This is rather delayed but I think that Runaway Train had many things to talk about and I couldn't really organize my thoughts about it.
I really loved the idea that Manny and Ranken. looked similar and were essentially the same in many respects. I think this was a simple way to make a great statement. What stood out also was when Manny replied to Buck and Sarah (in a heated scene) that "we all die alone." I thought that this scene was a bit too quick and overlooked. I feel like it wasn't as slow moving-orchestrated music creeping up-thought evoking as it maybe could have been. At the same time, i think that this was the point. Manny said this so quickly and made it a fact. We didn't have time to think about what he said, and it seemed like neither did the characters, probably because they were going to die in about 4 minutes. I loved that Manny stood on top of the train cart as it descended into desctruction and responded to Ranken that he is free. Maybe some may call that scene cheesy, but I thought that it was extremely powerful. It sort of conveyed a feeling of literal and figurative freedom. Although Manny was on top of a train that was set along a particular track, he was not inside the train, he was not bound by anything. In a way, the scene reminded me of V for Vendetta, when V came out of the burning building and felt freedom. Manny was as free as it gets, he had no connections to anyone (literally, he let the train cart with Buck go) and he was finally alone in the world. I don't think my explanation did the scene any justice, but I was very moved by the scene.
On the non relevant side of things, I was forced to watch Untraceable this weekend. The movie was about a hacker who was killing people publicly. The more people visited the website where he showed the death of a victim, the faster the person died. Besides for the fact that it was a sort of Saw, and some other hacker/FBI movie combined, it was predictable. The only thing taht I thought was particularly interesting was that they showed the killer throughout the movie. I don't know how weird this is going to sound, but I did sort of see why the killer did it. He was seeking revenge, but as with SAW, I don't know whether taking someone else's life is something we should be allowed to do, even for the sake of revenge. So, I fell asleep during the last most suspensefull moments of the film, and I still knew what happened. Also, I thought that it was another commentary on how sick and cruel humans can be. It really pissed me off that the hits on the website where growing beyond exponential rates. And it pissed me off that OFCOURSE the mega computer government programers couldn't block the site somehow. These kinds of movies always underline our stupidity and cruelty. I understand that this could probably never actually happen, but if there is any small chance that it could, I think the outcome would be similar.
Yeah, I recall the "we all die alone" scene. I agree that it felt like it was rushed. I was thinking the same thing, and came down to the same conclusion as you... it was intentional. However, I can't help but wishing it was a little slower...
ReplyDeleteThe scene with Manny on top of the train hit me as a bit cheesy, but it served its purpose as you described. I think he could have saved his own life if he wanted to, but he chose not to, that's freedom in itself... to face death with a smile on your face is freedom, I suppose.
Congrats! You're the first person I've written 2 comments for.
ReplyDeleteHumanity's cruelty and inability to think is what makes good movies, not Untraceable in particular though, and cinema is taking a fortunate/unfortunate turn towards gore.
The scene of Manny's complete freedom seems to make all that imprisonment worth it. Like you and Stephanie said, that scene serves its purpose, but the poetry is gone if he had saved himself.
A good-looking guy stopped me in the hall and said that he spoke to a girl who looked like you, and, coincidentally, knew you well. Apparently, she had spoken to you earlier and you mentioned to her that you were irked that nobody commented on your post. Anyway, she told the good-looking guy, who, in turn, told me. So, here I am looking at your post and I find that there are two comments.
ReplyDeleteI guess it wasn't the lack of comments, per se, that bothered you, but the lack of teacher input. Well, allow me to say then that your post is very interesting. I don't recall seeing it before, so maybe I overlooked it. There was a short period there when I was getting more posts than I could comfortably respond to, and yours may have fallen during that halcyon time. We are currently in a drought of Saharan proportions, but little is expected from Seniors in May, and less is forthcoming.
Anyway, I'm sorry I didn't comment here, perhaps I didnt because you already had such nice feedback. In any event, I did not feel the same rushed sense during that climactic scene in RT. Your analsysis of the reason sounds very logical to me. A longer and more protracted scene would have seemed overly dramatic, perhaps.
I haven't seen the second film you reference, and I doubt I will now that I've read your lukewarm response.
I hope you post again. I enjoy reading your thoughtful and insightful remarks.