#9
Post
by therewillbeblus » Thu Jun 25, 2020 11:22 pm
It's interesting that Nabob mentions Carax- I definitely see the similarities in blending fantasy with reality, though this film found a more sustained magical space of unreliable narration that felt novelistic in its expressionism. Resentment, and the most unhealthy psychological ego-defense mechanisms to alleviate such an already-dangerous perspective, are the primary driving forces of this skewed narrative. Tonal shifts are born in the psyche producing these scattered memories, and while nothing can be taken as fact (a baby remembering being in the crib!) the experience and feelings associated could not be more real. This is one of the more striking depictions of how resentment spoils us like a disease, ruining our life and the lives of those around us, sourced in an inability to accept the cards we were dealt. It's also a showcase for the power of escapism through fantasy- from trauma, external forces, or most often, the self.
I thought this was just a wonderful piece of art that colors dynamics and characters the way we see them subjectively. No other style could be as authentic for emulating a memory through cinema. There is so much anger and confusion about the enigmatic bruises from life sewn into the fabric of even joyous recollections. This is definitely one to see today in the age of the knee-jerk "Me" generation of self-pity, though it finds room for some bittersweet moments of brief contentment in the cracks! I've always been fascinated by the way intense emotion contradicts nihilism, even when it's negative- and the imaginative exploration we engage in, just as the film does, is evidence of resilience toward locating meaning- which is often not in the wheelhouse of our expectations. That's almost always more meaningful.
The introduction of a new perspective in the last act is the most beautiful reminder of our limitations, and the need to diffuse resentment to practice acceptance, to ultimately find gratitude. The opportunities that one can see when they actually look beyond their rigid self-delusions are everywhere- as indicated by the kickoff from this encounter that serves as a unique catharsis completely opposite to what Thomas anticipated. The catharsis we get is so much better, the kind of liberation that is accepted on the spot despite the many chances to dwell on it coming too late. It's just beautiful it came at all.