The courage to be lackluster (commercially uncommitted storytelling)
The first time I saw this, or tried to, I fell asleep. The cinematography is handsome, and the acting pretty good all around. Nevertheless I was bored out of my mind until, alas, I fell asleep, about 40 minutes in, unengaged by the characters, uncaring about their fates, although they seemed to be engaged and caring about themselves and their world.(ie: the acting was not the problem. Rather, the presentation of the characters was failing to engage me in their destinies before I lost consciousness, if that was the plan.) I awoke some 40 minutes later, to yawn through the reminder of the movie, still utterly unengaged in the now melodramatical action, of course.
As a neutral point, I'd say the scripting on a tale wellknown to all is pretty standard fare - nothing too far removed from the classic tale, nor too clingy about that. Here, the style is greytoned, gritty and medieval in comparison, but that is about it. At the level of just relating the scenes of the tale, nothing special is going on here, for better or for worse. That is, except perhaps in the (somewhat interesting in itself) surreal/psychedelic perspective on white magic and dark sorcery, which is hardly thanks to the scriptauthor, although these interesting effects are well enough integrated in the story.
I just gave it a second chance to tell its story a few hours ago, and I am very pleased that I did. Once again I found the beginning utterly unengaging and boring. This time around, I was prepared for that dull ride, though, and simply paused it every so often to take care of other business around my home, then to return and watch a little more. Also, I was becoming somewhat intrigued by the lackluster storytelling, and trying to understand what was off. I'm still not entirely certain, but I have a few clues, that shouldn't be spoiling to anyone. First off, I challenge the claim that anyone is acting downright badly in this movie. I tend to think the whole crew did pretty good on their respective characters, actually.
This movie just isn't doing what we are used to: steadily building momentum, and insisting on you to fall in love with the characters from the outset or never ever. Seeking/succeeding in getting your pulse rolling from the outset with exhilarating chases and teethgrinding pathos. Which is more or less how you construct your run-o-the-mill blockbuster.
The first time I felt a flicker of interest in this tale, was 53 minutes in, when the princess encounters a troll. I can't promise that you'll be equally interested in what happens in that scene, it is still subtle, (and not necessarily for everyone, of course) but from that point on, and only then, the sparks starts to fly, building the pathos and ethos of the tale, and as such making the logos of it all meaningful and thoughtprovoking. At least to the extent that you are not too insulted by the failed or absent seduction in the loooong and dragging beginnings to be charmed by it now that it is turned on. I know I wasn't, now that I was awake and attentive enough to watch the 'fire take hold' at long last.
The resulting movie is one that I consider to be a rare and unusual pearl of storytelling, touching on themes of death, aging, loss and lack of innocence, meaning, heart and caring; as well as their counterpoints of having/finding the warmth to keep the fires going, and of daring to age, lose and die, and therefore, to live.
I do not blame those who scold this movie. I only wish for them they'll give it another chance, and be as rewarded as I was. I also have a hard time believing it was the Hollywood producers accepted intent for something like the first half of this movie to be so unengaging, as it has no doubt cut the commercial winnings on the finished product in half, if that can even cover it. I do suspect, however, that it was the directors final intent to deliver just such an unusual and daring piece of storytelling, as it does seem to deepen the otherwise apparently simple and overt fairytale, and let its subtle symbolic depths really shine.
If you are ready for an old school fairytale with something it wants to say about life, like it used to be; and if you can accept this movies insistence on the rhetorical freedom of being tediously unengaging in the telling, for the first 53 minutes, at least, you might see something rather interesting and beautiful, here.
7 out of 10 stars for the still less than streamlined telling of the tale (imho)
1 extra for daring to be deep, by turning on the charm only at the point that the participating storyteller was charmed, rather than just trying to entertain its audience with cheaply sold pathos up front.
8 out of 10 stars, all in all.
As a neutral point, I'd say the scripting on a tale wellknown to all is pretty standard fare - nothing too far removed from the classic tale, nor too clingy about that. Here, the style is greytoned, gritty and medieval in comparison, but that is about it. At the level of just relating the scenes of the tale, nothing special is going on here, for better or for worse. That is, except perhaps in the (somewhat interesting in itself) surreal/psychedelic perspective on white magic and dark sorcery, which is hardly thanks to the scriptauthor, although these interesting effects are well enough integrated in the story.
I just gave it a second chance to tell its story a few hours ago, and I am very pleased that I did. Once again I found the beginning utterly unengaging and boring. This time around, I was prepared for that dull ride, though, and simply paused it every so often to take care of other business around my home, then to return and watch a little more. Also, I was becoming somewhat intrigued by the lackluster storytelling, and trying to understand what was off. I'm still not entirely certain, but I have a few clues, that shouldn't be spoiling to anyone. First off, I challenge the claim that anyone is acting downright badly in this movie. I tend to think the whole crew did pretty good on their respective characters, actually.
This movie just isn't doing what we are used to: steadily building momentum, and insisting on you to fall in love with the characters from the outset or never ever. Seeking/succeeding in getting your pulse rolling from the outset with exhilarating chases and teethgrinding pathos. Which is more or less how you construct your run-o-the-mill blockbuster.
The first time I felt a flicker of interest in this tale, was 53 minutes in, when the princess encounters a troll. I can't promise that you'll be equally interested in what happens in that scene, it is still subtle, (and not necessarily for everyone, of course) but from that point on, and only then, the sparks starts to fly, building the pathos and ethos of the tale, and as such making the logos of it all meaningful and thoughtprovoking. At least to the extent that you are not too insulted by the failed or absent seduction in the loooong and dragging beginnings to be charmed by it now that it is turned on. I know I wasn't, now that I was awake and attentive enough to watch the 'fire take hold' at long last.
The resulting movie is one that I consider to be a rare and unusual pearl of storytelling, touching on themes of death, aging, loss and lack of innocence, meaning, heart and caring; as well as their counterpoints of having/finding the warmth to keep the fires going, and of daring to age, lose and die, and therefore, to live.
I do not blame those who scold this movie. I only wish for them they'll give it another chance, and be as rewarded as I was. I also have a hard time believing it was the Hollywood producers accepted intent for something like the first half of this movie to be so unengaging, as it has no doubt cut the commercial winnings on the finished product in half, if that can even cover it. I do suspect, however, that it was the directors final intent to deliver just such an unusual and daring piece of storytelling, as it does seem to deepen the otherwise apparently simple and overt fairytale, and let its subtle symbolic depths really shine.
If you are ready for an old school fairytale with something it wants to say about life, like it used to be; and if you can accept this movies insistence on the rhetorical freedom of being tediously unengaging in the telling, for the first 53 minutes, at least, you might see something rather interesting and beautiful, here.
7 out of 10 stars for the still less than streamlined telling of the tale (imho)
1 extra for daring to be deep, by turning on the charm only at the point that the participating storyteller was charmed, rather than just trying to entertain its audience with cheaply sold pathos up front.
8 out of 10 stars, all in all.
- Readnought
- Sep 2, 2012