A FEW WORDS ON THE NORTHMAN *UPDATED*

Was The Northman an unfortunate case of the film-twitter hive-mind killing something before it even officially came out? I remember there being some light controversy about the film having subconscious connections to white nationalist ideology and toxic masculinity which couldn’t be fully shaken. White nationalists will find symbology & metaphors in anything. I wouldn’t put too much weight on a group of folks who look up to a cartoon frog. If they don’t hijack The Northman it’ll end up being something else. Why give them the power to essentially ruin a somewhat interesting movie?

Unfortunately that’s kind of what happened…

 

As for the Toxic masculinity - this is a violent Viking tale about revenge (a loose adaptation of the source material for hamlet mixed with a pinch of Conan The Barbarian). We all knew this from the trailer. Vikings were violent. Let’s not rewrite history. Just don’t watch this if it isn’t your thing (there is quite a bit of incoherent yelling & war chanting courtesy of the almost all- male cast). But at the same time there is a bit more to this movie than just violence. (it should be noted that Nicole Kidman steals the show in this predominantly male-heavy film).

I had zero expectations going in to this which is probably why I enjoyed it so much. I don’t put Robert Eggers on a pedestal like a lot of today’s blind A24 loyalists do, but I still enjoy his movies for the most part. The Northman is Eggers’ largest scaled project and it strays pretty far from the horror genre like his previous films. Something tells part of the reason this “flopped” is because folks wanted him to stay in the horror genre. For the folks that wanted something more like The Witch or The Lighthouse, Eggers still pulls from the same playbook referencing the same types of silent films and painting that he always does…

Witches Sabbath / The Northman

The Hands Of Orlac / The Northman

The Thief Baghad

 / The Northman

And there are elements of horror throughout. It just isn’t a “traditional” horror film like this previous works (and I don’t even know if I would consider those traditional horror movies either). The Northman still feels like a Robert Eggers film. 

Kurosawa was another influence on Eggers…

Throne Of Blood / The Northman

I think it’s really the Soviet Medieval epics and Kurosawa’s work that I turned to most as cinematic inspiration as well as John Milieus’ Conan - Robert Eggers, Indiewire

Throne Of Blood / The Northman

Seven Samurai / The Northman

Conan The Barbarian / The Northman

Conan The Barbarian / The Northman

Conan The Barbarian / The Northman

Conan The Barbarian / The Northman

Seven Samurai / The Northman

This is me trying to do Conan The Barbarian by way of Andrei Rublev - Robert Eggers, Little White Lies

Andrei Rublev

 / The Northman

Eggers also once told Far Out magazine that Andrei Rublev was; probably just the best thing in cinema history. That love of  Tarkovsky certainly shows up in The Northman...

"The court jester"
Andrei Rublev

 / The Northman

Andrei Rublev

 / The Northman

In addition to the unfair pre-judgement I mentioned earlier, I wonder if The Northman fell short because it wasn’t deemed an immediate masterpiece. It feels like now more than ever when a movie isn’t immediately considered a masterpiece (or meme-worthy), it’s disposable. It’s as if when something is just an entertaining mid-budget popcorn movie it gets tossed aside as soon as the credits roll. It’s ok for movies to be fine. Very few movies are masterpieces. The “good”, “solid” and/or “fine” movies are what keep the lights on.

The best part of The Northman is Eggers’ use of Alexander Skarsgard. He’s an in-demand actor but with the exception of True Blood, no film had utilized his true Viking-like presence prior to The Northman. With all these smaller-framed leading men nowadays I think we should embrace an actor like him in a role like this who can tap in to his primal side.


To reiterate - The Northman doesn’t push the art of cinema forward but very few films actually do. It is a solid movie that was unfairly pre-judged that deserves a reassessment (which insane to even say because we’re still in the same year that it was released).

THE KILLING OF A SACRED DEER / CACHE

Confrontation in Cache (L) & The Killing Of A Sacred Deer (R)

Much has already been said about The Killing Of Sacred Deer so there’s really no reason to put another “review” of it out in to the universe. We get it. We all know it’s one of – if not the – best films of 2017. What I’d like to delve in to are the strong similarities it shares with another great film in the form of Cache (probably the best film of 2005 as far as I’m concerned)…

In my opinion, The Killing Of A Sacred Deer is essentially Haneke’s Cache without the socially conscious/historical/racial angle. Plus, it’s darkly comical whereas Cache isn’t funny at all. But even with those differences – the films are still similar in the same way that Passolini’s Teorema is to Ozon’s Sitcom. Sitcom is a  loose remake of Teorema. Ozon made quite a few obvious changes like using a rat as the Trojan horse instead of Terrence Stamp (Teorema), but the basic story remains the same in Sitcom.

Actually, all four films (Teorema, Sitcom, Cache & The Killing Of A Sacred Deer) are cut from the same cloth in that they’re all about an outside entity bringing a family’s skeletons & dirty secrets out in to the open. 

In Sacred Deer, Yorgos Lanthimos focused on the part of the story that involves the loss of a father. Fatherhood is a huge part of both Cache & Sacred Deer (there’s also a sub-plot involving class as the two opposing families in each movie are on opposite ends of the class spectrum). For those of you that haven’t seen Sacred Deer – Martin (Barry Keoghan)’s father died on the operating table at the hands of Dr. Steven Murphy (Colin Farrell), and is seeking revenge because he feels Steven is responsible for his father’s death. In Cache, Majid's son (this character isn’t given a name in the credits) is seeking a similar form of revenge. Majid's son blames George - his father’s former foster brother - for his father’s hard life. True – Majid's son (Cache) grew up with his father, while Martin’s father died prior to the events in Sacred Deer, but midway in to Cache *SPOILER* Majid takes his own life (something that is also hung over George’s head).

From a visual/thematic standpoint - the similarities are un-debatable...

Both film have a very similar father/son relationship (the sons in both films even look alike)

Cache / The Killing Of A Sacred Deer

There’s an underlying theme of; “attack on the upper class”. Early on in both movies we get the happy families sitting around the dinner table. This is the last time we see both families happy & undisturbed...

Cache / The Killing Of A Sacred Deer

As we've already established - both Martin (Sacred Deer) and Majid's son (Cache) are motivated by revenge...

Cache / The Killing Of A Sacred Deer

The “antagonist” son characters use the protagonist’s children as pawns to put their plans in to play…

Cache / The Killing Of A Sacred Deer

The “protagonist” keeps important secrets from his wife that comes back to bite him in the ass…

Cache / The Killing Of A Sacred Deer

There's a weird relationship between the protagonist’s wife and his close (male) friend…

Cache / The Killing Of A Sacred Deer

Similar spurts of self-inflicted violence…

Cache / The Killing Of A Sacred Deer

Throughout the film you question the morality of the main character/"protagonist"

Cache / The Killing Of A Sacred Deer

Both films end somewhat open & unresolved…

Cache / The Killing Of A Sacred Deer

There are also indescribable comparisons that can be made in that the overall tone/ambiance in both films are incredibly similar (the exception being that Cache doesn't have any funny moments). It should be noted that when Yorgos Lanthimos exploded on the scene with Dogtooth, he was compared to Haneke quite a bit.

Perhaps I have too much time on my hands or perhaps I'm on to something with this comparison. What do you all think?

ZEBRAS IN AMERICA EPISODE 34!

After a week off we're back in full force! On latest episode of Zebras Scott does an impromptu live performance from his home studio then we talk about one of the best movies of 2017.

Enjoy...

THE CINEMA OF GUS VAN SANT TOLD THROUGH IMAGES & STILLS...

Once you're directing, you're kind of in a certain mode, where you're taking whatever is on the page and forming it into the film that you think it might want to be - Gus Van Sant

Although he’s one of the least explored directors on PINNLAND EMPIRE, Gus Van Sant is still a personal favorite of mine (whats strange is that for a GvS fan I can safely say I dislike 40% of his feature filmography and I'm indifferent towards another 20%). From low budget indie maverick (Mala Noche & Drugstore Cowboy), to mainstream academy award nominated director (Good Will Hunting & Milk), to slightly experimental improvisational art-house auteur (Gerry, Elephant & Last Days), Gus Van Sant has gone through quite a few different stages in his three decades of filmmaking.

I chose to explore Van Sant because ever since Milk (sorry, but I think The Times Of Harvey Milk is a far superior film and didn’t need to be revisited or "redone") I’ve been falling more & more out of love with his movies (I thought both Restless & The Promised Land were pretty flat) and I needed to remind myself why I loved his work so much (next to Abel Ferrara & Takeshi Kitano, this is the largest body of work that we’ve looked at so far and EVERY feature film is represented).

Also make sure to read the one & only Gus Van Sant review on PINNLAND EMPIRE which holds a special place in my heart: Gerry


Enjoy…

The Open Road

When you think of the road movie genre, Gus Van Sant isn’t usually the first name that comes to mind (often times we think of folks like Jim Jarmusch & Wim Wenders). But every now & then Gus Van Sant’s cinema takes us across the American landscape (and sometimes beyond) in either a crappy car (Good Will Hunting), a second hand motorbike (My Own Private Idaho) or even on foot (Gerry & Even Cowgirls Get The Blues). At the end of Good Will Hunting, we see Matt Damon driving from Boston to Berkley to win back his lady. In My Own Private Idaho, he takes us from Portland to Italy and back. And hitchhiking is a huge part of the story in Even Cowgirls Get The Blues (the protagonist in the film lives a nomadic lifestyle)

Even Cowgirls Get The Blues

Gerry

Good Will Hunting

My Own Private Idaho

Mala Noche

Various Phases: Indie, Mainstream, Arthouse & Beyond...

Next to Richard Linklater & Steven Soderbergh, I can’t think of too many other modern American filmmakers that have gone through so many different style changes. Van Sant has the kind of filmography that makes you go “oh yeah, he did direct that, huh?” or “really, he directed that?” or “the same guy who made this made that??” As you’ll see in this write-up, GvS obviously has many common themes that run throughout all of his movies no matter how different they may be from each other, but he's proven that he can adapt to almost any style or genre.

Indie: Mala Noche / Drugstore Cowboy / My Own Private Idaho

Mainstream: Good Will Hunting / Psycho / Find Forrester

Arthouse: Gerry / Elephant / Last Days

???: Milk / Restless / The Promised Land

Recurring shots, imagery & themes...

Gerry / Last Days / My Own Private Idaho

My Own Private Idaho / Gerry / Elephant

Gerry / Elephant / Last Days

Cameos from indie & counterculture figures...

William S. Burroughs (Drugstore Cowboy)

David Cronenberg (To Die For)

Harmony Korine (Goodwill Hunting)

Harmony Korine (Last Days)

Kim Gordon (Last Days)

The (usually naked or half naked) human body...

My Own Private Idaho

Mala Noche

To Die For

Elephant

Last Days

Homosexuality in mainstream cinema

Prior to Milk (a film about a gay activist); homosexuality was never really “the issue” or main focus in GvS' films. This is pretty progressive in my opinion and it continues down the path that Rainer Werner Fassbinder kinda pioneered in the early/mid-70’s (Fassbinder was another filmmaker to have homosexuality in his work without making it the main focus or “issue”). A lot of the characters in Van Sant’s films are either openly gay (My Own Private Idaho, Mala Noche, Even Cowgirls Get The Blues, Last Days, Milk) or questioning their sexuality (Elephant, My Own Private Idaho). And what’s more important is that his work has seeped its way in to mainstream cinema (along with the likes of Todd Haynes & Lisa Cholodenko) without having to compromise anything.

Mala Noche

My Own Private Idaho

The Discipline Of D.E. (short)

Even Cowgirls Get The Blues

Milk

Surrogate families, father figures & mentors

Parents (especially fathers) of Van Sant's young characters usually aren't around (Finding Forrester, Goodwill Hunting, My Own Private Idaho, etc). And when they are, they're usually irresponsible (at the beginning of Elephant, one of the few adult characters in the film is seen driving drunk and is eventually reprimanded by his teenage son in a strange kind of role reversal) or they usually go unseen (almost all the adults in Paranoid Park are shown just off camera or out of focus in the background). Most of the his young characters are "on the outs" (Goodwill Hunting) or they live on the fringe of society (My Own Private Idaho & Drugstore Cowboy) and have to rely on each other by making a sort of surrogate family of brothers & sisters.

Goodwill Hunting

My Own Private Idaho

Drugstore Cowboy

Even Cowgirls Get The Blues

Good Will Hunting

Finding Forrester

The Sea Of Trees

The presence of young people

As corny as it sounds, young people are the backbone of GvS’ cinema. Even the films that aren’t represented with images below (Mala Noche, My Own Private Idaho, Restless, Good Will Hunting, Last Days) feature young characters trying to figure out life or are coming of age just like the characters in the films shown below. From the music & clothes to skateboarding & slang, Gus Van Sant’s fascination with children, teenagers & young people is more than evident. 

Elephant

Finding Forrester

Mansion On The Hill (Short)

Paranoid Park

To Die For

Restless

Dream zone achieved

Van Sant’s cinema sometimes features characters that are dreamers (Mala Noche & Even Cowgirls Get The Blues), deep thinkers (Finding Forrester) or are prone to zoning out or drifting off for various reasons ranging from drug use (Drugstore Cowboy) & narcolepsy (My Own Private Idaho) to dehydration from being stranded out in the desert (Gerry).

Drugstore Cowboy

Elephant

Last Days

My Own Private Idaho

Mala Noche

Loneliness, Depression & Despair

There’s an understated sorrow within half of Van Sant’s filmography. There’s usually some type of looming anxiety (Paranoid Park), major depression (Last Days), pressure (Finding Forrester) or despair (Gerry & Last Days) weighing on half of his characters. And often times these characters lose the battle (Last Days, Elephant, Gerry) or things are left ambiguous or open ended on a slightly negative tone (Paranoid Park, Mala Noche)

Elephant

Finding Forrester

Gerry

Last Days

Paranoid Park

The Sea Of Trees

Influences, True Stories, Adaptations & Remakes

Like Stanley Kubrick (GvS’ personal favorite filmmaker), almost all of Van Sant’s films are derived from pre-existing books (Even Cowgirls Get The Blues, Mala Noche, Tulsa), true stories/true events (Milk, To Die For, Last Days, Elephant & Drugstore Cowboy) or older films (Psycho). But no matter what, he puts his own unique stamp on everything he does…

Drugstore Cowboy (some of the events in Drugstore Cowboy were loosely based on Larry Clarke's photography book Tulsa)

The Wizard Of Oz/Drugstore Cowboy/My Own Private Idaho

Even Cowgirls Get The Blues

Columbine (Elephant)

Kurt Cobain (Last Days)

Pamela Smart (To Die For)

Mala Noche

Harvey Milk (Milk)

Psycho

Portland

Like Todd Solondz (New Jersey), Abel Ferrara ( New York City), vintage Michael Mann (Chicago), Terrence Malick (Texas/Oklahoma) and a handful of other modern filmmakers, Van Sant always makes it a point to rep his hometown (8 of his 15 films take place in Portland). From His very first feature (Mala Noche) to his more recent work (Restless), Portland has always remained a consistent backdrop.

Drugstore Cowboy

My Own Private Idaho

My Own Private Idaho

Mala Noche

Paranoid Park