Seneca

The film adaptation of Seneca's "On the Creation of Earthquakes" unfortunately misses the mark. While the philosophical ideas in the original work are fascinating, the film version fails to capture the essence of the text. Instead, the film creates a badly theatrical style that is always over-explaining jokes and making edgy commentary. This is a shame because the philosopher is portrayed extremely badly in the film, and his ideas are not given the attention they deserve.

I had the opportunity to watch this film during its premier week at the Berlinale festival, and unfortunately, many people left before the film ended due to how bad it was. While the idea of adapting Seneca's work for the big screen is admirable, this particular attempt falls short of expectations. The film fails to convey the beauty and depth of the original work, and instead opts for a style that tries too hard to be clever and edgy.

In conclusion, while the film adaptation of Seneca's "On the Creation of Earthquakes" has its merits, the overall execution leaves much to be desired. The badly theatrical style, combined with the over-explaining of jokes and edgy commentary, detract from the philosophical ideas that are at the core of the original work. It is unfortunate that the film did not do justice to the brilliance of Seneca's ideas.

"This is not for everyone"... if you've seen movies described in a similar vein and appreciated them, there's a solid chance you'll enjoy this one too. If not, well, you might just find out within the first few minutes, especially when Nero, in all his whimsical glory, whips off those purple sunglasses - it's just that movie that you either love, or hate.

Prepare for a handful of those "WTF" moments that, in my view, add a delightful quirkiness. The visuals are captivating, enriched by impeccable costumes, and there's this persistent feeling of strangeness, accentuated by the score (sometimes trendy, sometimes deeply atmospheric) and compelling yet unexpected sound/visual FX.

John Malkovich is unmistakably himself, radiating a jovial energy throughout the film. Expect a hefty dose of dialogue that oscillates between eloquent monologues and stark colloquialisms, often transitioning from archaic phrases to modern slang seamlessly (which is odd but fun), and, just to throw it in, a fair bit of that dialogue is inspired by Seneca's own words or at least resonates closely with his ethos (as far as I can tell, anyway - I'm no Seneca scholar).

Props to director Robert Schwentke for this unique spin on history. "Seneca" is quite a trip. Whether you're here for some cerebral stimulation or just seeking a detour from the norm, this film ticks some boxes (at least it did for me ;)

In short, if you're in the mood for something different with a hint of crazy, give "Seneca" a shot. But, you know, come in with zero expectations and just roll with it.

John Malkovich is amazing in this movie!! Despite being the great philosopher, the character Seneca is shown as a human being, with back and forth and reevaluation of his thoughts and feelings, almost letting the audience enter his mind. His opinions though are unaltered and consistently recited from Seneca throughout the movie, mostly to the regret of his companions.

Incredible work also by Robert Schwentke who put the movie into a somehow theatrical setting. At some points he leaves the audience in question with modern requisites and scenery in the picture only to reveal their meaning in the end.

I saw this movie at the Berlinale '23 and it left me laughing, disgusted and enlightened. In its unique style, it didn't fail as delightful food for thought.

No pun intended - and a movie that is walking on a thin fine line. Nero is someone that most if not all have heard of. But Seneca ... I doubt it is only me, I am quite sure that not many know of him or a lot about him. On the other hand, his name seems connected with Nero, so maybe more have at least some peripheral knowledge.

But this is not out to tell the story of him in a traditional way. No we get characters from back then - but with a newer, fresh take on them. And while the language is or sounds sometimes like it is from the olden days (back then), it also goes back and forth and gives us a lot of newer sentiment. And swear words .. something not everyone may agree with or find good to hear.

John Malkovich really relishes in his role - and seeing Julian Sands in this reminded me, that he went missing a few months ago. I was hoping he was found (alive), but as of today no sign of him yet. Which makes it unlikely that he is still alive. Something that his character and the other ones surely aren't - this plays almost 2 centuries ago - so there is that.

Apart from the swear words though, some might also have issues with some graphic depiction of violence and gore/blood. While that doesn't happen a lot or often - the spikes we get can be hard to stomach. One individual wasn't prepared for that and left the cinema. I imagine that happend in other screenings too.

Again not an easy watch for many reasons, but if you like theatre and performances in general ... you will have a hoot .. well you know what I mean. Just be prepared that the movie seems to go on forever ... or "torturing" the viewer by having "multiple" endings ... which is fitting to the character of the ever so clever title character/person ...

Seneca was a stoic philosopher and moralist known today for his letters, dialogs and plays, all of which are readily available and eminently readable. He survived the brutal reign of Caligula, was exiled under Claudius, and was a tutor and advisor to Nero. Like many close to this emperor (or Mr. President in the film), Seneca did not survive the experience, and committed suicide in 65 AD on orders of Nero.

Malkovich delivers a fine performance while quoting various Senecan type things. It's very close to a monologue. Being an art film, it has some very weird twists, most of which fall very flat indeed - from Nero's sunglasses to the bizarre paper-mache microphone and the bizarre staging of the play-within-a-play, Seneca's own Thyestes. That aside, it's an interesting meditation on death, and worth watching if you're a fan of the classics.

The modernization and attempted comparison to modern falls flat, and spoils what might have been a fascinating stoic 'letter' to the present.