I need to see this again, if only to get a better look at the Grandmother's house. I loved this film on so many levels - I liked the ideas presented in the movie and all that but mostly I loved staring into their lovely faces and taking in all the interiors. Oh heck, the exteriors too, now that I think of it. It's the best kind of movie, there's so much to see, to think about, to feel and to experience. And to admire.
I like it that it's a little loopy and fantastic, which usually turns me off completely in movies and literature because when the creator trots out fantastic elements I almost always feel like they're over reaching and could have used ordinary life as a vehicle of expression but are too lazy. It's like they want to underline it: big idea folks! Don't miss it. IB takes a bunch of schlocky devices and proves that in the right hands, they all can work: the imagining of the fire, for instance, or the stark face off of good and evil, or the dangerous homosexual, the heavy handed symbolism, the play within a play. All corny elements we've seen too much of but fresh and compelling in this picture, even after 25 years. In fact, I was reminded again and again of my childhood and how I had first encountered many ideas. What did I think of Hamlet when I was forced to read it in the 7th grade? What did I think about life when I was forced to confront it with my developing brain? Have I lived up to my ideals? The best movies change you. This one has certainly given my a new standard for domestic beauty. I'm going to put a little lace on my sideboard today and cut some flowers. My little world.
I like it that it's a little loopy and fantastic, which usually turns me off completely in movies and literature because when the creator trots out fantastic elements I almost always feel like they're over reaching and could have used ordinary life as a vehicle of expression but are too lazy. It's like they want to underline it: big idea folks! Don't miss it. IB takes a bunch of schlocky devices and proves that in the right hands, they all can work: the imagining of the fire, for instance, or the stark face off of good and evil, or the dangerous homosexual, the heavy handed symbolism, the play within a play. All corny elements we've seen too much of but fresh and compelling in this picture, even after 25 years. In fact, I was reminded again and again of my childhood and how I had first encountered many ideas. What did I think of Hamlet when I was forced to read it in the 7th grade? What did I think about life when I was forced to confront it with my developing brain? Have I lived up to my ideals? The best movies change you. This one has certainly given my a new standard for domestic beauty. I'm going to put a little lace on my sideboard today and cut some flowers. My little world.