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"The mistake lies in seeing debate and discussion as secondary to the recovery of meaning. Rather, we should see them as primary: art and literature do not exist to be understood or appreciated, but to be discussed and argued over, to function as a focus for social dialogue. The discourse of literary or art criticism is not to recover meaning, but to create and contest it. Our primal scene should not be the solitary figure in the dark of the cinema but the group of friends arguing afterwards in the pub."
-Don Fowler (1996) "Even Better Than The Real Thing"

Thursday, April 5, 2012

Melancholia - A Tweeted Chronicling

@LarsVonT Dude, you're stuff is a bit intense for me but good friends have said I need to tough this one out. Still reeling from Dancer and the one with Defoe. #Scandinaviandirectors

@RedBox Picked up Melancholia at Thorton's new box down in Wilder by the river, appreciated the shade screen. Wonder why Cold Spring Kroger box was out of Melancholia #ColdSpringDeeperThanYouThink

@Melancholia (:03) Three mins in - lots of shots of paintings that tell me we are dealing with the inevitable, depression, and artistic longings. Hanging in there.

@Melancholia (:05) I'm always game for universe shots followed by portraits/close-ups. Kirsten D is good looking but already unnerved by her 'depression' face.

@Melancholia (:11) Ok, got it - rich people, spoiled girl with issues, pansy husband, Kiefer making career shift, big time british actors/thespians, shaky camera = I'm watching an existential 'film'.

@Melancholia (:20) Lars must have worked in service industry at some point, hate these rich idiots.

@Melancholia (:28) After 27 shots of foreshadowing Kirsten finally starts to break down - bout time.

@Melancholia (:39) I'd walk 18 holes here. The golf course and the shadows have the same effect - Lars takes the mundane and makes it eerie.

@Melancholia (:50) I'm over these characters. Part 1 was the most uncomfortable first act of any movie that I have seen in a long time. I'm givin it all I got, still waiting for the emotional scenes to actually be emotional and not so contrived.

@Melancholia (1:03) The sister is the only character redeeming this movie at this point. Her acting, in lieu of the looming planet smashing, is actually convincing. So glad this stupid, never ending party is over.

@Melancholia (1:16) Just checked how much time I have left before the movie ends - my stamina is wavering. HOLY BALLS! are you kidding? an hour left? FML.

@Melancholia (1:22) OK, that scene of walking around in the garden with cool light and decent tunes and then nude moon/melancholia bathing brought me back a little. I see where we are headed for first time in an hour. Snow scene was cool too. Lars is good at filming people just doing normal stuff like googling.

@Melancholia The sound of gravel is really prevalent in this movie. Wonder if that means some deep philosophical thing? Kind of sounds like pills in a pill bottle or something. ha. I want to set the horses loose.

@Melancholia (1:34) Ok, for realz, I need someone that likes this movie to start telling me what to look for. Really starting to get pissed off now. Just spent 12 minutes imagining how cathartic it will be once this planet doesn't exist anymore. This planet that VonT is depicting (earth) does not exist. Life on the Death Star was a more accurate depiction of humanity than this.

@Melancholia Why doesn't someone take her to the psychiatric hospital?

@Melancholia "The Earth is evil. No one will miss it." Really??? She's a soothsayer now?

@Melancholia (1:37) Still really excited to see what it would look like if two planets collided. Of course Kiefer has lanterns and stuff. And wears a tie and vest for the event. Can't stop trying to figure out the physics of this.

@Melancholia (1:43) The SciFi elements are redeeming this movie.

@Melancholia (1:47) Is this movie about happiness? Imagine the worst thing possible and everything is easier?

@Melancholia (1:48) Fake out. Pensiveness sets back in.

@Melancholia (1:49) The circumference tool is a cool prop for repeatedly creating angst. This movie borrows from that old MTV reality show 'Fear'.

@Melancholia (1:50) The horse are calm and no pills. Shit.

@Melancholia (1:58) A fascist myopic where nothing seems to work? What does that say? What point is being made? If any? Symphony comes in on cue.

@Melancholia (2:00) Two hours in. Um. Does the 19th hole have any significance. I'm wrecked
 with looking for meaning at this point. I can't do it anymore. Acting the end of life is a tall task.

@Melancholia @Lars (2:01) Best dialogue of the movie "I want to do it the right way. A glass of wine." - (Justine, with contempt) "You want me to have a glass of wine on your terrace. Maybe a song? Beethoven's 9th? Something like that? Do you want to know what I think of your plan?" Man, she (Melancholy) is so detestable. Good for Claire (hope).

@Melancholia (2:02) More meaning? Abraham has returned. Hope is a liar. The father of many sons is without a rider... what the crap?

@Melancholia (2:04) Things are coming full circle. Finally something normal, expected. Magic Caves seem right. The paintings coming to fruition. The Ten Plagues? Father Abraham? @Lars Is this an old testament allegory?

@Melancholia (2:07) Building Wigwams? Is it a reference to colonialism? Genocide? I give up. When does Beethoven's 9th come in?

@Melancholia (2:09) At least the child's plan for the end wins out.

@Melancholia (2:10) OK, that was a cool depiction.

@Melancholia (Credits) Actor's names on a black screen. Appropriate. But would have been cooler if there really was no next scene.

So, I watched it. I hated the first 7/8 but the end brought me back a little bit. I have some idea what this movie is about. Trying to resist its urgings to think real deep-like. Pretty sure I disagree with every possible interpretation. Not a world I believe in or want to live in. Ready for someone to tell me what they think.

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