One of the world's most renowned envelope-pushing filmmakers is back with Love, a 3-D film centered around the turbulent relationship between Murphy an American living in Paris, and Electra, a French woman he meets one day in the park. Highly sexual and emotionally charged, the relationship that unfolds between Electra and Murphy is one of intense passion, with Gaspar Noe creating another truly unique vision that plays with narrative and elicits a true sense of emotion from the viewer. While I'm sure there are a ton of people out there that will call Love excessive or perverse, I'd vehemently disagree, as what Noe has created is an honest film about intense passion and sex, pulling back the curtain on the censored view of sexuality we have, especially in America, and delivering an authentic, unapologetic look at the importance of sexuality in Love. Using a non-linear narrative, Love captures the host of emotions which exist in any intensely passionate relationship- the jealousy, deceit, and possessive aspects which love can bring, particularly after the so-called "honeymoon" stage has ends. While some could certainly argue that these characters simply don't understand the true meaning of love, or at least the difference between love and lust, I'd argue that simply isn't the point, as Noe's film perfectly demonstrates the messy nature of love. This film captures how something so intense, so powerful as Love simply cannot be the fairy tale we are accustomed to seeing in rom-coms or disney films, as such a powerful force as love will trigger other emotions such as jealousy or distrust at some point, regardless of how strong two individuals care about each other. This isn't the first time that Noe has used non-linear storytelling, and once again it works beautifully to his advantage, as Noe is able to reveal intriguing character insights in a way that simply wouldn't be as powerful in a linear narrative. Similar to Enter the Void, the transition shots truly stand out as well, overlaying similar compositions in a way that makes the film feel like a cinematic collage. It could be somewhat abrasive to some, but i'd argue these jarring transitions add more emotional weight to the story. Noe's use of color is something else that really stood out to me about Love, using bright red hues throughout the film as a way to symbolize the deep passion and love Electra and Murphy have for one and other. I'd honestly have to rewatch the film to truly confirm this, but the red lighting seems to be only used to express Electra and Murphy's relationship, one of love, as in other sequences where Murphy performs intense sex acts with other woman, such the current mother of his child, Omi, or a random woman he has sex with in a restroom, the colors are much more muted. Noe uses a white sterile color palette in the sequences between Omi and Murphy, almost as if to capture the true lack of love which exists between these two individuals, with Murphy feeling shackled due to having a child with this woman. In the other sequence, where Murphy cheats on Electra in the bathroom with another woman, Noe lights the sequence in a harsh green color palette, as if he is visually capturing Murphy's greed for more. While not a central aspect of Love, the film also speaks somewhat to the male gaze, as Murphy is character who finds himself following his sex drive far too much, even when he unequivocally loves Electra. Raw, passionate, and emotionally charged, Gaspar Noe's Love is a sexually explicit journey into the turbulent relationship of two young characters, delivering a one-of-a-kind experience about Love, Sex, and Relationships.
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AuthorLove of all things cinema brought me here. Archives
June 2023
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