On its surface, this is a film about a man returning to New York to finish the film he began in 1970, when he was a 22 year old film school hotshot. Along with his former lover and star of the film, they transfer the film, hire an editor, and get to work.
Sort of.
Like all great documentaries, this film is about so much more. Robert finds it nearly impossible to cut his film together. Miles of unedited footage have infinite possibilities - it can be easy to imagine that there is a masterpiece lurking in the old canisters of film. Setting out to actually making a film out of the footage brings up insecurities, fears and doubts.
This film is about lost youth, the optimism that one has when the whole world is full of possibilities, versus the small lives most of us actually end up leading. We turn out not to be masters of the universe. Often, we can't even get over our own fears to even become masters of our own lives.
Too often, it is easier to retreat into familiarity, and hide out in mundane, safe lives, where we can imagine what might have been.
Sort of.
Like all great documentaries, this film is about so much more. Robert finds it nearly impossible to cut his film together. Miles of unedited footage have infinite possibilities - it can be easy to imagine that there is a masterpiece lurking in the old canisters of film. Setting out to actually making a film out of the footage brings up insecurities, fears and doubts.
This film is about lost youth, the optimism that one has when the whole world is full of possibilities, versus the small lives most of us actually end up leading. We turn out not to be masters of the universe. Often, we can't even get over our own fears to even become masters of our own lives.
Too often, it is easier to retreat into familiarity, and hide out in mundane, safe lives, where we can imagine what might have been.
