HENTAI LAB

by Maciel Marquez (excerpt)

…, I couldn’t help myself, but to constantly exclaim things like, “Oh shit! Dancer in the Dark is the same exact movie as this, but in opposite!” & other similar surprised expletives.

When I reached the ending I was truly convinced Lars Von Trier holds Hunter very close to **his heart, and realized Dancer was a sort of Yin & Yang ode. (Or just a very clever ripping off technique.) 

There is nothing more applaudable than a filmmaker taking a favorite film and making their influencing material all their own, especially very creatively  (think Mel Brook’s Young Frankenstein), and in this case, Trier makes Night of the Hunter themes of abandonment, innocence vs evil, gynoangst/stupidity vs strong woman, lies vs hidden truths, compassion vs selfishness, prey vs parent, and lastly, preservation vs sacrifice his very own.

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by Maciel Marquez

“DOGTOOTH”  was generally reviewed & described as having themes about “over protection” & secularism and some even said it was a statement about Greek society. 

What Iclearly continue to see (because I keep going back to Yorgos Lanthimos’ films), is a theme of abuse & power and what happens before, during and after. Other prominent themes of his are: Control, blindness, incest, neediness, subservience,  hiding, disrobing, detachment, confusing, substituting, gross indifference, repetition, repeating longing scenarios & cathartic/ritual performances. Your typical ingredients for a Greek tragedy.

Mainly, Lanthimos’ films are magnificently composed & well lighted tales of functioning dysfunctional dynamics. The characters are mistreated individuals, whether by life circumstances or some weird dichotomy in some group or family.  The fact he accomplishes all of these complicated even surreal worlds in a very subtle blase way,only demonstrates the evolution of a powerful auteur. In Lanthimos’ films every shot is literally an extension of his complicated characters. 

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