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What's it all about?

posted 19 years ago by craigjohnson20
3 replies | jump to latest

There is a line in Linklater's fourth film, "Before Sunrise" where Ethan Hawke says, "Why is it that a dog sleeping in the sun is so beautiful, but a guy, standing at a bank machine trying to take some money out, looks like a complete moron?". I think this line represents Linklater consciously trying to sum up this film - this film even has Rick standing at a bank machine trying to take some money out. But is this film anything more than a look at all the most mundane aspects of life or is it there something more profound going on here?

A film professor once told Linklater, "Don't show people saying things. Show them doing things." I think the bulk of Rick's work is him rebelling against that convention. And I think this film is Rick trying to turn his back on all film conventions: plot, narrative, character, action. I think I expected it to have some deeper meaning, but I don't think it does. I think it was a personal experiment and that is why it is only shown as a bonus feature on the "Slacker" DVD.

[–] Ed in MO 19 years ago

If you listen to the commentary track on the film, Rick says that he made this film to show things that directors generally just do not show on film, boring stuff like shaving, watching the world go by on a train, sleeping in an airport, or watching a football game on Thanksgiving after a family meal. Rick seems to have gotten this out of his system in 1986, and now he's all about telling stories and entertaining.

Good for him. I liked the film, but I'm sure there are thousands of films just like it out there waiting to be seen, made by all those wannabe directors who bought video cameras when they started getting cheap in the '80's. The difference is that Rick is now one of the top twenty or so Hollywood directors and people are interested in his early stuff.

[–] lakers392003 18 years ago

I think this movie is about what the title says only "Its Impossible to Learn to Make a Movie Without Making One". Anyone who is good at anything has to start somewhere.

My favorite part is where he is trying to find a song to listen to on the radio (hey, he passed up The Pretenders, whatz up with that?). I have lived in Houston all my life and the radio stations have always SUCKED, still SUCK and will continue to SUCK until there is no radio. Hopefully that will be soon.

[–] craigjohnson20 18 years ago

Rick admits on the commentary that he doesn't know why he didn't just stay on that Pretenders song. By the way, I don't think Rick could get away with this sequence now - he'd have to get the rights to all that music. The stuff on TV too.