This movie thrilled me, I adore it, and I'm about as straight white boy as they come. I don't think you're adding more than is actually there, in fact, I think you're second guessing yourself and pulling back on connecting the obvious dots, giving the movie more credit for being "opaque" (ha!) than it actually is.
The Pink Opaque tv show isn't the actual show, even though it did exist as an actual show - it's the time Maddie and our narrator spent together exploring their true selves while the show played in the background. The show itself isn't important, and the "show being real" is the true selves being real, not the literal fictional universe of the tv show, which turns out to be awfully shitty and not at all interesting when our narrator revisits it without the Maddie connection. The story very clearly (imo) comes down on Owen being too cowardly to embrace his true self - he can't even do it without apologizing and taking it all back in the final minutes. Maddie was, and did, and so "lives in the show" - she lives as they did when they did it together, under the guise of "watching the show".
It's truly not that opaque, and while slow, it was mesmerizing and came together with complete coherency. As someone who this movie and message was not made for, I can say you don't have to have this specific lived experience to grsp it or appreciate it,
Nice analysis! That actually makes a lot of sense, and it turns the ending of the film into something of a tragedy as Owen can't manage to break out of his stultifying existence. Even if I didn't love the movie, I'm glad you (and others) got something so meaningful out of it.
I think that final sequence really crystallizes the film for me. This guy has spent his whole life, and will spend his whole life, making apologies for himself, because he never had the guts to embody his real identity. The show was a key to unlock him, just how pop culture has often served to unlock who we are, whether we're straight or queer, introverted or extroverted. If we don't know people like him, it's because we are him.
That definitely seems true. His true self is peeking out from inside him, but even showing a hint of it is too much for him. That makes the ending pretty dark, but so is life when you can't bring yourself to stop living a lie.
Much of the movie is from his perspective. So there's something fairly abstract about his feelings towards his best friend. She lived the life she felt she was meant to live, and he recognizes that as her basically, "mysteriously" vanishing, among elaborate questions and complex promises. He is in hell, because he signed up to repress himself forever. I really find this movie quite devastating in that regard. She's probably out there living a full and happy life, and to him, that's the most exotic, mysterious concept.
Yeah, I had a hard time with this. After this and World’s Fair I think I’m just not on the same wavelength as Jane Schoenbrun. Which is fine, everything isn’t for everyone.
I like a good portion of Lynch's movies, although he can get a bit overly obscure for me. There are a few that I should rewatch, including Blue Velvet. When I tune in to what he's doing, I can get on board (Mulholland Drive), but there are definitely some that leave me scratching my head and wondering what the point is (Inland Empire).
I really felt like I was missing something when I watched it. I loved so many of the visuals, especially the creepy Fred Durst TV scene and the Goosebumps esque show they watched. And it had a very important message. But the storytelling and performances? I was left veryyyy unsatisfied
It's one of those movies where you have to be tuned in to its wavelength, and if you're not, you'll probably hate it. I had an idea of what to expect after seeing the director's previous movie, but even so, there were times when I wanted it to pick up the pace so something would actually happen.
This movie thrilled me, I adore it, and I'm about as straight white boy as they come. I don't think you're adding more than is actually there, in fact, I think you're second guessing yourself and pulling back on connecting the obvious dots, giving the movie more credit for being "opaque" (ha!) than it actually is.
The Pink Opaque tv show isn't the actual show, even though it did exist as an actual show - it's the time Maddie and our narrator spent together exploring their true selves while the show played in the background. The show itself isn't important, and the "show being real" is the true selves being real, not the literal fictional universe of the tv show, which turns out to be awfully shitty and not at all interesting when our narrator revisits it without the Maddie connection. The story very clearly (imo) comes down on Owen being too cowardly to embrace his true self - he can't even do it without apologizing and taking it all back in the final minutes. Maddie was, and did, and so "lives in the show" - she lives as they did when they did it together, under the guise of "watching the show".
It's truly not that opaque, and while slow, it was mesmerizing and came together with complete coherency. As someone who this movie and message was not made for, I can say you don't have to have this specific lived experience to grsp it or appreciate it,
Nice analysis! That actually makes a lot of sense, and it turns the ending of the film into something of a tragedy as Owen can't manage to break out of his stultifying existence. Even if I didn't love the movie, I'm glad you (and others) got something so meaningful out of it.
I think that final sequence really crystallizes the film for me. This guy has spent his whole life, and will spend his whole life, making apologies for himself, because he never had the guts to embody his real identity. The show was a key to unlock him, just how pop culture has often served to unlock who we are, whether we're straight or queer, introverted or extroverted. If we don't know people like him, it's because we are him.
Fromtheyardtothearthouse.substack.com
That definitely seems true. His true self is peeking out from inside him, but even showing a hint of it is too much for him. That makes the ending pretty dark, but so is life when you can't bring yourself to stop living a lie.
Much of the movie is from his perspective. So there's something fairly abstract about his feelings towards his best friend. She lived the life she felt she was meant to live, and he recognizes that as her basically, "mysteriously" vanishing, among elaborate questions and complex promises. He is in hell, because he signed up to repress himself forever. I really find this movie quite devastating in that regard. She's probably out there living a full and happy life, and to him, that's the most exotic, mysterious concept.
Fromtheyardtothearthouse.substack.com
Yeah, I had a hard time with this. After this and World’s Fair I think I’m just not on the same wavelength as Jane Schoenbrun. Which is fine, everything isn’t for everyone.
Thx. I was looking forward to this one from the trailer but then started watching and got bored.
I enjoyed it! I like slow and obscure though...
do you like David Lynch at all?
I like a good portion of Lynch's movies, although he can get a bit overly obscure for me. There are a few that I should rewatch, including Blue Velvet. When I tune in to what he's doing, I can get on board (Mulholland Drive), but there are definitely some that leave me scratching my head and wondering what the point is (Inland Empire).
I really felt like I was missing something when I watched it. I loved so many of the visuals, especially the creepy Fred Durst TV scene and the Goosebumps esque show they watched. And it had a very important message. But the storytelling and performances? I was left veryyyy unsatisfied
It's one of those movies where you have to be tuned in to its wavelength, and if you're not, you'll probably hate it. I had an idea of what to expect after seeing the director's previous movie, but even so, there were times when I wanted it to pick up the pace so something would actually happen.