#also i didn't mention this but a seriously visually stunning film

[oddhellscape]

watched saltburn (1 am brainspill/analysis)

tldr; oliver is a fucking psychopath and worships until his knees are raw to the bone but that won't stop him in the slightest

i thought this was an incredible story centered around obsession and a worship of the top of the top, the rich, the Circle (tm) and the abhorrent things someone would do to be at the pinnacle of social class.

and no, this is not an "eat the rich" film. oliver had no intention of "dismantling" the system or anything like that; yes it uncovers how dysfunctional extremely wealthy families are, but that isn't the core point of the movie. he wanted to be a part of it, he wanted to be them, so badly it wholly consumed him.

oliver really had it, though. felix kissed him and invited him places and put him in the center (also because oliver let himself be seen that way) ((and because felix grew up in a household with no control himself. all kids w strict parents understand that the second you go to college, it's balls-to-the-wall freedom. his lack of control gave him a sense of power upon meeting oliver-- now, there was someone he could take care of, exert power that he never had)) but oliver had him by the collar. he was in felix's goddamned mansion, and hell, felix probably loved him too.

but oliver, the psychopath, had to keep taking. he was obsessed with the prestige-- of being revered--probably hence why he went to oxford, and he knows nothing else besides taking.

but that was oliver's fatal flaw-- he actually fell in love. of course, love is used as a broad term here but (keep in mind ive only watched this once) oliver loved him both as a person, as felix, and as a concept. his obsession doubled (first with the power felix holds with just his last name, and then getting to actually know him) oliver so so badly wanted to be who he was it translated over into i must be him. hence the emotional bond he built with the mother (men are so dry) and taking felix's place once he passed.

oliver loved felix like humans love god, i think. Humans fashion a god made from a mirror and devote themselves to embodying Him so much they consume Him entirely.

^ which is to say, by absolute worship. GOD the religious imagery was delectable. the scene where he kissed the top of the cross... amazing. I also loved the many scenes with oliver on his knees - over farleigh, over the bathtub, over elspeth, over felix's grave... how easily he kneels to those he reveres in order to take what he wants, but it comes easily because he's completely enraptured; his desire is carnal, all-consuming, looming, deplorable, yet so freeing (hence the ending dance scene. of course, no psychopath is satiated with just one victory)

i'll have to rewatch it to precisely follow the storyline but this was a nice change of pace. im a huge fan of offputting media and freaky little dudes so i absolutely enjoyed this film going in blind. definitely not what i was expecting, but something i definitely enjoyed :]

[hectormcfilm]

HERO

This is maybe my first glimpse into Chinese cinema. I haven't watched any kung fu films before and whilst over the last couple years I have taken a great interest in Asian media including: K-dramas, Kurosawa, Park-Chan Wook and Bong Joon-Ho and animanga, this was my first Chinese film... and I don't think I could have hoped for a better introduction.

Hero is one of if not the most visually striking films I have ever witnessed, the cinematography throughout is gorgeous in ever way. Most importantly is the colour theory, this film excels with its vibrant colour schemes that change throughout the film and reflect its themes. The film starts with a very harsh red colour palette when it is the nameless heroes perspective reflecting how he is in a way trying to seduce and persuade the Emperor of his story so he can get close to him, it also illustrates the violence of his story as he claims to have murdered three assassins. Then when the Emperor gives his opinion on what happened the colour palette changes to a colder blue, this can reflect neutrality, like a neutral flowing stream, conveying how the Emperor wasn't there so is only theorising, blue can also represent intuition working perfectly with the Emperors intuition towards the heroes true intention. The final colour palette is white, implying purity and truth, communicating how the ending reveals the true story, this is bolstered by the use of green in Broken Swords flashback in the end, green links to nature connoting that Broken Sword's story is natural and true. One final piece of subtle colour theory is the nameless hero never changing colour, staying in a black robe the entire film, this could link to the idea of a black lie and its seriousness. Besides just the colour the cinematography shines through the landscapes and scale. There are multiple wide shots of wide expansive barren deserts with horses charging through them and people perched on mountains, these stunning shots make the film feel like an epic with a huge scale. This is emphasised by the amount of extra used for the battle scenes, having dozens of horses and hundreds of men in unison moving together, very reminiscent to Lord of the Rings. The different technical camera techniques used are very effective, the Dutch angles ad close-ups utilised in fight scenes add a great layer of intensity and intimacy.

The cinematography isn't the only spectacular element of this breath-taking cinematic experience, both the fight scenes and music are excellent and compliment each other perfectly, reflecting how the characters describe music and swordplay as similar skills. The fight scenes have a great mix of amazing choreography and emotional impact. The opening duel between Sky and the hero shows off the almost flawless choreography and speed these fights have, then as the film continues the fights between Snow and the apprentice and especially Broken Sword and the Nameless hero focus more on the emotion and beauty of swordplay. Having both fighters avoid hitting each other and instead pounce across the water was beautiful. I was so impressed how they hid the wires of the actors and the shots of the swords breaking through the water were so satisfying. My only problems with the action scenes is certain editing choices like having the characters faces fade in and out overlaying the fight, seemed like quite an unnecessary effect and I didn't enjoy the almost supernatural powers they had like the hero and snow deflecting arrows and a lot of the absurd high jumps and floating characters would do, an explanation like some form of a magic system or a scene of them training to learn these techniques would've excused this.

My only other problem with this film would be the few moments of CGI used as it isn't very believable and takes away from all the practical effects and extras but this is only really a problem in the arrow sequence.

The final thing to mention is the plot itself and the use of the Rashomon effect, the constant twists and reveals in this film combined with the audiences distrust towards everything due to the manipulation of truth keeps you on edge throughout and helps the films narrative and pace. Overall, an excellent epic.

[deuterosapiens]

I didn't finish American Prometheus, therefore I will not talk about Oppenheimer in its context as a historical drama film. Prior to watching it, I also didn't do too much research into the Man, or the history surrounding what he was doing, therefore I will not talk about it as a dramatization of actual historical events.

I admit these shortcomings and therefore can only talk about the film in the context of it as a movie. I find we'll have a better time discussing it with these facts established openly and early on. Another important factor in discussing this movie is that I did not watch it in isolation: I watched it immediately following Barbie, following a night where I slept for only four hours, and I left the theater about fort-five minutes before the start of a six hour shift. These factors might have affected me perception and understanding of the film, and I want them to be clear as well, in the event that in my discussion of it I erroneously remark upon something which the film was clear on which I by no fault of the film's incorrectly understood as a result of simple pre- and post- mature exhaustion.

First and foremost, this thing is incredibly well cast. There is so much raw talent in its ensemble that drawing any attention to any one person would be something of a mistake. But, like any reasonably respectful person, I'm going to praise the actual hell out of Cillian Murphy. This is a man whose acting ability I found pleasing in 28 Days Later, and in Sunshine, and in basically every other production I've seen him in. It's rare that he gets to lead, and in such a powerful role, so I will thank the Endless that Nolan chose him as his Robert Oppenheimer. In modern Hollywood, I'm sure you could theoretically find a more appropriate casting, but I'll leave theory to the physicists. Those eyes...

Special mention goes I think to Robert Downy Jr, who just disappeared so well into this role. We've seen good, nuanced performances out of him before, but I just loved him here. Emily Blunt is always a treat (though my theater companion found her an incredibly unlikable woman), and she demonstrates some impressive debate skills during the final act that I'm afraid I almost didn't notice at first, do to being so absorbed (and again, exhausted) by the conclusions drawing near.

I feel a bit weird calling Spoiler Warning on a film about actual, real-world, historical events.

Let's be honest, the film's presentation of chronological events is a bit perplexing, but thankfully this is clearly delineated for us. There was a very beautiful parallel between the lead up of the Manhattan Project and the ongoing investigation against Oppenheimer. The fact that the conclusion of that hearing is represented with a reproduction of the same atomic detonation we had just previously witnessed at the conclusion of the Manhattan Project is about as subtle as, well, a bomb going off is one I will happily overlook. It just works, thematically and visually.

And I stress visually, because this movie was quite beautiful to look at. I'm a sucker for the visual æsthetic of deserts and this movie wastes no time in showing some seriously gorgeous shots of Los Alamos (I'm not certain on how much on-location filming was done, but I'll disregard that).

Must I even bother to say it? The bomb is beautiful. The moment we witness its destructive capabilities is stunning visually, and for once I'm happy to note that Christopher Nolan really nailed the sound-design here. It's a moment of beautiful silence, forcing you to just feast on that inferno. Dammit, I'm starting to sound like Michael Bay.

Robert's discussion with Einstein is obviously a stand-out moment, as well. The visual of the sky burning and the world catching fire is quite a sobering one, when you realize that this was a very real fear these scientists had calculated.

I found this movie quite powerful, and so I must now gripe about it's length. It's like three hours long, which would by no means bother me except for the fact that even at three hours, it feels like there's so much more that could be said to enhance the film. For a movie-goer though, that is a serious time-commitment. I expect it was cut quite a bit to bring it to even that length, but I do envision a world where this exact same crew, this exact same cast, where the same studios, producers and visual effects artists had the time and money to present this as a mini-series, just to give them the time to tell it all properly. But the finale is something that really does work best, for me, on the big screen so even that I wouldn't change.

This movie is not for everyone. It was however, right for me.