Miscellaneous Movie Musings

innerSpaceman · 05-30-2006, 07:32 AM

Yeah, X-3 was a proverbial blood-bath, wasn't it? But I appreciate that it goes very far towards a guarantee that this will be the last X-Men film, despite the great box office and the tag at the end ... which I will put in spoiler tags for no particular reason:

Spoiler:

As for Private Ryan, I'm sorry Alex did not appreciate the twist of a seeming flash-back not being a flash-back. I think it was a brilliant device to fool the audience into believing that the main character lives through his harrowing war experiences. In such a literally blood-bath movie, I believe the audience would have otherwise been more than half expecting Tom Hanks' to buy the farm. Since he is such an appealing character, I think his death as a surprise and shock was a worthy goal, completely justifying a bit of cinematic trickery with hokey film conventions of "the flashback."

It is noteworthy that the film did not cut from the Matt Damon's character's present-day close up to a shot of Tom Hanks. There were six or seven shots before Hanks was revealed. And since 'old man Damon' was shown staring at a tombstone when the cut to the past happened, a "flashback" of the person who died is, I believe, quite legitimate.

In light of a certain film currently out in theaters, it was bittersweet to watch yet another movie where Tom Hanks really enlivens an entire picture with his considerable presence.

05-30-2006, 07:32 AM	#11
innerSpaceman Kink of Swank Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Inner Space Posts: 13,075	Yeah, X-3 was a proverbial blood-bath, wasn't it? But I appreciate that it goes very far towards a guarantee that this will be the last X-Men film, despite the great box office and the tag at the end ... which I will put in spoiler tags for no particular reason: Spoiler: Prof. X appears to have taken over the body of that Terry Scheivo-esque "vegetative state" patient he earliler showed to his students in class. Dr. Moira is seen attending the patient, who suddenly turns to her and, in Patrick Stewart's voice says, "Moira." She looks at him astonished and gasps, "Charles?!" Cut to Black. As for Private Ryan, I'm sorry Alex did not appreciate the twist of a seeming flash-back not being a flash-back. I think it was a brilliant device to fool the audience into believing that the main character lives through his harrowing war experiences. In such a literally blood-bath movie, I believe the audience would have otherwise been more than half expecting Tom Hanks' to buy the farm. Since he is such an appealing character, I think his death as a surprise and shock was a worthy goal, completely justifying a bit of cinematic trickery with hokey film conventions of "the flashback." It is noteworthy that the film did not cut from the Matt Damon's character's present-day close up to a shot of Tom Hanks. There were six or seven shots before Hanks was revealed. And since 'old man Damon' was shown staring at a tombstone when the cut to the past happened, a "flashback" of the person who died is, I believe, quite legitimate. In light of a certain film currently out in theaters, it was bittersweet to watch yet another movie where Tom Hanks really enlivens an entire picture with his considerable presence. Last edited by innerSpaceman : 05-30-2006 at 07:37 AM.
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