Comments on: Film Junk Podcast Episode #417: The Great Gatsby and Upstream Color

By: Lior

Lior — Wed, 22 May 2013 19:10:13 +0000

I just came back to you guys reviewing The Great Gatsby after watching the movie.

I don’t know if any of you saw Australia, but I was hoping somebody did and would bring that movie up for comparison. Just like in The Great Gatsby, Australia’s first act is fairly comic with Luhrmann’s signature fast cuts and over-the-top performances, almost like a cartoon. Then the tone gets much more serious and the comedy evaporates from the film.
I felt the uneven tone was jarring in Australia and it’s jarring again in The Great Gatsby. Like Frank says, the only film where this actually works and works beautifully is Moulin Rouge. I think it’s because of the complete artifice and hyper-reality of that film which somehow allows it, and the fact that it’s a musical.

By: Ben

Ben — Thu, 16 May 2013 18:21:59 +0000

Good call on the Netflix update!

By: Steve

Steve — Thu, 16 May 2013 16:05:16 +0000

A crucial bit of advice I got before watching Upstream Color was to just watch it and not try to figure it out. This allowed me to view it just as a sort of art film. I enjoyed the enigma of the plot, but I was mostly won over by the tone of the movie. While Prometheus is fun to puzzle over and try to work out all the plot details, I found it more enjoyable to just let Upstream Color happen and experience it.
I don’t think the cinematography is amazing, but I don’t dislike it either. Based on this and Primer it definitely doesn’t seem to be Carruth’s strong-suit. I didn’t mind his acting, however, since he isn’t really the main character. Both characters seem pretty muted so a non-actor for that role seems like a fine choice. Overall I most enjoyed the editing, one of the only aspects of filmmaking that Carruth split with someone else (an actual editor, presumably). Maybe that’s telling of how strong of an auteur Carruth actually is, but either way I really enjoyed it. Looking forward to checking it out again.
How did you watch it, Goon? I’m curious if a theater viewing vs. a VOD viewing would alter the experience at all.

By: Goon

Goon — Wed, 15 May 2013 20:35:13 +0000

“It felt like a very aural-centric movie.”

I absolutely hated the score of this film. It somehow both annoyed me and made me nod off at the same time. Considering the Junkers listed out all my complaints and still overall kinda liked it, perhaps this was the difference maker.

By: bullet3

bullet3 — Wed, 15 May 2013 19:46:36 +0000

Ya, the sound design is outstanding, especially in combination with his editing choices. He’ll cut into a scene in media-res, playing audio from the middle of the scene, while he’s cross-cutting the beginning and end of the scene, and the edits flow so well that you don’t even notice that’s what he’s doing unless you’re really looking for it.

By: milath

milath — Wed, 15 May 2013 18:42:51 +0000

Something I haven’t seen too many point out, but the sound in Upstream Color is quite amazing (won an award for it at Sundance). It felt like a very aural-centric movie.

I’m just not sure why he chose to make the plot so disjointed, other than the angle of trying to be an art house film. There is no reason it couldn’t have been more straightforward/accessible. You can make people think without leaving them confused, in my opinion.

Anyhow, overall I did enjoy the movie very much, but not as much as I enjoyed Primer, precisely because of what I wrote above. Primer was the more accessible movie and worked much better because of that.

In the end though, I think focusing on the plot in this movie is a disservice to the work Carruth and Co. did with the sound/music. I definitely think any film fan should check this one out.

By: rot

rot — Wed, 15 May 2013 18:19:34 +0000

I do not get the Shane Carruth acting criticism, to me that is like critiquing Ben Affleck’s performance in To the Wonder. I thought he played it smart, his character Jeff is marginal in the film, and given how fragmented the narrative style is, there is not a single scene longer than a minute where you even get a chance of seeing Carruth’s character talking let alone emoting. Is he acting wrong in his gestures? I just rewatched Primer and I think for a non-actor he knows how to cut around himself to let the ephemeral character of the movie overtake any blight to his style of acting. Not to mention in Upstream it is written into the role a degree of disorientation, any anxiety apparent to his acting transfers to the character, someone who has been psychologically victimized and outwardly fractured (that he plays off another character even more damaged again buffers any acting defect to be a consequence of being maladjusted). The story is not about their undying love, they are in service of the ideas, as were the characters in Primer.

By: rot

rot — Wed, 15 May 2013 18:07:24 +0000

my upstream interpretation

http://letterboxd.com/rot/film/upstream-color/1/

By: Jr

Jr — Wed, 15 May 2013 16:55:33 +0000

The Netflix update is a great idea. Thanks!

By: Markus

Markus — Wed, 15 May 2013 06:54:47 +0000

I totally agree about Walk Hard! Nr.1 comedy of all time for me, i’ve seen it about 15 times and every time i find something new to laugh at! Even got Walk Hard tattooed across my knuckles haha, perhaps a stupid mistake from my younger days bit man is that a funny movie!

By: bullet3

bullet3 — Wed, 15 May 2013 05:57:05 +0000

Probably won’t hurt it, much like Primer, it’s not a movie that lives or dies by “knowing what happens next”, its not a Sixth Sense situation. It’s much more about the audio-visual experience of watching it (specifically the editing and music choices).
Carruth has compared it to a music album you come back to again and again, and that’s the way I like to view it.

By: Captain Fram

Captain Fram — Wed, 15 May 2013 04:34:09 +0000

Cheers for that podcast link Herner Werzog, was great listening. I’ve yet to see Upstream Colour, but I’m trying something different with this film. I’m currently immersing myself in discussions and spoilercasts, then I’ll check it out and see where I fall. As someone who usually avoids spoilers, I’m keen to see how this affects my approach going into this film.