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Children of Men, Pan's Labyrinth, Apocalypto: Three Films That Will Change Your Life
By Ryan Parsons | Images property of respective holders.
Children of Men
I had recently had the pleasure of watching each film in sequence per day
for three days. Before entering my first viewing, Children of Men,
I found myself completely burned out on the usual Hollywood formula and
was looking for something different. Each of these three films succeeded
beyond my wildest dreams and I am now finally coming down from a mind-altering
three days.
Watching these three films in order can change the mindset of even the most
veteran moviegoer.
Children of Men, Pan's Labyrinth, Apocalypto:
The Wow Factor
Imagine that, three films that have you entering the theatre not possibly
knowing what to expect. First up was Children of Men.
Children of Men
WTF! When people get hurt or die in Children
of Men, it looks like they really die. Bassam and I saw this film
together and agreed that we both expected an "In Memory Of" at
the end of the film instead of credits. When somebody would get shot an
audience member would respond with "cool." No, not cool, I think
that guy really died. We are watching "Faces of Death" people.
Every sound, every gunshot, every blast has a resounding effect. Kudos to
whoever handled the sound editing.
Better yet, the extended shots! How do you pull off a car attack in what
looks to be one seamless shot? I am still at a loss of words for that one,
but when the motorcycle struck the hood of the car the only explanation
that ran through my head was "holy shit!"
The film leaves a lot of doors open, which was expected. There is an opening
piece of dialogue from Clive Owen's character that sums up the whole film.
I don't want to spoil it, but let me just say that it is uber-depressing.
The film is approximately 109 minutes long, but it feels over two hours
with all the tension and stress that gets carried over from scene to scene.
The second film I was meant to see was Guillermo
Del Toro's Pan's Labyrinth. Though my eyes had to constantly shift down
to read the subtitles, I cannot deny the beauty of both the film's story
and its overall look.
Pan's LabyrinthPan's Labyrinth
WTF! Coming off of Children of Men
I did not expect something that could compete in violence. Though the film
is supposedly a "fairy tale" and revolves around a little girl,
don't be fooled. Take some meaning from the "R" rating and enter
theatres expecting to not only see more than enough characters killed, but
a few heads bashed in as well. Pan's Labyrinth may feature
a fantastical imagination of one little girl, but it is evident that that
there is no escaping the cruelty of fascism.
Sergi López is strictly evil as Captain Vidal. Guillermo Del Toro
does an impressive job of showing us why Ofelia (played by the adorable
Ivana Baquero) has to disappear into her own imagination in order to escape
the brutality taking place around her. But is it Ofelia's imagination at
work or is she really a part of her own fairy tale? The film leaves this
question open, with each viewer making their own interpretation by the time
the credits get rolling. Either way, it is pretty damn depressing.
We have always been told that fascism was bad. Guillermo Del Toro makes
sure to drive the point home.
Shocking and brilliant.
At this point my mind was in a completely different
place than it was a couple days before. Two depressing films that challenged
both the senses and the mind. I was mentally exhausted, but there was one
last film to finish my theatrical mindtrip.
ApocalyptoApocalypto
WTF! More violence and gore. Though I had figured
my emotions were now numb thanks to the two previous films, Mel Gibson's
Apocalypto had me sweating in my seat.
The film's story is aligned in such a way that you can split it up into
three parts.
Act 1- Introduction: We get to meet Jaguar Paw's tribe and learn of their
peaceful co-existence with nature. Capture by unknown outsiders ends this
peace.
Act 2- Civilization: The term may sound good, but it also means famine,
disease and sadism. Viewers are introduced to an Aztec city built of stone.
Though more advanced than the jungle inhabitants, this same culture is facing
a serious decline. Ritual sacrifices ensue.
Act 3- Run Bitch!: Jaguar Paw finds a way to escape his captors and extract
a bit of redemption of his own while trying to save his wife and children
from imminent demise.
Act 3 is my favorite. Watching a thirty-plus minute hunt through a jungle
is thrilling. When Jaguar Paw decides that he is now in his territory he
loses all fear of his hunters and therefore the hunters become the hunted.
Brilliant. The ending, even better. Nobody really wins, but at least Jaguar
Paw helps bring out the light.
So there you have it. I am still a little wigged out thanks to a compilation
of violence, thrills, and gore, but that will likely pass shortly. These
three films -- when watched in a row -- do leave a lasting impression and
will forever change my outlook on what Hollywood can really do. Even if
it does take a limited release to get there.
How did Guillermo Del Toro, Mel Gibson and Alfonso Cuarón do it?
Easy: Each filmmaker gave their film every ounce of love that they had.
Other filmmakers take note.
I couldn't have had a better conclusion to 2006; even if it did take me
until 2007 to watch them.
Stay tuned for updates.
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Ryan Parsons
Sources: Images property of respective holders.
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