Last night I was watching a Channel 4 documentary on the 'yob culture' in Britain. With so many senseless murders seemingly taking place on our streets, it does raise some important ethical questions. Just how responsible are people for their own actions? What role does society play in the seemingly nihilistic atmosphere these young people inhabit? How far should punishment can go and who is authorised to talk on the subject?
Such questions are indeed troubling, and ones that I have often pondered. Many films explore these subjects whether it's the more vigiliante-styling of the 'Batman' series or the more emotional ponderings of 'In the Bedroom'. Though it moves such questions from the streets to the battlefields, 'The Thin Red Line' is an excellent addition to the debate.
Many have pondered Malick's film as being anti-war. Though little is now known about the director, his spiritual leanings are acknowledged as being an important factor in his work. Therefore, you could argue how he would clearly be anti-war. Malick, however, is also an incredibly intelligent scholar (Rhodes scholar, lecturer at MIT) and I think its fair to say that his thoughts would delve deeper than simple black and white messages.
The film opens on a shot of a crocodile, as he submerges beneath the water. It's a striking image. The crocodile indeed looks deadly. Evolution has formed him into something highly capable of killing. Therefore, this suggests that this sense of bloodshed and violence is at the very heart of nature.
For me, Malick's film is more about accepting that there are certain parts of human nature that we will find ugly and frightening, but knowing that there are ways to act in such situations. Even Private Witt, arguably the protagonist in this multi-stranded narrative, kills Japanese soldiers despite his inherent belief in the 'spark' of God.
With a film of this type, you can take different aspects from it. It shows the complexity of the question of evil, the fear experienced by soldiers on the front line and an overall sense of man's relationship within nature.
It's a beautiful film to behold and filled with some outstanding performances (stand outs being James Caveziel, Ben Chaplin, Nick Nolte and Elias Koteas). Malick is as accomplished with big battle scenes as he is with the quieter, more thoughtful moments.
Watch it for: a war film that asks important questions without easy answers
Sunday 6 July 2008
Friday 4 July 2008
The 25th Hour
On Tuesday, I took my newly completed screenplay 'Marie's Birthday' to my local Writers' Group for a reading. Truth be told, it didn't go quite as well as I'd hoped. One of the main problems was that whereas I thought I was writing a plot-driven romantic comedy, it was actually more of a mood piece. This was as much of a surprise to me, because it was only upon receiving the feedback that I realised it was the more character-based and emotional parts of the story that intrigued me. One of the joys of writing is seeing how a piece changes as you write it.
The problem was, I didn't really have any experience of writing 'mood' pieces. It just wasn't ever anything I had consciously set out to do. What exactly was I trying to achieve?
Two nights later, I finally sat down to watch Spike Lee's 'The 25th Hour', a film I've wanted to watch for years. That was the sort of atmosphere I wanted to achieve.
Edward Norton plays Montgomery Clift Brogan, a drug dealer who is facing his last weekend before being sent to prison for seven years. He spends the two days with his friends and his family. He thinks about what it was that landed him in his current situation, and if it was at all avoidable. How would it affect the people around him? More importantly, just how do you prepare yourself for prison?
New York is the perfect setting for a film of this type. The tragedy that afflicted the city seems to have shaped it's identity so acutely. Few cities have an identity as pronouned as 'the city so famous they named it twice' and so the whole world could see how it measured up to those dark days. Spike Lee's film really gets to the heart of this. At one point, the lead character Montgomery details a long and irate rant about his hatred of the people in his city. There certainly is a sense that hard times can turn you against all others. Yet it's a thought that the character returns to later, but from a different perspective.
Monty's two friends, Jacob and Frank, (wonderfully played by Barry Pepper and Phillip Seymour Hoffman) have their own problems as well as their friend's imminent departure. It all adds up to the sense of three young men who are reaching a point when they realise that their decisions have consequences and are life-changing. There's a great feeling of sadness to all the characters. The actors play their part in this, but for me, it was the writing that really sealed the deal. These friends are always snapping at each other. There's constant tension. As the old saying goes 'they can see the splinter in their own eye, but not the log in their own'. To me, it's fascinating subject matter as how you are with your oldest friends says a lot about you, and the journey you've taken in life.
I'm not overly familiar with Spike Lee's work. Prior to this, I had only seen 'Inside Man' which, although well crafted, also came across as merely a thriller with a high concept. I say 'merely' not to denigrate the genre but only because I had heard that Lee was a very provocative and issue -driven filmmaker. After 'The 25th Hour', it's clear to see that he certainly can create deep, layered characters. I look forward to seeing more of his work.
So, once the film finished, I found my mind racing. Ideas kept coming to me for my screenplay. New avenues opened up. This is what great work does. It moves and it inspires. 'The 25th Hour' did this for me, and I think it has something to say to everybody.
Watch it for: a well-constructed and layered drama between three friends that plays out against the backdrop of a city going through an identity-defining period.
The problem was, I didn't really have any experience of writing 'mood' pieces. It just wasn't ever anything I had consciously set out to do. What exactly was I trying to achieve?
Two nights later, I finally sat down to watch Spike Lee's 'The 25th Hour', a film I've wanted to watch for years. That was the sort of atmosphere I wanted to achieve.
Edward Norton plays Montgomery Clift Brogan, a drug dealer who is facing his last weekend before being sent to prison for seven years. He spends the two days with his friends and his family. He thinks about what it was that landed him in his current situation, and if it was at all avoidable. How would it affect the people around him? More importantly, just how do you prepare yourself for prison?
New York is the perfect setting for a film of this type. The tragedy that afflicted the city seems to have shaped it's identity so acutely. Few cities have an identity as pronouned as 'the city so famous they named it twice' and so the whole world could see how it measured up to those dark days. Spike Lee's film really gets to the heart of this. At one point, the lead character Montgomery details a long and irate rant about his hatred of the people in his city. There certainly is a sense that hard times can turn you against all others. Yet it's a thought that the character returns to later, but from a different perspective.
Monty's two friends, Jacob and Frank, (wonderfully played by Barry Pepper and Phillip Seymour Hoffman) have their own problems as well as their friend's imminent departure. It all adds up to the sense of three young men who are reaching a point when they realise that their decisions have consequences and are life-changing. There's a great feeling of sadness to all the characters. The actors play their part in this, but for me, it was the writing that really sealed the deal. These friends are always snapping at each other. There's constant tension. As the old saying goes 'they can see the splinter in their own eye, but not the log in their own'. To me, it's fascinating subject matter as how you are with your oldest friends says a lot about you, and the journey you've taken in life.
I'm not overly familiar with Spike Lee's work. Prior to this, I had only seen 'Inside Man' which, although well crafted, also came across as merely a thriller with a high concept. I say 'merely' not to denigrate the genre but only because I had heard that Lee was a very provocative and issue -driven filmmaker. After 'The 25th Hour', it's clear to see that he certainly can create deep, layered characters. I look forward to seeing more of his work.
So, once the film finished, I found my mind racing. Ideas kept coming to me for my screenplay. New avenues opened up. This is what great work does. It moves and it inspires. 'The 25th Hour' did this for me, and I think it has something to say to everybody.
Watch it for: a well-constructed and layered drama between three friends that plays out against the backdrop of a city going through an identity-defining period.
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