I remember being really irritated and fast-forwarding briefly in some parts, but thinking about others later...weird.
Yeah, my reaction is a bit schizophrenic as well. I actually think the first part of the film is the most annoying because all the characters, plots, symbolism and cinematographic angles are introduced in such rapid succession that it all becomes a bit of a mess. There is also this extreme focus on "war-as-destruction-of-nature" and in one scene a shell shocked soldier picks up pieces of grass and comparing the grass to the fallen soldiers. So okay, nature equals man, I get that symbolism - but it just feels too much like symbolism first, story second. And then I become irritated.
But then there are scenes like the Japanese field hospital or Sean Penn's character talking about "There's no world but this one" - and they are GREAT. So confusing. Malick mindfuck - let me show you it. ;P
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Date: 2008-10-24 07:40 am (UTC)Yeah, my reaction is a bit schizophrenic as well. I actually think the first part of the film is the most annoying because all the characters, plots, symbolism and cinematographic angles are introduced in such rapid succession that it all becomes a bit of a mess. There is also this extreme focus on "war-as-destruction-of-nature" and in one scene a shell shocked soldier picks up pieces of grass and comparing the grass to the fallen soldiers. So okay, nature equals man, I get that symbolism - but it just feels too much like symbolism first, story second. And then I become irritated.
But then there are scenes like the Japanese field hospital or Sean Penn's character talking about "There's no world but this one" - and they are GREAT. So confusing. Malick mindfuck - let me show you it. ;P