Just Curious

I can't explain exactly why I liked the movie (because I just saw the movie like an hour ago and it's so fresh that I can't seem to be able to express why I love it so much), but I CAN focus in on what you just mentioned and at least try to explain why I really loved that scene in particular.

Why was the old taxidermist interesting? First of all, even though he was spouting off almost cliche things, these are the exact cliche things you would hear from almost any old person if you told them you were going to kill yourself!

But it's not that simple. This old person actually AGREES grudgingly to bury him, despite his sentimental views that would suggest otherwise.

Thirdly, in the scene where the old man is talking, the main character is completely silent. This is not a conversation, it is very clear that the main character is thinking "you won't understand my problem so why should I talk? I'll just let you talk". So it's not just a pat lesson the film gives you, but more like 2 perspectives. I mean, how many times have I talked to someone who has fed me cliches like this (however true to life) and I was just totally unreceptive because I was just living in my own world and I just thought "nobody would understand"

BUT. Not only that, even the fact that he was unreceptive isn't completely clearcut as he goes back to the taxidermist with new doubts. (and watches the sunset) So my guess is that what the taxidermist said slowly creeped up to him as he was driving away. I think he was resisting it at first though. I love the subtleties in this film, in that you have to pay attention to every action in order to figure out what the characters are really thinking, and even then you're not sure, it's just a guess.

Another interesting thing is that when Badii asks the taxidermist if he kills the animals, he says yes, for his job. This again adds a few shades of complexity to the old man's character. It's almost a parallel to what he is helping Badii with.. again also a "job". So at first what we see as a very one dimensional character is actually very deceptive. I'm not saying he is a bad man and wants to kill people, not at all..., but I think he definately understands and empathizes with Badii's plight of wanting to kill himself as he's been there himself.

Last but not least, as cliche as the stuff is that the old man says, there is a genuineness and authenticity to it. It's like a typical "hollywood life-affirming speech" but given through this complex reality. Where the joys of life he talks about really ARE affecting precisely because it lives in this context of ambiguity.

I hope that explains, at least for these few scenes of the movie, why it is so great to me. Plus, there is always an ineffable quality of the image that is hard to put into words and "explanation". But I'll leave you here. Let me know what you think about this.

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my top 20: http://www.ymdb.com/jimmychanga/l31219_ukuk.html