Midsommar (Ari Aster, July 3, 2019) Movie • Page 21

The other thing about the thesis element that made it important to the movie was it gave Aster a device by which to get explanations about the village’s beliefs and customs conveyed to the audience in a natural-sounding way: WJH and Reynor asking questions for their anthropology theses. And then Will Poulter was the guy who wasn’t there for a school-related reason and thus wasn’t as interested in getting to the core of why they do the things they do.

 

The blood eagle is likely a myth, there is no proof other than a couple stories that it was ever performed, and it would be impossible to keep somebody alive like that

 

I mean it probably didn't literally look exactly as dramatic as in the movie but the stories must have come from somewhere.

 

Also, the thesis works as a reason why they stick around once the crazy stuff starts happening. As in, it negates the trope of horror movie protagonists not immediately leaving the dangerous situation once it becomes apparent something sinister is going on. Like, Connie and Simon, non-anthropologists, immediately try to leave after the elders throw themselves from the cliff (like sensible people). Christian and Josh don't because of their academic interest in what is going on.

 

In my head it comes from Aster being a fan of the Hannibal show

 

Yeah I instantly thought of Hannibal when that moment happened. That show had the best death tableaux of any media ever.

 

I’m just saying there is no way his lungs were still breathing, it was the drugs that made it look like they were moving.

 

Eh, it's a movie, if the lungs were really still breathing I'll suspend my disbelief.

 

Counterpoint: the reveal of the moving lungs was fucking rad as hell and I don’t care if it works in real life Neil Degrasse Tyson

 

Sorry I think something goofy and impossible in an otherwise "grounded and real" horror movie breaks immersion. Maybe a dragon showing up at some point would've looked rad as hell too, but it would've been fucking odd.

Also I was just giving my reasoning for believing it was the drugs that made them look like they were moving

 

I don’t know if a present day sex cult where no one lives past 72 because they all throw themselves off a fuckin cliff is especially grounded or real but hey

 

It's more that there's nothing supernatural about what's happening here, unlike in Hereditary. Not that it's 100% "realistic".

 

Senicide is a thing in some cultures, defying medical science is not.

 

I get that, I’m just sayin’ that sometimes it’s best to just go with it

I mean I think it was probably just the tea they sippin’ on but I’m not too concerned either way

 

All I meant was that just because this one is more "grounded in reality" than Hereditary doesn't mean it can't have things that stretch that grounding to some degree. For me, Simon still being alive in the blood eagle doesn't necessarily clash with the rest of the movie because it's right on the edge of believability. The cult still engaging in their rituals and festivals for hundreds of years without word getting out and the authorities getting involved is another thing that rides that line. Like, I can't imagine being ok with the latter and not also ok with the former, but that's just me.

 

I agree

Nothing wrong with being analytical either and if that takes someone out of it that’s obviously okay, just weighing in that it didn’t bother me and I thought it was cool as hell

 

I saw it alone, it was worth it. Hopefully you love!

 

Really enjoyed this.

 

I’m not sure how I feel about this movie, at all

 

I guess Ari Aster is not for me. Didn’t like this or Hereditary. Oh well.

 

Listening to the soundtrack rn and I can't believe Haxan Cloak included her crying on the actual track my day is ruined.

 

Finally about to see this

 

Gassed is such a fucking good track

 

I really enjoyed Hereditary but haven’t felt compelled to watch it again since theaters. This I want to see again ASAP. Maybe I shouldn’t compare the two but it’s hard not to. I think I really love how this is mostly just an art house film with horrific elements.

 

I’m gonna buy the 4K Blu-Ray for sure.