The World Beyond BetterMost > The Culture Tent
Resurrecting the Movies thread...
Meryl:
How apt that you're discussing Benjamin Button, because I just saw it this afternoon. 8)
I can see how the "boring" description could be applied to it, but I did enjoy it very much. I like movies that tell a story gradually, taking time to savor their characters and settings, and that aren't afraid to dwell on moments that other movies would rush through. I guess that's the reason "Barry Lyndon" is one of my favorite films.
I've been wondering why Benjamin's character was so unremarkable in itself, and the reason I came up with is that he's there to allow the people who choose to care about him to be their best selves. He listens to, empathizes with and loves them unconditionally, making no demands, just accepting what is offered. He seems to be storing up everything about them. Why does he go from old to young? It's an interesting idea to explore, I guess. It's his own particular pain--never to fit in, always to be going in the opposite direction to the ones he loves. It gives him a certain clarity but keeps him apart. Far from worshiping youth, he fears its helplessness as others fear the infirmities of old age.
I thought Brad Pitt was lovely in the role. Yes, his eyes could be more alive, but I thought the same thing about Christian Bale in "The Dark Knight." The compensation is physical beauty and an aura of sweetness that fit the character well. To a large extent, it may have been simply a choice; anyone who's seen him in "Twelve Monkeys" knows his eyes can take on a mad, penetrating look. I often think of Brad Pitt as a younger Robert Redford; he's another one more known for his looks than his emotive ability. Cate Blanchett is one of my favorite actors, and she was terrific as usual. But she wasn't given any real scenery-chewing opportunities either, which makes me think the director made a choice to keep histrionics out of the film.
I failed to catch the original reference to the humming bird, so every time one showed up I was clueless as to its meaning. Can anybody enlighten me?
serious crayons:
--- Quote from: Meryl on February 10, 2009, 11:36:20 pm ---I often think of Brad Pitt as a younger Robert Redford;
--- End quote ---
Me too. The resemblance is startling. I think Robert Redford was thinking the same when he directed A River Runs Through It.
--- Quote ---I failed to catch the original reference to the humming bird, so every time one showed up I was clueless as to its meaning. Can anybody enlighten me?
--- End quote ---
No, I didn't get that, either. My son suggested they should have used it more. That might have seemed heavy-handed, but as it was it was just kind of mystifying.
Kd5000:
I finally got around to seeing MILK yesterday evening. To tell you the truth, the movie didn't grab me. I felt like it should have been made twenty years earlier. Maybe I'm expecting every movie with "gay themes" to hit me like BBM and that's not going to happen. :-\
I still have not seen THE READER, SLUMDOG, or THE WRESTLER. SLUMDOG comes out in mid-March on DVD so maybe I will just wait. It will probably win best picture. PPl want a "happy movie" (I gather that it is not serious social commentary) for BP given the dreary historic times the world finds itself in.
oilgun:
--- Quote from: Meryl on February 10, 2009, 11:36:20 pm ---How apt that you're discussing Benjamin Button, because I just saw it this afternoon. 8)
I can see how the "boring" description could be applied to it, but I did enjoy it very much. I like movies that tell a story gradually, taking time to savor their characters and settings, and that aren't afraid to dwell on moments that other movies would rush through. I guess that's the reason "Barry Lyndon" is one of my favorite films.
I've been wondering why Benjamin's character was so unremarkable in itself, and the reason I came up with is that he's there to allow the people who choose to care about him to be their best selves. He listens to, empathizes with and loves them unconditionally, making no demands, just accepting what is offered. He seems to be storing up everything about them. Why does he go from old to young? It's an interesting idea to explore, I guess. It's his own particular pain--never to fit in, always to be going in the opposite direction to the ones he loves. It gives him a certain clarity but keeps him apart. Far from worshiping youth, he fears its helplessness as others fear the infirmities of old age.
I thought Brad Pitt was lovely in the role. Yes, his eyes could be more alive, but I thought the same thing about Christian Bale in "The Dark Knight." The compensation is physical beauty and an aura of sweetness that fit the character well. To a large extent, it may have been simply a choice; anyone who's seen him in "Twelve Monkeys" knows his eyes can take on a mad, penetrating look. I often think of Brad Pitt as a younger Robert Redford; he's another one more known for his looks than his emotive ability. Cate Blanchett is one of my favorite actors, and she was terrific as usual. But she wasn't given any real scenery-chewing opportunities either, which makes me think the director made a choice to keep histrionics out of the film.
I failed to catch the original reference to the humming bird, so every time one showed up I was clueless as to its meaning. Can anybody enlighten me?
--- End quote ---
RE: Significance of the Hummingbirds. A quick google search provided the following opinions:
"According to Wikipedia, "the hummingbird is known as a messenger and stopper of time due to its speed... The hummingbird is also able to fly backwards, teaching us that we can look back on our past."
In the movie, the hummingbird appears during times that a hummingbird should not survive - out at sea and during a winter storm. Perhaps the hummingbird represents that these characters can learn from their trying experiences but move forward with energy like a hummingbird. Perhaps the hummingbird represents the need for these characters to also act as messengers and share their stories with others." http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20081226204943AA5FvdJ
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"[...] an amusingly recurring gag involving lightning strikes, and an egregiously symbolic hummingbird, Benjamin Button unavoidably invites comparisons to Gump." - http://www.slantmagazine.com/film/film_review.asp?ID=4036 (I had to look up egregiously, lol!)
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"As Captain Mike dies after a heroic attack on a German U-boat, Benjamin tells him, "There's a nice spot in heaven waiting for you." Benjamin spies a hummingbird flying upward, perhaps a symbol of Mike's spirit. A hummingbird appears again when Benjamin grows too young to live any longer." - http://www.pluggedinonline.com/movies/movies/a0004413.cfm - I can't believe I'm quoting a i]Focus on Family[/i] site! Ewww!
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"Cloying symbol of, well, something:
"Forrest Gump:" A feather that appears in key moments of the film, cascading downward lightly, spritely, representing the uplifting vicissitudes of survival and existence.
"Benjamin Button:" A hummingbird that appears in key moments of the film, madly flapping its wings, representing the uplifting vicissitudes of survival and existence." - http://www.insidesocal.com/tv/2008/12/benjamin-button-a-gump-by-any.html
Hope this helps
Meryl:
Thanks, Gil. The messenger and flying backwards characteristics really resonate with the movie's themes, I think. Maybe the hummingbird was never mentioned in the script by any character, but just appeared. I wonder, was it in the original short story?
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