Apichatpong Weerasethakul

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BleuPanda
Higher Ground
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Apichatpong Weerasethakul

Post by BleuPanda »

Has anyone else here watched this guy's movies? I was introduced to them through TSPDT, and all four of his films on that list have been phenomenal, especially Tropical Malady. I never heard of him before visiting that site, and I still haven't met anyone else who has watched his films.

I like the duality in most of his films. Like, narratively, the two halves of Tropical Malady have little to do with each other, but by using the same actors, he creates one of the most effectively symbolic moments in cinema. The tame romance between two lovers morphs into a display of their violent urges. It also has a simply stunning ending.

His use of sexuality in Blissfully Yours is perhaps the most tasteful I've seen in cinema. It feels honest without getting exploitative. Sexuality is a woefully under-explored topic in cinema, at least on a visual level, and Weerasethakul brings it back down to the idea that it is a common experience.
Jirin
Running Up That Hill
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Re: Apichatpong Weerasethakul

Post by Jirin »

I'm a huge fan of Weerasethakul. Uncle Boonmee Who Can Recall His Past Lives is my favorite, Syndromes of a Century is also great. I haven't seen Blissfully Yours.
irreduciblekoan
Different Class
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Re: Apichatpong Weerasethakul

Post by irreduciblekoan »

Syndromes of a Century was the first movie by him I saw, way back when I was in high school. It totally blew my mind, the quiet, deliberate, subtle sublime filmmaking. Since then I've become a huge fan of his (even though I couldn't spell his name without looking it up even if you pointed a gun at my head). Tropical Malady is perhaps his best known, and that was the second one I saw. Marvelous film. It solidified my love of the director. Uncle Boonmee is a mystical experience. Blissfully Yours is my least favorite, though I still appreciate how quietly passionate and erotic that movie is. Also, the fact that the title credits come midway through the film is pretty innovative.
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