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| 5 Sep 10, 12:20 PM Dollface UK, 6 yrs   |
Seconded, purely on the basis that I think it's a superb film. Nowhere near as gritty as 'Irreversible' - it's all slightly fetishised small-town America when men tipped their hats and women wore pearls and were good girls or whores - but certainly brutal (although don't buy into the hand-wringing, it's nowhere near as gratuitous as the papers would have you believe). "When you're going through hell, keep going." | ||
| 5 Sep 10, 12:26 PM Goldilocks UK(SE), 5 yrs |
The rape scene from Irreversible is amazing, yes, but the rest of the film (in my opinion) is pretty shit.
I adore that scene though | ||
| 5 Sep 10, 12:54 PM Sarcasma 4 yrs |
There is more violence 'before' - which given the film's timeline would be 'after' in real time chronology. I thought the club scene near the start of the film was pretty intense/shocking/violent as well.
Completely agree about it being superb. I've never had such a visceral reaction to a film before that (nor since). Have to watch it again The first rule of Tautology Club is the First Rule of Tautology Club. | ||
| 5 Sep 10, 12:55 PM verte UK(E), 8 yrs |
Funny, I was so disappointed by this film. Loved the stylings and costumes and soundtrack. Thought Casey Affleck and Jessica Alba were great in it. But when it came to the violence, it just irritated me. The initial scene with Jessica Alba in particular. On the one hand you're expected to completely buy into the idea that she just spontaneously discovers she's into violence (when there was that sudden switch my companion actually laughed out loud..), and on the other you're given a laborious and textbook Freudian explanation later on of why he's a sadist. There's no narrative to the women's desires; you're just expected to accept them as read. Because of this, the violence had the opposite effect for me. I didn't find it shocking or disturbing or erotic, for that matter. It was just there. That, and the fact that the sex scenes themselves looked like something out of a bad soft porn film. It was like Winterbottom (whose films I usually like) had read a beginners' guide to S&M and directed accordingly. Perhaps I need to read the book. "Well-behaved women rarely make history" Edited 5 Sep 10, 12:56 PM by verte | ||
| 5 Sep 10, 3:00 PM Dollface UK, 6 yrs |
We must have gone with the same person - one of my vanilla friends literally balked and hissed "what?! SHE DOESN'T KNOW HIM" (attagirl for being offended by the social etiquette as opposed to the beating, mind you!). I do agree with your opinion regarding the flaws - the film is very ham-fisted in dealing with Lou's abusive past and I do sometimes wonder if Winterbottom DOES subtlety. That said, the book is told wholly from Lou's perspective, and he's as unreliable a narrator as they come. I do wonder how much of this has been taken on board in the film. With regard to the book, I'd wholly recommend it - and it fleshes out the characters, and their motives, far more extensively than Winterbottom does. That said, I did very much enjoy the film - particularly with regard to capturing the tone and feel of the book - and I do wonder if any other director would even touch it, let alone do it some kind of justice.
Food for thought as always though @verte, thank you
"When you're going through hell, keep going." Edited 5 Sep 10, 3:10 PM by Dollface | ||
| 5 Sep 10, 3:41 PM verte UK(E), 8 yrs |
You're totally right about Michael Winterbottom; subtlety is not really his forte... And there was still lots about the film he DID get right. I just thought the violence was done really cackhandedly. I heard him interviewed by Mark Kermode about it and he seemed confused by the press coverage, which indicated to me that he just didn't understand the material he was handling as well as I suppose I hoped he would. The director that springs to mind who really does understand sadism and masochism is Michael Haneke, and I must admit my first thought as I came out was what kind of a film it would have been with him at the helm.
And I will seek out the book. "Well-behaved women rarely make history" Edited 5 Sep 10, 4:12 PM by verte | ||
| 5 Sep 10, 11:22 PM Mad_Monk UK(BH), 4 yrs |
Michael Haneke's 'Funny Games' is a masterclass in sadism. It's my opinion that the German original (1997) has the edge on the American remake (2007) but it's a matter of taste and which one you can relate to. I also recommend The White Ribbon (Das weisse Band - Eine deutsche Kindergeschichte)(2009) and, of course, The Piano Teacher (La pianiste) (2001) . Sweet, sweet suffering indeed. "He took a single sip of her pain and found it exquisite" | ||
| 6 Sep 10, 10:01 PM verte UK(E), 8 yrs |
Christ, I still don't know whether I like Funny Games or think it's a good film. On the one hand it's an incredibly patronising, moralising, irritating piece of cinema. On the other, that's absolutely part of, as you say, Haneke's total masterclass in sadism. I think that possibility bypassed a lot of its critics completely (though I've only seen the German version). Don't watch this if you're after sexual and physical violence, but if you're a serious psychological masochist who enjoys being tormented for a couple of hours by someone unflinchingly in control, here's the porn for you. I got out of it precisely what I get out of masochism: torment, serious psychological discomfort, suffering. "Well-behaved women rarely make history" |
I've watched it dozens of times. Many, many good orgasms!