A slow-burn stride leading to the conclusion. I wonder how it's all going to end.
4 Reviews
Thomas Muf doesn't get art
sackofwhine18 May 2020
Thomas Muf is the type of person who writes reviews about things he hates, he hates seeing things that don't fit his classical view of TV entertainment, he hates how preposterous and over the top Refn is, he just can't stand this pretentiousness, he hates it! Yet, he still decided to watch the whole thing and review every single episode in detail. Well, you can say you hated it, but you can't say that it didn't give you an emotional reaction.
Refn was never a person of subtle genius, he can be very articulate in his audiovisual presentation and themes, however I never had the impression that he tried to be overly cryptic as to suggest some sort of Lynchian storytelling. He is blunt when he wants to be, and thats what I appreciate about him. His mind tells him that this feels right and that this should be presented in this way, even when formally it should not work- to me it does.
The Wagner scene is such a case where some might have a problem with it but to me it is perfect. The purest form of cinema- the use of sound, visuals and theme to create a powerful message. It might not be subtle but its still ever so memorable.
Refn was never a person of subtle genius, he can be very articulate in his audiovisual presentation and themes, however I never had the impression that he tried to be overly cryptic as to suggest some sort of Lynchian storytelling. He is blunt when he wants to be, and thats what I appreciate about him. His mind tells him that this feels right and that this should be presented in this way, even when formally it should not work- to me it does.
The Wagner scene is such a case where some might have a problem with it but to me it is perfect. The purest form of cinema- the use of sound, visuals and theme to create a powerful message. It might not be subtle but its still ever so memorable.
Winding down
darkreignn2 February 2021
Warning: Spoilers
"Volume 9: The Empress" feels like an epilogue to the previous eight episodes. By all standards, the show could have ended with episode eight - it certainly had a damning finality to it, and once again, at its end I was perplexed as to where the story could go. Volume 9 continues the plot forward in a natural way, but feels like a conclusion that is steadily winding down to its end.
This episode focuses on Viggo and Diana, played by John Hawkes and Jena Malone, respectively. Volume 9 introduces a welcome slower pace, not necessarily focusing on violence, even where there are scenes of violence. By and large, the focus of this episode is on Viggo and Diana, and their experience as they try to continue to cleanse the world of evil.
There are many fantastic, quiet sequences in here, most memorably the ending scene that takes place in a diner. Additionally, there is a marvelous art-house sequence that portrays a massacre in a way that satirizes American culture - it's definitely not subtle, but it's effective as well as visually pleasing. But, if you watched this far, you probably are sticking around because of the characters, and Volume 9 doesn't disappoint. The character progression continues in thematically satisfying ways, even leading to a few touching moments that I didn't expect.
One more episode to go - time to see what Refn has in store.
This episode focuses on Viggo and Diana, played by John Hawkes and Jena Malone, respectively. Volume 9 introduces a welcome slower pace, not necessarily focusing on violence, even where there are scenes of violence. By and large, the focus of this episode is on Viggo and Diana, and their experience as they try to continue to cleanse the world of evil.
There are many fantastic, quiet sequences in here, most memorably the ending scene that takes place in a diner. Additionally, there is a marvelous art-house sequence that portrays a massacre in a way that satirizes American culture - it's definitely not subtle, but it's effective as well as visually pleasing. But, if you watched this far, you probably are sticking around because of the characters, and Volume 9 doesn't disappoint. The character progression continues in thematically satisfying ways, even leading to a few touching moments that I didn't expect.
One more episode to go - time to see what Refn has in store.
One Robot Down, Two Remain. The Slow Dirge Towards Irrelevance
ThomasMuf24 July 2019
Warning: Spoilers
TOTDY is a pretentious, self-indulgent, narcissistic,navel-gazing, misogynistic, slow-moving mess that does look great but offers nothing in the way of plot, character development, nuance, real tension or, indeed, meaning. It's what happens when a studio (Amazon Prime) just hands out money to a self-professed auteur without any restrictions. So far, so bad.
For one reason or another, Miles Teller is still listed in the IMDB credits for this episode. Could it be to keep the suspense? If so, shame that director Nicholas Winding Refn doesn't care about suspense. Or tension. Or character development. Or narrative. Or nuance. Pretentiousness and tastelessness reach a new nadir in this episode, as a comic book-style massacre is accompanied by the strains of Richard Wagner. How original! How surprising! How culturally relevant! Except, it's not. In fact it's the contrary: It's obvious, vulgar, predictable, old-hat - and thus, self-defeating. The dialogue is as flat as a flat tire - during the better scenes. In others, it's howlingly preposterous and dumb. Refn is certainly no native speaker of English. Also, we get to see more of Diana, the high priestess of boredom and irrelevance. Big mistake to show more of her, as she never says anything interesting, does anything interesting, or in any way add meaningfully to the plot, such as it is. It's now Jaritza's and Jésus' show, but actually it's only Jaritza's - because Jésus is such a dull character. You'll be praying to a God, even if you don't believe in any of them, that Jésus gets knocked out cold. One can only hope, but .....
Which leads into the ultimate insult, Episode 10: A vermicular appendix of an ending; as useless, pointless, dumb and empty a finale as you've ever seen in the history of television. Have fun.
For one reason or another, Miles Teller is still listed in the IMDB credits for this episode. Could it be to keep the suspense? If so, shame that director Nicholas Winding Refn doesn't care about suspense. Or tension. Or character development. Or narrative. Or nuance. Pretentiousness and tastelessness reach a new nadir in this episode, as a comic book-style massacre is accompanied by the strains of Richard Wagner. How original! How surprising! How culturally relevant! Except, it's not. In fact it's the contrary: It's obvious, vulgar, predictable, old-hat - and thus, self-defeating. The dialogue is as flat as a flat tire - during the better scenes. In others, it's howlingly preposterous and dumb. Refn is certainly no native speaker of English. Also, we get to see more of Diana, the high priestess of boredom and irrelevance. Big mistake to show more of her, as she never says anything interesting, does anything interesting, or in any way add meaningfully to the plot, such as it is. It's now Jaritza's and Jésus' show, but actually it's only Jaritza's - because Jésus is such a dull character. You'll be praying to a God, even if you don't believe in any of them, that Jésus gets knocked out cold. One can only hope, but .....
Which leads into the ultimate insult, Episode 10: A vermicular appendix of an ending; as useless, pointless, dumb and empty a finale as you've ever seen in the history of television. Have fun.
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