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floatingleafI just got back from seeing The Road. ![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
akashaelfwitch had the brilliant idea to go to an early showing at 2:00 p.m., to avoid the typical evening crowds - so we pretty much had the auditorium to ourselves (there were maybe 5 other people there). (I had to call in sick to work yesterday anyway, since I got my period - so it made perfect sense to extend the 'sickness' for today as well.) After the movie we went to a cheap sandwich place to have a bite and do some catching up, as we hadn't seen each other in a while. The weather was perfect for the occasion - wet, dark and gloomy, that is.;) It just wouldn't do to walk out of that movie into a sunlit afternoon - it'd be totally wrong, somehow. Just as it wouldn't do to eat in a clean, expensive restaurant. I still felt kinda guilty as I dug ravenously into my cheap salad, with an image of Viggo's emaciated face imprinted firmly on my mind...
I cried, of course. That in itself doesn't tell you much, since I often tend to cry during movies. Especially now that I mostly watch movies by myself and don't feel the need to control my reactions. But the last time I actually sobbed in a movie theater in public was years ago, while watching Boys Don't Cry. And that does tell you something, I suppose.
Still, I think I'm not as terribly crushed by this film as I feared I might be. I was pretty much prepared for the worst - so I mostly felt relief that some of the horrible things I was expecting did NOT happen. And strangely enough, I mostly cried at the good moments, not the bad ones; at the tender, comforting moments that in this particular universe appeared all the more precious. This story touches something so absolutely basic on an emotional level, I can't imagine anyone not being moved by it. And it's so totally believable - far too believable for comfort, to be honest. The end of human civilization as we know it is not a far-fetched fantasy by any standards - if you pay attention to what's going on around the world these days. To me, anyway, it's a pretty real possibility. It might nor happen in my lifetime (or so I hope) - but frankly, if I had kids, I'd be pretty freaked out about their future. So it wasn't just seeing Viggo's character in pain and/or discomfort that made me deeply uneasy - it was the very real fear of the same things happening either to myself or to other people I know and care about. You don't feel that fear while watching any random fantasy horror flick. You don't really contemplate the possibility of being attacked by zombies, for example (and if you do, you might need to see a shrink... lol). The possibility of being homeless, cold, hungry and sick with no one to turn to for help, however... now that's a different story. That, quite honestly, scares the shit out of me if I dare to think about it. Even the lack of simple comforts... like a pair of warm, dry socks, for example. Or being able to take a bath. Or... you know. Any of those things most of us take for granted. I think I am going to apreciate them much more from now on.
Viggo was amazing, of course. He was scary and beautiful and tough and vulnerable and just utterly REAL every second of it. So was the boy. Every single character in this movie is unforgettable, actually. But Viggo & Kodi created something so powerful together I don't really have words to describe it. Next time I watch the film (hopefully next week, with another friend of mine who also wants to see it) I am going to focus more on all the little subtleties of their interactions. That's precisely what I like about second viewings: I am no longer biting my nails about what's going to happen, I know exactly when I need to close my eyes for a few moments, or when to pay closer attention to some relevant detail. And whenever Viggo is involved, I always discover more the second time around. All those volumes he speaks with every little gesture, look or shift in facial expression. He's the ultimate drug for my acting fetish, lol. Those piercing eyes touch something inside me that is well beyond words or reason. And I don't even care how corny that sounds right now. Which probably tells you something too.
akashaelfwitch had the brilliant idea to go to an early showing at 2:00 p.m., to avoid the typical evening crowds - so we pretty much had the auditorium to ourselves (there were maybe 5 other people there). (I had to call in sick to work yesterday anyway, since I got my period - so it made perfect sense to extend the 'sickness' for today as well.) After the movie we went to a cheap sandwich place to have a bite and do some catching up, as we hadn't seen each other in a while. The weather was perfect for the occasion - wet, dark and gloomy, that is.;) It just wouldn't do to walk out of that movie into a sunlit afternoon - it'd be totally wrong, somehow. Just as it wouldn't do to eat in a clean, expensive restaurant. I still felt kinda guilty as I dug ravenously into my cheap salad, with an image of Viggo's emaciated face imprinted firmly on my mind...I cried, of course. That in itself doesn't tell you much, since I often tend to cry during movies. Especially now that I mostly watch movies by myself and don't feel the need to control my reactions. But the last time I actually sobbed in a movie theater in public was years ago, while watching Boys Don't Cry. And that does tell you something, I suppose.
Still, I think I'm not as terribly crushed by this film as I feared I might be. I was pretty much prepared for the worst - so I mostly felt relief that some of the horrible things I was expecting did NOT happen. And strangely enough, I mostly cried at the good moments, not the bad ones; at the tender, comforting moments that in this particular universe appeared all the more precious. This story touches something so absolutely basic on an emotional level, I can't imagine anyone not being moved by it. And it's so totally believable - far too believable for comfort, to be honest. The end of human civilization as we know it is not a far-fetched fantasy by any standards - if you pay attention to what's going on around the world these days. To me, anyway, it's a pretty real possibility. It might nor happen in my lifetime (or so I hope) - but frankly, if I had kids, I'd be pretty freaked out about their future. So it wasn't just seeing Viggo's character in pain and/or discomfort that made me deeply uneasy - it was the very real fear of the same things happening either to myself or to other people I know and care about. You don't feel that fear while watching any random fantasy horror flick. You don't really contemplate the possibility of being attacked by zombies, for example (and if you do, you might need to see a shrink... lol). The possibility of being homeless, cold, hungry and sick with no one to turn to for help, however... now that's a different story. That, quite honestly, scares the shit out of me if I dare to think about it. Even the lack of simple comforts... like a pair of warm, dry socks, for example. Or being able to take a bath. Or... you know. Any of those things most of us take for granted. I think I am going to apreciate them much more from now on.
Viggo was amazing, of course. He was scary and beautiful and tough and vulnerable and just utterly REAL every second of it. So was the boy. Every single character in this movie is unforgettable, actually. But Viggo & Kodi created something so powerful together I don't really have words to describe it. Next time I watch the film (hopefully next week, with another friend of mine who also wants to see it) I am going to focus more on all the little subtleties of their interactions. That's precisely what I like about second viewings: I am no longer biting my nails about what's going to happen, I know exactly when I need to close my eyes for a few moments, or when to pay closer attention to some relevant detail. And whenever Viggo is involved, I always discover more the second time around. All those volumes he speaks with every little gesture, look or shift in facial expression. He's the ultimate drug for my acting fetish, lol. Those piercing eyes touch something inside me that is well beyond words or reason. And I don't even care how corny that sounds right now. Which probably tells you something too.
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
(no subject)
Date: 2009-11-26 07:16 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2009-11-26 10:44 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2009-11-26 02:25 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2009-11-26 10:50 pm (UTC)I don't want to 'spoil' you, but... the ending is hopeful, really. *hugs*
(no subject)
Date: 2009-11-26 07:10 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2009-11-26 10:52 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2010-06-09 11:01 am (UTC)What I found most interesting about this movie is what circumstances do to the human psyche - and how it´s so important to remember what makes us human even when everything else has been taken away; hope, future, basic needs.. ultimately - the last thing left is the choice to remain human, because losing that means losing the essential purpose of existing as humans and not as beasts.
How they need each other. The man´s stubborness to move forward, no matter what, despite the fear and the trials and unknown outcome. The refusal of giving up even in the darkest times, to push the boy forward while trying to protect(but not overprotect)him and teaching him to survive.
The struggle to remain on the "good side" when survival instinct is on the edge of pushing away humanism. How the boy reminds the man of this, calling him back from that almost de-humanized state of desperation.
Their joy when finding the bunker, how the boy´s eyes shine like if he was in paradise and how devastated he is when they have to leave it.
The bug. The hope. Just a flicker.
Guh.
(no subject)
Date: 2010-06-11 02:00 am (UTC)Oh yeah. The most terrifying moment for me was the house of the cannibalistic family with their human "meat supply" locked up in the basement. All I could think of was Oh God, please let me die before I ever find myself in this kind of situation. On either side. And then I couldn't help wondering what would happen once Viggo broke the lock and the prisoners managed to get out. Would the roles be reversed?... *shudder*
I loved how the boy kept the man in line. How he managed to convey his simple message of Hey, YOU taught me we're the good guys, so what is this now??? If only more people - especially adults - had retained this childish purity and courage to question the decisions (and/or expose the hypocrisy) of their leaders, the world would be a better place...
And the bunker!... oh my God. Such paradise in a mere respite from hunger, cold and exhaustion. Also, the bath. The muddy water coming down the drain... Viggo's ribs sticking out (OMG how I wanted to feed him in that moment... LOL). And the obvious relish with which the boy brushed his teeth. The things we all take for granted, sometimes even grumble about (OMG, mom, do I really HAVE to take that bath?... LOL). How precious they become when we are deprived. A very valuable lesson here, I think.
Also, I loved Viggo's observation that dreaming of bad things meant you were still fighting, wanting to stay alive. It is very true - because if you're no longer afraid of death, what else is there to keep you from escaping a life of pain and misery?... The man's peaceful dreams/memories were a clear sign that he didn't want to live anymore - he only clung to his miserable existence for the boy's sake. When they reached the coast, he must have felt that his mission was accomplished and now he was free to go (I like to think that somehow he knew the boy would be safe). That's my interpretation anyway.;)