"History of Violence" -- anyone else on the fence?- Page 2

[SueleenGay]

Posted: 1/14/06 at 11:31am

I don't mean to belittle the artform of Graphic Novels. They are unto themselves. The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay is not, however, a graphic novel.

[SueleenGay]

Posted: 1/14/06 at 11:35am

And I might add that The Road To Perdition suffers the same pitfalls as "Violence." But was not able to overcome them as successfully as Cronnenberg.

[Auggie27]

Posted: 1/14/06 at 11:52am

Sueleen's point is dead on. The material's source is stark black and white, and attempts to add nuance-rich "grays" pull the film in ways it doesn't always comfortable stretch. Interestingly, in Sunday's Times, delivered today, Dargis writes an elaborate deconstruction of the now infamous stairwell sex scene between Edie and "Joey" that is perceptive about the Jekyll/Hyde dynaimc and yet, to my thinking,almost too full of analysis. The back/forth between Joey and his self-created alter ego seems too schematic by half. If he's really two people, how did he keep the "Joey" self internalized for so long? She seems things there I think are part of her own fantasies. Perhaps that's true of many or most films: the eye of the beholder supplies some of the drama.

[FindingNamo]

Posted: 1/14/06 at 11:56am

I'll say this, the movie certainly gives us a lot of stuff to chew on.

[Jane2]

Posted: 2/14/06 at 2:10am

bump
I'm going to read the whole thread before posting but all I can say right now is WOW.

Updated On: 2/14/06 at 02:10 AM

[Plum]

Posted: 2/14/06 at 2:12am

Ack, Sueleen, I can't believe I said that. I have no idea what was going through my head, except maybe my reading list for next semester.

[Jane2]

Posted: 2/14/06 at 2:37am

I'm still reeling from the film but I'll try to make a few points. First-I have to agree with some here that Wm Hurt's tour de force will stay with me as one of the most remarkable character performances I've ever seen. (my favorite-F. Murray as Salieri in Amadeus). In my opinion, Hurt has always been kind of bland. Good for him and good for the casting director of the film to be able to see that in him. Hell, he was completely transformed-I didn't recognize him and didn't know he was in the film until the credits rolled.

Viggo and Maria were superb. I'm surprised they're not up for awards. Really.

Now that I read Sueleen's review, I'm thinking that yes, perhaps Hurt and Harris' characters were over the top in comparison with the relatively realistic others in the film. But it didn't bother me while watching-only now thinking back. I was totally transfixed watching this-it was so many things all at once-I can only think of my description of Eraserhead-while watching it you're saying eeeewwww, this is so horrible, and fabulous!

I thought this was one of Cronenberg's best. Why? while I enjoyed many of his others, this one had me sitting here alone with my mouth open. This movie was effective for me in its rampant gun violence which I believed (maybe naively) really goes on at this level. It also made the obvious point of how contagious violence is in families, as with the son-who knows what he'll grow up to be?

A comic book reference to me was how adept Joey was at knocking everyone out and killing whole groups of men singlehanded. He was more like a superhero than a man, I thought.

I excuse films for having a few flaws. Except on those I don't like-then I'm picky picky picky!

[Auggie27]

Posted: 2/14/06 at 11:00am

I agree about the superhero behavior and indestructability/autonnomy hurting the film's overall impact. Once Viggo returns to "form," he's J. C. Van Damme, or somebody like him, and the movie leaps into cartoon-ville.

I still say, Bello in particular was robbed at the Oscars. I'll take her work over Keaner's in CAPOTE any day (and I like Keaner).