“But if you refuse to let them go, behold, I will smite your whole territory with frogs.”
Exodus 8:2
This film changed my life. Before Magnolia, I didn’t quite understand film. I loved movies. I was a fan of movies. High concept movies. Simpson / Bruckheimer type movies. Mindless, loud, obnoxious movies with little to no value other than to pass time. The kind of movies I can’t stomach very much now.
Then came Magnolia.
From the first frame (after the New Line logo) to the very last credit, I was frozen in awe. There is no traditional Syd Field three act structure (although I can imagine a lot of university screenwriting professors arguing otherwise). It’s over three hours long. No gratuitous violence or sex. Swearing wasn’t used for shock or comical value. Yet despite the lack of these elements I was completely breathtaken by every moment of this masterpiece.
When it was over, I fell silent. It was like everything I made judgments about the world and about what I thought I knew was completely turned upside down. I couldn’t believe something so not me could mean so much more to me than every Star Wars movie, every Indiana Jones flick and every piece of crap, usually associated with Michael Bay, that came before it. I had an epiphany.
Father and Son relationships are very much a recurring theme in all of PTA’s films.
Magnolia is about people. It’s about relationships with our parents. It’s about our relationships with our lovers. It’s about our relationships with ourselves. It’s about our relationship with memories, our past mistakes and successes, our future hopes and dreams, our self images. It’s about our relationship with God.
It’s about all this and so much more.
Pay close attention. How many times can you see (or hear) a reference to 8’s and 2’s in this sequence?
To further elaborate on the technical and artistic genius of Magnolia would require an individual post for each element. But know that PTA has the complete and defining grasp of both the traditional and wholly unique filmmaking techniques. He owns modern day filmmaking. Even if the acting, story or music doesn’t grab your attention, the encyclopedic display of his techniques most certainly will.
Like Lars Von Trier, PTA has been called many less-than-stellar things: control freak, insolent, brat, difficult, etc. But like Von Trier, Anderson’s genius not only warrants any and all professional leniency but also receives it from anyone who experiences his films. Before the birth of his daughter, I have no doubt that PTA lived solely for films. It shows in every frame of anything he’s ever been involved with. Since the majority of people involved in this business is in it for the absolute wrong reasons, it’s not only refreshing and admirable but utterly integral to see someone love the art and science of filmmaking for all the right reasons.
Shame on you if you don’t check this film out.
No matter our stations in life, there are challenges to living well and happy every day. It’s not always easy but we manage. We manage and we cope. Some days are more difficult than others. But some days are so bad, so challenging and so cruel, it makes about as much sense as frogs falling from the sky.
Be sure to check out the “That Moment” documentary here. Priceless stuff!
cap
Posted by cap
Posted by cap
