I began to feel some kind of close connection with director Taika Waititi after watching his TED Talk (which you should definitely watch here) and he described childhood issues with compulsively drawing swastikas on his bedroom wall, feeling an overwhelming sense of guilt and turning them into windows, which soon turned into rows of apartments. A lot of this reminded me of my own struggles. I was diagnosed with OCD this year. The illness came into my life in full force in about July and I felt as though my life had been flipped upside down. I began to feel like there was no way out, no way I could possibly feel better. I'd have compulsive thoughts, ones that I didn't want (much like Taika's), and I felt, and still feel, such a heavy sense of guilt. It used to feel like the weight of the world, but I've tried my best to manage it. So hearing that he was making a movie about Nazis, knowing his childhood preoccupation with swastikas, I wondered if this would be some kind of fuck you to those feelings that burdened him, that he didn't have to feel so guilty for drawing swastikas on walls. It's feelings of guilt like those that are really hard to say fuck you to, and even more difficult to accept that they're there. I don't even know what to begin when I'm trying to describe this movie. I'm already a Taika Waititi fanatic and I was so looking forward to this film, so it's obvious that my thoughts run along the line as follows: It was amazing. I thought it was funny and uplifting, sometimes scary, sometimes heartbreaking. The tonal shifts in the film, where it jumps from funny to serious to introspective to uplifting to shocking, were handled very well. I didn't tire of the character of Adolf Hitler because I loved seeing Waititi in the film and thought he added comedic value, though the film did benefit from not including him more than it did. The colours, the cinematography and composition of every shot, all served to build a cinematic experience that I will not get tired of watching. The actors played their parts in the film so well, and it is impressive how a 12-year-old boy with little acting experience is capable of carrying this film on his shoulders as so much relied on his performance. All actors played their parts extremely well (I'm especially fond of Sam Rockwell's character) and, honestly, I just want to watch this film again. I'm also impressed by how well the film conveyed the emotions and the world through the lens of a 10-year-old Hitler Youth League member during Nazi Germany. The use of the imaginary friend representing Adolf to turn Jojo against his mother, as did so often happen to Hitler Youth boys who's parents did not fully support the Führer, and the romanticised way the world is presented when there aren't very confrontational scenes being placed in front of him I believe accurately portrays what the world would have literally been like through his eyes. There were so many good, memorable scenes. Speaking of good, memorable scenes, the ending. I don't want to give it away, but when they're standing they're on the street ... it's all at once heartbreaking, uplifting, hopeful, but also reflective of how much was robbed from these people, and especially the youth of Germany, when Hitler took over. There was a quote at the very end of the film: Let everything happen to you Beauty and terror Just keep going No feeling is final. - Ranier Marie Rilke When I saw this, it gave me hope for myself. This film moved me so much. It made me feel like I can make it through this. I'm sorry to get a bit personal in this review but I love you so much Taika. Thank you for being the human being that you are and I hope I get to meet you some day. 5 out of 5 stars. ★★★★★
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I haven't watched a lot of films.
I saw Pulp Fiction for the first time the other week. I'm a film student, and every time someone asks, "Have you seen The Shining/The Godfather/Jaws/The Dark Knight/The Matrix" and my answer is a resounding no, it's like they've lost all hope for me. They're repulsed. And it's not because I'm into indie masterpieces, or films from the 40s that shaped entire film genres. I just can't be bothered. My favourite films are Clueless, or Submarine, or even Hot Rod (a 39% on rottentomatoes? I should be expelled) And although my persistence to not watch all these "amazing movies" has not gone unnoticed by my friends, I believe that somewhere a line has to be drawn. It is imperative that I know the filmographies of at least David Lynch, Quentin Tarantino, Steven Spielberg and (another director in the relatively short list of 'favourite directors for film students who know everything about film and definitely aren't pretentious jerks') off by heart. I'm joking, thank god, but I recognise that if I want to be a screenwriter or whatever, I probably need to start screening. And writing. But that's an entire other field of neglect. That's what this blog is for! Watching films and writing about them. I have truly made it in life and my entire family should be so proud of me. I'm starting my journey with the ever-reliable Letterboxd's Official Top 250 Narrative Feature Films (link), of which I have apparently seen 15 (6%). Go me! |
Authoran aspiring filmmaker with a passion for storytelling, a lot of dumb ideas and attention issues ArchivesCategories |