Hi everyone!!
Just saw the movie and I couldn't help to think that this movie owes a lot to González Iñárritu's work although not that well executed. Don't get me wrong, I loved it, it does have some interesting twists and I love the biculturality of it but the ending... was a little loose for me.
So, what do you think?
I like the movie. Saw it today. And I thought the ending was just perfect. What did you expect to happen after that?
shareHi, you got a point there, but its only partially true. Akin has been making movies for a while now, starting about the same time as Innaritu, so its not possible that he strongly influenced him in the beginning. Akin cites Fassbinder as a major influence (who showed a similar style back in the 70s/80s).
But it IS true that both - Akin and Innaritu - were working with Guillermo Arriaga while writing their recent scripts. So I guess both were influenced by that author.
You are right regarding Arriaga. Akin pointed out in an interview with Spiegel online that he went to Mexico in order to discuss the script with Arriaga. But he said that Arriaga's advice for the script was only a limited help as he had to change the whole structure of the movie in the cutting room. The script switched permanently between the different stories and had no chronological structure. Akin said they reduced the complexity of the movie by merging each of the stories and implementing a chronological structure. So Akin called it pure irony that he received an award for the script in Cannes.
With reference to Fassbinder, Akin denied such a strong influence. He said that the comparison to Fassbinder follows (another translation could by: haunts) him since his first film. He expressed great admiration for Fassbinder but he said his way of filming is totally different.
For those who can read German: http://www.spiegel.de/kultur/kino/0,1518,507996,00.html
yeah but, paul haggis did the same and got an oscar. i don't find it wrong to make a movie like this, unless it's bad or using the same themes over and over again... nevertheless, inarritu and arriaga didn't create this idea, the same technics were used before them, they just resurrected it..
'And Saint Attila raised the hand grenade up on high saying, O Lord bless this thy hand grenade'
honestly, I think this film is a lot better than Babel. both films are kind of similar in theme and story-telling but this one is a lot more intimate and believable. well, I thought Babel was just ridiculous, its plot twists and coincidences just contrived, the whole film was annoyingly glossy and full of over-the-top acting. we are all connected by a gun? that´s stupid. we are all connected because we are connected. because we are friends and lovers of other people be they Turkish, German, Mexican, whatsoever. Akin´s film, while not perfect, got this better, its story was more believable, the coincidences made sense to me, and even if they were contrived sometimes, at least, they were not screaming a message in your face
I agree, thats what I thought when I saw Head On and now i was trully convinced when i saw Edge of Heaven
share