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TETRO. 2009, Francis Ford Coppola.
STARS: Vincent Gallo, Alden Ehrenreich
Tetro is being relentlessly marketed as Francis Ford Coppola’s first original screenplay since the release of The Conversation in 1974. This deserves to be a big movie event for that reason alone, and I think the extent of its originality exceeds anything he’s done throughout his career. I consider The Conversation to be a visionary masterpiece, but the influence that Antonioni’s Blowup has on itis visible. Stylistically speaking, Tetro certainly has its inspirations, but thematically it is Coppola’s piece in every way. This is a man who, throughout the course of his filmography, has been exploring the dynamics of family, particularly of the dysfunctional variety. We saw the theme in his Godfather trilogy, in his adaptations of Rumble Fish and The Outsiders, and even in lighter pictures like Peggy Sue Got Married. Tetro feels like it brings closure to this artistic fixation, although he could continue making films about it and I would be the last person to object.
Two years ago, Coppola made it clear to people that he was venturing into new territory with Youth Without Youth. Youth was a challenging and flawed picture, but it was beautifully made and I forgave its shortcomings. To exhaust an overused term even more, Tetro is a “return to form”. This film is in every way the work of a master, who relishes in the potential of cinema in its many shades. A lot of critics expressed distaste for the operatic nature of the drama, the unconventionality of the structure and the surprising bursts of bawdy humour. However, it is the incorporation of all these unique ideas that makes the movie so exciting and powerful. Tetro is brilliantly overwhelming and purely theatrical. That’s the beauty of it.
The film begins with a young man named Bennie (newcomer Alden Ehrenreich) walking in the streets of Buenos Aires, and arriving at the home of his long-estranged older brother, Angie (Vincent Gallo). When he knocks on the door, Angie’s beautiful girlfriend Miranda (Maria Verdu) greets him with immediate hospitality. Bennie, who works as a waiter on a cruise ship, is stranded in Buenos Aires while the ship’s engine is under repair. Miranda tells Bennie he can stay at their place, but Angie (who now insists on being referred to as Tetro), won’t even leave his bedroom to say hello to his brother.
Some family conflicts in the past have wounded Tetro deeply. He responds to everyone with a different degree of anger, especially the younger brother he hoped never to see again. Bennie is an interesting protagonist, because he knows very little about himself but ends up revealing a lot about the characters surrounding him. He is an angst-ridden youth with a quirky sense of humour, and his tenacity ends up causing dissent with Tetro. The film exposes snapshots of their family history through flashbacks, and gradually the layers of conflict begin to reveal themselves.
The focal segment of the film is so visually sumptuous that I would have to agree with Coppola’s opinion... this is the most beautiful movie he has made. Shot in digital black and white by Youth Without Youth cinematographer Mihai Malaimare Jr., Tetro is full of fascinating compositions and awe-striking use of lighting. Allegedly, the look of the film is inspired largely by Kazan’s On the Waterfront, and the classic pictorial sensibility translates excellently. The original score by Osvaldo Golijov serves as an ideal companion to the look of the movie; the sensory experience is downright haunting.
All of the technical mastery would go to waste if the performances and the writing weren’t satisfactory. The screenplay is one of the great original works of the decade. I have heard claims that the narrative is uneven, but I never got the sense that Coppola’s control lapsed. This is a steadily paced, constantly engaging movie that manages to say so much within the story of one badly damaged family. The power of the conclusion is so great that it ends up transcending the confines of its themes.
The acting is Oscar-worthy (a term I hate to use, but I feel is justified in this case). Vincent Gallo is notorious for his off-screen antics and extreme personality. In a lot of cases, his characteristics have probably overshadowed his work. That’s neither here nor there, because he is a brilliant actor and this is a great performance. The amount of complex undercurrent and conflict in the character Tetro is enormous. He’s playing a man whose presence has to be felt at all times, and whose somewhat harsh actions need to feel justified. Gallo does him justice in one of the finest pieces of acting this year.
Alden Ehrenreich is a lucky man to have landed his debut performance in a masterpiece directed by Francis Ford Coppola, but he deserved the role and he is a welcome addition to the list of young American stars. He is already being hailed by countless critics as the “new Leonardo DiCaprio”, despite the fact that DiCaprio is still alive and working. Aside from a physical resemblance, the two actors have very little in common. Ehrenreich has a certain natural quality about him that immediately makes us believe. He feels out of sorts and intimidated by his situation, and he also has strong on-screen charisma. On top of his knack for performance, he looks like a movie star. I hope and expect to see him doing big things in the future.
Maria Verdu, who I admired in Y tu Mama Tambien and Pan’s Labyrinth, holds her own opposite the central male performances and brings compelling traits to her character.
Coppola isn’t just exploring new artistic possibilities... he’s revisiting themes and crafting them in a new way. This is an expressive, boldly non-mainstream piece that won’t receive the immediate credit it deserves. I think it deserves to garner lots of awards, show up on top 10 lists of the year 2009 (and the decade), and reinforce to audiences just how great of a storyteller Coppola is. It probably won’t do any of those things, but for me it’s a rare and exciting film that I personally rank among the director’s best.
MY RATING: 5/5
STARS: Vincent Gallo, Alden Ehrenreich
Tetro is being relentlessly marketed as Francis Ford Coppola’s first original screenplay since the release of The Conversation in 1974. This deserves to be a big movie event for that reason alone, and I think the extent of its originality exceeds anything he’s done throughout his career. I consider The Conversation to be a visionary masterpiece, but the influence that Antonioni’s Blowup has on itis visible. Stylistically speaking, Tetro certainly has its inspirations, but thematically it is Coppola’s piece in every way. This is a man who, throughout the course of his filmography, has been exploring the dynamics of family, particularly of the dysfunctional variety. We saw the theme in his Godfather trilogy, in his adaptations of Rumble Fish and The Outsiders, and even in lighter pictures like Peggy Sue Got Married. Tetro feels like it brings closure to this artistic fixation, although he could continue making films about it and I would be the last person to object.
Two years ago, Coppola made it clear to people that he was venturing into new territory with Youth Without Youth. Youth was a challenging and flawed picture, but it was beautifully made and I forgave its shortcomings. To exhaust an overused term even more, Tetro is a “return to form”. This film is in every way the work of a master, who relishes in the potential of cinema in its many shades. A lot of critics expressed distaste for the operatic nature of the drama, the unconventionality of the structure and the surprising bursts of bawdy humour. However, it is the incorporation of all these unique ideas that makes the movie so exciting and powerful. Tetro is brilliantly overwhelming and purely theatrical. That’s the beauty of it.
The film begins with a young man named Bennie (newcomer Alden Ehrenreich) walking in the streets of Buenos Aires, and arriving at the home of his long-estranged older brother, Angie (Vincent Gallo). When he knocks on the door, Angie’s beautiful girlfriend Miranda (Maria Verdu) greets him with immediate hospitality. Bennie, who works as a waiter on a cruise ship, is stranded in Buenos Aires while the ship’s engine is under repair. Miranda tells Bennie he can stay at their place, but Angie (who now insists on being referred to as Tetro), won’t even leave his bedroom to say hello to his brother.
Some family conflicts in the past have wounded Tetro deeply. He responds to everyone with a different degree of anger, especially the younger brother he hoped never to see again. Bennie is an interesting protagonist, because he knows very little about himself but ends up revealing a lot about the characters surrounding him. He is an angst-ridden youth with a quirky sense of humour, and his tenacity ends up causing dissent with Tetro. The film exposes snapshots of their family history through flashbacks, and gradually the layers of conflict begin to reveal themselves.
The focal segment of the film is so visually sumptuous that I would have to agree with Coppola’s opinion... this is the most beautiful movie he has made. Shot in digital black and white by Youth Without Youth cinematographer Mihai Malaimare Jr., Tetro is full of fascinating compositions and awe-striking use of lighting. Allegedly, the look of the film is inspired largely by Kazan’s On the Waterfront, and the classic pictorial sensibility translates excellently. The original score by Osvaldo Golijov serves as an ideal companion to the look of the movie; the sensory experience is downright haunting.
All of the technical mastery would go to waste if the performances and the writing weren’t satisfactory. The screenplay is one of the great original works of the decade. I have heard claims that the narrative is uneven, but I never got the sense that Coppola’s control lapsed. This is a steadily paced, constantly engaging movie that manages to say so much within the story of one badly damaged family. The power of the conclusion is so great that it ends up transcending the confines of its themes.
The acting is Oscar-worthy (a term I hate to use, but I feel is justified in this case). Vincent Gallo is notorious for his off-screen antics and extreme personality. In a lot of cases, his characteristics have probably overshadowed his work. That’s neither here nor there, because he is a brilliant actor and this is a great performance. The amount of complex undercurrent and conflict in the character Tetro is enormous. He’s playing a man whose presence has to be felt at all times, and whose somewhat harsh actions need to feel justified. Gallo does him justice in one of the finest pieces of acting this year.
Alden Ehrenreich is a lucky man to have landed his debut performance in a masterpiece directed by Francis Ford Coppola, but he deserved the role and he is a welcome addition to the list of young American stars. He is already being hailed by countless critics as the “new Leonardo DiCaprio”, despite the fact that DiCaprio is still alive and working. Aside from a physical resemblance, the two actors have very little in common. Ehrenreich has a certain natural quality about him that immediately makes us believe. He feels out of sorts and intimidated by his situation, and he also has strong on-screen charisma. On top of his knack for performance, he looks like a movie star. I hope and expect to see him doing big things in the future.
Maria Verdu, who I admired in Y tu Mama Tambien and Pan’s Labyrinth, holds her own opposite the central male performances and brings compelling traits to her character.
Coppola isn’t just exploring new artistic possibilities... he’s revisiting themes and crafting them in a new way. This is an expressive, boldly non-mainstream piece that won’t receive the immediate credit it deserves. I think it deserves to garner lots of awards, show up on top 10 lists of the year 2009 (and the decade), and reinforce to audiences just how great of a storyteller Coppola is. It probably won’t do any of those things, but for me it’s a rare and exciting film that I personally rank among the director’s best.
MY RATING: 5/5