Few films are as shocking and intrusive as this film, but it manages to be shocking and intrusive in the best way possible. We are exposed to the long-lasting effects of emotional trauma without having to live through the trauma itself. But then there is the movie itself; many viewers undergo an emotionally traumatic experience when they watch this film, and I think we can account for this effect by looking at how the movie is made, not just what happens in the story.
When he signed his Vow of Chastity, Thomas Vinterberg promised to break through the illusions that have turned films into predictable, barren, and superficial storytelling. Instead of “an illusion of pathos and an illusion of love,” he wanted to present unfiltered experience, to the extent that he could with a camera in hand, and allow the inner experience and mindset of the characters direct the path of events. In The Celebration, we have a film that wants, above all, to be realistic and immediate.
The way the film is made, then, corresponds to the story being told. When Christian stands up to make his “speeches” or offer his “toasts,” he is attempting to break through the illusion of his father’s status in the eyes of everyone in the room. He seems to be the only who knows the truth, apart from the cooks and service staff, but he is willing to stand up over and over to make himself heard. To do so, he must risk being ridiculed, but he must also revisit the terror of his childhood by confronting his father.
Now here is your prompt: First, does this film seem more truthful than most of the films you have seen? In what ways does it cut through the “illusion of pathos” or “illusion of love” that other films tend to show us? Or do you think that this film is a failed attempt to break through those illusions? Why so? Second, do you think Christian is successful in breaking through the illusion, and is he better off for doing so? Consider also whether you think movie directors should all take a Vow of Chastity, or whether you prefer to keep the illusions.
This film does seem more truthful than most films well for one it’s not a typical "Hollywood film" and because I believe the film does cut through an “illusion of pathos” and an” illusion of love”. I do feel the pain and emotion of Christian's childhood trauma because it does seem like a real life situation. I also felt the pain of Michael for one being the youngest child, like myself, to be sent away to boarding school because and not know why. I think as Michael got holder he got mad as to why he kept kind of being pushed out of the family, that's why he had so much anger and it is finally released when his father tells him the truth. Throughout the whole celebration you get a sense how the family acts "fake" this "illusion of love" that they play to each other to cover up the past and their real life.
ReplyDeleteI do believe Christian is very successful and better off for breaking through the illusions of his family because he wants the family to know the true person his father is. As Christian first interrupts to tell his speech about his father, the family doesn't believe it and his father and Michael keep telling Christian there is something wrong with him. He continues to prove to his family this and finally does after Helene reads her sister Linda's suicide note which says that she felt bad for leaving Christian after all the pain and trauma they have been through because of their father. The "illusion of love" breaks the family and they start to have a sense of who Heldge, the father, really is. I think some movie directors should try the Vow of Chastity, but I believe it's a type of film style that won’t be suitable for a majority of directors such as Quentin Tarantino and Tim Burton.
This film does seem more truthful than any other films I have seen because it is so realistic. The type of camera that is used in this film is a lens that isn’t polished or have any special features to it is just standard. The film is also more truthful because the emotions that the characters let through the audience is very believable. The reality of this film is strong because there isn’t any made up screenplay, the screenplay was very real and the common people could relate to it. The emotions that Christian displays is very real because I felt for him because nobody in his other family understood what he was saying and he was telling the truth. I believe the audience is the relief to Christian, the only ones who understand him.
ReplyDeleteChristian does successfully break through the illusion because he doesn’t ever give up even when his family members kick him out of the hotel. He wants to prove his point to the audience and to his family that he is telling the truth. I think not all directors should take the Vow of Chasity because all the movies would be the same. There wouldn’t be any originality in films, they would just be standard. Movies such as Avatar are good movies to watch as well because it appeals to all audience members rather than just one, and I believe Dogme films would just be suitable for one type of audiences.
This film seemed much more realistic than other films. Not in the sense that I felt the other films were unrealistic. As a viewer no matter how outlandish a movie may seem I usually still allow myself to be immersed in it. But with this film it was natural. Every scene seemed so real. It seemed more like someone was filming a family birthday party for posterity rather than making a movie with a script and actors. Even the lens used and the handheld camera being the method of filming off the audience a sense of reality that we don’t get from a traditionally filmed piece. There is no illusion of love or emotion. We are not lead or forced to believe anything. We are bystanders just like the guests at the party. We are hurt and confused and on the edge of our seats. We see a real family drama that is atypical of the tradition Hollywood movies we have become accustomed to.
ReplyDeleteYes. I believe by exposing the truth Christian breaks through the illusion of a seemingly perfect family. Obviously they are wealthy and seem important. At first the guests are reluctant to believe Christian and his family makes it seem as though he is mentally ill. With the help of his sister Helene and his dead sister Linda’s note Christian is able to break through the illusion and expose the family for what it actually is. I do believe Christian is better off for exposing the truth. I think once everyone knows the truth Christian experiences peace not only for himself but also finds peace in his sister’s death. In the end he asks Pia to move in with him and this gives the viewers that Christian will go on to be happy in life. I did enjoy how this film was made according to the Vow of Chastity. It offered a realness that many movies lack. However I do enjoy illusions, and special effects, and the cosmetics of your typical Hollywood film.
This film feels more honest than the majority of movies I’ve seen. It cuts through the “illusion of love” by showing the dark side of what appears on the outside to be a normal family. It is the story of ripping open an old wound for the world to see, while the direction does a similar thing. The movie is filmed in a way that makes it seem more honest. The Vow of Chastity itself says that it’s, “supreme goal is to force the truth out of my characters and settings”. We get the absolute most from these characters filmed just as they are, just where they are. In this way, I think they made the most of the movie.
ReplyDeleteChristian definitely breaks through the illusion. What he does, he must know, could absolutely destroy any family. Through thick and thin a family is supposed to stick together, but Christian is now refusing to stand beside his father in a very public manner. I think that this kind of confrontation can sometimes help the person who is revisiting the trauma, but often it doesn’t help. I think Christian probably ends up better for it because as the film ends, the children, or the victims, seem to stick together, while the father is shunned. Christian will have been the impetus for the old man getting what he deserves in Christian’s mind.
I think this film is a failed attempt to break through those illusions of love and pathos. I feel as though because the film had to follow so many rules it made up for the lack of effects by using weird camera angles, extreme high and extreme low. The constant movement and unnecessary use of camera angles, for me, was very distracting. It felt as though I was watching a home movie film by someone who usually directs skate videos, it was strange. As a viewer I almost got a headache from all of the shots and it unfortunately took away from the story. I do appreciate the story itself. It was a raw and rarely touched issue which made it interesting and I also give props to the organization of shots (scenes) and the use of reactions shots. It definitely wasn’t a Hollywood film, but it didn’t break any illusions by not being so.
ReplyDeleteChristian was very successful at breaking through illusions. The success can be measured by how quickly his father left the table at breakfast and how low the father held his head when leaving. Christian really fought for the truth to be heard regardless of his own brother tying him to a tree and his own family taking his speech lightly. He is better off in many ways too. His siblings now have a better chance of understanding their brother, of understanding why he has left so often in the past and stayed away for so long. His mother can now reflect on her past and dwell in her mistakes as she should. For Christian himself he hears in his father’s tone and the words themselves that he knows he messed up and he’s sorry. I do not think movie directors should all take this Vow of Chasity. I prefer to keep the illusions because for me I watch movies as an escape and as a way to bond with the people I watch them with. Illusions allow the audience to be taken to another place and be submerged in it. In some ways the use of illusions completely saturate films, but not all movies take that Hollywood bait. There are movies that use illusions and effects wisely and in a tasteful, sometimes unnoticeable way.
This film certainly seems more truthful than most I’ve seen. It breaks through these illusions by removing any sense of predictability completely. When watching this film, I truly had no idea where it was going and what type of ending we would be left with. When the first half ended, it was really hard for me to not go and finish the rest of the movie on my own time, because it was so real - it was like it was my own family and I had to know what the truth was. Following these rules conjures a more genuine feeling because it feels like real life, and it is the opposite of what we are so used to seeing on the big screen. Additionally, since there is such a lack of “fakeness” in the sense that everything we see happen actually, physically happens, the truthfulness is reinforced and we are able to feel the gravity of the situation as if we are one of the guests at the party.
ReplyDeleteI think Christian is successful in breaking through the illusion, but the way the film is shot and arranged is more of a factor in that regard. His acting style and the lack of cosmetics/superficial action/production work together to achieve this goal. He is definitely better off for breaking through the illusions, as is everyone involved in the film, because it just reiterates and reflects the realistic value that was hoped for. I would not say that all movie directors should take the vow of chastity because, to me, there is a time and place for a feel good movie, or one with insane special effects, or something else that would require breaking a vow. But, I think I personally have more of an appreciation now towards this whole idea of truth in storytelling and can see where it is actually potentially detrimental to humankind if all we have available to us are these completely fictional, or untrue, versions of stories in our film viewing.
This film does seem more truthful than most of the films that I have seen. It cuts through the “illusion of love” due to the fact that Christian holds so much anger against his own father. You can read it on his face during the reaction shots when he makes multiple toasts that lead him closer and closer to uncovering the truth It shows that there is a dark side to the family that the other attended guests are not aware about. This film breaks through these illusions because of how the camera work helps create a better sense of perspective in the audience and how the camera man uses many hand held shots to create this illusion. This movie is more honest than others because the director made the movie and the camera work seem as if it is a home video off of a digital camera recorder.
ReplyDeleteChristian does successfully break through the illusion and is better off doing so because he has lived a long life of being a man and decided the truth must finally be revealed. He breaks through the illusion after finding his sister’s death note. Christian’s family would not take him seriously especially when he was shunned out by them. He still did not give in to failing to expose the truth. I prefer for Hollywood directors to keep the illusions instead of this Vow of Chasity. Illusions create more irony to both the characters and the audience. It keeps me more engaged in the movie and the story behind the problem or mystery. It also makes the climatic moment of the story more suspenseful and interesting.
I do believe that this film does seem more truthful than the normal Hollywood type films that are being made today. In my opinion it does cut through the “illusion of pathos” and the “illusion of love” because it deals with a situation that can happen in real life. This film does not try to glamorize a bad situation to make it seem better or to make it seem like we need to hear both sides of a story. Instead it shows things for what they really are and what they were in this particular movie were bad. I think that the point of this film was to try and make people feel and emotion for a film based on the realness factor other than a made up truth.
ReplyDeleteI think that Christian did a great job a breaking through these illusions. At first I was not sure what to think about the entire situation, I thought Christian was mad. The further we got into the film the clearer it became, Christian was not a mad man even though that’s what everyone thought. He was telling his truth the only way that he could and that’s how something that traumatizing could play out in real life. Once everyone find out the truth about what had happened to Christian and his sister I think that he will be able to let go of the past, and if not then it might be a little more bearable because everyone knows the truth. I will admit that I am a fan of todays Hollywood and their illusions but if a director every now and again wanted to make a movie based on the Vow of Chastity then I would not be against it, but I do not want all directors to change over to that style of filming.
This film is more truthful than most films just in the way it was shot. I believe this movie does break the “illusion of love” and the “illusion of pathos”. The lack of artificial light, excessive make up and costumes as well as using a hand held camera, made it seem more like a home movie then a professional production. I was moved by reality of what Christian and his siblings were experiencing. Christian was trying to be heard, Helena wanted to pretend like she did not know and Michael was clueless because he was not around. I really liked how water was shown in different settings before we realize the meaning.
ReplyDeleteI think Christian was able to break the illusion. He kept pounding the drum until he was heard. Every time he was given an opportunity to speak he did, just not in the way the family was expecting. Christian fought to be heard. He needed he father to admit what he did to them in front of the family so it would confirm to the family what he knew. Having the acknowledgement of the family, having his father sum what confess, was the start of the healing process. This is seen in how he reacts to his family and friends afterwards. His dancing with the waitress and his sister and her boyfriend in the middle of the night, when he really didn’t want to be around people before is revealing. Then the next morning at breakfast he asked the waitress to live with him when again he normally kept to himself.
Dogma films have their place. Just as any of the other filming genres do. Not everyone will enjoy it and will still want the mindless entertain they can get from illusion.
In my opinion, this film does seem more truthful then most films I have seen. As the Vow of Chastity says, this film breaks through the illusions that most Hollywood films create. The amateur look of the film, the camera unsteady, the grainy look in darker scenes, the absence of proper lighting, etc., creates raw emotion. The emotion is familiar to us, the audience because we see the world the same the camera captures it. There isn’t any high tech lighting, or special effects to create a better picture it just uses the natural light, the light we are used to everyday to light its subjects. I think this is why this film does so much for people. It gives the familiarity that most other films try to capture. If more films could create this type of raw emotion, with the special lighting and special effects, then films would be better.
ReplyDeleteNo I don’t. Despite the film being able to break through the illusions, the character Christian does not. Yes, he has the courage to stand up and tell the truth to his family, but they don’t believe him. If he were able to break through the illusions then his, first attempt would have broken through and his family would have turned on the father sooner. It was the letter from the sister that broke through the illusion of pathos and the illusion of love. Once the letter was read did the family realized the truth. The realized the the type of man the father is. Christian only laid down the foundation for what the sister’s letter did. Is he better off with the truth being out? I believe so. Even though the family was practically torn apart they did one thing that made everything all right, they acted like nothing happened. After all is said and done Christian’s family treated him without pity which in my opinion is the type of apology.
This film only seems more truthful in the fact that it lacks the cosmetic additions; otherwise it just seems like a dysfunctional family’s homemade video. I feel like it broke the illusion of love and the illusion of pathos because I didn’t really feel anything while viewing it. Despite the intense situations at hand and the raw quality of the film, it just seemed boring and difficult to follow. I felt like the film focused a little on every character without truly developing a single one which made it harder to sympathize with anyone. While the storyline was quite strong and heavy, I felt it was overshadowed by the high and low angles, extreme close-ups, blurry panning shots, and the lack of dubbed sound. While it may have been more truthful in its composition, I did not find it to be more truthful in terms of compelling emotions.
ReplyDeleteChristian is absolutely successful at breaking through the illusion of his “perfect” family. I felt as though throughout the entire movie, the family was what fueled his melancholy mood and depressing mood. The entire family just seemed plagued by an ignored issue that it was quite brazen of Christian to address. I also feel as though Helene is to credit for helping Christian break through the illusion of the perfect family. While he confronted the situation first at dinner, Helene actually read their sister’s suicide note and reaffirmed what Christian said. Similar to what was said in class, when one person mentions the horrific issue, it can be brushed off and pushed into the back of one’s mind. However, when Helene reads Linda’s parting letter, she confirms Christian’s accusations and, in my opinion, liberates him and his family from the harsh silence that has haunted them for years. I prefer that directors keep the illusion and don’t take a Vow of Chastity. I like the made up, enhanced things that films bring us that have kept us coming back for more.
I feel like this film was perhaps not more truthful, but more real. The truths spoken in the other films were plausible, but Festen seemed to illustrate a truth that could be found in every family. The illusions of pathos and love were cut through because of the way the film was constructed. Because of the absence of “cosmetics”, the movie was filmed in a way that seemed like a documentary or a home movie (or both). The angles were not too high or too low. The presence of the camera seemed to be an unidentified relative that was watching the entire episode unfold. It seemed like I was the relative because of how invasive the camera is. There were a lot of intense close-up that tended to be shaky from using a hand held camera. To me, this effect brought me into the action and looked as if I was seeing it through my eyes.
ReplyDeleteChristian was able to break through these illusions because of how he handled his issue. When he addressed the family, argued with his father, and watched drunkenly as the truth was revealed, he was very genuine because his reactions and interactions were very real. If I was in his situation, I would completely expect that everyone would act they way they did in the film. I also expect that I would act similarly to Christian. I’m not sure if he is better off for doing so, but I believe that the recognition he received from his family is a testament to how truthful and real his actions were, which I believe will enable him to be a happier person. There were times I couldn’t really see what was going on or had trouble focusing due to the camera movement because of the vow of chastity and the lack of “cosmetics”. However, I do believe the film was more believable and identifiable because of this element. I would enjoy watching more movies made like this, but I do admit that I miss the clearness of images from films with more “illusions”.
This film does seem more truthful than almost all the films I have seen. It wasn’t filled with stunt doubles and special effects or unbelievable fight scenes. I do think this movie cut through the illusion of pathos because the movie was so believable. The rusty type style focus and shaky frame made the movie seem as if it was filmed but a regular person on their home recorder. The realistic factor of this film is what made it so emotional. This is a type of movie and situation that a family has probably experienced and by knowing and acknowledging that the illusion of pathos was cut through.
ReplyDeleteI do think that Christian is successful in breaking through the illusion and I also think he is better off by doing so. His family now knows why he has been so distant in the past. He was persistent on getting his point across no matter what. His mom told the family that when he was a little boy he had a made up friend and that he ws a very good story teller and even though his family didn’t believe him he made himself be heard until they knew the truth. I don’t think all films should follow the vow of chastity because a good action film is good every once in a while.
If we are defining “truth” as being completely stripped of conceit and anything resembling inauthenticity, then I think the film largely succeeds. In cutting through the illusion of pathos and the illusion of love it also largely succeeds, in that we lack all the traditional conventions we are used to in Hollywood films (we don’t have the benefit of having “You Make My Dreams Come True” when Christian asks Pia to move in with him, and we don’t get “Everybody Hurts” as Christian sits tied to the base of the tree—we are left to rely solely on what is literally happening in front of our eyes). The only way that I feel it does not succeed is simply in the way that I was not drawn in to the film as much as I would have assumed—but then again, I don’t even know for sure that that is one of the intentions of the Dogme style.
ReplyDeleteI think that Christian does break through the illusion of his father’s reputation (though he does require some assistance from his siblings), and this can be seen in the polar reversal of how the room perceives Helge on the first day, and on the final day: initially unreceptive to anything contradicting his upright standing, and ultimately dismissive of him altogether. From everything we are given, it seems to have been worth it for Christian to not only confront his father, but to stay with it like Kim encouraged. It was clearly painful to keep dredging up painful memories for him, but it seems to pay off in the end, as he makes steps to move past the inaptitude with women his father accused him of having, by asking Pia to move in with him.
The Dogme Vow of Chastity in its unflinching rigidity has an almost cultish air about it, but I do respect the sentiment: in direct reaction to the obvious falsity of your average bigger-budget film, they decided to make films that were as authentic and human as possible. This would not work for every film or every filmmaker, but I certainly respect the idea and the effort, and I think that a similar modus operandi would benefit films today.
This film is very unique in the fact that it does indeed seem more truthful than any other film I’ve seen. The way this movie is filmed alone makes it seem more realistic and not animated. The camera work and technique almost makes you feel as if you are right there in the moment with the characters. I also think that it does cut through the “illusion of pathos” and “the illusion of love” because this film tries as best as it can to be just the opposite of an illusion. For example, the movie never addresses Christian’s feelings, but more so acts them out and displays his pain through his actions and overall character. It also cuts through the illusion of love by showing the intensity of the scenes, such as when Michael is yelling and mistreating his wife and kids and again when he beats the woman in the staff. By taking the vow of chastity, they have promised to try and be as realistic and honest to their audience as they possibly can. That alone is a very difficult task to master, and this film has done a fantastic job of doing it.
ReplyDeleteI think that Christian’s role in this movie is a very difficult one, but I do think he successfully broke through the illusion. The guests at this party, as well as the rest of his family, believe that Christian’s father is a wonderful man. He is honored at his sixtieth birthday party, and none of the guests attending know what kind of man he really is. Christian is asked to speak at the dinner table in regards to his father, and totally takes everyone off guard when he admits to his father’s behavior during Christian’s childhood. This breaks through the illusion of his father being this wonderful, perfect man and the illusion that he was a great father and family man. I’d imagine Christian had so much anger and hurt build up for both him and his sister, and I believe he is better off now that he let it out. I think a part of him felt he owed that to his sister. I think it was interesting to watch a movie made with the Vow of Chastity in mind, but I do also think that movies with more animation and illusions can make them more viewable and interesting.
Whether this film is more truthful than the ones I have already seen truthfully depends on two criteria for me. Whether it’s because of the plot itself or because of the vow of chastity. The content of the film is definitely unlike more of the mainstream films that I have seen before. There’s an honestly harsh way about things that makes it believable. Nothing is given a sugar coating and tries to remain as grounded as possible. I think this film successfully blends what real life is about and what the film world is about as well. It’s not a fairy tale but it’s also not overtly sad just for the hell of it. To me it is real. And I love watching movies of that nature. I had never seen a movie that did the vow of chastity though. At first I had this reaction of “ is this serious right now? “ but once I got into it and immersed myself it felt completely effortless. It’s definitely an interesting way to make movies and that helped break through the illusion even more.
ReplyDeleteChristian is interesting to me because I want to give him credit for finally standing up for his siblings and exposing his father but a larger part of me just thinks that it was too late. That he should have done it before he lost his sister. But on the flipside of that it’s also not too late because he’s still at an age that because he’s dealt with it he can try and live his life more normally without that beast in the back of his mind. He brings his siblings closer and is finally able to escape from his parents. It just sucks that he couldn’t have come to these conclusions on his own but instead had to be pushed that way with the help of the workers. It’s just not 100% satisfying. I like the vow of chastity though. Specifically for this film it works marvelously because of the premise and use of a single setting. I wouldn’t see it working with a more complex film.
The Dogme 95 movement and the Vow of Chastity are interesting concepts that make for different kind of movie, but I’m not sure if it makes much of a difference for breaking through the illusions of other films. A film with special lighting and exaggerated deaths can be just as real to me at The Celebration was. This might be just because the film was in a foreign language and their traditions were bizarre, but in some ways it felt more exaggerated than a film like The Wrestler or The Graduate. The family had so many messed up things going on that it felt more like an illusion. I think that the Dogme 95 movement is a good way to challenge directors in filmmaking, but as far as breaking through the illusions of “Hollywood” films, I don’t think it really made a dynamic difference.
ReplyDeleteI think that Christian fails to break through the illusion that everything in his family was fine, but he did take the initiative to start breaking through the illusion. If it weren’t for his sister Helene finding their sister’s suicide note and reading it aloud, Christian’s efforts would have been useless. But if Christian had not tried to make his toasts in front of his family, then his sister would’ve never read the suicide note. It was a cooperative effort between the two siblings, not just one or the other. I think it’s a good thing that the illusion was broken. Even though sometimes it’s more comfortable to live in denial, the truth releases a sort of burden that the whole immediate family was holding. I don’t think that every director should take a Vow of Chastity because I don’t always want to watch a film that is trying to be realistic. Although I consider myself more of a cultured film viewer after taking this class, I still want to watch cars explode, people shooting each other, and Max Fischer attempt to build an aquarium.
I’m not sure that I believe that this film is more “truthful” than some of the others I’ve seen this semester—especially films like Hunger and 4 Months, 3 Weeks, 2 Days. I guess it’s how you define truth in a movie. Just because this film doesn’t use superficial techniques doesn’t make its message any more valid or concise than the other two films mentioned. Perhaps for this viewer, the fact that I wasn’t confronted by the abuse—like in Hunger or 4 Months—or the immediate effects of it, I was able to distance myself emotionally more easily. I was able to sympathize with the characters, sure, but without being consistently uncomfortable with the images or the content or the emotional upheaval they brought, I didn’t personally feel connected to this film or it’s “truth” like I did with the last two. I wouldn’t necessarily call this film a failure to break through the illusion of pathos and the illusion of love, because I do think that it was incredibly realistic, both in the intimate nature of the camera work and the characters themselves. I admire the director for not spoon feeding the audience with what he wants us to feel, for portraying characters that are complex and incredibly human, for not giving away the inner lives of these characters and requiring the audience to draw their own conclusions. It’s movies like these that can benefit greatly from multiple viewings, because the layers are there to peel back for new information and insight; you can learn so much when you notice things you didn’t before, when subtle pieces fall into place and you suddenly realize something about the characters or the story you missed before.
ReplyDeleteI do think that Christian is successful in breaking through the illusion of his father’s status in the eyes of everyone in the room, most importantly his siblings, who plainly suffered as much emotionally from the twisted family as the twins did. I think the immediate family, except for the father, all benefit greatly from this break. They have been concerned with appearances for so long, with looking like a model family, painfully contained under their father’s rigid rule. Stuck in their roles—Christian as “successful”, Michael as “the loser”, all the siblings still viewed as children—they have been unable to grow or mature, because they have been unable to address the gaping silence, filled with all the secrets, that have held them captive for so long. Secrets, especially family secrets, are like huge rocks we carry around with us, in our pockets and in our hearts. They are heavy burdens that weigh down our progress and keep us isolated from the rest of the world. When the truth is finally accepted by the family, we can almost visibly see the children drop the rocks they have been carrying around with them. We see them have an impromptu party by themselves, laughing and enjoying each other’s company. It almost reminded me of what happens in an oppressed country when a dictator is overthrown--the formerly repressed people come out of their hiding places and come celebrate. We see that Christian is finally able to connect to a woman without his rock getting in the way, demonstrated by the fact he asks Pia to come live with him in Paris. We see Michael step into an authoritative role when he tells his father to leave breakfast, and we see Helene relaxed and happy for the first time since she arrived. We even see the mother, previously obeying her husbands every command, defy his request and stay at the breakfast table. Something to celebrate indeed.
I feel that this film is or may seem more truthful then most films that I have seen. Obviously this is not your everyday Hollywood film which we never have watched one of those yet. I do think that the film does slice through this two illusions. Illusion of pathos and illusion of love. Michael was the youngest of children and he was just shipped off to a boarding school for no reason. I am the oldest of my family so it is hard for me to see where he is coming from being the youngest, but I can imagine it must have been one heck of a painful experience none the less. I don’t blame Michael for getting mad at his family as he was getting older because they just pushed him away like that. It must have been a tragic event in his life. The whole family in this movie is fake and they cloak themselves in a false sense of reality to cover up their past actions. Kinda sad if you ask me.
ReplyDeleteI think that Christian does end up successfully breaking through the illusion because he doesn’t really give up on the people that he loves which he calls his family. Even after they kicked him out of the hotel which is a pretty crappy thing to do. Christian I think is very persistant in what he does because he wants his family to know that he is not lying. That what he has said has been the truth. I also think the director made Christian this way so that the audience can also see how hard he tries to let the truth be known. If all directors take the Vow of Chasity that would make all the movies the same. Would that not defeat the purpose of the Vow of Chasity in doing that because it would no longer be original and its meaning would slowly fade away. Main Hollywood movies appeal to all kinds of people but they are not for everyone. The same goes for Dogme films. Not everyone is a fan of Dogme films, but the ones that are im sure would like to keep them original as well.