MovieChat Forums > Performance (1970) Discussion > First half vs second half

First half vs second half

posted 11 years ago by henrimaine
1 reply | jump to latest

Just watched it for the first time. My impression is that the film is composed of two, quite distinct, halves - the first half in a world of gangsters and second half in a world of hippies. I believe I'm not alone in saying that the first half felt far superior to the second half. Most of the interesting stuff, including the technical innovations, can be seen in the first half of the film. The second half just seems to go nowhere. Sure, it has Mick Jagger, who was the major attraction in the film at the time it came out. But watching it now it feels out of balance.

In that context it was interesting to learn from a documentary that the original script had planned more action and more characters for the hippie-part of the film. But for some reason, most of that was scrapped and we are left with just 4 people hanging around a house. It's a pity the script wasn't carried out as originally planned, it would have been interesting to have the full contrast of subcultures - the criminal and bohemian subcultures with all its different characters and activities. Still, it's a great film.

Here is the documentary about the film (in 3 parts)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fikZwrIOpyQ

[–] Ore-Sama 10 years ago

Yeah, the second half doesn't go anywhere in a plot sense, but thats what makes it work. This film is similar to "Breathless"(1960) in how the crime thriller plot is essentially ignored for most of the film and is secondary to the main character's whims and vices. The first half does well to give a catalyst to Chad going to the house, as well as establishing his basic character, before the second half, where, torn away from his current reality and pressures for the time being, he is swallowed into Turner's psychedelic world and we gain a glimpse of what lies deeper in his psyche. The second half is where the film's atmospheric and visual power comes full blast, where its themes are established. I really don't think the stuff in Turner's house, and the film as a whole, would've been so effective if they started adding in more characters and trying to make what happens more plot relevant, because it would've made the film more grounded and less dream like, and its clear that this film was meant to be more abstract and hallucinatory,especially in the house. and while I'm sure a more grounded version of the Turner house events could've worked with enough good writing, it would be hard for me to want to take it over the power house surrealness we got.

"It's just you and me now, sport"-Manhunter