My interpretation of this film is that the young woman (realizes she) actually wants her doting but naive beau to be a little more carefree and mischievous, but he is living in his own world in which she is just a prop. So she explores this duality of the marriage (weight) and the fling (lightness), in increasingly bizarre tones. The one time she tries to merge these worlds, symbolically, in her own terms she is quickly struck down. As for the exotic older guy, he keeps getting weirder and crueller but offers a crux of total detachment, which she finds alluring as his aloofness gives her a peculiar sense of agency. But what terrifies her most is not submitting herself to humiliation, but rather that the cruelty should lose its airiness and become tied down. There is not a lot of exposition so viewers will very much be left to draw their own conclusions.
The entire film has an eerie and unsettling aura: the scenes, the stories and most strikingly the people. At the same time, there is a strong aesthetic quality which captivates the viewer - a juxtaposition of the beautiful and grotesque. I found that it reminded me of the later works of Tarantino in its detached weirdness, and also Kubrick's "Eyes Wide Shut" in its perpetual dream-like quality and the uncanny mannerisms of the characters. I thought Brando and Schneider were both great. Schneider's eyes and facial expressions carry a dialogue on their own.
Overall, I liked it as a mysterious work of art, but it definitely brings a very particular vibe which is best consumed in occasional doses.
The entire film has an eerie and unsettling aura: the scenes, the stories and most strikingly the people. At the same time, there is a strong aesthetic quality which captivates the viewer - a juxtaposition of the beautiful and grotesque. I found that it reminded me of the later works of Tarantino in its detached weirdness, and also Kubrick's "Eyes Wide Shut" in its perpetual dream-like quality and the uncanny mannerisms of the characters. I thought Brando and Schneider were both great. Schneider's eyes and facial expressions carry a dialogue on their own.
Overall, I liked it as a mysterious work of art, but it definitely brings a very particular vibe which is best consumed in occasional doses.