Thursday, November 22, 2007

Backlog #2 Existenz

Hmm. How to review Existenz?

Don't watch Existenz because it sucks. The End.

I could spend a half hour writing about the symbolism and sexuality in this boring as shit movie, but I'm going to write about Blade Runner instead. I saw it again last week and realized that I hadn't written anything about why I liked the film, just how much I liked the experience. I've always thought the whole discussion of whether or not Deckard is a replicant is one of the least interesting discussions one could have after seeing it. I prefer to think of Deckard as human, because then the film boils down to being about a man who learns how to be a person through his interaction with robots. I love how fragile he is, how vulnerable, how in every interaction with the replicants he is close to death. I think that's the main point of the film, that everyone is close to death. Whether it's 4 years or 100 everyone has a finite lifespan. And choosing how to spend the time we have is what makes us who we are.

What else do I like? I love lots of tiny throwaway visuals:
-The way the camera speeds up when Deckard pulls his gun on Leon and Leon slaps it away
-The scene where Deckard sips from a shotglass and blood runs into the glass [much harder to spot on DVD]
-The way Edward James Olmos hits Deckard with his cane to get his attention

Hopefully my next backlog DVD will be better.

3 comments:

karin said...

that's the point of the movie that we both laughed at and jen was wondering what was so funny: the cane tapping.

I love the blood in the shot glass too.

Jennifer said...

You guys also laughed when Harrison had a really ugly shirt on. At least I think that was why.

I'll have to watch it a few more times, I think. But I did enjoy it, and it was remarkably similar to what I was expecting.

Next time, should I watch it with the voiceover or without?

dwj said...

I would avoid the voiceover version at all costs. The original ending is pretty awful.

http://youtube.com/watch?v=4fCeH-WnJYM