An innovative form...

Still need to see it a few more times,

but this is probably Malick's most formalistic film.


Malick tries to include all the art forms into his film

to create a different film language.


The organizing principle of "Knight of Cups" are the tarot cards.

They are a metaphor for life itself and its infinite possibilities,

choices and its unpredictable nature.


A narrative principle is the fragmentation, which mirrors

the lead character, who's described as a fragmented man

who lost his way.

The film doesn't feel like a coherent narrative.

It's closer to dreams or a vision.


The hero is in a personal crisis, but it's also a crisis of culture.

Malick suggests, that we are on the wrong way, too, but reminds us,

that we can choose anytime to start all over.

At the end the hero is able to "begin again".


This is kind of Malick's take at a city symphony, too.

The city of Los Angeles becomes a central character.

We see the rich and the poor, downtown and Santa Monica,

The studio fake world & hard life on Skid Row, the ocean and the desert.

It's one of the rare American films that show social stratification.

How close poverty & pain always are.


It's a similar story and critique as Sofia Coppola's "Somewhere",

but told in a totally non-traditional way.


If you like Antonioni's work, you should like this.