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Sunday, July 21, 2019

Long Day’s Journey into Night (Di qiu zui hou de ye wan) - 2018, directed and written by Bi Gan

Long Day's Journey into the Night


A movie worth experiencing again to better remember the memories Gan presents.

Capturing this film is like recalling a dream: lacking transitions and sequences, it is difficult to explain.

It plays a bit like an Odyssey, with pivotal, broken characters. I couldn't help but think of The Wizard of Oz, particularly with it's spinning house and secondary presentation of an alternate reality.

But it also reminded me of Blue Velvet, with it's Lynch-like color palette, but with more muted tones.

And there was an element of Hitchcock, with it's juxtaposition of ordinary elements to create a sense of dread. Watching the light bulb get screwed into the light fixture was agonizing--i could barely stand it (gave a whole new meaning to how many does it take to screw in a light bulb?). There were several scenes like that, which caused me to feel that horrible dread that can arise in dreams.

Don't go into this film expecting a plot line or resolution. This film is a meditation. And be prepared: you won't find inner peace.

It is beautiful and extraordinary and I am glad I saw it. In the end, you may be thinking, "there's no place like home."

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