by - Siamois on Fri Jan 8 2010 08:37:06
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""""Some of the dialogue was fantastic, whatever one thinks of the movie.
Blonde: "I even like movies where the characters just sit and don't speak." *followed by 45 seconds of sitting and not speaking*
This was actually reminiscent of a scene from Jarmusch's "Down By Law" where Roberto Begnini and Tom Waits were sitting in a jail cell...sitting..waiting...nothing happens...because they are IN JAIL!!. Unexpected, and the created tension of my movie-trained mind to always anticipate action was both amusing and on-story.
One other piece of dialogue stood out in my mind, and I thought about it for a few days.
Mexican: I hear you have a beautiful black girlfriend.
Assassin: She's asleep.
I decided the 'girlfriend' was a metaphor for Africa. But I am open to any interpretation.""""
Yeah, the dialogue was so "fantastic" that you actually had no clue what he was talking about.
This is the kind of stuff that annoys me. You clearly did not understand the movie, but make it sound like it was wonderful. Do you feel it's a prerequisite to like this movie and pretend you "get it" in order to look smart or something?
Please work on your reading comprehension, it may keep you from being annoyed. You skipped the bolded part of my post (reinserted so your post makes sense), which was an example of dialogue I think is fantastic and the reason for my opinion. You just skipped to some dialogue that I am curious about, and asked for others opinions.
The reference to 'beautiful black girlfriend' is also a possible allusion to "Le Samourai", a 1967 French film about an assassin who also lies on his bed and stares at the ceiling and waits until it is time to kill. There was an unrequited love interest, controversial for the time because it was interracial. Jarmusch cites Le Samourai as an influence, and he also used inspiration from this movie in "Ghost Dog". So, it might have been a reference to Le Samourai. But, I thought it might be Africa. Another poster thought it meant the guitar. What do you think it means? Do you understand it? If not, just say so.
You also failed to register "...whatever one thinks of the movie." This is why is is important to read and understand, before typing. Posts like yours are the kind of stuff that annoys me. Somebody comes on trying to look smart, and provoke others with their superior intellect, but wind up looking ignorant with poor reading skills. My overall score was 6/10. Here is another thread I started which should be clear in my opinion of the movie, "whatever one thinks of the movie."
When I don't understand something, I just ask. Maybe someone else can help. I don't get annoyed when someone asks for an opinion, but if you do then enjoy yourself. Good luck with your sarcasm and superior intellect, cheers.;-)
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1135092/board/nest/153366416?p=1
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Siamois
15 years ago
You'll have to forgive me, Jay. I'm a little jaded and cynical when it comes to films of this kind. I overreacted to your comment when in truth, other posts on this movie's forum deserved the harsh words.
The "girlfriend line" in the film unequivocally refers to the guitar. Knowing the filmmaker, it may have been metaphorical as well. But it is the kind of vague metaphor that makes me roll my eyes because it leads to far-fetched hypothesis, like yours.
You are right, reading your comments again, you were simply stating your thoughts and asking what people thought it meant. Nonetheless, it does sound like an awfully pretentious comparison, won't you admit. Read yourself again, Jay. The beautiful black girlfriend as Africa? In that context, seriously?
Even if you hit the bull's eye (unlikely), does that sound like the kind of crappy storytelling filmmakers and writers should strive for? It doesn't to me.
I don't demand literal stories and straightforward films at all costs but I still demand a minimum of structure and cohesion. I couldn't find it in Jim Jarmusch but I'm open-minded enough to accept maybe others did. It's just that, reading many of the posts here, I am under the impression several people are they saying they found it brilliant without really feeling it was. I overreacted to your post because of that frustration and apologize.
As for your rating of the film and your other thoughts, I will go see the other thread. I'm interested in reading more thoughts in this film and (hopefully) finding an adequate review. I haven't stumbled on one yet but I haven't read them all :)
Personally, I'd give the movie a 2 or 3 at this time, but I am of the school of thought that even the most straightforward film should preferably be seen more than once before being rated. I have seen The Limits of Control only once and I fear my rating may be premature. I intend to watch it once more in the near future (one month cushion between the two viewings) and see what I think then. My initial thoughts were that Jarmusch once again appealed to the senses aesthetically. Our eyes and ears are in for a treat. The pacing is also interesting but it's the ideas I didn't get at all. I found the story writing lacking, to be nice about it.
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JayCeezy
15 years ago
No problem, it is quite tempting to tee off on some of the posts here on imdb.com. You don't have to explain yourself on that!;-)
Sorry to come off pretentious, but I didn't even have a tense. The "beautiful black girlfriend" metaphor came off as a nonsequiter, but I am glad you and another poster pointed out that it was a guitar. I wonder if you both are musicians, because I spoke with a friend who saw this movie, and he plays guitar. He says that the metaphor of guitar as a woman is quite old, and he cited some examples in Spanish flamenco. He also noted that BB King named his guitar "Lucille" and Jimmy Page calls his guitar collection "beautiful ladies." When I don't know something, I just ask, and I am happy to have learned something by asking about that line. Cheers.
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Siamois
15 years ago
I am indeed a musician :)
I wonder if it helped me figure it out. Yes, a few guitar players I have known tend to treat their guitar almost as a girlfriend.
Take care!
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