What makes it so interesting for the audience is the poisoning narrative, blending surrealism and realism. Apichatpong is creating a whole new cinema experience, I guess, and a very sensitive and unusual one.

Weerasethakul make us walk in the line between dream and life, like the first and second half of the film, but that is the point I am really surprised; I can't decide which one is dream or life...

Unique, unforgettable, and offering much food for thought.

A strange two-part film in which the first hour shows us a love affair between a young soldier and a local boy who mysteriously disappears into the woods, and the second hour--featuring the same actors--shows us a soldier in the forest tracking a shape-shifting shaman in tiger form. Is the second story a continuation of the first? A commentary upon it? it is up to the viewer to decide, but doing so will inevitably involve meditating on the nature of love, passion, animal and human identity.

A duology whose restraint and lax naturalism verge on the insubstantial. Both segments are subtle in some ways and obstinately repetitive in others. The second segment, unless read as a metaphor of the first (a very plausible reading), is somewhat more interesting than the first.

One film. One bifurcated structure. Two actors, two roles each. Reality vs Mythology, Mythology vs Reality. While seemingly vastly different, both storylines essentially revolve around love, a chase inspired by desire, mirroring each other unrelentingly. Perhaps from the sweet, romantic and idealistic landscape of the countryside to the cold, spiritual and obsessive landscape of the jungle, the same thread of passion exists. Certainly this thread of passion can be found behind the camera.

This is a film that shifts gears on you suddenly and dives headlong into its own mysticism. Apichatpong's films have the qualities of a dream but in this one it's clear that he's spinning a contemporary variation of a folk tale. There are some great inspired scenes in this..especially with the spirit realm of the forest and the joyful motorcycle ride after the soldier's interlude with his lover. It's a surreal meditation which explores love, sexuality, and mysticism without kitsch.

"Apichatpong Weerasethakul beautifully evokes the existential fiber between sexual desire and cultural myth." - Ed Gonzalez

"This is the kind of film that gives arthouse cinema a bad reputation. An endlessly boring gay love story that delves into symbolic folklore and mysticism to explore desire and love."

What an endlessly mysterious and haunting film. Like Syndromes, its bifurcated structure presents contrasting halves, but this one's narrative is more linear and tangible (though no less fascinating for it). The mystical treatment of love and longing, combined with the superstitious folk-tale influences, make for an elusive yet strongly compelling story. The jungle photography is magnificent; some of the film's nighttime shots are awe-inspiring.

I found this very challenging, and it is very much in need of a rewatch. Second time round I should be able to engage with this poem on the mysteries of love a lot more.

#982

i wasn't ready...

you've got to let that tiger devour you

09 ocak 11 & ilk bolum toplum icinde asklarini bulup tutunmaya calisan escinsel cifti, ormandaki bolum ise tamamn icsel bir yolculugu anlatiyor.ozune, kendisine ve cinseligni kesfetmeye bir kaplanin pesindn giden askern hikayesi.kaplana ulastiginda, aslinda kendisine ve gercek cinsel kimligine ulasiyor. bir insanin escinselligini kabullenis oykusu. filmn basinda ormandaki olu adam bu kendini kesfedis surecini atlatamayn ve kaplanin izinde kendini kabullenemeyerek olen kisi-tamamn icsel bir olum.

The first part seems derivative, the second part drags. They do play off each other in an interesting, quiet way, but I always felt at arms-length from what I was seeing.

Apart from some great scenes, this movie gradually becomes uninteresting.

Absolutely bewitching. The first half is arguably more enjoyable than the second half but I cannot picture this film with just the normal love story by itself. I have some ideas about what it all means but all that matters is that after I had watched I felt dizzy with thought. Not a lot of movies do that.

The two units by themselves are fantastic. Whether they make up one cohesive whole is a different story.

I love the ideas presented, love the direction and how the forest is a living breathing thing. Love how daring this film is. A top 5 fave.

"[a] haunting masterpiece..."

Some amazing moments in each section, but overall it didn't connect with me like Weerasethakul's other works. The second part really plods along, with lots of trudging through the jungle. And it's a bit harder for me to relate to a homosexual relationship than a hetero one. It's handled respectfully and has some sweetness to it, but it makes it tougher for me to get invested. Still, Weerasethakul is incapable of making an uninteresting film, and his flair for the unusual is always appreciated.

Sensory cinema, which I dig, to the point that trying to put this flick into words is almost betraying its spirit, but the average movie-goer will feel taxed, likely beyond their ability to cope. Absolutely gorgeous, organic imagery, but sadly I did not connect with it as others obviously have. I fear I'm missing quite a bit. The second half had some genuine terror and I thought was the stronger of the "dual film", but understand that the two stories mirror each other (through different lenses).

Fascinating and demanding, a cinema of passion...