Brick
I just watched Brick and to be honest I was not impressed. Within the first few scenes the movie lost my interest and the characters didn't have my sympathy. In the first scene, Emily (Em) is dead and Brendan is looking at "the only one he loves" as she is laying on the riverbank with her hair and right hand in the water. The way he looked at her was so blank. He did not cry or tear up; he had no expression at all; he only stared at her. Then Brendan hides her in the tunnel. From the start I feel detached from her death, which acts as the central event of the movie.
There are only three virtues that I saw in Brick: some witty lines, some nice shots, and some pretty good acting. However, the first virtue is actually, I think, part of its weakness. The characters are not significantly developed through any dialogue. Their conversations consist of intellectual jousts that make the audience say "well said!" but they're not telling you much about the characters. They are flat. They play with words well, but those words seem to hold more meaning and depth than the characters themselves. Also, the rapid succession of scene after scene did not allow the substance of each shot to set in, which is another contributor of my overall detachment.
Moreover, these shallow characters are found in situations that are actually important (life and death), but given who they are, the situation seems stripped of its value, or at least its poignancy. When looking at what is happening I feel like it is in itself trivial and that it only finds value in occupying the character's time. What is the consequence? How should I think about this situation speaking in absolute terms? Again, it only means something to the individual that invests himself, it does not mean anything absolutely.
All the same, this movie did show me something about the way some people look at life. I think it would be fair to summarize this view like this: Life is not that grand in itself, but we are the ones that impart grandeur. They over glorify themselves in their speech and maintain a relatively low view of life. In this system we are the grandest things happening and life seems relatively dull, absolute purpose does not come into the picture. We are the focus. We are the gods. That kind of self-absorption is hard to watch, it feels so draining. (Thank You Lord that You save us from being shut up in ourselves!) To say it again: they have an over glorified view of themselves and a belittled view of life, which is tragic...maybe they should read more fairy tales?
This is partly seen in the way that the movie portrays the life of the "common people." It is peculiar and I'm not sure how to explain it. In the final scene, there is almost a contrast between the random cars driving by and Brendan confronting Laura. There is a disconnect. We are not united as human beings. There is limited interaction with "common people" (even just seeing their faces is rare). This produces a strong sense of isolation, which probably best reflects Brendan's state of mind.
Brendan does does not want Emily to hang around a certain group of people, but what the movie fails to answer is why. Is it because he does not want her to get hurt? Yet there is still this idolatrous attachment to her; he wants her. Why shouldn't she be around these people? Is his reason selfish or self-less? Is he just trying to bring her into his own little world so that they can be isolated together? Emily accuses him of this twice in the movie (once when she is telling him to not protect her anymore and once the last time they talk with each other). Is Emily right? Should we agree with Brendan or Emily? What are we supposed to learn? Or is this just a futile attempt at reducing the story to a moral?
...Maybe the movie is so detached from everyone because Brendan is. We are seeing the movie through Brendan's eyes. Maybe my complaint is just against the way Brendan looks at life. The only time I can think of where we start to see through another character's eyes is when the Pin is staring at the sun set and makes a comment about Tolkien and his ability to describe things well, which makes him want to be there. In that scene you are the furthest away from the problems at the school and the drug house. Also, the sun set is the only beautiful shot of nature that I can remember in the film. That scene ends with a shot of Tug standing in front of a train passing by rapidly--pretty jarring after the sun set...maybe there is more meaning after all.
Then again, I am not a movie person. I don't know them, I don't watch many of them, and I don't understand them often. Its hard for me to benefit from this form of media.
All the same, death seems so near in the self-absorbed life, it seems to always overshadow the very existence of the self-absorbed man. Probably because it is a death--a thorough and swift descent into hell. Anyways. That's my rant.
There are only three virtues that I saw in Brick: some witty lines, some nice shots, and some pretty good acting. However, the first virtue is actually, I think, part of its weakness. The characters are not significantly developed through any dialogue. Their conversations consist of intellectual jousts that make the audience say "well said!" but they're not telling you much about the characters. They are flat. They play with words well, but those words seem to hold more meaning and depth than the characters themselves. Also, the rapid succession of scene after scene did not allow the substance of each shot to set in, which is another contributor of my overall detachment.
Moreover, these shallow characters are found in situations that are actually important (life and death), but given who they are, the situation seems stripped of its value, or at least its poignancy. When looking at what is happening I feel like it is in itself trivial and that it only finds value in occupying the character's time. What is the consequence? How should I think about this situation speaking in absolute terms? Again, it only means something to the individual that invests himself, it does not mean anything absolutely.
All the same, this movie did show me something about the way some people look at life. I think it would be fair to summarize this view like this: Life is not that grand in itself, but we are the ones that impart grandeur. They over glorify themselves in their speech and maintain a relatively low view of life. In this system we are the grandest things happening and life seems relatively dull, absolute purpose does not come into the picture. We are the focus. We are the gods. That kind of self-absorption is hard to watch, it feels so draining. (Thank You Lord that You save us from being shut up in ourselves!) To say it again: they have an over glorified view of themselves and a belittled view of life, which is tragic...maybe they should read more fairy tales?
This is partly seen in the way that the movie portrays the life of the "common people." It is peculiar and I'm not sure how to explain it. In the final scene, there is almost a contrast between the random cars driving by and Brendan confronting Laura. There is a disconnect. We are not united as human beings. There is limited interaction with "common people" (even just seeing their faces is rare). This produces a strong sense of isolation, which probably best reflects Brendan's state of mind.
Brendan does does not want Emily to hang around a certain group of people, but what the movie fails to answer is why. Is it because he does not want her to get hurt? Yet there is still this idolatrous attachment to her; he wants her. Why shouldn't she be around these people? Is his reason selfish or self-less? Is he just trying to bring her into his own little world so that they can be isolated together? Emily accuses him of this twice in the movie (once when she is telling him to not protect her anymore and once the last time they talk with each other). Is Emily right? Should we agree with Brendan or Emily? What are we supposed to learn? Or is this just a futile attempt at reducing the story to a moral?
...Maybe the movie is so detached from everyone because Brendan is. We are seeing the movie through Brendan's eyes. Maybe my complaint is just against the way Brendan looks at life. The only time I can think of where we start to see through another character's eyes is when the Pin is staring at the sun set and makes a comment about Tolkien and his ability to describe things well, which makes him want to be there. In that scene you are the furthest away from the problems at the school and the drug house. Also, the sun set is the only beautiful shot of nature that I can remember in the film. That scene ends with a shot of Tug standing in front of a train passing by rapidly--pretty jarring after the sun set...maybe there is more meaning after all.
Then again, I am not a movie person. I don't know them, I don't watch many of them, and I don't understand them often. Its hard for me to benefit from this form of media.
All the same, death seems so near in the self-absorbed life, it seems to always overshadow the very existence of the self-absorbed man. Probably because it is a death--a thorough and swift descent into hell. Anyways. That's my rant.
1 Comments:
hmm well it sounds like you understand movies pretty well to me. i like that you actually kept your head on while watching instead of watching passively.. that's what scares me about tv and movies so often.
as for this movie, i saw it way too long ago and can give you little feedback except that i thought it was cool that it was filmed in my hometown and at my high school :-).... shallow but interesting maybe..
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