3 more reviews

1. ›The Neon Demon (Película): simbolismo y referencias explicadas.@cristiancaicedo2774d

   

   Una película con una gran iluminación y conceptos visuales.

   "The Neon Demon" es una película del 2016, dirigida por Nicolas Winding Refn. Se ha relacionado con "Perfect Blue" y "Black Swan" y se ha calificado de "terror psicológico", pero yo me pregunto ¿qué tipo de terror no es psicológico? Era de esperarse que la película recibiera una respuesta dividida por parte de la crítica porque, aún cuando tiene cosas notables, también tiene más que unos pocos detalles que dañan el producto final.

   La escena inicial

   La trama es muy simple: Jesse (Elle Fanning), una aspirante a modelo, se muda de Georgia a Los Ángeles y al ingresar a la industria del modelaje, descubre que su naturalidad y su juventud serán, no sólo su mejor recurso, sino también su perdición, porque ella es un "verdadero diamante en un mar de vidrio". La cosa es que la película lleva las cosas, tal vez un poco, demasiado lejos y fuerza algunas escenas que hacen que el espíritu de subversión de la cinta luzca impuesto, falso.

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   Luces suaves para reflejar la inocencia

   Sin embargo, lo que salva a la película de un desastre total son su simbolismo y su creatividad visual. Vamos a empezar con lo visual. El manejo de la luz y los colores en la película es una parte clave. Si prestamos sólo un poco de atención, podemos ver cómo el tono del color de la escena dice lo que podemos esperar de ella. En la primera parte de la película y en todas las primeras escenas de Jesse, notamos tonos pálidos, colores pastel suaves, principalmente azules y blancos, bien iluminados, combinando con su personalidad dulce e inocente; acaba de llegar, es la típica chica de campo con un gran sueño. A medida que la película avanza, comenzamos a perder estos colores y comenzamos a ver tonos más intensos, azul oscuro, violeta y rojo, rodeados de sombras y negro.

   Colores oscuros e intensos para escenas fuertes.

   El violeta está presente en las escenas sensuales y el rojo, por supuesto, en las secuencias literalmente mortales (el rojo refleja la muerte de su inocencia; y más tarde, el color rojo domina la secuencia de su propia muerte). La película alterna el azul y el rojo como una dualidad entre la inocencia y la violencia e incluso los mezcla como una sola cosa en algunas escenas (el maquillaje en la secuencia de la pasarela; o cuando Jesse es arrojada a la piscina vacía: vemos su sangre roja sobre la baldosa azul).

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   Los triángulos invertidos

   Vamos ahora con el simbolismo. Hay muchísimas referencias en la película, pero sólo voy a hablar sobre algunas de ellas que son claves para entender la intención del director de usar específicamente estas referencias y no otras. El símbolo principal son los triángulos que hemos visto en los carteles de la película y en una de las partes centrales de la misma. Cuando Jesse es elegida para cerrar un desfile, lo que significa su consolidación como una estrella ascendente del modelaje, vemos un gran triángulo azul invertido compuesto de tres triángulos azules más pequeños. Mientras Jesse se acerca a los triángulos, éstos comienzan a cambiar su color hasta volverse completamente rojos, momento en que la expresión de su rostro cambia completamente, pasando de inocente y temeroso a rebozar seguridad, arrogancia y una poderosa vanidad. La parte vana de Jesse ha devorado la pureza que le quedaba (la interpretación de Fanning en esta escena es una demostración de gran capacidad actoral) y de ahora en adelante ya no será esa chica tímida del principio, sino una mujer fuerte, consciente del poder supremo de su belleza.

   Una Jesse renacida

   "No quiero ser ellas. Ellas quieren ser yo", dice Jesse, quien irónicamente acabó convertida en una de esas chicas de las que se sentía tan diferente al inicio de la cinta. Ahora abraza un mundo donde "La belleza no lo es todo. Es lo único". También debemos recordar que el triángulo invertido es el antiguo símbolo para la mujer, debido a la forma del órgano sexual femenino. Así que los tres triángulos también representan a Ruby, Gigi y Sarah, las tres mujeres que "le dan la bienvenida" a LA (una maquilladora y dos modelos) y que más tarde decidirán su destino.

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   La escena de "El resplandor"

   Hay otras referencias y detalles que le dan sentido a escenas específicas en la película. Cuando Jesse llega a Los Ángeles, Ruby la lleva a una fiesta. Se encuentran con Gigi y Sarah en el baño y Gigi habla sobre su pintalabios, al cual, debido a su color, llama "Red Rum" ("Ron Rojo"). Es una clara referencia al libro de Stephen King (y a la película de Kubrick) "El resplandor", la palabra REDRUM (Red Rum) es ASESINATO escrito al revés (MURDER en inglés); también es una anticipación del clímax de la película: vemos aquí, reunidas, la futura víctima y sus futuras asesinas.

   Ruby bañándose con la sangre de Jesse

   Después de matar a Jesse, no sólo se la comen en un intento de absorber ese algo especial que tiene y la hace lucir tan viva hermosa, tan viva; sino que también se bañan en su sangre. La infame Condesa Elizabeth Báthory era una noble húngara también conocida como "La Condesa Sangrienta" porque se decía que se bañaba en la sangre de doncellas vírgenes para retener su juventud, que es un poco lo que quieren hacer estas tres mujeres con Jesse.

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   Hay muchos otros símbolos y referencias en la película (como las múltiples escenas con espejos, una clara representación del mito de Narciso) pero creo que es suficiente con lo que hemos visto. Estos símbolos, el uso del color, la iluminación, todo junto, hacen una buena pieza de un guión simple, grotesco y algo excesivo. Debido a eso y a la actuación de Elle Fanning, le doy a esta película una calificación de 6/10 y recomiendo no verla después de comer.

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   Reseñado por @cristiancaicedo

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2. ›The Neon Demon (Movie): symbolism and references explained.@cristiancaicedo2779d

   

   A movie with great light and visual concepts

   "The Neon Demon" is a 2016 movie, directed by Nicolas Winding Refn. It's been related to "Perfect Blue" and "Black Swan" and it's been labeled as a "psychological horror film" but what kind of horror is not psychological? I wonder. It's no surprise the film received a mixed response from critics because even when it has remarkable things, it also has more than a few details that damage the final product.

   The opening scene

   The plot is simple as can be: Jesse (Elle Fanning), an aspiring model, moves from Georgia to Los Angeles and as she enters the modeling industry in the city, she finds that her naturalness and youth will be, not only her best asset, but also her doom, 'cause she is "a true diamond in a sea of glass". The thing is that the film takes things maybe a little bit too far, and forces some scenes, that make it look like its spirit of subversion is a fake.

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   Light to show innocence

   However, what saves the movie from a total disaster it's both, its symbolism and its visual creativeness. Let's start with the visual. The managing of light and colors in the film is a key part. If we pay just a little attention, we can see how the color tone of the scene says what we can expect from it. On the first part of the movie and all the first Jesse's scenes we note pale tones, soft pastel colours, mainly blue and white, well illuminated, matching her sweet, innocent being 'cause she's just arrived, she's the typical country girl with a big dream. As the movie moves forward we begin to miss these colours as we see more intense ones, dark blue, violet, and red, surrounded by shadows and black.

   Intense, dark light to intense scenes

   Violet is present on the sensual scenes and red, of course, in the literally deathly sequences (red reflects the death of her innocence; and later, colour red domains the sequence of her own death). The movie alternates blue and red as a duality between innocence and violence; and even mixes them as one thing in some scenes (the make up in the runway sequence; or when Jesse's pushed into the empty pool: we see her red blood over the blue tile).

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   The inverted triangles

   Now, the symbolism part. There are many references in the film but I'm only gonna write about a few of them that I think are key to understand the intention of the director in using specifically these and no others. The main symbol are those triangles we've seen on posters and in one of the central parts of the movies. When Jesse is chosen to close a runway, which means her consolidation as an ascending modeling star, we see a big blue inverted triangle made out of three smallers blue triangles. As we see Jesse approaching the triangles, they begin to change their colour. When they fully turn into red, the face expression of Jesse has completely change, passing from innocene and fear to security, arrogance and a powerful vanity. The vain part of her has devoured the purity that was left (Elle's interpretation of this scene is a demonstration of great acting capacity) and from now on Jesse will be no longer that timid girl but a strong woman, awared of her beauty's supreme power.

   A Reborn Jesse

   "I don't wanna be them. They wanna be me" she says 'cause she's become in one of those girl of whom he felt so different from in the first place, she now embraces a world where "Beauty isn't everything. It's the only thing". We should also remind that the inverted triangle is the ancient symbol for Feminine, 'cause of the shape of the female sexual organ. So the three triangles also represent Ruby, Gigi and Sarah, the three women that "welcome" her in LA (a make up artist and two models) and that later will decide her fate.

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   The scene from "The Shinning"

   There are another references and details that give meaning to specific scenes in the movie. When Jesse arrives LA, Ruby takes her to a party. They meet Gigi and Sarah in the Bathroom. Gigi talks about her lipstick and 'cause of its color she names it "Red rum". It's a clear reference to Stephen King's book (and Kubrick's movie) "The Shinning", the word REDRUM (Red rum) is MURDER spelled backwards; it's also an anticipation of the film's climax: we see here, reunited, the victim and her future murderers.

   Ruby bathing in Jesse's blood

   After they kill Jesse, they not only eat her in an attempt to absorb that special thing she has and made her so special, but they also bath in her blood. The infamous Countess Elizabeth Báthory was a hungarian noblewoman also know as The Blood Countess 'cause people used to say she bathed in the blood of virgins to retain her youth, which is kinda what the girls wanna do with Jesse.

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   There are so much more symbolism and references in the movie (like the multiple scenes with mirrors, as a representation of the myth of Narcisuss) but I think it's enough with what we've seen. These symbols, the color, the light and the illumination, all together make a good piece out of a simple, grotesque and excessive script. Bacause of that and Elle Fanning's performance I give this movie a 6/10 rating and I reccommend not to watch it just after eating.

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   Reviewed by @cristiancaicedo

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3. ›"The Neon Demon" by Nicolas Refn - another very underrated masterpiece! - movie review@godflesh3033d

   I was watching Nicholas Vending Refn's"The Neon Demon" a month ago. I really liked it, but I didn't want to write any text about it, not because the film was difficult to understand, but because it relied heavily on the personal experience. To recreate the feeling of it is like telling a dream - always with compromises and reservations. I believe the more people touch the Neon Demon's drug temptation, the sooner the future will come, so here's what the Danish hipster's last night's nightmare is.

   

   Jesse (El Fanning) was recently in Los Angeles. Her dream is to be a professional model, but the business is cruel and without the help of Ruby (Jenna Malone) the girl had no chance to enter the "big game". Ruby introduces her to her girlfriends Sarah (Abi Lee) and Gigi (Bella Heathcook) who look in a special way on the unspoiled beauty of the virgin girl. After a diabolical performance in one of the clubs, Jesse starts climbing the ladder of success, which will lead to irreparably bloody events. Still from the first frame, Refn asks a question with enough thematic potential. Is this a crime scene or a shooting site? Interestingly, but if the film was just a critique of the harsh fashion business, where every inch and kilogram counts, it would be boring. We have long known that the people behind the glittering ghouls and the girls walking down the podium do not play at retail. If you want to tempt the world, you have to sell your soul (and body). We've seen it a dozen times in cinema. However, "The Neon Demon" covers this paragraph from the very beginning, and then goes on. The innocent Jesse, who goes under the predator's eyes of the photographers, turns out to be not that innocent. The ambitious girl, who knows her real price, needs no temptation because she has been tempted from the very beginning. It is the absolute temptation. "The Neon Demon" , which irrevocably corrupts. This somewhat leaves the movie without a protagonist, which will repel some, but is no doubt more interesting than a simple conflict between innocence and vice. According to Refn, we live in the most narcissistic era. Ballard spoke of this in the 1970s. What will happen when mankind begins to self-register when the enchanted circle of narcissism begins. Refn believes that this time has already come that beauty is slowly turning into the new currency and the true division of class will be based on this basis. Much more brutal discrimination than economic. What are you doing if you are not born beautiful? The ultimate horror.

   

   "The Neon Demon" is the first "female" film by Refn , who with "Only God forgives" ended a sort of trilogy about the silent warrior who studied the male principle and its relationship to violence. In a film focused only on female images, Refn sees the nightmare of being born beautiful and the price you have to pay to exist in an imperfect world. The "Demon" can even be considered as a spiritual extension of "Only God forgives" in which Gosling's character returned to his mother's womb to be reborn now in a 16-year-old girl. Even people who do not understand and dislike Refn's films usually agree that visually the Dane is unattainable in what he does. Neon lights, colorful games and impeccably effective music create an unforgettable atmosphere. What's happening in the movie evolves, like Drive in Los Angeles, but the world is not ours. It looks like a different dimension in which the familiar logic gives red. Characters also do not exist - only projections and symbols. Is "The Neon Demon" pretentious? I can not find any scene that is self-centered or not serving the common whole. Like good poetry, every following verse is a natural extension of the previous one, so when Ruby is involved in a necrophilic scene in the middle of the movie, I say, "Of course, that's good." Our fetish on technology and the excitement we often get from dead beauty in the virtual space are never more accurately represented.

   

   Movies like "The Neon Demon" will leave us out of work. You can not categorize a dream as good or bad. It exists and awakens reactions. You can only judge its emotional honesty. This is the future. Regardless of whether they like it or not, the story is becoming more and more depreciated, and in its place comes the combination of sound and image that creates an emotional response. It does not fit the concepts we have used in the past and requires a new set of receivers The Demon is adopted through an analytical approach, uses archetypes and images and often repels because of the lack of sympathetic characters. It takes time, but the influence of artists like Refn on the industry is already noticeable. The security of the large studios is shaken by the rising ocean of information that provides the opportunity for an instant connection between the creator and the observer. Times are changing, and frankly, I can not wait to see how this will affect the way we look at cinema. "The Neon Demon" is one of the first steps in this new direction. Inspired by the work of great stylists and provocators such as Mario Bava, Dario Argentetto and David Lynch, Refn's film is a diamond in a sea of glass that bears the spirit of the future.

   Image source: 1, 2, 3

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