I haven't seen a movie this well directed in a long time. A movie where the director actually put thought into the visuals and where the camera was and what it was doing. We've seen BS versions of this where there are "long takes" that are actually several, skillfully edited to look like one. By that's stupid and pointless. Here there are many longer takes but they are organic. When in the beginning there was a cut from one longer take to another I knew I was in good hands.
I also stayed away from this movie because I thought it was going to be really heavy and dark. It is those thing but it's not pounded in. There's no "emotional blackmail," and the director knows that the point is coming across without having to linger. It seems these days with most movies that when something bad or scary happens that they try to make you feel this by over doing it. I often find myself saying, "Yeah we get it, let's move on." The only scene that does go on for a while is when Paul stabs the French soldier. And of course it serves the story very well and is the whole point of the movie, so it's very necessary. I expected this movie to be a bunch of those scenes. But just the one was very effective.
That middle fight was crazy! It just kept getting worse! The tanks were awesome! Their reveal was very good. And then the flame throwers! I did find myself watching this alone yelling at the TV in surprise. I also gasped when Paul gets stabbed at the end. The way you are drawn into the unspoken dialogue with the two soldiers and then the impalement was a shock. I thought the whole time the Paul was going to die, I figured that he had to, and then I thought he was actually going to make it and then boom, dead. I actually thought that he could survive the stab because I didn't want him to die. Even the lingering shot on his dead face I was hoping he would wake up.
Of course the point and themes of this story are well known but they are done very well. The blind eagerness of the youth to go fight, the luxury that the people in charge live in while the soldiers suffer and the people giving the orders when they themselves don't have to deal with it. It's all well done.
And the music? That was very cool. Haven't heard a score quite like that before. It was unsettling and didn't seem to be following any sort of time. It was very cool.
This movie felt old school in the sense that it was made by a director that knows what he's doing and cares. There's been enough good movies made over the years but they aren't like this. They don't have that feeling of confidence, talent and quality. I hope this is where movies are going yet again. Or at least we have more of these directors pop up. Because the old guys aren't gonna be around much longer. Scorsese, De Palma, Spielberg, Scott, Coppola, Mann, Lynch, Lucas... But even most of them don't really make stuff anymore. And Nolan can't be the only good one. I'll be keeping my eyes on this director.
I also stayed away from this movie because I thought it was going to be really heavy and dark. It is those thing but it's not pounded in. There's no "emotional blackmail," and the director knows that the point is coming across without having to linger. It seems these days with most movies that when something bad or scary happens that they try to make you feel this by over doing it. I often find myself saying, "Yeah we get it, let's move on." The only scene that does go on for a while is when Paul stabs the French soldier. And of course it serves the story very well and is the whole point of the movie, so it's very necessary. I expected this movie to be a bunch of those scenes. But just the one was very effective.
That middle fight was crazy! It just kept getting worse! The tanks were awesome! Their reveal was very good. And then the flame throwers! I did find myself watching this alone yelling at the TV in surprise. I also gasped when Paul gets stabbed at the end. The way you are drawn into the unspoken dialogue with the two soldiers and then the impalement was a shock. I thought the whole time the Paul was going to die, I figured that he had to, and then I thought he was actually going to make it and then boom, dead. I actually thought that he could survive the stab because I didn't want him to die. Even the lingering shot on his dead face I was hoping he would wake up.
Of course the point and themes of this story are well known but they are done very well. The blind eagerness of the youth to go fight, the luxury that the people in charge live in while the soldiers suffer and the people giving the orders when they themselves don't have to deal with it. It's all well done.
And the music? That was very cool. Haven't heard a score quite like that before. It was unsettling and didn't seem to be following any sort of time. It was very cool.
This movie felt old school in the sense that it was made by a director that knows what he's doing and cares. There's been enough good movies made over the years but they aren't like this. They don't have that feeling of confidence, talent and quality. I hope this is where movies are going yet again. Or at least we have more of these directors pop up. Because the old guys aren't gonna be around much longer. Scorsese, De Palma, Spielberg, Scott, Coppola, Mann, Lynch, Lucas... But even most of them don't really make stuff anymore. And Nolan can't be the only good one. I'll be keeping my eyes on this director.