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Monday, February 24, 2014

Motifs in Cinema 2013: Loneliness and Isolation

A friend recently asked me why death was such a prevalent theme in my own filmmaking. After attempting to form an articulate way to respond, I finally told him that death doesn’t interest me at all. What interests me is how people deal with the loss of someone they love. That notion of ceaseless loneliness and dark isolation, that’s what I love to explore.

So when Andrew Kendall of Encore’s World of Film asked me if I’d like to be part of his annual Motifs in Cinema blogathon, I was eager to expand on why I think 2013 was a great year for loneliness in cinema.

Here is Andrew’s explanation of the blogathon: Motifs in Cinema is a discourse across film blogs, assessing the way in which various thematic elements have been used in the 2013 cinematic landscape. How does a common theme vary in use from a comedy to a drama? Are filmmakers working from a similar canvas when they assess the issue of death or the dynamics of revenge? Like most things, a film begins with an idea – Motifs in Cinema assesses how various themes emanating from a single idea change when utilized by varying artists.

I could argue that loneliness and/or isolation is prevalent in most films I love in any given year. In 2013 alone, notable films like Ain’t Them Bodies Saints, Frances Ha, Her, Mud, Nebraska, The Past, 12 Years a Slave, Upstream Color, and plenty more, were rooted firmly in the conflict of character isolation.

Below are five films from last year that perfectly demonstrate what it means to be lost, or lonely, or isolated from those around you. Some are less obvious than others, but they all share a theme of seclusion that I find utterly compelling.

All Is Lost

Two very well regarded movies from 2013 concerned themselves with literal, physical abandonment – Alfonso Cuarón’s Gravity and J.C. Chandor’s All Is Lost. Cuarón’s film is the more technically impressive of the two, but I felt that Chandor’s nearly dialogue-free picture was more accomplished at exploring how people react to physical isolation. Much of this is anchored in Robert Redford’s career-best performance as a man stuck on a sinking ship, defined by the immobility of his aged physique. All Is Lost was a startling display of how a person behaves after, as its title suggest, the idea of hope is removed from one’s survival.

Blue is the Warmest Color

Blue is the Warmest Color is a remarkable encapsulation of the loneliness that so often accompanies love. It’s the concept of wanting what you can’t have, and not fully appreciating it when you do have it. The young, impressionable Adèle (Adèle Exarchopoulos) is lost in the sexual confusion of her own mind. She initially follows societal norms by meeting a cute boy and trying to fall in love with him. But there’s something missing – a spark that’s lacking, a response that isn’t fully engaged. And when that blue-haired spark enters Adèle’s life, she’s unsure how to handle it, ultimately resulting in a final shot of simple yet haunting character isolation.

The Hunt

The horror of Thomas Vinterberg’s The Hunt is that it forces the viewer to put themselves in the shoes of its main character. How would you respond to going from a once-beloved member of society, to suddenly being a monster accused of molesting children? Would you fight back? Would you disrupt public gatherings? Or would you sit at home, alone, in the dark, contemplating an easy out? As Lucas, Mads Mikkelsen fleshes out all of these concerns with equal weight. I don’t think I was as worried for, and angered by, a 2013 film character more than Lucas.

Inside Llewyn Davis

The most interesting thing about Llewyn Davis is his self-imposed isolation. He’s a bitter singer who blames the rest of the world for his problems. But the truth is, the only person Llewyn can blame is himself. Sure, life has dealt him an occasionally shitty hand (as it does everyone), but by choosing to completely neglect responsibility, Llewyn juggles between two personas: the pitiful struggling artist, and the spiteful tortured genius. He’s really quite a despicable, manipulative character, one void of compassion, but endlessly compelling to watch.

The Wolf of Wall Street

Martin Scorsese’s The Wolf of Wall Street is a fun example for this post, because it’s about a guy who has no real relationships in his life, despite being constantly surrounded by people. People who, in times of duress, prove to not really give two shits about him, only what he’s worth. What makes Jordan Belfort’s isolation so unique is that he never really acknowledges it. He never complains about how no one understands or pities him. He simply goes along for the ride (his ride), and is eventually left with a sea of staring strangers, wondering how they too can capitalize on his worth. 

32 comments:

  1. Very very interesting sir. Cool list and I'm glad you've gotten so much out of The Hunt! I'd actually be curious to see an even longer post about this subject (if you should ever find the need to write one). This is a look into the year that I don't think many other writers have touched upon (good on you!) and it's nice to see some variety in your choices as well, not all one note picks. I need to get around to seeing All Is Lost though, still haven't seen that one.

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    1. Thanks man! I honestly could go on and on about isolation and loneliness in cinema - from 2013 or really any year. Those are the films (and characters) I'm most attracted to. My favorite film character of all time, Travis Bickle, is arguably the most lonely cinematic character ever. Ah, I just love that theme.

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  2. I love that you included Wolf of Wall Street in this list. It is so true that even though he was constantly surrounded by people, he had no real connection with anyone. Great post!

    Bobbi

    www.productdoll.com

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    1. Hey Bobbi, thanks so much for stopping by and commenting. I like your site a lot - very clean and with a distinct voice. I also see that you live in LA... don't you just love this city?

      Anyway, glad you dug the inclusion of WoWS, I think Jordan was such a uniquely isolated guy.

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  3. Some of the characters/films you included tugged at my heartstrings....others made me want to kick their asses. "The Wolf of Wall Street" was a great inclusion. Alone, in a crowd, smiling--been to that party before. The craziest thing is that Jordan Belfort is still pulling it off today, all of these years later. Most of us have had to face the music at some point or another.

    Great concept and a wonderful list, Alex.

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    1. Thanks Dawn! You're so right about Belfort... most of us wake up and come back to life at some point. Not that guy. He "served" his time and is still going strong. The American Dream in action. Ha.

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  4. It's curious how in writing on both INSIDE LLEWYN DAVIS and THE WOLF OF WALL STREET you implicitly point out how isolation sometimes ends up bleeding into a case of a man against society. What I find interesting about Jordan vs Llewyn is that although on the outside they're both jerks Jordan seems to be isolating himself because he think he's better than them but Llewyn seems in a very masochistic way to be punishing himself. (Always piqued by the way he never tries to defend himself in those moments with Jean.)

    Nice mention of the final shot in BLUE IS THE WARMEST COLOUR.

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    1. I really appreciate you encouraging me to include Inside Llewyn Davis on this list. That character fits so well into this motif, for all the reasons you mentioned.

      How good was that final shot in Blue? Killed me.

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  5. This is great piece as isolation is among one of the many themes that I want to explore in my entire body of work in the world of films. It's the one thing that I can relate to. I didn't think of The Wolf of Wall Street as a film about loneliness but once again, you nailed it right on the head. Especially as I'm thinking about it now as it holds true for its ending.

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    1. Thanks man, glad you dig the post. You know, after I first saw WoWS, I thought, "Wow, that guy was really a lonely man." It's like that line from The Thin Red Line:

      "Do you ever feel lonely?"
      "Only around people."

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  6. Excellent write-up! I love the films you chose. Apart from the themes of loneliness and isolation, there's not really a clear link between them, which makes this piece even more compelling. I'm also drawn to films with these themes. For cryin' out loud, four of those films made my top 10 list last year. Great stuff man, as usual.

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    1. Thanks Josh! And I love what you said about isolation being the only real link between the films - that's definitely what I was going for with the list. You are one sharp dude!

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  7. I know you have intentionally selected from this past year but, if I were to extend the gaze, it would have to settle on the Japanese girl Chieko from Babel. An absolutely heartbreaking character to experience, in my view...

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    1. Chieko is one of my favorite film characters of all time. Rinko Kikuchi should've won the Oscar, hands down. She perfectly and terrifyingly embodies the notion of isolation.

      Great call there.

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  8. Really interesting post Alex. I recently watched 'Her' and found that really intriguing in terms of loneliness. Pretty much the only time Theordore isn't lonely in that film is when he's with someone who doesn't physically exist.

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    1. Hey thanks man. Her is a great example of loneliness and isolation in '13 film, but I felt it was a tad too obvious for this list, if that makes sense. Still, a great film.

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  9. Really great choices, I'm posting my about man against society today and we share 3 picks :) Love your inclusion of WoWS it was really quite refreshing to see a movie character so oblivious to his own loneliness - he just didn't give a damn.

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    1. Thanks! I LOVE that we share 3 choices - that's great stuff. Can't wait to check out your list.

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  10. All great choices but I absolutely love that you "Blue Is The Warmest Color" on here. I think that might be the worst loneliness & isolation. First, from your loved one. Then, from yourself.

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    1. Thanks man! Ah, you're so right about Blue. That's such a painful film.

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  11. Great list as usual, Alex! I love the fact that even these are all about single theme, they are so different from each other. Like 5 different forms of loneliness. And also, as Andrew mentioned, how one theme bleeds into another. Very curious!

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    1. Hey thanks man, I really appreciate it. Very curious themes here indeed. Actually kind of eery how the bleed together.

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  12. Great list, Alex. I was really surprised at how much I liked All is Lost. In a way, you can't get lonelier than that, though I like your other choices too. Especially WoWS.

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    1. Thanks Nik! All Is Lost really floored me. I was surprised by how much I liked it as well. And yep, that's about as lonely as you get.

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  13. While I disliked The Wolf of Wall Street, it's inclusion here makes sense. The fact that he is begging his wife at the end to stand with him and her cold submission to his sexual advance was the one time in the film that the use of sexual intimacy seemed relevant. No one has mentioned the other DiCaprio role from last year that embodies the isolation theme so well. of course Gatsby has been around for decades so it may not feel fresh, but it wallows in that theme in obvious ways. Maybe it's directness in fitting there is a reason it is bypassed, it seems exquisitely expressed to me.

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    1. That's cool that you're able to see that side of WoWS, given how much you didn't like it. I agree that his character in Gatsby embodies the theme of isolation well, but man... that flick was not for me at all.

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  14. Great post! I like how you included Wolf, a bold decision. I would also mention Her, it definitely explores the theme of loneliness and or isolation.

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    1. Thanks buddy! Of all the movies from 2013, Her probably encapsulates these themes the best, which is why I skipped it. A little too obvious for me, you know?

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  15. "What interests me is how people deal with the loss of someone they love. That notion of ceaseless loneliness and dark isolation, that’s what I love to explore" ... well said! That's one of the reasons I enjoy your writing and film making so much. I haven't seen any of these movies yet, but my daughter saw The Hunt so I've heard a bit about it -- it seems to have had an impact on her. And Blue is the Warmest Color is near the top of my queue ... I keep hearing wonderful things about it.

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    1. Thanks Steph! I really do value when a well made film explores these themes and ideas. People can do some very scary things when they're alone, and I love watching that unfold on the screen. I can't wait to her your thoughts on BitWC. So a fearless and impressive film.

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  16. Wow, I really liked your lead in line about how people handle death. Very well said. Great choices here too. I just saw Blue is the Warmest Color for the first time, and I love the inclusion of Adele here. I wanted her to find love so badly when she walked off screen at the end of the film that I had to remind myself she's a fictional character.

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    1. Thanks Brittani! I'm really happy to hear that you liked that opening bit. I love movies like that, and I love being able to contribute (on some small level) to making movies like that!

      I felt the exact same way about Adele in Blue. "It's just a movie, it's just a movie." (sigh)

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