Jay Rosenblatt
Jay Rosenblatt is an internationally known experimental/documentary filmmaker.. Eight of his films have been at the Sundance Film Festival and several of his films have shown on HBO/Cinemax, the Independent Film Channel and the Sundance Channel. Jay is a recipient of a Guggenheim and a Rockefeller Fellowship. Originally from New York, Jay has lived in San Francisco for many years and has taught at such schools as Stanford University, S.F. State University, and the San Francisco Art Institute. He has a Master's Degree in Counseling Psychology and, in a former life, worked as a therapist.
As a filmmaker, Jay has truly unique perspective, so we wanted to know what films represented San Francisco to him.
JAY ROSENBLATT'S TOP FIVE SAN FRANCISCO FILMS
1. |
Vertigo
Alfred Hitchcock’s Vertigo is not just one of my favorite SF films but it is one of my all time favorites. SF is a real character in the film. Every time I pass certain parts of the city the film is evoked. Vertigo is a deep and dark film that deals with obsession in a very provocative and seductive way. It shows great insight into the projections involved in romantic relationships. It also has one of the most disturbing and painful endings ever in a Hollywood film. This lack of closure keeps the film going beyond the last frame.
2. |
Petulia
Richard Lester’s film is a quintessential 60’s film with its fractured editing set against the summer of love. It even has Janis Joplin and The Grateful Dead in it. Nic Roeg's visuals are incredible as is Julie Christie. I can’t help but think of this film every time I pass that late 50’s deco Cala supermarket at Hyde Street and California Street.
3. |
Tongues Untied
Marlon Riggs’ video is a seminal film that gives voice to a sub-culture (black gay men) that had none. It does so in a forceful, unflinching and uncompromising way. The film defies categorization. It expands documentary boundaries. I admire its courage, intensity and rhythm. Parts of it were filmed a few blocks from me.
4. |
Harold and Maude
Hal Ashby’s comedy is both funny and poignant. Ruth Gordon is incredible and her character speaks some deep truths. Cat Stevens music complements the story and elevates the film to a cult classic. Although filmed in the Bay Area, it is the themes that really speak to the history and consciousness of this part of the country.
5. |
The Conversation
Francis Ford Coppola’s thriller is one of the director’s best films. The surveillance scene in Union Square is masterful. The film has a remarkable sound design. Gene Hackman is perfect in the main role. He is both frightening and pathetic. It is a great character study. The paranoia of the film speaks to the times, then and now.
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