between good and evil are not as well defined in How I Spent the End of the World as they are in Mountain Patrol. However, one can easily find trace elements of national identity, the struggle for independence and security, and individuals riding the line to the edge of existence between the two.

Go. See these movies. Don't be rubes anymore.