Reply to Topic
Next time your school has a show and tell, bring something like that to class and see how well that works out for you.
The 27th General Hall of Fame
Next time your school has a show and tell, bring something like that to class and see how well that works out for you.
I did show and tell with my class last Friday and honestly it would have been less harrowing if someone had just brought in a muzzle-loader or something.
Last edited by Takoma11; 02-15-22 at 10:28 PM.
X
Favorite Movies
Starting Cure now; see if I can catch up with this.
__________________
Check out my podcast:
X
Favorite Movies
X
User Lists
I feel like I'm falling behind because I didn't do anything this past week, but that's not the case at all. I only have 4 films left (3 of which I've seen before) and like, 2 months to go until the deadline haha.
I also rewatched about 90% of Midnight Cowboy yesterday. Would've finished it if I didn't have to spend so much time shovelling snow. I hate winter. I should have time to get that finished this afternoon though, and hopefully something written as well.
I also rewatched about 90% of Midnight Cowboy yesterday. Would've finished it if I didn't have to spend so much time shovelling snow. I hate winter. I should have time to get that finished this afternoon though, and hopefully something written as well.
__________________
X
Favorite Movies
X
User Lists
Midnight Cowboy (1969)
Directed By: John Schlesinger
Starring: Jon Voight, Dustin Hoffman, Sylvia Miles
For audiences today, there isn't anything particularly scandalous about Midnight Cowboy. It's a film that I initially saw on television, and not even late at night or on a specialty channel, yet upon its release, its subject matter warranted an X-rating. The narrative doesn't explore any of its explicit topics in detail, which means there's practically no introspection or analysis of them. While that is a little disappointing, it's understandable given social and cultural restrictions at the time.
That doesn't detract from the main draw of the film either, which is the relationship and banter between Joe and Rico. I could never take anyone in a full cowboy outfit seriously, but in this case that bias actually serves to emphasise how naļve Joe really was when he moved to the big city. I tried to pay more attention to Voight's performance this time, but Dustin Hoffman still stole the show whenever he was on screen.
I appreciate how dirty and lived-in the entire city is, even outside the derelict apartment complex. It all feels very real and grounded - except for the flashbacks and drug-fuelled hallucinations late into the film, of course. At its core is an unremarkable story about two men struggling to get by, but it's the way the characters are written and their chemistry together that make the film a compelling watch. It has a rather dour atmosphere, but it's miserable in all the right ways, if that makes any sense.
That doesn't detract from the main draw of the film either, which is the relationship and banter between Joe and Rico. I could never take anyone in a full cowboy outfit seriously, but in this case that bias actually serves to emphasise how naļve Joe really was when he moved to the big city. I tried to pay more attention to Voight's performance this time, but Dustin Hoffman still stole the show whenever he was on screen.
I appreciate how dirty and lived-in the entire city is, even outside the derelict apartment complex. It all feels very real and grounded - except for the flashbacks and drug-fuelled hallucinations late into the film, of course. At its core is an unremarkable story about two men struggling to get by, but it's the way the characters are written and their chemistry together that make the film a compelling watch. It has a rather dour atmosphere, but it's miserable in all the right ways, if that makes any sense.
X
Favorite Movies
X
User Lists
Yeah, I know. Yet another Midnight Cowbow review.
Midnight Cowboy -
This movie is still a classic about the power and value of friendship over fifty years later. I know that sounds like the cheesiest critic quote ever, but allow me to count the ways. For starters, John Wayne must have been really something in True Grit because this is one occasion where a tie for the Best Actor Oscar would have been justified. Voight and Hoffman's performances are iconic for how they portray Joe and Ratso's desperation, haplessness and love for each other. Equally enduring is the movie's portrayal of American life - particularly for those on the fringes of society - which has thankfully improved in some ways over the years but remains the same in others.
Besides the performances, what makes Joe and Ratso's friendship so special? That they are sort of a microcosm of those in their class in America has a lot to do with it. Each was dealt a different losing hand, with Joe's coming from a neglectful upbringing and toxic environment, which made him want to escape via the hustler life, while Ratso, the son of an uneducated immigrant in a city like New York, was forced into the role. Equally apt is that neither Joe nor Ratso are suited for such a life as evidenced by Joe's kind heart and politeness and Ratso's eagerness to ditch his moniker. Its also inspired that the movie never labels Joe and Ratso's relationship. Are they gay? Are they just good pals? Does it matter? Besides, by not labeling it, they become the perfect mirror to American society for how it labels those they subjugate and/or do not understand.
This is not just a great movie for how it portrays friendship. A young Bob Balaban and Brenda Vaccaro impress as two of Joe's "customers" and there is brilliant comedy that undercuts the sadness whether it's the classic "I'm walkin' here" line or what happens during Joe's first and very unfortunate hustle. This is a stylish movie, and while I'm not against experimentation, some of it is not to its benefit. I like the direction of the flashbacks that show Joe's painful formative years as well as Ratsos heartbreaking vision of what his new life in Florida could be like, but the visuals and editing in some sequences like Joe's dreams call too much attention to themselves. I still think this movie deserves to be called a classic, not to mention an American one. Joe and Ratso, like too many other disadvantaged Americans, not only have to be something they're not just to survive, but also are led to believe there is a pot of gold at the end of the rainbow, their pursuit of which only benefits those who instill the belief. Sadly, all of this gets in the way of one of life's greatest joys: being loved for who we truly are.
Midnight Cowboy -
This movie is still a classic about the power and value of friendship over fifty years later. I know that sounds like the cheesiest critic quote ever, but allow me to count the ways. For starters, John Wayne must have been really something in True Grit because this is one occasion where a tie for the Best Actor Oscar would have been justified. Voight and Hoffman's performances are iconic for how they portray Joe and Ratso's desperation, haplessness and love for each other. Equally enduring is the movie's portrayal of American life - particularly for those on the fringes of society - which has thankfully improved in some ways over the years but remains the same in others.
Besides the performances, what makes Joe and Ratso's friendship so special? That they are sort of a microcosm of those in their class in America has a lot to do with it. Each was dealt a different losing hand, with Joe's coming from a neglectful upbringing and toxic environment, which made him want to escape via the hustler life, while Ratso, the son of an uneducated immigrant in a city like New York, was forced into the role. Equally apt is that neither Joe nor Ratso are suited for such a life as evidenced by Joe's kind heart and politeness and Ratso's eagerness to ditch his moniker. Its also inspired that the movie never labels Joe and Ratso's relationship. Are they gay? Are they just good pals? Does it matter? Besides, by not labeling it, they become the perfect mirror to American society for how it labels those they subjugate and/or do not understand.
This is not just a great movie for how it portrays friendship. A young Bob Balaban and Brenda Vaccaro impress as two of Joe's "customers" and there is brilliant comedy that undercuts the sadness whether it's the classic "I'm walkin' here" line or what happens during Joe's first and very unfortunate hustle. This is a stylish movie, and while I'm not against experimentation, some of it is not to its benefit. I like the direction of the flashbacks that show Joe's painful formative years as well as Ratsos heartbreaking vision of what his new life in Florida could be like, but the visuals and editing in some sequences like Joe's dreams call too much attention to themselves. I still think this movie deserves to be called a classic, not to mention an American one. Joe and Ratso, like too many other disadvantaged Americans, not only have to be something they're not just to survive, but also are led to believe there is a pot of gold at the end of the rainbow, their pursuit of which only benefits those who instill the belief. Sadly, all of this gets in the way of one of life's greatest joys: being loved for who we truly are.
X
Favorite Movies
X
User Lists
My Dog Skip (2000) -
I should probably note that the schmaltzy crowd-pleaser family film is not anywhere near my wheelhouse. I wouldn't call this film bad per se (rather, it's exactly what it wants to be), but it contained very little of anything I found interesting. For instance, the schmaltziness I mentioned weighs the film down way too much. The overbearing emotional score which plays over so much of the film quickly grows excessive, while some other sentimental scenes feel more cringe-inducing than emotionally affecting, like when Skip grabs a football during a game and Willie carries both Skip and the football to the touchdown line. Also, several character arcs and sub-plots feel either underdeveloped or incomplete. The issue of racial segregation is a prime example of this. For example, after Willie meets an American American boy named Sammy in his neighborhood, the kid doesn't appear much in the film after that scene and is only seen in the background a couple brief times. I also found Jack's arc confusing. He initially shows reluctance towards letting Jack keep the dog as he wants him to man up. And yet, his idea is to give him a stuffed dog instead. Like, what? There were also some questions left open regarding the outcomes of some other characters in the film (Big Boy, Henjie, Spit, Rivers, Sammy). With that being said, there were some things I enjoyed about the film. I liked how the film explored the long-term effects war can have on people through Dink as some of his scenes were powerful. I also found Skip helping Willie out with growing up and meeting new people both compelling and relatable since I also had a dog when I was about Willie's age. I suppose it was also cool seeing Frankie Muniz again as I haven't seen him in anything since Malcolm in the Middle. Overall though, this film was pretty average. If you enjoy films like this, you'll likely find a lot to like about it. I've seen much better films though.
Next Up: One Cut of the Dead
I should probably note that the schmaltzy crowd-pleaser family film is not anywhere near my wheelhouse. I wouldn't call this film bad per se (rather, it's exactly what it wants to be), but it contained very little of anything I found interesting. For instance, the schmaltziness I mentioned weighs the film down way too much. The overbearing emotional score which plays over so much of the film quickly grows excessive, while some other sentimental scenes feel more cringe-inducing than emotionally affecting, like when Skip grabs a football during a game and Willie carries both Skip and the football to the touchdown line. Also, several character arcs and sub-plots feel either underdeveloped or incomplete. The issue of racial segregation is a prime example of this. For example, after Willie meets an American American boy named Sammy in his neighborhood, the kid doesn't appear much in the film after that scene and is only seen in the background a couple brief times. I also found Jack's arc confusing. He initially shows reluctance towards letting Jack keep the dog as he wants him to man up. And yet, his idea is to give him a stuffed dog instead. Like, what? There were also some questions left open regarding the outcomes of some other characters in the film (Big Boy, Henjie, Spit, Rivers, Sammy). With that being said, there were some things I enjoyed about the film. I liked how the film explored the long-term effects war can have on people through Dink as some of his scenes were powerful. I also found Skip helping Willie out with growing up and meeting new people both compelling and relatable since I also had a dog when I was about Willie's age. I suppose it was also cool seeing Frankie Muniz again as I haven't seen him in anything since Malcolm in the Middle. Overall though, this film was pretty average. If you enjoy films like this, you'll likely find a lot to like about it. I've seen much better films though.
Next Up: One Cut of the Dead
X
Favorite Movies
X
User Lists
Demons (Toshio Matsumoto, 1971)
IMDb
Rewatch: No.
I absolutely hated the first half of this movie and, like the last movie I watched for this HOF, I had to watch it in bits and pieces. Only this time it wasn't coldness that made it a chore, it was artifice. The acting felt incredibly unnatural. I didn't buy any of these characters as real people and I absolutely despised the slow motion murder scenes and the repeated frames. Add to that the fact that not a single one of these characters had any redeemable features (they weren't even bad enough for me to want to root against them) and I was really bored... at first.
It did start to get interesting right about the time Hachiemon sacrificed himself, but by then I was pretty well mentally checked-out. And then I went from being bored to wishing death on Gengobei and not being granted that satisfaction. Definitely not my cup of tea.
__________________
X
Favorite Movies
X
User Lists
CURE
(1997, Kurosawa)
(1997, Kurosawa)
"All the things that used to be inside me, now they're all outside. So... I can see all of the things inside you, Doctor, but the inside of me... is empty."
Cure follows Detective Takabe (Kōji Yakusho) as he investigates a series of murders where victims end up with an X carved on their necks and chests. The weird thing is that in each case, the murderer is found close to the victim, with no recollection of what happened and sometimes no clear remorse. "He was someone I didn't like... I couldn't stand it anymore", says one of them after killing his partner.
There really is no mystery as to who's causing these murders, since we find out fairly early that a mysterious man called Mamiya (Masato Hagiwara) is behind it all. The man, who seems to be suffering from severe memory loss while aimlessly wandering around, seems to have some sort of mental influence in people, forcing them to let their emotions and anger out.
So the film unfolds in two halves, the first of which plays in a more or less straightforward, procedural way, as we see Takabe and his psychologist partner Sakuma (Tsuyoshi Ujiki) play a cat-and-mouse game to find whoever's causing the murders. After Mamiya is captured halfway through the film, the cat-and-mouse game is transferred to their minds as we see Takabe become increasingly more frustrated with the man, which leads him to often let his emotions and anger out.
I thought this was a really interesting watch. I really liked the way the film unfolded, first with the thrill and mystery of what's happening, only to become a more psychological and nuanced look at how we process our frustrations and how we handle our angers; whether it comes from being unable to close a criminal case or dealing with a mentally ill relative. I liked how director Kiyoshi Kurosawa handled those themes, while keeping an almost clinical and distanced direction.
The performances were mostly solid, with Hagiwara probably having the best one as the ambiguously cold Mamiya. His performance and the way the story handles him defies most of the conventions of these kind of thrillers, but it works really well. As far as that is concerned, I really liked that ambiguity, but I think the film could've benefitted from letting a few more things out towards its conclusion, especially regarding the subplot of Takabe's wife. Still, this was a very effective psychological thriller.
Grade:
X
Favorite Movies
X
User Lists
Safety Last! (1923)
Directored By: Fred C. Newmeyer, Sam Taylor
Starring: Harold Lloyd, Mildred Davis, Bill Strother
I first watched Safety Last! for a film class years ago, but didn't find it particularly engaging at the time. While I wouldn't say I disliked it, it wasn't something I'd choose to revisit on my own accord either. It certainly had some impressive stunt work, but I didn't care for the story, and the film's brand of slapstick comedy became tired despite a fairly lean runtime.
During this viewing, I did find the whole thing much more enjoyable, and after an exhausting week it was nice to just sit back and watch something quick and light-hearted. I still don't find Harold Lloyd's character to be that likeable, but most of the individual scenes were entertaining enough, and whenever something started to overstay its welcome, the film soon moved on to some other gag anyway.
Previously, the big finale was my favourite part of the film, but this time around I honestly thought it was a bit excessive. Instead I appreciated the moments where Lloyd interacted with the store's customers the most, particularly the chaos of the sale event. Those shoppers might initially seem like exaggerations or caricatures, but I promise if you work long enough in retail you will encounter people just like them. They're actually the most believable part of the whole film.
During this viewing, I did find the whole thing much more enjoyable, and after an exhausting week it was nice to just sit back and watch something quick and light-hearted. I still don't find Harold Lloyd's character to be that likeable, but most of the individual scenes were entertaining enough, and whenever something started to overstay its welcome, the film soon moved on to some other gag anyway.
Previously, the big finale was my favourite part of the film, but this time around I honestly thought it was a bit excessive. Instead I appreciated the moments where Lloyd interacted with the store's customers the most, particularly the chaos of the sale event. Those shoppers might initially seem like exaggerations or caricatures, but I promise if you work long enough in retail you will encounter people just like them. They're actually the most believable part of the whole film.
X
Favorite Movies
X
User Lists
Magical Girl / Magična devojka (2014)
Directed By: Carlos Vermut
Starring: Luis Bermejo, Bįrbara Lennie, José Sacristįn
As cold and detached as the film is, there's something strangely compelling about Magical Girl. The camera is often kept at a distance, with stationary shots that frequently feel clinical in nature. There's an uneasiness to the atmosphere, as though something tragic is always waiting just around the corner. I expected it to get gruesome at some point, especially once the film starts to follow Barbara, but it actually handles her experiences in an incredibly restrained manner. We never get too close to her, and instead have to draw our own conclusions.
Reading that the director took inspiration from elements of Madoka Magica made perfect sense, as the series is a dark twist on the young girl gets magical powers genre that shows the unintended and sometimes harrowing consequences of wishes coming true. The lives of these magical girls may seem fantastic from the outside, but they are full of pain and despair, and each of them are ultimately headed for a grim fate. When laid out, the parallels between the Japanese series and Vermut's more grounded story are hard to miss.
It was a little weird weird to see Javier Botet, with his incredibly tall stature and slim appendages, play just a regular, ordinary role in a film, but it was a pleasant surprise to see him show up nonetheless. The main performances were all really good. I didn't find Barbara that interesting at the start, but she became far more intriguing later on. For most of the film, I couldn't help but think that the daughter would've been more than happy with a cheaper replica of the dress, but in retrospect, compromising on the costume would've been counter to what Magical Girl was really about.
Reading that the director took inspiration from elements of Madoka Magica made perfect sense, as the series is a dark twist on the young girl gets magical powers genre that shows the unintended and sometimes harrowing consequences of wishes coming true. The lives of these magical girls may seem fantastic from the outside, but they are full of pain and despair, and each of them are ultimately headed for a grim fate. When laid out, the parallels between the Japanese series and Vermut's more grounded story are hard to miss.
It was a little weird weird to see Javier Botet, with his incredibly tall stature and slim appendages, play just a regular, ordinary role in a film, but it was a pleasant surprise to see him show up nonetheless. The main performances were all really good. I didn't find Barbara that interesting at the start, but she became far more intriguing later on. For most of the film, I couldn't help but think that the daughter would've been more than happy with a cheaper replica of the dress, but in retrospect, compromising on the costume would've been counter to what Magical Girl was really about.
X
Favorite Movies
X
User Lists
For most of the film, I couldn't help but think that the daughter would've been more than happy with a cheaper replica of the dress, but in retrospect, compromising on the costume would've been counter to what Magical Girl was really about.
X
Favorite Movies
A lot of the tragedy comes from his inability to see that the actual costume is not necessary. In fact, he ends up sidelining his daughter as he pursues all his little schemes.
The first person he goes to see about lending him some money even pointed out that what his daughter really wants is for him to be there with her. Perhaps he would've understood that if he wasn't so obsessed with getting her the exact dress she wrote about in her diary, but his single-mindedness caused him to dismiss everything else, including her needs. To be fair, we don't know exactly how long she has left, but he couldn't even wait around a minute to hear the heartfelt letter that was about to be aired on the radio for him.
X
Favorite Movies
X
User Lists
Exactly this.
The first person he goes to see about lending him some money even pointed out that what his daughter really wants is for him to be there with her. Perhaps he would've understood that if he wasn't so obsessed with getting her the exact dress she wrote about in her diary, but his single-mindedness caused him to dismiss everything else, including her needs. To be fair, we don't know exactly how long she has left, but he couldn't even wait around a minute to hear the heartfelt letter that was about to be aired on the radio for him.
The first person he goes to see about lending him some money even pointed out that what his daughter really wants is for him to be there with her. Perhaps he would've understood that if he wasn't so obsessed with getting her the exact dress she wrote about in her diary, but his single-mindedness caused him to dismiss everything else, including her needs. To be fair, we don't know exactly how long she has left, but he couldn't even wait around a minute to hear the heartfelt letter that was about to be aired on the radio for him.
Acknowledging that you can't fix something is challenging, and under the pressure of grief and the burden of being a single parent, I can understand why it was more comforting to him to go after something concrete ("If I can get X dollars, I can get this physical item") rather than sitting with his own discomfort and helplessness.
I had a conversation with a guardian of one of my students who is having a lot of problems both academically and emotionally. And this adult said, kind of helplessly, "I'd buy him anything he wants." And I could weep, because this kid doesn't need another pair of sneakers, he needs someone to sit with him and talk about his artwork and tell him he's good at drawing and also let him know that it's okay to be angry about the (very unpleasant) custody dispute he sits in the middle of.
X
Favorite Movies
Apocalypse Now
(Coppola 1979)
That opening scene is cinematic genius. The way the helicopter sound is mixed, it's like it's coming out of a long tunnel and into the light...then, receding back into that sound tunnel as the opening notes of The Doors opus The End plays...Orson Welles would've been impressed.
I'm impressed as the entire first sequence is genius, from the overlay of Captain Willard's (Marin Sheen) upside down face superimposed over scenes of the jungle, aglow in a napalm blaze...Brilliant. I equally loved how the scene opens on Willard's Saigon hotel room and the camera slowly pans from closeups of those items that define his existences in Vietnam....a pack of cigarettes, a bottle of booze and a .45 pistol...All strewn about his chaotic room. A room that is prison like, like Vietnam was for Captain Willard.
The next de-briefing scene where he receives his assignment is well done...Equally good is his initial journey up the river to find a renegade Colonel turned demi-god (Marlon Brando). The aerial long shots of the battles and of the countryside is intrinsic to the cinematic beauty of the horror of war.
By far the most potent scene was the river encounter with the Vietnamese family on their little fishing boat. God, that scene hit me like a ton of bricks. It was staged and acted beautifully which made the horror and intensity of the incident seem so real...then punctuated by the coup de grāce delivered with cold necessity by Captain Willard. Damn! That's movie making!
Coppola impressed me with his artistic mastery of his visuals. He reminds me of another director famous for his film's look, Ridley Scott...And all of this amazement and sublime film making achievement is why I'm coming down hard on this film...
Of all the film's in this HoF Apocalypse Now, to me, is the most serious work of film. It aims high and so I hold it to a high bar....and I'm sorry to say there were other scenes that just blew. In another film that I was watching just for fun I could glaze over them, but here in what has the framework of a masterpiece I expect nothing short of perfection. Here's what is not perfect:
Like Ridley Scott, Coppola has an eye for the visuals, with set designs that are memorable. But it's those unbelievable sets with their juxtaposition to the seriousness of the narrative, that takes this film's soul out of the Vietnam war experience and places it in the heart of Hollywood style spectacular.
I'm impressed as the entire first sequence is genius, from the overlay of Captain Willard's (Marin Sheen) upside down face superimposed over scenes of the jungle, aglow in a napalm blaze...Brilliant. I equally loved how the scene opens on Willard's Saigon hotel room and the camera slowly pans from closeups of those items that define his existences in Vietnam....a pack of cigarettes, a bottle of booze and a .45 pistol...All strewn about his chaotic room. A room that is prison like, like Vietnam was for Captain Willard.
The next de-briefing scene where he receives his assignment is well done...Equally good is his initial journey up the river to find a renegade Colonel turned demi-god (Marlon Brando). The aerial long shots of the battles and of the countryside is intrinsic to the cinematic beauty of the horror of war.
By far the most potent scene was the river encounter with the Vietnamese family on their little fishing boat. God, that scene hit me like a ton of bricks. It was staged and acted beautifully which made the horror and intensity of the incident seem so real...then punctuated by the coup de grāce delivered with cold necessity by Captain Willard. Damn! That's movie making!
Coppola impressed me with his artistic mastery of his visuals. He reminds me of another director famous for his film's look, Ridley Scott...And all of this amazement and sublime film making achievement is why I'm coming down hard on this film...
Of all the film's in this HoF Apocalypse Now, to me, is the most serious work of film. It aims high and so I hold it to a high bar....and I'm sorry to say there were other scenes that just blew. In another film that I was watching just for fun I could glaze over them, but here in what has the framework of a masterpiece I expect nothing short of perfection. Here's what is not perfect:
Like Ridley Scott, Coppola has an eye for the visuals, with set designs that are memorable. But it's those unbelievable sets with their juxtaposition to the seriousness of the narrative, that takes this film's soul out of the Vietnam war experience and places it in the heart of Hollywood style spectacular.
The 'last' bridge far up the river where the enemy is bombing the bridge at night and during the day the troops rebuild it, all in vein. Sure all those lights look neat in film and make a striking visual impact, but you don't light up a bridge at night so the enemy can see to destroy it!
As they travel up river into hostile territory we get a stop over at a supply depo and this huge amphitheater arena with a circular stage built right on the water...and this is in a war zone??? Notice the blocks of light again. Sure it looks cool, but it requires too much suspension of disbelief. There would be no such elaborate USO shows so far up river. Shows like this would be held in the South close to Saigon and even then it wasn't quite this spectacular of a stage construction.
Then at the end we get a way over the top jungle strong hold set of Colonel Kurtz. An impressive looking set that reminded me of a cross between Kevin Costner's Waterworld and Spielberg's Temple of Doom. Just too over the top to match the realistic effects of the Nam experience that most of the film explores.
So after being free in the Colonel's stronghold temple where he has every opportunity to kill the Colonel...Captain Willard chooses instead to return to the now empty river boat where he apparently applies camouflage makeup and jumps into the river....so he can pop up out of the mist covered water and Coppola gets his 'artistic shot'. When a director's visionary look of his film gets in the way of the narrative and defies logic, then the film is a fail.
I had such high hopes for the first 45 minutes, that I was sure this would be #1 on my ballot. I'm glad I watched this as it had been decades since I last saw it.
I had such high hopes for the first 45 minutes, that I was sure this would be #1 on my ballot. I'm glad I watched this as it had been decades since I last saw it.
Last edited by Citizen Rules; 02-20-22 at 03:24 PM.
X
Favorite Movies
But it's those unbelievable sets with their juxtaposition to the seriousness of the narrative, that takes this film's soul out of the Vietnam war experience and places it in the heart of Hollywood style spectacular.
Take the last bridge sequence, for example. The music accompanying those scenes is distorted and feels incredibly unhinged. Those lights make the bridge look like a circus tent, which is what the whole situation really is when you think about it. They might not make any practical sense, but the soldiers there know what they're doing is entirely fruitless anyway, and nothing they do even matters.
X
Favorite Movies
X
User Lists
I think how over-the-top some of the latter set pieces are are meant to be a reflection of the madness many of the soldiers are experiencing that far out in the jungle.
Take the last bridge sequence, for example. The music accompanying those scenes is distorted and feels incredibly unhinged. Those lights make the bridge look like a circus tent, which is what the whole situation really is when you think about it. They might not make any practical sense, but the soldiers there know what they're doing is entirely fruitless anyway, and nothing they do even matters.
Take the last bridge sequence, for example. The music accompanying those scenes is distorted and feels incredibly unhinged. Those lights make the bridge look like a circus tent, which is what the whole situation really is when you think about it. They might not make any practical sense, but the soldiers there know what they're doing is entirely fruitless anyway, and nothing they do even matters.
X