Some of the dialogue and the tone of the narration reminded me of Apocalypse Now and I could here a few other picking up on it in the Cinema. I guess at a high level it's not a dissimilar story. I enjoyed it though, my only quibble is I wish Ruth Negga had more screen time.
shareAgreed. I noticed the similarities, too. I’m a big Ruth Negga fan, too. The previews made it seem like she was going to have a bigger part. I didn’t think this was a masterpiece, but I loved the visuals and I thought Brad Pitt was excellent.
shareConcur. This is in fact something a number of viewers have pointed out since the film came out (Heart of Darkness comparisons notwithstanding). I noticed strong similarities myself. I’m also in agreement about Ruth.
shareI just saw Apocalypse Now for the first time ever this past August when the Final Cut was shown on the IMAX and it was the last movie I’ve seen at the theater before seeing Ad Astra. So it was fresh in my mind so I made the connection immediately. Even the scene when they answer the mayday call reminded me of the scene in Apocalypse when they stop the Vietnamese boat on the river in the middle of the mission.
shareRuth Negga was incredible in this film. The scene where she is not allowed into the recording studio is one of the best scenes in the film.
That being said, she played her role and she was intentionally sidelined if you notice the internal messaging. I don't see how more scenes with her would have served the story. The story largely revolves around Roy and his father. You could say it's unfair because it does not acknowledge the contribution of women in the act of creation, but it is secretly alluded to that this is largely caused by societal trends.
It's the father, son and the holy spirit. Not father and mother.
>I guess at a high level it's not a dissimilar story.
No, on a shallow level it's not a dissimilar story. On a high level it is a very dissimilar story.
Roy's father wants to find God. Colonel Kurtz and the Captain both already discovered that there is no God. Their reaction to this discovery was the rage that Roy talks about. But, Roy does not want to become that guy as he said himself. Ad Astra is a story of a redemptive arch, Roy joins the masses of shallow materialists because that is all that's left without God. Colonel Kurtz's and Captain's reactions are more authentic. They became raging monkeys.
Roy's father wants to find God. Colonel Kurtz and the Captain both already discovered that there is no God. Their reaction to this discovery was the rage that Roy talks about. But, Roy does not want to become that guy as he said himself. Ad Astra is a story of a redemptive arch, Roy joins the masses of shallow materialists because that is all that's left without God. Colonel Kurtz's and Captain's reactions are more authentic. They became raging monkeys.
Yeah, I noticed similarities too, at least in the structure. But the execution was not to my liking. Also, it had a lot of religious influence.
shareI just watched William Friedkin's Sorcerer (1977) on Halloween and I see a TONNE of parallels between that and Ad Astra. Harrowing voyages into the unknown, against all odds, that are also examinations of the flaws of the protagonist (and by extension humanity), a struggle against nature, isolation, and ultimately insanity. Although I daresay Ad Astra ended on a much more optimistic and life-affirming note, whereas Friedkin has a penchant for stories that traumatize the characters beyond all repair, and some dreadful fate is always in store for them.
But there are sequences in both Sorcerer and Ad Astra, in their respective third acts, that share in the same genealogy of theme, tone, and execution, if you've seen both films, you'll know what I'm talking about! Both are great films in my opinion!