Fw: More on The Whale and Aronofsky etc
Julie McMorran
Sent: 07 March 2023 09:49
To: Robert Burns Centre Film Club <talk-...@googlegroups.com>
Subject: More on The Whale and Aronofsky etc
Hi All
Just a few extra bits of information about last night’s film - trivia really that I had as extra stuff for the discussion but ran out of time:
Aronofsky had low expectations for the film. For him, it seems to have been something they just managed to achieve through Covid, i.e., something intentionally not flashy. (I find this a bit contradictory, however, given that he took so long to make it and clearly had wanted to do so for a decade – had he already seen some reviews, I wonder. That’s perhaps a bit cynical of me).
He (Aronofsky) saw the people going in and out of the apartment as all being in need of some kind of salvation – they each had an opinion about Charlie, while their own lives were also in disarray (admittedly, for Ellie and Liz, linked to Charlie’s situation, but Ellie had the double whammy of a dysfunctional mother).
The Obesity Action Coalition was asked what they thought about the use of prosthetics – Brendan Fraser had already been cast by the point that they got involved. They said the use of prosthetics was controversial, however in this case prosthetics were not being used to demean or ridicule people with obesity, which they were more comfortable with. They compared the situation to a Mike Myers character which had caused a lot of controversy.
In an interview, Aronofsky was asked what he would have written had he been given the task Charlie gives the students near the end of the film about being honest etc., Aronofsky said that at that point in his life he would have written something entitled ‘I don’t know what to do with my life.’
For his next film, Aronofsky reunites with Jared Leto for a film called Adrift (John, if it comes to FC, would it be okay for me to introduce it? As long as no one else would like first dibs - I really don't mind).
It's now 25 years since Pi's release and Aronofsky has now regained the rights to it. he was advised back then by Jim Jarmusch to make sure he eventually ended up with the rights to any film and agreed on 25 years. Jim Jarmusch, it appears, at the time was insisting on just seven years for his own films!
Right, I’ll go in a minute (got lots of other writing I should be doing!), but first, I’ve ranked Aronofsky films in order of how much I like them - I've done it, so I may as well share it with you all ;- ):
- The Fountain – I love the spirituality of it, layers of lifetimes/connectedness themes. I just think it’s an utterly beautiful film. It’s my other ‘Dead Poets’, in that I could watch it over and over and never get bored.
- Requiem for a Dream - Even though I will never watch it again as I find each character’s situation incredibly disturbing, I think it’s a masterpiece in film making. We watched it in the early years of film club, and I emerged from it quite traumatised.
- Noah - For the environmental theme and that the animals are CG’d.
- Pi - Finally liked it after watching it for the third time last week.
- The Wrestler - The great revival of Mickey Rourke and just incredibly emotional.
- Black Swan - Visually and emotionally amazing.
- The Whale - see comments below.
- Mother! - I liked it in the cinema but watched it for the third time last week and decided it was a bit too contrived and Aronofsky didn’t achieve what he’d intended. Alun watched it for the first time and didn’t get the environmental Mother Earth theme at all, and I think that’s what a lot of people found at the time at Film Club. It's a shame, because Aronofsky is a keen environmentalist and could have created another masterpiece.
You can see quite clearly above, I think, the link of obsessiveness that is common to all his (directed) films!
Generally, though, (back to The Whale), I think it’s a film that stays with you and one which will be discussed for years to come. I thought the dialogue was predictable and the acting of the mother was awful. Left to his own devices without the constraints of the writer, Aronofsky could have made a much better film. The final scene is probably the most Aronoskyesque - more of that would have been good. Brendan Fraser, however, was amazing and I do think he deserves the Oscar. I thought Elvis was awful!
Finally, there was the question last night about the autobiographical elements I’d mentioned in the introduction. Here is a link to an interview in which Samuel T. Hunter, the writer, explains all (wish I’d found it before the intro!). https://www.moviemaker.com/the-whale-writer-samuel-d-hunter-life-story-inspired/
Anyway, have a beautiful day! It’s lovely outside – just need the fruit blossom to hold back until the cold goes away and the pollinators come along!
Julie