Ever since PULP FICTION in 1994, I've become a big fan of films with stories told in a non-linear manner: in other words, where events are portrayed out of chronological order or in other ways where the traditional narrative doesn't necessarily follow the direct pattern of movie events. But for the purposes of this blog post, it's probably best that I describe things in the chronological order.
Ex-convict Jack Jordan (played by Benicio del Toro) has found a new religious faith in order to recover from alcoholism and drug addiction, although his family has little understanding and patience for his newfound faith in Jesus Christ. In another part of the same city, Paul Rivers (played by Sean Penn) is a mathematics professor with a fatal heart condition, and unless he receives a new heart from an organ donor, he'll be dead within a month. Paul's dedicated wife wants him to donate his sperm so she can have his baby if he dies. And in yet another part of that same city, Christina Peck (played by Naomi Watts) is a recovering drug addict (another one?) living a traditional suburban life with her husband and two daughters. The lives and stories of these three people become linked together when Jack kills Christina's husband and daughters in a hit-and-run accident, and her husband's heart is donated to Paul.
The loss of her family turns Christina back to drugs, and she comes into contact with Paul, who has deliberately sought her out to find out more about his heart donor. Stricken with guilt over the accident, Jack turns to drugs again and eventually decides to turn himself in, citing his "duty to God." While incarcerated, he renounces God and even attempt suicide. He's, nonetheless, released from prison after Christina declines to press charges, though she will eventually decides she wants Jack dead instead. When she and Paul finally meet and develop their own romantic relationship, (oh yeah, Naomi Watts is naked, by the way)...
...she convinces Paul to help carry out her obsession with extracting revenge on Jack. Paul and Christina check into the same motel where Jack is living now, and their plan eventually takes shape when Paul grabs Jack and leads him to an isolated clearing, intent on killing him at gunpoint. However, Paul is unable to kill, and orders him to just disappear. This plan backfires, however, and the three of them are inevitably brought together in a moment of gun violence in the motel room, resulting in Jack and Christina rushing Paul to the hospital. Jack attempts to tell the police that he was the one who shot Paul, but is released when his story doesn't confirm with the actual events of what happened. Paul dies (spoiler), and the conflict between Jack and Christina remains unresolved.
The filming style of 21 GRAMS is very distinctive in that it involves rather gritty, hand-held camera shots and the use of unique color photographic images to distinguish each character's storyline and their developments. Jack's story appears to use warm colors, Paul's story appears to use cool colors, and Christina's appear to be more neutral. While the narrative of the story remains structured to a degree, it's non-linear form provides a very stylish, if not haunting drama of three lives lost, and destined to crash into each other at some point. The outstanding performances by its three principles are gripping and able to move and astonish us with it's unique (and even satisfying) story of what is supposed to be a look at ordinary life...in its most extraordinary vision.
Favorite line or dialogue:
Paul Rivers (to his wife Mary): "We've been a fraud for a long time."
No comments:
Post a Comment