You were the last high.
Feb. 16th, 2010 01:07 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
osarabaWatched HCL with Liz on Sunday night. She liked it a lot. Which made me very, very happy. After the movie, we watched some fanvids and interviews and things like that, I told her some of the stuff I know about CKR and HD from listening to the DVD commentary and reading HCRS, and eventually that sort of trailed off... at which point, she said something that made the stupid lightbulb go off above my head.
Why I've been unable to stop watching this movie over and over.
I mean, I'm not the type to watch something over after just having seen it. And I usually wait a while before watching something over again. Especially with movies: I'm not the biggest fan of the visual medium (as opposed to books, that is). But with this movie... I just can't get enough of it.
She said, "I want to watch something else like it."
And yeah, we agreed, there's just nothing else that has the same feeling. Sure, there are movies that will have the feel of this part, or the same maneuvering, or subtext, or emotion, as that part -- but nothing I've seen comes together the way this movie does.
And the ending.
The ending is what I look for in every movie I watch, or book I read, or story I hear. Something unsurprising -- as in, it's completely in character, so it makes complete and utter sense that it would happen -- but also completely unexpected. Didn't know it would happen at that moment, and whoa, the ending has just rushed up to you, out of nowhere, in your face. It lifted you way up, like a geyser, and left you cartoonishly hanging in the air, mouth agape and wondering in panic if you'll be able to come down without hurting yourself.
But the best thing about this movie is that you never come down. You're just forever at that point of inhalation, holding your breath; never letting it go.
It's just perfect.
Why I've been unable to stop watching this movie over and over.
I mean, I'm not the type to watch something over after just having seen it. And I usually wait a while before watching something over again. Especially with movies: I'm not the biggest fan of the visual medium (as opposed to books, that is). But with this movie... I just can't get enough of it.
She said, "I want to watch something else like it."
And yeah, we agreed, there's just nothing else that has the same feeling. Sure, there are movies that will have the feel of this part, or the same maneuvering, or subtext, or emotion, as that part -- but nothing I've seen comes together the way this movie does.
And the ending.
The ending is what I look for in every movie I watch, or book I read, or story I hear. Something unsurprising -- as in, it's completely in character, so it makes complete and utter sense that it would happen -- but also completely unexpected. Didn't know it would happen at that moment, and whoa, the ending has just rushed up to you, out of nowhere, in your face. It lifted you way up, like a geyser, and left you cartoonishly hanging in the air, mouth agape and wondering in panic if you'll be able to come down without hurting yourself.
But the best thing about this movie is that you never come down. You're just forever at that point of inhalation, holding your breath; never letting it go.
It's just perfect.
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Date: 2010-02-19 06:28 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-02-19 06:36 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-02-19 09:47 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-02-19 09:48 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-02-19 09:52 pm (UTC)Also, very glad you agree; not so happy about "minus the fangirling", but still I'll take it. =P
*points to icon* Ray might not be so understanding though. <3
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Date: 2010-03-05 07:28 pm (UTC)Aaaaah, marry me! I had the exact same reaction. I watched the film. Then I watched it again. And again. Then I listened to the commentary and read HCRS and the "novel" it's based on and then I watched it again. And then wrote an essay here exploring the two main things that intrigued me, LOL.
And you really hit the nail on the head - there is absolutely nothing like it out there!
The ending is... perfect. Just perfect. Total shock, yet, right after the shock, it's the only way this could have ended. Just as you describe it.
And I just wanna talk about this film and the characters and the format and how brilliant it is! And any time I see it, I see something new and aaaaaaah! I think I'm gonna watch it again tonight ;)
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Date: 2010-03-05 08:12 pm (UTC)And now you have a place to do that! =D
Because it's been several weeks since I first saw it, and I haven't gone more than a few days without either watching it over, or at the very least, listening to the movie's audio track. I watched it again on Wednesday night, and probably will again this weekend.
YES. Every time I see it, there's something new! And the more meta I read, the better it gets. I also read HCRS -- which was an amazing read; really opened my eyes to the pre-production work that can go into a movie. The number of re-writes the screenplay went through -- and its metamorphosis -- was shocking and really exciting to read! In many ways, your essay's point #1 is reflected here, kind of breaking the 4th wall -- when Noel's irritation and anger at Bruce made its way into the film in the form of Pipe's blow-up after reading John's journal aloud.
What's really interesting about this movie -- and somewhat of an extension on your point -- is there's so much masking and unmasking of "real" personas of the characters, but it seems to be mirrored in the situation of the actors and their characters as well. One would not be wrong to say that there's a bit of the real person in any of an actor's roles, and definitely for some roles more than others (depending on the role and the person playing it). But in this movie in particular -- from all that I've gleaned from HCRS and interviews, etc. -- I think it would be more accurate to say that the characters have very strong connections to the real people playing them. So, which actions are shown through the "mask" of the characters and which are "unmasked" by the actors when it comes to the characters' (obvious and hidden) motivations?
OH MY GOD THINKING ABOUT THIS MOVIE IS JUST SO MUCH LOVE. WHY I HAVEN'T YET EXPLODED IS BEYOND MY KEN.
I only just started reading the HCL "novel" (literally on page 3), so I'm sure I'll have even more to say about the transformation of the book to the screenplay and beyond once I've finished it.
Also! So glad you are RIGHT THERE WITH ME on the ending. I have the BIGGEST problem with endings. I could cry, thinking that there was even the slightest chance that the production company could have basically thrown the movie out because of the change of ending. I was going to say that it's the most important part of the movie -- which isn't entirely accurate because it doesn't invalidate the rest, or make what came before less important -- but it DOES bring everything else into sharper focus, makes it MUCH more powerful, and sheds light on certain spots that wouldn't have been so clear otherwise.
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Date: 2010-03-05 10:43 pm (UTC)YAY! Thank you ;)
And ya know, it's been a few weeks since I've seen it as well. Entirely too long, so I'm totally rewatching it tonight ;)
I have the commentary as an mp3 and have been listening to that fairly regularly. I like it, though sometimes I wish they would go more in depth on some things and a few issues they completely left out.
I so need to read HCL meta - where's the good stuff? Please link me! ;)
And thank you for reading my "essay" - I just had to get that off my chest as I didn't know anyone to wax philosophically about it back then *HUGS LJ*
I really enjoyed HCRS - it gave me so much more insight and, as we established, having taken some film courses and one on screenwriting, this was especially interesting to me. (If you enjoyed it, I can rec "Monster: Living Off the Big Screen" by John Gregory Dunne. It details the writing of a script for a Disney movie based on a story that is totally un-Disney. It's way worse than what the HCL script went through.)
Good point about Noel's anger making it into the film, I hadn't considered that at all in the essay, not having read the book. GREAT POINT!
Also, wonderful points you make about the masking and unmasking of "real" personas of the characters as you put it. I think this is one of the things that fascinates me the most. First the mockumentary setting, but this is exactly what happens in ANY documentary or any film really. I find this process, of how people - or we all - constantly create these narratives about ourselves so incredibly fascinating. And HCL unmasks that, as we see the process, yet also how it's done. I do believe there are only two moments in the film when Billy and Joe are really communicating - first: anytime they're on stage. Through their music and the shared creative process. Second: the scene in the van late at night when everyone's sleeping and Joe is driving and Billy asks him TWICE if he's okay. These are the only times they're not acting when together. (Plus a few glimpses of the characters when they're unaware of being filmed, like Billy in the background chuking the phone after he gets the bad news about Jenifur when they're in the motel talking to John.) And it's these few glimpses that make the characters so damn interesting to me!
And wow, GREAT point about the actors influencing their characters! Totally - esp when it comes to Hugh and CKR. A lot of people are annoyed at how Noel portrayed CKR in his book, but that was him back then! That was before DS and deciding to focus on Canadian films. There's even a quote about CKR talking about going to LA to pursue his career. He was Billy Hollywood at that point. And the fact that him and HD were willing to go there in their performance - not sure if that's brave or if they were somewhat clueless about it at that point. Wow, you've just given me so much more to think about! ;)
And the ending... god yes. As you say, usually the ending of films is what pulls me right out of the whole experience. The denouement, when all is tied up and presented in a neat lil package and is just doesn't ring true. Well, HCL is how films should end. Because right at the end, I wanted to rewatch the film right away, as it WAS FUCKING PERFECT! It could not have ended any other way. Just, it couldn't have! Soooo happy they went through with it! As you say, it doesn't invalidate the rest, quite the opposite. It made the whole film mean so much more! The little hints. The little asides. Just, gah!!!!
And, in case you haven't read this before, but this is my all-time fav HCL fic. Okay, I only read about three, but I cannot imagine a better one: http://mercurial-wit.livejournal.com/39359.html
It's set after the film and told through interview snippets between Bruce and Billy. Just - perfect.
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Date: 2010-03-09 02:47 am (UTC)I'm definitely going to look into that book by John Gregory Dunne - it sounds fascinating. I'm really not a fan of Disney, but that metamorphosis from first draft to final is really interesting.
OH! Thanks for mentioning that point (how a lot of people are annoyed at how Noel portrayed CKR in his book). My reaction was the same -- CKR was that way back then. I'm glad I'm not the only one who thought that way. It makes so much sense for him to be focused on his career -- just because we all love CKR and he's a great guy doesn't mean he wasn't ambitious and maybe a little more uptight than he's come to be.
That fic you recced is great! I haven't read too many realistic sort of what-happens-after fics, so this one was a surprise! I kind of felt bad that Billy was revealing so much to Bruce, and without knowing how this might affect things... but the ending was so good, and AHHH, SO APPROPRIATE!!!!! =D
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Date: 2010-03-12 12:04 am (UTC)And thank you again for letting me enjoy the film so much more for being able to wax about it!
Hope you enjoy the book by Dunne. And not being a fans of Disney, you'll end up disliking Mauschwitz even more, as it's all about Disney buying a totally un-Disney story and the writers are struggling to turn it into a Disney story while trying to stay true to the actual story.
And yay, HUGS! You're the first I know who agrees with me about CKR during HCL. I can just see it - him starting out and picturing a different career for himself way before he settled down and decided to mainly work in Canada and take on more challenging roles and not be the leading type. I think Noel was more honest about that when it comes to CKR and people hate him for that. Sure, he has a big ego and that comes through in the book, and he was jealous of the connection CKR and HD had, but that's a mix of himself and the general place a scriptwriter finds him/herself in once a film starts shooting.
And yaaaay, so glad you enjoyed the fic! It really is the perfect post-script to the film to me.
no subject
Date: 2010-03-09 02:57 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-03-12 12:07 am (UTC)I read the meta on Mary the Fan - lots of good stuff and I agree about everything, but the possibility that the kid was Joe's and not Billy's. That just doesn't work for me.
That whole scene just hast SO MUCH in it and I still haven't decided for myself if what John's saying is total BS or not...