Nicolas Winding Refn's Only God Forgives

[elsewhere]

Seems like some people were expecting Drive 2.

 

[StarLord]

I've watched it twice now and it's slowly growing on me.

There are parts that are pretty spectacular (visuals wise) and I actually enjoyed the quietness in some scenes.

Crystal is evil incarnate. Just no messing with her, straight to the point and very much my favourite aspect of this movie.

Spoiler

I still **** myself when Julian reached out in to the darkness and the sword came down, even after seeing it twice.

 

[Drz]

You didn't get to really know the characters because how much can you learn from someone who never talks, or does anything but stand and stare?

What did you need to know more about these characters? Everything necessary was in the story.

Another issue I had was Gosling really wasn't in the movie much. In fact, it felt like the only character that got any screen time was the villain cop. It's the fault of the script. None of the characters mattered it seemed. No one was important or did anything of importance.

The cop wans't the villain, he was the antagonist, but the protagonist and his supporting cast we're the villains of the story.

 

[weezerspider]

I'm guess you guys don't like silent films....

The idea that dialogue is the only , or the strongest, way to learn characters and their motives is ludicrous. The first rule in script writing is to 'show not tell'. You can argue Refn takes that to heart a little too strongly, but there is nothing inherently wrong with the concept, in fact it's closer to film's original intentions than a film with snappy dialogue like a Tarantino film.

The characters and their motives were conveyed and shown in plain sight in Only God Forgives. The cop is a family man who puts justice first. He commits very violent actions,but it's for the greater good. Watching the film, it should become clear he is more in the right than Julian or his mother. Julian's mother controls Jullian who has a weak ego and follows his mother blindly. His mother controls her business and loved her first son more than Julian and abuses Julian. Julian finally quits blindly following his mothers orders after seeing the cop's daughter's room. Julian was a wimpy momma's boy who blindly followed her. The cop was a stickler for justice and has a very old fashion samurai type code towards it. The mother was an evil, manipulative ***** . This was easily understood from everything Refn gave us.

 

[Mrs. Sawyer]

I'm guess you guys don't like silent films....

The idea that dialogue is the only , or the strongest, way to learn characters and their motives is ludicrous. The first rule in script writing is to 'show not tell'. You can argue Refn takes that to heart a little too strongly, but there is nothing inherently wrong with the concept, in fact it's closer to film's original intentions than a film with snappy dialogue like a Tarantino film.

Exactly. This is why when people say Refn was influenced by Tarantino, I usually say he was influenced more by Sergio Leone, a guy who also was a huge influence on Tarantino too, but in different ways. Both were influenced by Leone's way of using violence to forward the story and not being afraid to show use violence that bordered on exploitative (both took that a step farther and passes the line of exploitative).

While Tarantino was influenced more by Leone's earlier western movies (The Dollars Trilogy and to a degree Once Upon a Time in the West), especially the presentation of those movies (music, the use of faces), Refn seems to be more influences by Leone's later, more methodical movies (Once Upon a Time in the West, A Fistful of Dynamite, and Once Upon a Time in America), where the pace is slower and you feel that sense of dread and for increasing the tension in these movies. Of course, Refn had a habit of leaving the camera running too.

My point is, for better and for worse, Refn's pacing the same way Leone did in his movies.

 

[Drz]

I just love how much story and theme Refn can duke out into a 90 minute movie.

And if your right hand causes you to stumble, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to go into hell. (Matthew 5:30)

 

[Matt Mortem]

I watched it again this morning and I did enjoy it more than the first viewing.

 

[dark_b]

i didnt hate the movie but i also didnt like it. it was an interesting experience. thank god for demand.

when his mother comes back and they see eachother. i see what you did there Refn. camera was positioned so that it looked like his mother gave him a b.... this is a f... up family with a lot of sex memory.

 

[JackWhite]

i didnt hate the movie but i also didnt like it. it was an interesting experience. thank god for demand.

when his mother comes back and they see eachother. i see what you did there Refn. camera was positioned so that it looked like his mother gave him a b.... this is a f... up family with a lot of sex memory.

Pretty much my exact same thoughts. I really want to see it again. Very beautiful looking film, but also extremely bizarre. I wasn't too fond of Drive when I first saw it, but upon watching it a second time I really liked it.

 

[Matt Mortem]

This movie is gradually growing on me. I've read a number of interviews with Refn where he talks more about his intentions with this film, and it made sense to me. It made it easier to view again with a fresh perspective.

 

[JackWhite]

This movie is gradually growing on me. I've read a number of interviews with Refn where he talks more about his intentions with this film, and it made sense to me. It made it easier to view again with a fresh perspective.

Got any links to these interviews? Would love to read them.

 

[Matt Mortem]

Got any links to these interviews? Would love to read them.

Here's one. I'll have to try and find the others

http://www.slantmagazine.com/features/article/interview-nicolas-winding-refn-2013

 

[Zeus]

Saw it, the cop was great, nice performance...I thought the film could have been better...It was a bit much to sit there and watch this family's mess

 

[Matt Mortem]

The score is really good. I picked it up and am really enjoying it.

 

[dark_b]

Spoiler

i liked that the cop is the good guy and the brothers and mother are the villains.

 

[Matt Mortem]

I really enjoyed the fight between Chang and Julian. The music was fantastic in that scene and [BLACKOUT]it was a complete reversal of what I was expecting, what I thought was going to happen.[/BLACKOUT] Despite my misgivings about this film initially, it's really growing on me in a big way.

 

[def28]

Just finished this.

This film really had me fascinated. The tone, Atmosphere, music and violence really had me in this ****ed up neon dream that I was digging alot. Felt a lil Argento or lil twin peaks at times. Some solid mystery and themes goen on as well... Which was awesome! But when the film ended it just fell real short story and character wise for me. Just wasn't enough there and alot more to be desired. So alot to appreciate but also to be disappointed in imo.

Im mixed on the flcik as awhole. But at least it was different, in it's own ****ed up world and got me thinking.

6 or 7/10 for me. Probably closer to a 7. Havn't made up my mind yet. I definitely want to watch it again, so maybe my opinion will change...

 

[Rez]

Just finished watching this. The film peels back layers slowly and deliberately, simply. Only upon reflection did the projection of the story really hit me- perhaps the most interesting aspect of the movie is that the entire film is spurred by an event that we never see, years before the story starts, and we only ever hear of in a single sentence(only minutes before the credits roll at that). I'm reminded of Reservoir Dogs in this aspect (and only this aspect), building an entire film around a robbery that we never see. There's a lot of repetition here that works, creating a hypnotic and driving force in something that might too easily be discarded as boring or uneventful. Watching Gosling play a hollow, tormented shell ready and willing to face the punishment doled out to him while the entire world around him desperately fights against it makes for a surprisingly powerful experience.

Drive is the more engaging, entertaining film, and why shouldn't it be? It's a blockbuster made with an artist's sensibilities. Only God Forgives is a tone poem, a parable, a moving painting that has to be examined and thought about. It's unlikely you'll ever watch it for sheer enjoyment, but if you're looking for an introspective journey that requires your full attention, OGF delivers one both beautiful and devastating.

 

[JackWhite]

Here's one. I'll have to try and find the others

http://www.slantmagazine.com/features/article/interview-nicolas-winding-refn-2013

Thanks.

 

[JackWhite]

I really enjoyed the fight between Chang and Julian. The music was fantastic in that scene and [BLACKOUT]it was a complete reversal of what I was expecting, what I thought was going to happen.[/BLACKOUT] Despite my misgivings about this film initially, it's really growing on me in a big way.

The fight scene was pretty cool. But I called it that

Spoiler

Julian would get his butt handed to him by Chang, lol.

I guess it was the first teaser of Ryan Gosling with is face smashed up that gave it away. That, or by that time in the film you just knew Chang was a boss.

Spoiler

That torture scene was a good indication too.

 

[DarkSovereignty]

Quick question for People who've seen it regarding the overall premise of the movie (when I do get around to seeing I'd like to approach it with the right mindset, since it definitely seems like that type of movie)

Spoiler

from what I've gathered it seems to a story about a cop going up against malevolent gangsters, only from the point of view of the gangsters. So basically the cop is the hero of the story, but we're following the villains essentially.

Is this in the right ballpark?

 

[Matt Mortem]

Quick question for People who've seen it regarding the overall premise of the movie (when I do get around to seeing I'd like to approach it with the right mindset, since it definitely seems like that type of movie)

Spoiler

from what I've gathered it seems to a story about a cop going up against malevolent gangsters, only from the point of view of the gangsters. So basically the cop is the hero of the story, but we're following the villains essentially.

Is this in the right ballpark?

Kinda sort of.

Spoiler

The gangsters aren't even really gangsters. They're just awful ****ing people who are involved with the drug trade. The cop in the story is almost a force of nature. I'd be hard pressed to call him the hero, he's more of an absolute. It's a black and white world view.

I could be way off base, but that's what I gathered from the movie.

 

[DarkSovereignty]

So it's basically

Spoiler

Old Testament style absolute justice conquering evil

?

I could definitely get into that.

 

[redhawk23]

Saw this tonight. I didn't hate it, but I can't say I loved it. Some elements were more effective than others.

Everything with the sword wielding cop is absolutely Top notch however.

 

[Drz]

Old testament style of absolute justice fits right.