"Blow" - Spoilers
Bluesea
At the end, it had the ubiquitous disclaimer about how it's a work of
fiction and any resemblance to etc. is a coincidence. But, at the beginning,
it's clearly stated that it's based on a true story and the end credits
thank Kristina Sunshine Jung and Mirtha Jung, George's daughter and ex-wife,
for their help in making the movie. How can it be a work of fiction with any
resemblance a coincidence? Is this an example of that new genre called
faction or true fiction or whatever it's being called?
Also, Kristina Jung is credited as being the Clerk. Which clerk? I watched
the movie a second time trying to figure it out to no avail. Can anyone
point me in the right direction?
***** SPOILER SPACE *****
Supposedly, the story is about the rise and fall of George Jung but I found
it to be more of a history-repeats-itself or a like-father-like-son story
because both men married women who were only interested in the money they
made, both men had good businesses, each in his own way, then lost
everything, and both lost contact with their beloved only child due to
George's drug activities. Some of the lines spoken by George's wife were
repeats of lines spoken by his mother which I thought were a too-obvious
attempt to make viewers see the similarities between the two women.
Any other comments on this movie?
--
~~Bluesea~~
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David Mills
"Bluesea" <deep_b...@hotmail.comTHE-TRASH> wrote in message
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Thomas L. C.
(including DVD special features)
Bluesea" <deep_b...@hotmail.comTHE-TRASH> wrote in message
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> I watched "Blow" starring Johnny Depp and Penelope Cruz this past weekend.
>
> At the end, it had the ubiquitous disclaimer about how it's a work of
> fiction and any resemblance to etc. is a coincidence. But, at the
beginning,
> it's clearly stated that it's based on a true story and the end credits
> thank Kristina Sunshine Jung and Mirtha Jung, George's daughter and
ex-wife,
> for their help in making the movie. How can it be a work of fiction with
any
> resemblance a coincidence? Is this an example of that new genre called
> faction or true fiction or whatever it's being called?
>
> Also, Kristina Jung is credited as being the Clerk. Which clerk? I watched
> the movie a second time trying to figure it out to no avail. Can anyone
> point me in the right direction?
dunno about the clerk thing,
but as to the disclaimer, I don't know how many true stories use the same
disclaimer, but for the most art its just a way to defend against
litigation - defamation of character etc. After all, like the great quote
from Tod Solondz's film "Storytelling," - "Once you start writing, it ALL
becomes fiction"
and in regards to your spoiler comments, as any film studies major can tell
you (along with where to find the cheapest meal in town) a film can be about
the rise and fall while simultaneously being about many other things. You
picked up on a good one.
But I though the most interesting thing about Blow were the deleted scenes
that were on the DVD, the heart to hearts with Pablo Escobar (acted to
perfection by Cliff Curtis). Demme defended the cuts as time related and
sticking to his A story, but IMO, those well developed sideroads would have
been a welcome inclusion that would have given the film much more depth and
character.
-ToM
Bluesea
"Thomas L. C." <N0iza...@MMMexcite.com> wrote in message
news:b3h91s$lv5$1...@uwm.edu...
> *POTENTIAL SPOILERS PRESENT*
> (including DVD special features)
>
> Bluesea" <deep_b...@hotmail.comTHE-TRASH> wrote in message
> news:0WG6a.36$Uy4....@bgtnsc05-news.ops.worldnet.att.net...
> > I watched "Blow" starring Johnny Depp and Penelope Cruz this past
weekend.
> >
> > At the end, it had the ubiquitous disclaimer about how it's a work of
> > fiction and any resemblance to etc. is a coincidence. But, at the
> beginning,
> > it's clearly stated that it's based on a true story and the end credits
> > thank Kristina Sunshine Jung and Mirtha Jung, George's daughter and
> ex-wife,
> > for their help in making the movie. How can it be a work of fiction with
> any
> > resemblance a coincidence? Is this an example of that new genre called
> > faction or true fiction or whatever it's being called?
>
> but as to the disclaimer, I don't know how many true stories use the same
> disclaimer, but for the most art its just a way to defend against
> litigation - defamation of character etc. After all, like the great quote
> from Tod Solondz's film "Storytelling," - "Once you start writing, it ALL
> becomes fiction"
I'll go back and check the other true movies that I have to see if they have
disclaimers. I think that I would have noticed it if there are since I tend
to notice things like that. Disclaimers are standard for fiction books but
not the non-fiction that I've read. For example, Truman Capote's "In Cold
Blood" and Ken Follett's "On Wings of Eagles" don't although we know that
parts were fictionalized. Others w/o disclaimers are Peter Maas' "Serpico"
and more recently, Mark Bowden's "Black Hawk Down".
> But I though the most interesting thing about Blow were the deleted scenes
> that were on the DVD, the heart to hearts with Pablo Escobar (acted to
> perfection by Cliff Curtis). Demme defended the cuts as time related and
> sticking to his A story, but IMO, those well developed sideroads would
have
> been a welcome inclusion that would have given the film much more depth
and
> character.
<sigh> I have the DVD but haven't yet had time to view the extra features. I
liked Escobar being portrayed as a friendly, compassionate, yet dangerous
man. That friendliness really got to me. When George told him that he
wouldn't do business w/o his partner, I knew for sure from the way he had
shaken hands with the informer then oh, so, casually walked away while he
was executed, that Escobar would eliminate him. Yet, he understood George
was honoring the partnership and consented to deal with them both. (Talk
about tension build-up!)
