I just got done watching Southland Tales (made by the director of Dannie Darko).
This movie is insane, with elements of modern society, a religious twist and an amazing story that left me craving for answers,
I don't want to tell anything about the storyline, i just want you to watch it and figure it out yourself. Basically after watching the movie i felt like doing some research about the film, starting with IMDb of course. First i looked at the movie rating, as voted by users, it only averages 5.7.
I really didn't understand this rating, obviously people that rated this so low don't understand the themes it covers, or have respect for creative film art.
So upon further analysis of the voters, as provided by IMDb
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0405336/ratings
I realized that the older the viewer the lower the rating they gave it,
Why is this?
Further Criticizing the popular vote, which is so obviously centered on the elder infomatively retarded critique, i visited online forums to see some debate on this movie.
The first one i looked at was
"Top ten reasons this movie sucked"
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0405336/board/thread/135237227?d=135237227&p=1#135237227
the topic starter posted this:
...I know limiting this post to ONLY 10 reasons why this movie sucked may be challenging...there's just so much to choose from...but, please try your best. Honestly, I can't even give you 10 reasons why this movie sucked...I just know I wanted to stab my eyes with a fork while watching it...I guess that's reason #1.
the following 30 posts are all intelligent people defending the movie. And Critics bashing it.
"give us ONE good reason and then tell us your top ten movies so that we can avoid watching them"
Dip
"Yeah, people that don't like this film clearly don't undertand it. It's funny how I can't find one good reason why people didn't enjoy the film. I'd like to see someone actually just admit that they didn't like it cause they didn't understand it. Because if you understand it, I just don't see how you can't appriciate the direction of Richard Kelly. He's a genius, who has the balls to show the world how pathetic the 2 political parties are."
Dip
I didn't understand it, at least not fully. I don't think too many people can honestly say that they did on their first viewing really.
Dip
This doesn't just apply to Southland Tales of course. I would say the same thing after say, several of David Lynch or Charlie Kaufman's movies, and also with some other great ones like 2001 or Solaris (old version of course). I would also say the same thing about Kelly's previous effort, Donnie Darko. The difference is, that those movies bring forth a mood that makes you actually CARE. I wanted to further comprehend, or at least revisit, those movies. With Southland Tales I felt like I was on a really crappy ride before I was even halfway through the movie, and honestly I dont know why the hell I stuck with it.
Point is, complete understanding shouldn't always have to be a prerequisite for enjoyment. It sure wasnt with Darko.
Dip, (that Dip had a good point)
My "good reasons" for disliking this film? The style didnt interest me, none of the actors seemed right for their part, and frankly I just couldnt have been more bored. I didn't understand significant portions of the plot, and if it means watching this movie again, I hope I never do.
Diptastick
"You'd rather self-inflict pain than think?
What's funny is the movie shows what will happen to people who refuse to think and evolve.
The irony is beautiful."
Think and Evolve, i stick with this personally,
the movie wasn't the best put together, it wasn't typical or illustrating.
It definatly wasn't analytical, actually analytically evaluated it makes no sense.
Thats why i evaluated it with the left brain.
And i see it as a genious film.
This post is quite the treat.
Me and the author of this thread think parallel.
Here is what Southland Tales is about, for those who don't get it.
I'll begin with the basis. The film is about two main ideas, and the ultimate one. God vs. the devil, and Capitalism vs. communism. The Baron represents both the devil and communism. Ultimately, however, at the very bottom the film is about the battle for the soul of Boxer Santaros.
Notes on characters:
Boxer Santaros - Movie star who the devil wishes to make a god to fulfill a prophecy, and fails.
Krysta Now - Celebrity who has made a deal with devil to further contribute to the perversion of man.
Ronald/Roland Taverner - The true messiah, the second coming of Christ who comes back on a white horse (the ice-cream truck)
Pilot Abilene - He is a prophet. He knows the true messiah and speaks his word. He is a Watcher. When he took fluid karma he could enter Heaven, where Marilyn Monroe is. "I've got soul but I'm not a soldier," means that no matter what I will be a soldier of God first and a soldier of your phony war second. The scene in the Fire arcade is pretty powerful stuff, imho.
Baron von Westphalen - He represents the devil, and does his work on Earth. He silently controls the whims and covertly controls the masses through his manipulation of ocean waves through the fluid karma tidal generators. He makes deals across the board for the souls of those around him, and for the souls of the masses. Selling the baron your finger means selling him your soul. The trafficking of thumbs are the trafficking of souls, the marxists foolishly supporting the true agenda of the devil. (In the Cannes cut, it is more obvious of US-IDENT's interest in retrieving thumbs. Bart Bookman finds a cache of them and reports in to headquarters after killing of Dion and Dream.)
Inga von Westphalen - Marx's granddaughter? Baron's mother. Represents the coexistance of the devil and marxist theory.
Bobby Frost - The puppet at the hands of the baron.
Nana Mae Frost - She represents authoritarianism, and is ultimately defeated (shot to death) by anarchism.
Madeline Frost Santaros - She is a slave who cannot free herself from the agenda of the baron. Her job was to marry Boxer, and she really does love him (probably under some demonic love spell). She is not an evil character, as she tries to expose the baron in one scene. The baron comes out with evidence against her to slander and discredit her, further perpetuating her slavery. She cannot help but to be led into the destruction of the Treer Megazeppelin. Boxer tries to warn her but she cannot hear it.
Cyndi Pinziki - Head of the neo-marxists. The blackmail of Bobby Frost further represents the fight between capitalism and marxism, as it is natural for a marxist to try to get at some of the capitalist's money. Her scenes with Vaughn Smallhouse are about capitalism vs marxism even though at the end of the day, they come together and kiss (in the Cannes cut). Ultimately, marxism and capitalism are both the same thing in the end, because they are both covertly controlled by agents of the baron.
The baron even says that the marxists don't know anything about Karl Marx. Indeed sir, they do not.
Dion and Dream - Neo-marxist revolutionaries. The celebrities and activists who are also are sacrificed. They do not understand marxism at all, like most celebrities, and ultimately are led to the slaughter.
Zora - Represents betrayal and is an unwitting agent of the of baron's agenda. Krysta is her handler and she is in love with her (Later killed in a shootout with a "fascist pig," how ironic).
Bart Bookman - He is simply a man who does not care about life. He foolhardily throws himself into eternal darkness.
Martin Kefauver - The angel of death. Destroyer of Babylon, the Treer Megazeppelin (named after Jenny Von Westphalen, interesting stuff)
Serpentine - She works for the baron, but she knows the true prophecy. She represents the innate division in the house of evil.
Dr. Katrina Kunzler - Also knows the true prophecy. She is a seer.
Simon Theory - Represents science, and is aligned with the baron. Represents atheism and rational thought, as it is completely rational that Boxer would commit suicide, but to subscribe to that theory would be to ignore the obvious truth. That he is a pimp, and pimps don't commit suicide.
Dr. Soberin Exx - A mad scientist exceeding far beyond the moral boundaries of science. Dangerous science. Dangerous for all of us really.
Fortunio Balducci - Works for the baron, but covertly works for the anarchists. His quote in the beginning about social upheaval in the beginning was him just phoning in the performance of neo-marxism. He is a secret capitalist.
Krysta's porn star friends - The porn stars surrounded by Krysta are obviously dimwitted, and represent a certain portion of those in our culture who are also godless and being led astray. This is evidenced by their views on abortion and promiscuous sex.
Walter Mung - He works with the anarchists. He kidnaps Ronald and keeps him secure in order to fulfill the true prophecy, and also gives Martin the missile launcher. The anarchists in the film work covertly, so covertly that their agenda is fulfilled through whispers under the surface. The anarchists represent the true political and spiritual underground of the film.
"This is the way the world ends, not with a whimper [apocalyptic baby fart] but with a bang [destruction of Megazeppelin.]
The end of the world might not be the literal apocalypse that the baron wishes for, but with instead the creation of a new world.
This movie is about the Book of Revelations, and Karl Marx. If you don't get it, well, then you have a lot of things to learn...
The movie appeals to me in so many ways.
And its messy synapsis is so in depth it makes the matrix look Black & White.
To Close,
This Movie is about the battle between Left and Right
Capitalism and Communism
Desire and Forgiveness.
