MovieChat Forums > Vier Minuten (2008) Discussion > Exploitative (spoilers)

Exploitative (spoilers)

posted 14 years ago by Hypatia42
3 replies | jump to latest

I wanted to enjoy this film, particularly since its final four minutes are praised by so many, however I found the contents to be exploitative and grotesque in the extreme and they didn't need to be.

The girl's rapist father 'saves' the day by vouching for her at the competition. He pollutes her redemption with his mere presence and contact with her teacher. I was already irritated with the film's incessant plucking of unresolved tragedy strings (suicide, WWII, murder, jail break, etc.) when the film displayed the height of bad taste by involving her suffering/tragedy in the performance I lost all respect for the story.

I felt that it was the worst attempt to emotionally exploit the audience and an insult to the supposed intelligence of the characters to drag them through larger-than-life catastrophe after catastrophe, needlessly. There are a lot of narrative options, why use these? The thing I came to resent is that although the music was beautiful, the supremely damaged characters just had their tragedies mount, never dissipate.

Anyone agree?

[–] Billy_Crash 14 years ago

The juxtapositions were wonderful. No one was really a good or bad character - just human with frailties. Some characters were worse than others, but I'm glad the filmmakers didn't present any of the players as being good or pure, or equally as bad and awful - sort of like real life. Otherwise, the story would have been sappy, predictable and cliche.

[–] missypantne 14 years ago

I don't agree with your interpretation of her performance - but I don't know what the filmmakers intended, so perhaps you're right.

I thought his vouching for her was an attempt to make things right, and she pretty clearly (and rightly!) told him to go *beep* himself.

Overall, yes, the movie was a bit heavy-handed and could have been about twenty minutes shorter, but I thought it was pretty good overall.

[–] michaelexarkun 12 years ago

I don't agree with the OP and really don't even try to understand the point he/she is trying to make.
The setting is in a correctional facility, one would hardly expect pristine circumstances and experiences in the character's backgrounds.