Yo just saw this today. What a beautiful film. Very disturbing. Would not recommend it to many people.
I’ve seen that theory about Pelle killing Dani’s family and honestly it makes a certain amount of sense. He clearly had his eye on her and there was zero chance of her going on the trip before that happened. I mean, Christian was going to break up with her until it happened. If Aster came out and told us that’s what happened I wouldn’t be surprised.
Saw this again last night and where my hesitation and wavering sat before, i can now say for sure that I loved it. I was engaged the entire time and everything was more meaningful for me this time around because I knew what was coming and instead of being like WTF, I was able to just absorb it and as expected, some of the scenes got me choked up/took my breath away momentarily. A few notes from this viewing: Was still confused about who exactly it was wearing Mark's face in the temple when Josh gets whacked. However, after some digging online, It seems that it was the one dude who LOST it when Mark pissed on the tree? I don't particularly see how the audience could've figured that out, but it kinda makes sense. I knew going in that Aster had compared this to a perverted Wizard of Oz so I was trying to spot any allusions to that this time that I missed the first time. Could not confirm but there seems to be a portrair of the old timey scarecrow above the fridge in the guys' apartment. I noticed it during the party and then also when Dani comes in and sits down to talk to Pelle. What was with the clapping? I noticed it twice and assumed it just kind of like, amplified the effects of the drugs? Still felt kinda unsure on that. Definite like air-rippling happening after it happens so I guess it's hallucinogenic?
Yeah I thought it was the guy who got pissed at him that was wearing his face as I watched it. The one who sacrificed himself at the end.
I didn't even think about him for some reason. My girlfriend and I were like wracking our brains twice and still coming up with nothing haha. Also, in that scene, I've seen people say that it was almost kinda-sorta a lil homage to TTCM but dammit this time around he looked eerily similar to the Michael Myers mask for a second.
the fact that it goes from super drab dark colors to vibrant technicolor is very Oz and I hadn't thought about it. also some of the sacrificed people (definitely the elders, I think others too) were stuffed like scarecrows. This is definitely a stretch, but the people that Pelle brings along kind of parallel the roles of the Oz characters? Christian with no heart, Mark with no brain, Josh with no courage? the last one doesn't really work but idk
oh! i didn't even think about the visual shift in color and light! very cool. Yeah, after doing some more thinking, they all were stuffed. I just know that Mark was the most visually striking to me as the Jester/Scarecrow figure. I also went down this line of thinking trying to attribute each character a counterpart i.e. Dani/Dorothy, Mark/Scarecrow, Josh/Tin Man, and Christian/Lion but I couldn't really make it work and I definitely felt like I was looking into way too much. I even tried to make sense of the bear thru this lens and I had to stop and realize that it wasn't that deeply rooted haha.
for real though, this movie was beautiful and I loved it. Aster again completely nails the portrayal of grief in a way that left me pretty shook up. Gonna be thinking about that last scene for a while. edit: also I'd watch a 3+ hour cut of this movie without question, this theatrical version flew by
Seemed particularly awful to be Christian at the end there because it’s only his face burning alive while the rest of the fire works its way through the bear carcass, must’ve truly sucked ass for that guy
the score is so good. The last 2 and a half minutes of Fire Temple and it's use over the last few moments of the movie were unreal
i love how destroyed christian looks in the bear, it’s the face of ultimate defeat and it got the biggest laugh out of me lol