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I've watched this movie twice in the past 6 months. Just finished watching it the second time tonight and I came to appreciate it even more after the second viewing. It *is* extremely graphic and disturbing. What I enjoy so much about it is how well all the pieces fit together though. The cinematography, the soundtrack, the story itself: all of it blends together to enhance the overall experience. I don't think the movie would be quite the same if any one of these aspects were changed or removed.
Spoiler: For example, as the movie begins the camera work is incredibly dizzying, much like the state of mind the main characters are in. Not only is it a visual representation, but it literally makes YOU dizzy, injecting this emotion before you even know what is going on. As the movie progresses, the camera gets calmer and calmer. Not to mention that in the rape scene, the static camera really adds a tremendous amount of realism and terribleness. The length? It serves to make it even more unsettling...each time you think it's finally over, it starts up again...time seems to stand still and the rape seems to go on forever, much like I would imagine a woman in that position would feel. By the end, one is almost settled after watching 30 minutes or so of happiness, only to be jarred back to the reality of the future by the persistent strobe spiraling through space, returning the viewer to the unsettled state of earlier.
This is one of my favorite movies, and also one I hope to rarely watch. But, that is why I like it so much - for how well it effected my own emotions through more than just the content of the story. I think everyone should sit through this movie at least once...and resist the urge many may get to turn it off at the halfway point. Once you've made it past that, the worst parts are over.
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Le temps détruit tout
"Musicians are the carriers and communicators of spirit in the most immediate sense." - Kurt Elling
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