Back again with “Hit me with your best shot” for this week’s selection “Heavenly Creatures”. I must confess, I didn’t care much for this movie. It was well-made, just not my “cup of tea”. The notion of 2 intelligent girls so obsessed with each other that it drives them to murder, just rubbed me the wrong way. Maybe I am one of those “sad people who couldn’t appreciate their genius”. I did appreciate the acting performances however, particularly the wonderfully exuberant Kate Winslet.
My favourite shot comes from one of the most disturbing scenes in the film. It all seems so contradictory, that it’s truly unsettling. The girls look so innocent in their cute dresses, staring at this cozy house in the countryside. The music also somewhat resembles that of a wind-up jewelry box. Add in the two white horses and it all seems so pure and “heavenly” as the film’s title would suggest. Alas, who would have guessed that the line reading for this particular scene was…
“Our main idea of the day was to murder mother."
Pauline (Melanie Lynskey) says this so matter-of-factly that it was difficult for me to empathize with her.
Click below for my favourite shot…
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I don't love it either but it's truly a great "visual" film. The compositions are astonishing and this scene gives me goosebumps!
ReplyDeleteI just realized how much this scene is used for transition, happening before they burn the Mario Lanza records. Yet it's so startlingly beautiful that it's a favourite for many of us.
ReplyDeleteI'd suggest watching it again in a few years. I think the discomfort it causes is perfectly intentional. it's this tricky game where Peter Jackson is asking you to identify with them but then the sympathies can only extend so far.
ReplyDeletebut you're so right that the combination of word and image is truly unexpected here.
yeh, you're probably right. Maybe I'll appreciate it more if the initial shock value is gone.
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