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This weekend, I saw the film, and was pleasantly suprised at the artistry of Thorton and the vision of a certain understanding life after death is a continuation of life here on earth.Has anyone seen the film? And if so, I would love to discuss some thoughts about the remainder of the movie after the "knife fight in the prison mess hall."
It is my understanding that some of the most profound spiritual commentary today comes from out of the cinema. This film is no exception.
Any thoughts?
Follow Ups:
I appreciate your comments regarding your interpretation of this movie. I had not thought about these issues.Personally, I found this movie to be a very mixed bag. The photography is grand and beautiful. The story itself is fine, even taken on a literal rather than symbolic level. But the people are oddly detached emotionally. Obviously a conscious decision. But it left me quite unmoved and uninvolved. Characters die, a love affair begins and ends, but it was all so sylized that it was devoid of any emotional significance. Certainly all the elements were in place for a great updating of the classic Western. But it did not resonate with me after it was over.
Soon after I saw this movie, AMC showed The Wild Bunch. Now that, in my opinion, is an absolute classic. The choice at the end, to fight when there is no chance of survival, is a stunning conclusion to a film full of human drama.
Saw the film and quite liked it. Will probably see it again. However, that said, I felt there was something "missing" from it. It felt a tad choppy. I had read that Thorton originally had a 3+ hour cut of it and they brought it down to about 2. I'm hoping that on DVD they will offer a "director's cut."Doug Schneider
www.soundstagenetwork.com
Hi Doug. Love your columns and reviews at SStage.Can you comment on the spiritual side of the film? Specifically after the "knifing" scene? I have some things that I want to develop concerning some parallels of the events on "this side of heaven" and "heaven itself."
Did you see anything that stuck out?
THanks.
Shane
In all honesty, I cannot say I really looked at it from "spiritual" point of view. Rather, I was more involved in how the character's were portrayed.What I particularly liked is the was Damon's character was played -- very low key and no hero in the traditional western sense. He's a guy just trying to find his life and all these circumstances fall around him.
For some strange reason, though, this movie impacted me like few others. There's much too it and it is one I have on my list to see again. As well, I hope that we'll see a Director's Cut on DVD.
I would be interested to know how you viewed it.
Doug Schneider
www.soundstagenetwork.com
I agree with you about Damon's character.For those who have not seen the movie, there are spoilers ahead.
From what I gather, I cannot imagine feeling as spiritually illumined as I was leaving this film. I am a seminary student, graduating in the spring, and cannot wait to tell my systematic theology professor about this gem. Here is what I am talking about:
Remember the conversation that Damon and Thomas were having as they lay on their backs and stare into the stars at the beginning of the movie, and Damon's words about heaven, and this being heaven to him...
Now, I move forward to the knifing scene, after his friend and companion was stabbed and carried off by Damon in slow motion, and Damon is stabbed high in the chest, kills his attacker, and moves outside into the courtyard. He blacks out and has visions of the young boy, shot and killed by an avenging brother, sitting with him on a cliff talking about "what its like being dead." And then he "wakes up" in the clinic, getting patched up by a pro doctor. He is a "fast healer." He then is seen talking with a man about being able to be "free to go." He then is outside of the prison to find his companion waiting for him, as healthy as he possibly could be.
The rest of the movie is about redemption, isn't it? Redeeming the relationship with his new-found love. Redeeming the death of his young friend by taking back his horses. Redeeming his relationship with the mistress of the ranch (the aunt of his boss). Redeeming the life of that little man who shared the cell with the three of the accused American boys, who then says, "God be with you" (and earlier stated [in his native dialect] how the police captain [later taken hostage by Damon] will soon be judged, and was chanting something strange while rocking back and forth while sitting with the boys in the cell - what a curious and mysterious man he was). All redemption.
After he crossed the Rio Grande for home, he was arrested, and during the court scene, he was judged, and told he was free. But later, he needed to see the "judge" again, so he could confess his sin (of killing the man in prison). And he was blessed by grace from the judge yet again.
Later, he came back to his friend, and a scene that resembled the beginning of the movie ensued - "Just thought you might have wanted your old horse back."
My wife made a comment about how jumpy the story seemed after the knife fight, and how all the things unlikely kind of swung into place (like the reappearance of Henry Thomas, and the little Mexican inmate coming to the aide of Damon by taking the hostage "off his hands" and bringing him something to eat. And the court room scene. And why did we like the judge so damn much?
I don't feel so uneasy about the film and its seemingly misplaced and unlikely sentiments and randomness - I think that Damon DID die from that knife to the chest, and I think everything that happened after that scene was his venture into "heaven," like he imagined at the beginning of the movie. All of the tieing up of all the loose ends, the redemption, and the judgement and grace. I think that the judge represented a grace-giving God. I think the little Mexican man was some sort of Messianic device or perhaps a prophet of some sort. I believe that the policeman whom Damon held captive was hauled off to his judgement, and I think that Damon participated with it in some sort of way.
Now, there is a problem with this in many people's minds, and that is this: does heaven exist on earth? Damon could not have participated with all of those people if he was dead. On and on.
But, why do we feel the need to constantly divide heaven rfom earth? Whay do we feel the need to be dualists and take heaven out of this place which we already know to exist? Is heaven something completely different from this (for argument sake, even if you don't believe in life after death), or is it simply a continuation?
These are some of the things I think were crashing around in Thorton's head while making this movie - and I this is why I think the movie had such strong spiritual basis for continuous character development and the peace that came from chaos and the freedom that came from struggle.
What do you think?
Regards.
Shane
You make some good points and yes I found that *after* the knife scene the movie was about redemption. He went to try to either "undo" all the wrongs or get forgiveness for what happened. Good points and it made me reflect on quite a bit of that. However, I'm not so sure he actually died in that fight. Mind you, this *is* a movie I want to see again.Doug Schneider
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