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This films illness is ambiguity...what was the point? spoilers

posted 16 years ago by sgraf_x
3 replies | jump to latest

I just saw this cause I love JMs work and although she was elegant as ever this film left me flat. I get ambiguity in film and generally I like it when directors leave certain things up to the viewers imagination. But what you have to do is at least let the viewer in on whats going on. Theres so much ambiguity in this film that by the end you feel as though youve watched something meant to be truly thought provoking and evocative but yet never gives you enough information to produce the desired effect. Was she actually physically ill or was it psychosomatic? Other than having a mild personality what was the catalyst for her illness? Where is the necessary background information that needs to be considered? So everyone in her life that loves and cares just goes along with her own irrational self-diagnoses? Husband doesnt care just lets her go away, Doctors and shrinks dont pursue a concrete diagnosis? If she was mentally ill (which based on the information presented I assume that she was) you just leave her to her own devices?

I just kept waiting for the reveal which would take me in some direction regarding her characters affliction but none ever came. In the end it just felt like experimental filmmaking that one would do in film school as an assigned project.

There is just no point to the story that is presented here, it cant qualify as a cautionary tale nor a character study because so much information has been left out. Its absolutely like getting a book thats 12 chapters long and only reading the four middle chapters. Some may find it a sophisticated storytelling style but I consider it to be bush league.

There is No Gene for the Human Spirit.

[–] sciencegeniusguy 16 years ago

although there definitely is a lot of ambiguity regarding the core events, the sickness, and the characters, the more flat the story is interpreted, the more sense it makes. at least for me.

i interpreted this movie as living with a crutch, either an addiction, a physical disability or illness, mental handicap, etc. early on in the locker room one of carol's friends is talking about how the 12-step program is like it's own form of addiction, which is referencing the 12 steps of aa.

i don't know, i don't really feel like going into deep detail about all the things i picked up on, but from an alcoholics point of view, it was kind of about how hopeless the world is for the handicapped. or at least, how difficult it is, and how strange it is.

i'd still like to know what the *beep* was up with the spandex guy, though.

[–] sgraf_x 16 years ago

Thats funny I am also a recovering alcoholic and yet for me I found nothing about this movie with which I could identify. Although I do agree with the sentiment that the 12 step program can become an addiciton in its practice that can pretty much be said about anything one choses to put their energies into.

The one thing that I keep coming back to in my mind about this movie that I think was key but yet I dont know what the proper interpretation would be is the opening scene in which they are making love. Its the opening scene so it must be important to the rest of the narrative yet I dont know how...

There is No Gene for the Human Spirit.

I can think, I can wait, I can pray.

[–] sgraf_x 16 years ago

lol, oh yeah the spandex guy was hilarious. I think it was for comic relief.

He reminds me of that guy from the chappelle show thats always doing the robot in the background!

There is No Gene for the Human Spirit.

I can think, I can wait, I can pray.