The New World

[luka]

Haven't even heard of New World, so I can't speak to it directly, but could we say the kind of beauty he conveys is particularly Christian in some way? Not sure what denomination Malick is, or what his opinions are, but in his more recent films you do get the Antonioni wandering existential thing (men playfully pursuing women, infinitely), plus some kind of grace that I would be inclined to attribute to his faith - but again, don't know much about him there.

no. its particularly advertising culture.

 

[luka]

i would say its violently anti christian. its the reversal and mockery of all spiritual values.

 

[constant escape]

Christian perfume, perhaps?

 

[luka]

Christian Dior

 

[IdleRich]

Well Tarkovsky registers to me as simply being above Malick, as much as I like Malick and respect him.

Do you get this unrelentingly alien vibe from Tarkovsky? Even in the earth scenes in Solaris, when the kid was looking at the horse. I think it was a kid, might have been a man. Anyway, the horse came across as this otherwordly thing. I believe I was sober when watching.

I think he was a very unusual - probably extremely precious and pretentious - man who was quite removed from normal people, maybe that comes across.

 

[constant escape]

@luka Maybe I'm missing your humor here, but that isn't the vibe I get. I get the impression he is genuinely expressing deep religious and existential concerns, in such a straightforward way its almost bound to come across as trite.

 

[luka]

Maybe I'm missing your humor here, but that isn't the vibe I get. I get the impression he is genuinely expressing deep religious and existential concerns, in such a straightforward way its almost bound to come across as trite.

Malick?!!!!!!

 

[constant escape]

You really gotta indulge it, which can, even reasonably, be read as a weakness, no?

 

[luka]

he's not a Serious Character.

 

[constant escape]

Yes, Malick.

 

[sus]

You can't grow up in britain and believe in beauty in the mallick way. Here it's all microwaved pasties and erstatz line dancing in community centres and hard house in leisure centres and, wherever you are, people in hi viz jackets calling you a cunt

We have evolved beyond beauty

This makes me sad. Midwestern fields have the kind of beauty that just saturates you, fills you up so contented.

 

[IdleRich]

That's a great failing when someone who isn't capable of it goes for The Big Ideas - it's Spinal Tap doing Stone Henge.

 

[constant escape]

If he was a serious character (I don't think i get the nuance to that term), we wouldn't even have this kind of controversy about him, no? I think the whole point is that he does well to express a common, deep existential (and particularly Christian) yearning.

 

[IdleRich]

Bathos I suppose

 

[luka]

i've got nothing interesting to say about him other than i think it's silly so no point talking to me about it.

 

[constant escape]

I don't know anything about Ezra Pound, thats why.

 

[luka]

Bathos I suppose

bathos is the right word yeah. hes got the 'deep spiritual concerns' of Ned Flanders.

 

[IdleRich]

Sus.... did you see this film Kaili Blues? It seems to me to be the kind of film that Malick wants to make or even thinks he's making.

 

[constant escape]

Sure, but take him on his own terms, and you have much more to gain.

 

[constant escape]

I loved A Hidden Life.