The Line, the Cross & the Curve (1993)

Powerful

Memorable, crazy movie

In truth, there is barely enough story here to make a film.

There are moments in this movie where the great movie it could've been peek out... They're fleeting, here, but they're worth savoring, and they happen often enough to make it worth your while.

I'm just bouncing all my old VHSs to DVD to save space and was watching this during the process and began to remember how uncomfortable I felt each time I watched it. Yes it has some excellent music, though most Kate fans will concur that it it's not her best material by far, but her acting is so cringe-worthy it makes Bowie look good. I don't want to put too much of a downer on it, as any self-respecting KB fan should watch it, but it's not just Kate's acting that's a bit iffy as many of the supporting roles and the screenplay are unexciting at best. As a device to link together some reasonably good videos it just about works but I think I may do a version that skips out the storyline entirely.FYI her best performance was in the Comic Strip episode 'Les Dogs' though I can't recall if she says that much. She's still gorgeous and is almost without doubt the most significant female singer-songwriter in the history of modern music.

Saw this movie at the NuArt (West L.A.) theater in California some time ago.Just want to add how much I myself enjoyed the work of this artist.Though KATE BUSH supposedly downplays her own creation as "not her best work" this film,nonetheless,DOES have substantial merit."The Line,The Cross,and the Curve" delves into the archetypical and down into the roots of human life itself.Something like an ordinary Everyman (or,in this case,an Everywoman) drawn into extraordinary situations. That's the kind of storytelling genius that the late Alfred Hitchcock used to use.From being plucked from her musician life into a nightmarish purgatory and then being rescued by the forces of nature and good.....this is part of the adventure. My favorite part of the film is when Kate's character is chasing the evil witch-character....a chase through all Eternity but Good triumphs over Evil. And Evil is put back in its place where it belongs.Really a shame,that this film was not released theatrically in more places. Because, it needs to be seen on the big screen for full effect.

Kate Bush's longtime fans know that it's a mistake to expect conventional music from her (as everyone will be able to verify in the fall of 2005, when her first album in more than 12 years is scheduled to be released at last). It would be just as much a mistake to expect conventional film-making from her. Bush's music is often accessible, but don't look for linear narrative, expository dialog, establishing shots or even consistent angle of view. Kate Bush tells stories not directly, not rationally -- in other words, not from a distance. Rather, she lets her viewers experience her characters' situations from within the vertigo they themselves are experiencing. For example, during the section featuring the song "Moments of Pleasure," there are extended twirling shots done not for want of imagination (Kate Bush lacking imagination?!) but to reach intended expressive and dramatic ends while simultaneously paying tribute to past cinematic models (the most direct references are to the 1948 classic 'The Red Shoes,' by Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger, the former of whom Bush befriended shortly before his death in 1990 and in honor of whom her attendant album of 1993 was named). When the camera twirls again at several other key points in the film, it becomes clear that camera movement has emerged as a new tool in Kate's rich, thematic symbol-language (the title refers to three slips of paper, each featuring a visual symbol, all fluttering in constant motion throughout the film). Likewise the lighting, costumes, sets, choreography, and dialog insinuate themselves impressionistically, subtly, allusively -- pointing the viewer gently toward unanswered questions, hiding within the glorious folds of Bush's musical cloak-of-many-colors. There is profound organized thinking in every frame of The Line, the Cross and the Curve, but it doesn't appear at first viewing. Fortunately, you don't need to look for clarity to appreciate Kate Bush's art: there's plenty of sheer entertainment value to be had found in the sublime riot of raw genius.

Lovely to see this film during its short cinematic release in Poole Dorset. We had the pleasure of also seeing Kate's short filmlet Cloudbusting with this. Miranda Richardson is the only shining light, acting wise, although the music is glorious. Eat the music is my highlight, with Kate running through squishy fruit, and gradually getting whipped up into a frenzy, and eventually managing to reclaim the line, cross and curve (path heart and smile) needed to escape the trap that Miranda set for her. The tunnel sequence I believe, was shot in a disused section of the London Underground. Come back to us soon Kate, but PLEASE get some acting practice in first ;)