Wednesday, January 07, 2009
SKATEBOARD
Today's film was Gus Van Sant's
This is an experimental film with one essential difference.
Van Sant's expert hand inverts the normal process wherein the viewer is challenged to ascertain the film makers intent. Here, Van Sant's intent buoys up the experimental technique so that we are never far from the path that he wants to take us on.
In fact, at the beginning we follow a young skateboarder down a long path to a beach where he starts to write a journal. It is a long walk. I got the point. He works the journal throughout. He is writing his own story. We eventually find out why.
The skateboarding here is phenomenal to watch.
The skateboarding is a metaphor but also integral to the story. And so on.
The music is quite good. It might be worthwhile to see it again and look over the music credits to see the connections. A couple of references to Fellini remind me that the use of amateur actors and real background people, some grotesques, are right from the maestro's playbook.
I don't want to get all heavy about this. The film exists in its own space and is actually lightly drawn. Gentle. Sometimes violent but not mean.
I will give it a 4 out of Netflix5 as I will be seeing it again when I do a Gus Van Sant Film Fest. Some day.
