The Master

[Northwestcoug]

Great article from Time magazine this morning interpreting some of the more ambiguous ideas toward the end (the motorcycle scene, Dodd singing in that grand room, and the beach sculpture). The article makes me look like a dummy (nothing new there!), as based on its analysis there is certainly a lot of growth/change/arch to see in the characters by the end. I sure am enjoying all of this.




Read more: http://entertainment.time.com/2012/0...#ixzz27Uj7LEUX

Ding ding ding! I really like this opinion. I think it does a good job of connecting scenes that I wasn't sure were supposed to connect. Even if he's "wrong", I agree with his interpretation.

[MarkGrace]

Filmspotting review is up for those who want to listen. Really good discussion.

http://filmspotting.net/

[Levin]

How graphic is the sex and violence? I won't care, but my wife will and I'd like to go see it with her. Thanks.

[MarkGrace]

How graphic is the sex and violence? I won't care, but my wife will and I'd like to go see it with her. Thanks.

The violence is pretty limited. Couple fistfights. That's about it.

The movie is very sexual. I don't know what constitutes graphic. There is a scene where one of the characters imagines all of the women in the room naked. All of them. From young all the way to like 80 years old. So you see a lot there.

[jay santos]

MG, thanks for your reply to me earlier in this thread. I've been meaning to respond, and now it's been like a month.

[MarkGrace]

The Master topped Sight and Sound's poll for the year, which is the most comprehensive polling of noted critics worldwide. Also won several awards at the LA critics awards this week. I'm hoping this will give it some momentum for a best picture nom, but worried it came out too early and is a bit too esoteric.

[fusnik]

I think Anderson, like Dodd, just made things up as he went along.

It was beautiful scene after beautiful scene from Anderson like teaching scene after teaching scene by Dodd, that had little to no relation to each other.

[fusnik]

Me and the wifey have been talking about this show non stop since we woke up this morning and her thoughts, (maybe I'm dumb because I didn't see this at all) were Quell and Dodd were one in the same.

Quell was Dodds primal being and Dodd was the intellectual/spiritual being.

The motorcycle scene Dodd goes one way, Quell goes the exact opposite, was the symbolism that Dodd had given up alcohol and was committed to his spiritual master. The earlier sex scene with Adams was Amy giving him love followed quickly by later, after he disappoints her again, her admonitions to stop drinking.

This makes the ending at least, to me, have meaning. Dodd has squashed the alcohol after both sides of him are shown the inner most secret, he abandons his beast, only to have it rear it's head at the end with his wife leaving him if he serves the alcohol master.

That's why sex scenes only happen at the beginning and the end with Dodd even though he was a sex monster, during the show he was battling with Dodd to master his physical.

Little bit of a rant as I'm in church.

[MarkGrace]

fus, I like the thoughts. The movie is really opaque, and while that's going to drive some people crazy, it really hooked me. Like you, after I saw it, I couldn't stop thinking/reading/talking about it. In fact, after I read your post last night, I went on another little binge reading comments and digging up old articles. The movie just really fascinated me, despite the fact that it doesn't cohere in the traditional sense. Seeing it on opening night was easily my favorite movie experience of the last year. Still haven't seen it a second time yet, but I know it just got released to I'll be buying it soon. I find all the mysteries around the story really compelling and there were several scenes/shots that I thought were just heads and shoulder above what other filmmakers were doing last year.

[fusnik]

The, don't close your eyes scene was unreal.

The prison scene was unreal.

The wall to window scene was great.

The final scene was unreal.

But they didn't fit to me in a single wave if consciousness. That's why I thought that Anderson jut made shit up as he went like Dodd.

[fusnik]

I purposefully and successfully avoided all theories, articles, this thread, pre-viewing.

I don't know if that helped or hurt my experience. I'll catch it again next time I'm in a plane.

[Jacob]

I finally got around to watching this. It was so dull that it took me 3 sittings to get through, I think. But I was committed and finished the whole thing. Quite an accomplishment, really.

Easily one of the worst 5 movies I've ever seen.

[MarkGrace]

I still haven't watched it again a second time.

But that experience of the first viewing was so awesome. It was my favorite theater experience in the last several years and I keep waiting to have another moment like it. Maybe when Inherent Vice releases.