From start to finish, this film emotionally abused me. I have never felt so consistently sad watching a movie; The World presented here is bleak and life seems to lack any purpose beyond simple survival. Through flashbacks and dreams of the life before, we become aware of the contrast and how much has been lost — not just in terms of human life, but in terms of human values. Aside from anything that sustains life, which includes food, shelter and love, everything precious is now worthless. I found one of the most devastating scenes to be a flashback sequence of the man’s wife teaching him to play piano, followed by him breaking down the instrument for firewood… a life without music seems almost unlivable. When all that matters is existing for the next empty day, what is the point?
The beauty in watching this depressing vision is gaining a better appreciation for all that we do have; to realize just how much humanity has created in separating ourselves from animals and to understand that it could all be lost in an instant. The father and son are “carrying the fire”, keeping the human spirit alive in the face of extinction, and while we (hopefully) may not ever see such an apocalypse, we should all do our part to stoke that fire every day.
Posted inMovies
You should check out John Hillcoat’s other movie, The Proposition (Nick Cave wrote the screenplay, weird). It’s a 19th century Australian western. Although you may have had your fill of savage violence, unforgiving landscape and relentless nihilism. Maybe you should give it a couple days…