Terrence Malick's Knight of Cups is probably the filmmaker's most experimental film to-date, another evolution of the his impressionistic style that offers a meditative kaleidoscope of the life of Rick, a Hollywood writer living in Los Angeles. Young, rich, and handsome, Knight of Cups is an odyssey through the eyes of our main character, as he ventures through the desire-laden landscapes of Los Angeles, where mansions, beaches, night clubs, and insider parties offer him a vapid sense of happiness and worth. Through all this lavish excess Rick is in a state of despair, grappling with his past mistakes that include a complicated relationship with his father and brother, as well as a host of alluring woman, each of which were unable to bring him the happiness he so desperately seeks. Knight of Cups does very little of anything in a conventional way, showing very little interest in its thinly-veiled narrative, focusing much more on the sensory experience it wishes to create. Through this odyssey of beautiful imagery and meditative narration, which at times does take on a form of Malickian self parody in stretches, Knight of Cups offers a singular vision of one man's existential crisis, with cinematography that evokes a visceral reaction throughout. Nothing about this man's life is spelled out by Malick, merely hinted at, never explained, as Knight of Cups is much more about mood than story, letting its characterizations unfold through this fever dream type meditation, as Rick laments about his past mistakes. Meaning is a tad enigmatic, but for me Knight of Cups is about the elusiveness of happiness, with Rick being a character who has attempted, and failed, to find it through companionship. Malick's film seems to suggest that the key to happiness is through loving oneself, with Rick's own self-pity and regret denying his personal salvation. The film's meditative, poetic style will surely frustrate some viewers, as will the fact that the film is essentially another tale of "rich white male problems", but even with all that being said, it's tough to deny that Knight of Cups is another singular vision from the filmmaker, whom I would argue continues to evolve and push the medium forward in interesting ways, even with a film like Knight of Cups, which at times wallows too much in self-pity.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorLove of all things cinema brought me here. Archives
June 2023
|