Scattered thoughts of a born-again movie buff

Last Saturday afternoon, I had the crazy notion of watching Irreversible and Dogville back to back. Alone, each film is quite heavy in content. It’s in the same vein as 21 Grams, City of God, Schindler’s List, the Pianist and so forth. So you can imagine how I felt at the end of the afternoon.

But each film bore different themes.

As the title suggests, Irreversible shows how situations in life cannot be undone. My take is that whatever action or thought we have is a result of an action or thought we had in the past, and all these lead to other actions or thoughts in the future. It’s just a chain or cycle of events. It’s also interesting to note the extreme change in the character of Pierre in the movie.

So what about the rape scene? It was just heart wrenching. I questioned what I would have done if I were in that spot. Would I have risked my life to preserve my reputation? Or just forgo the man-made notion for my survival? Wouldn’t after-thoughts of the incident torment me?

All said, I think that Monica Bellucci is an excellent actress. She isn’t your typical ‘knock-out’ beauty, but she possesses a mysterious aura that gives her a unique attractiveness.

Then came Dogville, which I watched on PK’s recommendation. I’d no inkling what it was about other than it was the closing film for the 2003 Nordic Film Festival and Nicole Kidman (IMHO, the Audrey Hepburn of our times) played a title role.

Shot in just one room - a stage set to look like an entire town filled with huts, a mountain range and fruit orchards - Dogville is about the inhabitants of a small town, content with their humdrum lives.

Then a beautiful yet mysterious lady (Kidman) comes to town seeking shelter. Her arrival awakens the town folk and at the same time, reveals their true personalities with each extended day of her stay. One is left questioning why only a dog is left unaffected and unharmed by the chain of events that unfold. What’s being inferred there?

If you watched the film, and if you know me well enough, you’ll understand why I love the ending of Dogville. However, what really sold Dogville to me was how the film was set. I felt like I was seated in a theatre or auditorium, watching a stage production instead of a movie. Totally enjoyable, a feeling that I think only theatre aficionados can associate with.

So yes, go catch these two movies if you haven’t done so yet. Also add to the list Last Life in the Universe, City of God, and Love Actually. Even if you’ve watched some of the films (I caught City of God last year), they’re worth another trip. Now if only someone could translate Ben Eton’s Popcorn to the big screen…