I totally see what you mean, but I disagree. The film does not unfold into a climax or resolution--you're right about that, but it does progress. We see different aspects of this character in different situations, and each new situation asks us to reconsider our understanding of him.
Rather than the film resolving the character's issues, we as audience members are asked to look closer and puzzle out who he is. We get no climax. We get a sort of anti-climax, an antithesis to a resolution. I believe this comes as the seizure scene, which is a restatement of the character. He has not grown. He may in fact be revealing his true inner self for the first and clearest time--an uncaring onlooker, something that, if you're watching closely, is not entirely clear up until that point.
And even the final scene is a reversal of that. We see him playing on the beach like a child, a very human thing to do, and again we have to ask ourselves, is he a sociopath, or what?
The film is sort of repugnant. It is not meant to be entertaining. That, in itself, will piss a lot of people off, and I get it. I kinda hated it when I finished it, but I've been thinking about it ever since, and the more I think about it, the more I think it's sort of brilliant, even if it's not "enjoyable."
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usernumber655321
12 years ago
" ... but it does progress. We see different aspects of this character in different situations, and each new situation asks us to reconsider our understanding of him.
Rather than the film resolving the character's issues, we as audience members are asked to look closer and puzzle out who he is. We get no climax. We get a sort of anti-climax, an antithesis to a resolution."
I see where these inferences can be drawn, but I don't believe the film really earns the right to 'ask us to look closer and puzzle out who he is'. His slavery aside (among other blatherings on that he does) sure plants socio-political thoughts and considerations into our minds, but in hindsight they come across as a futile attempt to indeed trick us into giving the film unearned merit. He is a guilt ridden spoiled white American, but again, the film just meanders. It brings up interesting questions and then just masturbates with them. However, like you say; "there is no climax".
"I believe this comes as the seizure scene, which is a restatement of the character. He has not grown. He may in fact be revealing his true inner self for the first and clearest time--an uncaring onlooker, something that, if you're watching closely, is not entirely clear up until that point."
Yeah, I 'get it', but that scene in particular rings as cheap manipulation to me. I felt that it's already been established that he is "an uncaring onlooker". The film maker exploits our natural sentimentality. "Now we'll have this 'next' random chick that falls for this stooge's schtick have a seizure and the audience will be stunned and puzzled and it's, like, all DEEP and stuff". It didn't work for me.
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