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Pink Floyd: The Wall
I'll try my best to sum up the plot of a movie which really doesn't follow any regular conventions. Basically, it's about the rock star Pink, who in later years has isolated himself so much from people he's continuously going insane, either sitting in a cathatonic state in front of the TV, or having violent outbursts. This is accompanied mostly through visuals, and almost exclusively dialogue and music taken from Pink Floyd's album The Wall.
I always like to watch a movie sometimes which challenges my senses. Which really takes you on a ride and never lets go. Having read only the one-line summary about the film, I didn't know what to expect. At first, I'll admit I was a little confused. Is it supposed to be like this the whole time? The dialogue was weirdly low at times, while the music was MUCH louder by comparison. I was starting to get a bit worried this would be one of those movies everyone else loves, but I don't get. My least favorite kind of disappointment.
And then... It suddenly clicked for me.
I don't know what it was, but I reached a certain point where I gained a much better understanding of what the film was trying to communicate, how the heavy reliance on lyrics for telling a story actually enhanced it instead of hindered it. It's not even just the lyrics which make it work so well, but the actual mechanics of at which moments a certain song is used as well. The dreary kind of music used in scenes where the police is mercilessly beating people down and even going so far as to rape some of them. And whenever you reach a shocking moment (that bear in mind, you're never prepared for), the music sounds panicky and invoke a sense of terror. I don't think I ever startled more than when a groupie enters Pink's room, and he sits there completely motionless, only blinking when he stares at the TV. Not even when she oddly enough sucks his fingers he gives any sort of reaction, outside of maybe a small hand gesture for her to leave him alone. He doesn't say a single word either. And then just SUDDENLY, HE STANDS UP! And starts screaming, throwing and turning over objects, trying to hurt her just for being there, and finally throws out his good ol' tube. Interestingly enough, his line when throwing out the TV set is the only line he had that was written specifically for the movie. And even though you're wondering what he means when he says it, it really emphasizes the craziness of the whole situation.
Fortunately, there are some explanations provided for why he has reached a mental state where he's trapped inside himself, and won't let anyone in. As a child, he was rejected and had a mother who didn't care about him, a school which nothing more than reprimanded him, a father who died in the war, and had to witness the destruction of all things good, tons of lives lost to a cause worth nothing. And the relentless school teacher? That's his step father. His life has been a nightmare all along, and we see him trying to connect with other people but never going anywhere. The TV which he mindlessly watches becomes his only comfort in life.
But one can't go without mentioning the beautiful animated sequences, which overflow with such creativity and unforgettable visuals. There is the iconic scene where two flowers carefully approach the other, with relatively calm music playing. And then, as they violently **** each other the sound gets louder, and it's suddenly kinda scary to watch. I don't even know why it is, but something about it is so bizzarre you are taken aback. The album cover and poster for The Wall are represented as well.
I have to applaud the bravery of Alan Parker for taking on this project. Nobody understood it at the time it came out, and sadly, Parker himself thinks he failed as well. Don't worry, Parker. We understand now what you were trying to do, and if you ask me, you succeeded.
I'll try my best to sum up the plot of a movie which really doesn't follow any regular conventions. Basically, it's about the rock star Pink, who in later years has isolated himself so much from people he's continuously going insane, either sitting in a cathatonic state in front of the TV, or having violent outbursts. This is accompanied mostly through visuals, and almost exclusively dialogue and music taken from Pink Floyd's album The Wall.
I always like to watch a movie sometimes which challenges my senses. Which really takes you on a ride and never lets go. Having read only the one-line summary about the film, I didn't know what to expect. At first, I'll admit I was a little confused. Is it supposed to be like this the whole time? The dialogue was weirdly low at times, while the music was MUCH louder by comparison. I was starting to get a bit worried this would be one of those movies everyone else loves, but I don't get. My least favorite kind of disappointment.
And then... It suddenly clicked for me.
I don't know what it was, but I reached a certain point where I gained a much better understanding of what the film was trying to communicate, how the heavy reliance on lyrics for telling a story actually enhanced it instead of hindered it. It's not even just the lyrics which make it work so well, but the actual mechanics of at which moments a certain song is used as well. The dreary kind of music used in scenes where the police is mercilessly beating people down and even going so far as to rape some of them. And whenever you reach a shocking moment (that bear in mind, you're never prepared for), the music sounds panicky and invoke a sense of terror. I don't think I ever startled more than when a groupie enters Pink's room, and he sits there completely motionless, only blinking when he stares at the TV. Not even when she oddly enough sucks his fingers he gives any sort of reaction, outside of maybe a small hand gesture for her to leave him alone. He doesn't say a single word either. And then just SUDDENLY, HE STANDS UP! And starts screaming, throwing and turning over objects, trying to hurt her just for being there, and finally throws out his good ol' tube. Interestingly enough, his line when throwing out the TV set is the only line he had that was written specifically for the movie. And even though you're wondering what he means when he says it, it really emphasizes the craziness of the whole situation.
Fortunately, there are some explanations provided for why he has reached a mental state where he's trapped inside himself, and won't let anyone in. As a child, he was rejected and had a mother who didn't care about him, a school which nothing more than reprimanded him, a father who died in the war, and had to witness the destruction of all things good, tons of lives lost to a cause worth nothing. And the relentless school teacher? That's his step father. His life has been a nightmare all along, and we see him trying to connect with other people but never going anywhere. The TV which he mindlessly watches becomes his only comfort in life.
But one can't go without mentioning the beautiful animated sequences, which overflow with such creativity and unforgettable visuals. There is the iconic scene where two flowers carefully approach the other, with relatively calm music playing. And then, as they violently **** each other the sound gets louder, and it's suddenly kinda scary to watch. I don't even know why it is, but something about it is so bizzarre you are taken aback. The album cover and poster for The Wall are represented as well.
WARNING: spoilers below
The poster shows up as a screaming face emerging from the wall, and even though it's brief all three times, it's just as terrifying as you would imagine it. That poster still makes the list of one of the scariest posters I've seen next to Zazie. As for the album cover, it manifests itself in several forms. First as unbreakable, a wall which Pink tries to get through, but just won't relent no matter how much he tries, and then at the end when he finally breaks the wall, as a symbol of freedom. He's finally broken the evil circle, he will no longer stay isolated from everyone.
I have to applaud the bravery of Alan Parker for taking on this project. Nobody understood it at the time it came out, and sadly, Parker himself thinks he failed as well. Don't worry, Parker. We understand now what you were trying to do, and if you ask me, you succeeded.