The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
First impressions:
A sweeping panorama of the last century, without being a sweeping panorama. The interjection of key moments of our last century are woven into the fabric of the story, the most obvious yet still well done example being the launch of a rocket from Cape Canaveral. It is done in such a way as to be seen as a celebration of the two main characters' relationship, more than a significant moment in national history. The moment as history is noted as a progression of time in the plot, but most significantly as a passing backdrop to the more prevalent and powerful beauty of the now that is between the two lovers.
A forlorn look at longing and loss, supported by, indeed sharing in the creation of it, a sorrowful and haunting musical score. The shadow of the story of the clock, the rewinding of history, the desire to return to innocence, the longing to stay in one place in one time and remain in love at its Zenith, are all intertwined. At the moment of their middle ground, the center of their lives, Button and Daisy face each other at ease in bed, and Button states that he is sad that things don’t remain the way they are. She says in return that some things do. Love transcends the physical moment.
Utilizing the current time period in the place and form of Katrina was a perfect metaphor for the story, as was the choice of place for the initial disparities of the two characters’ distance from one another, contrasting New Orleans with New York. As the antiquated innocence of the one and the brazen , progressive decadence of the other burn their way away in both their lives, finally meeting in the center, the journeys of our two characters dovetail perfectly in rhythm and purpose. As Button finds his place in life and matures inwardly, he also takes up sailing, an escapist kind of craft. (That brought me back for a moment to the same activity and similar motivation that Pitt performed in Legends of the Fall). As Daisy seeks to run more into the arms of the world, she finds herself in Paris, even more distant than New York, that city’s heavily guarded secrets of self-seeking and indulgence finally taking her under in her wild ride. Later, when the two are finally together, they both opt out of their separate worlds and join to make a new one completely of their own will and flavor, the modernism of the design and style, the invasion of the television (it’s bad final form is shown in the contrasting stark cold black and white it was), the sparse furniture, the luxuriating in almost solely each other then becoming their whole focus, living fully at the crossroads of their lives. The places of these events were used perfectly in the story.
Of course there are the most notable subtle, gradual changes in Button, of which other more worthy special effects and cinematography articles should speak of, the best probably in Film Comment’s review.
My writing, as usual, is what the film is about. One comment sticks out at present, during the aftermath of a death of one of the home’s residents. “Benjamin, we’re meant to lose the people we love. How else would we know how important they are to us?” That comment is almost worth the price of admission.
As I dig deeper into what the film has said to me, I’ll write again. Thanks for reading.
First impressions:
A sweeping panorama of the last century, without being a sweeping panorama. The interjection of key moments of our last century are woven into the fabric of the story, the most obvious yet still well done example being the launch of a rocket from Cape Canaveral. It is done in such a way as to be seen as a celebration of the two main characters' relationship, more than a significant moment in national history. The moment as history is noted as a progression of time in the plot, but most significantly as a passing backdrop to the more prevalent and powerful beauty of the now that is between the two lovers.
A forlorn look at longing and loss, supported by, indeed sharing in the creation of it, a sorrowful and haunting musical score. The shadow of the story of the clock, the rewinding of history, the desire to return to innocence, the longing to stay in one place in one time and remain in love at its Zenith, are all intertwined. At the moment of their middle ground, the center of their lives, Button and Daisy face each other at ease in bed, and Button states that he is sad that things don’t remain the way they are. She says in return that some things do. Love transcends the physical moment.
Utilizing the current time period in the place and form of Katrina was a perfect metaphor for the story, as was the choice of place for the initial disparities of the two characters’ distance from one another, contrasting New Orleans with New York. As the antiquated innocence of the one and the brazen , progressive decadence of the other burn their way away in both their lives, finally meeting in the center, the journeys of our two characters dovetail perfectly in rhythm and purpose. As Button finds his place in life and matures inwardly, he also takes up sailing, an escapist kind of craft. (That brought me back for a moment to the same activity and similar motivation that Pitt performed in Legends of the Fall). As Daisy seeks to run more into the arms of the world, she finds herself in Paris, even more distant than New York, that city’s heavily guarded secrets of self-seeking and indulgence finally taking her under in her wild ride. Later, when the two are finally together, they both opt out of their separate worlds and join to make a new one completely of their own will and flavor, the modernism of the design and style, the invasion of the television (it’s bad final form is shown in the contrasting stark cold black and white it was), the sparse furniture, the luxuriating in almost solely each other then becoming their whole focus, living fully at the crossroads of their lives. The places of these events were used perfectly in the story.
Of course there are the most notable subtle, gradual changes in Button, of which other more worthy special effects and cinematography articles should speak of, the best probably in Film Comment’s review.
My writing, as usual, is what the film is about. One comment sticks out at present, during the aftermath of a death of one of the home’s residents. “Benjamin, we’re meant to lose the people we love. How else would we know how important they are to us?” That comment is almost worth the price of admission.
As I dig deeper into what the film has said to me, I’ll write again. Thanks for reading.
