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in
BLUE
RUIN
Actually, this was a watch from the past with potential to become a new favorite and like the character in the film, I have been waiting impatiently to finally make my move. As it happens though, someone made the move for me and here we are in this Hall of Fame reviewing this film. So… was it worth it?
*SPOILER REVIEW*
What I like really about this film is the way the story is presented to us. It is a revenge thriller with reservations but not restrictions, which relies on realism and not reassurance. It isn’t a tumble through terrorists or mercenaries that relieves our protagonist with every powerful kill he makes, as the popcorn-munching audience applaud, watching our hero juggle around with justice. This is not a glorified revenge tale with a capable killer, but instead an everyday man wanting to do what he feels is right. As one of the characters says at one point “you are weak”. And he is. But then again, he is also simply “human”. It is easy for us to identify with his mindset because he is so mindful about what he does and never achieves perfection in what he does. He stumbles a lot along the way. And I love how no one here is downright good or bad. You can make assumptions based on partial information or your perception of the people you see on screen. But there is no evidence on display for the murder case or what kind of past these people have.
And it isn’t just evidence being left out, it is actually a lot of vital information – but most of which we get as the story progresses. Little by little we are shown who Dwight is, where he is in life and who or what is important to him. Small visual cues, character choices or changes in the story. All this helps us understand where Dwight has been since the murder, while the decisions leading up to his eventual doom draws a very visible line for us to follow and eventually piece together. Also, I really love Macon Blair as Dwight. He is doing a lot of acting with his eyes that even Tom Hardy would respect and there is just something about this low-rank office worker look that really works for me. He is the unlikely “hero”, but he is also weird enough to make his journey fascinating and he fails sufficiently so we can suffer through the situations with him and understand his frustrations and struggles every time his plan doesn’t pan out.
The violence is definitely not style over substance for me. I think it falls more in the vein of, say, someone like Michael Haneke and “that scene” in Caché, for example. Not as impactful or gut wrenchingly gruesome, but it has the same awkward abruptness, which makes it feel so real and spontaneous. It is ugly, messy, clumsy and almost misplaced. I also love the tension added to many of these scenes, which almost gets simpler as the story progresses, but all the more effective for it. Dwight being alone in the house of the enemy in the end, waiting while contemplating, considering and reconsidering… and as his friend told him earlier “speeches will get you killed.” And so, it did. Once again, the film is consistent about its display of violence, of character and of story. It is still not a glorifying revenge tale with definite kills that dwells in violence. It is tragically human, unambitious and terribly bittersweet within the hopeless downfall of everyone and everything.
And the postcard being pushed through in the end, arriving just a little too late, both solidifies and questions everything. We are left feeling blue with the inevitable collapse of our main character. Was it all for nothing? Had anything changed if nothing was delayed? Like the postcard, is Dwight’s purpose past the point of relevance? Does Dwight’s doings have any actual meaning or is his memory just a piece of mail on the floor of an empty house? Was it a critical and necessary journey or just a depressing downfall… that has left us as with him… in blue ruin.
-
RUIN
Actually, this was a watch from the past with potential to become a new favorite and like the character in the film, I have been waiting impatiently to finally make my move. As it happens though, someone made the move for me and here we are in this Hall of Fame reviewing this film. So… was it worth it?
*SPOILER REVIEW*
What I like really about this film is the way the story is presented to us. It is a revenge thriller with reservations but not restrictions, which relies on realism and not reassurance. It isn’t a tumble through terrorists or mercenaries that relieves our protagonist with every powerful kill he makes, as the popcorn-munching audience applaud, watching our hero juggle around with justice. This is not a glorified revenge tale with a capable killer, but instead an everyday man wanting to do what he feels is right. As one of the characters says at one point “you are weak”. And he is. But then again, he is also simply “human”. It is easy for us to identify with his mindset because he is so mindful about what he does and never achieves perfection in what he does. He stumbles a lot along the way. And I love how no one here is downright good or bad. You can make assumptions based on partial information or your perception of the people you see on screen. But there is no evidence on display for the murder case or what kind of past these people have.
And it isn’t just evidence being left out, it is actually a lot of vital information – but most of which we get as the story progresses. Little by little we are shown who Dwight is, where he is in life and who or what is important to him. Small visual cues, character choices or changes in the story. All this helps us understand where Dwight has been since the murder, while the decisions leading up to his eventual doom draws a very visible line for us to follow and eventually piece together. Also, I really love Macon Blair as Dwight. He is doing a lot of acting with his eyes that even Tom Hardy would respect and there is just something about this low-rank office worker look that really works for me. He is the unlikely “hero”, but he is also weird enough to make his journey fascinating and he fails sufficiently so we can suffer through the situations with him and understand his frustrations and struggles every time his plan doesn’t pan out.
The violence is definitely not style over substance for me. I think it falls more in the vein of, say, someone like Michael Haneke and “that scene” in Caché, for example. Not as impactful or gut wrenchingly gruesome, but it has the same awkward abruptness, which makes it feel so real and spontaneous. It is ugly, messy, clumsy and almost misplaced. I also love the tension added to many of these scenes, which almost gets simpler as the story progresses, but all the more effective for it. Dwight being alone in the house of the enemy in the end, waiting while contemplating, considering and reconsidering… and as his friend told him earlier “speeches will get you killed.” And so, it did. Once again, the film is consistent about its display of violence, of character and of story. It is still not a glorifying revenge tale with definite kills that dwells in violence. It is tragically human, unambitious and terribly bittersweet within the hopeless downfall of everyone and everything.
And the postcard being pushed through in the end, arriving just a little too late, both solidifies and questions everything. We are left feeling blue with the inevitable collapse of our main character. Was it all for nothing? Had anything changed if nothing was delayed? Like the postcard, is Dwight’s purpose past the point of relevance? Does Dwight’s doings have any actual meaning or is his memory just a piece of mail on the floor of an empty house? Was it a critical and necessary journey or just a depressing downfall… that has left us as with him… in blue ruin.
-