I don't want to put too much thought into this review, lest I return to the agonizing state of disrepair I was in upon leaving this "film." I will be brief: This IS the worst film I have ever seen. Were I not in a class, I would have walked out or turned it off. I NEVER do that and I seldom even consider it. Can I file a grievance against my professor?
To those who think it's "realistic": What planet do you live on? I have never seen "real" people speak and do so little. Ozu is realistic. Rossellini is realistic. They are engaging in part because they understand that real does not mean boring.
Also, in spite of the two hour running time, and the wealth of meaning that has been projected onto this film by reviewers, NOTHING happens. If nothing happens, then there can be no meaning other than "nothing happens," in which case the next logical thought would be "life is pointless." If this is the case, put down the camera and kill yourself.
Anything this film tries to say about modern life, family, or existential ennui could have been said in a few moments of engaging film. Instead the filmmaker is content to force you to watch as he leaves the camera running.
Honestly, this film offers nothing. The characters are flat. They may as well have been called man, boy and woman. They are two-dimensional. To those who like this movie, what do you know about these people? How can we understand their actions if we know virtually nothing about them? Maybe they're supposed to be universal, but I doubt it. Were this the case, then every father is at least somewhat homosexual, every mother is unfaithful and suffocating and every child is a helpless moron. The performances (as well as the film itself) made me think to myself, "I think these people think they are making a great movie." If the themes that previous reviewers have attributed to this movie appeal to you, then try some of the following movies and filmmakers. You might find that you don't have to suffer through ridiculously long takes, flat acting, and unnecessary boredom.
Taxi Driver, The Mosquito Coast, anything by Michaelangelo Antonioni or Ingmar Bergman, The Ice Storm, Talk Radio, Ohayo!, Videodrome, and I'm sure I'm forgetting some others. You could also read books by Marshall McLuhan and Neil Postman.
To those who think it's "realistic": What planet do you live on? I have never seen "real" people speak and do so little. Ozu is realistic. Rossellini is realistic. They are engaging in part because they understand that real does not mean boring.
Also, in spite of the two hour running time, and the wealth of meaning that has been projected onto this film by reviewers, NOTHING happens. If nothing happens, then there can be no meaning other than "nothing happens," in which case the next logical thought would be "life is pointless." If this is the case, put down the camera and kill yourself.
Anything this film tries to say about modern life, family, or existential ennui could have been said in a few moments of engaging film. Instead the filmmaker is content to force you to watch as he leaves the camera running.
Honestly, this film offers nothing. The characters are flat. They may as well have been called man, boy and woman. They are two-dimensional. To those who like this movie, what do you know about these people? How can we understand their actions if we know virtually nothing about them? Maybe they're supposed to be universal, but I doubt it. Were this the case, then every father is at least somewhat homosexual, every mother is unfaithful and suffocating and every child is a helpless moron. The performances (as well as the film itself) made me think to myself, "I think these people think they are making a great movie." If the themes that previous reviewers have attributed to this movie appeal to you, then try some of the following movies and filmmakers. You might find that you don't have to suffer through ridiculously long takes, flat acting, and unnecessary boredom.
Taxi Driver, The Mosquito Coast, anything by Michaelangelo Antonioni or Ingmar Bergman, The Ice Storm, Talk Radio, Ohayo!, Videodrome, and I'm sure I'm forgetting some others. You could also read books by Marshall McLuhan and Neil Postman.